Derick Hall is a First-Round Talent With a Seventh-Round Motor

Auburn’s Derick Hall does some great things and some not-so-great things on game film.

These are the most challenging evaluations and articles to write.

I need to acknowledge what he does well, but I can’t ignore what he doesn’t do well.

Hall is the perfect draft pick if you want three-four-five great reps out of him, and then be okay with playing with ten men on the field the rest of the game.

There is no question he has the ability, and there is no question he is capable of much more.

The most troubling part about Hall

🚩I was most bothered by the fact in this three-game study, that Hall was involved in three close games, but he took his foot off the gas when all of these games were on the line🚩

Auburn went into four overtimes and lost 24-22 to Alabama. They lost the Penn State game 28-20 and won 24-19 against LSU.

These were all tight games when he should have been trying to close it out.

Even more troubling was how he quit against Penn State down by the goal line twice – – on two short touchdown runs.

Hall has elite-level strength and power

This is his top characteristic.

When Hall decides to play power football, he plays power football.

He bulldozed an LSU guard so hard, he popped his helmet off.

Hall showed he has what it takes to bend the edge, and he can bull rush some too.

Opportunistic polished pass rusher

He showed a head fake and a strong winning rip move.

Hall also flashed a short-area burst and he can really close into the pocket.

He has all the things scouts look for.

That’s the scariest and most frustrating part.

Hall is also good at blitzing unblocked from the linebacker spot.

If only he did all of this more often…

40 prospects on the draft board

Will Hall go in the first round-two-or three?

Yes.

I am reminded of what a Patriots Scout shared with me after they won their first Super Bowl under Bill Belichick.

He told me that every team in the league has 300-400 players up on their draft boards, but after that first Super Bowl victory, Belichick had only 75.

After the second Patriots’ Super Bowl victory, that number dropped to 40 prospects on the board.

That didn’t mean all the other prospects would not play in the league. It just meant they weren’t going to play for the Patriots.

That’s where I am at with Hall. If I was a general manager, I would not pick him based on what he showed me. I didn’t even have any more room in the negative column of my notes there were so many plays he went half-speed or quit on.

#29 Derick Hall 6-foot-3, 256 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Grade: Second-Round – Fall 2022 Report

2021 game film reviewed: Alabama, Penn State and LSU (click to watch games viewed to form this evaluation)

Level of competition: High

2021 stats: 52 tackles (33 solo, 19 assists), 9.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Note: He earned 80.0-plus pass-rushing grades in each of the past two seasons (Pro Football Focus)

Note: Possible projection to linebacker in the NFL

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report:

Powerful, strong, and thick-framed opportunistic defender with upside as a pass rusher, but has a low motor. Got a good amount of pressure in this film study. Flips from side to side and lined up occasionally at linebacker. Not explosive and doesn’t have quick twitch at the point of attack, but can get a real push. Can really challenge hard at the back door of the pocket when he feels like it. Has some rigidity in his movements. Showed some pass-rush moves. Can drop into coverage and provide solid support after the fact. Decent straight-line speed and decent at tackling. Not much against the run, but he was at his best when left unblocked and could hunt. Did show ability to shed on his side and make impact tackles. He flashed like fireworks.

What to watch for during the 2022 college football season:

1. What are his pressure and sack numbers?
2. Does he look consistent pass rushing?
3. How does he look at linebacker?
4. How does he look against the run?

I just can’t get into prospects that half-ass it.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.