IDL, Houston
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 283 lbs
Class: Senior
As a three-star recruit in the 2018 class, Hall earned three offers coming out of high school. He committed to Houston and stuck with the Cougars despite a late attempt by Texas to sign him up. After spending two seasons as a rotational defensive lineman, Hall earned a starting role in 2020. His college career culminated in an impressive 2021 season that saw earn First Team All-AAC honours.
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Strengths
Perhaps the biggest strength to Hall’s game at present is his prowess as a pass rusher. He was very productive during his college career, racking up 48 pressures, including eight sacks, on just 477 pass rushing snaps over the last two seasons. His length is a big asset here and allows him to control blocks with ease against interior linemen. He has also shown that he has enough speed and bend to win off the edge against tackles.
Hall’s hand usage is another key component to his pass rushing success. He is quick to get his hands on his opponent and does an excellent job with his placement. Once he has initiated contact he then shows the ability to win in different ways and get into the backfield. He knows how to win with his smarts, with a tonne of his production coming off an inside swim move after forcing tackles to overset. He is also more than capable of winning with sheer physicality, with an impressive bull rush.
His overall athletic profile also projects very well to the NFL level. He is quick on his feet and moves like a much lighter player, showing the ability to challenge his opponents laterally. His short shuttle and three-cone times both ranked above the 90th percentile at the position and his 4.88 40-yard dash puts him in the 95th percentile amongst interior linemen.
This all helps to make Hall one of the more versatile defensive linemen in this year’s class. He is likely best suited to playing as a 5-tech in the NFL, but showed that he can be productive from a variety of alignments during his college career. He played everywhere from nose tackle to wide-9 at Houston and this flexibility will no doubt be welcomed in the NFL.
Weaknesses
At 6’6″, Hall is very tall for an interior lineman and this naturally leads to issues with his pad level. He struggles to play with consistent leverage and has a tendency to rise up when engaged with a blocker. It also limits his ability to generate bend and work around blockers. His high centre of gravity is partly responsible for his issues anchoring against the run.
Hall could also stand to add some more variety to his pass rushing arsenal. His bull rush and swim move have both been hugely successful, but there isn’t much else in his tool kit. Adding some other moves and counters would hugely increase his pass rushing potential at the next level.
Bottom Line
Hall is an outstanding athlete, with a strong track record of success as a pass rusher. His height will lead to leverage issues at the next level, but there aren’t many prospects who can match his combination of traits and versatility. He has the potential to become a high-level interior pass rusher in the NFL.
Ideal role: 5-tech in an odd front
Round projection: 2nd round
