An experienced senior who had a solid last two years as an edge rusher, Auburn’s Derick Hall looks to keep his momentum moving forward as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Tigers defender:
Vitals
Height: 6-3
Weight: 256
Class: Senior
40 Yard Dash: 4.55
Strengths
Explosive and built with an excellent frame for the NFL, Hall is a go-getter with immense power and explosion off the edge, using all his traits and his motor to harass offensive tackles each game and enter backfields constantly. His tenacity and explosion were truly shown off this last year when Hall had one of his best years as a defender, racking up 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 47 total pressures on the year.
Hall’s best strength as a pass rusher is his off-the-ball hammer where he slams his hands into the chest of whatever lineman is guarding him and is able to shock and disrupt their system before blowing through them as one of the best pure bull rushers in the class. He maneuvers around tackles well for his size and once locked onto a quarterback, there isn’t much opposing linemen have been able to do to stop him, using either his arm length to box them out of the block, jolting across their body, or aggressively running through them. While his pass-rushing toolbox is not massive, he has a lot to work with and grow into at the next level.
As a run defender Hall can use his natural length and strength to shock and engage off the snap. He is good at diagnosing when to disengage as a rusher and locate the ball carrier, with enough range and power to push off and latch on to the ball carrier from anywhere along the line. His athleticism and length give him a large window through which to make a play.
Weaknesses
As stated earlier, Hall is a bit raw in his skillset as a pass rusher, and while what he has worked for him in college, teams will adjust to him at the next level. He needs to work with coaches and different ways to win against stronger tackles who will match his bull rush and use more creative counters.
There are also times when Hall can get lost in reading where the football is, especially on play-action or read option and will tend to over-pursue and leave gaps along the line. This could make him a liability in run defense at the next level and he needs to become more disciplined in that area fairly quickly.
Projection
Derick Hall is an experienced, explosive, and built edge rusher who is scheme versatile at the next level. He is an absolute nightmare to block for an entire game, and has the tenacity and strength to become a real quarterback harasser in the NFL. He will need to grow his counters and pass rushing repertoire as well as improve on his run defending responsibilities, but he has shown excellent growth in college to remove much doubt about his future growth. Hall should start right away and will likely be one of the first handful of edge rushers taken.
Projection: Top 40 Pick
