Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: EDGE Derick Hall - Immediate Impact?

One of the premier all-around defenders in the SEC over the past two seasons, the Seattle Seahawks hope to see Derick Hall hit the ground running right out of the gate and push for significant snaps in a talented young stable of edge rushers.

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 11, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Derick Hall, EDGE

Height/Weight: 6-3, 252 pounds

2022 Stats*: 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one interception

*College stats at Auburn

Born premature without a heartbeat, Hall's mother refused to heed the advice of doctors to take her son off of life support and after a rough start to his life, he overcame incredible adversity to become a four-star recruit and one of the top pass rushing prospects in the country. Along with being a state finalist in the 200-meter dash in track, he posted 83 tackles as a senior at Gulfport High School, eventually committing to Auburn. Seeing action as a true freshman in the rugged SEC, he registered 13 tackles as a rotational edge defender and took on a greater role the following season, finishing with four sacks and a forced fumble as a sophomore.

Taking his game to the next level in his final two seasons with the Tigers as both a pass rusher and run defender, Hall tallied 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss while earning All-SEC honors both years, including a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2022. Coming off a strong week at Mobile in the Senior Bowl and a scintillating workout at the NFL combine, the Seahawks selected the dynamic edge rusher with the 37th pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, adding him to a young group already featuring former top picks Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe.

Best-Case Scenario: Playing with a non-stop motor and immediately making his mark as a pass rusher during training camp and the preseason, Hall beats out Taylor and Mafe to start across from veteran Uchenna Nwosu in Week 1 and winds up finishing as a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, as he posts 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss while being named a Pro Bowl alternate as a rookie.

Worst-Case Scenario: With his game predicated primarily on power coming into the league, Hall's lack of go-to counter moves prevents him from consistently pressuring quarterbacks against NFL tackles and he struggles at times defending the run in the preseason, leading to Taylor and Mafe receiving most of the reps while he develops in a limited situational role during his rookie season.

What to Expect in 2023: By choosing Hall with one of their two second-round picks in April, the Seahawks continue to stockpile high-upside pass rushers with hopes one of them will grow into a star chasing down quarterbacks. Considering the adversity he has overcome coupled with his relentless motor, work ethic, and outstanding athleticism, the Mississippi native has all the ingredients to potentially become a force at the next level if he can put everything together, and he got off to a fast start with a quality offseason program.

With that said, Hall will have to his work cut out for him in a crowded position group already featuring Taylor, who finished tied for the team lead in sacks a year ago, and Mafe, who arguably was Seattle's best run defender off the edge last season as a rookie. To beat those two players out for a starting role, he will have to demonstrate more than just a bull rush to be an effective pass rusher and he will have to play assignment-sound football as a run defender throughout camp and the preseason. Nonetheless, even if he isn't a starter in Week 1, it would be a significant disappointment if he isn't a major contributor in a reserve role out of the gate.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jul 11, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.