Why Seahawks Viewed Derick Hall as First-Round Talent

Though the Seattle Seahawks have no interest in disclosing how they assemble their big board each year for the NFL draft, Derick Hall's blend of athleticism, production, and intangibles made him one of their most sought-after prospects in this year's class.

RENTON, Wash. - Few events in professional sports create more intrigue than the NFL Draft with countless storylines and subplots leading up to the festivities and during the course of the three-day extravaganza.

Behind the scenes, all 32 teams have vastly different big boards due to differences in scheme, player preference, and medical evaluations among other factors. While the Seattle Seahawks won't be publicly detail how they grade players and will keep that process shrouded in secrecy, the team did recently pull the curtain back to an extent after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft on their official website, including revealing second-round pick Derick Hall had a first-round grade on their big board.

What made Hall a first-round worthy talent in the eyes of Seattle's scouts? Though he dodged disclosing specifics on how the team places specific players on their big board, newly-promoted senior director of player personnel Matt Berry indicated on the Locked On Seahawks podcast that they don't leave a single stone unturned looking into each and every prospect during a year-round evaluation process.

"I kind of want to stay away from why and how we put guys in certain spots on the board," Berry said. "But the simple way to answer it is everything matters. Everything in the process matters. The film, the practice, when you see the players of practice, when you're in a school, the way they handle the all-star season, the interviews, everything matters."

In the case of Hall, the Seahawks had plenty of reasons to fall in love with the player for his on-field skills, production, and tireless motor. A two-time All-SEC performer for the Tigers, the Gulfport, Mississippi native racked up 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in his final two collegiate seasons, proving to be equally effective rushing opposing passers and setting the edge as a run defender.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hall finished 10th among edge defenders with 43 solo tackles last season and also finished in the top 30 in the nation in sacks and quarterback pressures. His 17.7 percent pass rush win rate ranked a respectable 36th among qualified defenders as well.

Further bolstering his stock, Hall turned in an electric performance at the NFL combine in February, running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.55 seconds at 254 pounds. He would later run respectable times in the 3-cone drill (7.23) and short shuttle (4.20) at Auburn's pro day, cementing his status as a second/third round selection for most draft outlets.

But as Berry divulged, Seattle held Hall in higher regard based on everything the team had seen from him on tape and on the practice field, comparing his playing style and strengths to current starter and Pro Bowl alternate Uchenna Nwosu.

"With Derick, what stands out is his get off, his long arm, his ability to convert speed to power, the play style, which is reminiscent of us of Uchenna on the other side," Berry assessed. "Having two guys play with that type of physicality is something we coveted. And then just the motor and the relentlessness to close and chase. He's a guy that played 68 percent of snaps in '21 and he played 83 and change percent this year. And there was no change in production."

In addition, Hall's character and overall makeup also offered first-round value for the Seahawks. Born premature without a heartbeat, his mother refused to heed 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.

Once he arrived at Auburn, Hall wasted little time emerging as a leader on the field and a key voice in the locker room, eventually being voted as a team captain by his peers. Hard working and mature beyond his years, he served as a positive example for teammates to follow at all times and earned the utmost respect from his coaches in the process, putting the cherry on top of his NFL evaluation.

Looking at the player and person as a complete package, Berry said Hall presented a clear situation where "position value, the person, and the skill set all align" as a first-round talent. Once the Seahawks were back on the clock at pick No. 37 in the second round, they were fortunate he remained available and quickly moved to turn the standout edge defender's name in as the selection.

"This is a player that plays hard, that's consistent, that keeps coming and is relentless. And then you top it off with the type of person he is which has been well documented through the draft season process, how much adversity he's overcome, how much of a natural leader and the maturity and and the internal drive that he has. We were really excited to get the player."

Now that Hall has officially made his way to the Pacific Northwest, Seattle will be counting on him to continue his disruptive ways rushing the passer with power and stuffing the run with a motor that never quits rotating alongside Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, and Boye Mafe. And, as he did in college, the torch could be passed onto him as one of the franchise's unsung leaders in due time.

If Hall is able to produce as Berry and other members of the Seahawks' scouting staff believe he can while also being a positive influence in the locker room, he should have no problem meeting the team's first-round grade as a second-round steal for the organization.

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