Derick Hall OLB Auburn: Scouting Report

Height: 6’3

Weight: 254

Overall

Derick Hall is a stand up edge rusher in Auburn’s hybrid defense. He played as both an outside linebacker off the ball and as a defensive end coming off the edge. In his 4 seasons with Auburn, he played in 36 games, starting 25 of them. He is a phenomenal athlete but played hesitant at times on film likely due to the constant defensive staff changes throughout his time with the Tigers.

Pass Game

As an edge rusher, Hall shows flashes of elite explosiveness and pass rush technique to collapse the pocket and make plays on the quarterback, Although he is undersized on the edge, he has good length and powerful hands allowing him to bull rush his man with a stab to their outside shoulder keeping his opposite hand free to read the quarterback and make the play. Once he has a lane to the quarterback he shows excellent acceleration to close the gap and get to the quarterback in a hurry. He is a very good athlete and with further development in his pass rush moves, he can be a strong pass rusher in the NFL, especially in different blitz packages. He also has a lot of experience playing in coverage and he has the speed and fluidity to match up against running backs out of the backfield. 

Run Game

In the run game, Hall is a very good tackler and shows excellent pursuit to the football with his high motor. His lack of size though shows up often on film. He is constantly getting driven out of plays and was even knocked to the ground on multiple plays on film due to his lack of size and anchor ability. He shows flashes of being able to make big plays in the backfield but his lack of size will make it very difficult for him to be a consistent run stopper off the edge.

Last Word

Hall is a complex player. He shows flashes of being a dominant pass rusher off the edge but his lack of size will make it difficult for him to stay on the line of scrimmage against the run and he lacks the fluidity to play as a true off-ball linebacker. He projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker where he can be used on blitzes off the edge as well as the first to flat player in coverage. His athleticism and raw power gives him a ton of potential and if all else fails he can excel on special teams.

One-Liner: Derick Hall is an undersized, but athletic edge rusher who in the right system, can excel as an outside linebacker with his raw power and ability to make plays in space.

Grade: 6.6 (Lower End Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2022 - Missouri, Penn State, Ole Miss

Team Fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles