The Seattle Seahawks passed on the opportunities to add to their defensive front seven with both of their first-round picks in this past April's NFL Draft. Instead, Seattle selected cornerback Devon Witherspoon, rather than Jalen Carter with the No. 5 pick, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20 overall.
It wasn't until the second round that they'd select a defensive lineman in Auburn's Derick Hall. And despite entering a Seahawks edge group that already includes productive players in Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe, that hasn't stopped Seattle from being confident that Hall can turn into a first-year contributor for them.
"He's doing really well," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Hall's performance following their preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. "Give him the month that we need right here, he's going to be in the midst of rotations, I think, because he's just too physical, runs too fast, had a great head on his shoulders about playing defensive football. We really like the heck out of him. It's just a matter of time, honing his game down."
Hall's upside flashed during his preseason debut against the Vikings, where early on, he proved to be a difficult task for offensive linemen to block. On just the second play of the game, Hall drew a holding penalty after attacking the inside shoulder of a tight end as he tried to blow up a run play.
Then, a few plays later, Hall slanted inside the "A-gap" to hurry the Vikings quarterback alongside fellow rookie Mike Morris.
Neither play showed up on the box score for Hall or the Seahawks, as he didn't record a tackle or sack in those two plays. Yet, the holding penalty he drew backed the Vikings up and then forced a throwaway. Hall's two flash plays versus the Vikings further demonstrate how edge rushers can affect games with more than sacks, tackles, and tackles for a loss.
"He's going to [be a] big factor on special teams," Carroll continued on about Hall.
"He's got one of the really, really good attitudes about playing defense. You love his heart, what he wants to do, how he wants to play. He's really one of the fellas."
The Seahawks will be in action on Saturday when they host the Dallas Cowboys at Lumen Field.
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