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
Montrae Braswell | John Hall | Bryant Koback | Cam Bright | Jacob Sykes | Benjie Franklin | Tyjon Lindsey | Austin Faoliu | Kendall Randolph | Ty Okada | Patrick O'Connell | Arquon Bush | Chris Stoll | MJ Anderson | Noah Gindorff | Christian Young | Jalen McKenzie | Griffin Hebert | Lance Boykin | Jonathan Sutherland | Easop Winston | Greg Eiland | Mo Osling III | Jake Bobo | James Campbell | Jonah Tavai | Joshua Onujiogu | Holton Ahlers | Joey Hunt | Tyler Mabry | Isaiah Dunn | Tyreke Smith | Cody Thompson | Vi Jones | Cade Johnson | Joey Blount | Matt Landers | Jon Rhattigan | Alton Robinson | Artie Burns | Jake Curhan | Jerrick Reed II | Stone Forsythe | Mike Morris | Myles Adams | Dareke Young | DeeJay Dallas | Tre Brown | Cameron Young | Mario Edwards | Dee Eskridge | Drew Lock | Anthony Bradford | Jason Myers | Michael Dickson | Bryan Mone | Olu Oluwatimi | Phil Haynes | Mike Jackson | Nick Bellore | Coby Bryant | Evan Brown | Colby Parkinson | Boye Mafe | Jarran Reed
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