With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities well underway league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.
To celebrate the new incoming season, I will 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.
John Hall, Receiver
Height/Weight: 6-3, 194 pounds
2022 Stats*: 19 receptions, 457 yards, six touchdowns
*College stats at Northwood (MI)
After a standout prep career at Macomb Dakota High School in Michigan, Hall stayed in state and enrolled at Norwood University, a Division II program in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Following a redshirt year, he made his first significant contributions as a freshman with 18 receptions for 274 yards and a touchdown for the Timberwolves in 2016.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Norwood didn't play any games in 2020 and coming off two seasons lost to injury, Hall played just one game in a three-year span. But he rebounded nicely with two additional years of eligibility, including capping off his career with career-bests in receptions, yards, and touchdowns while averaging a spectacular 24 yards per catch before signing with the Seahawks as a priority undrafted free agent.
Best Case Scenario: Reeling in a couple of deep balls from undrafted rookie Holton Ahlers during exhibition play, Hall returns as a member of Seattle's practice squad for further development and signs a reserve/future contract in January with a better chance to make a run at a roster spot in 2024.
Worst Case Scenario: Stuck at the bottom of the depth chart with few opportunities to impress in preseason games at a crowded position group, Hall has a short cup of tea in the NFL before being released by Seattle in mid-August.
What to Expect in 2023: In terms of size and athletic profile, Hall possesses some intriguing tools to work with as a developmental X receiver and brings limited experience as a punt returner with him to the league. But he's already 25 years old and may not have as much room to grow as other undrafted receivers vying for a roster spot, including Matt Landers and C.J. Johnson, let alone the bevy of established veterans ahead of him.
Given his advanced age for a rookie and the fact he's making the difficult transition from a Division II school to the NFL, Hall's big play ability as a downfield threat has to be present in training camp and the preseason for him to have any shot at hanging around on the Seahawks or another team's practice squad. Unfortunately, the numbers game looks to be working heavily against him.
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