Will Derick Hall improve after a quiet rookie season?

With NFL OTAs now complete, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in just under two months, officially kicking off the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new upcoming season, in the coming weeks we’ll detail each member of the 90-man Seahawks roster, dive into the schedules, examine the best and worst case scenarios, and predict what we can expect from each player participating in the 2024 . campaign.

Will Derick Hall take his next steps as an NFL player and become a quality edge rusher in Macdonald’s plan?

After a stellar career at Auburn, including two All-SEC selections and a Senior Bowl invitation, the Seahawks selected Hall in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hall was a four-star recruit from Mississippi State who also played basketball and was a state finalist in the 200-meter dash. He played just four years for the Tigers and played in double-digit games all four seasons, finishing his career with 19.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss. He was a hybrid player for the Tigers, playing both with his hand in the dirt and as a stand-up rusher, catching the attention of NFL scouts. In a backup role as a rookie for Seattle, he produced no sacks but had three tackles for loss and five quarterback hits.

A well-rounded edge rusher with a thick frame, Hall stands 6-3 and weighs 254 pounds. With the way head coach Mike Macdonald likes to attack opponents with his various pressure packages, Hall will fit in well as a pass rusher who can stick his hand in the dirt as a traditional defensive end or stick his ears out of a two-point situation. stance as an outside linebacker, roles he previously played at Auburn.

Currently the third or fourth edge rusher, Hall takes advantage of his role as a sub-package and rotation player by generating consistent pressure and sacking the quarterback. He does this with a combination of bending and force that he generates from his lower half. He eventually usurps Uchenna Nwosu or Boye Mafe and becomes a starter for the Seahawks.

There are few opportunities for Hall as he struggles to get on the field consistently with Mafe, Nwosu and Darrell Taylor ahead of him in depth. With only 10-15 snaps per game, Hall can’t get into a rhythm and struggles to make an impact or take a step forward.

The 2024 season will be crucial for Hall as the Seahawks want him to take a big step forward in his development and there are opportunities to be had in a lead group that lacks depth. After playing 308 snaps in 17 games in his rookie season, there was still some development to do, especially since Hall generated zero sacks and just 11 pressures in 137 pass rush snaps and couldn’t escape blocks consistently enough a year ago.

With a solid skill set in Macdonald’s scheme as a versatile asset, Hall will likely be in a heavier rotation this season after playing just two games over 30 snaps last year with multiple games in the single digits. Expect him to take a step forward in a rotation role, especially if he outperforms Taylor, but he likely won’t be ready to threaten Nwosu or Mafe for starting reps just yet.