Huard: 3 focuses for Seahawks rookie Derick Hall to develop
May 27, 2023, 9:52 AM | Updated: 9:58 am
Derick Hall of the Auburn Tigers celebrates after a big play on Sept. 17, 2022. (Michael Chang/Getty Images)
(Michael Chang/Getty Images)
For the second year in a row and third time in four years, the Seattle Seahawks drafted an edge rusher in the second round.
In 2020, that was Darrell Taylor out of Tennessee. Last year, Seattle went with Minnesota’s Boye Mafe. And last month, the Hawks added Auburn’s Derick Hall to the mix.
On Monday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard dove into the Seahawks’ top three picks from April’s draft, including Hall, and shared areas of improvement for the trio.
For Hall, it starts with twitchiness, which stems from a conversation Brock and Salk had with SEC analyst Cole Cubelic a few weeks ago.
Related: SEC analyst explains what Seattle Seahawks are getting with Derick Hall
“When Cole Cubelic said to us multiple times that he’s not super twitchy, it was confounding to me because you look at Derick Hall’s … athleticism numbers, and you see 265 (pounds) running 4.5 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) and you’re like, hold on a second, what do you mean he’s not twitchy?” Huard said. “You have to be twitchy to run 4.5 at 260. But I know what Cole is saying.
“Twitchy and just that instinct in that moment. It was one of the big struggles that (2009 No. 4 overall pick) Aaron Curry had. He was not a twitchy thinker. He was not a twitchy mover on the edge. And so just that twitch because things happen so fast is No. 1.”
No. 2 has to do with Hall’s play style.
“He’s been able to use so much of his power and strength even in the SEC to his enormous advantage,” Huard said. “You get in this league and (offensive tackles like) Charles Cross and Abe Lucas and these three tight ends in particular, it is all about leverage … Every inch on that chest plate matters when it comes to leverage.”
Lastly, it’s “just the speed of the game on the edge,” Huard said.
“It is so fast in this league. And all of the edge run and all of that zone run and all of the things that the Seahawks do in their run game and then (play-action) pass, his head is going to be spinning,” he said. “Of those (first three picks the Seahawks made), he may eat the most humble pie early, but I think he’ll benefit the most in the long run because he’s a sharp dude and he’s a commanding dude. But his head will be spinning as the vets get on the (practice) field this week.”
Listen to Huard’s full breakdown of Hall as well as the Seattle Seahawks’ two first-round picks in the podcast of Monday’s Blue 88 segment below.
More Seattle Seahawks rookie breakdowns from Huard:
• 3 adjustments top Seahawks pick Devon Witherspoon faces
• Where Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has room to grow
• Charbonnet has fewest adjustments to make of all Seahawks rookies
