Three combine DL standouts that should move up the Seahawks board

Seahawks Big Board riser No. 3: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn

The Seahawks could do much worse than add rangy edge defender Derick Hall to their defense. While the Auburn Tiger didn’t display the same speed as Smith, he did post a 4.55 40 in the combine. Factor in his very respectable 1.589 10-yard split and his 10’9″ broad jump, and it’s clear that Hall has the burst to get to the quarterback. He certainly did that in college, totaling 90 QB pressures as a junior and senior. That comprised 53 QB hurries, 19 QB hits, and 18 sacks. He also had 24 tackles for a loss in those two years.

Rated at 6.37 by nfl.com, “will eventually be a plus starter”, I have to note that Hall was no slouch in coverage, either. As a junior, his passer rating allowed was 73.6, not too shabby for an edge defender. He posted a phenomenal rating of 53.2 as a senior. Could be those 34 1/2″ arms helped in coverage, too. And we know how much the Seahawks like length in their defenders. He would be an excellent complement to Smith (or, you know, Uchenna Nwosu), and would be a great value as he’s could be waiting for the Hawk’s phone call in the third round.

Yes, I know that some sites have pegged Hall to go early in the second round, or even at the end of the first. Pro Football Network posited this, lauding him for his combination of power, speed, and technique in the pass-rush game. They also note he has the excellent closing speed needed to close in on ballcarriers, and that his length can help him disrupt routes and running lanes. They also note that his tackling can be streaky – and we’ve seen enough of that in Seattle, thanks – and that he isn’t the best in play recognition.

I turned to the NFL Mock Draft Database for a look at the consensus picks. The smart folks who run this super sweet site compile the draft boards of 91 sites, from the NFL itself to Walter Football to ESPN and – well, practically everyone but me. As I said, these guys are smart. The consensus spot for Hall is 52, although he is projected as high as 26. Smith’s consensus projection is 28, although he has a peak of nine. Kansey is slotted at 32, with a peak of five.

That fifth spot happens to be the Seahawks’ pick, which is where CBS’s Chris Trapasso projects Kansey will land with their first pick. Seven out of 70 draft experts project Seattle to take Kansey with the 20th pick, and another sees him coming to the Hawks in round two. The experts love Smith in Seattle, as no less than 29 of 350 see the Hawks taking him with their second pick, and two taking him with their first. As for Hall, he was only rated by 63 experts, three of them seeing him as the Hawks second pick, and one as Seattle’s first. Yeah, that’s not happening.

Things get weird at the draft, as we all know. I mean, as 12s we know the joy of fifth-round picks turning into dominant performers, and the sorrow of completely wasted first-round picks, too. The Hawks have a lot to live up to after last year’s incredible draft, but they could certainly surpass that in 2023. These three players could all be major contributors to a new record-setting class.