Bears Draft Target: Derick Hall |
It didn't come as a surprise when the Bears elected to trade the No. 1 overall pick roughly a month ago. What did come as a surprise was who they traded the pick to as the Carolina Panthers shocked the world and made the move to go No. 1. A lot of that had to do with their desire to target a QB where CJ Stroud appears to be their man.
As part of the trade, the Bears not only acquired the No. 9 pick from the Panthers, but also received DJ Moore to land as the team's No. 1 WR this season. Moore fills a glaring hole in the Bears offense as they have struggled to find a No. 1 WR since Allen Robinson had his incredible run. The acquisition of Moore also netted the Bears several more draft picks, including another second-round pick where they will pick 53 and 61. The 61st pick is the one coming from Carolina, and the Bears will have a ton of options to consider with this pick. Picking 61 comes with its perks, as players in this area have the potential to be starters right away while also having first-round potential. That is worth noting for the Bears, as they may focus heavily on defense in round two. If that is the case, look for them to address their league-worst pass rush in round two, as that is the most significant area of need on their defense. Not only did the Bears trade away Khalil Mack before the season last year, but they also turned around and dealt Robert Quinn to Philadelphia in week seven. That took the Bears two best pass rushers, who combined for over 25 sacks in 2021 and sent them away for picks. When you look at this defense and notice that they didn't even have 25 sacks as a team last season, you can see how crucial their losses were to the defense. To fix the pass-rushing side of things, the Bears need to get younger; that is where the draft can help them. Look for Auburn EDGE rusher Derick Hall as an option for Chicago as a late second-round pick. Say what you want about taking a guy late in the second round, but Hall has the potential to be taken way earlier, depending on the fit. This is a player that not only has excellent length, but plays with plenty of explosiveness which is something the Bears defense desperately needs. That explosiveness makes him a problem in pass blocking as he tends to pressure the interior line to collapse into the pocket. Hall is more of a power rusher than a finesse rusher, but sometimes that is better. He is everything the Bears are looking for in a pass rusher, and knowing how Ryan Poles thinks, that is important. Hall not only has the length you like in a pass rusher, but he is the high-character guy Poles and Matt Eberflus love to have on their team. Like many of the EDGE rushers in this year's class, Hall may be great at getting to the QB, but stopping the run is a problem. Chicago can't afford to give up the yardage on the ground like they did last season, so they need to make sure whoever they draft on defense is equally as good at getting to the QB and stopping the run. Looking at his intangibles, you immediately notice the overall size of Hall as his 6-3 251 pound frame gives him the ideal size you look for in an EDGE rusher. Adding 10 pounds of muscle would help, but he should be able to get by with his current size. This player spent four seasons in Auburn and had to wait his turn to see the field. After playing in just 15 games in his first two seasons, Hall broke out his final two when he saw action in 25 games. In his final two seasons, he picked up 112 of his 146 career tackles while also registering 23.5 tackles for a loss. Throw in 15.5 of his 19.5 sacks in the final two seasons, including nine in 2021, and you can see just how good Hall can be when given an opportunity. Along with his power rushing skills comes a player that runs a 4.55 40, which shows you his overall athletic traits. Carl Lawson is the player that comes to mind when you compare Hall to a current NFL player. According to an AFC Scout that has spent a ton of time watching Hall, this hard-nosed football player is as tough as they come. He is precisely what football means in the city of Chicago and will be a great locker room guy.
