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About the Author: Scott Reynolds
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The Bucs have drafted Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall with the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay traded back from No. 27 to No. 33 with Jacksonville, adding fourth- and sixth-round picks in the haul.
The Bucs met with Hall at the NFL Scouting Combine and also had him in for a Top 30 visit at the team facility. His stock was on the rise after a good postseason showing at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Bruce Arians said at the Combine that the Bucs wanted a quicker tackle that could rush the passer next to Vita Vea. Hall ran a 4.88 in the 40-yard dash, which is in the 90th percentile, according to MockDraftable.com. His 1.68 10-yard split ranked in the 83rd percentile. The Cougars star’s 20-yard shuttle time was 4.44 (85th percentile). Hall’s three-cone drill time was 7.25 (90th percentile). Athletically, he checks the boxes.
Hall added nearly 20 pounds from his college playing weight of 265 and he has more room to grow in the NFL. What makes Hall even more intriguing than a player like Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt is his versatility. He was projected by some to be a 4-3 defensive end because of his 6-foot-6, 283-pound frame. Think of New Orleans’ Marcus Davenport (6-6, 265) and Cameron Jordan (6-4, 287) and Payton Turner (6-6, 270), who was Hall’s teammate at Houston.
Hall spent most of his days with Cougars as a three technique defensive tackle. Yet in Tampa Bay Hall could add another 10 pounds of mass and muscle and be close to 300 pounds like Will Gholston, who moves around in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defense.
Gholston will turn 31 this year and is on a one-year deal. Eventually he needs to be replaced, just like the 35-year old Ndamukong Suh, who is expected to be re-signed. Given Hall’s position flexibility he can rotate in for both Gholston and Suh as a rookie and then replace one as a starter next year.
HALL’S HOUSTON CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS
2018: 14 tackles, 3 TFLs, FF
2019: 13 tackles, 1.5 TFLs
2020: 23 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack, PBU
2021: 47 tackles, 13 TFLs, 6 sacks
Hall’s birthday was April 22 and he just turned 22. He’s two full years younger than Wyatt, who turned 24 on March 31. Hall had seven career sacks at Houston, which was two more than Wyatt had in his career at Georgia. Hall had a career-high six sacks last year as part of the Cougars’ Sack Avenue defensive line. Wyatt had a career-high 2.5 sacks playing on Georgia’s vaunted defensive front.
Because Bowles also likes to mix things up, Hall has the size and length to also play outside linebacker on occasion. Anthony Nelson is an outside linebacker at 6-foot-6, 271 pounds. And even Vea has lined up on the edge of the defensive front in some situations to give opposing offensive lines a different look.
With his frame, athleticism, senior year production, Hall gives Bowles a versatile defensive lineman that can help the Bucs in a multitude of ways. His ability to stop the run on the way to the passer is key because run defense is a priority for Bowles. Hall earned a 78 run grade from Pro Football Focus and an 84.9 pass rush grade in 2022.
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Bucs’ Best Bets
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds had Wyatt listed as a Bucs’ Best Bet at defensive tackle. Here’s what he had to say about him.
Houston DT Logan Hall – Photo by: USA Today
“The 6-foot-6, 283-pounder played at 265 pounds during the season. But he was mostly used at defensive tackle, where he recorded six sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He’s an incredibly versatile player that could help the Bucs in a lot of different ways. Now that his weight is up, Hall has the chance to play defensive tackle at the next level. Hall’s game resembles that of defensive end Will Gholston, who moves around the Bucs’ front. And Hall’s position flexibility could help the Bucs at 3-tech as well, especially if he got over 290 pounds.”
“Todd Bowles has even played nose tackle Vita Vea on the edge at times to give the offense a different look. Hall has the length and enough speed – he ran a 4.88 at the NFL Scouting Combine – to play outside in certain rush packages. Anthony Nelson is 6-foot-7, 271 pounds with 4.82 speed, and is an edge rusher in Bowles’ scheme. Hall can be a valuable chess piece on the defensive line, but will mostly kick inside. While Hall’s ideal value is in the second round, don’t be surprised if he’s the Bucs’ first pick – even at No. 27. He might not be there at No. 60 when Tampa Bay is on the clock. Hall recently came in for a Top 30 visit, and he’s definitely a Bucs fit.”
