In the third rendition of the Player Spotlight, I want to take a look at the highest draft pick from the Buccaneers recent draft class, the number 33rd overall selection, Logan Hall.
Now, let me preface this by saying, aside from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I am also a superfan of the UCF Knights as my college team.
Due to that fact, I’ve gotten to see Logan Hall play a bit, since he went to college at Houston, which plays in the same conference as the Knights.
The dude is LEGIT.
Even when he doesn’t fill the stat sheet, he impacts the game. Logan Hall penetrates the line by driving offensive lineman into the backfield, he closes run gaps forcing ball carriers to make unplanned cuts, and he crowds opposing quarterbacks on pass attempts.
During his final year of college football, Logan Hall recorded 48 tackles, 13.5 Tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, and a blocked kick. Now, those statistics are solid, not eye popping, but they are solid, especially considering the majority of Hall’s stats came lined up on the interior of the defensive line, where it is hard to fill a stat sheet.
Hall was named first-team All AAC during his final year in college, and that really is a testament to his ability to effect the game from his position. A lot of experts projected Hall to go in the first round of the NFL draft due to his high upside, and he ended up coming off the board as the first pick of the second round after Tampa Bay traded out of the first round.
Hall will look to be a major part of the defensive line rotation early as we will need him to help minimize the loss of Ndamakong Suh, who the Bucs allowed to walk in free agency. A combination of Hall, William Gholston, Carl Nassib, and Akiem Hicks should all expect heavy playing time as the Bucs look to utilize a variety of players to keep the line fresh, as they have slowly created one of the scariest defensive lines in the league, with Vita Vea anchoring the interior.
While Hall will likely not start immediately, he will likely begin creating a name for himself early, as the 6’6, 280 lb monster will likely create a lot of mismatches due to his combination of size, power, and speed (running a 4.8 40 yard dash at the combine at his size is pretty impressive).
Hall has a good understanding of maneuvering himself to get around blockers and has a good set of pass rush moves to work with. In college, one thing he did struggle with from time to time was when he matched up with interior lineman who COULD match his power. It was harder for him to get off those blocks.
Initially in his pro career, it appears that the Bucs will likely look to use him more at the end spots, which may prove to be more of a natural fit for him as he will be working against the tackles instead of taking on the massive frames that he would be lining up against in the middle of the line.
While I don’t foresee Hall getting enough playing time to drive major stats during his first year, I think he can expect to be a regular in the rotation, and will begin developing by getting the valuable experience and coaching that he needs to maximize his potential upside, which could eventually lead to Hall being a high level starter for the Bucs down the road.
Tell me what you project for Logan Hall in his first year and beyond in the comment section below!
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