Have you ever been promoted or taken on a responsibility you weren’t quite ready for? It has likely happened to all of you, but I bet it wasn’t critiqued nonstop by national media, nor did millions of people notice it all at the same time. This can be a reality for young NFL players of any position, but I believe some of the greatest leaps come from second and third-year pass rushers. They go from being able to win 1-1 matchups with players not always of the same caliber to going 1-1 against the NFL's best! So, when you see someone who has a disappointing rookie year, you must be able to contextualize why it happened. Derick Hall is an interesting player to watch because you’ve likely never heard of him unless you’re in deep leagues or are a fan of the Seahawks. This year, I believe he is blossoming into a player you need to know, and here’s why!
Who is Derick Hall?
Derick Hall was the sixth pick in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. This was one of many picks in the last three drafts that the Seahawks have used to invest in the new iteration of the Legion of Boom. Hall was consistent, but he was a boring player that didn’t impact fantasy matchups. His best game last season was Week 17, where he had six total tackles. Outside of this, he never had more than four tackles in a game, but he did log stats in all but two games as a rookie. He played the fourth-highest snaps at his position, which leads me to believe that he exceeded the team’s expectations, considering he contributed to the box score in the opportunities he was given. I also believe that he laid the foundation to play more snaps and had some other things fall in his favor that will impact his 2024 season.
New Year, New Me
Despite being listed as the second weak-side linebacker on the depth chart, I believe we will see Hall pass Uchenna Nwosu by the end of the season. Hall will also get a head start now, seeing as Nwosu will likely start the season on the IR-designated return. This gives Hall four weeks of starter snaps, and I believe the more snaps he plays, the more he will impact the game. Once he makes his mark at the position, with Nwosu having back-to-back seasons with injuries, the coaches will have a high-caliber problem. Start the fresh face, who is always available, or roll the dice again with Nwosu. I know who I would pick, especially when we see the stats that will back up this feeling. The biggest difference between good and great IDP players comes down to how often they are in the game. On defense, you have a myriad of players that go in and out of the game. In comparison to offensive subs for skill players, the difference can be astronomical depending on the teams and schemes. Due to this lack of depth the Seahawks have, as well as some even fresher faces, we should see Hall early and often on this defensive line.
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Reinvested Team Defense
We all remember the days of the Legion of Boom. The team was loaded with future Hall of Famers. From Bobby Wagner to Richard Sherman to Earl Thomas. The team was feared because their defense was homegrown, tough, and flat-out tougher than you. Whether you believe in teams becoming mirror images of their coaching identity or not, it is clear that the Seahawks have reinvested in a defensive identity through the off-seasons of the past few years. I believe because of this, we will see all players, including Hall, benefit tremendously from the play of their teammates. Byron Murphy II was a high-profile player for Texas and the team drafted him with some premium capital, Tariq Woolen is a lockdown corner who will make QBs hold the ball longer than expected, and veteran Leonard Williams is always disrupting opposing backfields. There are credible players on this defense that teams will scheme against, and Derick Hall isn’t a player who will be talked about… Yet!
Conclusion
The best part about getting a job you may not be qualified for is that you are viewed as someone who can grow in the role. I believe that Derick Hall is a great NFL example of this, and we will see him shine this season as a new weapon on this Seattle Seahawks defense. He is going to get an opportunity to show what he can do, and last season, despite the lack of meaningful snaps, he popped on the stat sheet nearly every week. Now that he has an opportunity to be a starter, he will give fantasy managers points with starting instead of a pretty upside sitting on the bench. The name of the game is winning your matchup, and when it comes to IDP fantasy football, you must be able to have players who get into the game. While Hall didn’t get that chance last season, we will quickly see why Seattle made him a part of the team's reinvestment in defense, and this will win you weeks! That is, unless you’re too scared to push those chips in the middle!
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