Scouting Report: DL Logan Hall, Houston

With the NFL Combine behind us and the 2022 NFL Draft just a month away, the final stages of the scouting process are starting to take shape. I’ve been hard at work grinding the tape to bring you detailed breakdowns of some of the top prospects available to the Atlanta Falcons throughout the draft, and I’m excited to finally share them with you now that the athletic testing has been finalized.

First, if you’re unfamiliar with my scouting reports from previous years, you can read about my grading system here. Please keep in mind this system is still in development, and may be adjusted as more data points come in.

Next up is versatile Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall. Hall is a bit of a challenging evaluation due to his versatile role on the defense and his lack of a single position in terms of DT or EDGE. As a result, I’ve tried to grade him somewhere in the middle, taking into account that he’s likely to spend time at both positions.

DL | Logan Hall | Houston | #92

RAS: 9.81

Games watched: Cincinnati, Tulsa, Texas Tech, Memphis, Senior Bowl

SUMMARY

Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall is a big-bodied, versatile prospect with experience playing all over the defensive line. At his listed height/weight of 6’6, 275, Hall spent the majority of his breakout 2021 campaign playing 3T, where he dominated the vast majority of interior offensive linemen he faced. Originally a rotational 5T edge rusher to start the season, Houston carved out a multiple role for Hall as the year went on and he rewarded them with standout production.

Hall’s best traits are his explosiveness, power, and advanced hand usage. His bull rush was absolutely lethal against several of the guards he faced–Hall was simply too long, quick, and strong for opponents to slow him down. He’s a constant hand-fighter who played well above his weight on the interior. Hall routinely faced double-teams as a run defender and held his own, even developing an array of moves to quickly knife between his opponents to create disruption in the backfield. He’s a good finisher with a wide tackle radius, which makes him an asset as both a pass rusher and run defender.

Hall’s NFL role will be more complicated than his college one. As good as he was against the run on the interior, NFL guards and double teams will likely be too much to handle on a down-to-down basis. That may necessitate a transition back to edge rusher on base downs. Hall is a prototypical inside/outside player who can thrive as a 5T edge against the run while reducing inside in passing situations. He’s got enough juice and power to provide pass rush against tackles, but his lack of bend lowers his ceiling as a pure edge rusher. Hall’s best projection is as a versatile defender who is deployed in a variety of ways depending on the situation and opponent. As a 3-4 DE in Dean Pees’ defense, Hall would be a natural fit—and that position would give him ample opportunity as both a run defender and pass rusher.

KEY FACTORS

Explosiveness: 6

Quick get-off. Can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Too fast for the majority of guards he faced. On the outside, still fast enough to threaten the edge.

Flexibility/Lateral Mobility: 5

For the interior, it’s very good. For the edge, it’s solid. Not overly bendy, but can change direction well enough to finish sacks and track down runners in the backfield. Not a space player or sideline-to-sideline runner.

Hand Technique: 7

Vicious hand-fighter. Constantly working to shed blocks and break free of opponents. Very powerful hands with an advanced repertoire of moves. Go-to is an arm-over/swim move coupled with his bull rush.

Length: 4

Solid length, difficult for opponents to get hands on him. Well-proportioned frame coupled with good use of leverage make him a very tough task for interior offensive linemen. On the edge, can use his frame to make first contact with OTs and get instant push.

Strength/Power: 7

Very strong, prototypical power rusher. Routinely takes on double teams at 3T and at 5T at his estimated weight of 260-275. Capable of dominating single blockers and rarely gets pushed back. Bull rush can be lethal when paired with his hands and length.

Competitive Toughness: 7

Fiery competitor. Looks for work as a rusher and tries to always finish with his opponent on the ground. Will chase from the back side of plays and gives good effort in pursuit.

Football IQ: 6

Advanced repertoire of pass rushing moves and tries to plan out his rushes. Clearly comfortable playing multiple spots on the DL. Rarely out of position in terms of run fits and plays with gap discipline. A little slow to react to misdirection and eye candy in front of him at times.

Production: 6

Good production–very good if considered an IDL. 13.0 TFL and 6.0 sacks, along with 24 solo tackles in 2021 (47 total).

Run Defense: 6

Definite asset in run defense. Can take on doubles. Strong tackler with a wide tackle radius. Imposes his will on opposing offensive linemen and is rarely pushed back.

Versatility: 6

Played up and down the defensive line for Houston. Primarily 3T, 4i and 5T. Occasionally lined up as an interior blitzer and 1T. Comfortable executing twists and stunts. Rushed almost entirely from a 3-PT or 4-PT stance–rarely deployed as a stand-up rusher and never used in space or coverage.

Athleticism: 9.81, 20/20

Elite athlete. Frame is tremendous, although a little light for the interior with slightly below-average arm length. High-end explosiveness and agility testing.

SCORE: 80 | GRADE: 1.5 (Late 1st, early 2nd)