Auburn football: Why Derick Hall believes he will be successful in NFL

It’s a big week for six former Auburn football players. That’s how many former Tigers will be showing off their skills and potentially interviewing with teams at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Edge Derick Hall has been widely projected as a potential first round pick in this year’s upcoming NFL Draft after an extremely successful senior season that culminated in an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

According to the NFL Combine results tracker, Hall clocked a 4.55 second 40-yard dash and a 1.59-second 10-yard split. His vertical jump was recorded at 33.5 inches, and his broad jump was 10 feet and seven inches. His current production score of 77 ranks fifth-best of all the edges at the combine, and NFL analyst Lance Zierlein named another former Auburn football player, Carl Lawson, as Hall’s NFL comparison.

Hall’s prospect grade is 6.37 out of 8.0, and he is predicted to become an eventual starter in the league. As far as Hall is concerned, he believes he will find success in the NFL for a few reasons, per AL.com:

"“You can’t teach effort,” Hall said this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “Effort is huge, and a lot of plays don’t come off technique or anything like that. A lot of plays come off effort. You get a lot of effort plays; you get a lot of effort sacks. They pay the guys to throw the ball, and they pay the guys to get them on the ground. I feel like that’s the biggest thing for me.”"

Indeed, one of the edge’s listed strengths on his combine results page is his “possession of NFL-caliber aggression and toughness” right after a note on his “tremendous character.”

Hall spent his senior season as a team captain and third-year starter, and throughout his four years on the Plains he recorded 146 total tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles.