Baylor Bears defensive tackle Gabe Hall turned heads at the Senior Bowl after a down year in 2023. What does Hall’s NFL Draft outlook look like? Can he bring an impact to an NFL franchise? His scouting report reveals the answers to those questions.
Gabe Hall Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 290 pounds
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- School: Baylor
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
- Hand: 9 3/8″
- Arm: 34 3/8″
- Wingspan: 84″
A former three-star recruit, Hall was the 53rd-ranked defensive tackle in the 2019 recruiting class. After playing eight games as a freshman that year, Hall redshirted in 2020 before becoming a full-time starter in 2021.
Hall helped Baylor win the Big 12 Championship in 2021, posting five sacks as a significant part of Baylor’s defense under Dave Aranda. Hall’s numbers dipped in 2022 and 2023 as Baylor’s defense seemingly played worse and worse.
“Won virtually every one of his 1-on-1 reps.” 👀@IC_Draft says Baylor’s Gabe Hall is putting on a show at the @seniorbowl practices❕ https://t.co/wpp0iLb4cB
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) February 1, 2024
Gabe Hall finished his Baylor career with 11 sacks and was a Big-12 Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2023.
Hall’s Scouting Report
Games Watched: Texas (2023), Kansas State (2023), Utah (2023), Cincinnati (2023), Oklahoma State (2022), Oklahoma (2022), Texas (2022)
Strengths
- Long levers for arms, well-built frame
- Length helps him establish first contact
- Good, heavy hands to pop on contact
- Active on twists
- Flashes of great power collapse the pocket
- Aligned at 3-tech and 0-tech throughout his career
- Solid swim move
- Flashes of quickness to win sideline to sideline
Weaknesses
- Poor pad level repeatedly saw him driven out of plays completely
- Struggles to shed blockers in the run game
- Double-teams and down blocks can wash him out of his gap
- Pass rush plan often repeatedly negated, didn’t win 1-on-1s often enough
- Needs to develop more counters to his plan when the initial move doesn’t win
- Explosiveness is just OK, limits his speed to power
- Play declined immensely year by year
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Hall currently projects as a Day 3 pick who needed a strong offseason to ensure his status as a draft pick.
His woes in the run game stemmed from poor pad level, impacting his ability to truly anchor and work through blockers. His lack of power in the run game saw him simply get wiped out against power/gap runs in 2023.
When he can get the jump out ahead of blockers, he disrupts lanes. Even when engaged, his length gives him enough of a reach to engage with rushers.
There were good flashes of traits that you simply cannot teach. Hall’s length gives him an advantage over opposing linemen. When his speed to power hits, Hall can collapse the pocket and disrupt rushing lanes.
His quickness hit better in 2021 and 2022 and showed a player with high motor and diversity in his game. Hall did show off a good swim move on film and in Mobile.
It’s tough to separate how Hall looked on film at Baylor versus how he looked at the Senior Bowl. Hall’s play declined after an enticing 2021, and his flashes never translated to consistency. What we can’t answer is how much of it was scheme or player.
As a whole, Baylor took a step back defensively after 2021. Hall showing off in Mobile was a good start, but after a red-hot start on Day 1, his performances cooled through the rest of the week.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
Hall has the tools that NFL teams will covet, and his flashes are great. Those are enough to likely keep him on NFL draft boards. Hall projects best as a rotational 3T, ideally in an even front, with the upside to develop into a solid starter. He’ll need the right situation to hit his upside, but the traits are there for better coaching to seize and develop.
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