After the Seattle Seahawks’ 16-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday in their second NFL preseason game, the buzz about outside linebacker Derick Hall didn’t come from his three tackles or his sack.
It came from the Tennessee blockers he laid on their backsides –David Martin-Robinson, a tight end in motion as a lead blocker, and Lachavious Simmons, a former Selma High School standout pulling from his guard spot.
“I think it sets the tone for the defense,” Hall told the Seahawks’ official website. “No. 1, just showing the physicality and the domination we’re expecting to play with every single down, so being able to have the opportunity to showcase that any chance I get is a really good thing.”
The Seahawks hired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald this offseason to succeed Pete Carroll as their head coach, and he particularly liked Hall’s handling of Martin-Robinson.
need a wellness check on 88 after this from Derick Hall pic.twitter.com/IuucDRHATb
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) August 18, 2024
“We talk about the style of how we want to play, that’s it right there,” Macdonald said at his Monday press conference. “Art of contact, all of the above. Just an all-time great play from him. You talk about eliminating space, that’s probably the best way to do it is just knock the guy out.”
On Saturday, Hall sacked quarterback Malik Willis to end the Titans’ first possession. Hall had five tackles and one sack in Seattle’s preseason opener – a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 10.
As a third-round rookie from Auburn last season, Hall played in every game but did not record a sack. Hall said during his postgame press conference that his pass rush had been his biggest area of growth since his rookie season.
“Being able to develop that, that was huge for me in the offseason, that was huge for me in the summer, being able to develop that part of it,” Hall said. “My big thing is power, so being able to work off of that and now being able to try to start finishing and just being a little more agile around the quarterback and being able to stay on my feet.”
Macdonald said Hall had improved more than just his pass rush.
“I’m glad that he has improved his entire game as a football player,” Macdonald said. “Then you can play him all three downs. His fastball is power on the edge, so use it. It’s OK to do the things you’re good at, then have a changeup. People have all these moves these days off the edge, and that’s good, but there’s only so many you’re going to be able to throw, so we encourage guys to have their fastball, then have a changeup or two off of it.
“But I think you’ve seen the power, then how we’re running our games, and how we’re kind of rushing four as one, and I think he’s generating a feel for what we expect and the timing of some of the movements and things like that.”
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Hall is on a crowded depth chart at outside linebacker with the Seahawks switching from a base 4-3 to a 3-4 look. Boye Mafe recorded nine sacks to lead Seattle in 2023, Uchenna Nwosu is back at full health after a pectoral injury limited him to six games last season and Dre’Mont Jones is stepping back from defensive end.
As a rookie, Hall was on the field for two-thirds of Seattle’s special-teams plays but only about one-quarter of the defensive snaps.
“Personally, I don’t think it was up to par for my liking,” Hall said about his rookie season. “There’s a lot of things I could have done better -- being to understand the game better, being able to understand situations better, going about taking care of my body better, so now, having that year under my belt, being able to do a lot of those things on a consistent basis, I feel great. Everything’s rolling fast and smooth, so I feel good. I’m ready to bring more to this defense.”
The Seahawks conclude their preseason schedule against the Cleveland Browns at 9 p.m. CDT Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Seahawks’ regular-season schedule starts against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 8.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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