Virginia Football: Bryce Hall could be steal as Day 2 NFL draft pick
Virginia football’s Bryce Hall may not hear his name on Day 1, but the senior cornerback could be the perfect Day 2 NFL draft pick.
At one point in time, Bryce Hall was considered a first-round lock, but an ankle injury which shortened his final season with Virginia changed that.
Having season-ending ankle surgery after just six games in 2019 didn’t help his draft stock, but he still has all the tools to be a starter at the next level and a potential Day 2 steal for one lucky NFL team.
After the 2018 season, it looked like Hall was destined for a first-round grade but decided to come back and improve that. He had 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and four pass deflections in six games before his injury and that’s exactly why most kids decided to leave with one year of eligibility remaining.
In fact, as a junior, he was on top of the world. He had a career year with 62 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and a mind-boggling 21 pass deflections.
Hall is a future star, if he gets back to full-strength.
Strengths
Hall has ideal size at 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds and athleticism to match. He’s long and can make plays on the receiver as well as the ball even if he gets slightly beat. He’s quick to the ball and reads intermediate routes like a hawk.
If a team is looking for a ballhawk and a potential lockdown corner with length, Hall is that guy because he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and was one of the best swatters of passes in college football from 2017-18.
Weaknesses
The main weakness is that there’s uncertainty about his health following ankle surgery which cut his 2019 season short. Will he have that same burst and acceleration as he did before the injury or will he lose a step? NFL teams are hesitant to pull the trigger based off that alone.
Another area where Hall could improve is his tackling ability. He did finished with 60-plus tackles as a junior, but he didn’t show the best ability to wrap and bring down. He needs to improve in that area, as well as shedding run blocks, if he wants to make a splash at the next level.
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Draft Projection
Listen, if Hall never got injured, he would be locked into the first round but that uncertainty regarding his ankle has him projected as a second or third-rounder. Some draft experts have him going in the fourth round, but his ball-hawking skills and length make him too attractive to slip past the third.
Projection: Late-second, early-third round