Former Ohio State defensive lineman Michael Hall Jr. made his presence known during this week’s Senior Bowl practice held at Hancock-Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala., and it earned him a top honor as voted on by the players. Hall was voted as the event’s top practice performer at his position by the offensive linemen who lined up against him.
Hall, who earned an invitation to the pre-draft showcase on Jan. 10 after a 24-tackle. 1.5-sack 2023 season with the Buckeyes, reportedly turned heads during the one-on-one portion of the practices. He made waves on social media during the first Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday after a video surfaced of him spinning off of former Michigan left guard Trevor Keegon on a number of pash-rush attempts. Hall reportedly continued that dominance into the second and third days of practice on Wednesday and Thursday, which allowed him to earn high praise from some NFL Draft experts.
“One of the few underclassmen taking advantage of the new rule that allows juniors to participate in the Senior Bowl, Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. wasted little time in making his presence felt,’ ESPN NFL Draft and College Football Analyst Jordan Reid wrote on Feb. 1 “He flashed on Day 1, but he really stood out on the second day…He popped in the one-on-one and team portions of practice, and his first step helps him win quickly. Hall was primarily seen as a third-round pick coming in, and he’s only rising.”
“If you squinted during practices this week and looked at No. 51 for the National team, you might have had flashbacks to when Aaron Donald was at the Senior Bowl in 2014,” ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Hall added. “Hall is a smaller defensive tackle at 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, but his burst off the line is stunning. He routinely beat blockers off the ball and was a blur through the gaps. Hall’s lack of size will hold him back on certain team boards, but as a penetrator, he had no peer at the Senior Bowl.”
According to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, Hall is slated to be a third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, while he has a 22.5 percent chance of being selected in the first round.
Hall will have the opportunity to improve those chances today when he participates for the National Team in the Senior Bowl, where he will line up once again alongside former Ohio State safety Josh Proctor. The game will kick off at 1 p.m and will be televised on NFL Network.
