Scouting Report: Deiondre’ Hall
Carl Knowles
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Deiondre’ Hall split time between corner and safety collecting 82 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and three forced fumbles in 2015 for the Northern Iowa Panthers. He led the league with six interceptions as a senior, returning two for touchdowns giving him 13 career interceptions and a school-record four “pick sixes”.
Deiondre’ Hall | CB/S, Northern Iowa
Measurements
Height: 6-1 5/8
Weight: 192
Senior
At A Glance
2015 Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year. FCS All-American. Multiple MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Projected Round
3rd to 4th Round
Pros
Versatile defensive back who has played safety, cornerback and rover linebacker.
Quick closing speed against the run and is a physical tackler.
Very athletic with deceptive speed.
Tall with rare length and is rangy enough to play off-man and strong enough for press coverage.
Good ball skills and awareness with terrific ability to locate the ball.
Good jam with the fluidity to turn and run with wide receivers.
Durable four-year starter who has played in 46 games.
Versatile on special teams playing on coverage units, as a kick returner, and has blocked three kicks in his career.
Cons
Played at a lower level of competition.
Gets tall with his back pedal and doesn’t always show great footwork.
Very aggressive in run support and will bite on play action.
Length screams press corner, but safety might be his best position.
Needs to add bulk to his lanky frame.
NFL Player Comparison
Charles Tillman, Carolina Panthers
Hall is not shy about modeling his game after Tillman. Tillman is known for his cover skill as well as his ability to force turnovers and turn those opportunities into defensive scores. Hall has some plant-and-drive quickness with an aggressive playmaker’s attitude.
The Vikings Slant
With five defensive backs set to hit the free agent market, the Vikings will leave no stone unturned in their search for versatile and talented secondary prospects.
Hall’s freakishly 34 3/4 inch arm length raised eyebrows at the Senior Bowl, and teams favoring bigger defensive backs are now taking a closer look at his game tape.
Hall will need to test well at the combine to prove he has the speed and mirror skills to stay at the cornerback position and make the big jump from FCS to the NFL. Teams that like his physicality, closing burst, and tackle production as a safety, will want to add some muscle to his frame.
Cincinnati Bengal’s free agent safety George Iloka has been linked to the Vikings as a possible off-season target. Iloka who also has 34 inch arms was drafted by Mike Zimmer in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft while he was defensive coordinator with the Bengals. Hall is a little smaller than Iloka but better in pass coverage and could play a similar role in Zimmer’s scheme.