RENTON, Wash. – If stat sheets serve as the only real means for player evaluation in the NFL, Derick Hall’s rookie season for the Seattle Seahawks certainly could have gone better, particularly as a pass rusher.

Despite playing in all 17 games, Hall didn’t generate a single sack and per Pro Football Focus, he produced a mere 11 pressures and a pedestrian 7.6 percent pass rush win rate. Among 120 edge defenders with at least 137 pass rushing snaps, he finished 115th in pressures, 94th in pass rush win rate, and 108th in pass rush productivity, a combination of disappointing results for a second-round pick who arrived in Seattle with plenty of hype.

But beyond the stats, Hall felt he made strides as the season progressed, becoming more comfortable competing against NFL talent. To his credit, he did play better in the final month of the season, including producing a trio of pressures, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss in Seattle’s last two games, and offseason film study confirmed his priors.

“I think just the growth throughout the season overall, from game one to game two to game three all the way to 17, just to growth and I guess how more comfortable I got as the season went on,” Hall said while reflecting on his rookie year. “Being more confident in my abilities to play in this league, and on this level, I think was really the biggest thing and then also being able to still be physical and stop to run and continue to take those steps in that aspect of my game as well.”

Of course, Hall understands that his performance, like any edge defender who wants to make their mark and set themselves up for a big pay day on a second contract, will be scrutinized most on his ability to harass quarterbacks and tally sacks, something he didn’t do near well enough in his first NFL campaign.

As Hall dove into the film this spring, he felt that he relied too often on trying to win with pure power as a rusher, which limited his effectiveness collapsing the pocket and pressuring quarterbacks. To attack that deficiency head on this offseason and “enhance” his pass rushing arsenal, he placed top priority on improving his hand techniques and proficiency deploying counter moves off of bull rushes and long arm moves while combatting against NFL tackles.

Aside from the physical aspects on his list of improvements, Hall also reflected on what he learned from a preparation standpoint and the mental side of the equation, including the challenges of film study and being able to adapt early in game against the best players in the league each week. As it turns out, what you see isn’t always what you get in professional football, a lesson many players discover the hard way.

“You see one thing on tape and when you get to the game, it’s completely different thing,” Hall explained. “It’s like ‘okay, he gives up this’ but you get to the game they really sharpen that tool or maybe he just had an off week. Film was pretty consistent, but you see games guys are like getting beat on certain things like, ‘okay, well, let me try to have something to prepare for that.’ And then it isn’t what you expect. So I think that’s the biggest shocker.”

After engaging in a trial by fire rotating in behind starters Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe a year ago, Hall’s rookie enlightenment journey for the Seahawks opened his eyes on a number of areas he has to be more focused on than he was at the college level thriving at Auburn. In particular, figuring out tendencies beyond simply the tackle lined up across from him and digging deep into formations and personnel groupings lies as a crucial key to success in the league.

Playing in an NFC West division featuring offensive masterminds in 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and Rams coach Sean McVay, there’s no such thing as a shortcut for Hall and his teammates when it comes to putting the time in away from the field to properly prepare for complex opposing schemes.

“I think sometimes you still get those tendencies, from guys who don’t pay that much attention to it. Obviously, the higher level guys like Trent [Williams] and all those guys, they’re going to be more honed in and more profound with those techniques. But you still get those tendencies,” Hall remarked. “I think the biggest thing is formations, or really looking at formations and studying those to figure out, okay, what can I possibly get? Is it going to be play action passes, is it going to be run, is the back at home, or is he offset? Just different things like that to help you give tips like condensed sets, 2 by 2, pair slot, just different things like that you really didn’t pay attention to in the college game. Now it’s the thing that I have to look at to be successful.”

Now three weeks into his second training camp, Hall’s offseason efforts have manifested into vastly improved performance on the practice field. Still playing with excellent physicality and a motor that always runs above 100 degrees, he has stonewalled several runs in padded practice after holding serve off the edge and continued to find success overpowering tackles as a bull rusher.

But where Hall’s growth has been most evident has been with the aforementioned hand usage, as he no longer looks like a one-trick pony and has started to assemble an impressive collection of pass rushing moves. Whether powering past a defender with a rip/dip combination, shooting a gap with a quick swim move, or clubbing down on an opposing blocker’s arms off of an initial long arm, he has developed several quality counters that, while they remain a work in progress, have propelled his rise as one of the most improved players on the roster.

Hall’s emergence has also been aided by playing in coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme, which aligns well to his strengths as a combo outside linebacker who can rush the passer in a two-point stance or with his hand in the ground while also having enough athleticism to be able to drop into coverage on zone blitzes and simulated pressures when called upon. Between Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde, whose defensive line background has been a boon for Hall and his counterparts, he loves the potential for Seattle’s edge rush group in 2024.

“The defense is great. Mike has a great scheme. I love it,” Hall smiled. “I love everything about that. I think the outside backers are going to produce really, really well in his defense, so I can’t complain at all.”

With Nwosu back healthy and Mafe coming off a breakout season, Hall will likely kick off his second season remaining a rotational reserve. But his toughness and versatility should open up plenty of opportunities for him to see the field, especially with Macdonald’s tendency to move players around the formation, which fits his profile quite well.

Closing in on the start of the season and Saturday’s preseason opener, Hall isn’t putting any numbers out there for what he hopes to accomplish in his sophomore season. From his perspective, stats won’t be what defines him, and as long as he finds a way to get better every single day, the numbers will eventually come as he aims to take on a more significant role for the Seahawks and help the team win football games.

Based on what he has shown throughout camp thus far, Hall looks to be well on his way to achieving that goal while playing multiple roles, and he’s looking forward to seeing what Seattle’s defense as a whole can accomplish with Macdonald at the controls.

“I think as long as you continue to take that step forward each and every week each and every day, and go out and be the best teammate possible, I feel like everything that I want to do is going to fall into place. As far as the defense goes with this scheme. I don’t think there’s a limit. I think Mike does a pretty good job of putting everybody in position to be successful, to go out and make plays, and play 12 as one. That’s our motto around here, 12 as one, be one cohesive group and go out and do whatever it takes to win.”