Round 4: Sam Houston State DT P.J. Hall – 6-1, 310 – 4.84 – Senior

Previous Pick: North Carolina State RB Nyheim Hines
The Buccaneers begin Day 3 by dipping into one of the deepest positions in this year’s draft – defensive tackle. Tampa Bay needs to find a pass-rushing three-technique defensive tackle that can rotate with Gerald McCoy, and eventually replace the six-time Pro Bowler, who turned 30 in February.

Starting nose tackle Beau Allen and reserve Mitch Unrein are more run stoppers than pass rushers, and little is known about Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, last year’s seventh-rounder, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve. His college tape at Utah and USC didn’t show much production rushing the passer with just 2.5 career sacks.

Hall starred at the FCS level where he was a game-wrecking defensive lineman, spending his first two years as a 6-foot-1, 260-pound defensive end before gaining weight and moving inside to tackle. As a four-year starter, Hall recorded 284 tackles, 86.5 tackles for loss for minus-406 yards, 42 sacks for minus-235 yards, an astonishing 29 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions, one fumble recovery and one safety. Hall also blocked a remarkable 14 kicks at Sam Houston State.

Despite that competition occurring against FCS competition, that amount of production is absolutely incredible at any level. Hall really stood out at the East-West Shrine practices, and in the game where he set up a sack for Central Michigan defensive end Joe Ostman – just like he did all week in practice. Watch this video, but concentrate on the nose tackle with the dreadlocks and the orange helmet – that’s Hall.

Hall’s Sam Houston State Career Defensive Stats
2017: 60 tackles, 19 tkls for loss, 6 sacks, 6 PBUs, 4 blocks, FF, INT
2016: 56 tackles, 24.5 tkls for loss, 13 sacks, 7 PBUs, 3 FFs
2015: 75 tackles, 19 tkls for loss, 11 sacks, 8 PBUs, 5 blocks, 2 INTs, FF, FR
2014: 93 tackles, 24 tkls for loss, 12 sacks, 8 PBUs, 5 blocks, 4 FFs, INT

As a freshman, Hall recorded 93 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, eight pass breakups, five blocked kicks, four forced fumbles and one interception. That’s an entire career’s worth of production for some college defensive tackles, but Hall was just getting warmed up.

During his sophomore year, Hall saw time at both end and defensive tackle and was up to 280 pounds. He posted 75 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, eight pass breakups, five blocked kicks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery en route to becoming a second-team All-American. Why he wasn’t a first-team All-American I have no idea.

While Hall didn’t block a kick as a junior, he did post 56 tackles and career-highs in tackles for loss with 24.5 and sacks with 13. The Bearkats’ game-wrecker had seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles and was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Buck Buchanon Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player.

Hall missed the first two games of his senior season due to an academic suspension, but still managed to record 60 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, six sacks, six pass breakups, four blocked kicks, an interception and a forced fumble despite constant double-teaming. By his final year, Hall had gained 30 pounds and was over 300. NFL scouts believe last year was an adjustment to the higher weight and that – along with the double-teams – caused a dip in sacks.

Hall had 11 multiple sack games and five games with double-digit sacks and he finished one sack behind Southern Utah’s James Cowser, who had the all-time FCS sack record with 43. His 14 blocked kicks – six field goals, six extra points and two punts – were the second-most all-time behind Leonard Smith at McNeese State, who had 17 blocks between 1980-82 (10 field goals, four extra points and three punts).

“I like blocking kicks, of course, because I’m keeping points off the board,” Hall told HERO Sports. “That’s the main thing is saving us some points because you never know how close a game can end up being … I really don’t know how I have that many. It’s crazy that they keep coming. I feel like it does take something away from them (opponents). We’ve done a couple in one game, and I know it kills the special teams coordinator. It does feel good.”

Licht loves defensive linemen that have good stats when it comes to batting passes down at the line of scrimmage because it shows tremendous awareness. Hall has broken up 29 passes in four years for the Bearkats. That’s more than a lot of defensive backs that will get drafted by NFL teams next month produce in their college careers.

Tampa Bay had a scout in attendance at the Sam Houston State pro day to see Hall put on a show, and the Bucs had him in for a Top 30 pre-draft visit. Hall, who didn’t get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, weighed in at 6-foot-1, 308 pounds and ran a 4.84 into the with and a 4.71 with the wind in the 40-yard dash. That would have been the fifth fastest time in the 40-yard dash for a defensive tackle in Indy.

Hall posted a 38-inch vertical leap, which would have been the second-best measurement at the Combine, and his 36 reps of 225 pounds would have been the third-best bench press totals. Hall, whose football idol is Houston Texans Pro Bowl defensive end J.J. Watt, ran faster, jumped higher and lifted more than Watt did at his pro day years ago. Watt ran a 4.84 at 290 pounds, bench pressed 34 reps and had a 37-inch vertical.

Click below to view Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick in 2018.