The Bucs spent the No. 33 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall, and for the first two years of his career, it looked like the team wasn’t going to get much of anything in terms of return on its investment.

But in 2024, things came together more than ever for Hall. He broke out with a career-high 5.5 sacks and totaled 22 pressures, 10 quarterback hits and six tackles for loss – all career highs as well. While the interior of the Tampa Bay defensive line was predictably led by the formidable duo of Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, Logan Hall turned into something of an unsung hero this season.

And there were a lot of unique elements to the timing of Hall’s career-best season both for the player himself and for the Bucs.

Logan Hall Almost Didn’t Have A Chance To Break Out In 2024

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

When you look back on how 2024 played out for the Bucs and Logan Hall, you’re reminded that there was a potential reality where the third-year defensive tackle wouldn’t have had much of a chance to put everything together and have a career year.

The fact that he did have that chance can be traced back to the 2024 NFL Draft, as Tampa Bay had its eyes on Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton if Graham Barton wasn’t still on the board at No. 26. But as fate would have it, Barton was still there and the Bucs made him their first-round pick.

The rest of the draft came and went without the Bucs adding to their defensive line, which left Hall with a chance to strengthen his hold on a starting spot next to Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Had someone selected Barton earlier in the first round, that could’ve left Newton for Tampa Bay and he very well could have stepped right into Hall’s spot – or at least cut into his snaps. Remember, at the time, Hall only had 3.0 career sacks over 33 games (13 starts) in two seasons.

The chance was there for Hall to step his game up, and that’s what he did.

As It Turned Out, The Bucs Needed A Logan Hall Breakout In 2024

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

As close as the Bucs might’ve been to replacing Logan Hall on their starting defensive line, the way everything played out in 2024 showed how badly they actually needed the 24-year-old to break out.

On the one hand, Tampa Bay didn’t have all that much depth on the interior of its defensive line. Greg Gaines was the fill-in for Vita Vea when needed and did a solid job, but those behind Hall and Calijah Kancey didn’t offer all that much. Will Gholston was back for his 12th season with the team, and while he’s a great veteran to have in a young room, it’s been clear for a while that his best years are behind him. Even with a sack this season, he has just one total over the last three years.

So, without Gholston to fall back on and without anyone else really waiting in the wings to produce alongside Vea and Kancey, it’s a good thing Hall was up to the task.

The interesting wrinkle, of course, is that Hall’s stature made for immediate comparisons between him and Gholston when he was drafted in 2022. Both tackles are 6-foot-6, with Gholston listed at 281 pounds and Hall listed at 283. So, with Gholston nearing retirement, it’s fitting for big No. 90 to step up and take the baton.

Bucs DT Logan Hall and Panthers QB Bryce Young – Photo by: USA Today

It wasn’t just specifically Tampa Bay’s defensive line that needed Hall’s production to ramp up in 2024. It was the team’s pass rush as a whole. The Bucs didn’t get enough pressures and sacks from their outside linebackers this year, with Yaya Diaby dropping from the 7.5 he had as a rookie in 2023 to 4.5 this year. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell and a host of others rotated in on the other side of Diaby, and in total, the outside linebackers notched 12.0 sacks.

With Hall’s 5.5 added to the 7.0 from Vea and the team-leading 7.5 from Kancey, the interior of the defensive line totaled 20.0 sacks. When you add in two from C.J. Brewer, one from Gholston and one from Gaines, the interior linemen out-sacked the outside linebackers 24-12.

While the pass rush still wasn’t where Todd Bowles and the Bucs needed or wanted it to be, you can only shudder when thinking about how bad it would’ve been without the contributions of the interior guys – and especially without Hall taking the next step up and having a career year.

Logan Hall Now Has A Crucial Contract Year Ahead Of Him In 2025

Logan Hall hit new heights in 2024, but now it’s important that he both stays there and builds on it in 2025. Because as a second-round pick in 2022, the former Houston Cougar is entering a contract year with the Bucs. And based on his total body of work, it’s fair to say that his value in the 2025 free agency period may not be significant as of right now. But after a career year in 2024, another strong 2025 campaign could set him up for a nice pay day, whether from Tampa Bay or another team.

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

From the Bucs’ standpoint, there has to be an element of satisfaction and maybe some relief that Hall had a 5.5-sack year in 2024. But there also has to be a “wait-and-see” attitude regarding his future with the team beyond this next season. Was his third season a “one-year wonder” type of season, or has he figured out how to win more regularly and rounded into a productive NFL player?

It’s worth the reminder that Hall only turns 25 years old this April. Some players – even some drafted as early on Day 2 as he was – need some time to develop at the pro level. Maybe it took the 2022 and 2023 seasons and a couple of offseasons for Hall to get his mind and technique to the next level in addition to getting his body where he needed it to be. The 2025 season is his chance to prove that was the case.

But from a more critical viewpoint, there’s also going to be a need for Logan Hall to show more consistency in 2025. The 5.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits he had this past season were great, but a lot of that production came in bunches. He had two multi-sack games – the first two of his career – with one coming in Week 5 at Atlanta and the other coming in Week 15 at Los Angeles. He also had half of his quarterback hits (5) in that Atlanta game, which tied the single-game franchise record.

So, outside of those two games, Hall had two sacks and three quarterback hits over the other 14 games he played in. Is that cause for concern if you’re Tampa Bay? Potentially. But that’s another side of how uniquely timed this season was for Hall. If he had this type of season in a contract year after three “meh” seasons, it would presumably be a tougher call for the Bucs to make in free agency.

But with it coming in year three, it gives the team his contract year to gather more information before coming to a decision on their 2022 second-round pick’s future. And it also gives Logan Hall a chance to take yet another step forward and set himself up for a hefty second contract.