Bears 4th Round Pick #127: S Deiondre Hall

Given the uncertainty over the Deon Bush pick, it makes sense that the Bears would double-down on the safety position. With seven day-three picks, GM Ryan Pace had a pick or two to spare in order to secure some insurance at safety. I would have chosen a safer pick than Northern Iowa’s Deiondre Hall, but the odds are still slightly better with two risks than one.

Hall is less risky than Bush, considering he’s coming off a season where he was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He put together an impressive senior campaign with 82 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 6 INTs, and two pick-6s (4 in his career).

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The risk with Hall lies in the leap from the FCS to the NFL. Hall’s lack of top-end speed is the reason he was still available late in the fourth round. He ran a disappointing 4.68 at the combine, but did salvage his draft value with a 4.55 time at his pro day. With borderline NFL speed it is a legitimate question whether he can cover at the next level.

What raises Hall’s floor a bit is that he’s excellent against the run. 82 tackles for a corner is a huge number and reflects a knack for finding the football. His versatility is also a plus, the Panthers deployed Hall in multiple spots including corner, safety, and linebacker. Hall’s 6’2 height helps make up for his lack of speed as well, as do his unusually long 34 3/8″ arms. Those would be long arms for a left tackle.

Hall has some unique traits that had him pegged as a day-two pick before his slow 40 at the combine. I mentioned his arm length already which combined with his height allow him to match the catch radius of any receiver. He’s too slow to be left on an island outside, but in zone coverage as either a corner or safety his length, awareness, and ball skills (13 career interceptions) would be an asset. Hall may be too slow to turn and run with NFL receivers, but has the speed and enough length to blanket tight ends and contest jump balls. Lastly, he models his game after Charles Tillman and plays with a similar aggression against the run and even a ball punch that he used to force three fumbles.

Hall may never be a three-down player in the NFL, but his unique skill-set can make him an asset if used correctly. The Bears have one of the most creative DCs in the league in Vic Fangio and I’m sure the Bears wouldn’t have drafted Hall if Fangio didn’t have a plan for him.

It is still a risky pick, but with Hall’s diverse skill-set it raises his floor much higher than Bush’s and gives the Bears a better shot of getting value from one of their fourth round safeties.

From NFL.com

"Long and lanky with the arm length and interception production that will have teams trying to find a spot for him. Hall doesn’t have the speed or mirror and match ability to be a sticky man­-cover cornerback and his thin frame isn’t ideal as a safety. However, Hall’s instincts and tackle production scream safety if he can add muscle to his frame."

From CBS Sports

"A four-year starter in Northern Iowa’s hybrid 3-4 scheme, Hall bounced from safety to linebacker to cornerback and back to safety over his career, playing primarily press-man and off-man coverages. He proved to be a ballhawk wherever he played with 21 passes defended, 11 interceptions and three forced fumbles the past two seasons, earning the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015.Hall has the height/length/athleticism profile at cornerback that NFL teams will want to develop, but his frenzied feet and undeveloped anticipation indicate his best position at the next level is at safety where he can use his range and read the entire field."