Tag: P.J. Hall

Could Raiders move former 2nd-round pick DT P.J. Hall during the draft?

Could Raiders move former 2nd-round pick DT PJ Hall during the draft?

This time two years ago the Raiders made P.J. Hall their pick in the second round of the draft. The Raiders had a need at defensive tackle, but Hall’s selection was greeted with some skepticism. Mainly because the Sam Houston State alum was considered a reach at 52 overall. Two years later, that criticism would appear to be warranted.

Now, it would appear the Raiders could try and use him as ammo to make a draft-day trade. The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi on Tuesday openly predicted Hall would be among several players teams will look to move during the draft.

Hall not being in the Raiders’ plans isn’t a big surprise. They brought in former Cowboys’ Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli to coach the defensive line and Marinelli already brought over several of his former players, including defensive tackle Maliek Collins.

Then Mike Mayock called out Hall at his press conference during the scouting combine in Indianapolis, suggesting they may not be pleased with his effort.

“P.J.’s got a challenge,” said Mayock. “We have a new defensive line coach coming in, and trust me, Rod Marinelli doesn’t put up with anything but 100 percent hustle. Nothing but.”

Hall had his moments, but he never broke out and became a regular starter, which is what you expect from a second-round pick. He took a backseat to fellow rookie fifth-round pick Maurice Hurst and free-agent pickup Johnathan Hankins. And now with the addition of Collins, Hall figures to fall even farther down the depth chart. Hopefully for the Raiders, Mayock’s words didn’t lower Hall’s value in trade. He may be worth a low round pick or packaged to move up in the mid-rounds.

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DT P.J. Hall put on notice as Raiders GM Mike Mayock calls him out during press conference

DT P.J. Hall put on notice as Raiders GM Mike Mayock calls him out during press conference

With the addition of new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, it’s expected that several of the young players on the Raiders should get a boost as soon as the 2020 season. Marinelli is widely known as the best defensive line coach in the NFL, and his motto is to be relentless.

That message should play with players such as Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, and Maurice Hurst, who all play with a non-stop motor. However, one player that may be in some trouble is defensive tackle P.J. Hall.

In his Tuesday press conference, general manager Mike Mayock singled out Hall as someone who might struggle to adust to Marinelli’s coaching. Mayock emphasized that Hall will need to work on his effort under the new coaching staff.

However, Hall might struggle for another reason under Marinelli. Historically, Marinelli has preferred smaller defensive tackles who can get up the field and attack the quarterback. While Hall tested as a great athlete, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team opted to go with a smaller defensive tackle in his spot.

Hall will get several opportunities to showcase his talent during the offseason and during training camp. But as Mayock mentioned, it’s going to be an uphill climb for Hall to earn a starting spot at defensive tackle.

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