New Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Logan Hall set the table for high expectations after the team drafted him on April 29.
Hall told reporters that he “watches and patterns his game after” San Francisco 49ers defensive Arik Armstead and former 49ers star DeForest Buckner according to The Athletic’s Greg Auman. Hall, 6-foot-6, has a similar build and skill sets, Auman noted.
Logan Hall says he looks up to Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner as NFL guys with similar body types and skill sets that he watches and patterns his game after.
Buckner, 6-foot-7, has been a force in the trenches for six seasons in the league with 49ers and now the Indianapolis Colts. The two-time Pro Bowler and 2020 All-Pro has 45 career sacks.
Armstead, 6-foot-7, causes trouble up front for the 49ers. The seven-year veteran has 28.5 career sacks.
Bowles compared Hall to Bucs 6-foot-6 defensive end Will Gholston but called Hall a “a little quicker” than Gholston. The coach noted Hall’s ability to pursue ball carriers and his versatility.
“He fits our D-line room very well, and he’s one of those guys I think is just going to get better and better,” Bowles told the media.
“He fits our D-line room very well, and he’s one of those guys I think is just going to get better and better.”
🗣️: HC Todd Bowles on @loganhall_
Tampa Bay likely had him in mind at the team’s original draft spot, No. 27, among other options and decided to trade down to the second round to add more picks. The Bucs received the 33rd pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Bucs trading 33rd pick to add more draft capital didn’t seem prudent, Bowles said.
“We had a few players at 27 that we targeted,” Bowles told reporters. “We had one guy left there. It wouldn’t be good to trade down.”
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Hall: ‘I Bring a Lot of Juice as a Pass Rusher’
Hall earned all-conference honors in the American Athletic Conference as he posted 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 47 total tackles last year for the Houston Cougars. His college defensive coordinator, Doug Belk, believes Hall’s length and athleticism will translate well to the pro game.
“He’s got length,” Belk said via The Athletic’s Sam Khan. “He bends well. He’s athletic. He plays with physicality. He has a relentless motor. His greatest strength right now is position versatility. There are not a lot of unknowns with him. He can play end. He can play tackle. He can rush inside.”
Logan Hall eating a guard and then box-jumping his carcass.
“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Belk added. “His confidence is high. He can weigh 290 or even 275 depending on who drafts him and where they want him to play.”
Hall believes he will “bring a lot of juice” to the Bucs defensive front.
“I bring versatility, I bring aggression, I bring a lot of juice as a pass rusher,” Hall told reporters via Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times.
Providential Call for Hall?
Hall had his name called in the draft but former Bucs defensive end great Simeon Rice. The three-time Pro Bowler spent five of his 12 seasons with the Bucs and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2002.
#Bucs legend Simeon Rice announcing that TB kicks off the second round by selecting #Houston DL Logan Hall. #GoBucs #NFLDraft #NFLDraft2022
Hall, ranked 45th among draft prospects by ESPN, admitted he “was a bit anxious” but “wasn’t too invested” on a team.
“God has a plan for me, and I knew He was going to put me just where I belong,” Hall said via Auman.
If Hall shows he can belong in Tampa Bay this season, he could help the Bucs win another Super Bowl 20 years after Rice did.
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New Bucs Edge Rusher Likens Himself to Recent All-Pro