'Why Breece Hall?'
In the mold of Kareem Hunt -- meshed with the linear fluidity of Matt Forte
Movement toolbox & through contact skillset
Breece Hall shines in how efficiently he negates contact. He isn't a back that initiates often during engagements, but rather finds the best solution possible to negate & redirect.
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With Hall you notice how he is comfortable pivoting to win engagements. Watch how he sells inside to #10 & #11 only to pivot away up the boundary.
We see this again, and notice the capability to pivot left to right as well as right to left. Being able to accelerate off of either plant foot is an important element of Hall's game.
There is a suddenness to Hall that makes him an efficient inside zone runner, and a tough second-level assignment for backers.
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Watch his ability to re-accelerate of the right foot led plant to nearly escape.
Skillset as a receiver
As a receiver, Hall's best attribute is his ability to make the right decision after the catch. Combine that with how consistently he makes the first man miss, and you get a dangerous option out of the backfield.
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Hall is also sure-handed, and routinely makes plays away from frame.
Hall skips into the first engagement to manipulate #15, which causes #13 to briefly redirect and lose path.
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If you want to be a productive option out of the backfield at the NFL level, you have to be able to make the correct decision in multi-layered engagements.
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Hall checks that box.
Hall controls engagements and excels at finding the proper movement solutions for engagement types.
We see a boundary-side engagement with #11 after winning against #24.
- Hall changes tempo and stride length to manipulate the defender into throttling down.
- Defender throttles down, comes to square too soon and allows Hall to gain an additional 10 yards.
This is a fun play.
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The capability to adjust, and stay calm in a disadvantageous situation is more important than the catch itself.
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This is where the Kareem Hunt comparisons begin to arise.
Anticipatory qualities & Success in short areas
This shows both Hall's strengths as well as his biggest area of improvement.
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Hall is exceptionally disciplined in short areas, and has a knack for creating yards when there is potential for a quick collision post handoff.
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You also see the tendency to veer boundary side and use finesse instead of force to engage.
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Impressive sequence to escape the three defenders, but Hall loses yards by trying to get to the edge.
In terms of reading flow and anticipating openings Hall shows the requisite timing to be a lead back in an NFL system.
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Hall reads leverage tells accurately, and navigates best when he is working downhill rather than inside to outside.
We see again how calm Hall acts when plays break down.
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Immediate collision in the backfield, navigates and finds the most efficient way to gain yards.
Notice the shoulder and hip torque boundary side to negate immediate contact from #10.
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Enters acceleration immediately after - drops level - burrows to get the line to gain.
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What makes Hall the best short-yardage back in this class is his consistent decision-making plus the capability to find the best movement & engagement solution.
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Hall isn't an overly physical back, however, he displays above-average play strength in goal-line situations.
One movement solution successful NFL backs have in their toolbox is being an effective curvilinear runner.
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We see #13 come down immediately which forces Hall to deviate path.
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Watch Hall's hips and the angles his shin makes.
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He can sprint while bending outwards to negate the contact, which makes this first down a possibility.
Capabilities during acceleration & at top-end
Hall is a fluid, long-strider with above-average play speed who tested well with a 4.39 40 yard dash.
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At the NFL level, he's not going to be a Jonathan Taylor-type big-play threat but is capable of pulling away from linebackers & safeties when he gets the edge.
At times, it is deceptive how quickly Hall can accelerate because of his longer stride length.
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This can also make it more difficult for defenders to take the proper angle -- we saw this often with former Chicago Bear, Matt Forte and how well he covered ground.
Ascension grades
Tier 1: 75.00 & over -- Gold Jacket potential
Tier 2: 65.00 - 74.99 -- All-pro ceiling
Tier 3: 55.00 - 64.99 -- Pro-bowl ceiling
Tier 4: 49.98 - 54.99 -- Average to Above-average starter
Tier 5: 44.96 - 49.97 -- High ceiling / High-risk prospect
Tier 6: 39.50 - 44.95 -- Secondary committee option
Tier 7: 39.49 & below -- Depth piece with low ceiling
