ivotuk
Well-known member
He's got his own thoughts, and imbeds great videos by others, such as Baldy, Riddick, Feldman...
Look at how Halls shoulders are nearly perpendicular to the field surface. That is very good bend along with lower pad level and his ankles ready to explode around the tackle.I have some serious crow to eat here. I made a draft day comment that I thought Hall's best attribute was setting the edge for the run game and that he didn't have the "bend" to be a premier edge (intended to mean that he could instead play other positions at a premier level like a "hand in the dirt" Cliff Avril role). I basically remarked that his versatility to potentially create interior pressure more than compensated for his lack of "bend" because his interior pressure (for an edge) really stood out to me after watching video of him. Georgia wasn't afraid to loop him inside and the videos showed him used that way frequently. I just envisioned a guy that could be elite in the use of stunts.
After watching this video by Baldinger I will come clean and say, I WAS FLAT OUT WRONG. I just didn't look at enough video of Hall to make a qualified assessment. This video shows technique that is good enough for an instruction video. This video is the VERY DEFINITON of "bend".
When you hear a person use the term "bend" in reference to an edge rusher, this is the dictionary definition. I was wrong. Hall has "bend" in spades. Remarkable video. Crazy good technique. He looks like a fourth-year pro. I can easily see the first-round grade now. Those long arms are going to create turnovers. After seeing this single clip, I would certainly take Hall over Nolan Smith.