An ‘all-time great play’ by Derick Hall has Seahawks dreaming he may be what defense needs

The Seahawks are still getting to know their new coach.

Yet before they’ve completed their first preseason with Mike Macdonald or played their first real game for him, they already know what the youngest head man in the NFL loves most in football.

Smashing, unapologetic physicality.

By that measure, Derick Hall might be the former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator’s favorite Seahawk.

That’s because of what the second-year outside linebacker did to a Tennessee Titans tight end in the first half of the team’s preseason game in Nashville Saturday night.

On the second play of the second quarter, Hall was lined up at the left edge of Seattle’s defense. The Titans ran an off-tackle play his way, handing the ball to running back Julius Chestnut. The play call had tight end David Martin-Robinson go in motion just before the snap and run down the line of scrimmage left to right to execute a pulling, kick-out block on Hall. The object was for the tight end to be the lead blocker and clear a rushing lane for Chestnut off right tackle.

Coaches instruct outside linebackers and defensive ends to take on pulling blockers coming at them by staying low with their shoulders square to the goal line the offense is moving away from. Staying parallel to the line of scrimmage, the linebacker or end is coached to drive the inside shoulder into the pulling blocker to keep him from pushing the defender off his spot at the point of attack.

Coaches call it “setting the edge” in run defense.

The Seahawks were horrible at setting the edge defensively last season. It’s mostly why they were 31st in the NFL in rushing defense.

Hall was exquisite, perfect, setting the edge on Martin-Robinson Saturday night.

Turning and facing the pulling blocker from a standing position while the blocker has all the momentum is usually a recipe for a linebacker to get run over. Or at least pushed far out of the hole. It’s among the issues Darrell Taylor had when he lost his starting outside-linebacker job for Seattle two seasons ago, because he didn’t set the edge against the run.

On this run play and kick-out block in Tennessee, Hall read the play. He turned to his right and boldly charged squared-up into tight end Martin-Robinson. Hall was so sure of the play coming he lowered his shoulder. He didn’t just keep Martin-Robinson from moving him out of the hole. Hall obliterated him.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Hall hit the tight end so violently to the turf the impact took him through the 6-3, 247-pound Martin-Robinson and into the second Titans pulling blocker on the play, the left guard. Lachavious Simmons is 6-5, 315. Hall’s knocked him down, too.

Yes, Hall knocked out two blockers weighing a combined 562 pounds into the backfield on one play. Not only that, he combined with teammate Jon Rhattigan to tackle for no gain.

You can bet, as sure as Kam Chancellor once crushed blockers and ball carriers for the Seahawks’ Super Bowl defenses a decade ago, Macdonald showed the film of Hall’s play to the team in meetings.

It was brilliant.

How great? Two days after Hall’s gem the head coach called it “an all-time great play.”

“We talk about the style of how we want to play. That’s it right there,” Macdonald said, smiling proudly. “Art of contact. All the above.

“Just an all-time great play from him. Talking about how he just ... eliminating space.”

The head man and former linebackers coach laughed.

“That’s probably the best way to do it, is just knock the guy out.”

Derick Hall impressive

Macdonald knows more of the play Hall made is what Seattle needs to get its defense at least respectable, before it perhaps gets dominant again.

The new coach is learning Hall is practicing and playing like he can to be an every-down linebacker, effective against the run and supplying pass rush with his speed and power. He’s been impressive doing that since the first days of his second NFL training camp.

Hall was the first of the Seahawks’ two picks in the second round of the 2023 draft, out of Auburn. Last season he spent the majority of his snaps, 62%, on special teams.

Some within the Seahawks’ franchise believed last season Hall should have played more at linebacker under coach Pete Carroll and his departed staff as foes kept running on Seattle, because of violence setting the edge at 260 pounds. He had 30 tackles on defense in 17 games, while playing just 26% of defensive snaps. He mostly watched Boye Mafe and Taylor play in front of him his rookie season.

Hall was asked following the game at Tennessee where he thinks he’s grown most from his first to his second season.

“I think just my pass rush,” he said. “Being able to develop that, that was huge for me in the offseason and that was huge for me in the summer. To develop my big thing, power, and being able to work off of that and now try to start finishing and being more agile around the quarterback and be able to stay on my feet.”

Macdonald is still installing the final parts of his basic defensive concepts and plays. The communication to move defenders around at and during the snap is the next level the coach wants to get his players. They might not get there by the time the season begins for Seattle on Sept. 8 against Denver.

Yet Hall says he already likes Macdonald’s new system.

“I think it’s great. I think the scheme that he has put in place for us is good for not only the edge backers, but the entire defense,” Hall said. “He definitely puts us in positions to be successful every time we step out there on the field, no matter what.

“Being able to take what he gives you and being able to play that, just knowing what you have going on a daily basis, it comes down to just trying to be productive every single day and take the good with it all.”

Where Derick Hall fits

Hall’s standout training camp could have him challenging Mafe, whom coaches have been seeking more from this month, for a starting outside linebacker spot. That is the one opposite standout Uchenna Nwosu.

The goal for Hall is to become Nwosu, a three-down linebacker who stands out defending the run and the pass.

In other words, a guy his coaches and team can’t afford to take off the field.

“I’m glad that he’s improved his entire game as a football player,” Macdonald said of Hall.

“You can play him all three downs. His fastball is power on the edge, so use it. It’s OK to do things that you’re good at, and then have a change-up. People have all these moves these days off the edge and that’s good, but there’s only so many that you’re going to be able to throw (at offensive linemen). We encourage guys to have their fastball (and) then have a change-up or two off of it.

“I think you’ve seen the power, and then how we’re running our games and how we’re kind of rushing four as one. I think he’s generating a feel for what we expect and the timing of some of the movements.”