Bryce Hall, New York Jets
The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid predicted Bryce Hall would hear his name called in the mid-to-late second-round. Instead, the Virginia product waited until the 158th pick before finally coming off the board. Hall’s scheme-specific playing style and injury history caused the promising cornerback to free fall into the fifth-round of the NFL Draft.
Hall joins the New York Jets at a beneficial time. While he won’t win a Super Bowl any time soon, Hall stands a chance at stealing some starting time away from New York’s other cornerbacks.
New York’s top cornerback is arguably Pierre Desir, who signed a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the team this offseason after being released by the Indianapolis Colts. The team’s other top corners include Arthur Maulet, who recently signed a one-year, $875,000 deal, Nate Hairston, and Quincy Wilson. Hairston and Wilson are in the final years of their rookie deals.
Even nickelback Brian Poole is operating on a one-year, $5 million deal. That means New York could play Hall a significant amount during his rookie season, knowing that the veteran corners could all leave in 2021.
Hall is an aggressive cornerback with tremendous ball skills and enough physicality to hold his own in the running game. However, there are concerns about his ability to stick with NFL-caliber receivers. Overall, Hall is best fit for a zone-heavy scheme in the pros.
