Raiders surprisingly cut 2018 draft pick, P.J. Hall
By Gino Terrell
The Raiders have cut their 2018 draft pick in defensive tackle P.J. Hall.
P.J. Hall will have to find another NFL home to prolong his career.
The Las Vegas Raiders have cut their former second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The team has officially moved on from defensive tackle Hall on Monday.
The 2018 2nd rounder played in all 16 games last year and had 1.5 sacks with 26 tackles. Now, Las Vegas quickly cuts ties before actual football begins. https://t.co/np28VB6ODX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 3, 2020
Upon arrival, Hall had drawn criticism from head coach Jon Gruden for coming into the 2018 season overweight for his position. In 2019, Hall saw action in all 16 games for the Raiders. Through two seasons, Hall has piled up 48 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
https://twitter.com/pjjwatt/status/1290184940043161600?s=21
The transaction may come as a shock to Raider Nation. The 25-year-old is entering his third NFL season and showed promise he could be productive on an NFL level. It seemed like Hall would be given the opportunity to play out his rookie contract or at the very least be involved in a position battle this training camp.
As a prospect from Sam Houston State, Hall wasn’t invited to the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. However, with his eye-popping stat sheet, college highlight reel and performance at the NFL Pro Day, he shot up quickly through the prospect ranks. Listed at 6-feet tall and 308 pounds, his 40-yard dash in 4.83 seconds showcased the raw potential of being a serious threat on an NFL level. Hall even drew comparisons to Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald.
At @BearkatsFB pro day today, DL P.J. Hall measured 6-0 1/2, 308, ran 40 in 4.83/4.71 seconds, had 38 VJ, 9-8 BJ, 36 lifts. Wow!
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) March 26, 2018
Moved from DE to DT. Quick off ball but slows down. Reminds some of Aaron Donald. My pick to be earliest non-combine invite drafted. https://t.co/kVWNlxPH6f
Fast forward to 2020, Hall is no longer a member of the Raiders. Instead, the squad decided to sign former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins.
This is a Raiders team that needs to improve its defense. The squad finished second to last in takeaways and ranked 25th against the pass. While Hall’s dismissal may seem a bit overzealous, it looks like the Raiders are aggressively trying to shake things up on defense. With that said, a change in scenery may be a “win-win“ situation for the Raiders and Hall, depending on where he lands next.
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