Buccaneers NFL Draft 2022: Three things you need to know about new DL Logan Hall

After winning Super Bowl LV last February, the Buccaneers had to endure an unfamiliar wait come NFL Draft time, holding the No. 32 pick in the first round. After waiting around past midnight, they used that selection on Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, bringing an end to day one of the draft.

Fast forward to Thursday night, and Tampa Bay faced a similar wait as it held the No. 27 pick. But once Jason Licht and his staff were finally on the clock, they prolonged the wait for their first selection of 2022 just a little longer. With Devonte Wyatt, Lewis Cine, Devin Lloyd and a host of other potential targets still on the board, the team traded out of the first round for picks No. 33, No. 106 and No. 180 from the Jaguars.

After a day of receiving calls for that No. 33 pick, the Bucs stood pat and opened day two of the 2022 NFL Draft by selecting Logan Hall, a versatile defensive lineman out of Houston. Here are three things to know about the first of the team’s two second-round picks.

Hall now officially gets the last laugh over Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen, who initially wanted him to change positions

Hall arrived at the University of Houston in 2018 at 220 pounds, looking a bit too lean for his position. He posted three tackles for loss in 13 games (one start) as a freshman before Dana Holgorsen arrived from West Virginia and wanted to change his position heading into the 2019 season. Holgorsen had this to say at the Cougars’ Pro Day in April:

“When I first got here, I tried to talk him into moving to tackle. Because he was so clumsy, I thought he was going to hurt people in practice because he was falling down all the time. And he’s like ‘no, I’m good.’ Then he gained 60 pounds, he matured and turned into what I think is a first-round draft pick.”

Hall certainly developed, as he comes to the Bucs around 285 pounds. He added that weight to his frame and it led to a gradual step up in his production over the last three years. After collecting two tackles for loss, one-half sack and a blocked field goal in a depth role as a sophomore, he added two more tackles for loss, a sack and a pass defended in eight games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. In 2021, he broke out, finishing his senior season with 48 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and another blocked field goal on his way to earning First Team All-AAC honors.

Given that Hall finished his Houston career the way he did—and especially considering he was the first pick of the second round in this year’s draft—it’s safe to say Hall sticking to his position paid off. Holgorsen admitted as much at his team’s Pro Day:

“Obviously, I was wrong, he was right. He’s gonna be a first- or second-round draft pick.”

Hall is the seventh Houston defender to be drafted in the last five years and the second of those to be selected by Tampa Bay

With Hall being selected with the No. 33 pick on Friday night, Houston’s defense has produced seven draft picks since the start of the 2018 draft. The new Buccaneer joins Matthew Adams (2018 seventh round, Colts), Ed Oliver (2019 first round, Bills), Isaiah Johnson (2019 fourth round, Raiders), Emeke Egbule (2019 sixth round, Chargers), Payton Turner (2021 first round, Saints) and Grant Stuard (2021 seventh round, Bucs) in the pros.

The last of those names is obviously familiar to Buccaneer fans, as the team selected Stuard—a former teammate of Hall’s—with the final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Stuard stuck on the roster and played a key special teams role last year as a rookie. He looks to be a fixture in that role going forward, which gives Hall a familiar face to welcome him to the 813 area code. Hall told the Tampa media on Friday night that he got the chance to talk to Stuard during his visit with the Bucs.

Before 2021, the Bucs had only drafted two former Houston players in their history—running back David Barrett in 1982 and guard Everett Little in 1976. Now, with their last two draft picks, they’ve doubled that with Stuard and Hall.

Hall has moved around plenty—both on and off the field

Hall primarily played three-technique on Houston’s defensive line, but he also lined up at five-technique, nose tackle and off the edge. With as versatile as he was at the college level, Hall is a player who Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is bound to move around in his scheme. But as much bouncing around as he’ll do on the field, the 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman is plenty used to doing so off the field as well. After all, he’s from a military family—both of his parents are retired service members.

Hall began playing football when he was nine years old. Before he started middle school, he moved to Oklahoma. After six years there, he relocated to Belton, Texas, where he played his high school football. After earning all-district honors after a 36-tackle, 2.5-sack junior season at Belton High School, he posted 54 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks as a senior. He was the No. 109 weakside defensive end and No. 290 recruit in the state as a three-star in 2018, choosing to sign with Houston, making another move in a long list of them. Now, he’s set to move down to Tampa to get his NFL career underway.

There you have it, Bucs Nation. Thanks to the day one trade, Tampa Bay got its 2022 NFL Draft underway a little later than expected, but the team is on the board with its first selection. You can find Logan Hall on Twitter @loganhall_. Be sure to take some time to congratulate him and welcome him to Tampa Bay!