P.J. HALL
Position: Defensive tackle
College: Sam Houston State
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 310 pounds
Selection: Second round (No. 57 overall)
Scouting report: Hall is an super-productive interior defensive lineman against small-school competition. He had 86.5 tackles for loss and 42 sacks during his college career, with explosion rushing from the inside. He incredibly strong but lacks height generally required from the insde, and has surprising range as a run defender. He tested extremely well at his pro day, after not being invited to the NFL scouting combine. Scouts say adding weight may have hurt him in 2017, and his production must be tempered some due to his level of competition.
Projected role: The Raiders need a productive three-technique, and he’ll certainly compete for snaps at defensive tackle, possibly at different spots inside. Mario Edwards Jr. and Treyvon Hester will be involved there, too. The Raiders want to pair a dominant interior pass rusher with Khalil Mack, and Hall must develop and fare well against NFL competition to be that guy as a feature player or a rotational piece.
Quotable: “I was invited to the East-West Shrine game and was able to go against guys from top schools. I did really well the whole week there, and in the game. I felt like I was able to get comfortable, put good things on tape and eliminate those question marks."
-- PJ Hall, on eliminating his small-school stigma --
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Quotable: “He’s extremely powerful and he can run. We need an inside pass rusher. I think I’ve said that since I’ve been here. We need somebody who can disrupt plays and penetrate. This guy can do that.
“…We think PJ Hall can give us an inside rush that we have not had. We did not want to lose him.”
-- Jon Gruden, on why the Raiders traded up to get Hall in the second round