What to expect from the Oakland Raiders rookies in 2018
. Defensive Tackle. Sam Houston State. P.J. Hall. 57. player. 28
Expectation: Strong Rotation Player
Hall was very productive at Sam Houston State and put up big numbers at his pro day, but there is still plenty of room for him to grow. He joins a Raiders defensive interior that needed to add depth this offseason, and they certainly did during the 2018 NFL Draft.
However, even though he was selected in the second round, I do not expect him to be a day 1 starter. Justin Ellis was re-signed to man one of the tackle spots, and it is likely the team will rotate the rest of the unit.
That doesn’t mean he can’t be a heavily used rotation player on the interior. In obvious passing downs, I could see Hall replacing Justin Ellis to rush the passer. Mario Edwards Jr. could be his main competition, but they wouldn’t have drafted two interior pass rushers is they still believed in Edwards Jr.
The Raiders added another defensive tackle later in the NFL Draft that could be a starter immediately. However, Hall brings something a little different to the table, and could end up being a huge signing for the team.
Hopefully, Hall can translate his explosiveness to the NFL and provide the Raiders with a much-needed pass rusher.