The
Chicago Bears made their first notable move of the offseason when they released veteran cornerback
Buster Skrine. While he'd been a quality member of the secondary, his contract was becoming too expensive. Especially after suffering the sixth concussion of his career. One has to think GM Ryan Pace will have cornerback high on his list of positions to address in the draft. Sure enough, word leaked out just hours later that the team has interest in Darren Hall of San Diego State.
Justin Melo of The Draft Network revealed the information. Hall had himself a productive career in college. He played in all three seasons in college since his freshman year, racking up six interceptions including three this past season. One of which he returned for a touchdown. He had 16 passes defended in 2019, demonstrating his overall coverage ability, and also collected 3.5 sacks.
So he is somebody that doesn't a little bit of everything.
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At 5'11, Hall isn't the biggest guy at his position. There are also questions about his overall speed. He makes up for it with a solid
mixture of quickness and physicality. The guy can be sticky in coverage and isn't afraid to deliver a good pop on ball carriers. His versatility is evident in the way he plays. No doubt a reminder he actually played safety before switching to cornerback.
Hall's stock really began to elevate last month down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. He looked good in practices all week, showing some strop reps in coverage. That gave teams confirmation they needed after reviewing his tape. Remember the Bears drafted
Kindle Vildor last year after he showed up well at that event. Hall could be their next such acquisition.
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Darren Hall could be competition for the nickel corner
As stated earlier, the exit of Skrine creates some concerns at cornerback. Not only is there uncertainty with who the starting nickel guy will be, but also with their overall depth at the position. Right now it appears
Duke Shelley is the favorite to take over that spot. He stepped in as the starter when Skrine was injured last year. While it wasn't always smooth sailing, he had some encouraging moments.
Darren Hall could be viewed as perfect inexpensive depth. Somebody they can fill out the bottom of the roster with who has plenty of upside to become an eventual starter. He should have no problems getting involved in special teams. More than anything, this revelation confirms the Bears figure to be active on the cornerback front this offseason.
Not a huge surprise given their situation.
Kyle Fuller is approaching his 30s.
Jaylon Johnson has a ton of
upside but is coming off yet another shoulder injury. Vildor had a somewhat uneven rookie year and has growing to do. So adding more bodies to the mix certainly isn't a bad idea. Hall features the type of talent and temperament they look for at that position. If he's there when the pick for the first time on Day 3 of the draft, don't be shocked to hear his name called.
