Seattle Seahawks sophomore EDGE Derick Hall could play a big-time role in Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Denver Broncos. Veteran outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday as he continues to nurse an ongoing knee injury. Nwosu won’t play in Sunday’s 2024 debut game.
That could thrust Hall into a larger role alongside Dre’Mont Jones and Boye Mafe. Hall played a part-time role last season, recording zero sacks and just 11 pressures, via 137 pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus’ charting. It turns out the former Auburn standout craves the added responsibility.
“I think it’s a big opportunity,” Hall told The News Tribune before Thursday’s practice. “Obviously, I didn’t want it to come this way [through Nwosu’s injury]. But I feel like this opportunity, it presents a lot to me to be able to go out and show these coaches what I can do, and continue to carry over everything I did this offseason and preseason and training camp into now,” Hall concluded.
Here's how the #Seahawks are replacing injured-again Uchenna Nwosu.
And here's why they are so much better off–through 2 trades and an emerging force–to deal with it at the start of this season, beginning Sunday in the opener vs Denver: https://t.co/3SQP4uCgXg @thenewstribune
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) September 6, 2024
Hall played just 26% of all Seahawks defensive snaps last season, but head coach Mike Macdonald and his new staff seem comfortable relying on him more this year than Pete Carroll did in 2023. Hall was downright dominant at times throughout the preseason, recording one sack and nine pressures in limited action. His PFF overall defensive grade of 79.5 was one of the best overall scores on the Seahawks.
The Seahawks traded Darrell Taylor earlier this summer. Taylor was notably the player who primarily replaced Nwosu in the lineup after he suffered a season-ending pectoral injury during the sixth game of the 2023 season. Nwosu’s injury has since catapulted Hall into a starting role and the second-year defender is ready to maximize his opportunity.
