What does Breece Hall bring to the New York Jets?
After a thrilling first round of the 2022 NFL draft, New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas kept the excitement going early on day two.
The Jets traded a fifth-round pick to the New York Giants to jump up two spots from the 38th to 36th pick, where they would select the consensus top running back in the class, Iowa State’s Breece Hall.
Hall is a very young prospect who will turn 21 later this month. Pairing Hall up with second-year running back Michael Carter gives the Jets a fun, young duo. Most importantly, the selection of Hall gives Zach Wilson a gifted playmaker who can make his life easier.
Here are some of the most important things for Jets fans to know about Hall.
Pre-draft measurables and production
Both physically and athletically, Hall brings just about everything you could ask for. He has an excellent combination of size and speed.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and 217 pounds, Hall posted a time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Hall tested incredibly well athletically, finishing with a 9.96 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). He had a 10-yard split time of 1.52 and a 20-yard split of 2.55 seconds. Hall proved his explosiveness as well with a 40″ vertical jump and 126″ broad jump.
Throughout his three years of college, Hall was extremely productive. From 2019-21, Hall played in 36 games (12 each year) and totaled 718 carries, 3,941 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per carry, and 50 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,400 yards and at least 20 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.
In the passing game, Hall caught 82 passes for 734 yards and six touchdowns throughout his college career. He had career-highs of 36 catches, 302 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns in 2021.
Skill set
Hall is a complete running back who will help the Jets in both the run and pass game.
Starting with his skill set in the running game, Hall can run inside and outside. He has the vision and patience needed in Mike LaFleur’s offensive scheme.
Breece Hall’s change of direction ability is so fun to watch. I think this wide zone scheme is a really nice fit for him. pic.twitter.com/GWSR5xFGzn
— James Kuntz (@jamespkuntz1) May 4, 2022
From there, Hall has great one-cut ability and can explode with speed as shown by his 4.39 40-yard dash. He’ll be a big-play threat for the Jets offense.
Breece Hall is a New York Jet🤩 pic.twitter.com/oJYWG65oQl
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼🛫 (@NYJets_Media) April 30, 2022
Hall uses his size as he plays with power and can break tackles with his strength. He is elusive, making miss in space and on the second level as well.
Breece Hall's TCU tape is insane
This might be my favorite play I've seen from him so far. Wow pic.twitter.com/KdBw1pUDES
— Michael Nania (@Michael_Nania) May 4, 2022
In the passing game, Hall has reliable hands. He can make some impressive catches and is dynamic after with the ball in his hands.
Breece Hall has shown he can catch-and-transition and pluck away from his frame… They just don't feature him much in the pass game at Iowa State
Hope for more pass game opportunities in 2021 pic.twitter.com/jBPLOCpvne
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) July 14, 2021
What a catch by Breece Hall to keep the drive alive! Iowa State would score a few plays later as Hunter Dekkers found Chase Allen.
IOWA STATE 14
OKLAHOMA 21— Brendan Moore (@bmoorecfb) November 20, 2021
As a pass blocker, Hall showed some good things in college. His blocking is not a finished product but he is respectable enough in that area to offer three-down ability.
Let’s talk about this Breece Hall block again
— Matthias Schwartzkopf (@MatthiasWRNL) May 21, 2020
Projected role
While the Jets have three talented running backs who can all contribute in Hall, Carter, and Tevin Coleman, anticipate a sizable role for Hall from the jump. How LaFleur balances out the rotation will be fascinating to see.
Ultimately, even as a rookie, Hall will likely be the lead back out of this good trio. It is fair to expect him to average at least 15 carries per week with a few opportunities as a receiver, too.
With Hall and Carter aboard, the Jets will have the luxury of keeping the two players as fresh as possible.
Long-term potential
Hall has all the talent to be one of the best backs in football. As mentioned earlier, his skill set is as complete as one could hope for in a 21-year-old rookie. He’s also in the perfect offensive scheme to fulfill his potential.
If Hall adds a bit more size to improve his power running it could go a long way. As discussed, in the passing game, with more development as a blocker he can become a well-rounded player.
The gifts are there for Hall to be a top-10 and even possibly top-five running back in the NFL.
Off-field
Hall has a strong reputation when it comes to his character. In three years at Iowa State, he was a two-time captain, something Joe Douglas places an emphasis on.
Hall’s college head coach, Matt Campbell, had great things to say about Hall as a leader.
“To me, the word is consistency for Breece,” Campbell said. “There’s a real sense of professionalism and consistency that he brings to how he attacks the sport.”
Prior to Iowa State’s bowl game last year (which Hall decided to sit out), Campbell stated, “[Hall] is a young man that has done everything for the betterment of Iowa State football from the day he’s been on our campus. Breece has been the ultimate leader in that RB room even since he decided the best thing for him was to not play in this game. That’s what I love about Breece, he’s one of those young men who has been such a integral part of the growth of our football program.”
Lastly, Hall himself said when speaking with Big 12 Sirius XM radio, “As much of an impact as I can make on the field, I’m going to make off the field. You’re going to get the best of both worlds, on the field and in the community. You’re going to get a great person and player.”
Needless to say, the Jets are getting a classy person in Breece Hall.
Overview
The selection of Hall is one that has Jets fans pumped. Hall, Garrett Wilson, and Jeremy Ruckert add an abundance of skill-position talent to the Jets’ young offense that already had Carter and Elijah Moore.
In 2022, expect Hall to be successful from a production standpoint. His impact should be felt in both phases of the Jets offense. His rushing prowess can help to take pressure off of Zach Wilson.
Bringing size, speed, athleticism, vision, receiving ability, and off-field leadership, Hall has the potential to grow into one of the best running backs in football.
