From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Iowa CB TJ Hall.
No. 2 TJ Hall/CB Iowa 6006, 189 pounds (Fourth-year Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
TJ Hall 6006/189 9 1/2″ 30″ N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.59 1.62 4.19 7.19
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A 36″ N/A
The Good
– Fluid athlete that has smooth hip transitions
– Quick-twitch lateral agility
– Plays faster than timed speed
– Good spatial awareness in pattern-matching zones
– Thrives when he can be aggressive at the line and remain tight to the route stem
– Demonstrates good eye progression in the zone that limits susceptibility to double moves
– Disruptive and aggressive at the catch point
– Good hand-eye coordination to break up the pass at the last moment
– Excellent run defender
– Aggressive downhill trigger
– Violent block shedder on the perimeter
– Sound and technical tackler that doesn’t miss often
The Bad
– Subpar linear speed with limited vertical explosion
– Concerning arm length for a perimeter player
– Shorter arm length limits effectiveness in jam attempts
– Plays with a reactive mindset rather than anticipatory
– Demonstrates trouble converting on turnover opportunities
– Struggles to track the ball over his shoulder
– Lean frame that has had injury concerns
– Struggles in the box disengaging against bigger tight ends
– Operated in a zone-heavy scheme with limited exposure to man coverage
Stats
– 2025 stats: 47 tackles, 1 interception, 10 pass deflections, 21 receptions allowed, 48.2 passer rating against, 11 games played
– Career stats: 75 tackles, 2 interceptions, 12 pass deflections, 45 receptions allowed, 76.4 passer rating against, 42 games played
– 11.4 yards per reception allowed (2025)
– 2.3 percent missed tackle percentage (2025)
– Two committed penalties (2025)
Injury History
– Suffered a season-ending foot injury during practice that forced him to miss final 8 games (2023)
– Endured a bone bruise during fall camp but was able to return for the opener (2024)
– Spotted in a sling after the USC game (2025)
– Dealt with two hand injuries and a shoulder injury during the latter half of the year (2025)
Background
– Born April 26, 2004 (21 years old)
– 3-star prospect after winning team MVP as a senior in high school
– Took snaps at quarterback and wide receiver while playing defense and returning kicks
– Won the County/Metro Athletic Conference Specialist of the Year (2021)
– Competed in track and field and basketball
– Flipped his commitment twice, originally committing to Arizona, flipping to Washington, before settling on Iowa
– Third-team All-Big 10 (2025)
– Won the Hayden Fry Award (leadership and dedication) and the Hustle Award (effort on special teams and defense) (2025)
– Won “Next Man Up” Award (backup thrusted into starting role) (2024)
– Majors in Communication Studies
– Described as a “gym rat”
– Film study is his primary hobby
– Volunteers at youth football camps through his NIL partnerships like RallyFuel
– His father, Terrence Hall Sr., was a wide receiver at Western Illinois
Tape Breakdown
In his first year as a full-time starter, Hall emerged as one of the top-performing cornerbacks in the Big Ten. He is at his best when he’s able to play aggressively in both coverage and run support. In coverage, when he gets his hands on the receiver at the line of scrimmage, he’s able to stay tight to the receiver’s hip through the stem of the route.
However, his physical limitations affect this part of his game, as well. Hall has less-than-ideal arm length, and it significantly impacts his ability to jam at the line of scrimmage. Rather than attacking with an initial jam, he will rely on his footwork to mirror the receiver. This can work for more athletic corners, but his failure to disrupt the receiver early in the rep puts him behind the eight ball from the start.
As a pure man-coverage corner, Hall simply lacks the speed to recover on vertical routes. If he doesn’t affect the receiver early, he can struggle to recover against vertical threats. At the Combine, he ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash. Although he plays faster on film than his timed speed suggests, it still isn’t enough for him to consistently maintain leverage against quicker, shiftier receivers.
In the examples below, the result of the play is an incompletion. But most of them occur because of poorly thrown passes that could have resulted in big plays if they were on target.
Hall is much better and more comfortable in zone coverage. Given his limited athletic ceiling on the outside and how well he thrives in zone, a move to safety may be in his future. He does well not to bite on double moves, showing strong eye discipline and refusing to be fooled by window dressing.
In the highlighted example, Hall demonstrates a good sense of spatial awareness and an understanding of when to sink in his zone. He’s able to split the difference between the two closest threats and attack the ball as soon as it’s thrown. One of his main strengths is his aggressive nature when attacking the ball in the air. It hasn’t resulted in many interceptions, but he is consistently disruptive.
Another indicator of his potential move to safety is his effort in the run game. Although he has a slimmer frame, he is violent when triggering downhill on the ball carrier. He is a very reliable tackler who didn’t miss many attempts in college. At safety, there may be a transition period where he struggles to disengage from bigger blockers. But in his role as a boundary corner, he’s shown little issue shedding and attacking.
Conclusion
Overall, Hall projects as a valuable roster piece. Due to limitations in his game, he may never be a consistent starter or a high-end performer, but he will make plays when he’s called on to contribute. He enters the league as a cornerback, which lowers his ceiling given his inexperience in man coverage and limited vertical speed.
If he were to transition to safety, his upside would be much higher. His effectiveness with his eyes on the quarterback consistently shows up on film, and playing in a split-safety rotation would help mask his speed deficiencies. He’s also a very aggressive defender in the run game, capable of navigating traffic to finish plays.
Right away, his best attribute is his mindset. The aggressive, physical temperament he plays with will translate, even in a backup or rotational role. While he continues to refine the technical aspects of his game, he should have an opportunity to carve out a role on special teams, given his reliable tackling.
A stylistic comparison for TJ Hall would be former Hawkeye Desmond King. Both players have speed deficiencies but are very aggressive in how they play the position. The key difference is that King was a ball magnet in college, whereas Hall struggles to finish and convert on his opportunities. Like King, Hall may ultimately need to transition inside if he remains at corner. That path would highlight his playmaking in the run game and his short-area agility while minimizing his lack of long speed.
NFL Draft Projection: Mid-Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.6 ST (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.4 – 7.2
Games Watched: @ Rutgers (2025), vs. Indiana (2025), vs. Penn State (2025), @ Vanderbilt (2025)
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