Looking at Breece Hall’s college film, he is a solid package coming into the NFL. He has some amazing moves, just short of Barry Sanders in ability (although I’ve seen comps to Gale Sayers too). He reads his blocks quite well, and then applies a nice afterburner through the hole. Hall doesn’t quite have the speed to outrun DB’s, but he jukes them so very well.
He has good size at 5’11" and 217 pounds, with solid weight built low to the ground. One of the other comps I have seen for him is Matt Forte, who was 6’1" and 221 pounds. Hall looks more compact to me, like a larger Barry Sanders (5’8" and 203 pounds).
Coming back to the Forte comparison, they are similar, although I think Forte was a better receiver (which is not to say Hall couldn’t get there), whereas Hall has a better nose for the end zone.
In a dynasty rookie draft, Hall is almost a lock to go 1.01, depending on who drafts him. But he is easily the best RB in the draft. Unless he ends up in godawful Houston, he should be worth taking.
In redraft, Hall might still be a reasonable RB2 or RB3, again depending on his destination. He is easily the best bet to start right away and be good. Just don’t expect Najee Harris numbers from him in the first season, unless he ends up on a playoff team.
One other caveat for Hall: If he ends up behind a good o-line, much like Jonathan Taylor did, don’t be surprised if he puts up even better numbers than Taylor.
Let’s have some fun with this. Since it is entirely possible no RB will be taken in the first round of the NFL draft, we might see Breece Hall fall to anybody. So what are the possible destinations, and which ones are best?
First, let’s eliminate the ones that most likely won’t get Hall because they have an established RB (or two, or three): Steelers, Patriots, Browns, Ravens, Colts, Broncos, Packers, Lions, Panthers, Rams, and 49ers.
Second, eliminate the teams which have an RB or two but just don’t seem like they would be drafting an RB early in the draft when they have other positions of need (they might still draft one later): Bills, Jets, Bengals, Jaguars, Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Commanders, Vikings, Bears, Saints, Seahawks, and Cardinals.
That leaves these teams as prime spots to try and draft a Breece Hall. Looking at each one separately (in no particular order):
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Dolphins: Strong need for an RB here. With the HC coming from San Francisco, there will be a strong respect for the running game. Also, they have a decent passing game, so a good runner like Hall could elevate the entire offense.
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Titans: But what about Derrick Henry? Last year showed when Henry went down, the Titans had nothing in reserve. With Hall’s ability to read run blocks, he would be an invaluable replacement for Henry, as well as an RB who could spell Henry regularly and keep him fresher for the duration of the season. This is good for the Titans, but not so much for fantasy players, as it would decrease the value of both Henry and Hall.
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Texans: This is a not-so-good situation. Houston has shown the ability to screw up a perfect situation (see Watson, Deshaun). I won’t call this hopeless, because having Hall would mean he will get a big workload. The problem here is Davis Mills. He showed some potential at the end of last season, but was that for real? If it was any other team, I’d say maybe. But Houston can make a sunny sky cloudy. The little optimist in me says, “he can do it!”, but I remain cynical. Would I draft Hall with the 1.01 if he ends up here? Probably, holding my nose the whole time.
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Cowboys: Wait, we have Zeke and Pollard. Why would the Cowboys take another RB? Honestly, Zeke is on his last legs. And let’s not forget that Jerry Jones will fall in love with a player and draft them in spite of need. All that said, this isn’t ideal for Hall, since he would be in a 3-headed RBBC. More likely, the Cowboys will take an RB later. But Jerry Jones is the x-factor in all this.
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Eagles: Hall would actually be an intriguing piece here, if the Eagles had a better run blocking o-line. With Hall and Hurts, they could import the Ravens playbook and turn this team into Baltimore North. I like the concept, which we saw a little taste of last season. Hall would be the next to last touch, with the last touch being a great run blocking o-line.
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Giants: No love for Saquon? Nope. This guy’s missed more time than Dilbert’s Wally during COVID. Hall would be a smart move for this team, allowing them to not have to rely on Saquon all the time. Considering how much time Saquon usually misses, this could actually turn out to be good for Hall, as the RBBC turns into Hall as the bell cow.
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Buccaneers: With their two primary RB’s hitting free agency, that would leave Hall with the backfield to himself. Unfortunately, who is playing QB here? Kyle Trask doesn’t inspire warm fuzzies. That said, a new QB would leave a lot of touches for Hall as the new QB grows into the role. If the Bucs grab a veteran from somewhere, it could make the pro transition easier for Hall. Short of Brady returning, this team looks like a train wreck waiting to happen. UPDATE: With Brady back, adding Hall would be a master stroke! This could be the ideal situation for Hall.
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Falcons: I loved the Cordarelle Patterson experiment last year. But Breece Hall on the Falcons? Arthur Smith running an offense built around Hall? Now THAT gives me the warm fuzzies! That’s a steal at 1.01! With the 8th pick in the draft, they could easily get Hall. Remember, they grabbed Kyle Pitts, the best TE in last year’s draft.
Good article by Liz Loza here: