Able to overcome a woeful introduction to the world of college football, Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback TJ Hall not only survived; he thrived, and the Philadelphia Eagles should be interested.
After subbing in against Nebraska as a wide-eyed, true freshman for injured Hawkeye teammate and current Philadelphia star Cooper DeJean, Hall was repeatedly lit up in coverage. But following that rough debut back in 2022, Hall has rebounded in resounding fashion. The Fresno, California native worked past a sophomore season lost mostly to injury, then started as a junior and shone as a senior captain, earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Lauded for his punishing presence in run support, he lacks top-end speed and won't be found near the top of the corner prospect rankings this draft, but as a later round target for a team looking to bring in physicality, solid potential, and a likely stout special teamer right off the bat, Hall could be a valuable addition.
Ties to Eagles include relationship with DeJean, reverence for Fangio, Philadelphia defense
Speaking with Symone Stanley of "Symone with the Sports" while at the NFL Combine, Hall, who met with the Eagles, shared what stands out to him when watching a Vic Fangio-led defense.
"The way their (Eagles) defense plays hard, the way their secondary plays, they all communicate with each other," Hall said. "It kind of reminds me of Iowa a little bit, the way they're always communicating and talking and playing for each other."
As a team captain for Iowa in 2025, he's come a long way from that rattling debut. And someone who's always been a fan of his is DeJean, with the two remaining in close contact.
"I talked to Coop a little bit last week. He was just giving me advice, telling me what to expect, me and my teammates. But we always chop it up with him."
Hall, standing at 6-foot and 194 pounds, is no doubt an interesting prospect. He doesn't possess the top-end closing speed of the burners in this corner class like Brandon Cisse, but his run support skills are tremendous, while his press skills showed strong progression throughout his final season at Iowa.
Read more: Super Bowl champion defender would fit like a glove in Eagles' defense
Another key working in his favor is his versatility. As a Hawkeye, Hall moved around quite a bit - playing both boundary and slot. While plenty of big names are sure to be called before Hall's this draft, he just might turn into quite the late-round find down the road.