Breece Hall is a running back for the Iowa State Cyclones. Hall led the FBS in rushing yards in 2020, with 1,572 yards. Hall was an All-American and Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2020. In a running back group that lacks the high-end talent of years past, Hall may be the best of the group. Let’s hop into his scouting report to see why!
Strengths: To begin, he has a very nice frame for a running back, as he is listed at 6’1″ and 220 lbs. He is powerful enough to shake off the first tackler often, especially if it is an arm tackle. Along with that size, he possesses good athleticism. He moves well laterally, displaying good jump cuts behind the line of scrimmage. He moves fluidly from side to side as he finds his hole. He possesses good short-area burst, as he explodes both across the line and into tacklers, making him a hard running back to bring down. Hall also can make himself small to fit through tight or closing holes along the line of scrimmage. Hall possesses impressive vision and patience as he finds the open hole. Although he lacks elite quickness, he is fast. He needs a little bit of a runway to get going to full speed but, once he hits it, he can outrun defenders and is not an easy person to bring down at all. He possesses the ability to make guys miss in the open field. Hall is a very tough runner, which I love. He fights for every yard available, often getting the most yards possible on runs that appear to be stopped at the line of scrimmage. He pushes the pile and is a reliable back on third or fourth and short runs. He runs a decent route tree as well, creating separation out of the backfield, and possesses good hands to catch the ball. He is a willing blocker in pass protection, which is always something nice to see out of a running back.
Weaknesses: There aren’t a ton of true weaknesses in Hall’s game. Hall is very good at everything but doesn’t have one true aspect of his game that he is elite or great at. Because he is a little bit bigger, he lacks the top-end speed that some smaller running backs possess. Some scouts may have an issue with the fact that it takes him some time to rev the engine and that he needs a runway to take off and get up to his top speed. Hall isn’t the greatest blocker at the running back position but he does get the job done, and I would expect him to improve once given an NFL coaching staff that can truly teach him how to block. Although Hall is patient, there are plays where I would like to see him take the first hole that opens up. Sometimes, he can wait too long and get stuck when nothing else opens up and gets tackled for a loss. Finally, Hall has just over 500 touches already and may add another 300 this year. It will end up being towards the top in touches entering the NFL so, hopefully, it isn’t too much tread on his tires.
Bottom Line: So far, Breece Hall is the most well-rounded running back in this draft class, in my opinion. He is a very good running back who does everything well but doesn’t have one elite trait. On the other hand, Hall doesn’t have a true weakness either. He has impressive vision, explosion, and toughness, as he fights for every yard possible. He moves well, especially for his size, and shows great effort while blocking. I would say that his blocking could just use a little bit of tune-up from an NFL coaching staff. I expect Hall to be a productive starting running back in the NFL in the years to come.
Edited By: Rupayan “Abs” Samanta.
