NY Jets: Bryce Hall impressing in training camp this summer
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets are set to go into the 2021 season with one of the most inexperienced cornerback rooms in quite some time. But one player they're counting on to play a big role is Bryce Hall.
Hall showed flashes as a rookie with indications that he could develop into a long-term starter at the position. And while it hasn't been smooth sailing for the Jets cornerbacks this summer, Hall is one player who has impressed.
The second-year cornerback has spent most of spring and summer practices as the de facto No. 1 cornerback. He did take some reps with the second-team defense on Wednesday, but that was likely nothing more than a way to rotate players at the position.
Connor Hughes of The Athletic offered high praise for Hall when he referred to him as the player who has impressed him the most on defense, aside from defensive end Carl Lawson, this summer.
Bryce Hall has impressed the NY Jets coaching staff in training camp.
A fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hall was considered a consensus early Day 2 prospect, but he fell to the middle of Day 3 due to medicals.
A devastating ankle injury wiped out half his senior year and it ultimately forced him to miss the first part of the 2020 season.
He returned in November and went on to start seven of the final eight games of the season, playing quality football as part of a lackluster cornerback group.
Hall finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 59.9 that ranked 67th out of 121 qualified cornerbacks. A middling number, for sure, but you have to consider the fact that he was thrown right into the fire after being out of football for a full year.
The Jets were impressed with Hall in his rookie season, so much so that they're counting on him as their No. 1 cornerback this season.
Despite just eight NFL games under his belt, Hall is somehow one of the more experienced members of the cornerback room, and his performance this summer suggests that he could be primed for a second-year leap.
Brian Costello of the New York Post believes that Hall "is ready to make a jump in Year 2" after seeing him in training camp.
For the sake of the Jets secondary, let's hope that comes to fruition.