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The New Orleans Saints selected Iowa defensive back TJ Hall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft as the 219th overall pick. Hall had a standout 2025 season, earning third team All-Big honors.
IOWA CITY ā The New Orleans Saints selected Iowa defensive back TJ Hall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He was the 219th overall selection.
Hall made 42 appearances in his Hawkeye career, including 18 starts.
Hall's Iowa career had some rough patches, including a poor outing against rival Nebraska when he was thrown into the fire as a true freshman. He missed time due to injury in 2023 and then was in and out of the starting lineup in 2024.
But Hall's perseverance paid off with a breakout 2025 campaign, where he emerged as Iowa's top cornerback. Hall was exceptional in coverage for the Hawkeyes and accumulated a career-high 47 tackles. He was named third team All-Big by media and coaches.
Hall's time at Iowa was not always smooth, but he finished his college career playing his best football and pushed his way into the NFL conversation.
Low-cut cornerback with fast feet, good balance and a highly competitive spirit. Hall loves staying as tight to the route as possible and supports the run with ideal aggression. He has adequate press strength and is solid matching releases, hugging man routes and quickly closing to tackle from zone. Though he plays fast, he lacks long speed and receivers can separate from him on vertical routes. He is twitchy to close but is more of a responder than an anticipator, limiting his on-ball production. Hallās toughness against the run helps his cause as a likely Day 3 pick at nickelback.
TJ Hall was selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
TJ Hall made 42 appearances with 18 starts, accumulating a career-high 47 tackles in his final season.
In the 2025 season, TJ Hall emerged as Iowa's top cornerback and was exceptional in coverage, earning third team All-Big honors.
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: TJ Hall draft: Saints pick Iowa DB in NFL draft