What Saints fans can expect from NFL draft pick TJ Hall, an insider perspective

Iowa defensive back TJ Hall was selected in the seventh round, 219th overall, by the New Orleans Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Hall made 42 appearances in his Hawkeye career, including 18 starts. He was named third-team All-Big by media and coaches last season.

We asked Hawk Central football writers Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman for some quick analysis on Hall. Here's what they said.

What kind of player was TJ Hall at Iowa?

Chad Leistikow: Measured smaller at the Combine (6-0¾, 189) than he played at Iowa. Hall delivered an impressive career progression at Iowa, going from a shaky freshman to a trusted lockdown senior in Phil Parker’s mostly zone scheme. That would indicate that Hall’s best football is still in front of him. Hall’s lack of interception production at Iowa (two, in 42 career games) is a slight concern, and he doesn’t have top-end speed, but he does have excellent cover skills and shows up as physical in the run game.

Tyler Tachman: 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.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa insiders on what to expect from Saints draft pick TJ Hall