Breece Hall picked in second round of NFL Draft. His football journey began in Wichita
.JPG "Former Wichita high school and Iowa State Cyclones star Breece Hall, left, was selected in Friday night’s second round of the NFL Draft by the New York Jets. After his selection, which he watched elsewhere on TV in Las Vegas, he went back to the draft site to get the congratulatory hug from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.")
Breece Hall had huge expectations for his football future immediately after he played his final high school game four years ago in Wichita.
The Northwest High product wanted to prove he was just as good, if not better, than any other recruit to come out of his hometown. He also wanted to win lots of games as a college running back at Iowa State and then fulfill his life-long dream of playing in the NFL.
Some wondered if Hall could actually reach those heights. But few are doubting him today.
Hall, a 6-foot-1 and 220-pound ball-carrier who twice earned consensus All-America honors while playing for the Cyclones is heading to the pros as a second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The New York Jets called his name with the 36th overall pick, early in the second round, on Friday evening. That came as no surprise to Hall.
Much like when he left Wichita for Ames in 2019, he expected big things.
“I just feel like over the last two years, no running back’s been able to do what I’ve been able to do,” Hall said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I really respect those other guys’ games ... I just feel like I’m the best running back in this draft.”
The Jets agreed. He was the first running back selected in this year’s draft.
Hall began shooting up draft boards after putting up some eye-popping numbers during his three years at Iowa State. He rushed for 3,941 yards and 50 touchdowns and helped the Cyclones win 23 games and play in three bowls.
Following Hall’s impressive showing at the combine, some projected he would come off the board during the first round.
“His open-field ability is unquestionable,” former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew said Saturday morning on the NFL Network. “He makes guys miss.”
But running back simply wasn’t a focus for many teams this year. At least not in the draft’s opening round on Thursday night as NFL general managers loaded up on receivers and defenders early.
It was Hall’s turn on Day 2, and now he will get an opportunity to thrive in a professional setting. This is what he’d dreamed about since he began his football journey in Wichita, where he rushed for 4,516 yards under Northwest coach Steve Martin.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas said the team had its eye on Hall in the first round. All along, they’ve liked his playing style.
“The thing that jumps out with him, is that he’s a home run threat,” Douglas told reporters. “He can score from anywhere on the field. Excellent elusiveness, excellent balance through contact, and another guy who can be a weapon in the pass game.
“He has really natural ball skills, and he’s a tough tackle in open space. He’s one of the more elusive backs. We feel like we have one of the more elusive backfields with him, Mike (Carter), Tevin (Coleman) and Ty (Johnson).”
Hall should form a nice pairing alongside second-year pro Michael Carter, especially.
“I got to watch his game a lot, just watch how he’s a bruiser but he can also make you miss,” Hall said of Carter, per the Jets’ post-draft transcript. “I think I can come in and compliment him really well. I can’t wait to get in there and learn from him.”
Bottom line, the Jets are thrilled to be bringing Hall to the Big Apple, and that feeling is mutual.
“Jets fans are getting a three-down back, a guy that can catch the ball, make people miss, run you over,” Hall said. “Somebody that plays hard. And a person who’s just as good off the field as he is on the field. So a guy that’s going to impact the community and be more than a football player.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Breece Hall picked in second round of NFL Draft. His football journey began in Wichita."