Los Angeles Chargers undrafted rookie spotlight: Kemon Hall
By Travis Wakeman
For Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Kemon Hall, making it onto an NFL roster will force him to defy the odds. But for a kid from Calhoun City, Mississippi, those odds may not be as daunting as one may think.
There are only two 21-year olds on the roster of the Chargers and once second-round pick Nasir Adderley turns 22 this Friday, Hall will be the youngest player on the team.
Though he is barely of age to purchase an alcoholic beverage, the 5-foot-11-inch cornerback will take part in training camp this summer. Buried on the depth chart, what kind of chances does he have of making the team?
Hall began his college career at a JUCO school in Mississippi before transferring to North Texas. He spent two years in the defensive backfield of the Mean Green where he had 121 total tackles, 22 pass breakups and six interceptions. As a senior, he returned two of those picks for touchdowns.
That helped him become a member of the Conference USA All-Conference first team.
In Los Angeles, depth at the cornerback position is something the team was looking for this offseason and that is part of the reason the Chargers brought in three undrafted rookies at the position.
Hall displays an aggressive style at the line of scrimmage and is not afraid to put his head down and make a tackle in run support. He is not the fastest guy and will need to win with instincts rather than speed at the next level. He has a tendency to let receivers get behind him and often doesn’t have enough closing speed to make up the separation, leading to a tendency to give up a big play.
That won’t work at the next level, but if anyone can coach this kid up and find a role for him in the system, it’s defensive backs coach Ron Milus.
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Chance to make final roster (1-10 scale): 2.5
I don’t see Hall making the 53-man roster this year because he would have to beat out too many good defensive backs to make that happen. At the cornerback position alone, the team has Casey Hayward, Trevor Williams, Desmond King, Michael Davis and Brandon Facyson, along with a slew of other guys.
Will it be impossible? Absolutely not. The Chargers seem to find at least one undrafted player for the final roster each year, but right now, there’s nothing that makes Hall stand out from the crowd.
Whether or not he can make the team, or even the practice squad for that matter will hinge on his ability as a special teams guy. If he can gain entry by performing well on that unit, the coaching staff could then start to mold his ability as a defender with a habit for making plays on the ball.
He recently talked to Draft Diamonds and told them that former SMU wide receiver Courtland Sutton is the best player he ever went up against. He could have a chance to someday line up from him as teams playing in the same division.