Breece Hall mock draft: Can Iowa State RB sneak into first round of 2022 NFL Draft?

Breece Hall is generally considered among the best players at a devalued position in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The three-year star at Iowa State offers an enticing blend of size, speed and power and has no shortage of highlights that show he can put it all together. But as NFL offenses opt to spread defenses out further and deeper with speedy, big-play receivers, the draft capital a running back — even one as talented as Hall — can garner has decreased.

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Since 2017, only nine running backs have been taken in the first round, including three in the top 10: Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey — fourth to the Jaguars and eighth to the Panthers in 2017, respectively — and Saquon Barkley, who went second overall to the Giants in 2018.

Can Hall become the 10th back in the group in 2022? Or will his positional value supersede his individual traits and drop him to the second round, at best?

The Sporting News breaks down Hall's outlook ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, including expert picks, 40 time, collegiate stats and highlights.

Breece Hall NFL mock draft

Despite Hall's impressive collegiate career, the fact he is a running back — a position that is becoming more and more devalued in the NFL — places him in the middle to bottom of the second round, per most projections. (According to NFL Mock Draft Database, his average placement in the draft is 43rd, or the 11th pick of the second round).

Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News projects Hall to be the first running back taken with the 55th overall pick to the Cardinals. Here is a composite look at how experts think Hall stacks up in the 2022 NFL Draft:

MORE: NFL Draft prospects 2022: The top 10 running backs, ranked from Kenneth Walker III to Kyren Williams

Breece Hall 40 time

Hall was among the fastest running backs in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine, posting a time of 4.39 seconds. Only five backs ran faster, with the fastest — South Dakota State's Pierre Strong — running a 4.37.

Here is Hall's 4.39 40-yard dash (unofficially clocked at 4.44 at the time).

Breece Hall: 4.44u 😯

The @CycloneFB RB is @BuckyBrooks No. 1 RB.

📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/OPukA3X1rV

— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2022

Hall is one of only two running backs since 2017 to run a sub-4.40 40-yard dash while weighing 215-plus pounds. The other was Jonathan Taylor in 2020; he matched Hall's 4.39 seconds. Taylor is coming off his second straight season of at least 1,100 yards rushing. He led the league in 2022 with 1,811 yards and 18 scores, and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.

MORE: NFL Draft order by round 2022: Complete list of all 262 picks for Rounds 1-7

Breece Hall stats

Hall had a productive three seasons at Iowa State, totaling 3,941 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 50 touchdowns rushing. He also totaled 734 yards and six touchdowns receiving from 2019-21. Hall — who became Iowa State's first unanimous All-America selection in 2020 and who was a consensus selection in 2021 — never registered fewer than 1,000 all-purpose yards or 10 touchdowns from scrimmage in a single season.

The two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year also set an NCAA record with 24 straight games with a rushing touchdown, a record that spanned from Sept. 12, 2020, through Hall's final game on Nov. 26, 2021.

Below are his year-by-year Iowa State stats:

Breece Hall highlights

Hall's highlights featured both long runs and short-yardage buhe showed a surprising amount of lateral mobility for a player his size. He also showed he can catch passes out of the backfield, a trait that will doubtless make him more valuable to NFL teams.

Below are his highlights for the 2020 and 2021 seasons: