Michael Pierce’s decision to opt-out for this season because of concerns about the coronavirus has left the Vikings searching for depth at defensive tackle. The team made a move to attempt to address that issue on Monday as they reportedly traded a 2021 conditional seventh-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for P.J. Hall.
Hall, a second-round pick by the Raiders in 2018, was going to be released before the Vikings stepped in and traded for him. The Vikings announced the trade but did not disclosed what draft pick they traded.
The #Raiders, who informed #Raiders 2nd round DT PJ Hall he was being released today, traded him to the #Vikings instead for a 7th round conditional pick in 2021.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 3, 2020
Hall is listed at 6 feet, 305 pounds and started 18 of the 30 games he played for the Raiders over two seasons. He had 1.5 sacks, 26 tackles, five tackles for loss and three quarterback hits last season as he started 12 of 16 games. It’s likely Hall will be a rotational player with the Vikings, if he makes the final roster.
New #Vikings DT P.J. Hall put up big-time athletic numbers coming out of college. Visited Vikings April 2018. Vikings pretty much get a free look, merely owe a 7th to Raiders if Hall cracks 53-man for a handful of weeks. https://t.co/G71eW5fV9Z
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) August 3, 2020
Hall played college football at Sam Houston State, earning All-America honors in all four seasons. He finished his collegiate career with 284 tackles (160 solo), an FCS-record 86.5 tackles for loss, a school-record 42 sacks, nine forced fumbles, one
fumble recovery, one interception and a school-record 14 blocked kicks in 56 games and 54 starts.
The Raiders were prepared to release Hall after the team signed veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins to a one-year, $6 million free agent deal this offseason.