The Miami Dolphins missed out on a chance to grab a running back early in April this year, but here’s why Breece Hall could be an option in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Many Miami Dolphins enthusiasts and NFL fans alike were shocked that the team did not select a running back until the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Alabama’s Najee Harris was pegged as a favorite for Miami early on but instead went to Pittsburgh in the first round.
The Dolphins then selected Jaelan Phillips to go with Jaylen Waddle as their two first-round picks. Miami finally selected Cincinnati’s Gerrid Doaks at the RB position in the waning hours of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Doaks is not expected to overtake Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown, or even Salvon Ahmed in his rookie season.
One player that could apply pressure on Miami’s incumbents is Iowa State’s, Breece Hall. The powerful junior RB out of Iowa State figures to be one of the first rushers selected and could solve Miami’s long-standing issues at the position. Take a look below as I discuss Breece’s potential fit in this Miami Dolphins offense after the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hall destined for success at the next level
Breece Hall arrived at Iowa State with little fanfare as the 36th-ranked running back for the 2019 cycle, according to Rivals.com. He chose Iowa State over other powerhouse-rushing programs such as Michigan, Iowa, and Nebraska. Despite the low ranking, Hall emerged as a legitimate prospect and player early on in his college career.
As a true freshman, Hall paced the Cyclones with 897 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He also showed surprisingly reliable hands for a young starter with 23 catches for an additional 252 yards. This promising debut began to open eyes around the country and put Hall squarely on the radar for the NFL.
For an encore in 2020, Hall broke out in a big way as a sophomore. The big running back rushed for over 1500 yards and 21 touchdowns, while repeating those 23 catches from his initial season in Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State rode Hall to a Big 12 conference championship game where they lost to Spencer Rattler and the Oklahoma Sooners.
Despite the loss, Iowa State endured a magical season on the back of Hall and finished 9-3 with an 8-1 conference record. Hall returns for his junior season in 2021 with sky-high expectations and should be among the best running backs in all of college football. He’s an early favorite to be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Miami Dolphins could be among those interested the most.
Miami Dolphins finds their answer at RB in 2022
While Myles Gaskin was a nice surprise as the featured back in 2020, the Miami Dolphins could stand to add a game breaker to take this offense over the top. The team added Malcolm Brown as a free agent this offseason, but he’s only a short-yardage, change-of-pace type. They missed out on the top players in the 2020 NFL Draft, but contain the ammunition again in 2021 to impact the position in a big way. One player they could target is ISU’s budding superstar Hall.
During Hall’s breakout 2020 season, he displayed great patience, vision, and ability to finish drives in the end zone. His 21 rushing scores tied Hall for first in ISU single-season history. And with eight more touchdowns, Hall will be the all-time leader for the Cyclones. He has an upright, but powerful running style reminiscent of former Rams’ great Eric Dickerson.
Iowa State has experienced a recent string of successful NFL RB prospects with Hall, 2021 Draftee Kene Nwangwu and Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery. Nwangwu rushed for 339 yards and four touchdowns as the backup to Hall in 2020, while Montgomery ranked fifth in all-purpose yards in 2020 with 1,508.
Hall has a similar ability to Montgomery with a much higher ceiling and would be arguably the top rusher in the AFC East as early as 2022. He could be a tremendous fit with the Miami Dolphins.