ALAMEDA, Calif. _ The Raiders selected Sam Houston State defensive tackle P.J. Hall with the 57th overall pick in the NFL draft on Friday night.
Oakland traded pick No. 41 to the Titans for Nos. 57 and 89, upping its Day 2 total from a pair of picks to three and using the first one on the FCS D-lineman.
Hall fills an area of need, as the Raiders only had Justin Ellis as a likely starting defensive tackle after re-signing him to a three-year deal this offseason. Second-year defensive tackles Eddie Vanderdoes and Treyvon Hester will also factor into the mix at the position after ending last season prematurely due to injuries. Denico Autry signed with the Colts in free agency, and he was probably Oakland's best defensive tackle last season.
Over a four-year college career that spanned 56 games, the 6-foot-1, 310-pound Hall amassed 284 total tackles, nine forced fumbles, four interceptions and 14 blocked kicks. He also totaled 86.5 tackles for loss and 42 sacks over that span.
Hall set an FCS record for most career tackles for loss, topping current Raider and former FCS product James Cowser's previous record of 80.
At Sam Houston State's Pro Day, Hall did more than impress after not being invited to the NFL combine. He was the first player off the board in the draft not invited to Indianapolis.
