Derick Hall wasn’t supposed to be here. The odds were stacked against him, ever since birth.

Born four months premature in March 2001, Hall weighed just 2 pounds, 9 ounces at the time and was small enough to hold in the palm of his mother’s hand. The first five months of his life were spent in a hospital incubator. Normalcy appeared unlikely; doctors told his mother that she’d likely have to care for him for the rest of his life.

Those days in the hospital seem distant now, especially Friday night when Hall’s lifelong goal was realized. The former Auburn standout was selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 NFL Draft, going 37th overall to the Seattle Seahawks and becoming the first Auburn player off the board in this year’s draft.

Read more on Derick Hall’s Road to the Pros: Episode 1: Derick Hall’s unlikely journey from premature birth to the pride of Gulfport, Mississippi

Episode 2: Derick Hall’s Auburn career underscored by resolve amid uncertainty

Episode 3: Derick Hall pushes self closer to improbable NFL dream

A native of Gulfport, Miss., Hall spent the last four years at Auburn, including three as a starter off the edge for the Tigers. The former four-star recruit was highly productive during his time on the Plains, even as it overlapped with a period of uncertainty and constant change for the Auburn program.

Hall totaled 147 tackles, with 29.5 for a loss and 19.5 sacks over the last four seasons while twice earning All-SEC recognition. His 29.5 tackles for loss during that span were second most on the team, just behind Colby Wooden’s 30 over the last four years, while Hall’s 19.5 sacks were the most by a Tigers player during those four seasons. Hall managed that production despite playing for two different head coaches, two more interim coaches, three defensive coordinators and three different position coaches during his time at Auburn, which also included the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

RELATED: Derick Hall discusses his best NFL trait: “They pay the guys to get (QBs) on the ground”

In that time, Hall went from a 227-pound early enrollee in the 2019 class to a 256-pound All-SEC selection and team captain as a senior, as well as one of the most productive edge rushers in the SEC. Over his final two seasons at Auburn, when he earned All-SEC honors as a junior and senior, Hall posted 16 total sacks and 25 tackles for loss, leading the Tigers in both categories each of those seasons. He also recorded an interception, eight hurries and four forced fumbles over the last two years.

It was an unlikely trajectory for Hall, considering the prognosis doctors provided after his premature birth. Now he’ll look to make the most of it with the Seahawks in the NFL.

You can follow Derick Hall’s journey to the NFL in AL.com’s Emmy-winning documentary series “Road to the Pros” here:

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.