During the closing minutes of the Seattle Seahawks' second training camp practice, as the starters stood on the sidelines watching the backups run the final few plays, two of their first-team outside linebackers were still working. DeMarcus Lawrence was giving Derick Hall a lesson in technique, focusing on hand placement and footwork with all the detailed instruction of a position coach.

'Always think,' Lawrence told Hall, 'I'm going to beat him on the second move. The first move is to set him up.'

This was more than a one-off teaching moment between a veteran and a younger teammate. The scene offered a glimpse into the budding relationship between the 12th-year mentor and the third-year mentee -- two kindred spirits at opposite ends of their careers -- and the impact it could have on Seattle's defensive line.

'We joke around saying D-Law has the little brother he never had and D-Hall has the big brother he never had,' defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. 'They're competing and talking smack with each other all the time, but then they're also giving each other tips. I think D-Law is just a great veteran for him to have right now.'

After 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Lawrence signed a three-year, $32.5 million deal in March with the Seahawks, who viewed the four-time Pro Bowl selection as an upgrade on the edge over Dre'Mont Jones and a necessary reinforcement for their outside linebacker rotation given the uncertainty over Uchenna Nwosu's health. What Lawrence also gives Seattle is another rugged tone-setter and someone who can help Hall take his game to the next level in Year 3.

'I see a lot of D-Law in Derick,' defensive tackle Jarran Reed said. 'That's kudos to him. He's going to be a great player. The sky's the limit for him. I think D-Law's the best thing that could've happened to him because I think mentality-wise, I think they're the same. And football-wise, I think they're the same.'

How's so?

'They're crazy as hell,' Reed said. 'They play one way, and that's balls to the wall. That's all you can ask for. That's a standard we're trying to set with this defense, fast and physical as s---.'

Late in practice on Monday, Hall was involved in an altercation with an offensive player at the end of one play in a team period. Whatever happened amid the mass of skirmishing bodies resulted in Hall sitting out the final few minutes, then delivering what looked like a mea culpa to the entire team afterward.

In one of his finer moments of camp, he overpowered Josh Jones with enough force to lift the 339-pound swing tackle into the air and onto his backside. Hall used that strength -- along with relentless effort -- to rack up 8.0 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 17 games last season after an underwhelming rookie year (zero sacks, five QB hits in 17 games) as a second-round pick in 2023.

'It was good to go out, be able to have that experience, start playing well,' Hall said. 'I feel like the run is my key, so being able to set the edge on the run and then being able to be powerful and make those plays in the pass game as well. I feel like it's what I did really well and what I need to grow on again is the details. That's that jump from an eight-sack year to a 10-, 12-, 14-sack year. Being able to hone in on the details, find little tidbits of things that you can find to be able to grow from.'

Enter Lawrence.

'Just the way he does everything, everything is very intentional,' Hall said. 'It's like perfect timing the way he came in. The way he goes about his business, it's second to none.'

Early in camp, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald lauded Lawrence for the attention to detail with which he practices, calling him 'the best drill player I've ever seen in my life.'

'That's the standard that he's setting for our front,' Macdonald said. 'So the guys don't have a choice but to fall in line. It's just exciting to see him out there working. You know what he can do on the field. The tape speaks for itself. But you understand how it comes to life based on how he works.'

The Seahawks see the 33-year-old Lawrence as a much more physical run defender than what they had last season with Jones, even though the latter was roughly 15 pounds heavier.

'This is probably the best compliment I have: He looks like a giant on film,' Macdonald said. 'So hopefully that paints a picture for you. I don't know what his actual measurements are. I think he's 6-3 and something, 250 and something, but that's how he plays.'

After releasing Jones and signing Lawrence to replace him, the Seahawks got Nwosu to agree to a pay cut that will keep him in Seattle through at least this season. With Hall and Boye Mafe returning, they have the makings of a formidable foursome if they all stay healthy. But Nwosu has missed 22 games over the past two seasons and may not be ready by Week 1 following knee surgery, which means the Seahawks could use more help on the edge.

They had discussions with Von Miller before he signed with the Washington Commanders, and while they'd seem like unlikely suitors for Micah Parsons, even if the Cowboys were to make him available, Jadeveon Clowney is one option that would make sense.

For now, though, Lawrence is the lone veteran addition, and Hall has been benefitting from his presence.

'That's the perfect kind of mentor to have for Derick is to have D-Law right there,' Reed said. 'And them two together on the field, it's going to be nasty.'