Firstly, don’t forget to check out our review of Seattle’s 2017 draft class from yesterday. It’s a detailed look at not just the players drafted but also the thought process on what should be considered a positive class overall.
I’m starting to get into the 2017 group and will have some notes in the coming days. In the meantime, I put this together a couple of weeks ago.
Ten names for 2018…
Saquon Barkley (RB, Penn State)
If they can both stay healthy, the 2018 draft could be dominated by two really exciting running backs. It’s hard to separate the two names at the top of this list. If you want to know how Penn State suddenly returned to relevance in 2016, look no further than Saquon Barkley. He’s a genuine X-factor at running back with freakish power and athleticism. He can do a 600lbs squad and reportedly managed a 4.38 forty on campus to go along with a 4.00 short shuttle, a 10-1 broad jump and a 380lbs bench. Stud.
Derrius Guice (RB, LSU)
Guice is a fantastic talent capable of being a Heisman candidate if LSU can cobble together a passing game and remain relevant deep into the season. He’s incredibly sudden and explosive with enough size (5-11, 212lbs) to get the hard yards. He plays with a Thomas Rawls level of intensity. His performances against Texas A&M and Arkansas when Leonard Fournette was injured were incredible. Guice is must-watch TV. He ran a 4.38 forty on campus two years ago at a heavier 219lbs. You see that breakaway speed on tape along with incredible cut-back and change of direction ability and he can stop on a dime and accelerate unlike virtually any other running back in college football. He is incredible.
Vita Vea (DT, Washington)
With so many Huskies turning pro this year, it was a bit of a surprise that Vea didn’t join them. There’s every chance he would’ve been a top-15 pick. Players like Vea are rare. Not only does he have the size and length to control the LOS and anchor as a nose tackle — he also has plus athleticism at 6-5 and 332lbs to impact plays in the backfield. He had five sacks last season. Reports suggested he was informed by NFL sources to get in peak shape and enter the 2018 draft. If he achieves this, a top-10 grade is entirely possible for a player who could be the next Haloti Ngata.
Bradley Chubb (EDGE, NC State)
It was a major surprise when Chubb announced he wouldn’t be turning pro this year. Last season he recorded 21.5 TFL’s and 10 sacks and there’s a very good chance he would’ve been a first round pick. He’s a high-intensity pass rusher with a great personality. He’s the cousin of Georgia running back Nick Chubb. If he can match Nick’s SPARQ-destroying performance before his knee injury, he could land in the top-10 next year. At 6-4 and 275lbs he’s versatile can rush inside or out. His standout performance might’ve been the ‘Hurricane Bowl’ against Notre Dame last year. He dealt with the conditions better than anyone.
Arden Key (EDGE, LSU)
In high school Key was already benching 245lbs and squatting 410lbs. He has gradually become a major impact player for LSU, setting a school record for sacks in 2016 with 12, accumulating 14.5 TFL’s. Recent reports had Key stepping away from the program for ‘personal reasons’ but he recently confirmed he wouldn’t be sitting out the season. Teams will be looking into the situation as he prepares to turn pro in the next year — but there’s no doubting his potential at 6-6 and 238lbs with room to grow. He’s similar to Leonard Floyd (top-10 pick a year ago) but could stand to add extra weight.
Trey Adams (T, Washington)
Big, long and athletic — Trey Adams is one of the few emerging left tackles with a big opportunity to forge a successful pro-career. He plays in a good offense to judge his potential and he’s big — listed at 6-8 and 309lbs but more likely in the 6-6 range (where you want him to be). He moves well on his feet for his size and shows the ability to get into position, set and finish blocks. He plays with toughness and enjoys run blocking. If there were more players like Adams in college football, the NFL would feel a lot happier.
Minkah Fitzpatrick (S, Alabama)
With so many studs on the Alabama defense it’s difficult to stand out sometimes. Fitzpatrick managed it multiple times in 2016. He had six interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), five TFL’s, seven PBU’s and a forced fumble. He ran a 4.05 short shuttle at the 2013 SPARQ combine while jumping a 37.5 inch vertical. He’s an intelligent, savvy ballhawk who could be a major leader and component of Alabama’s defense next season with so many big names departing for the NFL this year.
Sam Darnold (QB, USC)
The same thing happens every year. We pour over the quarterbacks in a draft class and declare next years crop to be better. Darnold is the latest example of a prospect being vaulted into the spotlight a little prematurely. He’s a converted linebacker and hasn’t even been a college starter for a full season. At times his play is majestic and he clearly has an innate, natural flair for the position. He extends plays, he has the arm strength and accuracy. There is so much to like. He also has some erraticism to his play and there are ‘Jake Locker moments’. He has a ton of potential but he’ll be under a lot of pressure to live up to the hype this year.
Connor Williams (T, Texas)
A former High School teammate of Solomon Thomas, Williams has really blossomed from a three-star recruit to a genuine NFL prospect. Measurables will be key for Williams. He isn’t big — listed at 6-6 and 288lbs last season. He needs to get into that 305lbs range and he doesn’t look incredibly long in the arms. He’s a very willing run blocker with natural bend and foot speed. There’s a major edge to his play, built off an intriguing backstory. He and Trey Adams have much higher ceilings than the more often discussed Mike McGlinchey at Notre Dame.
Derrick Nnadi (DT, Florida State)
He’s only really scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. In 2016 he emerged as a highly impactful, mostly two-down defender. He had 10.5 TFL’s and six sacks. He and Demarcus Walker lived in the backfield and played off each other. Nnadi has the power to handle the run and the quickness, power and an effective swim/rip to break into the backfield. He’s 6-1 and 312lbs so perfectly sized to act as a disruptive interior presence.
Clark/Reed/Jefferson/McDowell/Jones… It’s homeristic, but not RIDICULOUS, to say the Hawks could be building a Rams-quality DL. The piece that’s missing? The Avril-type EDGE. I know a lot can/will happen betweeen now and April 2018, but I expect that to be an early focus next year.
+1, Avril = Clark
Bennett= McDowell
Mebane= Jones
Rubin= Reed
Jordan Hill= Jefferson
This still leaves an opening for a DE in NASCAR.
Future Nascar: Clark, McDowell, Jefferson or Jones, ???
Dion Jordan = Bruce Irvin
Dude is 280 playing Dt/de I don’t understand why you are calling him Irvin.
That same dude is capable of covering Calvin Johnson in the red zone and batting down the pass. He’s just as much a freak as McDowell, just a different type. Dion Jordan started as a linebacker iirc
Their combine performances at identical aside from Irvin running a 4.50 40 and Jordan running a 4.60. Irvin put on weight when he was a DE and I’d guess he was 260-275. They’re pretty identical honestly
He was 250 playing LB then, he is now 280+ not playing LB.
Irvin did the same thing. Bulked up and played D line. That’s my point. They are similar, just Jordan has gotten a little heavier than Irvin. Have Bruce bulk up to 280 and he’s playing DT too.
They were both just under 250 at the combine
Wouldn’t you put Josh Allen up there with Darnold?
I Wasn’t blown away watching Josh Allen last year. It’s just a list of 10 names that I like.
Gotcha. Will be interesting to see how he progresses. Already being talked up quite a bit, but also loses his top 3 receivers I think.
Neither was I. š
Josh Allen probably would have been the first pick this year. He’s basically a more normal version of Patrick Mahomes with far superior mechanics. If Mahomes can go 10th and Trubisky 2nd I have to believe Cleveland, or somebody trading up with them, would have nabbed Allen first.
Now Allen is going to be scrutinized for a full year and many of his best offensive teammates departed. I was surprised he didn’t turn pro but after watching interviews he seems like a good guy who realizes he’s still somewhat immature and enjoys being a normal college kid who can finish practice and then hang out with his buddies in a small college town, instead of intense pressure from an NFL fan base.
I only watched him against San Diego State (twice) and in the bowl game against BYU. Defeating San Diego State is a semi remarkable accomplishment, even if it was at home. The Aztecs are so basic and physical and well coached compared to everybody else in that league. He also defeated Boise State as two touchdown underdog.
Allen gives you flashes but it’s easy to see why his completion percentage is only 56%. He’ll bail out early and use his Joe Montana/Jake Plummer athletic ability on the fly, thrilling to scramble and fling on the run. It looks awesome when it works. Allen has more swagger than either Montana or Plummer at this stage, and especially in taking off downfield. He’s not inept like Robert Griffin at protecting himself but that style will eventually get him in trouble. Not exactly built like Cam Newton.
The final pass against BYU was pathetic and unforgivable. Too bad that game was played in lousy weather.
Arnold has all the hype and national recognition. He also has a weird bottom heavy build and a release than can get too long and lead to erratic throws.
As a USC alum I’m not thrilled Arnold essentially saved Clay Helton’s job. Helton is like the Jamal Adams of coaches. Great guy. Swell. He’s not USC caliber or the type to threaten the level of Nick Saban or Urban Meyer programs. I think I was the only Trojan alum who approved of the Pete Carroll hire. In fact, I wrote an enthusiastic letter to the editor to the Trojan Family alumni magazine. They didn’t print it. I’m convinced they thought it was a joke. When Brennan Carroll coached for the Canes I told him that story about the letter to the editor. He raised his voice with a big smile and said, “Oh, so you were the ONE.” Emphasis on one.
I really thought a different Chubb would make this list. Nick Chubb
Sheesh Rob, it’s about time. I mean the 2017 draft has been almost over for 24 hours and we have all been very patient in waiting for a post on 2018…š Seriously, man, you are unbelievable and I can’t adequately express how fortunate I feel to be a reader of yours and part of this interesting, thoughtful, smart, energetic community you have created and preside over.
*Chanting* Thank you Rob! Thank you Rob! Thank you Rob! Thank you Rob!
I’m excited to watch Vea and Adams this year.
I think we draft edge rusher or running back first next year.
Not to sound jerky cause I don’t mean it this way, but 1) it’s just way too early to know what our needs for next year might be. We have no clue what will unfold during a long season; injuries, development, regression, break-outs, etc. And 2) we have no idea yet who the first round-worthy prospects might be 11 months from now. Just seems premature to me.
Agree completely. Way too early to tell, and also way too early to project the first round. Entire season of college football left to play
Fair. But if I had to hedge my bets I’d suspect edge would be a priority. With no real depth considering Bennett is most effective inside/out. And avril creeping into his 30’s with Clark following Bennett’s path it could look lean unless marsh turns a corner.
EDGE is one of those top needs that you always need unless you somehow get 4 elite rushers. You literally can never have enough EDGE rushers. Obviously Seattle hasn’t picked below the bottom 20 since 2012, so the elite pass rushers are gone by the time we pick. We will probably be targeting EDGE players every year for the rest of our lives.
Seahawks have to be in the top 5 pass rushing teams now, though. But with players aging we are coming to a point where we desperately need to acquire more. I have no doubt EDGE will be a topic of discussion next year.
I see more of a continuing trend in how they went RB last through lacy’s signing and this year with a range of db’s. Though they hopefully won’t pick earlier than they did this year putting them put of range for top talent I think the tactic will be draft or sign up to five guys who can battle it out.
Next year i think they look hard at the draft for LB. They brought in a bunch of sub athletic castoffs and one may revitalize their career but the league wouldn’t have let three Wagner level lb’s just walk in free agency. One maybe but not all of them.
The tough thing with LBs (like all positions) is that there are very rarely any great prospects that get overlooked. We saw it this year with Reddick. That’s why it’s hard when you are picking at the back end of every round. You have to have a different strategy because you aren’t going to get the big names most of the time. You have to get the players who are flawed that you can coach up. A lot like Frank Clark and McDowell. We took guys with red flags because they are our best chance to get an elite player. But if we could have gotten Jon Allen or Solomon Thomas instead, we would have.
Lb is a bit different though because Wagner was just from a smaller school so they had to future cast how that athleticism would translate.
wagner fell thru the cracks because of the smaller school but him being sick at the combine made the national eye overlook him even when his proday happened. Exception to the rule there.
IĀ“m sure the secondary from Washington will produce another 1-3 round talent. Solid group.
Maybe but probably not after this season.
jordan Miller and Jojo McIntosh are the names to keep an eye on
Byron Murphy and taylor rapp in two years
Based on uw junior day this year, Miller is like a slightly poor man’s version of Kevin King athletically. Think he hit a 40 very and sub 4.4 40.
That should say 40 vert
Milled definitely needs to add bulk for the NFL. He is thin as a rail.
And looking even further ahead, I was watching a video on Carlos Watkins a few months ago, and I kept getting distracted by Clelin Ferrall. He just kept jumping off the screen, and seems destined to be a top 5 pick.
Yeah, those are the good ones, aren’t they? The ones that jump of the screen at you when you are trying to watch another player.
Did you at least get a nap between the 2017 and 2018 stuff? :p
You’re a beast. An animal! Take some time with the family Rob. You deserve it!
Saquon Barkley = YES PLEASE. Holy SSSSSSHhhhhhhhh this guy is awesome. If he doesn’t go in the top 10……….. I would be shocked. He’s got a bit of Barry Sanders in him with a bunch of other awesome running backs mixed in. I wanted Lacy more than any other FA running back in the market this year and I’m so glad we pulled the trigger. We are that type of organization that looks for the best in players and squeezes everything out of them. I can’t believe more of us aren’t on cloud 9 with Lacy in the backfield next year. We will get his weight down and get him in shape AND he will be our main RB next year. Awesome move by the front office.
On another note….Seriously? At the end of last year losing against the Cards and then getting punished by the falcons you think we would be PINING for a Calais Campbell type of player and an upgrade on the OL.
I’m calling it out now. Our 2nd round picks this year will be our best of the PC/JS era.
How ’bout we trade Sherman for a top 5 pick next year and get Barkley. Eh?? EEEHHH?!?!
I’m quietly really excited about Lacy, too. We aren’t asking too much of him and he plays his best in the 240s, theoretically he should return to his rookie and sophomore form barring injury.
You could be right about the 2nd rounders, and they could prove it year 1. I’m not expecting, but I believe McD could put up double digit sacks year 1, and it wouldn’t be hard for Pocic to stick in the lineup. Clark is gonna be tough to pass, but definitely in the realm of possibility
Consider this, if McD even sniffs 10 sacks say 6-8; this means The rest of the crew is FEASTING, seriously if McD gets 6-8 I expect a 12+ sacks from Mike B, Avril, and clark.
12+12+12+6=42
add in 3-5 from Bobby
add in 2 from Wright
add in 5 total for all other DT’s / DE / corner blitzers on the roster
4+2+5=11
This is a moderate projection and this puts us with 53 sacks for the year.
The record is 73 by the 1984 Bears (the greatest Defense of all time)
The Broncos had 52 in 2015 when PM won the Bowl, The panthers had 60 in 2013 (the most recent highest total)
Who wants to bet that the db situation seems sown up if we get taht many sacks?
For real! I don’t think that’s a stretch at all! DT pressure is everything, we’ll have Leek and Bennett, you can only double team one. We’d be firing on all cylinders, the DBs would be feasting on bad passes, Bobby, KJ, and Man would be feasting on easy dumpoff tackles, Clark and Avril getting freebies. The latter 2 combined for something like 22 sacks last year, with just Bennett getting 3 sacks (with a lot of pressures).
McDowell really has a chance to put us over the top. I can’t wait
Kam*
Seattle Seahawks – UDRFA so far
Skyler Howard, QB, West Virginia
Hayden Plinke, TE, UTEP
Tyrone Swoopes, QB, Texas (signed to play tight end)
Jordan Roos, G, Purdue
Tony Bridges, DB, Ole Miss
Darreus Rogers, WR, USC
Algernon Brown, FB, BYU
Jordan Simone, WR, Arizona State
Otha Peters, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
Calvin Steyn, OL, Weber State
Nick Usher, LB, UTEP
The guy I think might stick on the roster is Algernon Brown.
He plays at a position they currently have ZERO guys.. FB. 5’11” 235 and ran a 4.63 40.
The other guy who is very intriguing, Tyrone Swoopes, he is a guy who fills a need … depth at TE.
What ever happened to the FB that Pete as raving about last year who got hurt? Forget his name.
Brandon cottom?
Cottom’s off the roster.
Yup, thanks guys. Weird that they just tossed him aside like a used tissue after all the praise he got in camp
not that weird, its been like 3 years of him lighting it up but suffering season ending injuries in camp, just like McCoy you give up eventually
“At fullback, the Seahawks will feature a new look this season, itās just not clear yet who will take over. Former University of Washington defensive lineman Taniela Tupou is in the mix, as is former USC running back Tre Madden. Tight end Brandon Cottom, a former college running back, has also done work at fullback. Rookie defensive lineman Brandin Bryant also could get a look at fullback, Carroll said. ” ~ CBSSports
Brandom Cottom was a fav of mine… but he was waived with injury designation last year. Nothing I can find on him this season.
That’s the one, thanks man.
i think Cotton is who you are referring to and i thought Reece was one of the most important guys at the end of the year who we really needed to resign
Tyrone Swoopes actually played a really unique role at Texas. He was brought in for a wildcat-like subpackage in goal line situations where he would usually just run a draw play. He also threw 94 passed and completed about half of them (last year, I think). He seems like this year’s Tanner McEvoy type.
Also we do have another fullback on the roster: Malcolm Johnson- He’s a 3 year pro at 6-1″ 231, was with the Browns last year. Also, Marcel Reece is still a FA.
Rob, I just want to say thank you for putting in the time to make this site so entertaining and informative. You’re very talented at identifying players that not only the Seahawks might have interest in, but NFL teams in general. You were way ahead of the mainstream pundits and draft insiders with many of your mock draft predictions. This blog is so much better than anything NFL network or ESPN puts out. Great job man.
This.
+12
I love to read your blog in the mornings – it looks like VICTORY!!!
Don’t know how you do it Rob, but speaking for SBD Nation, we love it.
Im also very pleased with what the Seahawks did in the 2017 draft. More so than I have been in years. I think it will be the best class top to bottom since 2012. Very excited for next year.
^ this a millions times this.
The only college I follow (in depth) is the Wisconsin Badgers…so I’ll offer up two names that I expect to be impact players in the pros (and would love to see on the Seahawks)..
Troy Fumagalli TE 6′ 6″ 248
TJ Edwards ILB 6’0″ 244
* TJ is a RS Junior this year
Do they still have Chris Orr?
yeah..he got injured in the LSU game and missed the rest of the season..nasty injury..but sounds like he’s ready to go for next season..
http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/college/football/badgers-football-linebacker-chris-orr-eager-for-return-after-season/article_7fdba58f-8ec1-5212-b8cc-61f0f6cc962d.html
That entire NC St. D-line is one to monitor.
The LB group is loaded next year!
Last time I’ll mention this, but a buddy of mine told me that ‘you know who’ thinks the Seahawks took a dig at him during their PC.
What is this guys issue? Like its not even ego anymore. Now its just delusions of grandeur.
I’ve met the type before. The ones who work almost obsessively hard to convince you or remind you how smart or relevant they are. To the point where they’ve actually convinced themselves it’s true.
A lot of us are guilty of that from time to time…
Over Schneider and Carroll joking about YouTube scouting in the Day 3 presser I believe.
Takes a special kind of ego to perform those kind of mental gymnastics.
Well john schneider certainly took a dig at amateur scouts… as well as marshawn lynch
Yeah that is twice now recently that Schneider has deliberately put a sarcastic emphasis on ‘Beastmode’. Definitely jumped out in both the pressers that he did it.
‘You know who’ seemed to dislike the comment about watching Youtube videos.
I don’t think John was having a dig at anyone there. I think he’s just being honest about the situation. Any of us can watch game breakdowns now that they are readily available. We can’t get a prospect in a room with a psychologist, do background checks, talk to his coaches etc.
And ‘you know who’ should remember the scale of work that goes into a draft — and give up thinking any GM or coach in the league gives the slightest bit of attention to some guy with a Twitter account with an ego the size of Paris.
Sub “Paris” for Africa and you got it Rob.
‘you know who’ is currently calling the draft a C-, bashing the McDowell pick and the later round picks. Also complaining about people criticizing him for liking players in the past that were busts. Comparing himself to john Schneider.
Long time reader and I have no idea who “you know who” is. I initially thought Sherman but it seems like you’re referencing a pundit – Kiper? I’m curious.
It’s just Stranger. A Twitter ‘scout,’ who for some reason seems to genuinely believe he influences who PCJS draft. He blocks anyone and everyone who either calls him out or disagrees with him, so lives in a little bubble of praise and omniscience. Draft Twitter is weird enough to begin with, he takes it all the way though.
From memory he and Rob have some history, something to do with Rob not crediting him as a ‘guru?’ Could be wrong though. He’s just a dude with delusions of grandeur who needs constant affirmation that he’s the big dog in his corner of the internet.
Rob, thanks again my friend. You poured your heart and soul into this blog for this community. Enjoy the quality time with your new kiddo.
As per next year we all know which players the Seahawks may shy away from retaining next year, but if you look closely our roster is very very competitive. Can never be to complacent, but it’s mighty hard to make this team. The churning continues to keep average age low and cap manageable, but that is why so many of our cuts are on other teams.
If for no other than salary cap reasons, Jermaine Kearse and Athya Rubin figure to be expendable during camp this year or at the latest next year. Here is to hoping Richardson has a great year and even if he is not resigned brings some comp picks back together with whoever is not retained (Joeckel, McDougal, Wilhoite, Aboushi, Lacy, Britt, Marsh, DeShawn, KPL).
I think Jimmy and Kam are getting extensions. The stockpiling of safeties in this draft might put a twist on Kam, but his leadership is hard to replace and Pete has often mentioned wanting to resign him. As per Jimmy still would need a 3rd and/or 4th TE with the departure of Luke depending on what Swoopes turns into.
Not sure what the narrative is going to be with Britt, he’s turned out great at Center. You can’t pay everybody as New England has showed us, but he’s finally found a spot and seems to have a good rapport with Russell.
Avril and Bennett are getting up there in age and Frank seems to be on quite the ascent. Let’s see how the free agent LB’s pan out and who re-ups.
The production of Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls is probably the key to our 2017-18 season and the biggest question mark going into next years draft if that picture is not cleared up.
I think Britt will be back. Joeckel is on a one year contract at $7M. Unless he lights it up he will not be back. They can use that cap space to re-sign Britt. Adding Pocic makes this possible. Then next year you bring in one more rookie or give Senior a shot at a starting gig.
I’d add Prosise to the list of keys.
We might have to let one of Kam, Jimmy, Britt go next year, that could be $30M between the 3
I really wanna keep Kam but I don’t think it happens, we’d have to pay him big. I like Hill as kind of a boxier Landon Collins, I think he’s gonna be a solid SS eventually.
We are either going to need to extend Kam or trade him I belive. It will be a cancer if we do nothing.
I think Kam will work hard to show he still has abilities in his last contract year. If he can stay healthy there is a good chance the Seahawks resign him. I don’t think it will be any more cancerous than has already occurred = and am of the belief that Kam learned a lesson from that. Play hard while you can.
Yup. He will continue to be a valuable presence in the locker room, even if he plans to make this his last year in Seattle. If he wants to get paid as much as we assume he does, turning into a locker room cancer right before you hit FA isn’t they way to do it.
It worries me as well. Just wish they would get that deal done before training camp starts.
Less drama this year wouldbe a good thing.
Both Frank Clark and ET3 will be free agents after 2018. The cost to extend both will probably be at least $25-$27 million APY. Perhaps more. Barring the unlikely event that you find an adequate replacement for either of them I think we need to extend both. Britt, Chancellor, Graham… it could make for some tough decisions. I’d be surprised if more than one of those three gets a multi-year extension.
Perhaps we see JS use the franchise tag for the first time next year.
Thought it was interesting that Seattle tried recruiting LBs in UDFA with the ‘we don’t have any.’ Obviously other than BWagz and KJ.
Says to me that other people feel like there’s a good chance of Wilhoite, Brown, and Garvin catching on here. Or 2 of the 3 anyways.
Off-topic a bit, but after listening to the Day 2 & 3 pressers, I’m digging the Pocic pick even more. It was evident PC/JS felt the OL class wasn’t offering quality or quanity, so they make the kid who can play multiple spots well a priority. Instead of having to find several guys, they got it with one… As they said, getting 2 1/2 for 1. Smart smart smart
the problem being..of course..that by the time we figure our where everyone can play..we are well into October..and home field advantage has been squandered
I should have said..”Russell is hurt..and home field advantage is squandered”
Still gotta have the guys with the talent/ability to get it done. I’d rather have the issue of figuring out where they best fit than not having them at all. The talent upgrade (or hope of) was going to be an objective regardless.
To your point, I do hope they settle on a probable line sooner rather than later in camp. I think we saw two years ago how the constant tinkering late into the pre-season cost them a bit
yeah..I don’t know what the answer is…it’s great to have versatility along the OL..because it can free up a roster spot or two for other positions..but some times it’s nice to just sign a TJ Lang type guy and know he’s our LG from day one.
I think and hope that Tom Cable has a reduced role this year. He needs to just be the OL coach, not the OL coach and Assistant Head Coach/GM of the OL department. It’s encouraging that Pocic was the pick and that it sounds like it was Schneider who really wanted him, not Cable.
Cable might’ve been a fan though.
I think TC gets a bad rap. He’s had to build a new line virtually every year for three years now. Last year was asked to do it with UDFA left tackles and the cheapest line in the league by far. Better to just wait and see now how the 2017 group performs.
I agree that he gets a bad rap in the sense that people assume he is a bad coach. I don’t think he is a bad coach at all. I just think in the past there have been times when he’s been asked to do too much. In a sense, Sweezy working out for us was a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that we got a starting guard for cheap, a curse because we made decisions that were based on the success of that move. These projects were in retrospect a waste of time, and Cable’s energy would be better utilized coaching guys who are offensive linemen by trade and who actually show that they are capable OLinemen.
Like when we traded Max Unger away. I was not against acquiring Jimmy Graham, but the way we went about the Center position after that was miserable. There wasn’t a good plan B for the center position. So Cable was given Drew Nowak to work with. It wasn’t until the end of the season that Patrick Lewis came in and solidified things. I think it’s concerning that it took such a long time to realize that Patrick Lewis was better. And if Cable was given the freedom to try and fix Nowak, I disagree with that. I think Pete just needs to make those decisions. We don’t have time to be patient with Drew Nowaks when we’re in a Superbowl window.
Last year was terrible also. I thought we’d be okay by solidifying our interior, and trying to patch the outside with cheap T. Boy was I wrong. Russell often didn’t have enough time to see anything. We’d often have wide open receivers that he’d miss because as soon as he completed playaction, he had Calais Campbell right in his face. The tackles just were not ready, and how could they be? Sowell had a lousy track record and Fant had about as much football experience as me. That’s what I mean – Cable is given impossible challenges to work with. I know it’s really hard for us to go out and get an Osemele. But Brad Sowell and J’Marcus Webb were big misses, and the worst part is that they are guys that Cardinals and Raiders fans could tell you are no good. And yet, we thought Tom Cable could turn them into something. He needs more to work with than that.
I know the OLine market, both FA and draft, are problematic. It would be great if Cable could turn water into wine, but that just hasn’t happened. I like the moves the front office made this year. Joeckel at least at one point was considered a future star in the NFL. Aboushi had verifiable good play last year. Pocic has good tape. Hopefully Fant can be another Sweezy-type story, but as Jared Smith and Kristjan Sokoli taught us, that’s very difficult.
There are many things working against the Seahawks on OL. But there are a few things they could have done to help themselves that they didn’t. They could have selected Joel Bitonio, which seemed like the obvious choice, in 2014. They could have matched Denver’s offer to Okung and paid him somewhere around $8m for 1 year. Both these moves could have helped sustain our success. And just trying to acquire OL that are capable.
But it is astounding how much the issues on the OLine have hurt us. And you can’t find a solution unless you identify the problem. This year there has been a slight change in strategy. More money has gone into the OLine and we’re bringing some name players in. Pocic was prioritized over more “sexy” picks. Things are moving in a different direction, I feel. And I hope that Cable can just be a OLine coach, but I don’t want him to be hand-picking anymore unlikely projects. We’ve seen that doesn’t work.
It’s telling to me how many NFL insiders/coaches etc. rate Cable. They genuinely think he’s one of the very best line coaches around.
the fact the line typically starts out bad..and then improves throughout the year tells me Cable is doing his job. I think the problem is training camp doesn’t allow for enough time to establish who the starters are at any given position..let alone working together enough to be a high functioning unit when the season starts..
It is not just training camp. There is much less time working with players during the offseason as well.
I’m sick of the offensive line starting out bad every year. It was barely tolerable when they improved into the playoffs. But last year they didn’t even peak. The fact is that the only constant on the offensive line is the coaches and general manager. And I hold them directly responsible for the players that the Seahawk have ended up with and their training.
You want to impress me? Show up at the beginning of the year the way the Patriots did last year, looking like champions. And show me that you mean business. I don’t think it is too much to ask for the offensive line to at least match the other offenses in the league. Even with a cast of loveable misfits.
I posted this before, but I noticed in one of the draft room videos Cable was sitting 5 rows behind JSPC. Schneider said that Cable had not met with Pocic prior to the draft. Make of it what you want.
I believe it was more of a case of them not wanting to tip their hand by showing interest. At least that’s what JS alluded to in the presser
Personally, I love the fact that Steve Hutchinson was a left guard. I don’t care if he couldn’t or wouldn’t play left tackle, center, right guard, or right tackle. Versatility is for backups. I want a good left tackle. A good left guard. A center. A good right guard. And a good right tackle. If one guy gets hurt, I don’t want that to force 103,394,493 changes to an offensive line. If the center gets hurt, have a backup who can play center. Don’t screw with everyone else on the line. If you have a right guard get hurt, put in the versatile back-up. The only time I can see an injury forcing more than one position switch is if a left tackle gets hurt and the right tackle needs to move to the left side. People always talk about continuity, yet most don’t practice what they preach.
I actually agree with this quite a bit. It’s immaterial to me if someone is a good even great at multiple spots if everyone else that has to move around is not as good when reshuffled. I if you are looking for a plug and play situation that’s a necessary cog but I don’t think that player is someone you spend a 2nd rounder on to be riding the pine until someone gets hurt. You play that player.
WHich still causes me worry with Pocic:
So in 2017 he plays somewhere on the line. But in FA Seattle loses Britt (speculation by some,) so Pocic is the center adn now in 2018 the team is looking for Pocic’s replacement? That doesn’t add up unless you are trying to say that 2017 Pocic as center of the future is already better than all possible centers for 2018? It just seems like a strange hedge for a team that attacks it’s off season needs with gusto from draft picks to FA signings to be looking to the future with Pocic like that.
I have to hope Pocic is actually in the plans to just lock down a spot so no one has to talk about it for 4 years. As per Britt I actually hope the rebuilding of the LOB and letting older players go in the future is how they pay for an OLine instead of a whole career for WIlson of make shifts MASH units every September.
im reposting this for more eyes
Great Gif review of Malik Mcdowell HERE
https://www.reddit.com/r/Seahawks/comments/68df36/malik_mcdowell_gif_breakdown/
Imagine a nightmare scenario where we took Robinson/lamp + the LA rams took Malik would it matter that we improved our oline with a rookie vs donald McDowell Quinn Borckers?
I thought the early 2nd round played out great. I thought for sure the Rams would take Zay Jones or Lamp. Instead they had to reach on a small school tight end in hopes of recreating Jordan Reed.
Something to notice in there is just how reckless he plays. Wonder if that’s why he’s constantly penetrating the line but not necessarily having any impact on the play.
He gets such a big push and uses so much energy that he often times falls down. Especially when he tried to bust through double teams. I noticed that about Frank Clark in college too. Sometimes he would just be sloppy because he was trying so hard. But it’s good that he’s giving his all when rushing the passer. He just needs some refinement so that he uses his energy efficiently.
A quick note to everyone — a big thank you to all the kind messages over the last day or two. I’ve had some great emails, comments and Tweets. It is really, really appreciated. You guys are the best.
Nobody deserves the accolades more than you my man.
You’re one-of-a-kind, and you’ve created a one-of-a-kind community in SDB.
I feel extremely fortunate that we love the same team, the same sport, and the same process (the Draft).
+100
I’m one of the few who hasn’t yet said thanks cause.. Well….everyone has said all that can be said already. But thanks nonetheless. I read more than I post, but I truly love coming here each day hoping for a new player, a new take, etc . And the phenomenal community of informed posters is legit. I may not always agree but I love being forced to think and consider other angles. Go Hawks.
Well said Eric, a family of 12’s is very fun. If I libed in the Seattle area it would be fun to get together sometime to put faces to names.
Rob, does it seem like Cable had less influence this year. Seems like Pocic was more a JS pick than a Cable guy. Not sure, just seems like they’re moving in a different, more conservative direction on OL.
And thank you for the continued excellence: best player eval and analysis and draft content anywhere.
It’s impossible to say Mishima.
But I think the likelihood is Cable gave his usual input into the prospect and was at the very least on board.
Off topic a bit, but draft related.
After every draft I try and make sense out of the ranking sites that are often very influential in the draft process, especially to us fans. Which sites are the most accurate? Here are this years #’s for each site relative to the actual Seahawks picks. These are the 3 ranking sites that I have compared.
—-(cbssports.com) —vs:— (dafttek.com)— vs:—(draftwired2.com), ——— * =outliers.
Seahawks pick: #35—-DT-Malik McDowell, —(24)—(21)—(20)
Seahawks pick: #58—-OL-Ethan Pocic, —(67)—(79)—(77)
Seahawks pick: #90—-CB-Shaquill Griffin, —(121)—(85*)—(136)
Seahawks pick: #95—-FS-Delano Hill, –(119*)—(177)—(189)
Seahawks pick: #102—DT-Nazir Jones,— (92)—(114)—(111)
Seahawks pick: #106—WR-Amara Darboh, —(90)—(82)—(156*)
Seahawks pick: #111—SS-Tedrick Thompson, —(207*)— (133)—(128)
Beyond this point, rankings are way too variable for all of the other picks later in the draft.
All in all, the 3 different ranking sites were pretty close to each other with just a notable few of the rankings that are outliers. IMO-These rankings just generally show:
(1) McDowell was ranked lower than pick #35 on all 3 sites, so the Seahawks did very well, especially after 2 trade-downs. Great GM work there.
(2) Pocic was ranked a little lower than perhaps many might have thought & was indeed only a slight reach at pick #58 and a position of need. His listing as a Center, and we have Britt, threw people off.
(3) Griffin was ranked lower than perhaps many thought and was a need pick at #90. May be one of their best picks too. This kid has a personality that will fit in nicely, time to mold that clay.
(4) Hill was generally ranked maybe 70-80 picks later than his pick at #95 by 2 of 3 ranking sites, but fills a probable need, Maybe just a case of being Overlooked? I know I missed him completely.
(5) Nazir Jones was ranked about where he was picked at #102. Jones would seem to be a very nice value pick and I think many will underestimate him, they didn’t spend #102 for nothing.
(6) Darboh was a slight outlier with 82/90/156, but we got him at #106. There is a way inconsistent #156 there (not sure exactly why), but rankings of 82/90 may be indicative of his talents? Hope so.
(7) Thompson was an outlier with 207/133/128, but we got him at #111. At #207, cbssports maybe really disliked his slower than anticipated 40 time? I really like this pick a lot. He bounces around on the balls of his feet & gets to the action much faster than he runs for 40 yards from a track stance. If he’s within 20/30 yards of a play, he can get there plenty quick enough.
IMO-cbssports.com only messed up with Tedrick Thompson too high and Delano Hill maybe too low. In Thompson’s case, field smarts, anticipation & flat out hustle can often overcome a 1/10 of a second slower 40, they should have know that & not dinged him so much in their rankings. Hill, I don’t think many got that one right. Drafttek.com seemed right on except for Hill & draftwired2.com was right on except for Darboh & probably Hill as well. My conclusion: I guess I still like cbssports.com
the best because of their content & the multiple sorts on their headers, however I will continue to use all three next draft season.
One final note: I think Obi has intangibles (perhaps mental, effort, lack of love for football) that may have turned PC/JS off after meeting 4 times with him. Something was off with both he and King or PC/JS would have jumped on them any way they could, but they didn’t, that says a lot to me.
–Thanks Rob for all of your work, you make the draft process so much more fun for all of us.
Good and interesting work Jim. Appreciate it!
Thanks Jim. During my earlier mock draft, I was curious who was doing the best job ranking.
Have any stats on the overall accuracy of the analyists versus the actual draft?
Appreciated.
The Huddle Report does a mock draft comparison with a points ranking most of the prominent mockers. I believe Rob mentioned that his last one was for submission to that site. I haven’t looked at the results yet.
It’ll be interesting to see what Obi becomes. Obviously the measurables were generational, but the tape was less than inspiring. I actually think that Delano Hill was the better football last year.
I think they liked King, and would’ve had a tough decision to make between him and McDowell if he’d been available. But on Obi, there was something they just weren’t sure about. That’s why the 4 meetings. No question about his athleticism or size. Maybe if he fell to 58, but def not to trade up for.
Never gave Pocic a look because his position. Why draft for the one spot on the OL that doesn’t need an immediate upgrade? But multidimensional JSPC see beyond the usual. Just because he was the best C on his team doesn’t mean C is his best position. And so nice to know he can play that too.
Nice observation. This front office and scouting department see things that most of us can’t.
It’s funny, this is absolutely insane to speculate, but I wonder if he’s just a bit too nice and well adjusted for the Hawks. They really want chippy, insecure, manically driven dudes who are out to prove the world wrong. Everything you see and read from/about Melifonwu suggests he’s a nice kid who’s pretty good at football and generally enjoys his life – he’s not pissed off for greatness. Football isn’t as important to him as some other guys, it’s not a defining part of his identity.
That’s my early morning insomnia pop psychoanalysis of the situation.
So many people are sleeping on this class. “Low ceiling class”.
I say BS to that.
I think McDowell will be a defensive star right off the bad.
I get a feeling Pocic will become an anchor for the interior line for years.
I think Griffen will end up being the next star seattle corner.
Hill and Thompson could be the eventual replacements for Chancellor and Thomas.
Runningback is a such a crazy unclear position for the seahawks after this season. He could become THE guy down the road.
Senior Tyson and Moore, who knows if they stick. Naz Jones will be a solid contributor down the road.
I think this draft does have star potential though. People are sleeping on it.
right off the bat*
To people complaining about king… the hawks have two chances to draft him and passed on him both times. They also had two slots where they could have picked Obi. If they wanted Obi, they could have traded up.
They wanted McDowell and Pocic and they got McDowell and Pocic.
Nic, That is not necessarily true. Just because they passed on King and Obi doesn’t mean they didn’t want them. They could have gambled on taking McDowell first, and hoped Obi would last to #56. They miscalculated that and lost their chance.
I would be A LOT happier about the draft if they traded up a little and got Obi instead of Pocic. Pocic will be useful and just okay, but not nearly the athletic freak and impact player that Obi will be. .
They could have traded up into round #2 with two or three #3 round picks, but they didn’t do that either. I don’t think they saw them as being that much better than players in the third and fourth rounds.
They were planning on taking Pocic all along at 58. Even considered trading up for Pocic
I think it was more that the DB sweet spot was in rounds 3 and 4. That’s where the value was, and that’s why they went DL and OL early.
I still think the DB sweet spot was rounds 1 and 2. Seahawks just needed linemen worse. And they did get a tremendous deal by trading back out of the first round. We can credit that move for at least two defensive backs picked in 3rd and 4th rounds.
In some ways this is better as you don’t expect the DBs to replace starters right away. Like a first round King would be slotted to starting cornerback immediately. This way the whole group can compete. And the starting safeties won’t feel threatened this year.
Also off topic, congratulations to the Seattle Thunderbirds who have made it to the WHL Finals for the second straight year. Hopefully they can win it this time for their first Championship.
+1 gonna try to go to a one of those games.
If there is one regret in this draft, I think it will be drafting Pocic over Daeshon Hall. Hall is going to be a hell of a player, probably a double digit sack guy. Pocic could very well end up being pretty good, but even then that doesn’t compare with a double digit sack edge rusher.
Good point, and Pocic might have still been available in round 3.
Saquon Barkley > Leornard Fournette
This guy out-beastmodes beastmode.
If he doesn’t run through you, he’ll FLY over you.
Seahawks have to somehow get this guy….
I love him as well. Power and speed.
Not sure I agree Barkley is better than Fournette.
But people have been underestimating Fournette for weeks.
I think most teams in the league will have had him down as a top five pick.
Saquon Barkley is on a different level athletically in my opinion. I think fournette will give Jacksonville the best chance of winning that division though.
They are different running backs though. If Barkley runs a 4.4 it won’t mean he’s better than Fournette, just different. I’m very surprised at how much people want to down play Fournette. He’s an absolute monster. Legit reason he went #4 overall.
I was just pondering the draft here. And it occurred to me, what does it say about McDowell that the Seahawks were willing to take him, when last year Robert Nkemdiche was available and they took a hard pass? He was a similar style player. potential dominant inside out rusher Who can be stiff against the run. I think this tells us they see something special in McDowell. I think the Seahawks may have gotten quite the steal. This Seahawks defensive line is going to be beastly this year like not even fair beastly
The Seahawks D Line needs to put a whooping on Rodgers week #1 ….. so they better be ready to bring it.
Another thing with Nkemdiche, he has weed issues… hence his situation now. Glad we passed on him. The only knock on Malik McDowell was his motor and general attitude. No off field issues that I know of. So you aren’t having to factor in that this dude will be suspended because he can’t quit toking it up ya know
I hear you. My main point is though that if the Seahawks going to reach for such an interior inside outside pass rusher, they could’ve easily done so last year when a consensus top five pick was available to them at 26. They chose not to. This year we clearly isolated McDowell as their guy. They see something the rest of the league didn’t. And they’re not reaching like Arizona did last year. This is very exciting to me.
100% agree man! And I’m stoked about it!!! Can’t wait to see him on our line. If he delivers on his potential, whew the league better watch out. That will be a nasty front 7 or 6 in buffalo package.
OL was a much bigger need than a pass rusher last year, though. Okung and Sweezy had just left in free agency. I think we were going OL all the way.
One huge difference between McDowell and Nkemdiche/Chris Jones is that neither of those two players dominated college football like McDowell did his Sophomore season. Even last year, his games against Notre Dame and Wisconsin were dominant as well. Jones and Nkemdiche were underachievers in comparison.
I have watched all press conference again and After listening a day 2 press conference i am almost 100% sure that Britt will not be seahawk in 2018 and Pocic will be Seahawk center in next 5 to 10 years.
I love Saquon Barkley so much. Guice is good, but there’s just a different level of something there. It’s like Rawls and Lynch for Seattle, Rawls might have had games with bigger yardage but the tone-setting, iconic, play isn’t there. Barkley looks like he’s got the magic, hope he stays healthy.
Barkley is the best back we have seen come out in years. Much better than Gurley, Elliot, Fournette, etc…
Saying he’s got the “magic” is a good way of putting it.
I agree, save Elliot. I’d take Zeke all day. Barkley is really nice, good speed power combo, but Elliot is a tad slower and a good bit stronger. Just a preference thing imo, gimme the big guy.
Id be willing to say he’s the best runner since Adrian Peterson
Barkley that is
I wouldn’t. I love him, but I mean in the last three years alone we’ve had ‘generational’ runners come out. First it was Gurley, the Zeke, then Fournette. I think they’re all roughly around the same talent level, they just offer a different flavour. Zeke is clearly in the best position by a mile, if you lined Fournette up behind that Dallas line… Good lord.
I think Barkley is in the same class as those guys, but a different player again.
A name I’m watching for is the Sooners edge/lb ogbonnia okoronkwo! Dude is shifty and has great bend coming off the edge. Plus, what a name!
Huddle Report scoring is up. Congrats to Rob, ranked #16 over the last 5 years!
http://www.thehuddlereport.com/thr/mock.scores.shtml
Wooooow
Not surprised.
Shot up from 45 or something
Well Done!
Wow, Pete and John weren’t kidding when they said that Skyler Howard kid can really chuck it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ttEF4MJrrM
That kid has an amazing resemblance to someone we have seen before. Nice deep ball and he runs well. Plus, he can sling it out of the pocket. How did we miss him before? He even wears #3.
Woah! Boykin has legit competition!
He will beat out Boykin easily. Plus he doesn’t have the baggage. IOM.
Howard is also 5’11”, about the same height as Wilson.
Despite some exciting tape, I’m not optimistic about any UDFA QBs.
Skyler is 6′
QB-Skyler Howard, 5-11/208, Pretty close to RW size.
Pro day results: 4.64/40, 2.69/20, 1.60/10-yd splits, 32″/Vert, 9′-7″/Broad, 4.32/20-yd shuttle, 7.38/3Cone
36-th ranked QB, #707-overall at draftscout.com, 21-st ranked QB at draftanalyst.com
2016: 13-games;
—–Passing:
404 att. 247 comp. 61.1%, 3328-yds, 8.2-yds/att., 26-TD’s, 10-INT, 146.63-passer rating, 31.1-att/game, 256-yds/game
—–Rushing:
142 rushes, 463-yds, 3.26-yds/avg, 10-TD’s, 10.92-rushes/game, 35.62-yds/game.
—–Total production;
546-plays, 3791-yds, 36-TD’s, 6.94-yds/play, 291.6-yds/game.
—–“He’s always thrown a good deep ball,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. (Sounds familiar)
—–10/17/16 – OCT 17 BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Skyler Howard, West Virginia, QB, Sr, Fort Worth, Texas…Howard finished with 407 yards of total offense and was responsible for three touchdowns in West Virginiaās 48-17 win at Texas Tech…Completed 21-of-31 passes (67.7 percent) for 318 yards and a touchdown…Long pass went for 53 yards as he had 10 completions of 10 yards or more, six of 20-plus yards and three that went for at least 40 yards…Had 12 carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns with a long run of 20 yards…Marked his third 300-yard passing performance of the season and sixth in his career…Moved past Major Harris on WVUās all-time passing touchdown list with 42 and needs one more to tie Oliver Luck and Chad Johnston for fifth place on WVUās career list. – Big 12 Football
TAPE—–http://draftbreakdown.com/video/skyler-howard-vs-maryland-2015/ = 2015 W. Kentucky vs: Maryland
TAPE—–http://draftbreakdown.com/video/shelton-gibson-vs-youngstown-state-2016/ = W. Kentucky vs: Youngstown St
the last tape is WR-Shelton Gibson highlights (a WR I like a lot) with Howard at QB (due to limited film specifically on Howard.) Note the 55-yds in the air pass from Howard at 4:24 & the +/-40-yd pass at 5:10, as proof of at a minimum = decent arm strength. Also note in both films that Howard has a fairly quick release & has some running ability to escape rushers and moves around a lot like RW and he also shows some read option capabilities.
My Analysis: He’s too short, just like RW. Howard would appear to have very good leadership traits and the films show that his teammates rally around him. Physically, he has a decent, perhaps slightly above average arm and features a pretty quick release. He for sure is a raw QB prospect and needs to improve his ball placement, footwork and needs to raise his release point to head level or above on a more consistent basis. Howards running ability is slightly slower but similar to RW, and he appears to be at least similar to RW in escape ability and in running the read option. IMO, this young QB needs to sit and learn
as either the 3-rd QB (possibly on the practice squad) -OR- as a replacement for Boykin (IF, he can put together a convincing enough preseason). Bottom line, we could have an RW clone here & he may be able to learn all the little detailed stuff from his new mentor – RW and become the new #2 QB for the Seahawks. I think he has a very good chance at that.
Good to get another body in camp, don’t see anything in that tape that would pose a real threat to Boykin though.
Ishmael, look at the whole body of work. He has whole game tape on u tube. š
I mean I thought Boykin looked awesome on YouTube also but he doesn’t seem like the next Michael Vick at this point either. You can count the amount of undrafted QBs on one hand who had good NFL careers. So it’s pretty bold to say that Howard will have a successful career. With undrafted QBs it’s really a shot in the dark imo. It would be awesome if I’m wrong.
#1 Gibson Jr. and #2 Shorts look like pretty good WO’s. Pretty nice though when you know the ball is going to be on time and on target. Skyler throw’s a very catch-able ball. On roll out he has a very quick delivery and really zip it in there with elite anticipation when he finds his guy. Sharp kid and a nice competitive back-story. He will succeed. You can bet on it.
I watched some footage of him yesterday.
Plays a lot like Ruas
I really did not like the draft in all honesty but many Hakws drafts have been like that only to prove how little myself and most fans really know about scouting players. I loves last years draft class for example and they had little or no impact year #1. I still hold out hope for the class in year #2 however and think Ifedi and Reed could anchor both OL/DL for years to come with Vannett and Prosise becoming key pieces on offense.
With this years class if Mcdowell really become that dominant 3 tech in a couple of year and provide that interior pass rush we have so desperately missed then I will view it as a success.
I think Pocic will be a solid backup for all positions on the OL to start and likely find a starting role next year. He seems like the solid if not spectacular OL man most of us have been clamoring for the last 6 years.
Jones will likely be a solid rotational run stuffer and Darboh a replacement for Kearse next year.
The wildcard and real key to the draft being a successor failure will be if Griffin can develop into a quality starting CB within 2 years who can replace Sherm at that time and play at a high level. If he can they the draft goes from average IMO to very good.
Jones is more than just a run stuffier. That big boy can put pressure on the QB, gets into the backfield a lot. Has a knack for getting into passing lane’s.
PFF’s 2017 Draft recap for the Seahawks, starting of course with day 2:
“Day 2: McDowell can play both on the interior and on the edge as he ranked fifth in among draft class interior defensive linemen in pass rush productivity (11.7) and seventh in run stop percentage (11.2 percent). Pocic has experience playing all over the offensive line, so he could fit multiple roles, but he was nationās No. 9-graded center at 82.5 overall while allowing only 11 pressures (all hurries) across multiple positions. Griffin is a nice combination of size, athleticism and production as he ranked 10th in the nation at 87.6 overall while tying for sixth in the nation with 11 pass breakups. Hill is a potential box safety who missed one of every 14.5 tackle attempts, good for fifth in the class, while showing good coverage ability in short zones. Jones is a strong run defender as his 86.5 grade ranked 20th in the nation and he can steal early-down snaps as he develops as a pass-rusher. Darboh has the body control to make catches in traffic while doubling as one of the nationās top run-blockers among receivers (finished sixth).
Day 3: Thompson is a versatile coverage defender who can play both safety and over the slot. He finished 2016 with seven interceptions and seven pass breakups while leading the nationās safeties with a 92.3 coverage grade. Tyson knocked out most of his AAC foes on his way to an 85.9 overall grade that ranked 19th in the nation. Senior has potential in a zone scheme and he allowed three sacks, one QB hit, and 10 hurries on 473 pass-blocking attempts last season.”
Last years draft was tainted by Ifedi not working as a tackle and then having issues at guard. He could be a lot better this year, we will just have to see how well Cable can train him.
Reed was a tremendous pickup that played really well last year. The times I watched him the other teams had to double team him. I have a lot of confidence in him being a long term pickup.
Now who else did they pick?? Maybe a few will be starting this year.
Prosise, Odhiambo, Vannett, Collins, QJeff
Just a wild, way too early guess, but next years O-line could look like this:
*backups in parentheses
LT: Joeckel (Fant)
LG: Odhiambo (Glowinski)
C: Britt (Pocic or Hunt)
RG: Pocic or Ifedi (Aboushi or Roos)
RT: Ifedi or Pocic (Aboushi)
This Jordan Roos seems to be the only priority UDFA Seattle signed, but he’s a freak! I’ve not seen many O-lineman built like him physique wise. He’s all muscle.
The QB’s we face this year are going to be in for a long day… š
Where does Jake Browning rate at the moment as a 2018 early entry? 3rd round?
I don’t know the answer. But you know, someone made a really interesting comparison to me about Jake Browning. This person said that his favorite college QB ever is a lot like Jake Browning: Kellen Moore. Moore was a great, unique college QB who could really sling it. He was kind of a fan favorite going into that draft. For whatever reason he didn’t make in the NFL. I’m not saying Browning is going to be Kellen Moore in the NFL. But I think he’s smiliar in that he’s a good college QB that is unique in a way that may not fit the NFL.
I’m very curious to see how Browning looks this year without a blazing, wide-open John Ross to catch his severely under-thrown balls
McClatcher and Pounds can fly. IMO
His size and arm strength are real issues. He also didn’t show up in the big games (USC, Alabama). Mr. Offseason I think is right on, he may not fit the NFL.
I agree, to Browning is too small, and throws weren’t accurate in last half of season. I think he had shoulder issues? I am hoping U of W has some real competition at the QB spot this year. Because I think last years team could have won a national title if they had a decent QB. They were right in the game until he threw a pick right before half time.
Yep, he had a bum shoulder. But that is the price of his small stature. He’s going to be dinged up a lot more.
Browning will be throwing to bigger receiver’s this year. He is going to need to get his arm strength up though. they are working on that. He just started throwing here recently.
Florida St. S Derwin James. Good lord! He’s got top 5 pick written all over him.
Was James injured last season? I don’t remember him from the handful of FSU games I watched last season.
He was.
2 other names I really like are Ole Miss EDGE Marquis Haynes and ‘Bama CB Tony Brown. Brown is long, full of swag, and a beast on ST’s.
What do you guys think about maybe signing Revis? He may play well in our scheme with Earl Thomas as his safety. He could be too old, his play dropped off in New York last year, I just think he might work out in our system for one year while we groom Griffin/Thorpe/Desir.
I wouldn’t count out Mike Tyson. For me he’s this years version of Byron Maxwell when he was selected.
The thing I like about Tyson is that he was a LB in college. Very physical and aggressive. So he’s got a leg up in that department.
Tyson is an interesting prospect but I wonder how soon he will be ready to contribute on defense. I feel like he’ll be mainly a special teamer year one. I think he’d need to be a pretty special player to actually start at corner this year. Even Maxwell needed like 2 years (?) to develop.
Yeah, I agree. That’s what I was saying. He’ll be groomed.
+1 for Tyson. I was checking out some of his tape today, and honestly, I like it better than Shaq Griffin’s. Just sayin… Though he will, of course, have to transition to CB.
Shaq is longer and faster than Sherm. A total freak athlete. Elite athleticism. Will win with his length. Willing to stick his nose in there against the run. Does need some work, but his ceiling is insanely high and as a 3rd rounder you can’t ask for much more out of a prospect.
Honestly, watching Shaq’s tape predraft i thought he might be a better safety prospect than at corner, i get the feeling his defensive scheme held him back more than anything.
Let it be said again: they seem soooo high on Odhiambo. I’ll be pretty shocked if he doesn’t start at LG this year next to Joeckel at LT.
2017: Joeckel, Odhiambo, Britt, Aboushi/Pocic, Ifedi
2018: Fant, Odhiambo, Britt, Pocic, Ifedi
As for Britt, really hope they re-sign him. Should be possible if they don’t retain Joeckel (we’ll see how he holds up this season). Pocic is certainly a good hedge, but we already saw what happened the last time we decided our Pro-Bowl Center was expendable. (though, of course, the injuries played a huge factor there)
Rob,
I would really like it if you compiled your write ups, generate new ones for those you haven’t covered, how they fit into what was the perceived requirements/preferences were, and how this affects/changes those perceived requirements/preferences going forward. This draft was such a huge shocker at many levels.
Keep up the awesome work. I don’t give any credibility to other sources of analysis on the Seahawks personnel.
Haven’t been able to catch up on all the comments on the blog, but the same thing happened this year as every year prior…I end up excited about the draft class!
For some reason, I’m really digging Carson. I’ve seen Davis Hsu (who’s opinion I greatly respect) describe his style as “leggy” and say he’s not much of a fan. Maybe I’m way off, but first thing I thought of when I saw Carson running was a discount Eddie George. He was another long RB who just smashed guys. Carson didn’t do much of that in 2015, but sure did in 2016. He needs to lay off of the hurdling though.
How about Tyrell Crosby, Oregon tackle.
Another guy to highlight is Bama rb Bo Scarbough. He’s a total freak.
Needs to be more consistent though.
Going into his junior season so it will be fun to see if he takes on more of the load.