Notes on three players Seahawks fans should be monitoring…
— Michael Penix Jr had a typically eventful game against Utah. Once again he delivered some outstanding throws that only he is currently capable of in college football. Brock Huard mentioned on the broadcast he has 11-inch hands, which is incredible (and probably makes it difficult to find a pair of winter gloves).
He was also erratic at times, missing on a number of throws and again appearing to throw to areas rather than deliver passes with anticipation and precision.
I had a look at the stats today and this is interesting:
Games 1-5 — 33 pressures, 74.9% completions
Games 6-10 — 61 pressures, 62.2% completions
I think it shows how pressure is impacting him. This is my concern. A lot of his snaps are in the gun, playing pitch-and-catch to top-end receivers behind a good O-line. Washington only give up 0.7 sacks a game, now the third best record in college.
In the NFL he isn’t going to have this environment. He’s going to be pressured a lot more, he’s going to have a lot less time and he’s not going to be able to throw to areas. He’s going to need to make quick, precise reads then deliver layered throws with timing and anticipation.
Penix’s arm is intriguing. It’s impossible not to be impressed by it. Yet a vital part of projection is to determine how a player translates to the next level. C.J. Stroud had similar benefits to Penix at Ohio State but showed against Georgia in the playoffs that it didn’t matter. He could play a pro-game under duress and still look incredible. What we saw from Stroud against Georgia, we’re seeing in the NFL now. It feels like Penix needs that type of performance if he’s going to go as high as some think.
— Reports are emerging that Quinn Ewers will return to Texas next year. In terms of his personal development, I think it’s the best decision. As a Seahawks fan, I’ll be disappointed if this is true.
I’ve really gone back and forth on Ewers. Some of his erraticism is tough to take. He has improved this season but the occasional glaring error still pops up on tape. Yet the more you watch and the closer you study him — you start to really see the natural talent he has. Ewers has such easy arm strength. He generates velocity with almost no effort. Penix has to put a lot of his body into throws, even with those 11-inch hands. With Ewers, a flick of the wrist gets the ball high and downfield. It’s highly impressive and speaks to the unbelievable level of potential he possesses.
A few weeks ago I started to think he just needed time and games. He’s clearly progressed from 2022 to 2023. Another year starting for Texas could put him in contention to be the #1 pick in 18 months. The only concern would be injuries (he’s missed time in the last two years). Plus, it’s unclear how Texas will view things given Arch Manning is waiting in the wings.
I think he’d be a really good option for Seattle. His stock wouldn’t be as high in 2024 as it might be in 2025, putting him in range. You might need to live through some early growing pains but when things clicked for Ewers and the pro-game slows down, you could be left with an amazing talent. He’s also the type of player and person I think John Schneider will really rate.
Losing him as an option next April would be a big blow. There are other quarterbacks the Seahawks could consider but increasingly I’ve thought Ewers would be a likely key target. Nothing has been confirmed yet and if the Longhorns make a National Championship run in the coming weeks, things can change. Only a few weeks ago there was a report suggesting JJ McCarthy would return to Michigan and now the latest is he’s likely to turn pro. Things can change.
Staying at Texas might be best for Ewers. Selfishly, I want what might be best for the Seahawks instead.
— Without a shadow of a doubt, Jayden Daniels should be in the Heisman mix. What he’s doing week-to-week is incredible. The production, the combination of running and throwing. It’s highly impressive. Plus, he has been consistent throughout the season after struggling in the opener against Florida State.
It’s started to put him more on the draft radar for fans and media. I studied some of his tape on Monday and wanted to offer a few thoughts.
There’s certainly physical talent on display. He has a good arm and can throw the ball downfield for big, explosive plays. Per PFF, he has 27 ‘big time throws’ this season. Only Drake Maye (30) has more. His ‘big time throw percentage’ (the number of times a throw results in a big play) ranks first in the NCAA (9.4%).
As a runner, he’s quite unique. He snakes in-and-out of tacklers like a player in Madden. He can shift his body with suddenness then change direction with ease. He dodges tackles about as well as anyone. Then, he has the acceleration to turn a good play into a great play.
For this reason there has to be a degree of intrigue. The raw tools are there to work with. Plus, not every player needs to be a classic prototype to succeed in the NFL. Some journeys are a little bit different. Take Russell Wilson, who’s height was a big talking point and he was essentially shuffled out at NC State so they could start Mike Glennon. Jalen Hurts was benched by Alabama, transferred, never really looked like an obvious pro-prospect until the Senior Bowl and combine and now he’s months removed from a Super Bowl appearance and he leads one of the most potent offense’s in the NFL.
When I was watching the tape though, it simply validated the opinion I already had on Daniels. Whether it’s the system or the player — everything is one-read-and-run. There are plenty of designed QB draws. There’s very little evidence of progressing through targets and staying patient in the pocket. Either by design or instinct, he’s setting off and running if the initial target isn’t open. It works for LSU — but you can’t do this in the NFL.
It means you’re left to try and project. Teams will need to determine whether he can become a player who can operate in a pro-system with running ability as a fantastic bonus — rather than relying on it when the first read isn’t there. That isn’t easy to do.
I can’t imagine I’ll change my view until the all-star games. Daniels is going to be a really tricky projection. If a team took him on day two, I’d be intrigued to see how he gets on and wouldn’t criticise the pick. Could he end up being another Hurts? Maybe. Equally, I can totally understand why he might last beyond day two and wouldn’t criticise the NFL collective for passing in that range.
I noticed Brock Huard made a passing reference to Lamar Jackson on 710 Seattle Sports recently. I understand that comparison given the running production/ability. I’d also say, though, that Jackson was evidently special in college. It was a few years ago now but Jackson was an old-time blog favourite. The way he played for Louisville was legitimately special. He did things other players cannot — as a passer, not just as a runner. I can still remember banging on about one play action throw he did on the half-way line, a slight flick of the wrist and bang — a 50-odd yard touchdown into the tightest window downfield. Making it look easy. Then there was the legit 4.3 speed.
Daniels is a great runner and he has a good arm. Jackson was other-wordly though. He lasted as long as he did in the draft mostly thanks to a chaotic draft process. He wouldn’t run for teams, it was difficult to arrange meetings with him as he insisted on using his mother as an agent. He could’ve easily been a top-10 pick and basically did everything he could to put teams off. The talent, however, was obvious. We’ve seen that in the NFL and nothing about his career is a surprise.
Daniels isn’t a phenomena like Lamar Jackson. He is extremely athletic though, with an arm, and I wouldn’t rule out him succeeding with the right team at the next level.
I think the same about Jordan Travis. He hasn’t got a great downfield arm but is it beyond the realms of possibility he has a great draft process like Hurts and then joins a team where he can be a point-guard plus? He is, after all, making Florida State relevant again with a surprising unbeaten season.
Personally I think there’s a fairly significant separation between Spencer Rattler and these two players — but if we’re trying to identify depth at the position and options, there’s every reason to monitor their progress.
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