Jihad Ward is 6-5, 295lbs and would add some competition inside
I used Tony Pauline’s rankings to try and piece together a range for each prospect. The idea was to try to enhance the pass rush, the physical toughness/size in the trenches and deliver an edge.
This projection follows a free agency period where the Seahawks let Russell Okung and Bruce Irvin walk. I’ll leave it open for you to decide what happens with the rest. I want to focus on the prospects not necessarily the fate of the free agents in this discussion.
Round 1 — Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
He’d bring an instant edge to the O-line that has been missing since Breno Giacomini left for New York. He punishes linebackers at the second level and he’s chippy. He’ll have a word in your ear after driving you downfield six yards. There are so many passive college offensive linemen — not Coleman. He has the attitude the Seahawks are looking to re-establish in 2016. They could open up a competition to see who starts at left tackle between Garry Gilliam and Coleman. He has the length and size they like and they haven’t been put off by age in the past (he’s 24, the same age as Bruce Irvin when Seattle took him with the #15 pick).
Pauline has given Coleman a round two grade, meaning he was available to pair with the #26 pick here.
Round 2 — Noah Spence (DE, Eastern Kentucky)
If the Seahawks want to upgrade their pass rush, this could be an option. They generally haven’t drafted bigger, power ends early in the draft. It’s hard to imagine them going after a Shaq Lawson type to play the edge. It’d be equally surprising to see them draft a defensive tackle who doesn’t have unique physical or athletic traits. They have placed a premium on speed and athleticism in their front seven early. Frank Clark was a monster athlete. Spence wouldn’t replace Bruce Irvin at the SAM — but he would replace his role as the extra pass rusher on key downs. He could also be trained to be a long term successor to Cliff Avril, who turns 30 in April.
Pauline has given Spence a third round grade, meaning he was available for the Seahawks at the end of round two.
R3 — Graham Glasgow (C, Michigan)
I’m not totally convinced the Seahawks will look to draft a center early. The red shirting of Kristjan Sokoli suggests they are willing to give that project time. Their decision to start Drew Nowak also indicates they’re keen to have a truly athletic center at the heart of the O-line. They could add a veteran ‘place holder’ for 2-3 years to solidify this position. Glasgow could be moved to left guard. He plays with a real determination and edge. He isn’t going to back down at the next level. He stands his ground, plants his feet and stones interior rushers. He’s capable of driving people off the line and put on a clinic at the Shrine game practises. If the Seahawks want to add tough guys to their O-line, Graham is a good candidate. He could add 10lbs and be close to the ideal size for their left guard preference (they seem to like ‘huge’ at LG). Adding Coleman and Glasgow to the O-line, with a veteran too preferably, would instantly upgrade the toughness of that unit.
Pauline has given Graham a fifth round grade but admitted he improved his stock (possibly by two rounds) at the Shrine game. We’ll say he’s available for Seattle’s first pick in round three.
Round 3 — William Jackson (CB, Houston)
The Seahawks haven’t taken a cornerback prospect this early. Walter Thurmond is their highest corner pick in round four. That said, it might time to replenish the depth of this group and make an investment of sorts. If Jeremy Lane departs it’ll increase the pressure on Seattle to find another gem in this draft. Jackson, who pulled out of the Senior Bowl at the last minute, is 6-1 and 197lbs with long arms. He had five picks in 2015 (two returned for touchdowns). He’s not a speed demon but he’s a fluid mover — Seattle seems to be comfortable with their CB’s running in the 4.5’s. With a nice batch of corners available earlier, it might be possible for Jackson to slip into range for Seattle’s comp pick here.
Pauline has given Jackson a fourth round grade, meaning he was available for this mock.
ALTERNATIVE ROUND 3 PICK — Paul Perkins (RB, UCLA)
If the Seahawks decide to do what it takes to keep Jeremy Lane — they might be satisfied with their depth at corner with DeShawn Shead and Tharold Simon returning along with a crop of young players. In that case, this could be a sweet spot at running back. For me the Seahawks need a third down back to compliment Thomas Rawls and compete for #2 snaps with Christine Michael. Perkins has the pass-catching talent to be a dynamic receiver out of the backfield. His blocking needs work but that’s the same for most college RB’s. He also has a fantastic cut-and-run ability with superb balance. He doesn’t go down on first contact either despite a lack of great size. Perkins is also a well-spoken student of the game. He’d look great in Seattle.
Pauline has given Perkins a third round grade
Round 4 — Rashard Higgins (WR, Colorado State)
If Jermaine Kearse joins a new team in free agency, the chances are the Seahawks will draft a receiver at some point. They’ve drafted three receivers in the fourth round since 2010 — Kris Durham, Chris Harper and Kevin Norwood. Although none of those three picks worked out, it’s unlikely to dissuade them going WR in this round again. Higgins has nice college production (something they value) and has shown the ability to separate and play with suddenness (another thing they like). He might not last until the late fourth but there will be plenty of other options.
Pauline has given Higgins a fifth round grade, making him available for this pick.
R5 — Jihad Ward (DT, Illinois)
In this little scenario we’re playing here, the Seahawks maybe lost Okung, Irvin, Kearse and Lane. Which would make some free cash available to make some choice additions in the free agent market. That doesn’t mean a splurge. More likely some savvy veteran experience to bolster the trenches, be it at center, left guard or the defensive line. They’ve consistently found pieces on the interior D-line to their credit — whether it’s Clinton McDonald, Athyba Rubin, Kevin Williams, Tony McDaniel and others. They know what to look for and should be able to enhance their rotation without breaking the bank. This pick might just add to the competition even if the player doesn’t make the team in year one. Ward is 6-5 and 295lbs and built to add some presence. He had 11 tackles (9 solo) against Rose Bowl finalist Iowa. He isn’t McDaniel in terms of persona but he’s similar in size and could turn into a comparable piece of the rotation. The oldest child in a single-parent household, Ward became a father figure for his siblings.
Pauline has graded Ward in the fifth or sixth round.
R6 — Fahn Cooper (T, Ole Miss)
There were two options here. Cooper — who I like a lot and don’t think will be available in round six — and Le’Raven Clark of Texas Tech — who might be one of the more overrated players in the draft. Pauline grades him as a seventh rounder and while that might be extreme — I’d certainly lean more towards that than the current first round projection (to the Seahawks no less) by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Clark’s tape against LSU was frankly embarrassing and showed a player with almost no future at left tackle in the NFL. He has the footwork, length and agility but almost no punch or counter, his set is inconsistent and he looks like a major project. Cooper is much more polished and accomplished. He held the fort at left tackle for Ole Miss during Laremy Tunsil’s suspension. He’s a born leader who speaks like a pro. I’d want him on my team and if I can get him this late in the draft — even better.
I suspect he will end up going in the middle rounds — yet for now Pauline has him graded in round six so I took him.
R7 — Travis Feeney (LB, Washington)
This follows on from the thought yesterday that the Seahawks might not prioritise filling the SAM spot in the draft if Bruce Irvin departs. Opening up a competition involving a draft pick, maybe an UDFA and the likes of Eric Pinkins, Kevin Pierre-Louis and Mike Morgan might be the way to go. It allows them to focus on upgrading the trenches and other areas. Feeney has had multiple shoulder surgeries and that could be enough to put him into the UDFA pool. That might be the preferred route for the Seahawks and they’ve successfully recruited former Huskies in free agency in the past. It’s unlikely he’d start in 2016 at the WILL but he could see some playing time while contributing on special teams.
Pauline is currently projecting Feeney as a sixth or seventh round pick.
R7 — Ronald Blair III (DE, Appalachian State)
I want to see what this guy can do at the combine. I’m trying to work out how and why he ended up at Appalachian State having seemingly drawn a fair amount of interest from the SEC at High School. He’s a really disruptive pass rusher who can work inside or out. For me his best role might be to gain another 10lbs and act as an orthodox three-technique (not the Athyba Rubin type). His performance against Clemson in 2015 showed he can do it against the best in college football. If you’re looking for a sleeper pick who can maybe act as an interior disruptor — Blair III could be your guy.
Pauline is projecting he will go undrafted.
Senior Bowl weigh in notes
— Vernon Butler (DT, Louisiana Tech) and Adolphus Washington (DT, Ohio State) both have really nice length. Both players are pushing 6-4 in height with 34 inch arms. Butler is 325lbs (!!!) and Washington 295lbs. It’s a bit surprising to see Butler is carrying that much weight.
— At 6-4, 299lbs and sub 33-inch arms, Joe Dahl (T, Washington State) is definitely moving inside to guard or center.
— I’ve never been a fan of Sheldon Day (DT, Notre Dame) but he measured in at 6-0 and 286lbs which is incredibly small and light.
— Le’Raven Clark (T, Texas Tech) has 36 and 1/4 inch arms at nearly 6-6 and 312lbs. He has a fantastic tackle body. It’s just a shame his tape is so disappointing (see notes above)
— Cody Whitehair (T, Kansas State) is best suited to center. That was confirmed today when he measured only 31 and 3/8 inch arms. He’s a T-Rex. He took some snaps in practise today at center.
— According to Tony Pauline, some teams are put off by Graham Glasgow’s height. He’s 6-6 and 306lbs with 33 and 1/8 inch arms. The Seahawks aren’t concerned by height at center. Max Unger is 6-5, Drew Nowak 6-3 and Kristjan Sokoli 6-5. Glasgow could play guard for Seattle too (see above).
— Noah Spence (DE, Eastern Kentucky) has to look electric and fast because he isn’t long. He’s under 6-3 and 254lbs with only 31 inch arms.
— Charles Tapper (DE, Oklahoma) is a shade under 6-3, 276lbs and has +34 inch arms. There’s a lot to like about his ability to rush inside and out.
— Deiondre Hall (CB, Northern Iowa) has nearly 35 inch arms (!!!) at a shade under 6-2 and 192lbs. Intriguing.
When I read Deiondre Hall’s measurements earlier today, I immediately thought that he would be your 5th-round pick.
Spence’s arm length is concerning, especially combined with the character questions.
What round do you see Fackrell going in this mock?
Top-25 for Fackrell.
I’ve not seen any tape on Deiondre Hall and don’t want to add him to any of the projections until I have.
Not sold on CB Diondre Hall. He’s an athlete, not a football player with tremendous athletic ability.
Hmm… A tremendous athlete who needs some excellent coaching from a defensive backs genius and maybe a mentor from someone who has mastered the techniques of the position. If only there were an NFL team that could help him out.
I would think at the very least you could count on him to be a decent tackler, since he played linebacker as well as CB in 2013. Haven’t watched any tape on him though, so perhaps not.
“Hall projects best as a press-man defender in the NFL, and his experience on special-teams-coverage units and as a kick returner will also benefit his draft status,” NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter wrote in August. That sounds good.
FCS All-American with 6 picks in 10 games. I haven’t seen his tape (how much is there?) and your judgment is good so I am not challenging you, just asking what makes you think he is just an athlete.
I’ve watched a tape of his, and 2 games.
He plays timid. Almost scared. He doesn’t pursue the ball, can’t tackle, and his technique is sloppy. Opens his hips up too much. Doesn’t seem to be able to break/diagnose things quick enough.
That length is intriguing, no doubt. I just think he’s 2-3 years away from contributing.
Was not wowed by his tape vs NDST either.
BMax was a project too. Took a couple years to develop.
Hall is a development guy. Great physical tools. But plays very tentatively. Not a natural tackler. Not aggressive on the ball. Maybe a confidence thing?
Moves like a predator. But at the moment of truth he lays up. Intriguing development guy.
I’ve watched every clip I’ve been able to find on Hall, and while he does need a lot more coaching and refinement, the ability is there. He seems like a classic high-upside 5th round pick for the Seahawks, though he might be taken a bit earlier than that–some are projecting Hall as a 3rd-4th rounder, but my guess is more like 4th-5th.
Another later-round CB/DB that checks all the boxes is James Bradberry from Samford–he’s a big, strong CB (6’1″, 213) with 33″+ arms. He had a consistent career and finished strong as a senior, racking up 29 solo tackles, 11 pass breakups, and 2 INTs. Bradberry looks like he could play either CB or S.
Well it turns out that Pauline has him listed as a 4th-rounder anyway so you couldn’t have taken him in the 5th. My bad 🙂
Intriguing is a good word. But, if he goes in the 4th, I don’t think it will be to Seattle. With Shead and Simon and Burley and all those prospects already in the pipeline, I don’t think Seattle goes for a CB before round 5 even if Lane leaves.
Pete has to be drooling at the length of Deiondre Hall.
lol.
So many ways it could go! 🙂
Wow, if this was our real draft Rob i’d be crying happy tears for a week. This addresses really every need I see us having and does so in a really great way (which is why it probably won’t happen lol). I like that you assume Okung, Kearse and Irvin will be gone, maybe even JLane. I’d add that I’d like to see Sweezy gone to unless we can keep him for dirt cheap. I’d rather have all that cap space to get Alex Boone for LG and maybe a veteran DT.
R1: I love the idea of drafting a OT in the 1st round and him going straight into a competition with Gilliam for LT, the loser getting RT I presume? Would be fantastic to replace Okung with Gilliam (who I thought played solid) and have a solid RT who has upside and potential to become really good.
R2: I don’t know the player but I love the position. We absolutely need to grab a pass rushing DT, we need to get more pressure up the middle and we need more bodies to rotate in pass rushing situations. If this guy is good then imaging him, Clark, Bennett, and Avril out at the same time is awesome. Rotate Marsh and Hill in there to to keep our guys fresh, I dig it.
R3A: I really really like this pick. I think Patrick Lewis is solid, and I am excited about Sokoli but grabbing a Center is just smart, especially considering he can move to LG when need be. That means in 2016 our starting O-line can be: LT: Gary Gilliam, LG: Alex Boone, C: Graham Glasgow, RG: Mark Glowinski, RT Shon Coleman…and in 2017 if Sokoli is ready he can compete for Center, and if he wins Glasgow can move to LG and we can cut Alex Boone (assuming it saves us cap space). Or we can just keep things the same and give Sokoli another year to develop. Love that idea.
R3B: Love grabbing a RB here. I really like Dixon but i’ll trust you on Perkins. I love the qualities you detail about him so I am pumped. He is exactly what we need, a 3rd down back. Do you think he has RB1 potential or does he look like someone who most likely won’t ever be a RB1 in the NFL?
R4: I don’t know the WR, and drafting a WR in the 4th round does give Hawk fans panic attacks, but it would really be nice to get a good WR in the 4th round, allowing us to do everything you detailed in rounds 1-3. I am hoping we let Kearse walk (instead of paying him 3+ mil a year) and that Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams are legit, and to add to that depth with a WR pick would be great.
R5: Grabbing another DT in this DT heavy draft class is smart.
R6: Doesn’t hurt to grab more O-line, would be great to get talent there that can develop and be something, even if just our future solid backup.
R7: Grabbing LB is definitely smart. Another guy to add to the competition of replacing Irvin.
R7: Pass rushing interior disrupter sleeper pick? Umm yup, I’ll take one of those to go please.
Got the 3rd round pick stuff wrong.
CB vs RB in the 3rd round (Comp pick)…to me it depends on a LOT of things. How do the RB’s look in 2017? How do the CB’s look in 2017? How is our CB depth? Are there any UDFA RB’s that look promising for a 3rd down back type of role? Can we re-sign Fred Jackson for league minimum to play the 3rd down role again?
To me I’d rather us go with CB if we can get a 3rd down back on the team some other way (UDFA or sign a vet like Fred). Getting a 3rd round pick CB who has potential to become a starter at some point is more impactful to our team than getting a 3rd down RB in my opinion.
However I guess if the FO feels really confident in Tharold Simon, if we re-sign JLane and/or Shead, if Tye Smith is ready to play, if at least one IR/PSquad CB is ready to play (Seisay, SJB, Farmer) then we should grab a RB. If we are good at CB and grab a RB and something happens (god forbid) to Rawls week 5, we don’t want to be left with just CMike and a decent/old 3rd down back for the next 11 games and playoffs. If a guy like Perkins is legit and has real talent and can step up and carry the rock like a RB1 then that would be huge.
Agree with your last paragraph, that a lot depends on how they feel about our DB situation, but I think I agree with Rob that 3rd would be a good place to go get a guy like Perkins, a guy who can be a 3rd down back and can push CMike for RB2. I’d never actually seen him play and was just going along taking Rob’s word for it. Then I watched some tape on draftbreakdown and am sold on him.
He doesn’t seem real sudden, but he looks like a guy who could be an average RB1 somewhere in the league and it wouldn’t surprise you.
If we are swapping out guys in R3 in Rob’s mock, I would be fine with RB and CB, rather than OG and CB. I think Glow can be ready by next year at one guard spot, so I don’t think we necessarily need a great OG or C, just a guy that can push Lewis/Britt along with Sokoli, Nowak, etc. Who has a chance to start.
I’ve seen a lot of Perkins, and though he’s not a speedster, he is very sudden in his change of direction. His lateral balance/agility jumps out at you.
Yup, all depends on a bunch of factors at RB and at CB (though that is to be expected with a draft). I would be happy with either Perkins (like you; trusting Rob’s opinion) or Kenneth Dixon.
I personally think you are putting too much stock in Sokoli and Nowak this year. Obviously we haven’t seen Sokoli yet but he is a DT convert, we saw Nowak and it wasn’t very impressive. I also don’t think Britt belongs on the O-line as a starter unless Tom Cable thinks (in a big way) that he can develop and be better than we saw him last year.
Drafting a G who can play C like Glasgow seems like a smart play to me. If we do what you said and not get a O-linemen after we get one in the 1st round…that is a light O-line draft, especially if we haven’t retained Okung and Sweezy. We need to add talent at the position.
I like this O-line for 2016:
LT: Gilliam or Coleman
LG: Alex Boone
C: Graham Glasgow or Patrick Lewis
RG: Mark Glowinski
RT: Gilliam or Coleman.
Then in 2017 we can decide if Sokoli is ready to start at Center and win that job, if he does then we can move Glasgow to LG and cut Boone (assuming we structured his contract in a way that saves us millions if he is cut).
I’d be very happy with that Oline Nathan. Sign me up right now.
Love the mock, but would love it if we could grab Braxton Miller in the 3rd or 4th (don’t we have an extra 3rd comp pick?) to replace Kearse on the outside. He’s got the altheticism and big play potential though may not be polished but don’t think we necessarily need that as we already got Lockett last year.
The consensus is Dahl will have to move inside, but I read at least one scout believes he is better suited at tackle. His unique strength is containing the speed rush, and his area of needed improvement is strength and run blocking. Moving him inside would mitigate his strength and exacerbate his weakness.
He’ll struggle to play outside with that lack of length.
Could be, just thought it was interesting to hear a scout go against the grain
Love this. Some alternate suggestions just to spice up the conversation:
R2 – Charles Tapper, Kamalei Correa or Kyler Fackrell
R3 – Joe Haeg
R3 alt -CJ Prosise (you knew I’d say that)
R4 – Sheldon Rankins, Sheldon Day or Adam Gotsis
R5 – Jordan Payton
I think DT Luther Maddy is better than Sheldon Day.
Pauline rates Maddy as a R6 prospect. He also rates Haeg as R4. Take Haeg in R4 instead of Jihad Ward, and Maddy in R6 instead of Cooper. Still have DT and OL covered.
For sure.
There’s a lot to like about DT Jihad Ward though. His backstory is incredible.
Illinois was one of the 1st schools Seahawk scouts visited during TC and V-tech was a school they scouted all throughout the year.
For sure. I like Ward. He measured well too.
I’m sure they looked at Ferguson as well.
Ferguson’s speed, explosion, COD, and receiving skills are amazing.
I like the way he moves. Reminds me of Darren Sproles. Very quick COD and acceleration. Kind of squat and upright. Ridiculous hands. Could be a late 4th round option for the 3rd down back if we don’t go Procise/Dixon/Perkins in R3.
I think Dadi Nichols might have been why they were watching V-tech.
I’m sure they watched Maddy too
Could be both. They’re best friends, both of them are from Haiti, Seattle has 4-5 guys on the roster from Haiti.
From the Shrine game, draft breakdown’s Jeff Risdon said Seattle scouts converged on the West team’s DTs, and Luther Maddy was part of that group.
So was Poop Johnson and Onyemata.
Yup- I was just respinding to Trev saying it was Dadi Nicolas. I don’t think it was coincidental thst they scouted V-tech games, attended multiple practices of theirs, and then the DT group they talk to has a member from V-tech, ya know what I mean?
Totally. And there’s that Haitian connection. But there were several intriguing DL prospects on the West roster.
Gotta think it’s Onyemata. Couldn’t help but just be naturally drawn to him. His size and length really stood out.
The kind of project that I could see us really coveting.
I bet Rankins is gone before the mid point of the 2nd round…….
Just going by Pauline’s rankings.
Yup – not criticizing by any means
I would concur. I think Butler/Rankins both get snatched up between 25 and 45 overall.
I like tapper over spence – spence’s measurements seem short….reminds me of when we took Irvin and Melvin Ingram was on the board – I thought Ingram was going to be the pick and fell off my bar stool when B.I. Got picked. The one knock on Ingram was a lack of length; so I say Tapper
Rob have you given any looks to DT Destiny Vaeao, possibly in that same 5th/6th range? 6’4″ , 295, 12 TFLs, 4.5 sacks this year. Frequently double-teamed but really came on strong late.
Reported he was the standout lineman at the Collegiate bowl, even tho he was often doubled. Sorry for asking again, just curious if there is anything there you like. Felt like he had a more disruptive year than Xavier Cooper who went early to the Browns last year
Forced two fumbles on Travis WIlson in the Collegiate Bowl.
Yeah he’s got some power and quickness. Never took a red shirt year either; think he’s just starting to tap his potential
I remember the announcers couldn’t stop talking about him during the WSU bowl game against Miami. He had some very nice splash plays that day.
Love the mock Rob!
It’d be a homerun rounds 1-7.
As much as I like Noah Spence, cross him off the list. 31″ inch arms ain’t going to cut it for a DE in Seattle’s scheme.
I thought of Spence more of as an Irvin replacement but admit the 31 inch arms are a bit of a concern with regards to the Hawks being interested in him. Still think he is going to be a beast this week.
31 is very disappointing . we need to stretch him a little. 31 is part T rex
Replace Noah Spence with Shawn Oakman.
No, I want real football players not just a crazy specimen….
Agreed. And in particular there are other very good developmental ends that will tick more of the mandatories for the Seahawks.
There’s something about Ohio St DT Adolphus Washington that says ‘Seahawk’ to me.
Not me. He has the tools and flashes the brilliance but I don’t see anything Seahawky about his attitude.
Think we’ve said it for weeks, Washington is the one pass rusher who is predominantly interior I can hold interest in. Not sure he’s as relentless as they like.
That’s the confliction for me.
Size, skill set, interior pass rusher, but he can be streaky and that motor of his isn’t always revving high.
Maybe if he’s playing for that 1st free agent contract he’ll play hard – just don’t want to be the team to GIVE that big contract
At #26 overall I think at best we’re going to get a guy that flashes talent mixed with inconsistency. There’s going to be something we don’t like with just about any DT prospect in this range. If there wasn’t, we’d have to be picking in the top 15.
They will take a player with unique traits they can coach up. But I’ll be stunned if it’s any of these DT’s. Vernon Butler the only one I’d even mildly consider at #26.
Would love to see this happen, but I imagine – even with the red flags – that Spence may well be gone before Seattle picks at #26.
I’d be ok with them looking at Spence or Bullard in the first round. Tough to pass on a top OL but guys like that are rare to find.
Also surprised that Pauline has Jackson as a 4th rounder – I wouldn’t imagine he’d even last untll Seattle’s second pick.
This is really cool Rob – gets you thinking about who will go where and in what round. Would rather be thinking about the SB, but this is ok too! Thanks
For everyone on here that thinls TE is a need, check out S.Carolina’s Jerell Adams. Dominating run blocker.
Maryland DT Quinton Jefferson is having himself a nice practice.
I wouldn’t hate to see them take a blocking TE and try to play Graham out wide more.
Another guy that had good catching numbers and solid blocking is Morgan III who played in the Shrine Game I believe
I don’t think David Morgan is a good enough athlete for Seattle. Looks like he runs in sand. He is a great blocker though.
Florida TE Jake McGee is interesting.
I suspect Seattle will be attending his pro day. His testing numbers will determine if we’re interested.
There are a handful of decent blocking TEs in this class. I would tend to think that we target one in late R6/R7 if we have to. Probably UDFA route though.
Absolutely love the Mock Rob! If we came away with that group of players I would be very excited. Wish we could figure out a way to get Striker on the list.
If we could get those first three guys, I’d be so jacked. Nothing against any of the other picks, but I’d love nothing more than to get two stud OL and a stud pass rusher with our first three picks. Wow. I’m almost drooling (Coleman, Spence, Glasgow). Wait, I am. lol
Rob what are your thoughts on Dadi Nicolas DE Virginia Tech 6-3 235lbs 10 1/2 hands 35 1/4 arms 81 3/8 wingspan.
I thought V-Tech played a bad scheme for him this year so it is hard to get a read on him but he pops athletically and was productive as a Jr w. 9 sacks and 18TFL. Plays hard and seems like a guy the Seahawks might like depending on how he runs / jumps.
Not a fan. Never seen him have a great game. Had the thing with the referee this season.
Yeah that is a turn off for sure.
Any thoughts on Tyrone Holmes from Montana? Small school guy, FCS Defensive Player of the Year… 18 sacks, 3 ff, and 21.5 TFLs across 13 games…
I can’t be subjective with Griz players, but seems like a nice 6th rd-udfa option
Haven’t seen him play, but he got rave reviews from the Shrine week of practice.
Penn St’s DL Carl Nassib looks the white version of Shawn Oakman. Impressive physique.
Utah’s DE Jason Fanaika is interesting. 6’2, 275 lbs., 33 7/8″ inch arms.
And Georgia’s OLB/DE Jordan Jenkins. One of the grittiest, intense, relentless edge rushers I’ve watched this year. Didn’t have the kind of year this year as he did last, but he’s very, very similar to O’Brien Schofield. 6’2.5, 257 lbs., 34″ inch arms.
Baylor WR Jay Lee is getting some good reviews so far.
Georgia EDGE Jordan Jenkins has the biggest hands out of the pass rushers and his 82″ inch wingspan is 3rd behind Oakman’s and Nassib’s.
Jenkins is a bad dude.
Like Jenkins a lot. He sets the edge real well and just gets after it. Has the size and length the Hawks target. Impressive wingspan!
He’s built like a LEO. I wonder if he can develop a pass rush. Chris Clemons proved you don’t need to run a blistering 10-yard split or 40 time to be an effective pass rusher. Technique and the ability to convert speed to power count more.
Had 24 QB hurries in 2014.
I agree. Jordan Jenkins looks impressive.
I also like Dadi Nicholas, who might be available in rds 2-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EBIdwQdTBM
‘
I like pass rushers with burst and closing speed, who finish. These guys have that.
And Nassib plays like a white version of Oakman. I’m not impressed with him at all.
Didn,t think there was a DT worth a Rd #1 pick outside of head case Nkemdeche but based on the clips of Louisville DT Rankin. I might have to take another look. He looked incredibly fast for a guy that size and absolutely dominated what I saw.
I’ve watched two Louisville games and IMO he just looked pretty average. Rarely explodes into the backfield with swim/rip. Doesn’t push his guy into the pocket all that often. The edge rusher #91 is better for them.
Two questions, Can the seahawks renegotiate with Jimmy Graham to bring his cap number down? Thoughts on Josh Garnett G out of Stanford for the Hawks in rd 1?
They might try to lower Graham’s cap but I doubt he will respond positively there. I wouldn’t draft Garnett in R1.
Rob, what do you think about W. Michigan’s Willie Beavers as a posdibility at LG? He’s a former LT, and has the size and length for it.
I like Steamboat Wille. But if Joe Haeg were also available at the same time, I like him better as a LT to LG convert. They’re of similar arm length/wingspan and weight.
In fact, between Beavers and Glasgow for LG, I prefer Glasgow even though he’s strictly an interior OLer.
@TonyPauline: Joe Haeg/OT/NDSU looking good. Only blocker that’s been able to stop Jihad Ward.
Yeah- I like Glasgow better too. I saw that Beavers is playing G and weighs 325.
Haeg has been a guy I’ve liked all year. He’s got a ton pf potential. IMO he’ll be a better pro than he is a college player.
Ouch
@TheJoeMarino: Clear-cut worst player on the field today in either practice is Western Michigan OT Willie Beavers. As expected, he doesn’t belong here.
Uhh. Too bad for ‘Steamboat’ Willie.
Not good. Improvement throughout the week is big though. Maybe he can dig himself out of the hole.
@TonyPauline: New England Patriots sent a lot of time with Joe Haeg/OT/NDSU this morning. Haeg was a standout during North practice this afternoon.
Not overly keen. Think seeing him get dumped on his ass against MSU put me off. Looks the part but didn’t appear to be functioning at all, almost like he wasn’t entirely sure what to do on some snaps.
Rob, I would love to get your opinion on why the Panther’s two guards were drafted where they were. Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell look elite and were taken in the 4th round and beyond. Those two look like massive steals.
I was a big time fan of Trai Turner in rounds 2-3 that year. No shock he’s gone on to perform as well as has. Can’t say I had a take on Norwell.
If we pick up Coleman it will be for RT IMO. He has the prototypical size we look for in that position, while Gilliam is a little light.
Agree completely. They would be a couple of really good, cheap young bookend tackles for the next 4 years.
You guys think Gilliam is better than I do. I hope you’re right.
The other option would be to move on from Gilliam and add two tackles in FA or the draft. Its hard enough getting one we may be struck.
From Senior Bowl practice:
@TonyPauline: Offensive linemen having a tough time handling Jihad Ward/DL/Illinois. Lining up at DE primarily.
Sheldon Rankins and Braxton Miller also showing well per Pauline.
Interesting stats regarding the importance of arm length:
@Jmcobern1: In terms of arm length
100% of Multiple All-Pro OTs since 1996 had 32 or higher arm length
100% of All-Pro CBs had 32 or higher AL
Guess there is a reason Hawks don’t take short armed CBs
Awesome stat. Thanks for the info.
Cool stat CHawk!
Over reaction to Shrine and Senior Bowl Mock (Love this time of year) w/ focus on getting tougher.
Rd#1 Shon Coleman – Perfect RT for us future pro bowler. Lets hope he is there. Switch Gilliam to LT and bookends for next 4 years on the cheap.
Rd #2 DT Sheldon Rankins- Penetrating 3 down DT to replace Mebane. Resign Rubin and we are set at DT along with Jordan Hill.
Rd#3 Edge Eric Striker or Victor Ochi- Both undersized speed pass rushers. Love Striker and pray he is there of us. If not Ochi looks like the real deal. Even as a 3rd down pass rush specialist in yr #1 like Bruce.
Rd#3 (Comp) WR Braxton Miller, Pharroh Cooper or Sterling Sheppard – Anyone of these guys would be a great replacement for Kearse.
Rd#4 Joe Haeg (LG)- He was Carson Wentz blind side tackle in college but will be a LG in NFL I think. Good in pass pro with tackle background but also good run blocker and gets to 2nd level. Good athlete with real nasty streak. Adding him and Coleman to OL will certainly bring an edge back to the unit.
Rd#5 Deiodre Hall – Perfect size and length to be our annual mid- round CB target. May well be gone by this range but if not he should be the pick.
Rd#6 DL David Oneyenata – I am Canadian so I would love the Hawks to take this guy. Great frame and skill set. Has only played football for 3 years but would be a great development prospect.
Rd#7 Travis Freeny – Love his game and great special teamer starting day #1. Just pray he can stay healthy.
Rd#7 Ronald Blair- Stealing Robs pick. Interesting prospect.
UDFA Vernon Adams – Might as well keep him in the Pacific NW as Russ’s backup.
This draft would really bolster the lines and definitely improve team toughness.
We need a 3rd down RB to go with Rawls and Michael but would prefer to go the veteran route and wait till next years amazing RB class to take another RB.
If we picked up Alex Mack as a free agent this would give us an OL of
LT Gilliam
LG Haeg
C Mack
RG Glowinski
RT Coleman
This would be a young, cheap, athletic and nasty OL with a veteran Centre to stabilize and call protection etc.
I like the idea of adding Mack, but I think he’ll be too expensive for SEA.
Also, I think Vernon Adams will be drafted, even if it’s late Day 3.
CB Diondre Hall is getting torched.
Are you able to watch the practice live?
No. They were supposed to be on ESPN this year.
I’m following draft breakdown and Jeff Risdon.
Where can you watch practice today live or on tape Vol? I know ESPU is covering tomorrow but I could not find todays just some hi-light clips like the one of Glasgow whiffing on Rankins.
NFL Networks will air daily practice recaps at 8pm ET
We want him to get torched. Hell fall to us later in the draft 🙂
I’ve had one eye on Adams since his Eastern WA days. He has an intriguing dynamism to his game.
I wouldn’t be opposed to selecting him in R7.
Same here. Adams is Wilson lite.
Haeg is a little light for LG in our system. Historically we have gone bigger there.
Left Guard
Has there been or should there be any talk about trying Terry Poole at left guard?
Seems he has the size we are looking for.
I swear I heard John Schneider mention Poole in his interview on KJR.
He may have. But he was also very evasive about naming names.
What I got out of both the KJR and KIRO interviews is that there are depth guys that should figure much more prominently in TC next year. Seems they really like their OL and DB prospects simmering on the bench/PS.
@VeteranScout: Arkansas OG Tretola buried DL Reed today in 1 on 1s & while struggling a bit with using his hands he showed a nasty mentality & finish.
Those Arkansas boys on the left side of their line are mammoth and good. We need one of them. I hope we get Glasgow or one of them to man LG next season (if it’s not Loadholt in FA).
Doesn’t have the length IMO.
From Jon Ledyard at Draftwire.com:
OG Sebastian Tretola cannot be beaten with power. The man’s anchor is absurd, and DL Quinton Jefferson found out the hard way and got buried trying to bull rush the Arkansas guard.
More from Ledyard:
Tretola vs. Reed, two more epic battles. Reed discarded the big guard late both times, but I’d call it a stalemate. Tretola is tough to move, and even when he loses position, he works extremely hard to regain leverage and ride out a defender. Great recoveries from him today.
Couple more from Ledyard:
Tretola buried DT Jarran Reed in a clash of two behemoth power players.
Reed got revenge on Tretola, swimming over the over-extended guard immediately with a brilliant move that brought oohs and ahhs from the crowd of coaches and scouts.
Love Tretola.
Agreed. I want a legit, enormous mauler at LG this time.
Definetly get the feeling that our next/rookie CB isn’t at the Senior Bowl or at the Shrine Game.
Thinking he’s gonna be from the junior class or a Tray Walker type of prospect.
Love Houston CB William Jackson though. 21 PBU and is an ideal cover 3 corner.
Some interesting guys to think about for sure.
Artie Burns, Rashard Robinson, Xavien Gooden
@LedyardNFLDraft: Jihad Ward is really intriguing me. Guy plays so hard.
@NDTScouting: Illinois DL Jihad Ward was the best defensive player on the field today. Only one day; but my goodness was he great.
@TonyPauline: Three in a row for Jason Spriggs/Indiana over Jihad Ward/Illinois. Spriggs could cement himself as a first round pick this week.
Ward is gonna end up being a top 100 pick with his size and athleicism.
Especially if he shows at the combine.
Nice shout for Spriggs too. I hope he goes in R1 as it increases the chances Coleman drops to SEA.
Temple DT Matt Ioannidis?? 6’4″ 303lbs. Okay I’m listening
@LedyardNFLDraft: Ioannidis showing out here. Looks fantastic as pass rusher. Did not see this on tape
@TonyPauline: They’ve reverted to double teaming Matt Ioannidis/Temple in order to slow him down.
@TonyPauline: Matt Ioannidis/DT/Temple just made a handful of tremendous plays. Drawing applause from teammates and coaches.
@AdamHBeasley: MVP of this North practice is Matt Ioannidis from Temple. Absolutely dominating.
@JoelAErickson: Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis has flashed a bunch of times as a penetrator
@ChaseGoodbread: Temple DL Matt Ioannidis ate up some people in pass rush drills. Definitely got noticed. #SeniorBowl
Hmmm. Good size too.
@TonyPauline
Jordan Jenkins/OLB/Georgia has been unstoppable. A man among boys.
32 5/8″ arms and 79 5/8″ wingspan not bad, not great.
Reminds me a bit of Craig Terrill coming out of Purdue. Under 300lbs, but that motor is gonna have him looking good on the practice field.
I mean Terill was sub 300 at the combine, not this kid.
Christian Westerman is kind of under the rader 33+ arm hand 10 7/8. I like his tape gets to second level maybe a C/G type.
Yup- One of LeCharles Bentley’s guys.
Yeah I see him in that R3 pocket of talent at the OG position. Like him, Glasgow, Garnett. All have acceptable measurables for OG and have good tape to back it up.
I love this mock and I would definetly go with William Jackson over Pual Perkins, even if Lane is resigned. Corner could have legendary depth, greater than going into 2013 depth, if we resign Lane and draft a corner early. You’d have obvious ones, Sherman, Shead, Lane and Burley, along with Tharold Simon coming back from injury, Tye Smith coming off a redshirt year, William Jackson, Trovon Reed, Mihammed Seisey coming off an injured reserve season Stanly Jean-Baptist, former second round pick from New Orleans. In that regard Jackson is a luxury pick, and people are worried about running back. Rawls is obviously the starter and I can see Christine Michael being very effective in a third down role. And why not keep Bruce Brown around to be a third option? I just don’t see why running back has to be a huge priority… Especially when Rawls and Michael will get the majority of the carries.
I really like the idea of a like looking like this next season:
Gary Gilliam, Graham Glasgow, Kristjan Sokoli, Mark Glowinski, Shon Coleman
It’s blowing it up and starting all over again to the enth degree… But it could be an elite… Yes I just said elite… Lineup. Why?
Gary Gilliam- A major liability at tackle for most of the season but really turned around his play at the end. His strength is in his agility, and he could be better suited for the left side. If he is able to add strength over the offseason… He could be an improvement from Okung. He’s definetly more durable. Okung can’t play a full season and Gilliam can. This alone is huge.
Graham Glasgow- It’s hard to imagine an NFL guard being worse than Justin Britt… Glasgow is really an instant upgrade.
Kristjan Sokoli. – An athletic freak coming off a redshirt year. Let him compete with Lewis and maybe Nowak. He has the superior strength, size and agility to both Nowak and Lewis… He lacks experience but 2016 could be Sokos time to shine.
Mark Glowinski – He looked great against Arizona. That’s all I can say about him right now but he seems far superior to Sweezy.
Shon Coleman- We’ve talked a lot about this guy. He can dominate at right tackle.
Fans are tired of ‘upside’ lines going through growing pains, but it’s hard to not get excited about this potential line up.
Looking at the rest of the mock… Every player drafted could make the team. Especially if Mebane and Rubin depart.
The defense as a whole with a roster of:
De: Michael Bennet/Cliff Avril/Frank Clark/Noah Spence/Ronald Blair
DT: Ahtyba Rubin/Jihad Ward/Jordan Hill/AJ Francis
Lb: Bobby Wagner/Brock Coyle/KJ Wright/Kevin Pierre Louis/Cassius Marsh/Travis Feeney
CB: Richard Sherman/Tharold Simon/Jeremy Lane/William Jackson/Tye Smith/Marcus Burley
S: Earl Thomas/Kam Chancellor/Kelcie McCray/Desean Shead(Can play corner also)
Would be really intriguing. A lot of young talent and veteran presence blended into a lineup that looks possibly better than last years.
From Dan Kadar – Seahawks spoke to Shawn Oakman, asked him if he can bulk up
… This is a tad disappointing. Shawn Oakman is not going to help us too much.
Why? I love his upside, athleicismand skill.
This is a team led by a HC and GM that want to and probably do the best job of coaching prospects up.
People might again be disappointed in this draft, because they’ll continue to take raw, freak athletes, that are unique and have high ceilngs.
Remember when people questioned Mario Edwards, jr. last year? Said he didn’t play hard enough, where eas his passion and motor? Had a great rookie year.
DT Jaye Howard. That was hos weakness coming into the 2012 draft. He disappeared for stretches during games. Now, we would love to have him back.
Guys that are labeled like this are going to come into the league with a huge chip on their shoulder.
Rob was a fan of Oakman last year. He’s not fulfilled since then. He does seem like the type that the Hawks would target. Highly touted, then out of favor.
I knew they’d like him.
He’s absolutely unique, just like David Erving from last year.
And remember this. That guy from last yeasr is still inside of him. He didn’t go anywhere.
I bet Seattle isn’t the only team that likes this guy though.
Jihad Ward, Bronson Kaufusi, and Carl Nassib all compare quite favorably to him as well.
They’re probably looking for a prospect built like these guys. Not a ton of guys in the NFL that are.
@LedyardNFLDraft: Nassib killed it today. Crazy bend for his height. Took Kyle Murphy to school
Volume,
Could Oakman potentially last to pick 57? I wouldn’t want to spend a first rounder on him. Also, if he adds weight before training camp could he play on the inside?
Depends on what he does at the combine. I’m not convinced about spending a 1st on him either, at least yet, but it would be such a ‘Seahawky’ thing if they did.
I’d trade back into the early 2nd and take him in the range that Mario Edwards, jr. went last year.
Yes, if he adds weight and works on his leverage he could play inside. I imagine that’s why Seattle asked him. IMO they’d like to see him around 278-282 lbs. He might be able to stand up and rush too.
He has the potential to be like Julius Peppers in a sense, and his floor is 2015 VMAC visitor David Erving.
Sorry, really didn’t answer your question.
Yes he could be there. I’m going to guess his range is early round 2-middle of the 3rd?
Ya know what? I take that back. I think his range is gonna be like round 4.
He’s gonna need to go to a team with good coaching and a good locker room.
Let’s see what kind of athlete Penn St’ s Carl Nassib is. BYU’s Bronon Kaufusi too.
DL Jihad Ward might end up being Seattle’s 2nd round pick. I think he’s that good of an athlete. They always take freak athletes with upside in the 2nd round anyways.
Oakman frequently loses the battle of leverage. His height causes problems with pad level and flexibility. And he’s not good at timing the snap.
I liked Erving a lot last year, and he’s a pretty good athletic comp for Oakman. But he didn’t do much in 2015 and the jury’s still out on whether he will in 2016.
If Oakman’s floor is that, you shouldn’t spend an early pick on him. I’m not opposed to him as long as the price reflects the risk.
From Jon Ledyard:
Shawn Oakman push-pulled OT Le’Raven Clark to all fours on an impressive rush for the long sen
Shawn Oakman leveraged the offensive guard (didn’t see who) and filled his gap really well on one play, even pushing his blocker a yard deep on the play. The coaches went wild and gave him some love. Nice moment on a day that wasn’t as terrible as I expected it to be for Oakman. Then again, my expectations are very low.
Field goal block was the first drill of the day for the South, and EDGE Shawn Oakman’s impressive wingspan looked formidable on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately he was consistently the last player off the snap, albeit in a low-intensity drill.
Oakman needs a Justin Smith to tackle a guard so he can run through the gap to the QB.
There is a scenario at linebacker that we should consider. What if Jaylon Smith slips to #26?
Mel Kiper had him going to the jets at #20 in his last mock and Jets followers immediately started questioning, “Don’t we have more immediate needs?” That is a question every team before #26 will be asking too.
The initial thought was that Smith was a top-5 talent and wouldn’t slip too far. Gurley’s draft was mentioned as a precedent. But Gurley was ACL-only and was 6 weeks ahead of schedule in his recovery at the combine. Smith’s injury was ACL/MCL and his recovery timeframe is unclear right now. He is not expected to be ready for OTAs and may need to start the season on PUP (like NaVorro Bowman who had an ACL/MCL) or miss the season entirely. Dominique Easley slipped to the Patriots just a couple years ago and he is noteworthy for another reason; his play for the Patriots has not met expectations and he has been injured again.
The team that picks Smith would have to see themselves in a lengthy window of competitiveness so they could be patient. And they would have to have a need at OLB but not an urgent need. Does that fit any team prior to #26? Maybe a couple. But, I think there is a possibility that Smith slips to #26.
If he does, then I would rank him with Shon Coleman and Will Fuller as a great pick.
How much 4-3 does Seattle play vs. Nickel? I guess my question is, how would you get Jaylon on the field consistently alongside Wagner and KJ. Bruce lined up at DE as well, I don’t think Jaylon can do that. Would he take over for KJ sooner than later?
I think out offensive line could go from a real hindrance to one of our stronger units next year. I loo at how similar 2012 and 2015 were, but in that year our lack of pass rush was really what did us in. The next year after an aggressive, concerted effort to make improvements to it, we had a dominating pass rush. This year I could see the same aggression to improve the O Line and even with 2 rookies, it could become a real force to be reckoned with. Shon Coleman and Graham Glasgow- while not officially Seahawks, but potentially could solidify the line with youth and toughness. Glowinski and Soke were redshirted and, I hope come in to the system much better prepared than an average first year starter. I for one can’t wait to see Sokoli gets some snaps at C. I would love to see the man get some reps and get a grip on making protection calls and being the tip of the spear. I think Carroll loves to take a weakness, and instead of masking it, turns it in to a strength. A veteran presence would be great, but even just rookies and second year players can come in with the right mind set and turn the whole unit around.
I don’t think it’s as simple as making a couple of picks, and all of a sudden, we have a gun O line.
Wouldn’t there be 32 good offensive lines if this were the case?
John Schneider was asked about the O Line and said “there’s 30 sides looking for O line, we go to the senior bowl and we’re all standing at the same area.”
Maurice Jones Drew said the converted D lineman experiment should end, as it’s not just about physical traits, there’s a certain mentality that goes with being an O lineman, and you can’t just teach a guy to think like one.
It stsrts at the HS level.
Today’s game is speed and spreading ya out on defense.
HS coaches aren’t teaching lineman how to sustain/finish blocks or run their fett through ontact because they need to get off the ball quicker and gety into space.
There’s no technique taught.
I am saying that we did the same thing with the pass rush in ’12. Irvin and Wagner helped add depth and we added some key FAs to bolster our overall talent level. I said if we add some young talent with a key FA, maybe 2, we could turn it in to a strength. The point I was making was about the similarities in the two years. Everyone said last year that Dallas had an all universe OLine and they could let anyone run for them and they would lead the league in rushing. Well they won 4 games, there QB was injured again after being hit, and they were middle of the pack in rushing. Now Carolina has the best OLine in the NFL when no one thiught it was a strength for them last year. This is a fluid league. Things can change drastically between one season to another. I am saying that with some savvy and calculated moves, our OLine could once again be a strength for this team
Just discovered you guys while clicking around reddit. Looks like great discussion…also, recognize some folks from the News Tribune. I wondered where everyone disappeared to when they put up the pay wall 🙂
Rob. Thanks for this. You best me to it. Here was my work in progress. I liked it most because it’ll make us bullies again…
1 Coleman OT
2 Reed DT
3 Striker OLB
3 Fuller CB
4 ? WR
5 Dillon SS
6 Dahl OL
6 Cooper OL
7 Blair III DE
Beat not best
Rob, this is a great mock that addresses the needs well. But when was the last time a draft has gone as logically and rationally as this? I hope your mojo continues and the Hawks do something like it.
This draft looks a little like the 2011 Carpenter/Moffitt draft….. Tackle in 1st and Guard in 3rd
I think the Seahawks have been a little more predictable than we generally recall. They’ve done pretty much what they said they’d do every year. And we have an idea now what they look for — and certain trends (which rounds they target certain positions). The hard part is identifying which players out of those that fit the criteria they actually take.
With commentary:
1 Coleman OT. Dominant. U found him, we love him.
2 Reed DT. Force. At worst immovable, at best collapsing
3 Striker OLB. Terror. Smaller but kicks @ss, runs/hits/sacks/covers
3 Fuller CB Aggressive. Would be best CB ever opposite Sherm.
4 ? WR. Help..
5 Dillon SS Killa. Nickname says it all …
6 Dahl OL Value. Punch, technique, agility; just add strength. Move inside to C
6 Cooper OL Skillz. Another find, 6th is ridic, pick him a position
7 Blair III DE. Pressure. V12 was it??
Rob. Thoughts on your picks…
Spence – worried about his off field
Freeney – love him but major health risk
Love the rest
I like this list. Glad you took a closer look at KJ Dillon.
My suggestion for WR in that range is Jordan Payton. He’s a Kearse clone.
My only subtraction would be Dahl. I’m not contesting the value in R6, just don’t see him as a Seahawk.
You know what, scratch the WR suggestion. Take Braxton Miller if he’s available.
@OptimumScouting: Just talked with Braxton Miller for 20 minutes. He’s gonna crush interviews with teams. Plenty of notes coming in the AM. #SeniorBowl
Yes. Dynamic, game breaking ability, with leadership and maturity,
Wanted to see/hear how he ran routes and everything mentioned about him was that his route running was surprisingly advanced.
UMASS WR Taj Sharpe too. Big time production, killing this week and last week’s practice sessions. Yes, those hands are small, and it’ll probably draft him, but it kind of feels like something Seattle would capitalize on and use to their advantage.
Shudda given you big props on KJ!
Also considered Killebrew
I struggled a bit later in my picks
Know what u mean about Dahl at worst it’s a placeholder for OL. At best I do feel that a) Seahawks may tweak its spec to a more athletic line for better run/pass and 2) you’re picking for potential here and he’s got heaps bar strength which can come
Frank Clark basically puts to rest a lot of issues with off field problems. As in, they will take guys with them and not blink.
I too have concerns about Spence. But they might need to take a calculated risk to get the pass rush up to a scary level.
I would take Yannick over Spence. Reminds me of Derrick Thomas. (you heard it here)!!!!
Something totally off topic, but something to think about.
I was having a look at an old draft, and noticed that Cam Newton and Von Miller went 1 and 2 in the same draft, and neither picks had been traded, meaning they were, by the standings at least, the 2 worst sides in football.
Can anyone recall a similar occurrence ever happening, where those 2 sides met in the superbowl, while the 1 and 2 picks were still with the team?
It’s strange to think that the Titans and Browns could be playing in the superbowl.
I really like Spriggs and was happy to see the ’34 inch arms – he might be moving up boards which is a bit unfortunate, I would have liked him in the second.
Charone Peak is a guy I like at WR in maybe the 6th. I’m not sure we need to go WR too early unless there is a guy you can’t pass up. Kearse may leave, but PRich is coming back, add Kevin Smith and Kasen into the mix, I think one of those guy can become your 3/4th WR. They also have Goodley on the PS – and even McNeil (who might be back at WR). Those guys have been indoctrinated with the blocking and also learning the offense.
Jimmy should come back as well – so I’m okay waiting to take a WR or pick up another couple of UDFA this year too.
Was just listening to a soundgrab from brock and salk, and brock was asked to nominate some guys who could provide a mean and nasty edge.
Reed from alabama and Jalen Ramsey were 2 I’d heard before, and ramsey clearly not in play for the hawks.
The other name was Deion Jones.
I honestly hadn’t heard his name come up at all before, is he on anyone’s radars?
He’s on mine, Rob’s, and IIRC a few others on here too.
Rob had him asa guy to monitor this draft season.
He’s ideally suited for the WILL ‘backe spot. Comps pretty well to KPL, but different than him too.
I’m a Deion Jones fan. Very quick. Fun to watch.
Jones is absolutely electric. Such a sudden, fluid athlete. Will run a crazy time I think. Limited experience though — only one year as a starter at LSU.
I would be ecstatic to see us pick OLine in the 1st, a DT in the 2nd, and a speed rusher and RB in the third. Knowing the Seahawks though, we are probably going to trade out of the first if one of our guys (Coleman or Whitehair hopefully) isn’t there.
Rob, what do you think of Kaufusi? I’ve love him all year and this is what PFF had to say about him:
2. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU: Kaufusi was a standout in our PFF grades this season. Among draft-eligible 3-4 defensive ends, he earned our eighth-best run-defense grade. Even more impressively, he ranked second in our pass-rush grades, ranking behind only Oregon’s DeForest Buckner (who looks worthy of at least a top-10 pick). And in our pass-rush productivity metric, Kaufusi actually ranks higher than Buckner.
Kaufusi backed up that season-long performance with an impressive first day of practice. Kaufusi has the size that NFL scouts are going to look for at the 3-4 DE position, having measured in at 6-foot-7 and 281 pounds, with 34-inch arms.
More importantly: He plays that big. To play this position in the NFL, you need to have the length and power to take on blockers, and during one-on-one pass-rush drills as well as team drills Tuesday, Kaufusi consistently used his length to control opposing offensive linemen and get free of them.
Have you watched any tape on him?
“Deiondre Hall (CB, Northern Iowa) has nearly 35 inch arms (!!!) at a shade under 6-2 and 192lbs.”
He is most likely a round 2 late pick (for Seattle), due to his physical attributes. He is a senior. He has some flexibility, having played both Safety and CB in college. I doubt he would last until the bottom of the 3rd round. Too much goodness / potential to ignore for almost 3 rounds of picks.
“Noah Spence (DE, Eastern Kentucky) has to look electric and fast because he isn’t long. He’s under 6-3 and 254lbs with only 31 inch arms.”
Seattle loves guys with long arms and big wingspans….. and he is ‘only’ 6’3″. If he were 275, then I could see them taking a flier on the guy, but as a round 2 pick…. no way. He does have a few off the field issues, so I think he is more a round 3 or 4 guy. Doesn’t mean he will be a flop in the NFL, but at the 26th pick of the second round, you could get a special player with way less baggage and perhaps more attributes the Seahawks love. Perhaps he blows up SPARQ and I’ll be eating crow.
If I were picking in the second round and I had the choice between Glasgow, Fackrell, Killibrew and Spence; sorry guys, but Spence would be the 4th pick out of the 4 guys for me.
I was looking earlier, and Seattle has never drafted a D-lineman with sub 32″ inch arms.
The only guys that had 32″ inch arms was Cash Marsh and Jesse Williams.
The Hawks’ rigid measurements need to be questioned.
Spence is about the exact same height/weight as Chris Clemons. Anyone know how long Clem’s arms were?
Fackrell will be long gone by the end of round two.
Rob you don’t think there’s a possibility that Kyler Fackrell is there in the 45-55 pick range?
I think he’ll be long gone.
From Jon Ledyard
Couple of notes on Tapper:
Charles Tapper got leverage on OG Cody Whitehair and tossed him aside for a “sack”. Whitehair had a good day overall, but got off to a slow start and one coach got in his grill a bit to amp him up. After that he was pretty dominant.
Tapper tried bending the edge and got knocked down by Clark. Went with a bull rush the next rep and ran straight through the Texas Tech offensive tackle. Tapper may be resigned to the power game, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Know what you do well and enhance it.
Couple notes on DJ Reader:
NT DJ Reader ran over Glasgow. Straight bull rush to the ground. Awesome.
Reader beat Glasgow soundly on two separate reps, the second time with a nice rip move. I’m a huge fan of Reader’s tape, and he made himself some money during the first practice. Moves extremely well for a 340-pound man, and carries his weight really well. Advanced hand usage for a true nose tackle.
Quick shout to Kenyan Drake:
RB Kenyan Drake is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands. Bounces runs too often, but his quickness and agility to get to the perimeter in a flash is eye-popping. He has special talent, but his role remains a bit unclear at the next level.
Another one on Tapper:
Charles Tapper had a strong day overall, showcasing exceptional power in his upper body when moving through the pop-up bags. His hands are deadly when he utilizes them, just has to get precision down. I thought Tapper had an impressive all-around day, and his thick build lends itself to a strong-side 4-3 defensive end who is pretty immovable against the run.
Tapper’s a stud. Has been of my favorite D-lineman since 2013.
Grow man and raw power.
Pass on a 340 pound DT. No place for them in today’s game. Even 3-4 teams are going away from that kind of size.
I thought Reader had a standout performance in the National Championship as well. He looked and moved a lot like Mebane.
Ledyard on Sheldon Rankins:
Sheldon Rankins push-pulled C Graham Glasgow to the ground and many on-lookers went wild again.
Rankins spin move on Glasgow. Not even sure the Michigan center touched him. Just dirty.
Rankins whooped C Evan Boehm with the spin move. THE spin move.
DT Sheldon Rankins quick feet were evident working on defensive line footwork drills.
Some of these guys, the tape doesn’t match. Rankins is one of them.
‘Bama’s DT Jarran Reed is the best DT in this class. Immovable at the POC or POA and his hand use is that of a seasoned vet.
Shows none of this on tape. Wonder why?
1-on-1 practice drills favor the pass rusher because they have so much room in which to work. It’s a lot harder to execute a spin move in traffic.
I grade Rankins in the 50-75 range, but I’ve seen him mocked as high as the top 15.
I know I have watched 2 game tapes from Louisville and he was just average but man oh man he looked good in the hilights yesterday along with Ward from Illinois and Spence who certainly looks like a stud despite the arm length.
The only disagreement I have with this mock is taking a WR at any point. If Kearse moves on we have Kevin Smith, Kasen Williams, and Paul Richardson waiting in the wings. Plus when Jimmy is back healthy he will eat significantly into the targets of that 4th receiver spot, whether it’s Kearse or anyone else. I’d rather use that pick to just go ahead and take Perkins, or create more pass rushing depth on the DL. Otherwise can’t complain much.
One player I’m really curious about is Ohio State SR OT Chase Farris. He’s a former DL convert to OL so he will fit right in. He only has one video on draftbreakdown, but it’s decent. He has lot’s of technique stuff to improve, but what stood out to me was how he never moved backward. He either anchored with authority or pushed his opponent backward with a bit of nasty. This was against Notre Dame, this year. He is listed at 6-5, 310 with a powerful looking physique. He could easily add 10 pounds and move to LG. Glasgow would be OK to draft as a center but for LG I’d prefer a player like Harris. What say you, Rob, or anyone else?
EDIT – Farris, not Harris at the end of the second paragraph.
What if Williams or Smith don’t pan out? Or P-Rich gets hurt again?
Drafting someone in the mid rounds doesn’t mean you have to play them that 1st year either.
Not every rookie is gonna istantly cotribute. It’s okay to look ahead and fill a possible need for the next year.
I think you can say that about every position on the team though. What if Wilson gets hurt? What if Bobby or Wright get hurt? We’d be screwed at LB. We’ll be screwed anywhere/everywhere if anyone gets hurt. What about FS if ET gets hurt? We’re screwed. If Richardson gets hurt again, I think that’s the least of our worries with Graham, Lockett, and Baldwin (and maybe even Luke Willson) gathering a majority of the targets.
Based on the clips from yesterdays practice it appears Glasgow struggled quite a bit. Maybe tired after Shrine week.
My favorite guard prospect for the end of Rd #3 is Joe Haeg out of NDSU. Played left tackle as Carson Wentz blind side. Looks good in pass pro but plays with a real nasty streak and is really athletic getting to 2nd level in the run game. I know he does not have the mass some guys want at LG but I think he would be a great fit as an Evan Mathis type of athletic nasty LG in our ZBS. Plus his pass pro would be huge upgrade over Britt or Carpenter.
I’m bullish on Haeg for SEA’s LG too. The thing about size at that position may be overblown. The thing about prospects like Haeg and Glasgow is that they’re already over 300 lbs (307 and 306 respectively). Each should be able to add about 10 lbs of lean mass (not to mention another few pounds in extra weight) in an NFL training program. Either prospect could be 315 or more by the time TC starts. That’s plenty big for a LG in Cable’s system.
I love that Haeg is both a good pass blocker and then both athletic and nasty enough in the run game to be really good in the ZBS scheme. I hope he does not have too good a week and move his grade into the late 2nd early 3rd range. He is a guy I would love to see us get in the 3rd to go along with Coleman in 1st to set our line up for the next couple of years. Both bring a real nasty edge too which Cable should love.
Anyone know if Cable is at Senior Bowl?
Interesting write up on Day #1 at Senior Bowl from Seahawks prospective.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/seahawks/story/1636603-first-impressions-at-the-2016-senior-bowl
Rob,
I wonder if the Seahawks’ past trends in OL may change. For instance, they have preferred big maulers at LG but the problem with Seattle’s line (particularly the guards last year wasn’t run blocking; it was pass blocking. Spriggs might be the best pass blocker at guard, especially if Coleman is gone before #26.
I think they’ll still want size at LG. An absolute beast of a blocker.
If it’s the second round, pick 57, both of these guys are avaliable, and it comes down to choosing between Noah Spence and Shawn Oakman… Who do you go with?
Noah Spence – Pros: Speed, Power, Agility, Explosiveness, Excellent Pass rusher Cons: Smaller, Short Arms, History of Drug Abuse
Shawn Oakman- Pros: Physical Freak, Insane upper body power, insane length, Excellant Leadership Skills Cons: High Ceiling Low Floor, Height (6-9) becomes a problem with leverage, uncoordinated lower body, plays soft
I would personally take Oakman. What do you guys think?
I’d take Spence. Top 15 talent. Size like Chris Clemons (doesn’t scare me away).
Spence all day he is going to be an elite pass rusher despite the less than ideal arm length.
Neither.
Seattle has never drafted a defensive lineman with arms shorter than 32″ so Spence is off the radar. You might disagree with Seattle’s physical requirements but you can’t deny that they exist.
Oakman has imposing physical size but does not play with the ferocity or grit that Seattle like in their defenders. Classic “looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane” prospect. He will not get drafted by Seattle in round 2; maybe round 4 as a project but I can’t imagine him surviving with all the warriors in the Seattle locker-room.
“Seattle has never drafted a defensive lineman with arms shorter than 32″ so Spence is off the radar. You might disagree with Seattle’s physical requirements but you can’t deny that they exist.”
Exactly. Spence is the only DL prospect in the Senior Bowl with <32" arms, including OLB's Fackrell and Jenkins.
Can anyone confirm if Cable is present? And if so, has he taken special attention to anyone?
I was wondering the same thing. I did not see him when they showed shots of Schneider yesterday.
Just looking at the guys we have coming to camp to compete at CB next year assuming we loose Lane in Free Agency
-Sherm
-Shead
-Burley
-Tharold Simon
-Mo Seisey
-SJ Baptiste
-George Farmer
-Ty Smith
-Trovan Reed
That is a deep and physically talented group all with extended time in our system at Corner Back U.
I love Lane but I think he is gone in free agency. I suspect Burley will be the starter in the slot and then Simon, Smith ,SJB, Seisey battle for the other starting spot.
The way the NFL is now with all the great slot receivers would kind of like to get us take smaller slot cover guy like the kid from Temple Tavon Young. That being said no team knows CBs better than the Hawks IMO.
I’d be happy with that group if Lane was there. I wouldn’t want to go into 2016 relying on Tharold Simon staying healthy to have anything like an experienced corner on the roster to play next to Sherman.
The season did really turn when he came back and he does have a knack for making big plays. He and Rubin are the two Free Agents I hope they re-sign but I have a feeling someone is going to overpay for Lane.
Here is a link to PFF top 10 OL hitting free agency. I notice Okung / Sweezy are not on the list.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/27/pro-top-10-offensive-line-free-agents/
Hey Rob, I love your draft. Would be very excited with these selections. For fun, I made up an ideal Seahawks offseason and I’d like to share it with anyone interested. In it, I whittled the cap down to about $3.5m, starting off with $21m in cap. The $21m in cap is based on the amount of money Davis Hsu of Field Gulls predicted the Seahawks would start with after signing specialists ($18m). But in my offseason, I let Jon Ryan walk so I figure that’s an additional $3m in cap space to play with. Left with $3.5m in space, the Seahawks would likely need to make some kind of adjustment(s) to the cap. Luckily they have cap flexibility, so they could hopefully do something like spread out Richard Sherman’s signing bonus.
My draft was guided by the projections on CBSsports.com. The projections there are not always reliable but they are just projections, and I didn’t see any picks in my mock that seemed unrealistic.
Subtractions:
OT Russell Okung
OG JR Sweezy
OLB Bruce Irvin
WR Jermaine Kearse
QB Tarvaris Jackson
P Jon Ryan
DT Brandon Mebane
RB Fred Jackson
Re-Signings
DT Ahtyba Rubin: 2 years, $9m (4.5m APY) Cap = $16.5m
CB Jeremy Lane: 1 year, $5.5m Cap = $11m
Signings:
DT Jaye Howard: 3 years, 18m Cap = $5m
CB Charles Tillman: 1 year, 900k
WR Terrelle Pryor: 1 year, 900k
P Shane Lechler: 1 year, $1.5m Cap = $3.5m
Draft:
Round 1: OT Shon Coleman, Auburn
Round 2: SEATTLE TRADES UP WITH PICKS R4, R6 and 2017 R3
DT Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech
Round 3: C/G Graham Glasgow, Michigan
Round 3: DE Charles Tapper, Oklahoma
Round 5: QB Cardale Jones, Ohio St.
Round 7: TE Steven Scheu, Vanderbilt
Round 7: OLB James Ross, Michigan
My thoughts:
We are going to keep Kearse
I realize Fred Jackson is probably gone. But Rawls, CMike, and a rookie. I want a veteran presence in that room with all that young blood.
I don’t see us signing another CB after the Cary fiasco.
Terrelle Pryor. No. Just no.
I like rounds 1 & 2
I haven’t hopped on the Glasgow train yet. I’ll pass.
Cardale?? Really?? No way. We take a qb in the 7th at the earliest. I’ll take Boykin undrafted, Vernon Adams late, maybe Prescott late.
Ross is a good football player, but I don’t think he fits the Seahawks.
Miles, a lot to like in your projections. I agree about most of the subtractions. I love the idea of Shane Lechler, one of the most powerful punters ever. You seem to be emphasizing a lot of DT. They need it, but they will also need to replace Irvin’s pass rush.
I actually like Pryor @ WR and could add depth @ QB if need be(along obtaining BJ Daniels as well), maximize our roster spots with dual threats, saves money and valuable positions sorry as much as I appreciate everything hes done while being here I say let Tjax kick gravel and travel. I dont want Tillman, would prefer drafting CB Rashard Robinson instead. I also like the notion of moving on from Jon Ryan and replacing him with a guy like Lechler. Would much rather pay positions other than punter and kicker, I lean towards either accomplishing this with modestly priced veterans or through the draft.
Thanks for the feedback everyone! To address some of the feedback, I think I am just intrigued with Pryor and I know the Hawks tried him out this year so it might be something they consider later in the offseason. I think when it comes to free agency we are going to have to be creative because we can’t spend a lot. It could always be the case that Charles Tillman is at the end of his career, already way up there in age and coming off a major injury. I just had read something recently that he is one of the most productive turnover DBs in the NFL. That seems like something Pete would want and if we could get him on a minimum contract, it is worth a shot. I left out a lot of the re-signings, but I would definitely want guys back like Shead, Coleman and Michael. I think that, with Coleman, we should not tender him as a RFA and let his court stuff play out before making a decision. We likely can pay him minimum if and when he is really available again.
I was looking at Lechler’s punting stats and they are highly comparable with Jon Ryan’s this year. But he also had a better net average. I think with his age and if he wants to win a Superbowl, we could sign him at the bottom tier of salaries for punters. I think the Seahawks want an experienced punter in the system but the market to get Jon Ryan back may be too high.
I think I like Cardale Jones because he has a high ceiling and obviously he’s a developmental quarterback. With him, you could dream of being able to run a read-option offense with him at QB if Russ went down knock on wood. In my scenario Cardale is the primary backup in Seattle, which isn’t ideal because then you could just not have Russ get injured ever. But with his durability it may not be the worst gamble. With how tight to the cap you are, it’s hard to pay a backup QB anything that goes against the cap if he never plays. I’m sure he is well-liked in the locker room and plays a role in game planning, but how important is that really when Russell has become an experienced quarterback?
If I were to redo my draft I might have the Seahawks address receiver a little more in the draft as it is a deep class once again. I would also try to look for another solid pass rusher. But with what little resources we have, we are going to have to roll the dice with at least one position most likely and just leave it to competition. That position, for me, is probably SAM. I feel that Bruce Irvin was very versatile but I didn’t see him make a lot of splash plays this year and really, wasn’t that what we were looking for? I think we have the chance to make an improvement on the pass rush this year after he departs.
Okung is going to have a shoulder surgery with approx 5 months of recovery. I am not sure that teams will rush to offer him *M plus long term contracts before he fully recovers.
It may now be in his best interest to sign a one year extension with us to prove his health. This could change the picture.
offer him 8M plus…
If I were the Hawks I would not offer him more than $6m.
Injury is even more reason to let him go. He isn’t great when healthy.
John Clayton just said yesterday that he thinks with Okung out until June, his value has dropped to a one-year, $4m contract. That seems to make sense. Teams will not be able to sign him until after the draft and the only contracts that are being signed during that time are one-year deals. Evan Mathis was an example of that last offseason. So, it looks like the Seahawks could get Okung back on a short-term prove it deal after all. If what John Clayton said is true, there really won’t be much demand for him and he is most valuable to us since he’s played with us his whole career.
He also emailed all 32 teams about his status, which gives an indication of his intention to market himself far and wide.
Also, word is BUF LT Cordy Glenn will get an offer of at least $10mm APY. If he does, it’s good news for Okung.
http://bills.buffalonews.com/2016/01/27/249754/