Top performers
Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming) — He came out for the second half against expectations and led two terrific touchdown drives. Allen showed why he could be the #1 overall pick. He has a fantastic arm but can also throw with touch, he’s mobile and can extend plays plus make gains with his legs. He played with aggression and attitude and looked the part. This was a statement performance by Allen that will have teams mightily impressed.
D.J. Chark (WR, LSU) — Of all the players on the field, Chark arguably boosted his stock the most. He looked sudden and he consistently found ways to get open. He made downfield catches and looked like an X-factor — but also made a tackle on special teams as a gunner (which he celebrated with gusto). It has to be said, he looked like a Seahawks-type receiver. Slightly unheralded, a little bit undersized. Yet he’s highly athletic, he’s a nuanced route runner, he plays with intensity and he makes explosive chunk plays.
Durham Smythe (TE, Notre Dame) — Ian Thomas had his moments too but of all the tight ends to boost their stock, it feels like Smythe did the most this week. He was excellent in the game. Smythe is well established as the most natural ‘Y’ tight end in the class. He’s considered a good blocker. In this game he showed what he can do as a receiver, getting open on a well timed wheel route to grab one of Josh Allen’s touchdowns. Smythe could be a third rounder.
Marquis Haynes (LB, Ole Miss) — All he does is make plays. Despite being modestly sized at around 6-3 and 233lbs, he ran over Pittsburgh tackle Brian O’Neill early in the game and later beat Brett Toth with a classic speed rush. Haynes had a sack fumble that led to a touchdown. He consistently impacts games. Whether he’s a nickel rusher or a SAM/LEO type — Haynes will likely provide great value because he’s such a playmaker.
Kyle Lauletta (QB, Richmond) — Western Kentucky’s Mike White also played well but Lauletta had a terrific second half. He extended plays, made a superb downfield throw close to the right sideline, scored three touchdowns and finished his work off with a highly accurate red zone pass to Marcell Ateman. Lauletta is worth a camp this summer.
Marcus Davenport (DE, UTSA) — For all the talk of Davenport being laid back and maybe being a bit hit and miss in practise, this game showed why he’ll be a high first round pick. He destroyed Brian O’Neill on one snap and easily turned the corner against a variety of the lesser tackles. He had a fumble recovery for a touchdown too. There just aren’t many players with this kind of length, speed, power and upside.
Rashaad Penny (RB, San Diego State) — After a relatively quiet practise week for Penny, he had two really good plays in the game. A nice burst up the middle led to a significant early gain and then he caught a pass on a scramble drill for a long touchdown. Penny might not be a tone-setting back at the next level you use as a feature runner. He will, however, be the type of player who makes big chunk plays fairly regularly — as a runner, receiver or returner.
Tyquan Lewis (DE, Ohio State) — Whether he was rushing the edge, stunting inside or attacking the B-gap, Lewis had a day. He combined with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo on one sack/fumble and was a constant threat. Powerful and quick, Lewis has plenty of upside and could work in a rotation at the next level.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (EDGE, Oklahoma) — In the process of trying to work out what his best position is, I think this game summed it up. He’s a pass rusher. He isn’t agile enough to play as a linebacker and cover and he’s not a base end. Yet put him up 1v1 off the edge and he makes plays. Great quickness, excellent hand use and he has a nice spin move to counter. He’ll likely be a role player at the next level but he could contribute 8-10 sacks. Think 2012 Bruce Irvin. This was a big performance by Okoronkwo.
Darius Leonard (LB, South Carolina State) — Wow. Superb size, athleticism, tenacity and unique length. Leonard flew around the field, made shoestring tackles, clattered Kalen Ballage in the open field and was clogging gaps in the run game. He is the modern day NFL linebacker. His upside is so high for the next level and with the kind of guidance and coaching he’d get in Seattle, he could end up being a big deal.
Game notes (posted live during the Senior Bowl)
— The first big play of the game came from first round pick Marcus Davenport. He crushed Pittsburgh tackle Brian O’Neill, putting his blocker on skates and walking him back into Baker Mayfield for the sack. It was a perfect illustration of Davenport’s talents. He isn’t just a speed rusher who excelled against weaker opponents — he can win in multiple ways. It also highlighted how O’Neill is quite overrated. He has upside — but he’s raw and needs major work on his technique, hand use and set. It was an ugly rep for O’Neill. On the previous down Jaleel Scott (WR, New Mexico State) dropped an easy pass from Mayfield that was right on the money.
— Rashaad Penny made the first big play on offense. Ian Thomas (TE, Indiana) came across the line to make a key block on Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, the O-line all connected on their blocks and together it created a huge running lane. Penny took advantage, running right up the middle and making a 34-yard gain. Mike White (QB, Western Kentucky) looked really good on the drive, completing two big passes including a touchdown to UCF’s Tre’Quan Smith.
— On the North’s subsequent drive, there were three key plays. Firstly, Will Hernandez pulled from the left guard position, locked onto the linebacker and allowed Kalen Ballage to make a 16-yard gain. It wasn’t a pretty move by Hernandez — he doesn’t look overly comfortable in space. It was strangely effective though. Shortly after Ballage was running free again thanks to two key blocks from Virginia Tech’s Wyatt Teller and Mason Cole. And then as the drive stalled, 233lbs Marquis Haynes bull rushed Brian O’Neill into Baker Mayfield forcing an incomplete pass. O’Neill has really struggled on the first two drives.
— Mike White has enjoyed a really strong start at quarterback for the South team. He completed a deep pass to LSU’s D.J. Chark in single coverage. Chark beat his guy and got open by the left sideline. Nice throw, route and catch. Tyquan Lewis stalled the drive by sacking White on an edge rush from the right side. He bull rushed the tackle and managed to trip up White. He had a good week in Mobile. Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson had an ugly looking field goal attempt drift wide of the upright. Oh dear.
— We talked about Kemoko Turay (EDGE, Rutgers) during the week. He had two really good rushes before the end of the first quarter. On the second occasion he easily beat Alex Cappa. Mike White just got the ball out before Turay sacked him. White has looked sharp, poised and accurate. They switch possessions at the end of each half and he led a nice two-minute drill. Daniel Carlson, having missed the easier kick earlier, then nailed a difficult 53-yarder. Go figure.
— The first big play of the second quarter involved Ohio State’s Tyquan Lewis again. What a get off, rushing the B-gap and absolutely hammering Rashaad Penny in the backfield for a loss. Lewis is worth keeping an eye on here. The same can’t be said for the two big name quarterbacks so far. Neither Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen have played particularly well. Kurt Benkert of Virginia stepped up to the plate after Mike White’s fast start. Benkert scrambled to the right and from a different throwing angle, dropped a perfect pass into Rashaad Penny who took it the distance for a big touchdown. Great improvisation from the QB, great finish by the RB. Penny looks like a weapon.
— With the greatest respect to Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage, anybody watching this game actually wants to view it, rather than listen to interviews. I’m not sure why the NFL Network is trying to grab the casual viewer — or that the casual viewer wants to see a game broadcast interrupted by interviews — but it’s quite frustrating.
— Will Hernandez just had a great battle with Virginia’s Andrew Brown. 340lbs vs 294lbs — and after a great tussle Hernandez won, sending Brown to the turf. Great hands and power from Hernandez, affording Tanner Lee to make a throw to the tight end Mike Gesicki. The catch is initially made until Quin Blanding tackles Gesicki and he drops the pass. They call it incomplete. Gesicki should’ve made the catch, it was a bad miss. On the next snap Brown gets revenge with a wonderful get off and swim move to beat Wyatt Teller and force some pressure. Darius Leonard helps about by tackling Kalen Ballage in the open field. There are two names to monitor — Leonard and Brown.
— LSU’s Darrel Williams just had a beastmode run. Nice initial cut, pushed the pile and kept his legs moving for a nice gain. Great run. He could be a Seahawks target later on in the draft or UDFA. Mike Mayock noted on the broadcast he was named LSU’s MVP in 2017. His team mate D.J. Chark also had a nice run on an end-around. Chark looked sudden, decisive and quick.
— Darius Leonard is flying to the ball. He’s working to plug gaps in the run game, he just chased down Mike Gesicki after he caught a pass, he’s roaming to the ball carrier. Leonard looks fast, explosive and physical. Huge potential. Oklahoma’s Ogbonnia Okoronkwo recorded a sack beating Alex Cappa with a standard edge rush. It looked like he lined up in a wide-9 stance and Cappa never had sufficient depth in his drop to stand a chance at preventing the sack. Okoronkwo role in the NFL is going to be difficult to work out. He’s not a SAM. He arguably doesn’t have the size to be a base end. Can he play 3-4 OLB? Debatable. He might be a nickel rusher — but he’s good at it. Stanford’s Harrison Phillips made a play before half time, hitting the quarterback after beating Skyler Phillips of Idaho State.
— Nevada tackle Austin Corbett gave up an ugly sack before half time. Jayln Holmes of Ohio State worked to the outside then beat him with a spin move inside. Corbett had no answer. Holmes had a pretty underwhelming week in Mobile but he had Corbett’s lunch money there.
— At half time the South team led 18-3. Bill O’Brien and the Houston staff had their team ready to play with the unheralded quarterbacks impressing. Vance Joseph’s Denver staff had the North team playing, ‘differently’, to put it mildly.
— Josh Allen started the half making a good throw to Durham Smythe. The Notre Dame tight end has looked good this week and has made a couple of good grabs so far. Certainly one to monitor. Marcus Davenport appeared to hurt his ankle on a good edge rush vs Army’s Brett Toth. Davenport has played well today. Hopefully it’s nothing serious. Penn State’s DaeSean Hamilton has had two bad drops. Kalen Ballage is getting outside with speed and quickness — then turning upfield. Ballage really looks the part. You just wish he did more at Arizona State. He also left the field with an apparent injury. Oren Burks was a late call up to the Senior Bowl. He’s a linebacker from Vanderbilt. He’s making some plays, he looks quick and physical.
— The first drive of the second half was a big one for Wyoming’s Josh Allen. After a disappointing first half, he was allowed another series (he wasn’t expected to play in the third quarter). Allen converted a fourth down to Mike Gesicki, made a third down with his legs and ended the drive with a wonderful touch pass to Tyler Conklin for a TD. He played angry, aggressive and made a statement there. Listen, he has a lot to work on. Nobody would deny that. But he has the perfect frame, arm, hand size, mobility and the ability to complete a range of throws. And if the Browns bring in a veteran like Alex Smith, it’s highly possible they take Allen as the eventual heir apparent with the #1 pick.
— Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (it’s fun typing that out several times during a live blog) and Tyquan Lewis just combined to make a great play. Lewis bull rushes the left tackle right into the quarterbacks lap, while Okoronkwo went up and under Brandon Parker the right tackle and had a meeting with Lewis in the backfield. The ball was fumbled by the QB and gathered by the offense. Okoronkwo and Lewis have put on a show and look like the two most distinguished pass rushers in the game.
— Back to complaining about the NFL Network now. They somehow managed to time a promotional fluff interview with a guy from Reese’s telling us about a new chocolate product called ‘the Outrageous’. Well, you know what’s even more outrageous than some chocolate, peanut butter and caramel in bar form? Missing two fantastic touchdowns because we’re basically watching an advert while the game is going on.
— Wow, Josh Allen. He completed a great play action pass to Michael Gallup for 31 yards and then followed it up with a great touch pass to Durham Smythe who got open on a wheel route for a touchdown. Two plays in the drive, two big passes and a score. This is Allen competing. Staying in the game, making big plays, flashing what he’s all about. I’ve already put together a mock draft to go live after the Senior Bowl. Allen was going to stay at #1 to Cleveland and that isn’t changing after this performance. The pass to Gallup was particularly strong. Great work on the PA, then a rocket into a tight window right on the money. Smythe is also putting on a show too. Any hope that he might be there on day three, that’s diminishing. He is the tight end separating here. He is the one who looks the part.
— Immediately afterwards, the South team responded with a huge downfield pass from Kyle Lauletta to D.J. Chark. The LSU receiver is another player having a huge day. He just gets open, he looks sudden and his finish was superb — running away from the defensive back. He has an attitude I think the Seahawks will like. On the opening kick off of the half he was the gunner and took great joy in making the special teams tackle. He has long limbs, he looks like a great route runner. Big day and he’ll be rising up boards after this.
— Poona Ford forced had a sack fumble. Will Hernandez tried to chip him and run to the second level as they tried to set up a screen. Ford was barely disrupted and just had a straight run to Josh Allen. Big hit, forced fumble although it was recovered by the offense. It stalled the drive so on third down they just ran the ball with Akrum Wadley. Mike Gesicki barely tried to block Darius Leonard. The linebacker dodged him easily and made the tackle. This is the problem with a lot of the names in this tight end class. They can’t or won’t block. That’s what’ll set Durham Smythe apart.
— Big play by Marquis Haynes. He easily beat Toth off the edge, hammered the quarterback and forced a fumble. It was scooped up by Marcus Davenport who ran it in for a touchdown. Haynes won with power and speed today. He’s only 233lbs but he made plays against O’Neill and Toth and he just finds a way to have an impact. Great quickness and finish to make the strip sack. Daniel Carlson, who missed a straight forward field goal earlier, missed the extra point. He does not look like the solution at kicker for the Seahawks based on this evidence.
— The North team imploded late on. Marcus Davenport pressured him after beating the left tackle and forced a bad throw from Tanner Lee that was picked off. Davenport clubbed the hands of the left tackle Jamil Demby and just caught Lee’s arm as he pulled the trigger.
— Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mike White both played well — so did Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta. He had three touchdown passes and looked incredibly sharp. He found Marcell Ateman in a really tight window in the red zone for his final score — but made a variety of completions including a terrific deep ball down the right sideline. Lauletta has something about him. Interesting prospect.
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First sack goes to Davenport.
That’s what we like to see, Kalen. Lower that shoulder and finish the run!
Hernandez is a monster. He seems like the kind of guard Solari tends to love. Big, mean, and physical.
Yes. He’s just an Wall. Very powerful pass set along with the run blocking.
Carlson good from 53, but would have been good from over 60! Gotta get this kid into camp.
Wow! What a play Benkert scrambling left and then hitting Penny down the sideline for a score. Looks like Rashaad CAN catch the ball! 😛
Looked like Russell, running left and hitting the receiver in stride.
Fred Warner looks like a great option as a cover LB. He has range and doesn’t mind fighting through the trash to make a play. If the Hawks go RB and OL early, Warner would be a good early Day 3 pick.
I had a vision two days ago that Warner would be a Seahawk. Looks like one, and when hearing him described I thought, “That guy’s gonna be a Seahawk.” Then I saw his arms were under 32″. At LB. Cooled my jets a bit.
Darius Leonard, meanwhile, has +34 inch arms.
That sounds good to me. I love KJ, but you know my thoughts on this. Just a LOT of money to be tied up in two LB spots. Need to maybe think about getting the same sort of play, but younger and cheaper.
I really thought Warner could maybe play a Kam role for us. He’s not super physical on tape, but I thought he looked athletic enough to carry TEs down the seam, cover pretty well. Actually thought he’d be a shade under 225, not the 235 he weighed in at. Wonder what he played at.
K.J. Wright’s current contract is worth $6.75m a year on average and expires this year. People might’ve thought we overpaid in 2014 but as time has gone on, his contract is an absolute bargain. I also think Wright is a highly underrated player. I don’t know whether they’ll re-sign him to another contract. It’d depend on price. There might actually be some value there. But either way, he’ll be on the team in 2018 and it would make some sense to add a young linebacker anyway.
I think KJ’s game will age well. He is so instinctive and steady, no drama. I would resign him after next year for 3 years, hopefully a little less money, if possible. The D line and D backs will probably be younger and cheaper, still need some smart vets.
+1
IMO, depth has been an issue at LB for a couple years now. If they can add Leonard, that sweetens the pot considerably.
KJ has been a great player for us, and great value, but we’re at the point where we can really only afford to pay 4 or 5 defensive players top money, and Kam is one of those regardless of how his situation is handled. I think KJ is back for one more year, but if Earl or Sherm are extended, or if they decide to keep Bennett, KJ may have to go. I’d say 75% he remains for a year. We’ve had much less luck developing LBs than DL or DBs, so we should certainly be looking for depth with upside, at the least.
We had much more success with lb development when ken norton was the lb coach. Now that he’s back I am expecting some progress from that group.
Actually I wouldn’t expect KJ’s game to age well. Even as a young player he didn’t have the speed to be able to afford to lose a step. Once he does – and he will- I wouldn’t want him on a third contract.
Andrew Brown’s first step off the snap is incredible.
I agree. That’s easily the standout aspect of his game. He covers an incredible amount of ground in those first two steps.
5 star recruits are always worth a look
Really nice tip by Jamarcus King. 32.5 in arms.
Two things that stand out about Josh Allen:
1. WOW ARM STRENGTH
2. He has no clue where it’s going at times. I would take him too 40.
Why do they have Corbett playing outside? Just got abused again, this time on the spin move from Jalyn Holmes.
lol “differently”. True dat!
That halftime speech…
“it’s an even game, except they made the plays and we didn’t.”
ummmm… 🙂
Josh Allen with some nice touch on that score. If he can do that consistently he can fulfill his promise.
Can’t believe Leonard didn’t get the ball. Was in great position, the throw was just better.
Smyyyythe!
and Chaaaaark!
easily the fastest guy on the field today together with Ballage.
Outplaying Gisecki for sure.
All of the TEs have outplayed Gisecki today. That was a nice reaching catch by Ian Thomas and Yelder with the contested TD grab.
Thomas showed good hands, reaching up for it, catching it clean.
That Reece’s interview though… that really couldn’t be done at halftime? 🙁
At least with Crennel and Savage, they were still talking about football. That interview with the guy that work’s for Reeses… yeah, good on the players for doing some charity work, but why not have that interview during, I don’t know, halftime?
Next year, just get Mayock eating the big Reese cup at the end.
Poona Ford did that several times in practice as well. Gets soooo low and still manages to push himself forward towards the QB while almost crawling on the ground. Not easy for the big uglies to get that low.
Allen has shown me a few things. He’s got a rocket for an arm. He’s more athletic than I thought. He has an uncanny feel in the pocket and slides effectively away from pressure. And, the knock on him is true. He’s not very accurate. Sometimes the ball is where it needs to be, and often it’s not.
Tanner Lee is a facepalm waiting to happen.
Volume 12 mentioned the Hawks scouting Miss. St. this year. Gotta think Marquis Haynes might be the guy they are looking at for the OLB spot.
Kudos to him as well for talking up Chark. He’s been a game changer.
Hayness has looked really good and plays bigger than is size.
Had a feeling that was going to my man Ateman! Good for him.
And wow, a Senior Bowl where the teams actually score points!
Right on about Chark, Rob. He’s got that swag.
Rob you think Smythe might be a target with that 4th RD pick or someone they would have to take in the 3rd if they pick one up with a trade back?
I was really impressed with his blocking and he has surprising receiving skills.
If we could draft Smythe and sign Trey Burton in Free Agency I think we would have a great TE group. Vannett, Burton and Smythe can all block well and are solid in pass game, Burton could be elite.
Give me Chark in R3 and Smythe in R4 if possible! That sounds like a nice TE group there, Trev. Wish my guy Chris Herndon could have been out there too. Oh well, guess that will just help keep him under the radar for us!
When you posted about Herndon I checked him out. If he did not get hurt I agree he would get alot more buzz. nice player who would be a solid day#3 pick for sure
Smythe might go in the third. Just looks like he has ‘it’.
I think that is pretty much sealed. Great hands, very good inline blocker, and runs pretty well. One of the most well rounded players in the class, IMO. He’ll fit any offense.
Wynn or Hernandez at LG next year pretty please!
Hernandez is exactly the type of player the Hawks need to take in order to become bullies.
Lauletta MVP. Well deserved.
Has Patriots written all over him.
10 minute time out in the corner for mentioning the P word
That’s a paddlin’
I thought Lauletta was easily the most overrated performance in the game. He has overmatched backup written all over him. Tunnel vision and not nearly enough variety of pace and loft to match the needs of the play.
He’s fine when a dart will so.
The Browns can go 0-16 again if they want to have faith in Lauletta. Obviously he’s not a high pick. I wouldn’t want him period.
Mike White, on the other hand, now that guy has some subtle aspects to his game when needed most.He has fastball and every type of change up. Sharp guy with upside. It’s very obvious how he put up 10.5 YPA in 2016. Then he lost lots of offensive teammates entering 2017 so his numbers plummeted. That aspect was well known with Josh Allen but seldom mentioned with White. Almost everyone who was catching passes in 2016 was a senior plus they lost key offensive linemen off that team.
I attended a Canes at South Florida game several years ago when Mike White was a true freshman on a terrible Bulls team. The game was a rout but South Florida fans seated next to me touted White throughout, saying he was the guy everyone raved about in every practice. I never forgot that. Taggart changed the offense to the benefit of the team but White benefited also via the transfer to a team using a pro style passing game.
BTW, the tight end Yelder off that Western Kentucky team might be worth a look also. Nice big frame and made a clutch touchdown grab today on a fastball. Late bloomer. Sat behind several guys who now play in the NFL. Body transitioned from wide receiver to tight end, He is obviously a great athlete because I remember when he won a wager for me by leaping to block an extra point that would have tied the game a year or so ago.
From the sound of things it looks like the first pick #18 overall going to Brian O’neill
Come on, man. Don’t do this to yourself. (or us, for that matter)
Barkley, Jones and Michel are my 3 favorite RB in this class and then there is quite a gap IMO.
If we don’t get one of those guys early then an option for the run game could be to trade back into the early 2nnd and pick up a 3rd.
Draft
Rd#2 Wynn or Hernandez LG
Rd#3 Penney or Ballage RB
Rd#5 Kamyrn Pettaway RB
I would feel pretty good going into camp with Carson, Davis, Prosise, Mckissic, Penney and Pettaway competing for 4 spots
IDK about this, to be honest. Leaves me feeling like we could get more out of the draft.
Penny is solid, but not sure he has that extra something.
Ballage has that extra something, but you’ve got to get to the bottom of why he wasn’t used more in college. There’s still a huge question mark in my mind that I haven’t been able to erase quite yet.
Lots of time for this to change still, of course.
And so did Penny. Will put his head down for the tough yards, and when he breaks one, he won’t be caught. Big play written all over him. The only thing I didn’t see from him in the game is whether he can pass protect.
Watched Ballage for 4 years at Sun Devil Stadium – very frustrating. Only ran angry a couple of games. Continually bounced runs outside instead of delivering a blow at 227 lbs. Demario Richards was the better back, but too slow for the next level.
Yeah, everyone drooling over Ballage, remember that he wasn’t a consistent star in college. He was a decent player who never seemed to have the light go on. I wouldn’t draft him aboive 12 other guys. He’s a project, so I wouldn’t even think about him until round 5. If he’s gone, so be it. I would actually rather get Scarborough.
Leonard looked awesome! Is he going to Combine? Would love to see how he tests.
I think Ballage is going to put up sick #s at combine!
There are going to be some good developmental QB options on Day #3. White and Lauletta looked good today.
Boy Day #2 really looks like the sweet spot in this draft. How many Day #2 picks do we have again?
How many Duane Browns and Sheldon Richardsons you seeing in this draft so far though…? Maybe Vea, who is likely top 10, and Tim Settle. Gotta look at it that way, otherwise it does seem tough to swallow.
Adding to Rob’s thoughts on Seattle’s willingness to make those big trades, I’m just wondering now if they also had crystal clear from the beginning of the season that they would be trading away some vets to recoup those picks. This is going to get interesting very soon, especially in lieu of Earl’s and Bennett’s most recent comments about possibly not being back.
I am not critiquing those trades I think they should have traded for Brown even earlier. Just really sucks having no day #2 capital.
I have a feeling when all is said and done the Hawks have 4 day2 picks and none on Day 1.
Could certainly end up that way if they want.
Being a Canadian (Canuck) every year I try to find a kid from Canada to bang the drum for and hope the Hawks draft.
2013 Luke Willson (Sea)
2014 Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (KC)
2015 Christin Covington (Tex)
2016 David Oneymata (NO)
2017 Anthony Auclair (TB)
All were unknown guys who have become really solid pro’s and are still in the league.
For 2018 the guy will be Nathan Sheppard (DT Fort Hayes St.)
Detaailedd report on him coming later this week. He would look great in out DT rotation next year.
Some background. Sounds like a Seahawk to me.
http://www.fhsu.edu/news/2017/11/gentle-giant-shepherding-fort-hays-state-through-unforgettable-football-season.html
Thanks for sharing. I didn’t realize he was Canadian!
Was definitely getting very positive reviews in practice before he broke his hand and had to leave. Mayock and Co. even gave him a shoutout and some praise in the broadcast today when they put up the list of small schoolers.
Look forward to the detailed report!
I’ve definitely added him to my list of likely targets. I think he has the whole look of a Seattle DT.
Hicks…
Hicks is another guy but was before I really started following the draft.
he is American, but went to U of Saskatchewan
I know Davenport got a sack and all, but still don’t see him as a high 1st-round pick. Maybe maybe the back end of R1, but somebody’s going to have to explain to me how he’s better than, say, Terrell Basham from last year. The guy he beat for a sack is a developmental tackle (not R1) who did a really bad job setting up.
I think Davenport has good power and is great chasing guys down, but hasn’t shown much in the way of pass rush moves/plan and isn’t very physical against the run coming at him. TB at #7 is too early, and it’s hard to see a fit for him after that until Dallas at #19.
It wasn’t just a sack though. He had numerous pressures.
He’s significantly better than Terrell Basham and to be frank I think that is obvious. We’re talking about a player with fantastic speed off the edge and yet is capable, as he showed in this game, of crumpling a left tackle into submission. He absolutely bullied Brian O’Neill.
Furthermore, he’s really only scratching the surface of what he can be. He actually doesn’t look that defined in terms of muscle tone. After a year or two with a NFL team his frame and body could reach another level. He will improve technically too.
The only concern I have is he seems to have a quiet off-field personality and sometimes that can give the impression that he’s too laid back. But it’s impossible for us to analyse that too much without all the info the teams have. To me the way people have started to critique Davenport is merely representative of what often happens with high picks. People look for flaws and reasons not to buy in. In a meagre DE class this year, Davenport will go early.
Look what a player can do, not what he can’t. That is too often forgotten.
Only thing I saw from Davenport that was meh? He looked shell shocked when he 1st got to Mobile and that was probably to be expected. His competition was a huge step up.
Sounds like he settled down, got comfortable, and had himself a game.
That’s what ya wanna see from these small school guys.
Missed the game today with another class.
Was it a good one?
Other than Nick Saban’s analysis, I was disappointed in the coverage this years SR bowl. Through the week that is.
Had some interesting moments although the NFL Network coverage got in the way sometimes with too many sideline interviews and split screens.
Thanks Rob.
Sounds like it did throughout the week with them cutting to the 3 man booth or DJ wherever he was.
Yup, DJ and Alex Flannegan. (she does a good job though, it was just too much like Rob said)
Hoping they bring Steve Smith back to the combine coverage. Was it Greg Olsen who was there as well and was such a natural?
Oh yeah, and that was pretty funny when she was interviewing Shaquem mid 4th quarter and all the sudden everybody starts yelling at him to run out on punt coverage. He was like, “oh snap”, and ran to grab his helmet, but by the time he got to the sideline they had already sent someone else out.
I tried watching online while working but the stream was so bad it was unwatchable. I was able to stream ESPN without issue so it must have been an NFL.com problem. Hope there’s a replay somewhere.
At least we have SDB to help us catch up.
Sea Mode you mentioned Miss St. Haynes is from Ole Miss.
If I had to guess, and we do, it would’ve been OT Martinas Rankin they were checking out.
Whoops, my bad. Brain fart.
Can you hook us up sometime in the coming days with the full list of the ones you caught them scouting?
I’m also going to go back and take a look at the list from last year to see what that ended up showing.
So how about this? Seahawks Mock Draft 2.0. This is one I would really get excited about:
*Trade Earl to CLE for R2P33 and R3P65 (top of R2 and R3). They want a proven veteran star to help lead and cover up a lot of mistakes of their young defense. Seattle sees the time has come.
*Risk a small trade back from R1P18 with BUF to pick up another late R3 pick. They fear some other QB needy team trades up with us instead to get ahead of them.
R1P22- RB Ronald Jones II, USC: Lightning to Carson’s thunder. The new Jamaal Charles.
R2P33- DT Tim Settle, Virginia Tech: chance to be something special rushing from the inside. Lets us move on from Sheldon if priced out in FA and bring in an edge rusher instead.
R3P65- WR DJ Chark, LSU: deep threat with speed and swag to replace Paul Richardson. Also relieves Lockett of punt return duties.
R3P95- LB Darius Leonard, SC St.: adds youth, speed, outstanding length, and aggressivity to the front 7.
R4P116- TE Durham Smythe, ND: Seattle yet again grabs the best Y in the draft to boost the run game and pass pro, with upside in the pass game. If he’s gone, fallback on Chris Herndon.
R5P132- DE Kentavius Street, NC St.: possibly the freakiest athlete/strength in the entire class is brought in as an inside/outside DL project. (think Bennett replacement)
R5P137- WR Antonio Callaway, Florida: ultra high risk swing for the fences. More than worth a shot at this point in the draft (though I imagine he will go much earlier anyway).
R5P160- SS Kyle Queiro, Northwestern: competition for Delano Hill at SS since McDougald will be playing FS.
R7P200- LB Andre Smith, UNC: quality backup for Bobby at ILB.
R7P209- OL Brett Toth, Army: they draft him for 2 years down the line, when some of our current young OL players will be hitting FA. (though I’m almost positive the Army will clear him to play right away; the publicity should prove worth a lot more to them)
R7P222- CB Josh Kalu, Nebraska: a long corner for Pete to develop. Looking for long term Sherm/Maxi replacement.
UDFA- RB Malik Williams, Kentucky + RB Lavon Coleman, Washington: more competition for RB depth.
*Malik Williams, Louisville (not KY)
I love this draft.
Only way a team makes a trade for Earl that Seattle would agree to is if he agrees to an extension… No way he agrees to re-up in Cleveland.
IDK, I think at this point his #1 priority might be to cash in big. Got his ring already. If CLE offers him 4 yrs, $15m/apy with high guarantees, he signs on the dotted line IMO. Think Jamie Collins.
and if Cleveland signs Cousins and has some more good draft picks, maybe they make a Jacksonville style turn around.
lots of “ifs” there, and I don’t see Cousins as a true Franchise QB, and I think ownership is a huge problem there, but I can see how they can make the offer and lay out the plan
good draft.
be wary of settle having a poe-like rise post combine. just not enough young dudes that can move.
if chark replaces Lockett on return duties is there a need to even retain Lockett the following year?
actually my bad. I should have checked first. why do you think Chark can replace Lockett on return duties? Lockett was a man’s game level returner in college. Chark he’s an exciting WR prospect but just a body out their fielding kicks.
I am intrigued by him btw…otherwise…..
I mean specifically punt return duties. And he was much more than “just a body”: he had 2 PR for TD this year on 18 tries and averaged more than 10 yds per return, which is pretty good.
DJ Chark Punt Return TD LSU Network Call
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ve1QY5p5b8
Lockett would focus on kickoff returns and his WR craft. If we got Callaway too, he could also hedge or replace Lockett as well in kickoff returns down the line.
Sea mode look at his return stats.
http://www.cfbstats.com/2017/player/365/1063566/puntreturn/gamelog.html
Yep he broke the two for td’s and the average because of those breaks is 10 plus yards.
his final 6 games, for 3 of those games he gets negative yards.
When I mentioned Lockett his final year in college he goes: 362 for KO’s and 402 for Punts.
I like Chark’s potential quite a bit. Would like to see him snatch the ball out of the air a bit more and not let it come into himself as much, But he has great game-breaking skills and seems very tough on the field.
Moving forward though I think Seattle love Lockett as a return man and unless someone is as good as him I think Lockett is staying put. It’s like how they went and got Leon Washington, it’s just super important for the team.
Yeah, now that I look at it closer, you are right, Peter. Lockett averaged 19.1 yds per punt return and had 2 TDs his senior year. And we drafted him as the best returner in years.
I guess I was just stuck on his down year last year and it has made me forget. Hopefully the return TD vs. the Cardinals was a sign of things to come, that he’s finally got his speed back. Or maybe it was a coaching or overall ST play issue.
sorry. that whole thing reads a bit crusty on my part. I think there’s some truth that Lockett may have not yet “come back.”
again I have to emphasize I like Chark as a prospect but just to use the sort of comparative analysis, Seattle moved around to get Lockett who was actually a fairly good receiver at the time because he was a real difference maker at return man.
I think Chark , maybe in the third more likely in the fourth and even another WR to go to camp with makes a ton of sense. I think Seattle’s WR crew isn’t nearly as good as everyone else leans to.
That would be a crazy good draft!
We’re not gonna give up Earl cheap! We already know Schneider & Carroll wanted 2 high picks for Sherman, in the past we traded 1st picks for Graham & Harvin. Earl is rarer than a QB this a special situation & many teams will gladly pay Earl 14mil a year, many teams have pissed off fans pressuring management to win, Cleveland needs to spend cap space!
Schneider needs to sell Earl & I believe Schneider can to it. Cleveland already showed its hand when they traded (failed) AJ McCarren for a 2nd & 3rd. Atlanta will be begging us to trade for their 1st. Think about it Clevland could end up with a franchise QB,RB, & FS
Of course, I would love to get more for him, and maybe you are right that we can. But the first pick in R2 and the first pick in R3 are high picks. And more importantly perhaps, they allow us to feel good about sitting tight in R1 and going for a stud.
Plus, if you think about it, lots of us are projecting trading down anyway from R1… precisely for a high R2 and R3. So why not just do it directly then?
Antonio Callaway is the wild card of this draft. He was the first true freshman who absolutely wowed me early in the 2015 season. So smooth. So incredibly smooth. Like he was toying with defensive backs out there. Great punt return ability also.
Then he leveled off in 2016. I didn’t fully understand why.
All of a sudden the off field issues show up in bunches. There was credit card fraud. Also a strange drive in a car with a 40 year old career criminal. Bad stuff. He missed all of 2017.
Normally I wouldn’t give that type of kid a benefit of a doubt but there were no similar problems in high school. Everyone says he was a great kid. Now he is staying in Atlanta and prepping for the draft process with former Canes star running back Melvin Bratton, who is now an agent. Bratton was always very high character. He believes in Callaway.
Callaway is incredibly talented.
Good info, Awsi. Agree on giving Callaway a shot. Could turn out to be a legit WR1.
The money shouldn’t be a problem any more, but the weed might be. And above all, the poor decision making. His draft stock will certainly depend a lot on interviews and how he has spent this past year while suspended. Has he really tried to turn it around? If so, late R2 like Frank Clark would not surprise me one bit.
Oh wow
Would’ve liked another tailback after RoJo but
UDFA 🙂
Thing is, I’m not sure they are ready to move on from Carson, Davis, or Prosise. So spending more than one pick might mean we end up wasting another pick and having to cut him ala Alex Collins.
Which we’ve obviously done. Not too farfetched then eh?
lol. touché.
Unbelievable draft, would love that. Also id like to point out if theres no earl or sheldon on the team this year we could certainly make a play for Norwell.
Could be an option. Let’s see what Mike Solari will ask for. (btw, will he even have a chance to assess our guys first hand before FA and the draft?)
I just have a feeling that
1. Norwell is going to be EXTREMELY expensive for an interior OL
2. We’re going to give it a go with the talent that we’ve got, maybe after shuffling around, or simply just letting Odhiambo settle in next to Duane Brown at LT.
Odhiambo was exposed when thrown into the fire at LT, but I thought he looked decent in a couple appearances at LG, and that was next to Fant, who was struggling, not next to a Pro Bowl LT.
Solari’s evaluations are going to be interesting. Maybe they go after a later round guy like TCU’s LT Noteboom? He was serviceable during the Senior Bowl, and at 6’5″ 320lbs he could move inside to the LG spot, which would also be a hedge if Joeckel were to leave. Noteboom also has experience protecting a mobile QB in Kenny Hill.
Noteboom’s Senior Bowl weigh in has him listed at 306lbs.
Lets play pick roullette shall we
Seattle does 2 trades in 1st round…..
Trade #1, Buffalo #22 and 95 picks for Seattle #18
Trade #2 Minnesota #30 and #94 picks for Seattle (via Buffalo) #22
Trade #3 Cleveland #33 and 129 picks for Seattle (via Minnesota) #30
So after these trades, which seem pretty likely draft pick value wise…
Seattle would have picks #33, 94, 95, 129
Lets add in what Seattle is picking (before comp picks) 116, 132, 139, 200, 232
So in summary the picks they would have:
2nd Round #33
3rd Round #94. #95
4th Round None
5th Round #116, #129, #132, #139
6th Round None
7th Round #200, #232
I think ET would be worth at a min a 1st and 4th…. but I’ve not involved any draft pick for player trades. I also do not think he is going anywhere. You can’t trade a blue chip ALLPRO player in his prime.
Thus, Seattle could go from having 0 round 2 and 3 picks to having 3 picks.
They then could go DT/DE (or OG at #33), RB and TE in the 1st 3 rounds. Filling needs and bringing in some talent in areas which are a tad short right now. 5th round would be guys who can fill out ST the first year… so projects at LB, CB, WR and perhaps RB. 7th round, just draft a K and RB.
So that is my 2 cents with a trade back from #18.
Are two of those 5th rounders you have listed actually 4th rounders? It’s not a bad scenario, but if I’m trading down twice, and kind of want another second rounder somehow. If you have to package a third and a fourth, do it. There will be so many second rounders that will fit this team. Otherwise move up to the top of the third.
Or maybe it’s just the 116th pick. Ugh brain cramps
My apologies. #116 is a native Seattle pick, and is in the middle of the 4th round.
I also did 3 first round trades, when i said I was doing 2… lawl.
I think the take away is that Seattle has plenty of options at their disposal.
I would also not discount that they might trade a future pick (2019 comp) for a 2018 pick.
The first round #18 just is not a good value pick in my opinion. You are most likely reaching for someone who can be had in the later 1st or early 2nd round…. We need to try to narrow down what position groups would be good value in that range, then (as a collective) we can really focus on a few players.
Note: The OG Hernandez has peaked my interest and would be a natural pick (and decent value pick) in that range (late 1st to mi 2nd round). He would fill a need potentially and upgrading a position of weakness. He would be brought in to play LG specifically. Then you would have Brown, Britt and Ifedi stay at their current positions, providing some continuity on the OL. I guess we will have to trust Solari on this one.
Charlie in your first trade down from 18 to 22 it’s good value.
but in the second part where you trade 22 down to 30 you lose value that in this scenario Minnesota would have to give up more than one spot in the third round to go chsnge tge pick from 95 to 94. minnesota,woukd have to almost give us a 4th round ouck to move up 8 spots in the first round.
I like trading out round 1 too. None of the RB’s have me convinced compared to last year. It’s a good draft for OL in round 2. I see lots of players in round 3 & 4 we need to acquire as many 3’s & 4’s as we can. The best thing we can do is root for the QB’s to show up at the combine.
Okay, I’ll try a mock with 3 trade downs out of the 1-st round for the Seahawks. Just need motivated trade partners to accomplish these trades. (xxx) = “new” trade chart points.
–TRADE #18 (297) & #210 (3)—- FOR: #27 (216) & #59 (91) = SEA + 7-point advantage
–TRADE #27 (216) —-FOR: #32 (184) & #96 (39) = SEA + 7-point advantage
–TRADE #32 (184)—- FOR: #35 (170) & #131 (18) & #195 (4) = SEA + 8-point advantage
NET PICKS, After trades of 18 & 210 = 35, 59, 96, 131, 195 + remaining native picks.
Remaining Native Picks (approx.): 121, 145, 149, 159, 219, 228,
Seahawk Picks available in draft (approx.): 35, 59, 96, 121, 131, 145, 149, 159, 195, 219, 228
My 1/28/2018 MOCK, all rankings per: nfldraftscout.com 1/27/18 update;
–First two picks likely goes RB/OL or OL/RB – IMO, So, pick could be Penny/Corbett or Hernandez/Jones
RD-2, #35: RB-Rashaad Penny(41) -or- OG-Will Hernandez(34)
RD-2, #59: OG-Austin Corbett(72) -or- RB-Ronald Jones(62)
Rd-3, #96: WR-D. J. Chark(83) -or- DE-Tyquan Lewis(114)
Rd-4, #121: FB/TE-Jaylen Samuels(130) -or- CB-Levi Wallace(131)
Rd-4, #131: OLB-Marquis Haynes(136) or- DT-Fatukasi Folorunso(133)
Rd-5. #145: OLB-Darius Leonard(148) -or- WR-Marcell Ateman(149)
Rd-5, #159: TE-Durham Smythe(178) -or- DT-Kentavius Street(169)
Rd-6. #195: DT-P. J. Hill(198) -or- QB-Riley Ferguson(200)
Rd-7, #219: OG-Jamil Demby(224) -or- OG-Maea Teuhema(243)
Rd-7, #228: WR-Daurice Fountain(272) -or- OT-David Bright(275)
DE/OLB Haynes and Nwosu are both players that I think would fit well into Seattle’s style of defense, and both are looking like day 2 options if Seattle were to trade back. As you said Rob, DE Okoronkwo is a pash-rusher, and I think his combine will be vital if he hopes to rise like Haason Reddick did last year. He is someone to keep an eye on, because he would fill a need in Seattle’s front-7.
all three good options, Id take anyone of them.
+1
I’d love to see Seattle add another pass rusher and of the names around the three listed I think I like the best.
Let’s say, the Browns turn this draft upside down.
They take a RB at #1 and take a DE at #4….. later they will trade back into the bottom half of the 1st for the QB of their choice…. Jackson comes to mind at around pick #22.
Does this sound crazy? I don’t think they are enamored with any of the QB options. The only guy I could see them picking is the small school prospect, but he has accuracy issues. This could also set off a chain reaction of trades and draft day moves….. exciting.
Picking the wrong guy is worse than not picking a QB at all. Setting the franchise back… again.
Fortunately, the current GM is accomplished and has the owners support to do the job right.
There has been talk that Dorsey really likes Josh Allen.
I think Josh Allen will be a better pro than Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield is going to get in his own way. I don’t see him truly putting in the work.
Seems like the type to lead the parade, but not the film study/workout
If Blake Bortles can hang, Josh Allen gonna have some fans
I would take Mayfeild all day but that is what makes the draft fun we all like different guys. I just think Allen is not an accurate passer. 56 % completion percentage the last two years against low level competition. No college QBs with that low a completion % have ever gone on to be quality starters in the NFL.
That being said Allen has a great arm and prototype size / athleticism.
I’ve been critical of Allen in college. He did not play well.
However, yesterday showed that maybe there’s something in how poor his supporting cast was. Allen was throwing with variety, accuracy and he absolutely looked the part. He came out for the second half fired up and was dealing.
He is pretty much the prototype QB. He is the ideal size and height, he has the ideal arm strength (with the ability to still throw with touch) and he ticks the other boxes too — huge hands, mobility to extend plays and make gains on the ground.
He’s going to need time to develop but as a physical profile and in terms of potential and upside, he’s on a different level. And while there’s some risk involved, of course, it can be looked at this way. Any QB pick comes with some risk. You’re betting on a player developing and succeeding. With Allen, at least you’re taking that gamble on a player who is everything you want in a QB physically. And if the Browns bring in Alex Smith as the placeholder for a year or two, Allen gets the time to learn and develop.
Its the first time I’ve been able to watch Allen. Once he settled into the game he looked pretty good. I was impressed by him. Still concerned that he was in a small program and not facing the best defenses. Yes he has the looks – but does he have the performance? He made a few good plays off scrambles, a few tight throws.
I wish that Baker Mayfield had played longer in the Senior Bowl. He is my #1 QB, but will have to evaluate him off the seasons worth of game tape instead of Senior Bowl. Still think his stats are the best of the QBs available.
His stats are good. He also played in the most airiest of spread schemes imaginable at his schools.
Had to walk on twice.
I’ve never heard of that.
He has a rare ability to not be selected for scholarships at his schools of choice.
And i defonitely am not blaming the schools.
Apparently Mayfield (or his agent) was smart enough to spend a lot of time with media and reassure then that he is dependable and even headed. Getting good public relations was probably the most valuable thing he could have done.
Blake Bortles has held his team back and now there’s talk that after getting to the AFC Championship game the QB of all things may have to go.
You’re tight thought people are going to look at him and think he’s going to be great with the right coaching and there’s going to be the Carson Wentz bump, teams thinking there’s a smilarity between the two players.
Like Bortles, Allen I think as a sub-par QB. Rob mentions supporting cast, but you want to see accuracy stats rise during college not fall or stay stagnant.
Rob, why do you think that DJ Chark isba little bit undersized? He is 6-3, 196.
Not Rob, but just look at him:
https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/455/634/6_7634455.jpg
Most 6025 WR are up around 215 lbs. This guy is a skinny speedster, which is fine, and I think calling him “a little bit undersized” is quite perfectly accurate.
Ok, thnx. 🙂
Martavis Bryant like
Rob, when’s that new mock dropping? 😉
Have been trying to collect some of the more credible rumors I’ve come across as far as team needs. Maybe you already have them contemplated, but if not:
1. Baker Mayfield to Saints
2. Bucs GM history suggest they could be looking at Guard early (via Walter, but makes sense)
New mock today
#blessed
Your kidding right? Don’t even have to wait for Wednesday? You rule = Rob.
There some Senior Bowl buzz was generating that teams are looking to aggressively move up for QBs like the Chiefs and Texans did last year. If Mayfield slips out of the top 10, would not shock me if the Saints move up into the teens to get ahead of the Cardinals.
With the new OC i expect the Hawks to pick up a big go up and get em type of wide receiver, luckily for the Hawks i expect them to be able to grab a few because this draft has an oddly high number of guys who are 6’5. One player I’ve recently keyed in on is Allen Lazard as he seems to be willing to go up and get the ball, no doubt struggles at times with separation but has the size to beat out receivers.
Would like to see the Hawks grab Chark and Lazard in order to really give teams some messy match ups.
The big wide outs and their availability is what has me convinced Graham will not be back, and since there are so few options at tight end, i also think that Vannett and Swoopes will be our starting 2, Swoopes could be more important than any of us realoze because if he can catch those checkdowns he can turn 2 or 3 yards into 7 or 8 really fast with his ability to truck. His skillset could make us the bully again
If we trade Britt before 5th day of waiver period we would save 2,4 milion for 2018 cap. Interesting.
They’d have to cut him because that date comes before the new league year begins
Uf. I didnt know that. I had hope that we can get 2nd round pick, save some money and.move Pocic at C. Sorry for wrong information.
why are people so keen on Pocic at center vs. Britt? so there would be a new center who hasn’t proved anything and yet another hole still to fill on the line.
also, Britt in a trade realistically what does he net? a fourth?
This is probably the reason Pete brought back Key Norton. Coaches kids into Alphas
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/27/raiders-linebacker-bruce-irvin-opens-up-about-ken-norton-jr/
Ken
Great read. Thanks for linking!
With this and Doug Baldwin’s comments on Schotty, I think it’s pretty clear they want guys whose authority is felt in the locker room. Need this if the type of player you target are often big, outspoken, alpha dog personalities. And we have seen a bit over the past couple years what can happen when that leadership doesn’t fully take control and hold everybody accountable.
If the Raiders cut Bruce (which they might since he is 8 mil against the cap this year and 9 mil next year with only 250k in dead money) i think he will wear a seahawks uniform again. That frees up the Hawks to have a deeper D line rotation and gives them the ability to plug Bruce in if the Linebacker they draft isn’t ready yet.
For the right price, I wouldn’t object to that.
Irvin is one of my favourite former hawks
But we need to et younger on d and this is a great lb class
I disagree about this class of linebackers being great. It’s not bad. Having said that, we won’t be picking any until the third day, most likely. Still need to get that running back and unless you lump in Edge players with the linebackers, we don’t look to take one early. The best linebackers in this class are inside backers. The OLB candidates are high upside but haven’t popped yet. Edmonds will go before we draft. Like I said, for the right price I would pick him up. I wouldn’t invest heavily into him.
I think theres actually quite a few intruiging guys worth taking day 2 if we can aquire a pick. Mostly guys who are best fit at mike, i agree, but could play sam in our scheme easily enough.
Point is do we really want to be giving a 30 year old starting snaps?
Bruce Irvin is awesome to play with in Madden. In real life, he’s pretty fun too. He does t just sack the QB, he HITS them.
Bennet jumps offsides… shocking lol.