Jarvis Landry is a terrific football player.
Out of this fantastic crop of receivers in the draft, if you needed one guy to make a key third down conversion — you’d probably choose Landry.
He’s a gutsy, ferocious competitor with massive 10 1/4 inch hands.
Landry just always seems to be involved. If he’s not catching a pass, he’ll be around the ball trying to throw a block or looking for someone to hit. He loves to hit people on special teams.
He’s exactly the type of player you can rely on. He’s a tough, gritty receiver — with the right attitude to the game.
But athletically, he’s nothing to shout about.
A lot of his catches in college were contested. Sometimes that’s a good thing — he’ll compete in the air to make a difficult conversion over the middle and you get out of your seat.
At times he also struggles to manufacture separation at the beginning of his routes with a lack of explosion. He won’t get beyond a defender and take the top off a defense. He’s not a downfield threat.
For an offense that loves to take shots (eg Seattle) — he’s not going to burn off a defense on play action and make the huge chunk play. He also lacks the height and reach (5-11, 31 1/4 inch arms) to be a great jump ball specialist.
That’s not to say he doesn’t make spectacular plays. He does. He’s definitely capable of ‘wow’ moments and he wins his fair share of 50/50 passes. Look at the video above and notice the one-hander against Arkansas in the back of the end zone at 2:57.
We just need to work out whether his skill set translates into what the Seahawks want to do.
He’s going to win by out-working a defender, using body control on shorter routes to get an edge and being a solid hands-catcher. He’s not a burner with great height and length.
Can he win the red-line? Sure. He’ll have an early impact on special teams too. But he’s not a deep receiver. And I’m not convinced he’ll be much of a red zone threat at the next level.
They’ve added toughness and consistency to the receiver position, but not with early picks or big free agent money. I get the sense they’ll really like Landry, but we need to work out what kind of grade he’ll be getting.
Landry had a poor combine, running one forty time of 4.77 before getting injured (hamstring). He tried to do the drills but pulled up after a solitary one-handed grab on a short route. The injury probably had an impact on a lousy 28.5 inch vertical.
He needs a good pro-day to recapture some momentum. And yet teams won’t be too concerned about that when they go back and watch the tape and see what a great competitor he is.
There isn’t a tougher receiver in this class.
Here’s how I’d look at it. If Seattle drafted Jarvis Landry in round one or round four I’d be thrilled. You want players like this on your team. And it’s not always about being the biggest or the fastest player — a seven yard completion on third down can be one of the most important plays in a game.
That’s the kind of thing Landry does well.
It’s hard to work out where his stock is right now — but a smart team will be ready to pounce if he falls.
Good write up Rob. I agree that Landry would be a good player to have, I just can’t justify drafting him with either of our first two picks. He’s a great player – underrated for me, but he just doesn’t do anything that we don’t already have.
Now, if he’s there in the 3rd round (and assuming we acquire a 3rd rounder somewhere along the line), I’d snatch him up in a heartbeat.
Personally, I think he has 49er written all over him, which kind of scares me, quite frankly.
Jarvis is a terrific football player – I’m just not sure he’s a guy I would draft given our current lineup. He may be better eventually than Kearse and Baldwin, but it seems like if WR is the choice, a tall guy is the better choice. Jarvis much like OBJ may be good players, but they remind me of Tavon Austin – and maybe it takes them a while to learn how to play in the NFL.
Thanks for the continuing articles – good things to think about.
The way that man competes and attacks the ball in the air.. he is nothing like Austin. Austin is the absolute opposite. Austin lives off being in space and being elusive. Being fast.
This guy is like Boldin except not quite as big.
Learning how to play in the NFL will not be the obstacle for this kid.
His raw measurables are the big question.
Slower than slow linebackers… :/
If he were a 4.5 guy I would compare him to Lee. Fierce competitors. Fight for the ball in the air. Lee is probably a better route runner.
I don’t understand the Tavon Austin reference/comparison. OBJ and Landry are both considered great route runners and have played in a pro style system. If anything, they should pick things up right away having had Cam Cameron as OC.
Tavon Austin? Surely you speak in jest. Tavon Austin’s route running abilities are rudimentary at best. Tavon is a pure gadget player and special teams guy, imo, a glorified Dave Meggett. Landry and OBJ are all around receivers who can run every route in the tree.
I do think he is a clutch college player but I don’t know if it will translate to the next level where everyone is so much faster. He is a tough player but I couldn’t justify taking him before Seattle’s 4th round pick. He is more consistant but very similar to Josh Huff in my eyes but I do think Josh Huff can beat people deep on occasion.
I really like Landry for all the reasons Rob mentioned. All the concerns about his possible limitations in the deep threat game could have also bee made about Baldwin when he first arrived, so I don’t see that as a big knock against him here. Besides, we have Percy as a deep threat. Everything else he brings as far as competitiveness, grit, and should-chip is entirely in line with what we do. I would love to have him at any point past 32.
I like Landry also.. for all the reasons you point out.
Small point:
Dougs 40 time: 4.48
Landry 40 time: 4.77
I wonder if Landry just had a bad run.
Also, while Percy can be a deep threat its not his normal role or how we can best use his skill set. Percy is elite at smoothly accelerating. 10 – 20 yd speed rather than 40 yd speed.
Personally I like the idea of Jordan Matthews, or Martavis Bryant better than Landry, but mostly because of size.
I also think you can get a similar player in terms of grit, much later in the draft, one who has some familiarity with Russell Wilson too, as he played a season with him; Jared Abbrederis from Wisconsin is a guy who will go later, but has high football IQ, and all the grit that you see from Landry.
I’m not opposed to Landry per se, I just think there will probably be better options early, and then better options again, late, after he’s off the board. He’s a Seahawks type of player in terms of grit, but he’s not a fit in terms of the size we’re looking for…
Bryant is more dynamic as a downfield threat. But Landry has qualities Bryant lacks. Matthews is distinctly average IMO.
I don’t personally see the same player with Abbrederis (there isn’t a tougher WR in this draft than Landry) and I also think we can overstate his one year with Russell Wilson two seasons ago.
A final note on size — I think they’d love to get a big receiver and clearly they also love insane athletes too. But they also value guys who flat out compete their asses off, even if they’re 5-11.
I can’t disagree with you there Rob. He’s a Seahawks type when it comes to grit, without a doubt. Abbrederis may not be as tough as Landry (no argument from me there), but he’s a guy who runs ultra precise routes, and worked his BUTT OFF to get where he is, from being a walk on. He’s a super high football IQ guy, a film room warrior as well…in that way I do see him as having that “grit” the Seahawks look for.
Still, as I said, I’m not opposed to Landry at all, I like him as a player, I am just sort of hoping that we are able to get that Big Mike Williams type of player or something approximating it) out of this draft somehow.
I’d be interested to get your take on Abbrederis, too, actually.
So would I.
I’m already pretty convinced that, the knock of nt being athletic enough is race based rather than rooted in reality. I’ve already seen all the typical race based comparisons, like Eric Decker etc…
Give me a break with that!
I would love to know what Rob sees with him thoguh…myself I see a guy who works REALLY hard, a guy similar in many ways to Doug Baldwin, but who is taller by about 2 inches.
He SEEMS to be a Seahawks type of player…I could be way off of course, but it’s his work ethic that jumps out, even on film.
You just don’t run routes that precisely without putting in a TON of practice, and you don’t go from walk on to mid round or higher prospect without being legit.
A final note on size — I think they’d love to get a big receiver and clearly they also love insane athletes too. But they also value guys who flat out compete their asses off, even if they’re 5-11.
Very true statement. The difference being that we don’t spend draft picks on players who aren’t great athletes. Especially high draft picks. Laundry has A+ hands with C- athleticism. His strengths are redundant to our WR core, with Baldwin and Kearse(UDFA’s) already in the fold. I do like Laudry a lot and think he will thrive if drafted by the right team(NE, NO, Detroit)…just don’t see that team being the Hawks.IMO
I would argue that we don’t know yet regarding PC/JS evaluating early WR picks. The only early one was Tate in the second round.
What we do know is that it seems that PC/JS value grit and competitive fire over anything else when it comes to skill positions. Its true in the WR position and true with the CB position.
I’m real curious to see what they do. Historical Sample sizes are just too small to make any types of projections. I do think they will evaluate the WR position differently than other groups. WR is notorious for not being about the ingredients of a player but how they put it together on the field.
FINALLY!!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for Landry(one of my LSU boys) to get some real love on this site. We would be smart to draft a receiver like Landry over most receivers in this class. He makes the impossible catch look easy and more often than you’d think. I’ve stated in here before that I haven’t missed an LSU game yet in the last 7 yrs. The same goes for my Seahawks. Landry is a better pass catcher than Doug Baldwin and is MORE clutch in my personal opinion, AND I LOVE ME SOME DOUG BALDWIN!!!! I hope he doesn’t end up in San Fran. This is EXACTLY the type of receiver that’ll be in the league for 10-12 yrs. and make you pay for it. Has a lot of Hines Ward to his game.
I think he is a bit of a Hines Ward-lite. That’s a pretty good comp.
I can say this, I think the hawks will choose the best possible athlete at #32. Whether it be WR, DT, OL, DE, TE, they will pick him. Just like Bruce Irvin, and C Michael, they are insane athletes, and you just can’t pass those guys up
David M-Can’t rule out OLB either with KJ and Smith a year away from free agency. Shazier is the type of freak athlete you’re talking about.
I would have no problem at all with us drafting Shazier in Rnd 1 and getting OL in Rnd 2.
Yeah I was just listing off positions that came off the top of my head, but I can honestly see them taking the best player available, regardless of position
The #32 pick will be OL/DL or LB.
I’m going with Joel Botonio, T/G, Nevada Height 6-4. Weight 302.
(Compared to Patriot probowler guard Logan Mankins by some scouts, help solidify the OL at RG or RT)
But I could easily see Seattle picking one of these other guys as well;
Dominique Easley, DE, Florida Height: 6-2. Weight: 288.
(Explosive, He was equally rated to Clowney before his ACL injury early in the 2013 CFB season)
Christian Jones, ILB/OLB, Florida State Height: 6-3. Weight: 240.
(Bump Irvin back to DE, KJ Wright clone… one of my favorite player in the draft projecting into the NFL)
The #64 pick will be WR/TE/CB/S or OL if one was not picked in the 1st round.
I’m going with Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin Height: 6-2. Weight: 188.
(Played with RW and was very productive)
But I could easily see Seattle picking one of these other guys as well;
Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State Height: 6-1. Weight: 211.
(He will probably be gone, but would have high upside and value at end of 2nd; fill a need for a backup)
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington Height: 6-6. Weight: 262.
(Foot injury and character issues, but Husky fans know how explosive he can be when healthy)
Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU Height: 6-1. Weight: 195.
(A little smaller than they like, doubt he will be around at end of 2nd, but good value pick.)
Nice summary unicorn.
Good breakdown Rob, but no thanks on the player.
Below average athlete and undersized are not good attributes for any prospect trying to make this team. Drafting him would instantly add the slowest skill player on the team.
Are we so fast to look at what a man cant do instead of what he can? Have we learned anything from pc/js?
I don’t disagree in general with you but there is no doubt Jarvis has some special skills and shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly due to measurable.
What I have learned from this front office is they weigh measurables very heavily.
They take great pride in having a developmental staff that can turn elite athleticism and competitiveness into great players.
I don’t quickly discount what he has been able to do on the college field dispite his shortcomings, but if Pete was a sculptor I think he would choose to work with the finest marble he could find, knowing his craftmanship could create a masterpiece.
When your speed is closer to that of a linebacker, you need to be a precise route runner in order to get daylight. He cant become faster but he can become a better route runner. This will cancel his slower speed.
It would suck if SF drafts him.
I’m fearing if sf drafts cooks. One way or another we have to accept sf is getting a very good prospect or two
Not with the first pick, that is slower than your average TE. It is like arm strength with QB’s, you need a minimum level to be effective in the NFL. The problem we have is that we already have Doug Baldwin in this role (and to a lesser extent Kearse, who does have some speed). If you have a lot of slow WR’s, you can’t stretch the field. It also puts the QB in greater risk of being picked off when the WR can’t get separation. Considering that Harvin’s strength is working in space, I would think you want someone who can stretch the field and push to command double teams. Landry does not appear to be that guy. I doubt the Seahawks look at him in the first four rounds. Maybe in the third or fourth if we lost Baldwin, but not until later now. Yes they like competitive, but first and foremost they are looking at athletes, and Landry isn’t one.
Its monday here, 2pm. No news about Allen yet. I think he needs some help with his statment. I’ll give him a hand.
“It has been a very dificult descision for me and my family. It has been a great compliment to have a few teams making serious offers for my services next year. After carefull consideration with my family i have decided that at this point of my career it is more importent for me to play with an elite team and to be a part of a serious chapionship contender. I have therefor decided not to take the highest offer on the table but to join the best defense in the NFL. It’s an honor to play for NFL champions and i will do my best to help them repeat it this year. I want to thank my family for suporting my descision, my agent for his tireless efforts and the wonderfull people at Seattle which i will call home from now on. I can’t wait to get on the field with those amazing fans behind me. GO HAWKS”
Or,
“F*** it, Ware got 12M, I QUIT”
Besides wanting the deal Ware got, another reason Allen likely won’t be signing with us is the fact he is chasing the all-time sack record. He is still several seasons of double-digit sacks away from even getting close to that mark, and that won’t happen as a situational pass rusher, which he would be here. Nothing about the way this guy has comported himself so far in FA suggests to me that a ring is near the top of his priority list. If he values other things, that is his business. I does, however, make clear that the things he values would not be a good fit in our scheme. As each day passes I become more resolved that we might be better off without him.
He could definitely be a 3 down player here. He’ll just get rotated to stay fresh. Why wouldn’t he like that? Less injury risk, better motor.
only a couple players in that position will get the amount that Ware got – and the teams most likely to pay that amount have already chosen people. Allen will just have to settle for an above average salary like Bennett did. At that point it is more about enjoying the team you are on, staying healthy, and playing well.
This is why the 40-time is such a frustrating meeasureable. The Combine has enhanced/emphasized a measureaeble that while a good barometer for speed, doesn’t really tell you much about the player. Football IQ, Instinct and hard work CLEARLY out-weigh 40-time in a players worth.
2 examples:
I will always look to Jerry Rice and say “he didn’t run the fastest 40 and look what we did.
Darrius Heyward-Bey was a top-10 40 time in the 2009 draft and still can’t run routes and about 60% of the time drops passes due to lack of focus/not following the ball in.
Landry is a GAMER that makes the tough catches. He works extremely hard and that is something our FO looks at. If they decided to go with drafting him, I could clearly see the move. If they go a different direction, we gotta shut him down!
If I’m the Seahawks, I’m not really worried about playing against Landry. And I wouldn’t count on him going to the 9ers. They need a burner. Far more likely they take Cooks.
Yes I think SF will go for Cooks. Though they are already loaded with first round draft picks on their practice squad. Wait – I think they traded Quick? They got that speedy running back from Oregon too. I always thought they would use him more often, but they have stuck with Gore.
It’s about time his wheels fell off. I never liked Gore. The Inconvenient Truth is a dope nickname, though.
They traded AJ, but still have Quick. I believe
OT:
“The medical people found that Tuitt had a broken foot when he was examined at the combine. He recently had surgery and did not workout. I can’t see Tuitt getting drafted before the second round, and he may drop to the third depending on the results of his surgery.”
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Pro-days-notebook.html
Tuitt at 64, anyone?
If he fell to #64, I think you HAVE to take him….
I was never really impressed with Tuitt’s tape. Seems like a workout warrior to me.
I am confused, how can someone be a workout warrior when he has gaudy production? Tuitt has almost identical stats in three years to Clowney (Clowney has a couple more sacks, but that edge comes disproportionately from his first year). Isn’t a workout warrior someone who doesn’t put up good stats, but wows people at the combine? 19.5 sacks the last two years is quite good production in my book, and if you review the stats, it was fairly evenly split between good and bad opponents.
Double check his tape from 2012, especially the first 6 games of the year (against teams like Michigan, MSU, Miami (FL)) when he played at the weight he came into the combine at and before he developed (and played with) a hernia. He was a monster in those games rushing the passer and stopping opposing rushers, and was consistently in the top 3 of sacks in the nation.
Heck, even this year, when he was 20 lbs over weight and hadn’t worked out during the off season due to the aforementioned surgery, he still had 7.5 sacks. Although if you watch his games this year, he looks slow and fat to my eyes.
BTW, that report isn’t completely accurate. Tuitt put on a special pro day at Notre Dame a couple weeks after the combine, where he reportedly ran a low 4.8 in the 40. He did that so he could get the surgery out of the way and show that he was fully recovered right before the draft.
I am of the opinion that while 40 times don’t necessarily mean a lot, they do when the guy running a really good one is 6’5 and weighs 303 lbs. If you had an OT who was 6’5 with long arms, 303 lbs and ran a low 4.8, he would skyrocket up the draft boards (which is what happened last year with Armstead and that other kid, and why Okung was the second OT off the board after Trent Williams).
While I am a Notre Dame fan, I really wouldn’t be interested in the Seahawks taking Nix (strikes me as just another Mebane), luke warm on taking Nicklas (seems like more of a 3rd or 4th rounder to me given his lack of production), and I am not that impressed with Watt. Martin would be fine, although he isn’t a pile driver, but he might surprise people by being able to hold the edge at OT (everyone dismisses this possibility based purely on his height, the guy has very quick feet). Tuitt is someone I would like the Seahawks to take. He has great numbers the last two years, and physically he is very unusual. I think he could slip into the 5 technique and give us a Red Bryant presence with a lot more pass rush. He would also give us the opportunity to go big playing bookend DE to Bennett in obvious rushing situations or inside the 10 yard line. I do think he needs to work on his technique, but the only other ND players over the last 15 years I have felt this confident would make a big impact in the NFL were Justin Tuck and Michael Floyd. I also think that Tuitt would thrive in the atmosphere that Pete Carroll has created here in Seattle, the competitive environment would bring out the best in Tuitt.
Great response, very good points. I will concede that he has rare measurables, but the tape just doesn’t show a fiery or explosive player. He looks like a decent 3-4 DE. He could fit at 5 tech for us, but I just don’t see anything more than JAG on film.
Nix as just another Mebane.
Mebane is an elite 1 tech, That’s exactly why I’m high on Nix. He doesn’t seem serious enough about his craft.
Not necessarily, depending on what you think of his foot injury. That’s why I’m asking…a price check on his adjusted worth.
Nice post Rob, I need to watch tape on this Landry guy. Very curious now about the effort he’s putting into his game.
I also have a couple of questions regarding compensatory picks. My first one is if a team’s re-signing of its own free agents applies to the equation that allocates comp. picks to teams, or does it only apply to new players added through free agency? Also, I was combing through last year’s transactions and the Hawks were really active in free agency, obviously. Does the Percy Harvin trade apply to their comp. picks at all and, taking into account we signed Avril and Bennett last year, are we due any 2013 late round comp. picks for losing the likes of Jason Jones and Marcus Trufant, etc.?
We’ll find out later today.
Field Gulls is saying Finley didn’t pass the medical.
I saw something saying he is “MONTHS AWAY” from being ready….
I read that, and to keep in contact once he gets right, medically.
Definitely not a 4.77 on the field. I could see him as a great option in round two, but yah the rest of his measurables will probably hold him out of the first. Crazy hands.
rob watch this and tell me you dont see Brandon Cooks as a replica of golden tate, this kid is a playmaker. i never sat down to watch some of his filmtill now, but im impressed. I can see the Hawks taking him at #32. he is the same size as Tate, has Punt return skills, and is FAST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7gCywxvoDw
Just watched him too vs washington huskies, he was totally shut down by Marcus Jenkins #6 ranked cb for 2016
Marcus Peters….
Yep, Peters. Watching the tape on draft breakdown makes me more convinced we need a big, red zone guy
I can see why someone may look at cook and point to Tate. I don’t view them that similar other than height. Cook has good speed, but Tate is more shifty and doesn’t go down as quickly. They look like different runners to me.
Cook vs Tate: Can he run to the end zone, push the corner away, go jump ball against three other defensive backs, and make a game winning one handed catch while falling to the ground???
Tate will always have that moment of fame. And now he can play Green Bay twice a year. Who’s your daddy now????
Yeah. Watching Cook’s tape I don’t see that type of player. Cook is intriguing, but to me different player than Tate. Tate should ball playing GB next year. I will watch that game.
I think there’s every chance he’ll be gone by #32, but if he’s there he’s an option.
Rob, with the browns signing of Pat McQuistan, drafting Bitonio at 32 or even jumping up and drafting him becomes more important don’t you think? Or do they have the trust in carp to start LG?
Well, McQuistan was the backup left tackle in 2013. So drafting someone who can play guard or tackle makes sense.
Lets not forget McQuinstan was a backup who had 14 starts last year.
And a poor performance.
Being said I don’t see a need to jump up in the Draft to pick a O’ lineman prospect.
I wouldn’t be surprised a player they value will be there for them at 32 and they hold at that spot
Rob, have you had a chance to check out Barnett? What’s your opinion on him?
Not yet.
2014 comp pick rewarded today seattle has none niners get a third
http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/03-24-14-compensatory-picks.pdf