Month: April 2012 (Page 6 of 9)

The Jon Gruden quarterback camp collection

For the last few years, Jon Gruden’s QB camps have been one of the more entertaining series leading up to the draft. Gruden’s a little softer on the guys these days – we don’t see him mocking anyone’s Texas accent ala Colt McCoy. These are still fun to watch though.

Below you’ll find all the recent episodes in full, including Brock Osweiler, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Brandon Weeden, Kellen Moore and Kirk Cousins. I’ll publish the others when aired and available. Enjoy.

SDB Community mock – #9 Carolina

The Miami Dolphins took Ryan Tannehill at #8, after the Texas A&M quarterback received 69% of the votes. There are three more picks before the Seahawks are on the board. So far, no defensive lineman have been drafted – an advantage for the Seahawks. Will that change at #9 and Carolina?

#1 Andrew Luck – IND

#2 Robert Griffin III – WAS

#3 Matt Kalil – MIN

#4 Trent Richardson – CLE

#5 Morris Claiborne – TB

#6 Justin Blackmon – STL

#7 Michael Floyd – JAC

#8 Ryan Tannehill – MIA

I’ve opened up the number of options with this pick because it was too difficult to limit it to just four choices. Lucky Panthers.

Ron Rivera is going to use a lot of different looks utilising 4-3 and 3-4 concepts and needs an added presence on the defensive line to improve a struggling unit. In the aftermath of the combine, most people expected Carolina to draft nose tackle Dontari Poe. That expectation has been tempered recently as more and more people look at the tape, but you can’t get away from the upside shown by the Memphis lineman. If the Panthers want to consider a permanent switch to the 3-4 they’ll need a nose tackle.

If Carolina isn’t convinced with Poe, it could be that they target another big, athletic lineman in Fletcher Cox. I prefer Cox as a five-technique but he’s scheme diverse and fits the concept of a hybrid defense. Quinton Coples is equally capable of playing end in the 4-3 and 3-4, while Melvin Ingram is one of the more versatile pass rushers in the class. Courtney Upshaw is also diverse enough and would have to be in contention for the Panthers. Five solid options up front for the team’s biggest area of need.

What about elsewhere? They could stay local and consider a cornerback like Stephon Gilmore. I’m not a huge fan personally, but his combination of size/speed is en vogue (largely thanks to Pete Carroll) and corner is a significant need for Carolina. Luke Kuechly will dazzle some teams and underwhelm others, but he could go anywhere from the top ten to the bottom of round one.

So who are you going for?


(polls)

Off topic: Why I rate this front office highly

Chris Spencer and Olindo Mare, moonlighting as AP photographers

Written by Kip Earlywine

Fellow blogger compatriot Brandon Adams of Seahawks blog 17power, posting under the moniker MontanaHawk05, had a nice writeup earlier today in which he critiques the Seahawks current regime. After reading through it, I figured I’d give my own, since I see things through a bit of a different prism than Brandon does, even if I agree with most of his substance on the subject.

You might want to grab a cup of coffee, this will be a long post.  Since its going to be so long, I might as well talk about how I go into an evaluation. Knowing the reviewer is as important as knowing the review.  For example, a thumbs up from Simon Cowell always meant something different than a thumbs up from Paula Abdul, because they had different standards and criteria to go by.  I don’t believe that I can convince everyone to my point of view, but instead I only hope to reach out to like minded thinkers and become a useful source of information, or at the least, an entertaining, thought-provoking read. Continue reading

Still trying to work out Whitney Mercilus

Every year there seems to be at least one player you struggle to work out. Increasingly I’ve found that player to be a pass rusher. In 2010, I occasionally mocked Jason Pierre-Paul to Seattle at #14. At the same time, it seemed impossible to judge what kind of player he would become. He had the elite measurables and a ceiling higher than virtually any other player in the draft. Yet the tape was inconsistent, he was an inexperienced JUCO transfer and the question marks were almost as substantial as the potential. He turned out pretty well in the end.

Last year, Robert Quinn was another athletic defensive end who flashed an effective speed rush, consistently troubling college offensive lineman. Many ranked him as a top-ten talent, yet he missed his final year at UNC through suspension and looked like a bit of a one-trick pony. He had five sacks as a rookie and grew into a role at St. Louis, but can he develop into a productive pass rusher? The jury’s still out.

This year’s unknown quantity comes in the form of Whitney Mercilus, who came from nowhere in 2011 to lead the NCAA with 16 sacks. You put on the tape, sit down and try to work out how good this guy is going to be. But you can’t. At least I can’t. This is the third time since he declared for the draft that I’ve sat down and considered what kind of pro he’ll become. Is he a one-year wonder? Or is his emphatic junior year a sign of things to come?

Perhaps the bigger question is whether teams will have the same view. Can they work him out any better? Continue reading

Draft Spotlight: Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virginia

Written by Kip Earlywine

Bruce Irvin is one of the draft’s most intriguing athletes.  He’s also one of the draft’s most interesting stories.  Irvin dropped out of high school in the 11th grade, ran in with the wrong crowd, and on two occasions missed jail time by the narrowest of margins.  If you have a bit of time, I’d encourage you to read his story.  Its pretty amazing.  He also sat down and gave an interview about his difficult past and how he turned his life around.

Irvin was recently in trouble for knocking a sign over and breaking it, but it sounds as if Irvin did not intend to break the sign and you could probably just chalk up that incident as innocent horseplay.  After working so hard to come this far, its pretty hard to believe he’d actually want to throw that away for no reason a month before the draft.  It may have been stupid, but I don’t think it was malicious.

Irvin played running back and wide receiver in high school, and when he later joined a junior college football team, he was initially a free safety.  Irvin was later moved to defensive end, and in his first full season at end he totaled 15 sacks.  This caught the attention of coaches for several major programs, and Irvin was eventually recruited by West Virginia.  Irvin had 14.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his first West Virginia season (2010).  He posted 8 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2011.

The drop in production is a direct result of West Virginia switching to a 3-3-5 scheme last season and attempting to use Irvin as part of a three man line.  Irvin is a deadly pass rusher, but only when his contact with offensive tackles is minimal.  By Irvin’s own admission, his coaches never really taught him pass rushing techniques, and only used him as a pure athlete rushing the passer.  As a result, Irvin produces plays almost exclusively by running around or inside of offensive tackles- almost like a running back who’s attempting to run around a defensive lineman.  He resists engaging and when he’s caught in the tackles grasp he looks even more helpless than Melvin Ingram, which is saying something.  By putting Irvin in a three man front, it gave him less of an angle to use when running around the tackle.

Now, I’m not saying that to excuse Irvin’s shocking lack of technique, but it is what it is and West Virginia should have known better.  Irvin isn’t truly a pass rusher, he’s an great athlete posing as one.  Lining him up as a five technique for most of his snaps last year wasn’t a great idea.

There is some good news for Irvin though.  He’s got decently long arms- arms that are nearly a full two inches longer than Melvin Ingram’s.  Whereas Ingram’s struggles to disengage scare the heck out of me because his arms won’t get any longer, Irvin’s problem was lack of coaching and technique.  Irvin’s problems could certainly be fixable.  Irvin is also a bit like Mychal Kendricks in that they both have a bad habit of sinking their shoulders into blockers hoping to drive them back when instead they should be using proper arm technique.  If trained to hand fight and disengage, Irvin would benefit tremendously.  On the downside, if he fails to learn how to do this, he probably won’t have any future as a three point stance player in the NFL.

Normally, a player as raw and as lightweight as Irvin wouldn’t be drafted very highly.  The reason Irvin could be drafted as early as the 2nd round is because he’s a special athlete.  His 4.50 forty time was among the very best among front seven players at the combine, as was his 6.70 three cone time.  Those times are both nearly identical to those put up by the draft’s fastest linebacker, Mychal Kendricks.  Its not easy to accumulate almost 40 sacks over three college seasons without any technique.  That speaks very highly of Irvin’s raw athleticism and intriguing potential.

Irvin plays his ass off on every down, and never quits on a play.  Because of his inability to disengage, a very high number of his sacks were of the hustle variety.  That’s a backhanded compliment at best, but if there is such a thing as having talent for hustle sacks, Irvin’s got it.

Irvin is a liability in the running game.  He struggles to shed blocks against the run just as badly as he does against the pass.  At best, he’ll occupy space and hope for a teammate to make the stop.  On the positive side, I was pleased to see Irvin was at least able to hold his ground without being driven back by single blockers.  Irvin can be swallowed up in the running game, but at least he’s not getting blown back and opening running lanes on a consistent basis.  Irvin may not have strong arms, but isn’t without power in his lower body, and that helps him hold the point of attack surprisingly well for a 244 pound player.  Overall, I personally think Irvin’s run defense issues have a lot more to do with technique and strength than size.  Which is good because those kinds of things can be worked on.  With improved hand use and some increased upper body strength, its not unthinkable that Irvin could develop into a passable run defender a couple years down the line.

Its crucially important that wherever Irvin goes, he has a coach that quickly and effectively coaches him up in the art of pass rushing and hand use.  Irvin skated by at the college level on his elite athleticism alone.  That won’t continue in the NFL.

In conclusion:

Despite some massive flaws, Bruce Irvin is my favorite pure pass rusher in the 2012 draft.  He reminds me of a (much) smaller Jason Pierre-Paul with a bigger heart for the game.  The Giants drafted JPP in the mid first round hoping they could coach him up and reap the rewards of his amazing athleticism.  They succeeded, and now JPP is one of the league’s elite pass rushers.  For a team that doesn’t need pass rush help right away and is willing to take a chance, Irvin makes  a lot of sense at some point after the first round.  Buffalo in particular would make a lot of sense as a potential landing spot as they have their short term pass rush needs addressed but are thought to be looking for long term developmental pass rushers to play behind their current $140 million duo.

The Seahawks are another team that could make sense for Irvin.  Though interest in Irvin is mostly limited to 3-4 teams looking for outside linebacker help, unconventional 4-3 teams with time and patience could be suitors too.  Seattle is an unusually good place for Irvin by 4-3 standards since the team’s LEO position is a 9 technique which is ideal for a player like Irvin that does so well in open space as a pass rusher.  It is also a position that values run defense a little less than a base 4-3 end normally would, which is another good fit for Irvin.  With Chris Clemons under contract in 2012 and a free agent in 2013, it gives Irvin a little time to develop while hopefully grabbing the reins of the LEO spot in 2013 or 2014.

While I do not expect Seattle to show any interest in Irvin during the first three rounds, if he falls to Seattle’s 4th rounder, there is a chance Seattle could pull the trigger.  When Pete Carroll wants to fix something, he doesn’t do it half-assed, as evidenced by taking offensive line with his first two picks in the draft last year and then later signing Robert Gallery in free agency.  Drafting a 1st round pass rusher and then a second pass rusher later is certainly a possibility.  Irvin also fits the profile of the intriguing but flawed mid to late round prospect that Carroll and Schneider have repeatedly targeted in the last two drafts.

Irvin has double digit sack potential in the NFL, but he also has a disturbingly high chance to be a complete bust with little to no redeeming value.  He has the speed and athleticism to play multiple positions on both sides of the ball, but he’d have to learn how to play those as well.  The risk and uncertainty that comes with Irvin could keep him out of the 2nd or even 3rd round despite his gifts.  That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if things will work out and Irvin ends up delivering some metaphorical Muay Thai asskickings every Sunday.

Video sources:

JMPasq:  Bruce Irvin vs Maryland (2010)

JMPasq:  Bruce Irvin vs Pittsburgh

JMPasq:  Bruce Irvin vs Marshall

JMPasq:  Bruce Irvin vs Clemson

Some thoughts on Nick Perry & 26 to attend draft

I’m not a huge fan of Nick Perry, but that has more to do with his stock rather than his ability. Before the 2010 college season I thought he could be a possible high pick due to the hype surrounding his recruitment, but a pre-season high ankle sprain curtailed his impact. It put paid to any plans to declare for the 2011 draft and he came back to lead the PAC-12 in sacks last season (9.5 sacks) and his stock appeared to be safely in the region of the second or third round. That was a comfortable grade based on the tape.

Fast forward a few weeks and he enjoys a spectacular combine, leading to the inevitable shift in where he’s being projected. At 271lbs he ran the third fastest forty yard dash among defensive lineman (4.64) and had the best broad and vertical jumps at his position. Perry benched 35 reps too. He looked the part in Indianapolis, leading SI.com’s Tony Pauline to note, “Perry turned in a workout for the ages. He was fast, posting 40 times in the low 4.6-second range at 271 pounds. He was strong, completing 35 repetitions on the bench press. Perry was also explosive and touched 38.5 inches in the vertical jump. He later looked incredibly athletic in all position drills. Perry solidified himself as a first-round pick. The question is how early will he be selected during the first 32 choices.”

Suddenly he’s in the top-20 and due to the Carroll connection, he’s a hot tip for the Seahawks. Russ Lande at the Sporting News has Seattle drafting Perry in round oneDane Brugler at CBS Sportsline/NFL Draft Scout also has Perry at #12Danny O’Neil took him for Seattle in the NFL Network’s beat-writers mock draft. There’s some method to the projection – the team needs a pass rusher and will almost certainly draft one in round one. Perry and Carroll have history at USC and Seattle’s coach made a point of naming ‘speed’ and ‘improved pass rush’ as key areas for the off-season. Continue reading

Zach Brown and the Pete Carroll modus operandi

Written by Kip Earlywine

Sometimes it takes an example for an idea to become clear.  Last summer, many Seahawks fans (including myself) were hearing the term “point guard quarterback” for the first time.  This led to a period of confusion and misunderstanding about the meaning of the term and therefore, Pete Carroll’s intentions at quarterback.  Then, as luck would have it, the starting quarterback for my college football team (Keith Price) provided the perfect example of what a point guard quarterback looks like, and it gave me a much better idea of the kind of quarterback Pete Carroll is looking for.

Rob and I have had the good fortune to have some choice insider info over the last few years, and that source has led us to believe that Seattle holds Zach Brown in high esteem.

Tonight I sat down and began my “Draft Spotlight” writeup for Zach Brown, but then I stopped after I realized that Zach Brown’s tape told me less about him and more about Pete Carroll as a talent evaluator.  (I guess I’ll count this as my scouting report for Brown, since I did scout a five game sample and will cover the essentials down below.)

Zach Brown has elite speed, impressive size, and a frame that appears capable of adding another few pounds if need be, despite the fact that he’s already quite muscular.  Sometimes you see a prospect, and despite whatever flaws or reservations you may have, sometimes the guy just “looks the part” of an NFL player, physically speaking.  I’ve made similar comments about Brandon Weeden and Ronnell Lewis previously.  Quinton Coples could be another example.    Greg Little could be an example from last year.  Zach Brown falls into that category.  Physically speaking, he’s a chiseled 6′ 1 3⁄8″ tall, standing at 244 pounds with long 33 1⁄4″ arms. He could probably bulk up to 250 if he wanted as his upper body still has a tiny bit to go before it’s maxed out.  He has the body of a 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 SAM, but the speed of a corner. Continue reading

Updated mock draft: 11th April

Could Whitney Mercilus be set for a surprise top-ten appearance?

We’re two weeks away from the 2012 draft, meaning two more projections after this. I wanted to mix a few things up this week and look at scenarios not being discussed. After all, there’s always a surprise or two…

– Fletcher Cox has the athletic potential to be a top-ten pick. So did Cam Jordan last year, and he dropped to #24. Jordan had decent tape and a great combine, but teams just didn’t like him enough to pull the trigger. What was his best position? Where did he fit? The same questions may be asked of Fletcher Cox. I could see him going in the top ten very easily, but nobody is talking about the other end of the scale. He could drop a bit and go in a similar range to Jordan.

– Whitney Mercilus divides opinion, but he had great production in 2011. Someone might buy into the guy, believing he’s a pure pass rusher capable of emulating Aldon Smith who went 7th overall last year. Mercilus has the athleticism to match the stats and the kind of character that will appeal to certain teams. Kind of like Flecther Cox, you could see him going at both ends of the first round. Jacksonville GM Gene Smith is one of the more unpredictable drafters and if he’s still calling the shots for this draft, I could see Mercilus being on his radar. The Jaguars are a team that tend to arrange meetings with the prospects they intend to draft, recent history has shown that. Jacksonville hosted Mercilus and also attended his pro-day.

– Melvin Ingram is widely considered to be a top-ten pick and he’d be a strong option for Seattle at #12. He’s also a bit of a tweener and could suffer if a prospect like Mercilus makes a surprise jump in round one. If Ingram makes it past the Seahawks, his next most likely destinations are New York at #16 and San Diego at #18.

One of the topics discussed a lot on this blog is whether Seattle will move up or down. With only six picks in this year’s draft, there’s little chance the team will move up. I’d put the chances at slightly above 0%. Would they move down? That’s unclear at this stage and would depend on who leaves the board before the #12 pick. It’s common knowledge that the Seahawks had a deal to trade the #14 pick in 2010 but passed because they rated Earl Thomas so highly. That could be the case again this year, where need meets value and any deal to move down is ignored. But if certain favored players go in the top ten, it increases the chances of a trade.

It’s also worth considering why the Seahawks would want to accumulate stock. Pete Carroll and John Schneider like picks as much as any GM in the league, but they’d probably love to get some extra picks for 2013 if possible. I’ll let you decide why that might be the case. A trade similar to the one that saw Atlanta move up for Julio Jones last year would be hard to ignore. The only thing is – who would be prepared to make such a generous trade, and who would you trade up for? At this stage I think any movement in round one is unlikely, but not impossible. Onto this week’s projection…

Updated first round mock draft

#1 Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford)
The inevitable.
#2 Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor)
The inevitable part II.
#3 Matt Kalil (OT, USC)
Minnesota won’t waste any time calling Kalil’s name. He has elite potential. The inevitable part III.
#4 Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama)
The Browns have to find someone on offense to build around. Richardson would be the wise choice here.
#5 Morris Claiborne (CB, LSU)
The biggest spenders in free agency, Tampa Bay could still use a stud cornerback.
#6 Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma State)
The Rams know this is now a three-draft plan so they need to take whoever is highest on their board with this pick.
#7 Whitney Mercilus (DE, Illinois)
This would be no more surprising than the time the Jaguars drafted Tyson Alualu 10th overall.
#8 Ryan Tannehill (QB, Texas A&M)
If the Dolphins don’t take Tannehill here he could fall. How much does Mike Sherman rate his former Texas A&M starter?
#9 Quinton Coples (DE, North Carolina)
Carolina wants players that will fit into 3-4 and 4-3 looks.
#10 Riley Reiff (OT, Iowa)
The Bills are going to draft an offensive lineman here, the only question is which one will they choose?
#11 Luke Kuechly (LB, Boston College)
Scott Pioli loves guys like this – blue collar, high work ethic. Not always spectacular, but always solid.
#12 Courtney Upshaw (DE, Alabama)
Seattle needs to find a DE/OLB hybrid to fit into the defense and help the pass rush. Upshaw could go earlier than this.
#13 Cordy Glenn (OT, Georgia)
Whoever is playing quarterback for Arizona next year, the Cardinals simply must draft an offensive lineman.
#14 Dontari Poe (DT, Memphis)
One of the 3-4 teams will convince themselves they cannot live without Poe’s major potential.
#15 Mark Barron (S, Alabama)
Talented prospect at a position that’s becoming increasingly important in the NFL.
#16 Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame)
He’s rising, but not everybody will buy into a guy with off-field issues. New York might be willing to turn a blind eye.
#17 David DeCastro (OG, Stanford)
Cincinnati will want to make sure one of their first round picks is a corner, but DeCastro is hard to pass here.
#18 Melvin Ingram (DE, South Carolina)
A bit of a fall for Ingram, but San Diego would be a good fit for his skill-set.
#19 Michael Brockers (DT, LSU)
Trading for Brandon Marshall will allow Chicago to concentrate on cornerbacks and defensive lineman here.
#20 Peter Konz (OC, Wisconsin)
Underrated player. Don’t be surprised if he goes earlier than expected. The best player at his position since Alex Mack.
#21 Stephon Gilmore (CB, South Carolina)
Gilmore’s performance at the combine has seemingly done enough to cement his place in the top-25 picks.
#22 Jonathan Martin (OT, Stanford)
Cleveland needs to keep adding playmakers but may look at Martin as too good to pass here.
#23 Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama)
Coverage skills are the issue here but eventually someone will pull the trigger on Kirkpatrick.
#24 Dont’a Hightower (LB, Alabama)
This guy was made to play in the AFC North.
#25 Doug Martin (RB, Boise State)
This is now the Peyton Manning show and they need to build around their prized addition. Martin does everything well.
#26 Stephen Hill (WR, Georgia Tech)
Mind-blowing potential given his size, athleticism and hands. He stood out in limited targets during the 2011 season.
#27 Fletcher Cox (DT, Mississippi State)
He has the physical potential, but where does he fit? Like Cam Jordan, he could suffer a fall.
#28 Shea McClellin (DE, Boise State)
Green Bay’s priority has to be finding another pass rusher.
#29 Vinny Curry (DE, Marshall)
A great fit for this defense, Curry would be a real threat in Baltimore.
#30 Coby Fleener (TE, Stanford)
His pro-day raised a few eye-brows and he could go in the top-25.
#31 Chandler Jones (DE, Syracuse)
New England might consider adding a rangy pass rusher early in the draft.
#32 Bobby Massie (OT, Ole Miss)
A bit of a late riser, Massie looks like a solid right tackle. New York are good enough to make a pick this this.

Round two

#33 St. Louis – Jerel Worthy (DT, Michigan State)
#34 Indianapolis – Kevin Zeitler (OG, Wisconsin)
#35 Minnesota – Reuben Randle (WR, LSU)
#36 Tampa Bay – Bobby Wagner (LB, Utah State)
#37 Cleveland – Kendall Wright (WR, Baylor)
#38 Jacksonville – Alshon Jeffery (WR, South Carolina)
#39 St. Louis – Kelechi Osemele (OG, Iowa State)
#40 Carolina – Jayron Hosley (CB, Virginia Tech)
#41 Buffalo – Mychal Kendricks (LB, California)
#42 Miami – Andre Branch (DE, Clemson)
#43 Seattle – Zach Brown (LB, North Carolina)
#44 Kansas City – Amini Silatolu (OG, Midwestern State)
#45 Dallas – Jared Crick (DE, Nebraska)
#46 Philadelphia – Nick Perry (DE, USC)
#47 New York Jets – Lamar Miller (RB, Miami)
#48 New England – Devon Still (DT, Penn State)
#49 San Diego – Mike Adams (OT, Ohio State)
#50 Chicago – Josh Robinson (CB, UCF)
#51 Philadelphia – Lavonte David (LB, Nebraska)
#52 Tennessee – Kendall Reyes (DT, Connecticut)
#53 Cincinnati – Mohamed Sanu (WR, Rutgers)
#54 Detroit – Sean Spence (LB, Miami)
#55 Atlanta – Casey Heyward (CB, Vanderbilt)
#56 Pittsburgh – Brandon Brooks (OG, Miami-Ohio)
#57 Denver – Brandon Thompson (DT, Clemson)
#58 Houston – Josh Chapman (DT, Alabama)
#59 New Orleans – VOID
#60 Green Bay – Brandon Weeden (QB, Oklahoma State)
#61 Baltimore – Harrison Smith (S, Notre Dame)
#62 San Francisco – Brandon Boykin (CB, Georgia)
#63 New York Giants – David Wilson (RB, Virginia Tech)
#64 New England – Keyshawn Martin (WR, Michigan State)

Draft Spotlight: Mychal Kendricks, LB, Cal

Written by Kip Earlywine

Rundown:   Mychal Kendricks is a senior middle linebacker for the Cal Bears.  He had previously played weak side linebacker in 2009 and 2010.  He was the Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2011.

Age:  21 (September 28, 1990)

Height:  5’11″

Weight:  239

40 time:  4.47

10 yard split:  1.53

3 cone:  6.68

Vertical Jump:  39.50″

Compilation Videos:

vs. Washington (2010)

vs. Texas

vs. Stanford

vs. USC

Positives:

  • Very fast
  • Freak athlete, high burst, elite level closing speed
  • Thick body type, very strong
  • Warrior mentality, physical and fearless
  • You better get a man on him when he blitzes…
  • Good tackler.  Wraps and drives legs, follows through
  • Legit versatility at Will or Mike… maybe even strong safety

Negatives:

  • Short
  • Maxed out frame
  • Tendency to drop shoulder into blockers instead of shedding them with proper hand use
  • Sometimes his aggressiveness overrules his instincts
  • One dimensional pass rusher
  • Quiet tape, not many splash plays

Mychal Kendricks is the fastest linebacker in the draft, and one of the most athletic prospects in the draft, period.  Kendricks’ 3 cone time is not only by far the best time among all linebackers, it was better than all eighteen 3 cone times posted by free safeties.  Out of 90 total defensive backs, only 8 had faster 3 cone times.  Kendricks also posted impressive split and vertical jump numbers, and his bench press totals were solidly above average among middle linebackers.  In many ways, it wouldn’t be an unfair comparison to call Kendricks a miniature Aaron Curry.  Both were mid round prospects that blew up the combine and saw their draft stock soar.  Curry did so in a much bigger body and as a result his hype got out of hand (though Rob and I both maintained more reasonable grades for Curry back then and were both infuriated by the pick when Tim Ruskell made it).

Only Dontari Poe helped his draft stock more at the combine.  That said, this front office bases it’s evaluation from game tape first and foremost, and given that Kendricks was a Pac-12 player for a USC rival school no less, I’m guessing he’s been on Pete and John’s radar much longer than he’s been on ours.

From film study, you wouldn’t expect Kendricks to run an unofficial 4.41 forty time, one of the fastest times ever for a middle linebacker.  He looks fast, but not any faster than Lavonte David did.  Where Kendricks speed really jumps off the screen is in his acceleration.  He’s at his best in pursuit of a mobile quarterback or a horizontal rushing attempt.

When blitzing, Kendricks explodes through lanes with the same kind of breathtaking raw athleticism boasted by Bruce Irvin.  Kendricks is not a polished pass rusher, but his raw ability is pretty damn impressive, and when he gets clean through the line, it almost always results in a hurry, hit, or sack.  Pete Carroll is very fond of outside blitzes from linebackers, corners and safeties.  Kendricks looks like someone who could be a potentially elite contributor in such a pass rush role.  Though a lack of pass rush repertoire is a common knock on Kendricks, I actually find his pass rush potential to be very exciting- if he’s used right.

Weighing in at 239 pounds, Kendricks would be an undersized middle linebacker in the NFL.  Kendricks has incredible power from his lower body and has strong arms too, but he’ll need to work on his hand use if he wants to remain effective in the middle at the next level, as too often linemen block Kendricks out of a play for too long.  I respect Kendricks for his attitude, he attacks blockers as they approach by lowering his shoulder and attempting to power them off.  That’s he’s successful at it even occasionally at his size is remarkable.  That said, its not good technique and he needs to grow out of that habit at the next level or else he could become a liability in run defense.  This is critical as Kendricks won’t be getting any taller and probably won’t be getting any heavier either.

While Kendricks has the versatility to play Mike, I think he’s best served as a Will in the NFL.  He’ll be blocked by linemen less and will get more opportunities as an outside blitzer.  At middle linebacker, Kendricks was almost exclusively used in zone coverage, which isn’t uncommon for the position.  Zone is a crutch for slower linebackers, and I was disappointed to see that Cal didn’t find ways to use Kendricks in more man coverage opportunities similar to Lavonte David or Bobby Wagner, who both excelled in that regard.

Kendricks plays aggressive and uses his closing speed, tackling technique, and strength to rack up tackles for loss.  He had 14.5 tackles for loss last season, nearly as many as Bobby Wagner had in his two 4-3 Mike seasons combined.  He’s as potent as Sean Spence attacking the line of scrimmage, but with fewer mistakes.

Kendrick’s arms are 1/8″ shorter than Lavonte David’s, and you might remember I listed arm length as a criticism for David when I did my writeup on him yesterday.  That said, I’m not sure if David will ever be big enough to play inside linebacker in the NFL whereas Kendricks could probably handle it, and inside linebackers tend to have significantly shorter arms.  Kendricks’ arm length is roughly average if not better by middle linebacker standards.

There is a warrior spirit in Kendricks.  He plays with a fire that is very slightly reminiscent of Ray Lewis.  He roars after making big plays and gushes intensity.  He doesn’t have the fun pre-game dance or the electrifying huddle ups though.

Its amazing what speed can do for you.  In addition to being a legit Mike or Will, its hard to look at Kendricks combination strengths and weakness and not think about how good he could be at strong safety.  Seattle has that position bolted down with Kam Chancellor and has quality depth in Jeron Johnson.  Still, Pete likes to use defensive packages that include extra defensive backs (Nickle, Dime, and Bandit), so its possible that Kendricks versatility as a possible safety option could hold some appeal there.

In conclusion:

Like Courtney Upshaw, Mychal Kendricks’ combination of determination, power, and aggressive play has commonly led evaluators to identify as him as a Pittsburgh Steelers type of player.  Last year we saw first hand how Seattle transformed its defense by becoming more athletic and more physical.  In that regard, Kendricks’ appeal to the Seahawks is obvious.

However, despite having a lot of nice things to say about Kendricks, I found his overall tape to be slightly underwhelming, at least when compared to Lavonte David.  Kendricks isn’t quite the big play machine I was expecting, and he stood out on Cal’s defense less than I had hoped.  His potential might be the highest of any linebacker in the draft though.  I’d probably give Kendricks a 3rd round grade based on his tape, but his ridiculous athleticism, versatility, and potential make him a solid second round pick.

John Schneider speaks & Melvin Ingram game tape

Mock draft day tomorrow with only three more projections to go until April 26th. For the meantime here are three items of interest…

Softy at KJR conducted an interview with GM John Schneider which you can download by clicking here. Among the topics discussed include the recent speculation from Tony Pauline touting Mark Barron as a first round option for Seattle (and moving Kam Chancellor to linebacker in the process).

NFL.com’s ‘First Draft’ series takes a look at Whitney Mercilus and George Iloka. We know that Boise State safety Iloka is one of many prospects to visit Seattle recently. This week we looked at Mercilus as an option for the Seahawks if they’re searching for a specialist pass rusher to play a similar role to Aldon Smith in San Francisco.

JMPasq has provided game tape for Melvin Ingram vs Vanderbilt. If the Seahawks go a different route to the pass rushing specialist – essentially an aggressive SLB who plays as a hybrid DE/OLB – Ingram and Courtney Upshaw are both very realistic options.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑