
Isaiah Simmons stole the show with a 4.39 forty
This is not a good D-line class — confirmed
The Seahawks better get ready because free agency is going to cost them some serious money.
If the 2019 draft was the year of the defensive lineman, the 2020 draft is anything but. This is the most underwhelming set of testing results we’ve seen from a defensive line class in recent history.
Let’s get into it…
EDGE rushers
Speed
The Seahawks love edge rushers that are twitchy athletes with elite speed, burst and difference making traits. A 10-yard split in the 1.5’s is considered ‘elite’. Cliff Avril ran a 1.50 and Bruce Irvin ran a 1.55.
A year ago, 12 players ran a 10-yard split between 1.55 and 1.62 seconds.
Here’s the list of 2019 EDGE rushers who ran a 1.5 today…
Yep, that’s right. Not a single edge rusher in this years draft ran an elite 10-yard split. The NFL Network broadcast repeatedly praised times in the late 1.6’s for players weighing about 255lbs. That is not a good time.
The only player to run an impressive split was Florida’s Jabari Zuniga (1.61). He had a good day overall. He looked terrific physically during drills and he’s in fantastic shape. He ran a 4.64 forty then jumped a 33 inch vertical and a 10-7 broad. He didn’t do any of the agility testing. His arms are 32 7/8 inches long so couldn’t be any closer to the 33 inch threshold. The Seahawks might be willing to overlook that. He could be an option if he lasts into the middle rounds.
He was a rare bright spot.
A few days ago Pete Carroll was interviewed by John Clayton. He discussed in some detail his desire to add a premier pass rusher to play the LEO.
This combine class isn’t going to answer the call.
We can only hope that if/when Julian Okwara has a pro-day, he can flash to provide at least one option.
Yetur Gross-Matos, Chase Young and Javon Kinlaw chose not to run today.
Agility
Bruce Irvin (4.03) and Frank Clark (4.05) both ran incredible short shuttles. Cassius Marsh’s 4.25 and Obum Gwacham’s 4.28 were also really good. In the three cone, Clark and Marsh both ran a 7.08. Obum Gwacham ran a 7.28. Irvin had an incredible 6.70. So the Seahawks pay close attention to the agility testing.
Here’s this years group of edge rushers who completed the tests:
Short shuttle
Alex Highsmith — 4.31
Alton Robinson — 4.32
Jonathan Greenard — 4.34
Derrek Tuszka — 4.34
James Lynch — 4.39
Bradlee Anae — 4.43
DJ Wonnum — 4.44
AJ Epenesa — 4.46
LaDarius Hamilton — 4.49
James Smith-Williams — 4.52
Kendall Coleman — 4.62
Chauncey Rivers — 4.70
Alex Highsmith’s top short shuttle time of 4.31 is only 14th best in the last five years. So while he led the 2020 group, it’s more ‘decent’ than ‘great’ compared to previous drafts. He does have 33 inch arms but his 10-yard split was only a 1.68 at 248lbs.
Alton Robinson was just behind with a 4.32 but he has 32 3/8 inch arms so lacks the preferred length. His shuttle time mixed with some explosive testing results (more on that later) mean he had one of the better combine performances.
Three cone
Derrek Tuszka — 6.87
Jonathan Greenard — 7.13
DJ Wonnum — 7.25
Alex Highsmith — 7.32
Alton Robinson — 7.32
Chauncey Rivers — 7.33
AJ Epenesa — 7.34
James Smith-Williams — 7.35
James Lynch — 7.39
Kenny Willekes — 7.39
Bradlee Anae — 7.44
Kendall Coleman — 7.50
LaDarius Hamilton — 7.68
As expected Jonathan Greenard ran a slow forty time (4.87) and 10-yard split (1.71). At least he showed reasonably well in the agility testing. His short shuttle of 4.34 is decent and his 7.13 three cone was only 0.03 seconds slower than Nick Bosa’s (although Bosa ran an elite 4.14 short shuttle).
Greenard has good size and length (6-3, 263lbs, 35 inch arms) but has had injury issues. If he lasts he could be an option later on if they’re willing to overlook his lack of quick-twitch get-off.
What does today tell us?
This performance by the pass rushers is going to put serious pressure on the veteran market. Teams will not see solutions within this class. Unfortunately this is going to make things increasingly difficult for Seattle to fix their pass rushing dilemma in free agency. They’ll be bidding in a spenders market.
For that reason, I wonder if this increases the chances of them trading a high pick for a pass rusher on an existing contract. With the top offensive tackles impressing and moving up boards and with a complete dearth of good defensive linemen available — they might think the best use of #27 is to use it to acquire someone to fix their biggest problem. It’s also a way to avoid overspending.
It’ll depend on what’s available (and teams might not be willing to sell assets after looking at this D-line class) but it’s something to seriously consider now. Especially with the clear ‘Seahawks’ options at #27 appearing limited.
I’ll write about this in more detail in the coming days but who are the first round ‘Seahawks’ that you’ve seen at this combine so far? Jonathan Taylor is one but he might be gone by #27 after his workout and it’s questionable whether another first round running back is likely. Will any of the top offensive linemen last to the back end of round one considering the extreme league-wide need at the position? They could go receiver but it’s a position of depth in this class.
It’s also possible they’ll simply resign themselves to spending big in free agency. We’ll see. The wretched performance of this pass rush class hasn’t helped their cause though. They’re facing a big couple of weeks before the market opens.
Defensive tackles or inside/out rushers
The short shuttle times are key
Rasheem Green (4.39), Quinton Jefferson (4.37), Jordan Hill (4.51), Jaye Howard (4.47) and Malik McDowell (4.53) all tested superbly in the short shuttle. If you’re looking for possible Seahawks targets at defensive tackle or inside/out rusher — this is the test to focus on.
Here are this years numbers:
Jason Strowbridge — 4.37
Rob Windsor — 4.44
Larrell Murchison — 4.51
Carlos Davis — 4.52
Ross Blacklock — 4.61
Jordan Elliott — 4.73
Raequan Williams — 4.78
Derrick Brown — 4.79
Josiah Coatney — 4.82
Raekwon Davis — 4.86
Darrion Daniels — 4.93
John Penisini — 4.93
Neville Gallimore — 5.01
Benito Jones — 5.27
Jason Strowbridge’s 4.37 is interesting. He also had a terrific Senior Bowl. He only has 32 3/8 inch arms though. The next defensive lineman Seattle drafts with sub-33 inch arms will be the first in the Carroll era.
Apart from Strowbridge nothing else stands out. The big names like Ross Blacklock and Jordan Elliott failed to impress. Neville Gallimore’s 5.01 is shocking. If you’re looking for an interior rusher or inside/out rusher in this group who fits the Seahawks — you’re out of luck.
What about the three cone?
For defensive tackles or inside/out rushers, it doesn’t seem to be quite as important:
Rasheem Green — 7.24
Jaye Howard — 7.32
Jordan Hill — 7.49
Malik McDowell — 7.69
L.J. Collier — 7.71
Jarran Reed — 7.77
Naz Jones — 7.93
Quinton Jefferson — 7.95
There’s certainly no correlation here like we see with the consistently strong short shuttle times.
Even so, here’s how the DT’s and inside/out rushers ranked for the three-cone:
Justin Madubuike — 7.37
Jason Strowbridge — 7.45
Rob Windsor — 7.47
DaVon Hamilton — 7.72
Raequan Williams — 7.72
Darrion Daniels — 7.75
Ross Blacklock — 7.77
Larrell Murchison — 7.89
Raekwon Davis — 7.95
Neville Gallimore — 7.97
Rashard Lawrence — 8.03
Josiah Coatney — 8.07
Benito Jones — 8.21
Derrick Brown — 8.22
Justin Madubuike didn’t do the short shuttle for some reason. His 7.37 three cone is the 23rd best time by a defensive tackle in the last 10 years. It’s also the same time that Grady Jarrett ran in 2015. Chris Jones ran a 7.44 in 2016.
Madubuike was one of the standout performers during drills too. He was smooth, fluid and moved around the field with ease. He’s undersized at 6-2 and 293lbs but has 33.5 inch arms. He ran a 4.83 and a 1.73 10-yard split. It’s difficult to imagine what his role would be in Seattle’s defense at that size other than situational interior rusher but he was one of the few quality performers today.
10-yard splits
For an inside/out type rusher or power end, a 1.6 time is impressive. For the defensive tackles listed near or over 300lbs, a 1.7 is equally good.
The players with +33 inch arms are in bold:
McTelvin Agim — 1.76
Ross Blacklock — 1.70
Derrick Brown — 1.78
Josiah Coatney — 1.80
Darrion Daniels — 1.81
Marlon Davidson — 1.78
Carlos Davis — 1.67
Khalil Davis — 1.66
Jordan Elliott — 1.71
Leki Fotu — 1.80
Neville Gallimore — 1.71
DaVon Hamilton — 1.80
Benito Jones — 1.80
Rashard Lawrence — 1.72
Justin Madubuike — 1.73
Larrell Murchison — 1.81
Raequan Williams — 1.78
Rob Windsor — 1.74
We can also throw in the following players who tested with the DE’s:
Raekwon Davis — 1.78
AJ Epenesa — 1.78
James Lynch — 1.73
Jason Strowbridge — 1.72
These are much more encouraging results than the edge rushers. The Seahawks appear quite stringent when it comes to the short shuttle so these times might be redundant. Even so, players such as Rashard Lawrence running a 1.72 with his size and length could provide an interesting option if he lasts deep into the draft.
An interesting comparison
Recently we’ve been discussing the possibility of the Seahawks drafting Raekwon Davis to be their next attempt to find a Calais Campbell type player. For years Carroll and Schneider have made reference to Campbell and have spent multiple high picks trying to fill the void.
Let’s compare Campbell’s combine to Davis’:
Calais Campbell
Height: 6-8
Weight: 290lbs
Arm length: 35 3/4 inches
Hand size: 9.5 inches
Forty: 5.11
10-yard: 1.74
Vertical: 29.5 inches
Broad: 9-3
Three cone: 4.69
Short shuttle: 7.45
Bench: 16 reps
Raekwon Davis
Height: 6-6
Weight: 311lbs
Arm length: 33 7/8 inches
Hand size: 11 inches
Forty: 5.12
10-yard: 1.78
Vertical: 28 inches
Broad: 9-3
Three cone: 4.86
Short shuttle: 7.95
Bench: 24 reps
There are some clear similarities. The forty times are practically identical and they both recorded a 9-3 broad jump. The vertical jumps are similar.
Davis performs better in the bench press but his extra size and shorter arms provided an advantage. Campbell was quicker in the three cone and short shuttle but he was also 21lbs lighter than Davis.
Campbell has been one of the very best players in the NFL for the last decade. He’s been a top five defensive lineman in the league for the last three years. Nobody should expect to try and find a player who can emulate what he is currently achieving. Physically though, you can at least try and find a match.
Davis looked good during drills and has an impressive physique. He might fall due to a lack of pass-rush production but Campbell himself lasted until pick #50 in 2008.
If the Seahawks need an interior defensive line anchor with great size and yet plays with excellent leverage — Davis could be a solid bet.
TEF Scores for defensive linemen
For the last few years we’ve used TEF (explained here) to measure the explosive traits of the offensive linemen. The formula is based purely on O-line physical ideals. Even so, we can still use it to compare offensive and defensive line classes. Here’s what we discovered over the years…
Explosive offensive linemen at the combine:
2016 — 6
2017 — 3
2018 — 7
2019 — 8
2020 — 8
Explosive defensive linemen at the combine:
2016 — 26
2017 — 30
2018 — 22
2019 — 24
2020 — 14
It’s another hammer blow to the quality of this D-line class. Although a number of players didn’t do one or more of the tests, this is by far the least explosive D-line class we’ve covered using TEF. We’ve never had less than 20 explosive D-liners in a draft before. This year there are only 14.
Despite that — they still beat the O-line by six players (which sums up the major problem the NFL has with the complete dearth of top athletes choosing to play O-line in college).
Here are the TEF results for the D-line class:
Jabari Zuniga — 3.76
Kenny Willekes — 3.57
Jonathan Garvin — 3.56
James Smith-Williams — 3.55
Alton Robinson — 3.41
Derrek Tuszka — 3.34
DJ Wonnum — 3.33
Larrell Murchison — 3.31
Qaadir Sheppard — 3.26
Yetur Gross-Matos — 3.21
LaDarius Hamilton — 3.14
Bradlee Anae — 3.13
Jason Strowbridge — 3.11
DaVon Hamilton — 3.02
AJ Epenesa — 2.95
Jonathan Greenard — 2.94
Raekwon Davis — 2.88
Malcolm Roach — 2.88
Derrick Brown — 2.87
James Lynch — 2.87
Rob Windsor — 2.78
Josiah Coatney — 2.46
Darrion Daniels — 2.68
Chauncey Rivers — 2.67
Raequan Williams — 2.27
Here are the 35 most explosive defensive linemen from 2016-20 (2020 prospects in bold):
Myles Garrett — 4.21
Ben Banogu — 4.05
Haason Reddick — 3.93
Solomon Thomas — 3.83
Jabari Zuniga — 3.76
Ed Oliver — 3.72
Jordan Willis — 3.70
Jordan Brailford — 3.61
Ife Odenigbo — 3.61
Taven Bryan — 3.58
Ade Aruna — 3.57
Derek Rivers — 3.57
Kenny Willekes — 3.57
Rashan Gary — 3.56
Jonathan Garvin — 3.56
James Smith-Williams — 3.55
Carl Lawson — 3.54
Dean Lowry — 3.54
Sheldon Rankins — 3.52
Montez Sweat — 3.49
Porter Gustin — 3.48
Kylie Fitts — 3.47
Robert Nkemdiche — 3.47
Bradley Chubb — 3.46
Harrison Phillips — 3.46
Noah Spence — 3.46
Renell Wren — 3.45
Yannick Ngakoue — 3.44
Marcus Davenport — 3.41
Alton Robinson — 3.41
Jamal Davis — 3.40
Kevin Givens — 3.39
Harold Landry — 3.39
Trysten Hill — 3.37
Nick Bosa — 3.36
Here are some other big-name NFL defensive linemen and their pre-draft TEF scores:
Mario Williams — 3.97
J.J. Watt — 3.82
Khalil Mack — 3.81
Aaron Donald — 3.53
Jadeveon Clowney — 3.50
Weighted TEF scores
In previous years I haven’t used weighted TEF on the D-line class and I should’ve done. There are major discrepancies in size that you just don’t see with the offensive linemen.
Jabari Zuniga — 99.2
Larrell Murchison — 98.3
DaVon Hamilton — 96.6
Kenny Willekes — 94.2
Derrick Brown — 93.4
James Smith-Williams — 94.1
Jonathan Garvin — 93.6
Alton Robinson — 90.0
Raekwon Davis — 89.6
DJ Wonnum — 85.9
Jason Strowbridge — 85.5
Malcolm Roach — 85.5
Yetur Gross-Matos — 85.3
Qaadir Sheppard — 85.0
Derrek Tuszka — 83.8
Darrion Daniels — 83.3
James Lynch — 82.9
LaDarius Hamilton — 82.2
AJ Epenesa — 81.1
Rob Windsor — 80.6
Bradlee Anae — 80.4
Jonathan Greenard — 77.3
Josiah Coatney — 75.8
Chauncey Rivers — 70.0
Raequan Williams — 70.0
Who expected Kenny Willekes to be more explosive than Derrick Brown?
Here’s how the D-line class compares to the O-line class (the D-liners are in bold):
Tristan Wirfs — 111.0
Isaiah Wilson — 103.6
Austin Jackson — 103.4
John Simpson — 102.7
Cesar Ruiz — 99.8
Jabari Zuniga — 99.2
Hakeem Adeniji — 98.8
Ezra Cleveland — 98.3
Larrell Murchison — 98.3
Matt Peart — 98.0
Damien Lewis — 97.1
DaVon Hamilton — 96.6
John Molchon — 95.5
Kenny Willekes — 94.2
Derrick Brown — 93.4
James Smith-Williams — 94.1
Jonathan Garvin — 93.6
Justin Herron — 91.8
Jack Driscoll — 91.2
Joshua Jones — 90.1
Alton Robinson — 90.0
Raekwon Davis — 89.6
Danny Pinter — 88.7
Matt Hennessy — 88.4
Terence Steele — 88.3
Andrew Thomas — 87.9
Joe Runyan — 87.2
Charlie Heck — 87.1
Alex Taylor — 86.9
DJ Wonnum — 85.9
Jason Strowbridge — 85.5
Malcolm Roach — 85.5
Yetur Gross-Matos — 85.3
Qaadir Sheppard — 85.0
Derrek Tuszka — 83.8
Darrion Daniels — 83.3
Tremayne Anchrum — 83.2
James Lynch — 82.9
LaDarius Hamilton — 82.2
AJ Epenesa — 81.1
Rob Windsor — 80.6
Bradlee Anae — 80.4
Jonah Jackson — 80.2
Cameron Clark — 79.8
Kyle Murphy — 79.0
Calvin Throckmorton — 77.7
Nick Harris — 77.3
Jonathan Greenard — 77.3
Colt McKivitz — 77.1
Darryl Williams — 76.6
Cordel Iwuagwu — 76.0
Josiah Coatney — 75.8
Tyre Phillips — 75.0
Chauncey Rivers — 70.0
Raequan Williams — 70.0
Even though there are more explosive defensive linemen in this 2020 draft, it’s a hollow victory. The most explosive players play O-line this year.
Linebackers
The Seahawks have tended to look for two types of player at linebacker — freakish athletes and players with great short-area quickness and agility.
Kevin Pierre-Louis, Korey Toomer, Malcolm Smith and Eric Pinkins all ran between a 4.44 and a 4.51 in the forty. Shaquem Griffin topped the lot with a 4.38. Pierre-Louis, Smith and Pinkins all jumped +39 inches in the vertical. Bobby Wagner was a 4.4 runner at his pro-day with a 39.5-inch vertical. Of the five players they’ve drafted with a +140 SPARQ score, Wagner, Pierre-Louis and Bruce Irvin are included.
They’ve also targeted players who performed especially strongly in the short shuttle. Here are the top-15 short shuttle times run by a linebacker since 2010:
Jordan Tripp — 3.96
Nick Bellore — 4.00
Ben Heeney — 4.00
Mike Mohamed — 4.00
Nick Vigil — 4.00
Kevin Pierre-Louis — 4.02
Stephone Anthony — 4.03
Cody Barton — 4.03
Dakota Allen — 4.03
Von Miller — 4.06
Josh Hull — 4.07
Dorian O’Daniel — 4.07
Avery Williamson — 4.07
Shaq Thompson — 4.08
Ben Burr-Kirven — 4.09
The players in bold have been either drafted or signed by the Seahawks during the Pete Carroll era. A third of the players.
So are there any linebackers in this years draft who fit the bill?
Nobody ran in the 4.0’s. Missouri’s Cale Garrett ran a 4.13 — the eighth best time by a linebacker in the last five years. He also ran a 4.92 forty and it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks taking a linebacker with that lack of speed.
Isaiah Simmons didn’t run any of the agility tests. He shut it down, probably on the advice of his agent, after running a 4.39. Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen both pulled hamstrings during their second runs and didn’t test either. Joshua Uche didn’t do any of the tests other than the bench (18 reps).
Here are the short shuttle times in full:
Cale Garrett — 4.13
Casey Toohill — 4.21
Evan Weaver — 4.21
Shaun Bradley — 4.24
Mykal Walker — 4.25
Davion Taylor — 4.26
Curtis Weaver — 4.27
Willie Gay Jr — 4.30
Zack Baun — 4.31
Scoota Harris — 4.32
Malik Harrison — 4.32
Dante Olson — 4.32
Jacob Phillips — 4.33
Joe Bachie — 4.34
David Woodward — 4.37
Chapelle Russell — 4.41
Azur Kamara — 4.46
Justin Strnad — 4.49
There are some good times here but nothing outstanding.
In terms of overall outstanding athleticism — Willie Gay Jr’s workout virtually emulated his SPARQ performance in High School. He ran a 4.46 forty, jumped a 39.5 inch vertical and an 11-4 broad and finished off with a 4.30 short shuttle and a 7.08 three cone. These are all highly impressive marks at 243lbs. His broad jump was the third best by a linebacker in the last decade behind only Jamie Collins (11-7) and Bud Dupree (11-6). He has first round talent and a top-tier physical profile but character issues will determine how high he goes in the draft. He matches up with some of the best athletes Seattle has taken at linebacker though and, perhaps importantly, he’s a playmaker who excels in coverage.
Zack Baun is a linebacker prospect who predominantly acted as a pass rusher at Wisconsin. He was tipped by some in the media to have an outstanding workout but it didn’t really happen. He ran a 4.65 at 238lbs — so basically the same time as Jabari Zuniga despite the fact he’s nearly 30lbs lighter. His 4.31 short shuttle would’ve matched Alex Highsmith’s best time but again — Highsmith is 10lbs heavier. His best test was a 7.00 three cone — the same time as Montez Sweat and 0.01 seconds faster than Brian Burns. For a third time though — he’s 238lbs and considerably lighter.
Curtis Weaver’s 4.27 short shuttle at 265lbs is very impressive but he has sub-33 inch arms. He also ran a 7.00 three cone. I’m not really sure why he tested with the linebackers rather than the EDGE rushers. Weaver boosted his stock with his agility testing scores and he also had a decent 32.5 inch vertical.
Here are the three cone times:
Malik Harrison — 6.83
Cale Garrett — 6.91
Joe Bachie — 6.93
Davion Taylor — 6.96
Zack Baun — 7.00
Dante Olson — 7.00
Curtis Weaver — 7.00
Evan Weaver — 7.02
Shaun Bradley — 7.07
Logan Wilson — 7.07
Willie Gay Jr — 7.08
Casey Toohill — 7.08
Mykal Walker — 7.09
Azur Kamara — 7.20
David Woodward — 7.34
Scoota Harris — 7.38
Jacob Phillips — 7.38
Chapelle Russell — 7.38
Malik Harrison’s 6.83 is the eighth best time in the last five years. Ben Burr-Kirven ran a 6.85 last year.
So will they draft a linebacker from this group?
Unless the Seahawks feel inclined to spend their top pick on one of Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen (and both might be off the board by #27) there’s little here to occupy our time over the coming weeks. For that reason, they might be more inclined to try and re-sign Mychal Kendricks and/or consider retaining K.J. Wright on his $10m cap hit. Unless they believe Cody Barton is ready to move into a starting role, which is debatable.
Isaiah Simmons stands out
Although this is by far a better draft for the offense, the top of the draft is loaded with elite defensive players. Tomorrow Jeff Okudah will blow up the combine. Chase Young appears destined to be the #2 pick and Derrick Brown is a top-10 lock.
The best player of the lot, however, could be Isaiah Simmons.
It’s astonishing what he achieved today. On top of running a 4.39 at 6-4 and 238lbs, he also jumped a 39 inch vertical and an 11-0 broad. He even has decent arm length (33 3/8 inches).
Simmons’ profile is comparable to Julio Jones. Every now and again a player comes along that we haven’t seen before. Simmons is that man. His ability to play anywhere at the second level of a defense is unheard of. He’s a superstar in the making and after this performance the only thing that will keep him out of the top-five is a couple of quarterback trades.
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