Month: January 2025 (Page 1 of 4)

Post Senior Bowl 2025 NFL Mock Draft (three rounds)

January 31, 2025 /

This is a projection based on what I think might happen with the information we have today. If you want to see my post-Senior Bowl horizontal board — which measures how I grade players — click here. I’ve got further thoughts on the Seahawks picks at the end of the mock.

Round one

#1 Tennessee — Abdul Carter (EDGE, Penn State)
He recorded 66 pressures in his final season at Penn State, the same number Nick Bosa had in his last full season at Ohio State. This is starting to feel inevitable, with the Titans embracing the need to build not just cycle through quarterbacks.

#2 Cleveland — Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Colorado)
There isn’t a quarterback worthy of a top-five pick, even if a player will go in that range. I think the top two picks will likely go on talent over need. Expect the Browns to add a veteran quarterback. Kirk Cousins, for example, had two years with Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota. His minimal cost will off-set how much they’re wasting on DeShaun Watson.

#3 NY Giants — Cam Ward (QB, Miami)
There’s been a growing feeling for a while that the Giants are enamoured with Ward and even if it’s a reach based on pure need, they invest in a young QB with playmaking qualities.

#4 New England — Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
In my last mock I had the top two tight ends in the top-10. Get ready for that to become the norm. Warren is probably going to end up with top-five grades on most boards. He’ll be Drake Maye’s best friend.

#5 Jacksonville — Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
The fact is that Jeanty, in terms of pure grade, will probably be at the top of every board with perhaps the possible exception of Abdul Carter. Someone is going to take him early, it’s just a question of how early.

#6 Las Vegas — Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
The Raiders will likely begin a process of building. Johnson is well regarded for character and talent, even if he had an off year as Michigan regressed from the glory days under Jim Harbaugh. He still has exceptional talent.

#7 NY Jets — Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
Teams will have Loveland graded way higher than the internet. He will be seen as one of the few genuine first round talents in the class. He is going to go earlier than people realise.

#8 Carolina — Mason Graham (DT, Michigan)
I personally have Graham graded very highly. However, I saw someone raise his body type as an issue recently. They might have a point. He’s built like a bowling ball. It’s not a prototypical frame. If he tests well, it’s not an issue. If he doesn’t, it could just keep him on the board a bit longer than originally thought.

#9 New Orleans — Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
People are sleeping on Colston Loveland because his offense collapsed in 2024 and Burden’s getting the same treatment. He didn’t really fit the Mizzou system. The league will see a top-level talent though.

#10 Chicago — Armand Membou (T/G, Missouri)
This seems to be trending in a way that doesn’t feel like a red herring. Reportedly he can run a 1.63 10-yard split. If he does that at the combine, this becomes realistic. He also grades brilliantly in both zone and gap schemes — something other lineman haven’t managed. Membou also sets the tone with a physical playing style.

#11 San Francisco — Mykel Williams (DE, Georgia)
The injuries and inconsistent play makes you pause. But it’s also worth remembering that at the start of the college football season, people thought his upside made him a #1 overall pick contender. The 49ers may want to start adding talent to their defensive line again.

#12 Dallas — Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
He looks the part with a remarkable frame. If he tests well at the combine, teams might be prepared to overlook the fact he struggled to finish at Texas A&M. He was a classic ‘nearly man’ on tape.

#13 Miami — Kelvin Banks (T/G, Texas)
He’s not a tackle for me but you can at least try him there first, unlike some of the shorter-armed members of this O-line class. He’s a good zone blocker so would fit the system in Miami.

#14 Indianapolis — Jalon Walker (LB, Georgia)
At times last season he looked like a top-10 pick but things tailed off towards the end. He’s a player who can wear a number of different hats at linebacker, while being able to rush the passer on third downs.

#15 Atlanta — Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss)
He flashed quickness and the ability to penetrate at the Senior Bowl. Kudos to him for sticking it out for the week instead of buggering off home on Wednesday like some others.

#16 Arizona — Will Campbell (T/G, LSU)
One of the more overrated players in the draft. The testing numbers will help him but he had a poor season for LSU and he has short arms. For me he didn’t play with enough aggression either. He’ll need to kick inside.

#17 Cincinnati — Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
The Bengals need to add talent to their defense. Barron can play in the slot or outside, he plays with physicality and has great character.

#18 Seattle — Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
As I was watching the Senior Bowl practises I just thought, no. Don’t fudge this into day two, hoping one of these tackle converts can solve a problem. Just go and draft a plug-and-play left guard, who is ready-made to be a plus starter. Not to mention, he ticks all the character boxes Seattle likes. Booker is an excellent guard who will solve a huge problem in the interior immediately. He can be Seattle’s modern-day Steve Hutchinson.

#19 Tampa Bay — James Pearce (EDGE, Tennessee)
His 22.7% pass-rush win-percentage is really impressive. However, he’ll likely last longer than expected because he hasn’t shown he can set an edge. At the moment, he plays like a pass-rush specialist.

#20 Denver — Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona)
He’s a natural receiver and could go earlier than this. However, I don’t think he’ll be a great tester. Other positional priorities could force him down the board.

#21 Pittsburgh — Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado)
He lacks great physical traits. He hasn’t done anything at the Shrine or Senior Bowl. He’s going to come with a bit of a media circus and an opinionated dad. It’s entirely possible he lasts longer than people realise. This might work out well for him — I doubt Coach Prime will test Mike Tomlin at his weekly press conference.

#22 LA Chargers — Mike Green (EDGE, Marshall)
His pass-rush win-percentage is good (20.1%) but he looks small, he only has 32-inch arms and he didn’t flash unbelievable athleticism in Mobile. His production will tempt a team to select him in this range. He didn’t handle his departure from the Senior Bowl well at all, with a member of ESPN’s draft crew tweeting he was going home before anyone told Jim Nagy.

#23 Green Bay — Matthew Golden (WR, Texas)
He stood out for Texas and was their clear top receiver and playmaker at receiver. The Packers need a talent like this.

#24 Minnesota — Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
I thought Grant’s tape was massively underwhelming in 2024 and he constantly left you wanting more but he’s expected to be a combine star and if so, at his size, he could easily go in round one.

#25 Houston — Donovan Jackson (G, Ohio State)
He did such a good job filling in at left tackle but when he started at guard, he showed a lot more promise than he did in 2023. He will be a first round pick and could be an alternative option for the Seahawks. He’s from Texas so this would be a homecoming.

#26 LA Rams — Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
Size and athleticism off the charts but he also showed a playmaking quality too. He could end up being an absolute steal in this range.

#27 Baltimore — Malaki Starks (S, Georgia)
As the year went on his play fell off a cliff. There’s talent here but it was difficult to watch his second half of the season and feel like he was still a high first round pick.

#28 Detroit — Jack Sawyer (DE, Ohio State)
Everything about Sawyer feels like a Lions pick and they’re never shy about taking ‘their guys’ early. He’ll have to handle moving to Michigan but it’s very easy to imagine him landing in Detroit. Not a great athlete but his character and playing style screams Dan Campbell.

#29 Washington — Josh Simmons (T, Ohio State)
If he didn’t have the knee injury he’d be a top-15 pick. Now we have to see how teams view the medical situation. The best left tackle in the draft and it’s not close.

#30 Buffalo — Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama)
He’s built like a tank and moves effortlessly. He was one of the few bright spots for Alabama in 2024.

#31 Philadelphia — Grey Zabel (G, North Dakota State)
The Eagles are never shy in taking offensive linemen. He could replace Mekhi Becton immediately at right guard if he leaves in free agency.

#32 Kansas City — Josh Conerly (T, Oregon)
The left tackle spot has been a problem all year for the Chiefs. Conerly’s best position is going to be sticking on the blindside.

Round two

#33 Cleveland — Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss)
There’s an increasing buzz that Dart will find a first round home. He reminds me of a plus version of Jarrett Stidham. There’s something here but not quite enough to make you think ‘I have to have this guy’. He carries a Joe Burrow personality vibe though which teams will like.

#34 NY Giants — TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
All the buzz is that the league loves Henderson. There’s a feeling he might have a remarkable combine performance and that his best play will come in the NFL.

#35 Tennessee — Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
After an excellent Senior Bowl, coupled with a strong 2024 season, Taylor is destined to go in this range.

#36 Jacksonville — TJ Sanders (DT, South Carolina)
I thought he had a disappointing Senior Bowl. I’m not sure if he was carrying an injury but he didn’t flash and then went home early.

#37 Las Vegas — Tre Harris (WR, Ole Miss)
Pete Carroll loves a big receiver and the Raiders need a #1 target. I suspect they will add a veteran quarterback — either Sam Darnold or Geno Smith.

#38 New England — Jonah Savaiinaea (T/G, Arizona)
The O-line will be a big priority for the Patriots. Savaiinaea only had a so-so Senior Bowl week so he’ll be hoping for a good combine.

#39 Chicago (v/CAR) — Princely Umanmielen (DE, Ole Miss)
They need an edge rusher to work across from Montez Sweat. His pass-rush win-percentage of 22.8% was second only to Josaiah Stewart.

#40 New Orleans — Jordan Burch (DE, Oregon)
He didn’t go to the Senior Bowl in the end which is a shame but how many players who are 290lbs can run like this guy? He can be the heir apparent to Cam Jordan.

#41 Chicago — Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
After a brilliant week in Mobile, Arroyo could be seen by Ben Johnson as Chicago’s answer to Sam LaPorta.

#42 NY Jets — Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
Williams would make a terrific, stout partner for Quinnen Williams. He does such a good job against the run.

#43 San Francisco — Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State)
What a week in Mobile. The more you watch of Thomas the more you wonder if he might go higher than this. Testing will be key for that to happen.

#44 Dallas — Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
He’s exactly the kind of #2 they need to pair with Ceedee Lamb — consistent and gets the job done. A chains-mover.

#45 Indianapolis — Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
He looked so smooth in Mobile and the Colts need to add talent at cornerback.

#46 Atlanta — Donovan Ezeiruaku (EDGE, Boston College)
Showed in flashes at the Senior Bowl. Testing will determine if he goes this early but he has the size and length. Pass-rush win-percentage was 18.1% in 2024.

#47 Arizona — Josaiah Stewart (EDGE, Michigan)
The only think keeping him from going earlier is a lack of ideal size and length. His motor and ability to bend and attack the quarterback is highly impressive. Led college football with a pass-rush win-percentage of 27.1%.

#48 Miami — Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
Packs a punch on tape and as the season went on, kept jumping off the screen for the Longhorns.

#49 Cincinnati — Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
He had a highly productive season for the Ducks but I never quite felt like I was watching a first round talent. The Bengals tend to draft D-liners I’m not crazy about.

#50 Seattle — Darius Alexander (DE/DT, Toledo)
Outstanding size, length, athleticism and he played with real aggression at the Senior Bowl. One of the top performers in Mobile and that often catches Seattle’s eye. Capable of lining up inside or off the edge on early downs. A dude. After the combine people might be talking about him in round one.

#51 Denver — Harold Fanin Jr (TE, Bowling Green)
The Broncos need a tight end. Sean Payton has found ways to max-out receiver-first TE’s in the past and Fanin Jr might appeal to him.

#52 Pittsburgh — Deone Walker (DT, Kentucky)
His frame is so sloppy with a flabby gut hanging over his pants and skinny legs. However, his playing style at least reminds you of a Steelers D-liner.

#53 Tampa Bay — Carson Schwesinger (LB, UCLA)
He reminds me a ton of former blog favourite Logan Wilson. Schwesinger could easily go in the top-40.

#54 Green Bay — Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
It’s a need for the Packers. Amos has talent but it was disappointing that he bailed on the Senior Bowl as early as he did.

#55 LA Chargers — Ty Robinson (DT, Nebraska)
A physical machine who gives everything on every snap. He’s a Jim Harbaugh type of player and will be a favourite among scouts.

#56 Buffalo (v/MIN) — Kevin Winston Jr (S, Penn State)
Injury prevented him from maxing out his stock at Penn State but he’s a quality player who could provide real value here.

#57 Carolina (v/LAR) — Bradyn Swinson (EDGE, LSU)
One of the most underrated edge rushers in the class. He had a 22.1% pass-rush win-percentage in 2024.

#58 Houston — Alfred Collins (DT, Texas)
He has the size of a nose tackle but he carries plenty of athleticism. Had a much better season this year.

#59 Baltimore — Shavon Revel (CB, East Carolina)
A knee injury keeps him on the board. Without it, he could’ve worked his way into round one.

#60 Detroit — Joshua Farmer (DT, Florida State)
What a Senior Bowl. Farmer has also promised to shock people with his testing at the combine. If he does, he could go in the Keeanu Benton range (#49 overall) and be an option for Seattle.

#61 Washington — Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
The other running back from Ohio State is reportedly also creating a buzz and could go in the second round.

#62 Buffalo — Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
He’s a very good player who could’ve been a first round pick. However, the injury issues might push him into this range. Medical checks will be key.

#63 Philadelphia — Nic Scourton (DE, Texas A&M)
The Eagles always draft for the trenches.

#64 Kansas City — Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa)
I really like Johnson and think he has star potential but where’s the buzz?

Third round

#65 NY Giants — Cameron Williams (T, Texas)
#66 Kansas City (v/TEN) — Rylie Mills (DT, Notre Dame)
#67 Cleveland — Jack Nelson (T, Wisconsin)
#68 Las Vegas — Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina)
#69 New England — Emery Jones (T, LSU)
#70 Jacksonville — Dylan Fairchild (G, Georgia)
#71 New Orleans — Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas)
#72 Chicago — DJ Giddens (RB, Kansas State)
#73 Las Vegas (v/NYJ) — Jordan Phillips (DT, Maryland)
#74 Carolina — Xavier Scott (CB, Illinois)
#75 San Francisco — Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee)
#76 Dallas — Devin Neal (RB, Kansas)
#77 New England (v/ATL) — Landon Jackson (DE, Arkansas)
#78 Arizona — Oluwafemi Oladejo (EDGE, UCLA)
#79 Washington (v/MIA) — Kyle Kennard (EDGE, South Carolina)
#80 Indianapolis — Mitchell Evans (TE, Notre Dame)
#81 Cincinnati — Xavier Watts (S, Notre Dame)
#82 Seattle — Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
#83 Pittsburgh — Jacob Parrish (CB, Kansas State)
#84 Tampa Bay — Wyatt Milum (T/G, West Virginia)
#85 Denver — Dylan Sampson (RB, Tennessee)
#86 LA Chargers — JT Tuimoloau (EDGE, Ohio State)
#87 Green Bay — Jared Wilson (C, Georgia)
#88 Jacksonville (v/MIN) — Elic Ayomanor (WR, Stanford)
#89 Houston — Marcus Mbow (T/G, Purdue)
#90 LA Rams — Kyle Williams (WR, Washington State)
#91 Baltimore — Carson Vinson (T, Alabama A&M)
#92 NY Jets (v/DET) — Will Howard (QB, Ohio State)
#93 New Orleans (v/WAS) — Denzel Burke (CB, Ohio State)
#94 Cleveland (v/BUF) — Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
#95 Philadelphia — Trevor Etienne (RB, Georgia)
#96 Kansas City — Josh Kelly (WR, Texas Tech)
#97 Minnesota — Jared Ivey (DE, Ole Miss)
#98 Miami — Yahya Black (DT, Iowa)
#99 San Francisco — Bilhal Kone (CB, Western Michigan)
#100 LA Rams — Jordan James (RB, Oregon)

Thoughts on the Seahawks picks

#18 Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
#50 Darius Alexander (DE/DT, Toledo)
#82 Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)

This might be a draft where the Seahawks seek to establish their newfound identity under Mike Macdonald, drafting impact players for the trenches with a high level of physical toughness and ready-made playing potential. All three of the players selected are bullying linemen.

After a 10-win season that, theoretically, could’ve and should’ve been better — rightly or wrongly, the Seahawks might think the best move (even if it’s just for self preservation) is to attack the weakest area of the team. That could be a full-blown assault on the offensive line — with one significant veteran addition and high draft picks too.

In this projection, I have the Seahawks signing Drew Dalman to play center. Based on what we’ve discovered since Klint Kubiak’s appointment — the center in his system is responsible for a lot of the line calls and protection adjustments. Dalman has just had a highly successful year playing for Zac Robinson in Atlanta, utilising the same kind of blocking system. This might be their best shot to add a significant free agent. The competition will be fierce for Trey Smith, who probably wants to find a way to stay in Kansas City anyway. Other veteran options are not as attractive as Dalman, who graded as PFF’s fourth ranked center in 2024 with a 79.8 grade blocking in the running game.

Then, you bookend your new center with two rookie guards who are tailor made for the pro’s. They are big yet athletic for their size. They are punishing and capable of setting the tone in the running game. They are finishers.

I’m not concerned that it reduces Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea to backup roles or competition. The line needs improving, pronto. Booker is an immediate starter and one of the best pure guards to enter the league in years. The Seahawks famously took Steve Hutchinson 17th overall in 2001. If Booker lasts to #18, which isn’t a given, they should run to the podium and make the pick. He ticks every box. Ratledge, meanwhile, had an injury plagued end to his Georgia career. I thought his play was middling at best when he did feature. However, there’s no doubting that the rest of his teammates looked up to him as the figurehead. He’s big and athletic and when he played at his best a couple of years ago he showed a ton of potential. Both guards play with an edge, they can move, they finish their blocks and could be the focal point of a new era in Seattle where the O-line, as in Philadelphia, sets the tone.

Darius Alexander meanwhile was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl. That has often been significant for the Seahawks under John Schneider. Alexander is nearly 6-4, 304lbs with 10 1/4 hands and 34 inch arms. Despite this, he plays with the quickness and burst of a player who is 30lbs lighter. He’s also tremendously physical, aggressive and powerful. Several times in Mobile he got teammates going with brilliant 1v1 reps or standout moments in scrimmage. He can immediately join the D-line rotation as an interior cog who can play DE in certain situations. You can line him up anywhere. Alexander has fantastic potential and will add further intimidation to the defensive front.

People might turn their noses up at a defensive lineman from Toledo. Don’t make that mistake. Alexander legitimately has an opportunity to be one of the steals of the class. See for yourself:

In the second clip, that’s a 304lbs defender rushing the edge against projected first round left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Tell me the last time you saw a 304lbs man rush the edge like that? You’d think he was 270lbs. Also note, this is why I’ve been saying Grey Zabel has looked far better in scrimmages than 1v1’s. He does a really good job ID’ing the problem off the edge from left guard and providing late additional protection.

By the time the combine comes and goes, we might be talking about Alexander having a shot at the first round.

It was tempting to pair the Seahawks with a quarterback. Eventually, they are going to take a chance on someone. I’ve been saying for a long time that I just have a feeling that John Schneider likes the potential of Quinn Ewers. He has a great arm, his natural talent has been well known throughout the league ever since he received High School recruiting grades matching all-timers like Jadeveon Clowney. However, he simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy and consistent and for all the talent, he hasn’t shown clear evidence that he can start in the NFL.

I’m just not sure the answer is in this draft. The future of the position in Seattle likely isn’t here. Thus, they might be forced to consider extending Geno Smith to lower his cap-hit, or moving on and pursuing the younger Sam Darnold. The 2026 draft class is already being overhyped at quarterback but in Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar, there are two players you can imagine Schneider liking.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Senior Bowl 2025 day three notes

January 30, 2025 /

Opening thoughts

I thought it was disappointing that so many players bailed on the Senior Bowl after two days. Mike Green didn’t have anywhere near as good a week as he thought he did to pull that move. The media, predictably, is focusing on one rep where he drove through Josh Conerly Jr. It’s a good rep. But too often in 1v1’s he tried to use a spin move that didn’t work and where was the burst off the edge? Why not stay and finish the week? I thought this was a lousy move.

He wasn’t alone. Deone Walker, TJ Sanders, Kyle Kennard, Bru McCoy, Shemar Stewart, Trey Amos and Donovan Ezeiruaku all decided not to bother today. If you’re committing to the Senior Bowl, respect it and stay. Otherwise don’t bother going and let someone else have the place. Not one single player played well enough this week to go home on Wednesday night. Paired with Armand Membou getting a mysterious “illness” right after Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft was published, I thought this was a disappointing attitude from too many players. Good on the likes of Walter Nolen and other big names for sticking it out.

Incidentally, why on earth does the NFL Network get Jeremiah to put out a mock draft before the Senior Bowl? They send a whole crew down to broadcast coverage of the event and yet players are pulling out after their agents read the mock. Don’t they want the best players out there? Put the mock out the day after the Senior Bowl instead. Goodness me.

It was also a bit disappointing that the American team didn’t do any 1v1’s in the trenches today.

I didn’t think we had as many standout performers this year compared to previous years. There was no Braden Fiske from a year ago, or Jermaine Johnson in 2022. For all the talk about the defensive tackles, really only Josh Farmer played at a consistent level. None of the edge rushers performed better than Boye Mafe did during his Senior Bowl, nor any of the linemen as well as Abe Lucas.

Players who flashed the most based on what I saw this week

Darius Alexander (DE, Toledo)
Oluwafemi Oladejo (EDGE, UCLA)
Josh Farmer (DT, Florida State)
Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State)
Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
Kyle Williams (WR, Washington State)
Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)

Honourable mention — Keondre Jackson (S, Illinois State) — I want to see more

National team OL vs DL 1v1’s

Wyatt Milum’s first rep was against Utah’s Junior Tafuna, who got into his chest. Milum didn’t sink his hips and was upright. He didn’t readjust and plant the anchor until he’d been shoved backwards five yards. They had a rematch where Tafuna just threw him off the spot and ran to the QB. It was a terrible look for Milum. In a third rep, Yahya Black worked through Milum before disengaging to get to the quarterback. This was a really poor day three from the West Virginia man, finished off by a 1v1 rep at midfield in front of the team where Farmer straight-armed him right back into the quarterback for another easy win. I really expected to see more aggression from Wilum this week and he’s been one of the bigger disappointments. Tafuna, on the other hand, has shown some flashes.

USC center Jonah Monheim tried to get his hands into Darius Alexander’s chest off the snap on his first rep. You can’t blame him for trying — it’s what you want to see, quickly shooting your hands inside. Sadly for Monheim, Alexander brushed him off like he was being blocked by a guy in the stands who’d been offered a go at the 1v1’s. Absolute domination, flashing Alexander’s tremendous upside and exposing Monheim’s limitations. Alexander also had a good tussle with Josh Conerly Jr that ended in a tie — Alexander showing power and mobility to work the edge at 300lbs, while Conerly didn’t cede ground and stood up to the power rush and attempted counter. He then destroyed Jalen Rivers. What a session for Alexander. In redzone drills he also blew up a play to the left edge, leading to teammates hollering towards him and getting hyped up. The Toledo defensive lineman has been a big winner this week and looks like a second round pick.

Joshua Farmer just has this knack of moving forwards. He faced Grey Zabel at right guard. Zabel did a good job initially, moving his feet easily to cut off the cross-face. Palmer tried a spin-move and ended up in front of Zabel, shoving him back into the quarterback. I think this was rep was a draw — a good initial move from Zabel but a good counter and recovery from Farmer. His second rep came against Caleb Rogers. He swam past him and ran to the QB with Rogers clinging on. For the first two days Farmer flashed dominant power. Today, he showed he has some quickness and a repertoire. A great week for the Florida State man.

Zabel’s second rep was against Yahya Black. He was early off the snap (false start) and Black just beat him — working the A-gap with better quickness then barging through a rather desperate attempt by Zabel to cling on. Black still just waltzed through to the QB. He then moved over to right guard to go against Jamaree Caldwell. The big Oregon defender got to the POA quicker and turned Zabel, getting the blocker into a bad position where all he could do was get Caldwell in a head-lock. It would’ve been a clear holding penalty but Caldwell still finished and got to the quarterback. A very ugly rep. Farmer then had another go at Zabel and drove through his chest deep into the backfield. This was not a good 1v1 session for Zabel at all. In fairness, he was a lot better in 11 on 11. This is where he’s sealing off, walling off, reaching to the second level. He looks so much better during scrimmages. The 1v1 stuff the internet has gone crazy about has been way overrated — and I say that as someone who has been talking up Zabel for weeks pre-Senior Bowl. It’d be more convenient for me to join the group-think on his performance but I don’t think it’s accurate.

David Walker doesn’t have lightning quicks but he still managed to get around Ozzy Trapilo with a dip and straighten for a sack. He then beat Anthony Belton at left tackle by driving through his chest. Maybe if he’d pushed Belton over he could’ve rushed to the airport and caught the same plane as Mike Green? Walker then moved over to right tackle and easily beat Belton with a speed rush. This was a good day for Walker with only one losing rep against Aireontae Ersery. He also looked good working in and out of the bags in warmups — showing some good bend. He has really short arms (31 3/4 inches) and he’s only 6-0 — limiting his potential. But he’s worked well this week.

Jalen Rivers had a good day one, a rough second day and today he blocked like this was his first go at the sport of gridiron. His first rep on day three was to allow Aeneas Peebles to run right by him into the backfield. Turnstile level play. He was then beasted by Darius Alexander. Then Ty Robinson ran by him like he wasn’t there. Absolutely dreadful. They gave him another rep to try and get him going. He lost it to Junior Tafuna. They gave him another rep. He put up more resistance against Jaramee Caldwell but still lost in the end. This was a rare occasion in Mobile of someone starting strong and fading as the week progressed.

Ty Robinson dominated Caleb Rogers in their first 1v1 rep. He engaged contact, swam over Rogers’ left shoulder and exploded to the quarterback. A tremendous play by the Nebraska lineman. Robinson had a great session, with his win against Rivers and then easily dismissing Rogers for a second time.

Oluwafemi Oladejo had a good battle with Marcus Mbow at right tackle. He used an initial punch which Mbow absorbed but Oladejo just kept churning his legs then span away to reach the quarterback. He then kicked inside and ran around Jared Monheim to sprint to the QB. He cheated, using the right guard to basically block off the center. It still showed his quickness. They re-did the rep and Oladejo still won, juking from the right to the left and just being too quick and powerful for the undersized USC blocker. He also had a win off against Aireontae Ersery using long strides to get to the edge quicker. His straighten isn’t great off the bend but he can get home. The UCLA pass-rusher continues to impress. He also carries a bit of an alpha energy — he was yelling and shouting after big plays by team mates in 11 on 11. He’s absolutely jacked too and looks like a beast in his frame.

Landon Jackson used an inside counter to easily beat Ozzy Trapilo. It’s the first flash of quickness and agility we’ve seen from Jackson in 1v1’s. He didn’t do much work in the session. Collin Oliver the Oklahoma State edge rusher drove Josh Conerly Jr back into the QB. It was another rep this week where the Oregon man’s base and power came into question. I think, overall, Conerly’s stock has taken a hit this week.

Other notes

With no 1v1’s for the American team they stuck to a heavy dose of 11v11, 7v7 and red zone work. Princely Umanmielen beat Carson Vinson to the edge easily. Then on a run play, Umanmielen bullied him into the backfield to get to the RB. On a third battle between the pair, Umanmielen again drove the left tackle into the backfield. Vinson shone on day one but hasn’t been able to follow it up.

Jaxson Dart didn’t flash special qualities in the reps I saw. He was a little hesitant and reminded me a fair bit of Jarrett Stidham. Riley Leonard had a level of awkwardness to him and again I don’t think we saw special qualities. Jalen Milroe has at times been all over the place. It’s been a week to forget for him and he’ll probably need to take a bunch of snaps on Saturday, run around a bunch and remind people what he can do in a game. Seth Henigan is light and I’m afraid didn’t look like a NFL starter in this environment.

Tyler Shough’s ball-placement at times wasn’t great. He pulled off a brilliant play-fake in 11 on 11. and had one bad/good moment in red zone play. For some reason he turned down an open Kyle Williams on a bootleg, ran to the right sideline and then threw across his body. However, as dangerous as that is, he nailed the pass to Elijah Arroyo — who punted the ball into the stands in celebration. Shough has a better arm than the other quarterbacks in Mobile but that’s kind of like saying the Colts were the second best team in the AFC South. It doesn’t really mean much. I can’t say I thought he looked like a NFL starter here.

Dillon Gabriel was way too hesitant. It was painful to watch rep after rep where he’d just sit looking at open receivers and not pull the trigger. His accuracy was off too. He did have one excellent throw to Xavier Restrepo in the redzone, fitting the ball into a very tight window in thick coverage. That was after he sat in the pocket for ages though and in a real game he likely would’ve been sacked. When he did try and get it out quickly he was off — such as one-hopping a red-zone throw to Tez Johnson. On a bootleg in the redzone he found it really difficult to throw to the right side as he’s left handed. He completely overshot the pass to Gavin Bartholomew, leading to an interception for Tommi Hill. I think if you were hoping a quarterback would emerge from this group to be a possible solution for the Seahawks, you better hope one of them is saving something special for Saturday’s game.

The more I’ve watched of Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas the more impressed I’ve been. You expect with his frame he’ll be stiffer than he is in transition but he sticks in coverage, can flip his hips and he finds the football. It’ll be interesting to see how he tests because the league needs cornerbacks and I get the sense he will be a big riser after this week. He had a really good interception on a 1v1 in the end zone, plus he broke up a Tyler Shough pass nicely on a different rep. He just looks the part.

UCLA’s Maliki Matavao is a player I want to watch more of. He’s looks quite mobile for a tight end and he’s well sized. He sealed well in the running game in 11 on 11.

Western Michigan’s Bilhal Kone — who definitely has the talent to be an interesting mid-round pick — had a good rep in the red zone vs Jayden Higgins. It was nice, tight coverage and he got a pat on the back from the coaches. Kone plays with a calmness and doesn’t panic. He’s supposedly a good tester so he’s a cornerback to watch at the combine.

Miami’s Elijah Arroyo is a beast. Even when he’s covered he’s not. He also has strong hands and a powerful frame. It’s difficult to gain position against him and he could be a redzone monster. Along with LSU’s Mason Taylor, he’s one of the big winners this week. Frankly, they both look like top-45 picks.

Washington State’s Kyle Williams absolutely destroyed Nebraska’s Tommi Hill on a red-zone rep. Then he beat him again for good measure, changing direction back to the opposite direction. Williams is completely underrated. He’s so sudden and quick. Half of the receivers in Mobile needed 20 minutes to pull off four different moves to get open. Williams wins immediately. He’s going to look great playing in LA for the Rams.

Illinois State’s Keondre Jackson really caught my eye today. He’s a big safety but didn’t look out of place in coverage. Perhaps he could be worked into some corner situations? He looks like a physical, versatile chess piece. He’s out here bringing it after being at the Hula Bowl. I like him. He might be worth a look early on day three and I can’t wait to see how he tests. His interview with the NFL Network was really good too. I’m going to spend some time tomorrow trying to dig out the rest of his Senior Bowl reps.

Tomorrow I will publish a post-Senior Bowl mock draft. On Saturday I will provide notes from the game.

Senior Bowl 2025 day two notes

January 29, 2025 /

Before getting into the notes, if you missed my latest show on Puck Sports be sure to check it out here (and please like the video on YouTube if you can):

Opening thought

I think the 1v1’s in the trenches have been disappointing through two days. We’ve had too many spin moves that aren’t counters, not enough pure wins off the edge and very little in terms of ‘wow’ moments from a much vaunted D-line group.

Nobody has rushed the edge like a Jermaine Johnson in 2022 and lit up the Senior Bowl this year. It’s all been a bit underwhelming. I have to say, I’m also not watching the offensive linemen and feeling like anyone jumps out as a ‘must draft’.

National team notes

— Mike Green had a frustrating, mixed day. On the plus side, he buried Josh Conerly Jr on one rep. The Oregon tackle, lining up on the right side, lost balance in the set and Green just ran straight through him. Aside from that though, Green maddeningly kept using an ineffective spin move in his 1v1 reps. When he did just rush the edge, as he did in his opening rep against Ozzy Trapilo, the tall left tackle just rode him out of the play. Jalen Travis also stoned Green with a fairly basic pass-pro set and engage. You want to see dynamic burst, quickness and bend in a pass rusher with Green’s size and he hasn’t shown it in the first two days. Yet I’m sure everyone will call him a ‘big winner’ because of the one rep where Conerly lost balance and was embarrassed.

— My annual, never-ending frustration with how people view ‘wins’ in the 1v1’s continued today with Grey Zabel. In his first rep, Ty Robinson attacked his left shoulder. To Zabel’s credit, he took away an attempted swim move. However, Robinson’s pure power and momentum had Zabel basically standing on the quarterbacks toes six yards behind the LOS. I’ve seen this rep described as a win online and the commentary team were again waxing lyrical.

You tell me. In any NFL game, how would this constitute a win? This is just over two seconds after the snap. The guy in the white shirt is the quarterback:

Again, these sessions are not about linemen staying in front of defenders and not being beat right off the snap against a swim/rip or speed rush. Robinson pushes the pocket here. If an interior defender does that in a game, it’s a win. I feel like we have these moments every year and it’s a shame. I have positive things to say about Zabel’s performance and I really like him as a prospect. But we have to be say what’s really happening. On the video I’m watching of the 1v1 footage, Yahya Black drives Jalen Rivers back into the QB and the guy behind the camera says, “that’s a win for Miami.” No, it really isn’t.

— In the scrimmages I thought Zabel did very well. Both he and Jared Monheim reached up to the second level very efficiently. He walled off when he needed to. I think technically Zabel needs a lot of work at center. His hands don’t always shoot inside but he’s also shown he can leverage at his height. I like him best at guard. In a rematch against Robinson, Zabel did a better job squaring up to the Nebraska defender and blocked his path to the quarterback. It also needs to be noted that they’re letting Zabel take way more reps than any lineman I’ve ever seen before at the Senior Bowl. Nobody is clocking to see often he jumps back into the line-up. Good for him I guess but they typically manage this.

— Monheim did very well in the scrimmages to the point I was starting to wonder if I’d completely botched my evaluation of his tape at USC. However, in 1v1’s he had a few struggles. Joshua Farmer, as he’s done for two straight days, bullied him back into the QB by attacking the left shoulder then just sealing his hands inside and driving Monheim backwards. Aeneas Peebles shrugged him off with ease to burst into the backfield on a different rep. In a rematch against Peebles, Monheim set nicely, gained leverage and finished. A nice recovery. I do think he could be an interesting day three center despite an up-and-down day.

— Farmer just keeps his feet moving all the time. It’s impressive. He’s a one-trick pony but he does it well. He doesn’t just bench-press you. He’ll engage and then churn and churn. The feet keep pumping, the arms are constantly working to hit the mark. He doesn’t have any speed rush to speak of but in virtually every rep he pushes the pocket. He did this to Marcus Mbow at right guard and then on the final rep of the session, he barged his way through Zabel. Mbow in a separate rep lined up at center and Femi Oladejo just ran by him like he was a traffic cone. We don’t need to see that again.

— Josh Conerly Jr had a difficult day. His first rep was a good battle with UCLA’s impressive Femi Oladejo with both players countering in a score-draw. It was a good battle. Oladejo has had a great couple of practises so far. He looks the part — 6-3, 261, 33.5 inch arms, 80 3/4 wingspan. He’s had some success working inside and out. He’s been of the better performers in Mobile so far. Back to Conerly, I’ve not seen a lot to suggest he’ll go in the top-20 this week.

— Junior Tafuna has some classic Utah power in his hands. He drove back Caleb Rogers when he lined up at center for a an easy bull-rush win. Rogers did have a win against Ty Robinson, delivering a good powerful jolt with his hands inside to knock Robinson off course.

— Wyatt Milum struggled at right guard. He looked half asleep on his first rep and then on his second, Darius Alexander had his lunch money with an effective swim move. That was despite Milum being half a second early off the snap. Ty Robinson made his life miserable too attacking the right shoulder and then accelerating through contact to reach the quarterback. I expected more from Milum this week.

— If Aireontae Ersery had a decent first day, he had a bit of a nightmare on day two. He kept oversetting to the outside, something the other tackles struggled with yesterday. Two defenders, including Darius Alexander, beat him inside because of this. It’s sloppy technique but perhaps speaks to his discomfort at right tackle. On Tuesday he lined up in his more natural left tackle spot. Today he just looked cumbersome.

— Landon Jackson doesn’t have any twitch. He’s too big and struggled to burst to the outside or counter. Ozzy Trapilo just took away the edge when they lined up against each other. Trapilo didn’t have the same success against Josaiah Stewart, who worked through contact and straightened to finish.

— Jalen Travis had a good rep to begin his day and also had the win against Mike Green but he was also walked back into the quarterback by David Walker. An easy power win.

American team

— My first thought was ‘please can you mix these 1v1’s up’? We saw enough of Miles Frazier vs Tim Smith on day one. The first rep they showed was Smith in an awkward position with his helmet buried into Frazier’s chest, driving him backwards before tossing the LSU lineman to the turf. Frazier had a great rep against RJ Oben at right tackle. His set was really smooth and he just sealed off the path to the QB immediately. They had a rematch later on and Frazier was called for a hold.

— Cam Jackson clearly decided he wanted to copy TJ Sanders and Kyle Kennard and came out wearing sweatpants. This needs to go in the bin. His first rep was good though, driving Jacob Beyer backwards. His second rep, against Clay Webb, was another productive bull-rush. Webb received coaching on his hand placement after the whistle.

— Walter Nolen’s first rep was against Clay Webb. The Jacksonville State blocker did a good job initially to stall Nolen but the Ole Miss pass-rusher span out of the block to dip inside. This was a really dynamic counter from Nolen. Jackson Slater had Nolen’s second rep. He was competitive and clung on even with the defensive tackle forcing him back before going with the same spin-counter. His third rep was more of the same, pushing the pocket into the quarterback. He turns his body on contact and makes it very difficult to get your hands inside. The best way to describe Nolen is ‘slippery’.

— Kyle Kennard’s first rep came against day-one standout Carson Vinson. Kennard tried to use a euro-step to get around the outside. It wasn’t the prettiest move and he didn’t slip the block but there was a suspicion of a hold in there. Vinson’s second rep was against Sai’vion Jones of LSU. He won initially until Jones disengaged. Kennard met Vinson again later on and the South Carolina defender bull-rushed him effectively into the backfield. Yesterday Vinson had an eye-catching day. Today was kind of average.

— Shemar Stewart went with a bull-rush on his first rep, driving Emory Jones backwards. It’s a bit weird that there’s still no word on why Ian Rapoport said Stewart wouldn’t practise due to injury and now he’s participated in the first two days. Stewart’s second rep was a bull-rush on Jonah Savaiinaea — driving him backwards into the quarterback. In scrimmages, he showed an outstanding burst to win with speed against Emory Jones for a sack/fumble. That’s what we’ve been waiting to see. It was the first glimpse of someone saying, “I’m a high draft pick.”

— TJ Sanders, minus the sweatpants today, had a rough outing. He was dumped on the floor by Willie Lampkin then given a second rep immediately, where Jacob Beyer stoned him. I’m not sure if he’s hurt because we didn’t see a lot of him and he was wearing a special helmet today. It was a disappointing watch, though.

— Deone Walker won his first rep against Garrett Dellinger, getting his hands in the right place and driving through contact. It’s hard not to comment again, though, on just how sloppy his frame looks with the overhanging gut and thin legs. Walker’s second rep was similar, driving back Miles Frazier before slapping him away to disengage. He had a really nice swim move on Clay Webb to penetrate in scrimmage. He showed good quickness for his size. There’s some talent there but he looks like he belongs in KFC not the NFL.

— Jared Ivey’s first rep wasn’t great. He was driven off his path to the quarterback too easily and couldn’t recover. He used a swipe-move on his second rep but it lacked juice against Garrett Dellinger.

— Jonah Savaiinaea’s first rep was at right guard against Tim Smith. He absolutely dominated him. He had a tougher go-around against Shemar Stewart on his second rep as mentioned earlier.

— Princley Umanmielen’s first rep came later in the drill and he looked really athletic trying to spin away from the initial contact. His second rep kicked inside to guard against Emory Jones and the LSU man just devoured him. We only saw two Umanmielen reps and one comes at defensive tackle? Really? Jones had a bounce-back day today. He had some good battles with Barryn Sorrell of Texas at right tackle both in the 1v1 drill and at the end at midfield with the whole team watching on. He also had a good scrimmage win on a running play against Walter Nolen, before burying Cam Jackson on the very next snap.

Where’s Armand Membou?

Apparently he is sick and has gone home. Dane Brugler calls it a ‘stomach flu’. I’m sceptical. He’s suddenly being mocked very early in round one and this has all the hallmarks of being pulled out of practise in a ham-fisted way by his representatives.

Quick-hitting notes on other positions

— I’ve been really impressed with Tez Johnson during the receiver 1v1’s. He’s creating continuous easy separation. He’s really light and small but he knows how to get open against the admittedly modest competition here.

— Kyle Williams’ release is excellent and he can drive off separation with a well-timed head-fake. He’s shown some suddenness. He did have one rep where he kind of ran a route into coverage, ceding an advantage to the DB.

— Harold Fanin Jr didn’t look as fluid moving as Mason Taylor and Elijah Arroyo. It was noticeable how they just look a lot more at ease running routes, cutting away from coverage and separating.

— Jaylin Noel is good out of his break and has a little bit of dynamism to him. On one rep against Azareye’h Thomas — who had tight coverage — he did a good job tracking the ball and made a difficult, twisting catch. For a taller corner, Thomas often does well to stick in a foot race.

— Jalen Milroe barely looks draftable. Without the ability to take off and use his legs, he’s being asked to sit in the pocket and be an orthodox QB. He can’t do it. He threw a horrendous interception during scrimmage straight to Jack Kiser. Even on a deep completion to Jack Bech the ball fluttered in the air. It’s astonishing that people spent time during the season suggesting he’d developed as a passer. That wasn’t true in the slightest. He can’t be taken in the first three rounds and frankly, I wouldn’t draft him at all. He’s a running quarterback who didn’t play all that well in college when needing to throw.

— On top of the pick, Kiser had a good day — reading his keys to fill gaps in the scrimmages. He might be a late rounder or UDFA but he’s competitive.

— Devin Neal looked fantastic. Superb cuts and change of direction. He’s one of the more underrated players in this class. Every time he took a rep your eyes were glued to him.

— Quincy Riley had a great rep sticking with Xavier Restrepo, then turning to play the ball. I’ve been a bit disappointed with Restrepo — I thought he’d shine in these 1v1’s. He’s just looked pretty ‘meh’.

— Maxwell Hairston had a really good rep against Arian Smith in 1v1 coverage. He can trail well, stick in the hip pocket and get his head around. Hairston has been one of the few bright spots at corner.

— Billy Bowman lacks size but he competes in coverage and he closes well. Another defensive back, Mac McWilliams, has also caught the eye. I’m eager to watch more of his tape.

— I didn’t think the Jaxson Dart/Riley Leonard/Seth Henigan/Jalen Milroe group showed that much at quarterback. I’ve not been able to watch coverage of the National team QB’s yet.

Senior Bowl 2025 day one notes

January 28, 2025 /

Here are my thoughts from day one. I’ve managed to watch all of the 1v1’s from the O-line and D-line drills. These are the notes I made…

Star performers (both rosters)

Carson Vinson
Walter Nolen
Jalen Rivers (at guard)
Aireontae Ersery

Opt-outs

It’s worth noting Armand Membou didn’t practise today even though he was in Mobile. People are saying he currently intends to participate and is maybe nursing an injury — although the speculation has already started that because Daniel Jeremiah put him at #11 in his mock draft that he’s opting to sit out. Byron Murphy pulled out of the Senior Bowl a year ago for this very reason.

Several other players have also pulled out. None of the Ohio State players are in Mobile. Jack Nelson isn’t participating, along with fellow offensive linemen Jared Wilson, Tate Ratledge and Ajani Cornelius. Defensive linemen Jordan Burch, Nic Scourton and Alfred Collins opted out. Cam Skattebo isn’t in Mobile and neither is Andrew Mukuba, Carson Schwesinger, Xavier Watts or Elic Ayomanor.

National team notes

— Wyatt Milum, lining up at left guard, lost a rep to Jamaree Caldwell way too easily. He overset off the snap and his footwork was all over the place. He gave up the inside for Caldwell — so much so that it was virtually an invitation. It goes to show that the transition from tackle to guard isn’t always an easy one. Milum had some afters with Yahya Black following another rep. I liked Milum’s aggression off the snap and he quickly got into Black’s chest and engaged. He basically held him off with only his left arm and had the feet to block off the route to the QB. Right at the end of the rep Black regained some leverage and drove Milum backwards but the rep had already been won by the left guard. That’s when the pushing and shoving between the two started. Milum was given one rep at left tackle and it was painful to watch. Donovan Ezeiruaku just swiped his hands away and ran around him for an easy win. Milum had enough time to turn around and get a good look at Ezeiruaku hitting the QB though. I’ve said for a while that with his lack of length and sluggish feet, there’s no way he can play tackle at the next level. It’s absurd that some people have been projecting him as a first round pick. He’s a guard convert and will not go in round one. Hopefully he’ll settle into the position switch on day two. I really like his potential for the Seahawks at left guard in a zone scheme. Let’s hope for better tomorrow because he has the potential.

— Marcus Mbow struggled at right tackle. He completely oversets with his initial slide, leaving a canyon of space to the inside. All Mike Green had to do was set him up and then dart inside as Mbow tried to engage. It’s terrible technique with his footwork. He had another rep later on where he jumped early on the snap, again failed to set in the right position and was bullied by David Walker of Central Arkansas. Mbow doesn’t look like a tackle. Neither does he look particularly powerful with any kind of anchor or sand in his pants. He looks undersized. When they moved him inside, he still got shoved backwards. His final rep was a win against Josaiah Stewart surprisingly. He did a much better job setting the edge and then working to control Stewart.

— I’m not sure Mike Green showed ‘amazing’ quickness. He’s clearly quick and looks smaller than your typical EDGE. But given he’s never going to be a power guy, or even speed-to-power, you want to see exceptional speed. I think we saw ‘good’ athleticism not ‘great’ athleticism today.

— Aireontae Ersery started strongly against Landon Jackson. The Arkansas pass-rusher used unorthodox technique on an arm-over to get to the outside but Ersery quickly recovered to shut-down the edge, using his length to shove Jackson off balance. He then had the athleticism to regain a positional advantage and drive his man to the turf. On his next rep, he completely controlled Mike Green, latching on and not letting go. To score the hat-trick, in a rematch with Jackson, he drove to the edge and the defender didn’t have the bend to turn the corner, so Ersery sent him to the ground. I’ve had reservations about Ersery sticking at tackle but this day answered some of those questions. Impressive.

— Yahya Black bullied Caleb Rogers at left guard on a rep. He engaged the blocker and then just threw him aside like a used dishcloth. Rogers had a better rep against Florida State’s Joshua Farmer but then in a rematch between the two, Farmer crossed his face and shoved Rogers backwards into the QB. Jamaree Caldwell also bullied Rogers into the backfield for a win.

— Josaiah Stewart won with pure speed against Ozzy Trapilo. It was a complete mismatch. All Stewart had to do was bend around the edge and he was home and hosed. Stewart then had a win against Josh Conerly Jr, faking to the outside then dipping inside. He was too quick and powerful for Conerly and had the bend and lean to work around his right shoulder. Conerly couldn’t stop him getting to the QB. A promising start for Stewart.

— Grey Zabel got a lot of praise online today. As someone who has promoted Zabel a ton on the blog, it’d be beneficial for me to just agree with all of the praise and say he was brilliant. I don’t think that was the case though.

On one rep for example, which many are classifying as a ‘win’ on Twitter, he is shoved five yards into the backfield by Jamaree Caldwell. Caldwell then disengages and dips inside to the quarterback. We get this every single year in Mobile. If you are an interior lineman (Zabel was playing center) and you immediately go backwards five yards into the lap of the QB in shotgun, that isn’t a win. The sole point of the 1v1’s isn’t to avoid getting whipped with a swim move off the snap. If an interior defender forces a guard or center backwards into his quarterback, they win. You’ve moved him off the spot. Every year we talk about this during the Senior Bowl and every year ‘losses’ are called ‘wins’ on the internet.

I’d also say Zabel didn’t shoot his hands quickly enough off the snap. If he’s going to move inside to center he’s got to be the aggressor. I was once told by a very experienced personnel executive that this was the first thing he looked for. Are you shooting your hands and taking your game to the opponent off the snap?

On a third rep against Aeneas Peebles, the defender tried to cross Zabel’s face after faking to the right shoulder. Zabel, again at center, worked to get his left arm in place to shield the gap. He then rides Peebles out of the play, so it ends well. However, I think a dynamic NFL rusher doesn’t allow that one left arm to stop them bursting through that gap. Zabel has to close it off quicker. On a right guard rep against Ty Robinson, I thought he initially did well to sink, leverage and stall but then Robinson countered with power and managed to move towards the QB. Maybe call that one a score draw.

Zabel had a better rep at guard against Peebles. I think he’s just a better player and was able to get his feet in the right area then work his hands. He kept working his hands inside. Now, an ideal rep would’ve seen him get the hands inside off the initial punch and control from there. Because he had to readjust his hands all the time, Peebles almost squirmed out of his grip. But the hands and feet were connected enough for Zabel to get position and then work Peebles to the turf.

Zabel took so many reps, way more than anyone else. I was surprised how much work he had in the 1v1’s. In a left guard rep against Darius Alexander, the defender tried an arm-over move but Zabel landed inside and sunk his hips well to latch-on — turning Alexander with his back to the quarterback. It would’ve been nice to see him finish here but strangely Alexander was able to back himself into the QB until Zabel was able to plant the anchor.

I’m not saying Zabel had a bad 1v1 session at all — but when I was looking at Twitter earlier, I was almost expecting to see Zack Martin out there. There is a tendency for group-think at the Senior Bowl with so many people attending these days. I thought Zabel performed as you’d expect for someone kicking inside with his talent — it was a mixed bag but with the potential to develop over the course of the three practises.

You do also need to consider the scrimmages, which I’ve been able to find a ‘bit’ of online. Zabel does look impressive here. This is a better rep below from Zabel, playing at right guard. He shows a really good reach and he drives the linebacker well out of the play. This is the kind of blocking play Seattle will use under Klint Kubiak so it’s good to see:

Zabel also does a good job hooking the interior defender in the video below when lining up at center:

— UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo easily beat Jalen Travis off the edge. He had a nice clean get-off, swiped Travis’ hands away and then turned the corner with natural ease to finish. Great rep. Oladejo also kicked inside and drove Marcus Mbow backwards. Then he went up against Josh Conerly Jr. His initial move was poor — an attempted inside counter and he hopped into contact. You’ll get buried at the next level doing that. However, he recovered well and countered with a neat spin move back to the outside. Conerly Jr did well to recover and regain position himself, before Oladejo worked back inside and swam into the QB. It’s rare you see an edge defender try three moves in one play. Okadejo is someone I haven’t studied and I’m keen to see more. Josh Conerly destroyed him when the pair met at midfield in an end-of-session 1v1, much to the delight of his offensive team-mates.

— There was a great rep from Jalen Rivers working at guard against Yahya Black. As I said, these interior linemen need to shoot their hands and take their opponents on, without reaching and over-extending. Rivers was right into Black off the snap and just dominated him. Lovely rep. Then he did the same thing to Ty Robinson on his next opportunity. He showed a fantastic initial punch, he got his hands inside and he had jolting power. Robinson tried to work his feet to get away but Rivers stalked him with light feet, every step containing a new punch. I haven’t studied Rivers but I want to now. When they kicked him out to right tackle he was easily beaten off the edge. I’m guessing his home is at guard.

— Jonah Monheim had a win against Oregon’s Jaramee Caldwell, a rarity today. He let Caldwell’s aggression work against him and used his momentum to cut his hands and send him down to the ground. On another rep he also had a win against Yahya Black. However, Joshua Farmer bullied Monheim into the backfield on another rep. Farmer consistently straight armed blockers and drove through his feet. It was effective today. Back to the center Monheim, he also bossed Aeneas Peebles towards the end of the session. A good day for Monheim, someone I didn’t expect to be as impressed with as I was.

Look at the USC center reach up to the second level and seal off his man in this scrimmage rep:

— Darius Alexander has a ton of physical upside. He slapped Ozzy Trapilo aside rushing the left edge, completely opening up the B-gap. Sadly he just stumbled as he exploded to the QB but the rep was still won. Anthony Benton easily beat Donovan Ezeiruaku. He just caught the spin move and finished. Mike Green ran around Ozzy Trapilo like he was a tackle dummy on one edge rep. Too easy.

American team

— Overall this practise was nowhere near the level of the national team. The 1v1’s were far shorter for the linemen and there wasn’t the same seriousness to the session, at least based on what I saw on the NFL Network.

— Walter Nolen looked so quick beating Miles Frazier while crossing his face. You can’t teach his level of quickness. Nolen’s second rep saw him drive Caleb Webb backwards into the quarterback with sudden power. Teams are always looking for this kind of player — someone with the power to be combative in the trenches, with the quickness and burst to exploit openings and penetrate as a pass-rusher. Nolen, for me, looked like the real deal today and a potential top-20 pick. Miles Frazier faired better in his second rep against Alabama’s Tim Smith — but he’s a far weaker opponent than Nolen.

— On TJ Sanders first rep, he was surprisingly easily handled by Jacob Bayer of Arkansas State. Bayer shot his hands inside brilliantly, kept his feet moving and controlled the block throughout. On Sanders’ second rep, he stuck Garrett Dellinger on his backside with power. For some reason Sanders and Kyle Kennard were both wearing sweatpants during the practise. I’m not sure it helped — they looked pretty casual out there.

— A lot of people loved seeing Deone Walker’s measurements yesterday. Today, reality struck. He has a sloppy frame with an overhanging gut. He’s also top-heavy with no size in his legs or arse — there’s just no lower body explosion. His legs are so thin. He also has terrible pad level and gets upright late in the rep, providing a huge target on his chest. He showed no plan in his first rep against Clay Webb of Jacksonville State and was easily controlled. On his second rep against Garrett Dellinger it looked like he was moving in slow motion and couldn’t be bothered. He showed a bit more fight and effort on his third rep but still made it a struggle to get an advantage against Clay Webb. Later, the pair had a 1v1 rep in front of the whole roster at midfield. Webb easily won it. Walker, again, looked like a sloppy sack of potatoes. He had a terribly disappointing 2024 season for Kentucky and based on what we saw today, he’s a day-three pick at best.

— Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the day that Shemar Stewart wouldn’t practise at the Senior Bowl due to an injury that needed some work. However, he was out there in the 1v1’s. Jonah Savaiinaea easily handled him in their first rep. The Arizona blocker’s set was far better than any of the right tackles we saw in the first session. Although Stewart tried to rip through Savaiinaea, he still ran him out of the play. On Stewart’s second rep he bull-rushed Emery Jones into the backfield. Everyone seemed to have success against LSU’s Jones. Savaiinaea’s second rep wasn’t as good against Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The Georgia defender attacked his chest and won with hand-placement and power. Once he drove Savaiinaea off the ball, he disengaged to finish.

— Tennessee’s Omar Norman-Lott kind of won his first 1v1 rep against Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater — fighting through the gap with effort more than anything. He didn’t have to do much to work through to the backfield. His second rep flashed pure power, driving back Jacob Bayer into the backfield. Norman-Lott lacks an ideal frame and it’s hard to work out what his best down-to-down position would be.

— Now onto the biggest surprise of the day. Carson Vinson of Alabama A&M was fantastic. For me, he’s today’s big winner. There’s definitely some technical refinement to be had with him but wow — he looks the part. Kyle Kennard lost a rep to Vinson in his 1v1. Initially it looked like Vinson shifted his weight too far to the left but Kennard didn’t have the quickness on the inside-counter to capitalise, allowing the left tackle to recover and keep him off the QB. Vinson buried Sai’vion Jones on his second rep — setting well, getting his hands in the right position and dumping Jones to the turf. In a late final 1v1 at midfield in front of everyone, Vinson walled off Shemar Stewart and made it look easy. The whole offensive roster exploded as Vinson celebrated, forcing the whole defense to do a set of push-ups. He’s nearly 6-7, 314lbs and he has 35 1/8 inch arms. If he keeps this up, he’s going to be flying up draft boards ahead of the combine.

— Emery Jones had a poor year for LSU in 2024 (so did Will Campbell). On his first 1v1 rep he was easily beaten by Notre Dame’s RJ Oben to the outside. I don’t think he can play tackle at the next level. His technique was all over the place today and you just wanted someone to light a fire under him. The problem with Princely Umanmielen is the same — inconsistent effort. On his first rep against Logan Brown of Kansas, he just tried a lazy spin move and gave up when the tackle caught it. Jared Ivey has some splashes on tape but he was way too upright and high against Jackson Slater on his first 1v1 rep and just gave a big target for the blocker to attack and win. You expect the bigger name, bigger school players to dominate these reps. Ivey did have an easy win on an inside move against LSU’s Jones.

Quick-hitting notes on other positions

I have only been able to dip into what’s available online because most people focus on the OL vs DL 1v1’s. Here are some things I picked up on though…

— Seth Henigan’s passes were fluttering all over the place, he also had some inaccurate passes in 7-on-7. Not sure if it’s nerves but he didn’t look like a draftable player today. Alternatively, Riley Leonard looked assured and threw with some velocity to the mid-range level. He also looked very athletic on the run. Jalen Milroe, athlete as he may be, didn’t look technically sound. I didn’t see much of Jaxson Dart.

— The tight ends Mason Taylor and Elijah Arroyo looked smooth in their routes and they showed a great ability to create late separation. Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren are top-12 locks in round one — so it’ll be interesting to see where Taylor and Arroyo go. They, for me, are the next two tight ends to be taken. They won’t last beyond pick #50 and could go in the top-45.

— I really like Washington State receiver Kyle Williams and thought he did a great job creating easy separation during his reps. He looked way smoother than Xavier Restrepo, for example. Tez Johnson also looks sharp and dynamic — which he needs to at his size.

The challenges facing the Seahawks and Klint Kubiak, plus Senior Bowl measurements

January 27, 2025 /

Before getting into today’s article be sure to check out my stream with Jeff Simmons below discussing the appointment of Klint Kubiak and other topics:

What’s next for the Seahawks under Klint Kubiak?

There are two key things that will shape Seattle’s off-season, both relating to the offense.

1. What do they do at quarterback

2. How do they fix the offensive line?

The quarterback situation is the next big domino to fall. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted yesterday:

With their coordinator in place, the next big question for the Seahawks’ offense is the future of (Geno) Smith. The 34-year-old quarterback is seeking an extension as he enters the final year of his contract, and it’s not a given that the two sides will be able to agree to one.

The Seahawks are not going to live with a $44.5m cap-hit for Geno Smith. Equally, they are not going to give him a significant contract extension that guarantees a lot more money and guaranteed term. On the other hand, I suspect this is exactly the kind of commitment Smith is looking for.

I get the sense we’re in the early stages of a game. Both sides will use brinkmanship to try and gain leverage. Yet really, they’re likely just indulging in a slow dance until a deadline of sorts arrives, likely at the combine, where they can get around a table and create some clarity.

Is either party willing to compromise and to what extent? Can common ground be discovered? At the moment, I’m guessing it’s too hard to predict. Thus, anything could happen. A parting or a new deal.

Whatever happens though will shape the success of the Kubiak’s spell in Seattle. If they move on from Smith, it won’t be fair to ask Kubiak to perform miracles with bad quarterbacks. They need to provide him with something to work with.

That could be Sam Darnold, who Kubiak worked with in 2023. It could be Kirk Cousins, another player he worked with in Minnesota. Or it could be Geno Smith — and I still think it’s in his best interests to compromise and retain his bridge position in Seattle, rather than force his way out. For that reason, I think a compromise probably will happen. However, Pete Carroll’s arrival in Las Vegas could give him an alternative to use as leverage.

A veteran will be required though, with the potential to draft a rookie too. I think there’s some possibility they view Jaxson Dart as a fit. They could just go the day three route with someone like Tyler Shough or Will Howard. But I still think there could be a level of intrigue in Quinn Ewers, as much as some people will hate to read that.

Maybe my reading of the situation is wrong but I just get a sense that John Schneider has been intrigued by Ewers’ talent for some time. He had an underwhelming 2024 season after suffering injuries to his ankle and abdomen. That could lead him to last a big longer than he otherwise did on draft day. If he goes in the #50-80 range, Schneider might see it as worth a shot to develop Ewers — who does carry natural talent, even if he hasn’t shown it consistently enough (in part because of the continued injuries).

A final thought on this. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that Ewers’ best fit might be a Shanahan-style system. The Seahawks just appointed a coach from that tree. So while it might be a departure from Schneider’s typical ‘big, strong-armed, athletic’ preference at the position — he might be prepared to see if Ewers can become Seattle’s answer to Brock Purdy (just with a little less mobility and a better arm).

As for the offensive line, I had a look at New Orleans’ splits in 2024. The snaps are weighted strongly towards a preference for zone blocking, with 64.1% in zone.

I’ve said a few times I’d like to see more of a gap-heavy scheme, with Sean McVay adjusting his system because teams were adapting and finding ways to impact LA’s offense.

Nevertheless — I’m not that weighted to the idea, provided the Seahawks can become an effective zone-blocking unit. Charles Cross, Abe Lucas and Sataoa Laumea appear suited to the system. Bringing in quality zone blockers and executing at a higher level is still a reasonable plan.

It’s why I wrote recently about targeting Atlanta’s talented center Drew Dalman in free agency. He’s an ideal fit for a zone scheme. James Daniels, before his injury, was excelling as a zone blocker in Pittsburgh. Will Fries had a 91.2 grade as a zone blocker in 2024. Mekhi Becton surprisingly had higher grades in zone vs gap this season. So there are some options set to reach free agency.

Recently we identified the players performing well in zone eligible for the draft. Wyatt Milum, Armand Membou, Jack Nelson and Grey Zabel all performed very well in the system and all four players are competing at the Senior Bowl this week. Keep an eye on them.

Senior Bowl measurements

You can find all of the measurements via the Senior Bowl X timeline. Here are my takeaways:

— Darius Alexander the Toledo defensive lineman has 34-inch arms. He could be a big performer this week. There’s a lot of splash on tape.

— Iowa’s Yahya Black on the other hand isn’t the splashiest player but he does a very solid, consistent job working the interior. At 6-5, 337lbs and with 35-inch arms, he’s one to watch in the middle rounds.

— Josh Conerly Jr’s size and length was a question mark, pertaining to his ability to stay at left tackle. He doesn’t have ideal height for the position (6-4) but at 313lbs with 34-inch arms, that’s reassuring for teams.

— Jaxson Dart has good size at a shade under 6-2, 226lbs with 9 1/2 inch hands. This is the kind of profile teams will be comfortable with. Dillon Gabriel, at 5-10, 200lbs and nine-inch hands, is at the other end of the scale. It’s also strange that for a quarterback who is 6-3 and 213lbs, Seth Henigan only has 8 7/8 inch hands. Jalen Milroe’s 8 6/8 inch hands are an alarm bell. Tyler Shough has the best frame of all the quarterbacks. He will get buzz in Mobile and would make for a quality, cost-effective backup with a chance to be developed (even if he turns 26 this year).

— Tez Johnson at Oregon is extremely small and light at 5-9 and 156lbs.

— Cody Lindenberg is a great athlete at linebacker and measuring 6-2, 239lbs with 33-inch arms adds to the intrigue he carries.

— I’m not sure many teams will view Armand Membou as a tackle at 6-3 and 332lbs. He does have 34-inch arms though and his testing at the combine will go through the roof. Wyatt Milum is 6-5, 315lbs with massive 10 2/8 inch hands. For me this is perfectly acceptable at guard or center — and his lack of great feet was always going to force him inside. Grey Zabel is in the same place with his size and length. As much as I want to see him finish blocks a bit more, Jonah Savaiinaea’s frame — 6-3, 339lbs, 34 5/8 inch arms — is very appealing for an interior lineman convert.

— Devin Neal is 5-10, 220lbs and both explosive and agile. The ideal runner.

— Walter Nolen (33 inches) and TJ Sanders (33 5/8) both get the all important +33 inch arm measurement for interior defenders.

— Donovan Ezeiruaku, Shemart Stewart and Prince Umanmielen have terrific size and length. Meanwhile Deone Walker is 6-7, 340lbs with 34 5/8 inch arms. It’s great size — but his tape was underwhelming in 2024. Testing with that bulk will make or break his stock.

Why I like the Klint Kubiak hire for the Seahawks

January 26, 2025 /

There wasn’t a home-run candidate. There wasn’t a hire that would’ve had people punching the air in delight. This was about the Seahawks playing the hand they were dealt — and I think they played it well.

It certainly seems like Hank Fraley was the #1 candidate. That’s not a surprise. He’s done a tremendous job in Detroit coaching their offensive line. You only had to watch his interviews to see he was a very effective communicator and someone capable of leading an entire offense.

Having waited for him, then seemingly spent a few days trying to work things out to appoint him, there was a danger they’d be stuck in a battle for the other candidates. The attractiveness of the Houston and Tampa Bay jobs was obvious.

To pivot to Kubiak, seal the deal, and get things sorted before the Senior Bowl is a relief and a good decision. Now things won’t drag on. They can decide on an offensive staff and start planning for a vital off-season.

Kubiak has called plays before and he’s been the ‘Head Coach for the offense’ in New Orleans, working for a defensive-minded boss. He’s been around successful coaches — including his dad Gary, Norv Turner, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin Stefanski.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea to pair Fraley with a passing game coordinator, essentially setting up Bevell/Cable 2.0. Now they’ve got one man calling the shots. He can also potentially call on the experience of Rick Dennison and John Brenton — two respected offensive line and running game coaches. They followed him to New Orleans last season and could come to Seattle too.

I don’t know about you but I thought Derek Carr was cooked. Yet he had a decent season in 2024, at least when he was healthy. Kubiak has also worked with younger quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Spencer Rattler. He coaxed some good play out of Kirk Cousins and if the Seahawks are inclined to pursue Sam Darnold, he worked with him in San Francisco.

This is a hire that makes sense. The Seahawks can avoid some of the inexperience question marks that came with Ryan Grubb. Although Kubiak’s success will almost certainly be determined by John Schneider’s ability to upgrade important parts of the offensive roster.

I do have a slight reservation if he’s a bit more committed to ‘zone’ rather than ‘gap’ blocking. It’s hard to say given Sean McVay has gone all-in on size, power and more gap concepts. Is Kubiak minded to do the same? The Saints did draft Taliese Fuaga in round one last year and he’s hardly a finesse blocker.

Earlier on Sunday I voiced a concern that maybe the Seahawks were over-correcting their 2024 problems by focusing too much on offensive line coaches and running game coordinators. I do think they’re better off bringing someone in who can design plays, execute a vision and ‘complete the circle’ as Pete Carroll would say. The key to improving the O-line and running game is good decision making in free agency and the upcoming draft.

Now we as fans can focus on the absorbing trench battles at the Senior Bowl with loaded classes of linemen on both sides of the ball participating in Mobile. It’s a relief they got this sorted. They had to move on quickly after Fraley’s decision to stay in Detroit — and they have done.

If you missed the roundtable I was part of on Hawk Blogger’s channel earlier, check it out below. I’m planning to join Jeff Simmons on a stream on Monday at 2pm PT to further dive into the Kubiak hire.

Klint Kubiak is Seattle’s new offensive coordinator

January 26, 2025 /

I’ll provide some thoughts after I’ve finished hosting the AFC Championship game coverage over here. Open thread for now.

Why Adam Stenavich doesn’t excite me as a candidate to be Seattle’s next offensive coordinator

January 26, 2025 /

It was revealed on Saturday that Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has been interviewed to replace Ryan Grubb in Seattle. It’s the latest confirmed meeting, although it’s unclear if this was a virtual or in-person conversation.

After doing a bit of digging, I have to say the prospect of appointing him is a little bit underwhelming.

Let me be clear — I completely appreciate it’s difficult to get an angle on candidates in a positive or negative sense unless they have a track record. It’s easy to praise San Francisco bringing back Robert Saleh. He’s a proven deliverer of defensive results. All of the names linked to the Seahawks carry an element of the unknown.

If you’d have said a year ago that Liam Coen was going to be Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, my mind would immediately be drawn to his ill-fated year with the Rams. Yet 12 months on and he’s just been paid a massive contract to be Jacksonville’s Head Coach, after a great year in Tampa Bay.

We simply don’t have the intel to create highly informed opinions about these candidates. It’s why I’ve not gone overboard on hoping for anyone in particular. I have to be honest though, I’m not blown away by Stenavich. If he’s appointed, I’ll be as desperate for him to succeed as anyone else. I just have reservations.

Are they over-correcting too much? I appreciate fixing the offensive line and running game is a priority this off-season. Does that really mean you have to go and seek out an ex-offensive line coach, with no play-calling experience, to try and sort this out?

Both Hank Fraley and Stenavich have been praised for the work they’ve done in Detroit and Green Bay respectively. However, they’ve also been given great tools to work with. The Lions have pumped resources into their O-line. Green Bay has drafted very well. Yes, there’s an element of development too. But this isn’t hindsight — Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom were huge blog favourites. The Packers were wise to draft them where they did and have benefitted from those decisions. It hasn’t all been glory and success either. Former second round pick Josh Myers hasn’t developed or shown his best football in Green Bay and he’s expected to be allowed to reach free agency in a few weeks.

We’re talking about two coaches who are working for exceptional offensive minds, working with talented players. Taking a coach like this, giving them play-calling responsibility, asking them to help rebuild a line and lead the entire offense is a whole different challenge.

Fixing the line and running game is important but not at the expense of two other really important things. One — the ability to sufficiently design, call and execute an offense properly. Two — having the skill to develop a young quarterback. Even if the Seahawks retain Geno Smith, this team needs to find a long term answer sooner rather than later. Committing to the running game and fixing a bad O-line can’t come at the expense of play-calling, tactical chops and QB development.

The last time the Seahawks gave a lot of power and control to an offensive line coach, it led to the Tom Cable years. I’m more inclined to say a better plan might be to get a good play-caller and offensive mastermind and then, you know, just do a better job drafting and signing offensive linemen.

On Fraley, watching his interviews you could see why they seemingly made him their top choice. His communication skills jump off the screen. It was very easy to imagine him leading an offense or even a team. It’s no surprise anyone who had worked with him was rushing out to praise him, with Frank Ragnow joking he would sabotage interviews with other teams to keep him in Detroit.

To be brutally honest, you don’t get that sense at all from Stenavich. He doesn’t carry the same presence during interviews. It was easy to imagine Fraley being the ‘Head Coach of the offense’ with the way he communicated, I’m afraid Stenavich doesn’t give off that same aura.

That interview feels a bit Waldron-y.

It’s also interesting to note that Stenavich only got the Green Bay OC job once Luke Getsy, their first choice to replace Nathaniel Hackett, had agreed to go and call plays in Chicago instead. The talk is that Getsy, who had two awful spells with the Bears and Raiders, will replace Stenavich if he departs.

I think you always need to be sceptical about coaches riding the coat-tails of top offensive leaders. Nathaniel Hackett certainly seemed to ride LaFleur and the last great spell of Aaron Rodgers’ career in Green Bay.

I also get the sense that LaFleur views the offensive coordinator position as interchangeable under his leadership. He is the offense in Green Bay. So he’s more than happy for his right-hand-man to interview for a sideways move that he could block, if there’s a chance to further a career and call plays. I worry that we’re talking about a fantastic lead singer and the Seahawks are going to go after the base player because he’s on the same stage.

I’m starting to think they probably should’ve hired Klint Kubiak when they had a clean run at it. He has play-calling experience already, he’s been the ‘head guy’ running an offense for a defensive-minded Head Coach and he showed some promise before injuries decimated New Orleans.

Now, with several other teams entering the OC market, he might have options — including working close to his family base in Houston.

He has contacts and could’ve brought in the likes of Rick Dennison and John Benton — who he took to New Orleans — to help with the offensive line and running game. It might not be a hire to instil confidence in the way Saleh does for San Francisco’s defense but it would’ve settled things down over a week ago and the Seahawks could’ve cracked on with plans for the off-season.

There’s still a chance they could turn to Kubiak. Or, admittedly, it’s possible he told the Seahawks he either wasn’t interested or wanted to keep his options open. But there was talk he was ‘in the drivers seat’ right up until Detroit’s unexpected loss to Washington, making Fraley available. It seems they spent a week trying to coax Fraley to come to Seattle and, understandably, he’s opted not to uproot his young family and stay in a job, with a promotion, which is very attractive in Detroit.

The problem for the Seahawks is they are three weeks removed from firing Ryan Grubb and three days removed, now, from Fraley’s decision to stay in Detroit. Now they might face competition for certain candidates from teams with more attractive roles available. I think it’s fair to wonder whether they’ve managed this search effectively. The only way to address that concern is to make a good appointment. I’m not sure Stenavich constitutes that.

The Seahawks’ search for an offensive coordinator needs a conclusion, plus thoughts on Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock

January 25, 2025 /

Thoughts on the Seattle’s offensive coordinator search

I’m posting this mainly in the hope the article will end up as some kind of reverse jinx. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to know who Seattle’s next offensive coordinator is going to be.

According to Hank Fraley’s wife on social media, the decision between Seattle and Detroit was ‘close’. The problem is, it appears after an in-person meeting and subsequent talks over staffing and fit, the Seahawks have missed out on the guy they presumably wanted to hire.

It’s not a big deal provided they can pivot quickly to Plan B. However, there are some issues worth noting. Suddenly the Texans and Buccaneers are looking for an offensive coordinator too. Houston can offer a top young quarterback and some good weapons. The Buccs’ last OC just got paid an absolute fortune to be a Head Coach after one year of production, with a talented offense in a weak division.

Today it’s been revealed Tampa Bay have interviewed Grant Udinski. If these two teams start competing for the same candidates as Seattle, things could get tricky. The Seahawks don’t have a young quarterback, they need major repair work to the offensive line and they just fired their last offensive coordinator after one season.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder what Udinski and Klint Kubiak feel about the situation. Has a nose or two been put out of joint, given they seemingly targeted Fraley and kept them waiting for a week?

Originally I thought Detroit losing in the playoffs was a good thing for Seattle. It would enable them to interview Fraley in person, giving them another candidate to choose from in the coming days with an appointment likely in the middle of the week. Now I’m wondering if a better scenario was a strong Lions playoff run, shifting the Seahawks to act instead of delaying the process.

There was no home-run hire in this cycle. Even so, I think some fans would’ve felt somewhat reassured had the Seahawks had a clear idea on who they wanted to replace Ryan Grubb and landed them swiftly.

Now there’s a little bit of a sense that maybe this isn’t a very attractive job and perhaps some fear over whether they can get this right?

The Senior Bowl practises start on Tuesday. The off-season is well and truly underway. They’ve had three weeks now. It’s time to appoint a coordinator. They can’t afford to let this drag on much longer.

Thoughts on Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft

Contradictory opinions this week on Will Howard aside, Jeremiah does have strong contacts in the league. Last year he was the one who started talking about the Seahawks potentially taking a cornerback at #16. It seems that probably would’ve been the case if Byron Murphy had been off the board.

Here are some thoughts on Jeremiah’s mock, published today:

— I think it’s very likely that his top-two picks are spot on — Abdul Carter at #1 and Travis Hunter at #2. The Giants seem to like Cam Ward and might feel obliged to take a quarterback early — even if other teams don’t even have a first round grade on Ward. I can’t see Shedeur Sanders at #6, however, unless Tom Brady insists on it. To me, Pete Carroll is far more likely to favour building up his roster, adding a veteran QB (Geno Smith?) then taking a quarterback later on. Perhaps even Jaxson Dart with their second pick?

— I’m not surprised he has Tyler Booker going 10th overall. As we’ve said all along, Booker is a perfect combination of size, power, 5-star recruit upside and he has unbelievable character. In a separate tweet, Jeremiah called him ‘Will Anderson on offense’ and that sums him up perfectly. He’s a plug-and-play guard from day one. Increasingly I’ve been thinking he won’t last to #18 — especially with the cost of offensive linemen these days. I’d been thinking #16 to Arizona or #17 to Cincinnati. I hadn’t thought #10 to the Bears — but I think Jeremiah’s onto something here. That makes a ton of sense. Booker not attending the Senior Bowl also suggests he’s getting positive intel about his placing in the draft.

— Tyler Warren has felt like a top-10 pick for weeks. I’m not sure why as a fanbase we’ve talked about him as much as we have. There’s no chance of him reaching #18. I don’t think Colston Loveland will reach #18 either but if he does — he’s someone they might consider.

— The Seahawks take Kenneth Grant at #18, the Michigan defensive tackle. I don’t think this is very likely. They’ve placed a high degree of importance on football character. Grant’s tape was underwhelming in 2024 and he often left you wanting a lot more. Despite possessing great athletic traits and playing alongside top-five lock Mason Graham, he ranked 46th in pass-rush win percentage with a measly 9.4%. He had 27 pressures, good for a ranking of 30th. This is a far cry from a top-20 pick at defensive tackle. For comparison, Byron Murphy led college football last year with a 19.6% pass-rush win percentage and he had the fifth most pressures (45). Grant’s run defense grade of 86.3 was good for 15th but I’m not convinced you’re taking a solid run defender in the top-20.

— The linemen going early and often in Jeremiah’s mock does speak, however, to the likelihood of the Seahawks taking a defender with their top pick. Jihaad Campbell, Malaki Starks, Nick Emmanwori, James Pearce Jr, Shemar Stewart, Mike Green and TJ Sanders are all on the board. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Matthew Golden are also there, along with Josh Conerly Jr and Josh Simmons. If the Seahawks stick to BPA — there are plenty of good options here.

If you missed my thoughts on why Geno Smith reuniting with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas is plausible, check out the video below. It’s worth wondering if Tyler Locket will also head that way once he’s cut…

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