The offensive linemen catching my eye
It’s arguably Seattle’s biggest need area and while the 2025 draft isn’t going to be loaded with options, some are emerging.
I’ve been increasingly impressed with Iowa center Logan Jones. He’s tough and physical at the point of attack, locates his hands properly and he has the athleticism and strength to hold position. He’s extremely athletic and explosive — reportedly jumping a near 37-inch vertical, setting a school squatting record of 695lbs, running a 1.53 10-yard split and a 4.09 short shuttle.
I watched some of his stuff from last year and thought he needed major technical work but he’s definitely improved in 2024. I still think he can be better when reaching up to the second level and connecting with his blocks — but in terms of scheme fit, upside, production, toughness and power — Jones could be a strong option for the Seahawks given their uncertain future at center. I have Jones graded for day two. Parker Brailsford is a very similar player and has a history with Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff. He could also be a good option if he turns pro.
I’ve written a lot about Tyler Booker at Alabama, a former five-star recruit with massive size and plus athleticism. He’s not the quickest when he has to pull and get on the move but he’s not clumsy getting into space. He moves well. As a straight-up blocker he can destroy opponents 1v1. If strength and technique are problems Christian Haynes is struggling with, there’s little sign Booker will share those issues. Haynes didn’t have a prototype body for the NFL, Booker does.
I also think Booker is a perfect character fit for the Seahawks. He could be a genuine option for their top pick in the draft, especially given the way the O-line is playing.
Alternatively, Donovan Jackson at Ohio State had his best game of the season against Iowa on Saturday. He is reportedly also very athletic — jumping a 30 inch vertical and a 9-7 broad, to go with running a 1.59 10-yard split. He was once considered a likely first or second rounder until a subpar 2023 season. The Iowa game was a reminder of what he can do. Jackson is another early-round option for the Seahawks. If he continues to play the way he did against Iowa, he will go quite early.
I think we all want to see physical toughness up front. Jack Nelson at Wisconsin is someone who could play guard or right tackle, even if he plays left tackle in college. He very rarely gets into awkward positions, enabling him to get into opponents and contain. I think if he’s given more square-up opportunities he could excel. For me, he’s a day-two pick. I’ve talked him up a lot.
If the Seahawks end up picking early, it could bring Kelvin Banks into play at Texas. He’ll likely kick inside like Alijah Vera-Tucker because he simply doesn’t have a tackle frame. He’ll likely go in the top-20. Jonah Savaiinaea at Arizona also likely needs to move inside from right tackle. He should go in the top-50.
I currently have Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons graded as my top tackle eligible for 2025. He is the best pass-protecting blind-side blocker by some distance in my opinion — and I’m not sure why he continues to be ignored by a lot of draft media.
I have a lot of other names on my horizontal board but very few O-liners are standing out. It’s thin gruel and you might need to aggressively pursue the players you like early if you want to make sure you don’t miss out. It’s not looking like a great O-line draft but there are options.
Get Luke Lachey in Seattle
I graded him highly a year ago but a bad leg injury meant he didn’t declare. I’ve now watched three Iowa games this season and on each occasion, Lachey has stood out.
I love the way he blocks — both at the line of scrimmage off the edge and also when he needs to get on the move. He just has a knack of locating targets, locking on and finishing. I haven’t seen a better blocker at his position. It’s not surprising given his bloodlines — his dad is former first round offensive lineman Jim Lachey.
Athletically he also has untapped potential in Iowa’s constantly dismal passing game. I genuinely believe, like TJ Hockenson, Sam LaPorta and George Kittle before him, he could come into the league and shock people with his pass-catching skills. He has ideal size and he can get on the move. He’s a very reliable hands-catcher and when he needs to make an athletic move to finish a play, he can do.
There are a few players in the draft I know I’ll probably be banging the table for — although testing and the Senior Bowl impacts things. Lachey is one of my favourite players in the draft. The Seahawks still aren’t getting any bang for their buck from Noah Fant. I’d consider moving on and replacing him with another Iowa Hawkeye. If Lachey lasts beyond round two, I think he’d provide outstanding value.
Ricky White III is one to watch
Sometimes you watch a player and just think, ‘who the f**k is that guy?’ — they stand out that much. UNLV receiver White III fits that bill.
I watched his performance against Syracuse and was blown away. I’ve since watched three more games. He’s a really good player. He has a long, lean frame with bags of juice. His body type reminds me of a poor-man’s Ceedee Lamb or maybe Nuk Hopkins. In terms of speed he can attack the red-line and get downfield. He does create separation. His body control is good and he can contort to the ball and make awkward catches. I like his catching technique — he grabs the ball with his hands away from his body. White III is adept at finding soft-spots in coverage and running away from defenders.
I came away incredibly impressed and immediately stuck a solid day two grade on him — putting him in the same bracket as Emeka Egbuka and Xavier Restrepo. Testing will matter but there’s just something about White III that makes me think he’s destined for an excellent pro career. People are sleeping on him.
Cam Ward is what he is
The hype for Cam Ward reached ridiculous proportions a couple of weeks ago, with broadcasters during games suggesting he could be the #1 overall pick next year.
I’ve tried to push back at this with a detailed breakdown (both here and here) but that’s the sad thing. The over-the-top hype has robbed me of a chance to say he’s taken a step forward this season. Instead of acknowledging that and praising Ward, you end up fighting the hyperbole.
Saturday’s game against California highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of his game.
There’s no denying that he has a playmaking flair and it’s always been there. A Cam Ward highlight reel at Washington State was worth watching. It’s the same in Miami — and he’s flourished playing for a team heavily favoured in all of its games so far.
Yet there are still glaring technical flaws and examples of Ward trying to do too much that will impact his stock when it comes to the NFL.
I’ve noted a few times how he has a tendency to drift in the pocket and go backwards. Here was a classic example from the Cal game:
Ward has a relatively clean pocket here. There’s no immediate pressure. If you freeze the video at three seconds you’ll see he has an open receiver beyond the line to gain (near the left hashmark) and two checkdown options on either side of the field. The commentator claims he looks “so calm, so patient” but the opposite is true. He’s flustered here. His primary read, presumably, isn’t open. So rather than stay poised and go through the progressions, his internal clock panics and he starts to retreat because he probably thinks he’ll get sacked. In reality, the protection is good enough for him to remain in the pocket for longer, then extend with a lateral movement.
The one thing you don’t do is drop back 18 yards behind the LOS while glueing your eyes to one read. Once the defensive linemen break from the blocking, they have a free run to attack you. He tried in vain to get the ball out and fails — but it would’ve been intentional grounding and/or a dangerous, panicked pass to throw anyway.
This is how he reacts in a non-threatening pressure situation against California. What’s he going to do in a muddy NFL pocket? You can’t have him drift like this or reject open targets because he’s stuck on a read. We showed how badly he was doing it against Florida and he’s still doing it now. He has open targets to throw to from a clean pocket and he’s hopping up and down on the spot then retreating.
Then there’s the ‘trying to do too much’ angle as we saw with the pick-six:
This is the kind of turnover we saw at Washington State. You can’t throw these passes. They’ll be easy fodder in the NFL. It’s long been a part of his game.
Ward did a tremendous job helping his team fight back but I’m not convinced he’s enough of a physical specimen to overlook some of these issues that have travelled from the PAC-12 to the ACC. His upside is good not great. I’m not sure he will kick these habits to be a top starter. This isn’t conducive with a player teams take in round one, which is why I maintain he’s more likely to end up in the round three range where teams will feel more comfortable drafting to develop.
Miami has used two lives now against Virginia Tech and California. Ward and his team remain unbeaten but I think it’s important to offer some perspective on a player being talked about as a likely first rounder — when the reality might be something different.
The top player in the draft
I think Ashton Jeanty is pound for pound the most talented player eligible for the draft. Everything about him is exceptional — the combination of power and speed, his contact balance, his ability to break tackles, the way he runs away from defenders. Jeanty is an exceptional prospect.
He’s now forced 49 missed tackles in five games. He would’ve hit the 10-per-game mark had he not been rested for the second half on Saturday against Utah State. He’s forced 10 more missed tackles than the second ranked player on the list. He leads the NCAA for yards after contact (7.95). The second ranked player, Kaleb Johnson, is at 5.60. Jeanty has 20 explosive runs — four per game (again, it would be higher if he wasn’t pulled after winning games for Boise State by half-time).
Travis Hunter is uniquely talented given his ability to play two positions at a very high standard. Yet Jeanty is pretty much playing at an other-worldly level at the moment. He won’t be the first player taken due to his position but I would suggest that as of today, he has a great chance to go in the top-10.
I think the Seahawks will draft this player…
John Schneider attended the Michigan vs Washington game on Saturday through convenience. Why wouldn’t he pop down the road to watch a game featuring legit future NFL players?
However, I do think he’ll have been keeping a close eye on Josaiah Stewart the Michigan pass rusher. I think there’s a good chance he’ll end up in Seattle.
Look at how Seattle’s pass rush depth is taking a big hit this year. They clearly wanted a good rotation going into camp. When they traded away Darrell Taylor, they immediately traded for Trevis Gipson to replace him.
Testing and measurements will be important for Stewart’s stock but the fact he’s excelling for Wink Martindale, Mike Macdonald’s mentor, and having the kind of impact he is — I think he’ll be very much on their radar. He also has the kind of personality and character they like.
Stewart had another sack on Saturday, taking his total to five in five games. He’s currently PFF’s highest graded pass rusher in college football. His pass rush win percentage is 31.3% — also the highest mark.
It’s very easy to imagine they could zone-in on Stewart based on fit, character and production.
Quick hitting notes
— Add Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to the expanding list of attractive players at his position eligible for the draft. I was really impressed watching his tape this week and believe he’s a day two talent. Miami’s Elijah Arroyo also looks very much like he’s moving into day two contention along with the likes of Lachey, Tyler Warren, Mason Taylor, Mitchell Evans and one or two others.
— I think I have a few players ranked/rated differently to draft media. Josaiah Stewart is my favourite edge, at least until we get confirmed measurements and testing numbers. Impact wise, he’s the only game-wrecker I’ve seen so far. TJ Sanders is my DT2 behind Mason Graham and I think that’s an obvious one personally. Garrett Nussmeier is my QB3, Kaleb Johnson and Nicholas Singleton are my RB2 and RB3, Josh Simmons is my top ranked tackle.
— I’m shocked how mediocre Alabama’s defense appears to be. Typically they have some big dudes up front to get excited about, or some top secondary talent. Deontae Lawson the linebacker packs a punch but I think his lateral agility and speed is a bit sluggish. He’s not someone I think likely goes on day two unless he tests better than expected. Jihaad Campbell is a better athlete but he’s high-cut. Keon Sabb has levelled out after a good start. Georgia are in the same boat. You expect better from both.
Finally, if you missed my latest piece with Puck Sports this week, please do check it out:
