Today the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs were measured, weighed and interviewed.
DeAndre Hopkins was the main positive of the day for me. At 6-1 and 214lbs, he also has ten inch hands, 33 inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan. For a guy who doesn’t look all that big on tape, those are some impressive numbers. The perception has been — Hopkins is a smaller receiver, Keenan Allen and Cordarrelle Patterson are bigger targets. It’s time we changed that perception.
Allen only measured an inch taller (6-2) and he was 8lbs lighter. He has the same size hands but shorter arms (32 inches). Cordarrelle Patterson is 2lbs heavier than Hopkins, 7/8’s of an inch taller but has smaller hands (10 inches vs 9 inches) and smaller arms (33 inches vs 31 inches). There’s very little between the three players in terms of size and on this evidence, it’s no surprise that Hopkins has been the more consistent target with those hands and reach.
Allen won’t do any drills in Indianapolis due to lingering injury concerns. Patterson will undoubtedly run a terrific forty yard dash. It’ll be very interesting to see how Hopkins matches up for pure speed.
Tavon Austin came in at 5-8 and 174lbs. Dexter McCluster was 5-8 and 172lbs in 2010. We’ll see if Austin can run faster than McCluster’s 4.58 on Sunday. There were no surprises with Robert Woods (6-0, 201lbs), Terrance Williams (6-2, 208lbs) or Steadman Bailey (5-10, 193lbs) — although it’s worth noting that Bailey has ten inch hands and comparable arm-length to the taller Keenan Allen. I’m going to keep saying it, Hopkins and Bailey are the two best receivers in this class in my opinion. And Bailey might be the most underrated player overall.
Justin Hunter is the only big-name receiver to show above average height — he’s listed at 6-4 and 196lbs (needs to add weight). Pete Carroll showed up at Robert Woods’ press conference, having previously recruited him for USC. No, this doesn’t mean the Seahawks are necessarily going to draft him.
You can see a full press conference with Pete Carroll at the combine by clicking here.
Keep an eye on Ryan Swope this weekend. He doesn’t have great size at 6-0 and 205lbs but if he runs well, he could really boost his stock. He’s a natural receiver with a knack for making clutch plays.
Da’Rick Rogers measured at 6-2, 217lbs with 33 inch arms and 9.5 inch hands. No issues there. I’ve added 2011 tape at the bottom of this piece so you can see him in action for Tennessee. However, it’s the same old concerns with Rogers. He had multiple failed drugs tests with the Vols, constantly tested the patience of his coaches and didn’t heed any warnings. Eventually, he was shown the door and had to move to Tennessee Tech.
Seattle’s receiver coach Kippy Brown was part of the Tennessee staff during the recruitment and will know all about the player — possibly better than anyone in the NFL not named Derek Dooley. The Seahawks will get a unique insight into his character, attitude and ability. Brown left for the Pacific Northwest before Rogers took the field as a true freshman, but he’ll know enough to offer an educated opinion. The interview process will be huge for Rogers. I still have a hard time buying into him, but then I’m not sitting in on any interviews this weekend. I’m not investigating his background. I’m judging him on previous mistakes. My main concern isn’t that he’ll fail in the NFL. It’s that he might drag others down with him. He has a lot of athletic potential as you’ll see in the video below. But can you trust him?
Matt Barkley came in taller than expected, just a half-inch away from 6-3 while weighing 227lbs. He also had big hands (crucial) at 10.1 inches. Compare that to Geno Smith (6-2, 218lbs, 9 inch hands) and there’s quite a difference. Still, it could be worse — Tyler Wilson has 8.5 inch hands. That will scare off some GM’s. For what it’s worth, 5-8 Tavon Austin has bigger hands than Tyler Wilson, who came in at 6-2, 215lbs. Ryan Nassib (6-2, 227lbs) and E.J. Manuel (6-4 237lbs) both have a chance to show off some physical skills this weekend.
Barkley also delivered a confident press conference, batting away concerns about his arm strength and speaking with the kind of authority teams want from a franchise quarterback. “I”m strong enough to make every throw and move in the pocket.”
You can see Barkley’s combine press conference by clicking here.
Eddie Lacy won’t run the forty yard dash due to a hamstring injury, but it was concerning to see him at 5-11 and 233lbs. In one of the more bizarre admissions so far this week, he told the media, “I might have gained a pound or three” since the end of the season. Nice one, Eddie. Marcus Lattimore on the other hand is on a major charm offensive, coming in at 5-11 and 221lbs. He’s a fantastic public speaker and will be among the best interviews at the combine. It’s difficult not to root for Lattimore.
See Marcus Lattimore’s press conference by clicking here.
Montee Ball (5-10, 214lbs), Giovani Bernard (5-8, 202lbs), Andre Ellington (5-9, 199lbs), Jonathan Franklin (5-10, 205lbs), Joseph Randle (6-0, 204lbs), Stepfan Taylor (5-9, 214lbs) and Mike Gillislee (5-11, 208lbs) will all be jostling for draft position this weekend in a tight running back group.
The offensive lineman took on the bench press today and will kick off the drills tomorrow. Jonathan Cooper had an impressive 35 reps at 225lbs. Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher managed 27 reps, D.J. Fluker and Travis Frederick 21 reps. Lane Johnson had 28 reps despite his long arms and lanky frame (impressive).
You can find all of today’s measurements and bench press totals by clicking here.
Injury news
Chance Warmack chose not to lift today due to an apparent shoulder injury. Travis Kelce won’t work out at all due to an abdominal tear.
Zach Ertz to run a slow time?
I’m not sure what to make of this news, but it’s surprising. Tony Pauline is reporting Zach Ertz will run a particularly mediocre forty yard dash tomorrow:
Several people have commented to me in the past 24hrs they don’t expect Zach Ertz/TE/Stanford to break 4.7 in the forty tomorrow.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 22, 2013
I fully expected to be blown away by Ertz, who looked like a dynamic receiver at Stanford. It won’t destroy his stock — Rob Gronkowski only managed a 4.68. He also weighed 9lbs more than Ertz. He’s such a competent pass catcher I can’t see him dropping out of the first round. But if he runs in the 4.7 range he’s much more likely to be around in the late 20’s.
Sam Montgomery’s stock falling
It’s something we’ve talked about already, but according to Pauline, Sam Montgomery is not getting any help from the LSU coaches:
Confirmed today what I’ve heard since October; LSU coaches not giving Sam Montgomery/DE/LSU are rining endorsement. Quite the contrary — Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 22, 2013
He will fall. I’m surprised to see him still appearing in first round mock drafts. If his college coaches aren’t willing to bang the table for him, who in their right mind will do it in a NFL war room? Remember this picture?
Combine links
Daniel Jeremiah talks about Seattle’s options at #25. He believes getting a receiver for Russell Wilson would be a wise move and name checks DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen. He also admits the depth at receiver is so good, there will be options in rounds two or three. As much as I like Hopkins, I’m not convinced the team will necessarily go for a receiver in round one. The options in round two could be incredible. The defensive options in rounds two and three are not as attractive.
Jeremiah also states “everybody” in the NFL has Sharrif Floyd ranked as a sure-fire top-five pick. Welcome to Jacksonville, Sharrif.
James Dator ponders the possibility of the draft being moved to May. I do not like this idea.
Bill Polian voices concerns over Tavon Austin’s size. “Great college player… great athlete… size worries you.”
Final thoughts and looking ahead
I’d recommend checking out Kip’s piece today highlighting what Bill Walsh looked for in a defensive tackle and how this relates to the Seahawks. I’m now going back and re-assessing every evaluation I made about this defensive tackle class as a consequence of reading it. Funnily enough, I started with Johnathan Hankins at Ohio State and I’ve already adjusted my view on him. I’ll go into more detail another day after the combine.
Tomorrow I’ll be away with work so will post an open thread for people to discuss the offensive line and tight end drills. When I get in I’ll watch the replay and make a few notes so stay tuned for that. On Sunday and Monday I’ll be live-blogging throughout the workouts involving the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, defensive lineman and linebackers. Instant results and commentary. Hope to see you there.
Da’Rick Rogers tape vs Cincinnati, LSU, Georgia and Florida
Nice breakdown, Rob. I’m curious of a couple of things. What size hands do GMs expect from QBs drafted in the early rounds? Do we have a template to follow in that regard? I say this in regard to your Tyler Wilson comment.
Also, what do you think of Jordan Reed? He seems like a legit move TE that could be a nice weapon in our offense a la Aaron Hernandez. Do you expect a good time for him in the 40? Listed at 6’2 236, 33″ arms, 10″ hands (NFL.com).
Anything over 10-inches is considered ‘good’ for hand size. Russell Wilson had 10 and a quarter inch hands despite being 5-10. Barkley is in the same range. Tyler Wilson’s hands are particularly small and it’s a big concern. Smaller hands than Tavon Austin? Not good news for Wilson. The NFL ball is harder to grip, he won’t be playing in Arkansas weather most of the time. It’s not a death sentence, but it’s a concern.
As for Reed… very excited to see him run. He’s flashed a dramatic ability to move up the gears in the open field. He could be the star of the show tomorrow.
Rob probably knows better, but I’ve heard that a lot of GM’s will take any quarterback with hands less than 9″ off their draft board. Hand measurement is absolutely crucial for that position. Of course, judging by hand size alone is a lousy way to rank a QB (biggest QB hands ever recorded were Jim Druckenmiller’s). The most famous exception to the big-handed QB rule is Mike Vick (8.5 ” hands), but then again maybe that explains his troubles with accuracy. Hand size at RB is important too–there’s a direct correlation between fumbling stats and hand size.
I found some comparitive hand size numbers real quick and last year RGIII had 9 1/2″ hands (same as Kellen Moore) and those were smallest listed on WF’s pro day numbers. Not sure how accurate, but as a point of reference until I can find some more info elsewhere: http://walterfootball.com/proday2012QB.php
More: http://walterfootball.com/combine2012QB.php
Tannehill’s smallest from last year that I can find of the relevant QBs at 9″ even.
Interesting development. I liked T.Wilson quite a bit and this will be interesting to follow.
Also, just read this on Warmack:
Alabama OG Chance Warmack performed 35 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the Combine. He weighed in at 6-foot-2, 317 earlier in the week, and the impressiveness of Warmack’s lofty bench-press total is enhanced by his vine-like, 34 3/4-inch arms. Warmack is attempting to stave off North Carolina’s Jonathan Cooper as the 2013 draft’s top-rated guard. Cooper did 35 reps, too, but has shorter arms.
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8418/chance-warmack
It appears there have been mixed reports on Warmack. Initially it was reported he wouldn’t do the bench press: https://twitter.com/BryanBroaddus/status/305045009839837184
as a point of reference for those who don’t remember,
Mitch Petrus had 45 reps (!)
Russell Okung had 38 reps
Nkdamkung Suh had 32 reps
Matt Kalil had 30 reps
Gabe Carimi had 29 reps
Trent Williams had 23 reps
Nate Solder had 21 reps
A past his prime 34 years old Larry Allen (one of the strongest ever) pressed 43.
Not really surprised by Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel’s 27 reps or Warmack’s 35 reps. More surprised by DJ Fluker’s 21 reps. He’s a right tackle who is supposed to be the anchor of the run game. I mean he has the same reps as Nate Solder who is any bit the living embodiment of a finesse pass blocking tackle.
Lane Johnson’s 28 reps really impresses me, I have always seen him as Nate Solder v2.0. Surprising to see him put up more than Joeckel or Fisher.
Yeah, Lane Johnson is supposed to be the ultimate technician yet he pressed a competitive 28. Likewise, the biggest disappointment is DJ Fluker’s 21 reps. He is supposed to be around 330-340 lbs of good mass, but if he can only press 21, that’s a sign that the weight is “bad weight”. For a moment, I thought DJ Fluker looked the apart of a Lincoln Kennedy or Larry Allen run-blocking monster, but man…, that is disappointing. I mean, Larry Allen pressed 43 in 2006 and 40 in 2007 at 34 and 35 years old respectively after age atrophy and multiple injuries.
I think Fluker has long arms which might be one reason why he benched so few attempts.
Fluker has 36′ 3/4” long arm. Okung had 36′ arms. I realize long arms may make him press less, but 21 is disappointing long arm or not. There shouldn’t be a 17 press difference when Fluker as monster run blocker weighs more 30+ lbs and Okung was known more as a pass blocker.
Again, he has the same amount of presses as freaking nate solder- the ultimate finesse pass blocker.
Also don’t discount Fluker focusing on trimming down. You inevitably lose strength when you spend time trimming weight. Doesn’t matter how much you lift if you are restricting calories and upping cardio.
Yeah compared to Okung that’s pretty mediocre. Fluker hype a little bit unjustified IMO anyway.
yep. He started out as a second round talent for me and that’s where he stays. I wish they’d do leg presses instead of bench presses. Way more concerned about leg drive for lineman than arm strength.
I like Fluker as a guard, regardless.
Okung was known as a run blocker and came out of a run blocking school. The reality is that he is a complete elite tackle. There was a reason he was a top 10 pick. I seriously have no idea where some of you get your info on our players. Okung was never known more as a pass blocker save by some draft sites that don’t know what they’re talking about.
I still remember the scouting reports on him. The general consensus was that he was primarily a pass blocker with ok potential in run blocking. The scouting report here at the time was that he was decent pass blocker (though he was beat by better players) and decent run blocker, BUT he lacked lower body core strength. If you got into him, you could beat him because of his lack of girth and lean lower body. His strengths? Long arms, very quick first step, technical skills (aside from not punching).
Rob do you think the Hawks who don’t have a ton of needs but do have a lot of picks could be the team that rolls the dice with Lattimore? It seems ideal to put him on IR for a year.
If he’s there later on, possibly. Round four or five I would consider it. Love the guy. Incredibly talented Pre-injury. Worth a flier. But no earlier given the risk.
I think this would be a great idea with our early 5th round pick or later…
We could take our time bringing him along, and he would be a dynamic guy to pair with Lynch.
Marcus could longterm share the load so Lynch-with his violent style- can last longer!
Rob,
Thanks for posting the Rogers film. Purely as a football player (I realize attitude and character count, to a great extent, but given that we don’t have access to that) what do you think?
It was tough for me to tell. It seemed like the QB struggled so many times that it made evaluating Rogers difficult. He seemed strong, though, and made some tough catches. How do you think his tape compares to others?
That LSU sign is epic! Someone was obviously pretty fed up.
Respect points for Les Miles coaching staff have been earned. Takes guts to do something like that. Sends a risky, but ultimately correct, message to players and future recruits.
Seariously rob you taking tommarow off and only giving us “notes” and all so you can be busy with your job that absolutely pathetic… Do you think Mel kipper or the 20 year old senior anylsat of the bleacher report just takes days off… No they don’t and that’s why they know thing like russel Wilson is the worst draft pick ever… Give me a break rob its not like you post an amazing article for us to read for free every day who do you think you are to take a day off just for your job. You will never eeeeeeevvvcceeerrrrr be tod mcshay at this rate absolutely worthless.
Just kidding of course this is my favorite site on the whole Internet. I’m thankful you take as much time as you do rob.
At 25 if they are both there who do you pick Hopkins or greene? Personally I like both players a lot but I would take Hopkins. Also curious to hear your thoughts on Vance McDonald. Is he an option in the third round
For some reason, when I see McDonald I see Anthony McCoy. I think he’s an okay blocker and a guy that flashes good things but never really has that consistency. He drops more balls than I’d like on relatively easy routes (lots of screens) in my eyes. Can’t speak for Rob but that’s kinda my view on the guy. I don’t see much of an upgrade at that position with McDonald.
Has anyone mentioned FS’s Rodney Smith? He is 6-4, 225 with a 34.68 wingspan and 10.38 hands.
Can’t wait to see his 40 time. Wouldn’t this guy be a “Possession WR” that we want?
Haven’t heard his name much, but a 4-6 rounder Rob?
Anybody like / dislike this guy??
I think this year has incredible later round upside. I wouldn’t mind even taking up to 3 late round wide recievers. Chris Harper, markus Wheaton, Darrick Rogers, Marcus Davis, marquis Goodwin, etc. There are a lot of impressive upside players who could possibly turn into #1 reciever types!
I agree. There are some really promising mid/late round WRs. Goodwin looks really intriguing and generated a lot of buzz at the senior bowl… Marquess Wilson, Patton, Davis, Mellette…etc etc… the list is pretty solid for some decent prospects later on who look pretty intriguing. I also feel like Hunter is being overlooked a bit because of his ACL and what looks like a bit of a slow recovery. To me that kid screams untapped potential. He looks like a youthful thin who could easily bulk up with some age. But his jumping ability and height/speed is ridiculous.6’4″ with a 41″ vertical, 11′ broad jump, and 26′ long jump, plus 4.4 speed? yowza.
Lots of good options, anyway.
Just heard Inside The Huddle with John Clayton and PC. Pete mentioned the D-line was top priority and said that with the draft in mind. Also he talked about getting a LB to push our current LBs. Sounds to me like he isn’t really looking for a high end starting LB out of the draft. Also he mentioned getting receiving help but only if the new player is a dedicated type who can be led by Wilson. Sounds like at WR/TE the interview will be crucial.
Maybe:
1st DT
2nd WR/TE
3rd OLB
That feels about right so far Zach. PC seems to speak pretty directly.
“Someone who can be led by Wilson.” What a great quote.
I personally think this “probably” means ANY of the WR that have bad attitudes won’t stand a chance!
Even if they run a 4.1!!
They want someone to connect, not only in pass attempt on the field, but someone that might be RW’s best friend for years to come.
I think we should use this as our filter. We might take a TE or WR early and late, but whomever we take- they will be a FIT for RW. Rob has all ready done a great job of breaking down this WR/TE class, so we pretty much can see who is not going to be a Seahawk… IMO
With the talent depth at WR/TE – I bet we at least take one of each. Prob 1 early, 1 later…
I was hoping for DaRick Rodgers in the second round but can he be led by Wilson? Doubt it. I just looked at about 5 WR interviews that are in that 2-3 round range, excluding Patterson, Allen, and Hopkins, though I remember an interview I saw with Hopkins awhile back and was impressed by how mature he was. Out of the five guys I liked Robert Woods the best with Aaron Dobson close by.
This is an interesting article with video clips of 2 small school prospects that are flying under the radar. Courtney Gardner is a 6’3″, 220 lb WR with ridiculous speed and Amonty Bryant is an athletic freak at DE, who has already been interviewed by the Seahawks…
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/the-year-of-the-small-school-player
Rob, I was surprised at how short Cooper’s arms are. You mentioned earlier that he may have the potential to kick outside in the NFL, à la Branden Albert.
Do his measurables so far make you re-think that possibility at all?