Author: Rob Staton (Page 18 of 423)

Sports Broadcaster, Journalist and creator of Seahawks Draft Blog in 2008.

What I think happens next with Geno Smith & the three quarterbacks the Seahawks might target in the draft

With the Senior Bowl in the books there’s really only one topic in town as we build up to the combine. What is going to happen with Geno Smith? This is the next domino to fall, before attentions turn to other matters such as fixing the offensive line in free agency and/or the draft.

The situation feels pretty straight forward. Here’s a quick summary. The Seahawks will want to lower his $44.5m cap hit. The best way to do this is via an extension. However, they won’t want to commit significant guarantees over multiple years and they’ll likely want to retain an annual ‘out’ in the deal.

From Smith’s side, he’ll likely see this as his last serious opportunity to get a big pay day. He turns 35 in October. It’s been reported by Albert Breer that he’s seeking a commitment from the team. The two positions contradict each other, so the question is whether a compromise exists.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted last week that Smith, “is seeking an extension” and “it’s not a given that the two sides will be able to agree to one.”

I suspect by now both parties have shared thoughts on what they want to happen. My reading of the situation, based on those words by Brady (and others), is that at the moment there might be distance between the two sides.

Pete Carroll’s appointment in Las Vegas adds a layer of intrigue. The Raiders need a plan at quarterback, beyond simply hoping one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders is available for them at #6 (a reach, all considered). Carroll has not been appointed to lead a 10-year rebuild. He’s 74 in September. There will be a keenness to compete quickly and that will require the addition of a veteran quarterback of a certain standard. Success in Vegas isn’t winning the Super Bowl, it’s returning to respectability. Over the next couple of seasons the kind of nine-win season Carroll and Smith produced together in Seattle would be welcome as the Raiders try to climb back to a competitive standard.

Trading for Smith or trying to sign Sam Darnold are the two main options, you would imagine, for Vegas. There will likely be a lot of competition for Darnold, who might prefer to go somewhere where the scheme is similar to what he’s just experienced in Minnesota. I still wonder, for example, whether the Rams might trade Matt Stafford and attempt to bring Darnold back to LA.

With $85.7m in effective cap space available, the Raiders can easily afford to add Smith if they wanted to and pay him more than the Seahawks are probably willing. Carroll really bonded with Geno in Seattle. If Smith feels there is an alternative option out there, it could impact negotiations with the Seahawks.

However, I also think Carroll’s situation in Vegas is very different to the one he had in Seattle. The appointment today of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator does not feel like one inspired or led by Carroll. Darrell Bevell had been heavily linked to the job. Instead, the Raiders have appointed someone who is well known to be very close to Bill Belichick and therefore, presumably, Tom Brady. Along with Patrick Graham staying as defensive coordinator, it feels like Carroll is having a staff built for him, rather than pulling the strings himself. That might mean any decision about who quarterbacks the Raiders is ultimately out of his hands. He might want Geno. Do Tom Brady and John Spytek want Geno, though?

There may be a broader market for Smith than the last two off-seasons (where he was a free agent in 2023 and appeared to at least be dangled via trade a year ago). It’s not just the Raiders. So many teams need a quarterback and there are so few options. The Browns, Giants, Jets and Titans are realistically in the market. The Saints could be too, with increasing chatter they might try and come to an agreement with Derek Carr to part.

This could impact things in two different ways:

1. How badly do the Seahawks want to add their name to this list? The minute you trade Smith away, you’re suddenly in a big competition with several others for the scraps remaining. Do you want to enter a bidding war for Darnold or Carr?

2. How willing is Smith to compromise if he thinks there’s more money and commitment to be had elsewhere? If he can get a three-year deal with $50m in guarantees like Baker Mayfield, compared to a year-to-year situation in Seattle, he might push for that option. Especially if it’s with a familiar face in Vegas.

I’m fascinated to see how this plays out. The Seahawks essentially find themselves in a tricky spot — not necessarily wanting to waltz into the quarterback market but also wanting to retain their veteran bridge on a deal that provides flexibility. They have ways to create cap space but their most effective way will be to reduce the cap hits of Smith and DK Metcalf via extensions. Without pulling those levers, they won’t be able to have the kind of off-season they’d ideally like to have. That doesn’t mean landing Trey Smith either which, I have to say, appears to be a bit of a pipe dream if he even reaches the market. Yet there are other talented players set to reach free agency who can really bolster the roster, not just on the offensive line either. They need to create some flexibility.

Equally, I imagine Smith would rather crack on and stay in Seattle — but if there are better financial offers and greater security to be had elsewhere, he has to consider those options.

My best guess, which I reserve the right to change, is that a compromise will be agreed upon. Both sides will have to give a little ground to get there but ultimately, they will find a way to get it done. I think other teams like the Raiders will be interested but probably only in a similar arrangement to the one the Seahawks seek. I don’t think any team will be rushing to commit to three years of Smith given his age. Thus, a year-to-year arrangement with some financial benefit, while lowering his cap-hit and retaining an annual out, will be achieved.

I do think the Seahawks will be very prepared to move on if they need to. They’ve done it with Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson. They’ll do it with Geno Smith if their hand is forced.

If they do retain Smith on a new deal, the attention then turns to two subsequent topics. Firstly, their ability to improve the offensive line. They have a realistic opportunity to do this as outlined in my recent three-round mock draft (click here to read it). Secondly, who might the Seahawks target in the draft to add a young quarterback to develop behind Smith?

Despite what some people might say, I think it’s obviously true that the Seahawks and John Schneider have been desperate to draft a quarterback since trading Russell Wilson in 2022. There’s a difference, though, between intention and opportunity. The intention has been there, the opportunity hasn’t.

They haven’t passed on anyone in the last three drafts worth having. The people who moan about Seattle’s lack of drafting a quarterback are as tiresome as the people who go over the top about Geno Smith’s qualities.

If it was as simple as ‘just drafting a quarterback’ and everything being fine, the Chicago Bears wouldn’t have gone decades without a franchise signal caller. It’s why Sean McVay, for all his qualities, had to trade for Stafford and hasn’t drafted a young replacement. Kyle Shanahan traded away an absolute haul chasing the dream with Trey Lance. This isn’t easy. Just drafting players for the sake of it isn’t the answer.

Schneider has also actively tried to find solutions, just in other ways. Drew Lock and Sam Howell haven’t been very good additions. Those two players, though, were arguably superior to any of the rookies available to Seattle. It’s wrong to suggest they’ve been inactive because they’ve had a young alternative to Smith on the roster every season since trading Wilson, they just haven’t been rookies taken in the draft.

The complaints over Schneider’s time in Seattle should be reserved for Seattle’s inability to draft and develop a quality offensive line — and even then a decent chunk of the responsibility there lies with the coaches. The quarterback position is a different kettle of fish. Schneider is responsible for discovering the greatest quarterback in franchise history, the one that helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl. Yes, he’ll be judged on whether he found another great quarterback whenever the next era of Seahawks football (the one immediately following Carroll’s departure) concludes. Yet patience, judgement, opportunism and luck will determine his ability to succeed and none of these things are just going to fall into place because fans want them to.

Will the 2025 quarterback draft class provide a solution? In all honesty, you can make a case for passing on the group again this year. However, there are three players who could at least carry some intrigue.

I don’t think Jaxson Dart is one of those three players.

I was surprised by all of the buzz and hype coming out of the Senior Bowl for Dart. I’ve been able to piece together footage from the NFL Network and YouTube to see most of Dart’s work in Mobile. I thought he looked unspectacular. That includes in the game itself where he failed to shine.

I ended up re-watching two game tapes to see if I’d missed something in evaluating Dart, given all of the first round chatter in Mobile. I came away more convinced it’s just the work of a particularly active agency, or a collection of league sources trying to misdirect. Dart has some intriguing qualities — including a pretty deep throw delivered with touch and surprising athleticism. Even so, his eyes drop too early under pressure. He’s not a dynamic enough runner to set off as often as he does. When the pressure is on you do see some mental errors and mistakes. He also didn’t deliver in key moments — failing to put Ole Miss in position to escape against Kentucky with the ball in his hands (the end of that game is fairly brutal, including a wretched sack conceded) and throwing two critical fourth quarter interceptions against Florida, in a second half where he produced nothing, to end any hopes of reaching the college football playoff.

To me he reminds me of a Jarrett Stidham type player. There are things that make you relatively intrigued to a point, it’s just hard to imagine him becoming a top-end starter. I’ll be very surprised if the Seahawks view him as someone they see as the long-term answer. After waiting so long to draft a replacement for Wilson, I can’t imagine they’ll use a first or second round pick on Dart.

In the Senior Bowl game itself the best quarterback on display was Seth Henigan. He struggled on the first day of practise but in game action, he played a lot better than the rest in my personal opinion. I think he’s a worthy late round flier for someone but he, again, isn’t one of the three quarterbacks I’m going to talk about for the Seahawks.

Firstly, let’s look at Schneider’s history. We know he is attracted to big, physical quarterbacks with a gunslinger mentality. A degree of mobility/escapability is also crucial. Charlie Whitehurst, Russell Wilson and Drew Lock all had these characteristics. Even though Wilson was smaller, he played to this style and had huge hands, a big arm and he could move around. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, two other players Schneider had his eye on, also fit the bill. Sam Howell isn’t a big, physical quarterback but he is a scrambler with an arm.

I think he’s looking for someone who can be his answer to Brett Favre — but that doesn’t mean he’s going to wait forever for the next Favre or Mahomes to arrive. The Whitehurst trade was aggressive and expensive and yet he was clearly not very good. Schneider talked up Lock a lot. We also know, by now, that he too isn’t of sufficient starting quality. Neither is Howell. The Seahawks are clearly willing to take shots on players with a base level of upside, in the hope they can be developed into more. They don’t need to see a 10/10 player to take a chance.

Firstly, the two quarterbacks from the National Championship — Will Howard and Riley Leonard.

Howard is listed at 6-4 and 235lbs. He is big, strong, mobile enough to be a benefit in short-yardage running situations and he can break off opportunistic runs. He has a decent arm. Purely based on physical qualities, he looks like a Schneider type of quarterback.

Leonard is a lot leaner at 6-3 and 210lbs. He doesn’t have the biggest hands — measuring at 9 1/4 inches at the Senior Bowl. He doesn’t have a cannon for an arm but there are some examples of touch passes beyond 45-yards downfield. As a runner, he is a net positive. He is very capable of breaking off big runs when he sees a crease and he’s an excellent athlete.

There are other qualities to consider. They are both very experienced. Howard has 50 college starts, Leonard has 43. That counts for something. They’ve both achieved a degree of success. Howard worked with a loaded roster at Ohio State and had a fairly disappointing regular season. Nevertheless, he played brilliantly during the playoffs and led his team to the National Championship.

I’ve re-watched his four playoff games three times. He really elevated his play, delivering big-time throws in critical moments and excelling on third down. His QBR average in the four playoff games was a remarkable 96.4, not to mention a quarterback rating of 126.8.

According to PFF, Howard posted a rating of 139.8 against the blitz in 2024 with a completion percentage of 75.2%, throwing 15 touchdowns and just one interception.

Howard also won the Big-12 with Kansas State in 2022.

Very little was expected of Notre Dame in the playoffs given their injury situation, however Leonard helped inspire an improbable run to the final.

Character is a big deal for the Seahawks and has been a major focus of their last three drafts. Both quarterbacks excel in this area. Leonard is a self-confessed introvert so it’ll be interesting to see how teams view that — but he’s shown at Duke and Notre Dame that he can lead an offense without a loaded supporting cast. Howard almost has a Philip Rivers-esque fire to him on the sidelines and he appears to be a good team-mate who is well respected. You are not going to have to worry about either of these players from a character perspective.

Howard also has a similar arc to Russell Wilson. Both players were effectively shuffled out the door for younger replacements (Mike Glennon at NC State, Avery Johnson at Kansas State). Both went to the BIG-10 and enjoyed success with their new teams, elevating their stock. Wilson had far more upside and special qualities to his game but their journeys are similar.

Can I envisage Schneider investing in either to sit behind Geno Smith? Yes. It’s very hard to work out what range they could go in. You could probably project anywhere between pick #50 and #100. The Seahawks pick twice in that range.

I’m not convinced that either will turn into legit starters in the NFL, just like most of us were never convinced by Lock or Howell. Howard had some great moments in the playoffs but at both Ohio State and Kansas State he’s had his fair share of ‘what the hell were you thinking?’ moments. He had 20 interceptions in 28 games in 2023 and 2024. He fumbled the ball eight times in 2024 alone. The best you can probably hope for is that he’ll develop into an effective point guard, complementing a strong running game with his arm and legs. Even then, he’ll likely have a tendency to do something slightly ridiculous. That’s part of his game.

With Leonard, he has 14 interceptions in his last two full seasons of college football combined. His upside as a runner is a big positive and he’s really opportunistic with it. Opponents will have to caution against that aspect of his game. Yet as a passer, there are just too many moments where his accuracy was ‘off’ or he made big mistakes. He can make receivers work for the ball. The flashes make for a good highlights video but it’s hard to watch him and feel confident he’ll amount to a plus pocket passer, capable of delivering on key 3rd and 7+ plays with the game on the line — unless he can use his legs to create.

I think both players are more likely to be Drew Lock than a top-15 NFL starter. Yet the Seahawks saw something in Lock and they might see something in Howard and Leonard. Again, I don’t think it’s lip-service when Schneider says he wants to draft a quarterback every year. I do think that will be their intention until they find the next guy. If they bring back Geno Smith on a new contract, there will be increasing pressure to add a young passer. They know that kicking the can down the road continuously, without any remote hope that a younger, better option can emerge, does as much as anything to limit excitement and buzz around a franchise. Plus, with every passing year that goes by, the clock ticks on Smith’s effectiveness to be an acceptable bridge due to his age.

Howard and Leonard are both the types of player Schneider has added in the past, so they are both names to watch here. More so, I think, than Dart.

The other name I’m going to mention is predictable and someone I talk about a lot. Quinn Ewers. I continue to think he is someone Schneider has had his eye on for a while. The big question is whether he thinks Ewers is someone with the upside and potential to warrant following through with whatever initial interest he might’ve had when he started his college career.

Watching the Senior Bowl practises was helpful to try and explain why Ewers carries a level of intrigue — especially because most of the internet has already decided he sucks and has no appeal at all. When the quarterbacks in Mobile wanted to put a bit extra on a throw, either on an intermediate or deep level, it was noticeable how their technique adjusted. There was more effort on display, the footwork or body shape was different.

Ewers has easy arm strength. The ball just pops out of his hand. None of the quarterbacks in Mobile have this quality and truth be told, few do. It is a natural gift. I appreciate with Ewers it hasn’t always been effective over the last two seasons but it is part of assessing his draft profile.

This is the throw I keep coming back to. The three best throws I’ve seen in college football since starting this blog in 2008 are by Lamar Jackson at Louisville, Kyler Murray at Oklahoma and Ewers here against Alabama:

First of all, look at the technique. He doesn’t even step into this throw. He can deliver this kind of velocity, loft and distance from a standing position at midfield, and hit Xavier Worthy — who ran a 4.21 at the combine — in perfect stride for a touchdown. It is an absolutely majestic throw of a world class standard.

I guarantee that for all the complaints about Ewers — and I’ll discuss them again in a moment — some GM’s will look at that throw and think, ‘this guy has something’.

We’re talking about a player who the league has been buzzing about since High School. From his exceptional recruiting grades, out-ranking Caleb Williams, to his arrival at Texas via Ohio State. He is someone the league has been monitoring for a long time because of his natural talent.

People view his career as a failure at Texas. I wouldn’t be so sure about that. We’ll see how Arch Manning gets on next season but I wouldn’t assume he’ll do better. The Longhorns hadn’t been good for a long time, to the point that ‘Texas’ back’ became a meme whenever they won a couple of games to start a season. Getting to back-to-back semi-finals — and playing close games against Washington and Ohio State — shouldn’t be dismissed.

I thought he started the 2024 season brilliantly, in particular at Michigan. The abdominal strain and ankle injuries suffered cratered his form. It was clear how much his velocity, mobility and accuracy left him. He also began having to play without both starting tackles and his second best receiver. To be fair, Texas still only lost three games — two to Georgia and one to Ohio State.

The concerns are well advertised. He hasn’t been able to complete a full season in college without being injured. His consistency has suffered as a consequence. He’s thrown 18 interceptions in 26 games in the last two seasons. He also looks small and it’ll be interesting to discover his true measurements at the combine.

Even accounting for the injuries, it has been hard to watch him in the second half of his final season at Texas and picture a NFL starting quarterback. Yet this is the world the Seahawks live in now. The next Jayden Daniels isn’t likely to fall into their lap. They need to go and find the next Wilson, the next Jalen Hurts. Someone who lasts in the draft for a reason yet has a characteristic or two that can be harnessed, within a well structured overall team, to produce results over an extended period of time without being the perfect prospect.

I also think the system matters. I’ve long thought the Shanahan offense would be best for Ewers. It can scheme around limitations while highlighting positives, emphasising reading your keys and executing within structure. That is how Ewers can thrive, I think. You don’t want to have him trying to move around, improvising, playing off platform. He needs rigidity and rhythm. The Shanahan scheme delivers that and if Klint Kubiak can bring it to Seattle, it could be a good fit for Ewers. Particularly if the intention is to build a good offensive line and be able to run the ball effectively as they do in San Francisco.

For that reason, I wouldn’t rule out the Texas quarterback. Many have. I wouldn’t. Schneider travelled to watch him in person this season for a reason.

All three of these quarterbacks will have a range. I’m not suggesting the Seahawks will reach for any of them. There could be scenarios where all three come off the board before Seattle is comfortable selecting them. Yet I do think there’s a chance one of this trio could be brought in to play behind Smith, learning the system, with an opportunity to be the answer in the future.

It’s also important to remember if you select a quarterback on day two you are not explicitly committing to that player to start in the future. When Schneider was in Green Bay they drafted Brian Brohm with the #56 pick in 2008. This was three years removed from drafting Aaron Rodgers in round one, with Brett Favre still on the roster. Brohm lasted one season and was cut.

The point is, the Packers were taking shots to prepare for life after Favre. They found their solution with Rodgers. Now, the Seahawks are effectively planning for life after Wilson and Smith. So far, they’ve gone through Lock and Howell. This year, they may draft someone else. It doesn’t mean that person will be the answer. It wouldn’t prevent them from taking a quarterback early in 2026. It’d simply mean adding someone, as they did with Howell, to take a shot.

I admire Dillon Gabriel for all he achieved in college football but I don’t think he is likely to end up in Seattle. He lacks the arm talent or the size. In Mobile he was far too hesitant to throw, was late on too many passes and he struggled throwing to his right on the move (he’s left handed). Jalen Milroe had a terrible week and I’m afraid to say looked positively undraftable. Tyler Shough has a reasonable arm and decent size but I think he’s very much a day three player with backup potential.

Max Brosmer and Brady Cook, who both attended the Shrine Bowl, struggled based on what I watched of the game and both have limitations (although I do think Brosmer has something about him). Kurtis Rourke is recovering from an ACL injury and likewise has some limitations. Kyle McCord gets a good press online but I don’t see a future NFL starter.

It won’t shock me if we see Geno Smith re-signed to a compromise contract, followed by the Seahawks drafting one of Will Howard, Riley Leonard or Quinn Ewers on day two of the draft. We’ll see how the process unfolds. It’s going to get interesting over the next few weeks.

Post Senior Bowl 2025 NFL Mock Draft (three rounds)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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