Author: Rob Staton (Page 184 of 425)

The combine is in the books. So what did we learn?

Safety’s end the combine with a flourish

Coming into the combine it’s fair to say there wasn’t a lot of buzz about the safety class. That’s going to change after today.

Eleven players ran a 4.4 or faster. Two even ran in the 4.3’s with Ole Miss’ Zedrick Woods nailing the fastest time by anyone this year with a 4.29.

It’s worth noting that speed doesn’t necessarily translate to success at the next level. Here are the top-15 forty time by safety’s at the combine between 2010-2018:

Troy Apke — 4.34
T.J. Green — 4.34
Justin Cox — 4.36
Natrell Jamerson — 4.40
Obi Melifownu — 4.40
Justin Reid — 4.40
Dane Cruikshank — 4.41
Josh Jones — 4.41
Terrence Brooks — 4.42
Montae Nicholson — 4.42
Shamarko Thomas — 4.42
Taylor Mays — 4.43
Godwin Igwebuike — 4.44
Earl Wolff — 4.44
Budda Baker — 4.45

There’s not a lot of stars among the group. So although the 2019 safety class can run, it doesn’t mean they’re destined to succeed.

Even so, today was a big positive. Many players exceeded expectations. Here’s what stands out:

— Earlier today I suggested USC’s Marvell Tell could be a safety/corner convert for the Seahawks. He’s 6-2, 198lbs and he has 33 1/8 inch arms. He didn’t run a forty yard dash but the rest of his workout was incredible. He jumped a 42 inch vertical and an 11-4 broad. He ran a superb 6.63 in the three cone and a 4.01 in the short shuttle. He’s a player who warrants serious consideration for the Seahawks at safety or corner.

— Juan Thornill ran a 4.42 forty and jumped a 44 inch vertical plus an 11-9 broad. He didn’t do any of the agility tests. This combination of speed and explosive power doesn’t necessarily show up on tape where Thornhill looks a little stiff. However, he did have six interceptions in 2018 and the Seahawks need some playmaking ability in the secondary.

— Will Harris has been compared to Bradley McDougald in terms of playing style by Lance Zierlein. He ran a 4.41 which is significantly faster than McDougald. He added a 36.5 vertical, a 6.91 three cone and a 4.12 short shuttle. He’s tough, physical and has special teams value.

— Darnell Savage ran a blistering 4.36 and then jumped a 39.5 inch vertical. He also ran a 4.14 short shuttle but his 7.03 three cone was a little slower than some of the other safety’s. Even so, he’s a player I will go back and take another look at. He’s an excellent cover safety and clearly has the speed to play with range.

There are other names I could add to the list. I didn’t expect to see the kind of speed we witnessed today and the testing in the broad/vertical and short shuttle/three cone simply added to the quality of the workout. I want to go back and watch certain players and see what I missed. Why didn’t they look as fast as this on the first watch through? Did I miss something?

Either way, it seems more likely now than it was previously that the Seahawks will draft one of these safety’s. There are traits to work with here.

Cornerbacks lacking in round one

While the safety’s put on a show, the cornerbacks certainly didn’t. It’s difficult to look at this class and identify first round picks. Greedy Williams was supposed to be the guy and he ran a 4.37 forty. He then struggled badly with his back-pedal and transition, fell over a couple of times during drills and promptly ended his day citing ‘cramps’.

Byron Murphy had a much better performance in drills but is undersized and ran a 4.55. Can you justify taking his physical profile in round one? Joejuan Williams (4.64) surely didn’t run well enough to justify the recent first round buzz.

The good news for the Seahawks is there are plenty of long, lean cornerbacks who might be available in the range they take their DB’s. There were 16 corners with +32 inch arms at the combine.

Of today’s group, Lonnie Johnson and Michael Jackson impressed with their forty times and workouts. Derrek Thomas looks the part of a Seahawks corner.

Some will go too early. Justin Layne might’ve performed well enough to move into the top-50 range. Daniel Jeremiah also suggested Isaiah Johnson could be a second round pick.

Jordan Miller, Joejuan Williams and Jamal Peters might last into range.

For a team like Seattle that gets its cornerbacks later on, this class isn’t a problem. If your biggest need is cornerback and you were hoping to get one in the first frame, you’re out of luck.

Overall assessment of the combine

Depth is not a problem in 2019

This is a deep looking draft class. The O-liners set the ball rolling with a fantastic Friday and the tight ends and receivers continued the momentum on Saturday. We already knew there were a ton of defensive linemen. Then the safety’s joined the party. There’s going to be depth and quality stretching into day three this year.

The Seahawks have to get more picks

Anyone writing a mock draft in the next few days might have a hard time filling picks 20-32. This isn’t a class with a thick base of legit first round prospects. There are a lot of guys you’ll feel more comfortable projecting at #45 than #25.

As soon as you get into the second, third and fourth round however — that’s where you’re going to find the riches. In particular, there will be plenty of offensive linemen, tight ends, receivers and defensive linemen available in this range.

Seattle’s most pressing need is to retain their core players in free agency then add depth and competition to what is already a playoff roster. They need to find a way to turn their four picks into eight. That likely means trading down from #21 multiple times.

They have to find a solution at linebacker

The Seahawks have consistently drafted outstanding athletes at linebacker. This draft class has two outstanding athletes — Devin White and Devin Bush. Both will go early in the first round. Most of the other prospects are a mash-up of likely special teams contributors and backups.

If you were hoping there’d be a ready-made linebacker to come in as a rookie and start, it’s not looking promising. Will this increase their desire to retain K.J. Wright? Will they move quickly to sign Mychal Kendricks if he avoids jail? Do they sign another veteran free agent? At the very least they’ll need to add a hedge. One way or another this seems like it’ll be a priority position for the Seahawks when free agency begins.

Beware the hype

Montez Sweat and D.K. Metcalf made headlines at the combine. So did Brian Burns to a slightly lesser extent. You’ll likely see all three promoted high into the first round in mock drafts this week.

It won’t be a shock if all three go in the top-20. As mentioned earlier, it’s not a great looking first round. Players with massive upside and unique traits have a chance to move up boards. Yet there are question marks with all three to go with the insane combine hype.

Sweat ran a superb 4.41 forty and his straight line speed is not in doubt. However, he looked stiff and awkward during drills working in space. He’s a pure EDGE and not really an option for 3-4 teams at outside linebacker. He also has some character questions to answer following his departure from Michigan State.

Metcalf ran a blistering 4.33 forty at 228lbs and looked incredible. However, there are legit concerns that he’s just too big. A 4.50 short shuttle and a 7.38 three cone are times you’d expect to see from an athletic defensive tackle. On tape he separates running go-routes and the 4.33 speed is very evident. Yet he struggles to separate on quicker, shorter routes and those shuttle and cone times will add to concerns that he’s simply too big and stiff to be a threat as anything other than a downfield receiver. There are also medical concerns about a serious neck injury that ended his 2018 season and he has a few too many concentration drops.

Burns reportedly played at about 227lbs during the 2018 season. Any concerns about his size were addressed at the combine. He showed up at 249lbs and had a fantastic workout. It was particularly impressive to see how smooth he looked running linebacker drills in space and unlike Sweat he’s very much an option for teams who run a 3-4 scheme. However, can he keep this weight on? And are 4-3 teams prepared to draft a 240-250lbs EDGE in the first round? He’s still undersized even if he sticks at about 250lbs.

By all means celebrate what all three achieved at the combine. As per usual, however, there’s another side of the story to consider.

Frank Clark franchise tag could be problematic

There’s still time to get a long term deal done and maybe giving Clark the tag will act as a catalyst to conclude a contract. However, as things stand the Seahawks have four key players entering the final year of their contracts — Clark, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed. They cannot go into the next off-season with all four unsigned and only one franchise tag available. This is probably the #1 problem to solve this off-season.

Position by position combine analysis with a Seahawks slant

Offensive line

The O-liners put on a show. It was a more explosive class than previous years. Andre Dillard likely secured a place in the top-15 as the most athletic prospect and by far the best pass-protector in the draft. Garrett Bradbury is very likely to go in round one after he excelled in drills and put on an explosive testing performance. Chris Lindstrom is very much in play to be a top-50 pick after he ran a superb forty and had an explosive workout. Two center’s — Elgton Jenkins and Erik McCoy — further enhanced their stock after a strong Senior Bowl. Washington’s Kaleb McGary looked sensational with a fantastic, muscular frame. The league is desperate for quality offensive tackles and after he showed well in drills and had an explosive workout — I wouldn’t be surprised if he found his way into the top-40. Two Ohio State players — Isaiah Prince and Michael Jordan — also performed well in drills and looked highly athletic. They bolstered their stock in Indianapolis.

What could the Seahawks do?

Pete Carroll stated at the combine it was a priority to keep the O-line together. It’s likely they’ll re-sign J.R. Sweezy and D.J. Fluker. One player in particular stood out as an alternative though. Chris Lindstrom ran a 4.91 forty, a 4.54 short shuttle, he was explosive in the vertical and broad and he has ideal size at 308lbs and 34 1/8 inch arms. If the Seahawks don’t re-sign Sweezy, Lindstrom looks like a strong candidate as an option at left guard. There weren’t any massive, beastly right guards that look like they could fill a D.J. Fluker sized hole. I suspect Fluker will be re-signed as a priority. There are options throughout this class and it won’t be a surprise if they add some depth even if the 2018 starters are retained.

Running back

The 2018 draft was the year of the running back. 2019 is be the opposite. The only likely first round runner — Josh Jacobs — didn’t perform at the combine. The rest of the group failed to dazzle. It won’t be a surprise if Jacobs is the only running back taken in the first two rounds. There will be some possible value in the middle rounds. Overall though — if you like your running backs, last year was the year to get one.

What could the Seahawks do?

Having spent a first round pick on Rashaad Penny a year ago and with Chris Carson developing into one of the best in the league, they’re left looking for a possible third wheel. With the way the backs tested they might be more inclined to try and keep Mike Davis. If they do draft a new runner keep an eye on Alexander Mattison, Alex Barnes and Miles Sanders. I suspect the Seahawks are more likely to draft a full back than a running back this year. Wisconsin’s Alec Ingold could be the guy.

Tight end

The NFL is desperate for quality tight ends and this is a class rich in depth. T.J. Hockenson almost certainly secured his place in the top-11 with a terrific combine. Iowa team mate Noah Fant performed as expected and will be at worst a second round pick. Irv Smith Jr ran solidly but didn’t do as well in the agility tests. His NFL bloodlines and ability to act as a ‘big slot’ could make him an option for teams in the 20’s or 30’s. The best thing about this class though is what follows. We could see an army of TE’s drafted between rounds 2-4. Josh Oliver, Dawson Knox, Drew Sample, Kaden Smith, Trevon Wesco, Foster Moreau and several others all impressed. If you want to draft a tight end you’ll be able to find one you like this year.

What could the Seahawks do?

The Seahawks are likely to take a long look at this group. Nick Vannett is entering the last year of his contract, Will Dissly is recovering from injury and Ed Dickson is a veteran stop-gap. They’re more likely to look at the Y-TE’s than the joker’s or move TE’s. Drew Sample would be a fine option but he’s possibly moved his stock into round three after a great Senior Bowl and combine. Trevon Wesco is a bad dude and could be added to act as a blocking TE and possible full back. Kaden Smith tested well in terms of agility and is a well-balanced tight end who could be dropping. If he’s there on day three he could be a value pick. Foster Moreau had a brilliant combine and also has some FB/TE crossover potential.

Wide receiver

This is a very similar group to the tight end class. There aren’t many first round prospects. The likes of D.K. Metcalf and Parris Campbell possibly pushed themselves into that range but it’s not a lock. Deebo Samuel and Marquise Brown also have a chance to go in the first frame. It’s the depth that really makes this class. You’ll be able to take a receiver in rounds 2-4 that you really like. It’s a really fast group with bigger and smaller wide outs. The big guys are Metcalf, Miles Boykin or Hakeem Butler. N’Keal Harry also had a faster forty time than expected at 4.53. If you want a burner the options include Terry McLaurin and Emanuel Hall. Gary Jennings at West Virginia tested well. Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown both ran in the late 4.4’s. Parris Campbell is the definition of a modern day playmaker.

What could the Seahawks do?

The inconsistency of David Moore has opened the door for a possible addition of a third target. Tyler Lockett is locked in for the long term and Doug Baldwin still has two years remaining on his contract. Given the sheer depth of options it’s very possible the Seahawks will draft a receiver at some stage. They’ve drafted nine receivers in the Pete Carroll era. All but two ran a 4.4 forty (and one was seventh round flier Kenny Lawler). There were 18 receivers who ran a 4.4 or faster in Indianapolis — so they should be able to find some players they like.

Quarterback

It was difficult to analyse the quarterbacks at the combine. The constantly changing camera angles destroyed any concept of depth and velocity on throws and it wasn’t always clear who was actually throwing the football. From what little I was able to gather — Drew Lock and Dwayne Haskins both showed off plenty of arm talent (although Haskins appeared to be inconsistent with his accuracy) and Jarrett Stidham looked very comfortable too. Kyler Murray didn’t throw but all of the talk is that he’ll be the #1 pick to Arizona — a suggestion we discussed a couple of months ago.

What could the Seahawks do?

We’ve talked a lot about the possibility of a long and frustrating contract saga with Russell Wilson. If he intends to play on the franchise tag and resist signing a long-term extension, the Seahawks have to prepare and plan accordingly. They have to consider drafting a quarterback. If nothing else you might end up with a cheap developmental player and a solid backup. The best case scenario is you prepare for the worst — an ugly and hopefully avoidable divorce from your franchise quarterback. That said, you still need to rate the options available. I suspect the NFL likes Will Grier a lot more than the media. Here’s one of the reasons why. Here’s another. Grier has been the best deep-ball passer for the last two years in college football. The Seahawks love downfield and explosive completions in the passing game. I’m not sure what kind of range they might be comfortable taking him but Grier is the name I think might interest them the most within this class. If that isn’t the case or he’s taken too early — there’s not much you can do about it.

Defensive tackle and inside/out rusher

The expectation was this would be the group to set the combine alight. It didn’t quite live up to expectations. A number of key players either didn’t run the forty or didn’t do drills. Dexter Lawrence ran a fantastic 5.05 at 342lbs but got injured while running. Christian Wilkins wasn’t as athletic or explosive as I expected. Rashan Gary stood out and looked every bit a top-10 lock. Quinnen Williams ran a fantastic forty. Ed Oliver didn’t run but tested well in the broad and vertical. The others to impress included a really athletic performance from Jerry Tillery, Zach Allen recovered some of his lost stock from the Senior Bowl and Renell Wren, as expected, had a great workout. The best options could be in the middle rounds though. UCF’s Trysten Hill had an excellent performance during drills and could be a value starter at defensive tackle. Daniel Wise is a dynamic interior rusher. Charles Omenihu has incredible 36-inch arms and had a good workout. Keke Kinglsey’s tape is average but he had a great Senior Bowl and followed it up with a good combine. L.J. Collier lacks quickness and agility but has good length and is very explosive.

What could the Seahawks do?

It’s hard to say. They drafted Rasheem Green a year ago to play inside/out and presumably they still believe he can develop into a starter. They’ve regularly preferred to sign cheap veteran defensive tackles instead of using high draft picks (with the one exception being Jarran Reed). They really need to add a strong run defender at some point this off-season. Adding some extra pass rush is also important and it’s always possible they seek to use Green as more of an orthodox defensive end. History tells us they value the short shuttle at the two positions and a cluster of players tested well there. Zach Allen (4.36) could be a second-round target to play as a big end who kicks inside. Jerry Tillery (4.33) can play inside and five-technique. Charles Omenihu (4.36) has fantastic size, length and quickness. Daniel Wise (4.36) could be added as a specialist interior rusher. Trysten Hill (4.38) screams value pick and a possible starting defensive tackle. Kingsley Keke (4.46) has the kind of sparky character they seem to like. Dre’Mont Jones (4.53) is a dynamic pass rusher. Renell Wren (4.53) is inconsistent and played without control at Arizona State but he has the traits they like and the quickness.

EDGE rusher

Montez Sweat made headlines with his record-breaking 4.41 forty. Brian Burns also impressed — especially considering he’d added approximately 20lbs. Both players leave the combine with their stock trending upwards. It’s no surprise Nick Bosa tested very well and he’s likely a top-three pick. Josh Allen worked out with the linebackers but he’s an EDGE and had a solid workout, running a decent forty and testing well in terms of agility. Ben Banogu had an amazing workout. He’s the most explosive TEF tester we’ve ever recorded with the exception of one player — Myles Garrett. Chase Winovich is bigger, faster and more explosive than a lot of us expected. Justin Hollins had a solid workout. There were some disappointments too. Jachai Polite ran poorly then pulled out with an injury. Clelin Ferrell didn’t run a forty. Christian Miller and D’Andre Walker are still recovering from injuries suffered at the end of the college football season. Is it a particularly deep EDGE class? Not really.

What could the Seahawks do?

The Dion Jordan project didn’t really work out. Assuming he isn’t retained, the greater need in Seattle is for an EDGE rather than a SAM/LEO or inside/out rusher. If they trade down and Montez Sweat or Brian Burns are available, they could be the first pick. After their combine performances, they’re less likely to be available. Christian Miller is a nice alternative with his length, explosive power and college production. I’m going to study Ben Banogu this week after his great combine. Overall though there’s not a great deal of depth. For that reason, they might need to see what’s available in free agency. Adding one of the available pass rushers to play across from Frank Clark might be important — even as a hedge. Is Anthony Barr affordable? What other options are there? It’s something to keep in mind when the market opens. It’s not obvious Seattle will be able to find a solution in the draft.

Linebacker

Several positions flashed great depth and quality at this combine. Linebacker was not one of them. Devin White and Devin Bush ran a 4.42 and a 4.43 respectively. Both jumped around the 40 inch mark in the vertical. Bob McGinn’s sources indicated both players were being graded similarly going into the combine. It seems likely both will leave the board in round one — possibly in the top-20. Mack Wilson, another possible high pick, didn’t work out due to injury. Apart from that — this looks like a class rich in backup-level talent.

What could the Seahawks do?

Assuming White and Bush will both be gone, there’s not much they can do. There’s not an obvious ‘Seahawks’ linebacker in this class. Certainly there’s nobody you’d feel very confident in coming in to start at WILL as a rookie. They need a plan in free agency. Re-sign K.J. Wright, re-sign Mychal Kendricks or sign another veteran.

Cornerback

This isn’t a good cornerback class in terms of early round picks. In terms of role players and long, lean cornerbacks? There are options later on. Greedy Williams was seen as the corner most likely to be drafted first. He ran a decent 4.37 forty but did not look good during drills. His back pedal was slow, he was too upright and he was flat-footed. His transitions were sluggish. He bailed half way through the on-field work complaining about cramps. If Williams goes in round one — and it’s not a lock — he might be the only one. This is not a good year if you want an elite round one corner.

What could the Seahawks do?

It might not be a good draft for early round cornerbacks but there are plenty of options for Seattle in the middle or later rounds. There were 16 corners with +32 inch arms at the combine. Depth and competition at the position is vital and it’s very likely the Seahawks will draft at least one cornerback. Justin Layne and Isaiah Johnson might go a bit too early for Seattle. Lonnie Johnson and Jamal Peters, however, might be available in their preferred day-three range. Derrek Thomas looked incredibly long and lean. He ran a quick forty and has 34 inch arms and an 82 inch wingspan. He’s very much a name to remember. Washington’s Jordan Miller also ran well and Miami’s Michael Jackson had an excellent workout during drills. Jackson is a big, physical looking corner who flashed quick transitions and a smooth back pedal.

Safety

The safety class put on a show today and wowed with an unexpected level of speed, explosion and agility. There might not be a safety worthy of a first round pick (although Johnathan Abram running a 4.45 puts him in contention) but the depth between rounds 2-4 looks a lot stronger than it did 24 hours ago. The receiver, tight end, O-line and safety positions are all very similar. Minimal options in round one, good depth from day two onwards.

What could the Seahawks do?

Before today I thought this could be a position they passed on. They seem to like their existing safety’s more than the fans and media. However, after such an impressive combine showing they’ll likely be tempted to add some speed and competition to the position. A year ago they drafted a safety (Tre Flowers) and moved him to corner. Going into today, I thought Marvell Tell could be a similar project. He’s 6-2, 198lbs and has 33 1/8 inch arms and had an incredible performance. Whether they consider him at cornerback or safety — he has to be on the radar. Juan Thornhill had six picks in 2018 and runs in the 4.4’s. Could they bring him in to push Tedric Thompson? Will they have interest in the coverage ability of Darnell Savage or the rounded game of Will Harris? There are other names to mention. With so much speed and athleticism within this group, I’ll spending a lot more time studying the available options.

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Welcome to our coverage of the 2019 NFL combine. Every day we’ll be updating events as they happen in Indianapolis, posting workout numbers and information.

This post will be updated constantly so keep hitting refresh.

The live blog is going to end a little earlier today. However, tonight’s review piece will be an extensive review of the combine overall including where things stand for the Seahawks and we’ll have our final combine daily podcast. I want to say a big thank you to Brandan Schulze for the time and effort he’s put into putting the podcast together. We’ll have done nearly four hours of analysis in total by the end of the day and I’m extremely grateful for his fantastic work and hope you’ve enjoyed our daily broadcasts.

I wanted to start today with a quick reflection on yesterday. In 2014 the Seahawks drafted Cassius Marsh in round four. There was a big reason for this — Pete Carroll had recruited Marsh at USC and had a significant background with the player. Yet his workout at the combine was quite similar to some of the other players performing yesterday.

Cassius Marsh
Height: 6-4
Weight: 252lbs
Arms: 32 3/4
Forty: 4.89
10-yard: 1.70
Vertical: 32
Broad: 9-0
Short shuttle: 4.25
Three cone: 7.08

Marsh excelled in the short shuttle and three cone. Seattle used him as a hyrbid linebacker/EDGE. He didn’t have a particularly brilliant spell for the Seahawks and it’s unclear whether they’ll be rushing out to draft a player with a similar physical profile. Yet all we have is history to determine what they look for at certain positions.

Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby topped Marsh in a number of drills. He’s a similar size (6-5, 255lbs) and has the same kind of arm length (32 7/8 inches). However, he ran a much faster forty (4.66) and 10-yard split (1.60), faired a lot better in the explosive tests (36 inch vertical, 10-2 broad), ran a faster three cone (6.89) and a faster short shuttle (4.13).

I’m not sure if they’ll be looking for another hybrid SAM/LEO type with Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin already on the roster. Crosby’s workout, however, would suggest they might consider him. I need to go and look at the tape after the combine and see if it’s a role he suits. Is he just a pure EDGE? Does he have the kind of movement and agility his testing results suggest to play in space?

We talked a bit about Chase Winovich yesterday. I’ve watched a lot of his games and without a doubt he’s been one of the most fun players to watch in college football. Relentless effort, an underrated pass rusher. I’ve long felt, however, that he’s better suited to playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 and isn’t the kind of long, lean LEO the Seahawks usually go for. I can’t really imagine, for example, a pass rush duo of Winovich and Frank Clarke (even if they’re both former Michigan guys). I think they’re more likely to go for a longer, more natural EDGE as they’ve tried to do with Dion Jordan. It’s one of the reasons why I think they might pursue Anthony Barr if the price is right in free agency. He’s a natural fit for Seattle as an EDGE, even if he played linebacker in Minnesota. The two obvious options early in the draft are Montez Sweat and Brian Burns, with Ben Banogu a player I need to go back and look at again after his tremendous workout.

Even so, Winovich does test very well in comparison to Marsh. He’s a similar size (6-3, 256lbs) with similar length (32 3/4 inch arms). He was a lot faster in the forty (4.59) and 10-yard split (1.57). He jumped a 30.5 inch vertical and a 9-8 broad. In the agility tests he beats Marsh with a 6.94 three cone and a 4.11 short shuttle.

It’s really about what Seattle feels it needs. Most of all they need someone who can rush the EDGE as they were hoping Jordan could in 2018. They also likely need a replacement starting WILL. Whether you rate Mingo or Martin highly or not, the SAM/LEO type position is somewhat covered. What we’re doing here is just running through possibilities, looking for trends and leaving no stone unturned. The purpose of the blog isn’t to nail the exact 6-8 players Seattle will draft. It’s to discuss the likelihood of scenarios, discuss options, cut through what isn’t likely and cover as many bases as possible. I’m not sure the Seahawks will draft either Crosby or Winovich but the Cassius Marsh profile offered a talking point.

Today the defensive backs workout. Here’s the list of cornerbacks who fit Seattle’s strict size preference:

Blace Brown — 6-0 3/8, 32 arms, 76 3/8 wingspan
Blessuan Austin — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 76 7/8 wingspan
Deandre Baker — 5-11, 32 arms, 77 1/8 wingspan
Alijah Holder — 6-0 6/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Mike Jackson — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Isaiah Johnson — 6-2 1/8, 33 arms, 79 1/8 wingspan
Lonnie Johnson — 6-1 7/8, 32 5/8 arms, 77.5 wingspan
Justin Layne — 6-1 6/8, 33 arms, 80 1/8 wingspan
Rock Ya-sin — 5-11 6/8, 32 arms, 77 3/8 wingspan
Joejuan Williams — 6-3 5/8, 32.5 arms, 78 wingspan
Derrek Thomas — 6-2 7/8, 33 6/8 arms, 82 wingspan
Jordan Miller — 6-0 5/8, 32 7/8 arms, 76.5 wingspan
Jamal Peters — 6-1 6/8, 32 3/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Ryan Pulley 5-10 5/8, 32 6/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Saivion Smith — 6-0 7/8, 33 2/8 arms, 78 7/8 wingspan
Ken Webster — 5-10 7/8, 32 arms, 77 wingspan

Keep an eye on Marvell Tell too. He’s 6-2 and 198lbs with 33 1/8 inch arms. That’s cornerback size for Seattle and watching his tape, he has the lean frame that they like in a corner convert.

Cornerback forty times

(Players with +32 inch arms in bold)

Deandre Baker — 4.53 & 4.63
Corey Ballentine — 4.48 & 4.47
Kris Boyd — 4.45 & 4.46
Blace Brown — 4.76 & 4.75
Jordan Brown — 4.53 & 4.52
Sean Bunting — 4.43 & 4.45
Hamp Cheevers — 4.54 & 4.52
Xavier Crawford — 4.50 & 4.48
Davante Davis — 4.58 & 4.68
Jamel Dean — 4.31 & 4.33
Rashad Fenton — 4.53 & 4.76
Mark Fields — 4.37 & 4.39
Montre Hartage — 4.69 & 4.69
Alijah Holder — 4.65 & 4.61
Michael Jackson — 4.46 & 4.50
Isaiah Johnson — 4.40 & 4.45
Lonnie Johnson — 4.52 & 4.61
Justin Layne — 4.51 & 4.51
Iman Marshall — 4.54 & 4.60
David Long — 4.47 & 4.46
Julian Love — 4.54 & 4.58
Jordan Miller — 4.49 & 4.55
Trayvon Mullen — 4.46 & 4.54
Byron Murphy — 4.55 & 4.56
Amani Oruwariye — 4.48 & ?
Jamal Peters — 4.66 & 4.63
Ryan Pulley — 4.62 & 4.69
Derrek Thomas — 4.45 & 4.54
Ken Webster — 4.49 & 4.43
Greedy Williams — 4.38 & 4.45
Joejuan Williams — 4.65 & 4.69
Rock Ya-Sin — 4.59 & 4.52

The NFL Network showed a very satisfied looking Pete Carroll noting the forty times for the big cornerbacks in this class:

Carroll is the only Head Coach, for what it’s worth, who has been filmed making notes during every session of forty runs. Most of the other coaches are simply observing or they’re away chatting to other people. Carroll, every year, is right at the heart of the scouting at the combine.

It seems like the best options might be Lonnie Johnson and Jamal Peters. Isaiah Johnson was touted as a second round pick by Daniel Jeremiah (that would be too early for Seattle). Justin Layne is equally expected to go early. Johnson and Peters ran slow enough to last a little, as did Joejuan Williams. Jordan Miller at Washington ran very well and looks lean and long. Derrek Thomas looked incredibly long and fast. Michael Jackson is very athletic for his size.

Nasir Adderley isn’t working out with the safety’s today. He has an ankle injury.

Onto the on-field drills. First it’s the back pedal. Isaiah Johnson was a little clunky and hunched over. David Long, the Michigan corner, had a very smooth and technical rep.

I like the look of Jordan Miller. He’s not quite as tall as some of the other 32-inch corners but he looks smooth and capable.

Saivion Smith didn’t run a forty but is doing drills.

Greedy Williams’ back pedal was horrendous. He was flat-footed, he was leaning back and as he transitioned and flipped he lost balance and nearly fell over. His second rep was all over the place too. Poor.

Deandre Baker struggled on his flip too. The technique is off, the feet too close together and they’re not unlocking the hips and exploding to finish.

Michael Jackson’s rep was a lot better. I like the look of him. Big corner, lots of bulk and length. Looks physical but he unlocked with a lot of ease and quickness.

Jordan Miller fell over on his second rep in an ugly fashion.

Derrek Thomas isn’t running this drill which is a shame because he looked great running the forty.

I’m really like Michael Jackson. His transitions are quick with little wasted movement, he covers ground well in his back pedal. This is a very impressive performance. Lonnie Johnson just had a good rep with several sharp transitions. There’s a bit of stiffness there but it’s fine. He looks the part.

Jamal Peters is also not doing drills. He got hurt in Mississippi State’s bowl game and still isn’t 100%.

Here are the official cornerback forty times:

Lonnie Johnson had a wonderful rep a moment ago. Nice transitions and then high pointed the ball wonderfully downfield.

Justin Layne is going to have a great vertical jump based on the way he just high pointed a football.

Greedy Williams says he’s giving up for the day. He’s cramping up apparently. Not a great day for him. Cramps?

The prospects are performing better in the ‘W’ drill than last years shower. Lonnie Johnson, Jordan Miller and Michael Jackson all had good reps.

They also do a variation of the ‘W’ that ends with a catch. Joejuan Williams had the best rep of the group.

Lonnie Johnson just looks great. Terrific size, faster than his forty suggests. Very fluid. Could be a big target for the Seahawks.

Byron Murphy is getting good reviews from the NFL Network team.

The cornerback workouts ended with an elongated and slightly unnecessary gauntlet drill. I’m going to post the safety forty times and then close the live blog. I’ll have a huge combine review piece posted later and of course we’ll have our final podcast too.

Johnathan Abram jumped a 33.5 inch vertical and a 9-8 broad.

Sheldrick Redwine jumped a 39 inch vertical and a 10-10 broad.

Marvell Tell had an incredible 42 inch vertical and an 11-4 broad jump. Now we’re talking. That’s special. Earlier I suggested he could be a Seahawks target at cornerback. With those numbers, if he runs a quick forty too he’s going to go flying up boards.

Juan Thornhill went even further. He had a 44 inch vertical and then an 11-9 broad jump. Special, special, special.

Safety forty yard dash times

Johnathan Abram — 4.50 & 4.45
Ugochukwu Amadi — 4.52 & 4.54
John Battle — 4.68 & 4.71
Mike Bell — 4.84 & 4.84
Marquise Blair — 4.48 & 4.51
Lukas Dennis — 4.65 & 4.73
D’Cota Dixon — 4.81 & 4.62
Malik Gant — 4.64 & 4.66
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson — 4.49 & 4.50
Saquan Hampton — 4.48 & DNR
Will Harris — 4.45 & 4.42
Amani Hooker — 4.53 & 4.49
Jaquan Johnson — 4.69 & 4.74
Mark McLaurin — 4.80 & 4.78
Taylor Rapp — DNR
Sheldrick Redwine — 4.45 & 4.50
Darnell Savage — 4.39 & 4.37
Marvell Tell — DNR
Deionte Thompson — DNR
Juan Thornhill — 4.43 & DNR
Darius West — 4.40 & 4.51
Khari Willis — 4.56 & 4.72
Donovan Wilson — 4.59 & DNR
Andrew Wingard — 4.58 & 4.57
Zedrick Woods — 4.37 & 4.30
Evan Worthington — 4.69 & 4.64

Marquise Blair was described as a ‘Seahawks style’ safety by Jim Nagy at the Senior Bowl. He just ran a 4.48.

Pete and John are having a good look at the safety’s.

Taylor Rapp, Marvell Tell and Deionte Thompson are not running the forty yard dash.

Darnell Savage ran an excellent 4.37. He was a good SPARQ tester in High School and this was a good run. Juan Thornhill doesn’t look overly fast on tape but he just ran a 4.43.

Johnathan Abram running a 4.45 is a great time for him. That will boost his stock.

Andrew Wingard has come to the combine dressed as Axl Rose.

I’m ending the live blog for now. The comments section is available to act as an open thread. Later today we’ll have our final podcast and a comprehensive review of the combine with thoughts on where the Seahawks go from here.

Here’s today’s podcast…

And here’s today’s review…

Defensive tackles or inside/out rushers

The short shuttle times are key

Rasheem Green (4.39), Quinton Jefferson (4.37), Jordan Hill (4.51), Jaye Howard (4.47) and Malik McDowell (4.53) all tested superbly in the short shuttle. If you’re looking for possible Seahawks targets at defensive tackle or inside/out rusher — the following players fit the criteria:

Anthony Nelson (271lbs) — 4.23
Rashan Gary (277lbs) — 4.29
Jerry Tillery (295lbs) — 4.33
Zach Allen (281lbs) — 4.36
Charles Omenihu (280lbs) — 4.36
Daniel Wise (281lbs) — 4.36
John Cominsky (286lbs) — 4.38
Trysten Hill (308lbs) — 4.38
Keke Kingsley (288lbs) — 4.46
Dre’Mont Jones (281lbs) — 4.53
Renell Wren (318lbs) — 4.53

All of the names above have +33 inch arms. The Pete Carroll Seahawks have never drafted a defensive lineman with sub-33 inch arms.

It’s a really appealing list. Many of the players above also posted an impressive 10-yard split:

John Cominsky (1.62)
Rashan Gary (1.62)
Zach Allen (1.65)
Anthony Nelson (1.65)
Jerry Tillery (1.71)
Trysten Hill (1.74)
Renell Wren (1.75)

For a defensive end, anything in the 1.6’s is very good. For the defensive tackles listed near or over 300lbs, a 1.7 is equally good.

What about the three cone?

For defensive tackles or inside/out rushers, it doesn’t seem to be quite as important:

Rasheem Green — 7.24
Malik McDowell — 7.69
Naz Jones — 7.93
Jarran Reed — 7.77
Quinton Jefferson — 7.95
Jordan Hill — 7.49

There’s certainly no correlation here like we see with the consistently strong short shuttle times.

Even so, here’s how the DT’s and inside/out rushers ranked for the three-cone:

Anthony Nelson — 6.95
John Cominsky — 7.03
Rashan Gary — 7.26
Zach Allen — 7.34
Jerry Tillery — 7.45
Charles Omenihu — 7.48
Daniel Wise — 7.53
Kingsley Keke — 7.55
Renell Wren — 7.65
Trysten Hill — 7.70
Dre’Mont Jones — 7.71

Based on what we’ve seen today — if the Seahawks after looking to draft a defensive tackle or inside/out rusher this year, there’s a decent chance it’ll be one of the ten names above.

Trysten Hill had an excellent workout to match the testing numbers and could be a really appealing option later in the draft. Jerry Tillery looked extremely athletic and Charles Omenihu, while not running a great forty, excelled in the drills. We also probably need to put Zach Allen back on the radar, while Daniel Wise could be an excellent mid-to-late round option as a disruptive interior pass rusher.

EDGE rushers

The Seahawks love twitchy athletes with elite speed, burst and difference making traits. A 10-yard split in the 1.5’s is considered ‘elite’. Cliff Avril ran a 1.50 and Bruce Irvin ran a 1.55.

Here’s the list of 2019 EDGE rushers who ran a 1.5:

Ben Banogu (1.56)
Brian Burns (1.57)
Jamal Davis (1.58)
Montez Sweat (1.55)
Chase Winovich (1.57)

The following just fell short:

Jordan Brailford (1.62)
Malik Carney (1.60)
Maxx Crosby (1.60)

Again, it’s important to note the Seahawks haven’t drafted an defensive lineman with sub-33 inch arms. Chase Winovich is the only prospect above who doesn’t check that box (32 6/8 inch arms).

If the Seahawks were selecting in the top-20 and had a full quota of picks this year, there’s a decent chance they’d consider drafting Montez Sweat or Brian Burns. They previously drafted Bruce Irvin with the #15 pick in 2012. Here’s his athletic profile:

Height: 6-3
Weight: 245lbs
Arms: 33 3/8
Forty: 4.50
10-yard: 1.55
Vertical: 33.5
Broad: 10-3
Short shuttle: 4.03
Three cone: 6.70

Here’s Montez Sweat:

Height: 6-6
Weight: 260lbs
Arms: 35 3/4
Forty: 4.41
10-yard: 1.55
Vertical: 36
Broad: 10-5
Short shuttle: 4.29
Three cone: 7.00

Here’s Brian Burns:

Height: 6-5
Weight: 249lbs
Arms: 33 7/8
Forty: 4.53
10-yard: 1.57
Vertical: 36
Broad: 10-9
Short shuttle: DNP
Three cone: 7.01

All three players are comparatively quick. Sweat and Burns are more explosive but Irvin blows them both away when it comes to the agility tests.

With the Seahawks almost certain to trade down from #21, possibly multiple times, it’s quite unlikely Sweat or Burns will be available when they pick. If that proves to be the case, the options aren’t that great in terms of being able to add a truly dynamic speed rusher. Ben Banogu and Jamal Davis could appeal later on but it’s not an extensive list.

If Sweat or Burns are available, both will likely be on the radar. You might assume they won’t last. It’s very possible both did enough to secure a top-20 grade today. However — really athletic pass rushers have lasted longer than expected in the past. Burns is still somewhat undersized. If the Seahawks traded down and remained in round one, it’s not completely out of the question one of the pair might be available.

Agility testing seems to matter here too. Bruce Irvin (4.03) and Frank Clark (4.05) both ran incredible short shuttles. Cassius Marsh’s 4.25 and Obum Gwacham’s 4.28 were also really good. In the three cone, Clark and Marsh both ran a 7.08. Obum Gwacham ran a 7.28. Irvin had an incredible 6.70.

Here’s this years top performers in both drills:

Short shuttle

Chase Winovich — 4.11
Ben Banogu — 4.27
Montez Sweat — 4.29
Wyatt Ray — 4.31
Sutton Smith — 4.31
Clelin Ferrell — 4.40
Carl Grandeson — 4.41
Gerri Green — 4.42
Jamal Davis — 4.44
Shareef Miller — 4.45

Three cone

Sutton Smith — 6.75
Chase Winovich — 6.94
Jamal Davis — 7.00
Montez Sweat — 7.00
Brian Burns — 7.01
Ben Banogu — 7.02
Oshane Ximines — 7.13
Jalen Jelks — 7.22
Clelin Ferrell — 7.26
Gerri Green — 7.27

Oregon’s Justin Hollins worked out with the linebackers but could be an EDGE option for the Seahawks. He ran a 4.50 forty but they didn’t reveal the 10-yard splits for the linebackers. He also had a 36.5 inch vertical, a 4.40 short shuttle and a 7.06 three-cone.

What does today tell us? Probably that there aren’t as many EDGE rush options as we previously thought that ‘fit’ what the Seahawks have looked for. If they aren’t able to draft Sweat or Burns they might be limited to Ben Banogu, Jamal Davis and Justin Hollins. And for that reason, they might be more inclined to see what options are available in free agency to at least provide some kind of a hedge.

Banogu is a player I need to go back and have another look at. He had an elite workout today — excelling at every level (10-yard, explosive testing, agility).

A final thought on Winovich. I’m not sure how much a quarter of an inch is a difference maker in terms of arm length. The fact he has 32 3/4 inch arms instead of 33 inch arms seems a little bit harsh as a means to rule him out completely. Especially when you actually put his numbers up against Bruce Irvin’s. They’re the same height, Winovich weighs 11lbs more. There’s a 0.09 difference between the two forty times (4.50 vs 4.59) but they ran the same 10-yard split (1.55). Neither tested particularly brilliantly in the broad or vertical but excelled in the short shuttle (4.03 for Bruce, 4.11 for Winovich) and three cone (6.70 for Bruce, 6.94 for Winovich).

I’m still not sure Winovich fits Seattle’s defense. Length is important to this team and although we’re highlighting he’s only a quarter of an inch shy of an apparent 33 inch threshold for arm length, you would never describe Winovich as a long, lean, prototypical LEO. It’s an interesting comparison though especially with so few EDGE options.

He actually compares well to Clay Matthews (it’s not just the hair). Winovich is heavier (256 vs 240) but ran a faster forty time (4.59 vs 4.62). Matthews had him in the 10-yard split with an incredible 1.49 against Winovich’s 1.55. They both have sub-33 inch arms and ran well in the short shuttle (Winovich 4.11, Matthews a 4.18) and three cone (Winovich 6.94, Matthews 6.90).

TEF Scores for defensive linemen

For the last few years we’ve used TEF (explained here) to measure offensive and defensive linemen and compare the results. Here’s what we discovered…

Explosive offensive linemen at the combine:

2016 — 6
2017 — 3
2018 — 7
2019 — 8

Explosive defensive linemen at the combine:

2016 — 26
2017 — 30
2018 — 22
2019 — 24

Nothing has changed for the NFL. The best athletes are still playing defense in college. There’s still a major problem with the sheer lack of quality offensive lineman entering the league compared to the much bigger numbers of highly athletic defensive linemen.

Here are the TEF results for the D-line class:

Ben Banogu — 4.05
Ed Oliver — 3.72
Jordan Brailford — 3.61
Rashan Gary — 3.56
Montez Sweat — 3.49
Porter Gustin — 3.48
Renell Wren — 3.45
Jamal Davis — 3.40
Kevin Givens — 3.39
Trysten Hill — 3.37
Nick Bosa — 3.36
Wyatt Ray — 3.33
Oshane Ximines — 3.29
Sutton Smith — 3.25
L.J. Collier — 3.20
Gerri Green — 3.19
Malik Carney — 3.15
Greg Gaines — 3.14
John Cominsky — 3.13
Justin Hollins — 3.13
Albert Huggins — 3.12
Anthony Nelson — 3.12
Jerry Tillery — 3.09
Zach Allen — 3.04
Byron Cowert — 3.02
Christian Wilkins — 2.96
Jalen Jelks — 2.90
Chase Winovich — 2.89
Daylon Mack — 2.82
Daniel Wise — 2.82
Khalen Saunders — 2.80
Chris Slayton — 2.79
Joe Jackson — 2.71
Jonathan Ledbetter — 2.67
Cece Jefferson — 2.61
Terry Beckner — 2.57
Demarcus Christmas — 2.46
Isaiah Buggs — 2.23

If you’re building a case for Ben Banogu — here’s even more evidence.

A high number of prospects didn’t take part in one or more of the vertical, broad or bench press so we’re unable to calculate a score for the likes of Quinnen Williams, Clelin Ferrell and others.

Here are the 30 most explosive defensive linemen from 2016-19 (2019 prospects in bold):

Myles Garrett — 4.21
Ben Banogu — 4.05
Haason Reddick — 3.93
Solomon Thomas — 3.83
Ed Oliver — 3.72
Jordan Willis — 3.70
Jordan Brailford — 3.61
Ife Odenigbo — 3.61
Taven Bryan — 3.58
Ade Aruna — 3.57
Derek Rivers — 3.57
Rashan Gary — 3.56
Carl Lawson — 3.54
Dean Lowry — 3.54
Sheldon Rankins — 3.52
Montez Sweat — 3.49
Porter Gustin — 3.48
Kylie Fitts — 3.47
Robert Nkemdiche — 3.47
Bradley Chubb — 3.46
Harrison Phillips — 3.46
Noah Spence — 3.46
Renell Wren — 3.45
Yannick Ngakoue — 3.44
Marcus Davenport — 3.41
Jamal Davis — 3.40
Kevin Givens — 3.39
Harold Landry — 3.39
Trysten Hill — 3.37
Nick Bosa — 3.36

Here are some other big-name NFL defensive linemen and their pre-draft TEF scores:

Mario Williams — 3.97
J.J. Watt — 3.82
Khalil Mack — 3.81
Aaron Donald — 3.53
Jadeveon Clowney — 3.50

Linebackers

Today’s workout highlighted an issue with the linebacker class. It has a depth problem.

Seattle drafts highly athletic linebackers. Bobby Wagner was a 4.4 runner at his pro-day with a 39.5-inch vertical. Kevin Pierre-Louis, Korey Toomer, Malcolm Smith and Eric Pinkins all ran between a 4.44 and a 4.51 forty. Pierre-Louis, Smith and Pinkins all jumped +39 inches in the vertical. Last year they drafted Shaquem Griffin after he set a new combine record for a forty yard dash by a linebacker (4.38).

The only exception here is K.J. Wright. They loved his length (35 inch arms) and character. He only ran a 4.71 while jumping a 34 inch vertical and a 10-0 broad. It seems like Wright is the rare exception and it’ll be difficult to identify a second anomaly.

Seattle’s preference for amazing athleticism at linebacker is likely one of the reasons their depth is pretty slim at the position. Two years ago Carroll stated, quite forcefully, that they had to bring in some youth to support Wagner and Wright. They’ve only drafted one linebacker since — Shaquem Griffin. If the athletes aren’t there, it seems like Seattle passes on the position.

Unfortunately, that might have to be the case again this year.

There are two spectacular athletes in the group — Devin White and Devin Bush. White is a top-20 lock and has been for many months. Bob McGinn’s league sources indicated the NFL sees both players as similar prospects with similar grades.

White and Bush are arguably even less likely to last than Sweat and Burns. White ran an incredible 4.42 (the second best time ever by a linebacker after Shaquem Griffin) and followed it up with a 39.5 inch vertical. Bush’s time in the forty was a 4.43 with a 40.5 inch vertical. It seems fairly likely both players will be drafted early in round one.

Only one other linebacker ran in the 4.4’s — Texas’ Gary Johnson (4.43). At 6-0 and 226lbs he’s undersized with only 31 1/4 inch arms. Lance Zierlein wrote about Johnson: “Active inside linebacker with plenty of passion and aggression but a fundamental lack of NFL-caliber movement skills in space.”

In terms of straight-line speed the options are limited.

A couple of years ago we identified the short shuttle as a drill that seems to matter for prospective Seattle linebackers. Bobby Wagner ran a 4.28, while Kevin Pierre-Louis ran a 4.01. Here are the top-performing prospects at linebacker in 2019:

Cody Barton — 4.03
Dakota Allen — 4.04
Ben Burr-Kiven — 4.09
Blake Cashman — 4.12
Drue Tranquill — 4.14
Andrew Van Ginkel — 4.14
Devin White — 4.17
Devin Bush — 4.23
Cameron Smith — 4.23
Bobby Okereke — 4.36

Washington’s Ben Burr-Kiven ran a 4.09 short shuttle (#3 among linebackers) and a 6.85 three cone (#1 among linebackers). Could he be an option? He’s quite undersized and it’s questionable whether he’s suited to play the WILL spot. I’ll be taking another look at him after this combine performance.

Alabama’s Mack Wilson didn’t work out today, claiming an injury.

I’m not sure the Seahawks will like the look of this group. There just aren’t many outstanding athletes and once White and Bush leave the board, you’re struggling to find anyone you’d feel fully comfortable drafting to replace K.J. Wright as a year-one starter.

What’s the key take away from the linebacker drills? Have a plan for free agency. Whether that’s re-signing Wright, re-signing Mychal Kendricks if he avoids jail or bringing in another veteran. It’s unlikely this is a hole you’re going to fill with a high draft pick assuming both White and Bush are off the board.

Looking ahead to tomorrow

It’s the final day of the combine and the turn of the defensive backs. There’s a decent list of cornerbacks that fit Seattle’s prototype:

Blace Brown — 6-0 3/8, 32 arms, 76 3/8 wingspan
Blessuan Austin — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 76 7/8 wingspan
Deandre Baker — 5-11, 32 arms, 77 1/8 wingspan
Alijah Holder — 6-0 6/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Mike Jackson — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Isaiah Johnson — 6-2 1/8, 33 arms, 79 1/8 wingspan
Lonnie Johnson — 6-1 7/8, 32 5/8 arms, 77.5 wingspan
Justin Layne — 6-1 6/8, 33 arms, 80 1/8 wingspan
Rock Ya-sin — 5-11 6/8, 32 arms, 77 3/8 wingspan
Joejuan Williams — 6-3 5/8, 32.5 arms, 78 wingspan
Derrek Thomas — 6-2 7/8, 33 6/8 arms, 82 wingspan
Jordan Miller — 6-0 5/8, 32 7/8 arms, 76.5 wingspan
Jamal Peters — 6-1 6/8, 32 3/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Ryan Pulley 5-10 5/8, 32 6/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Saivion Smith — 6-0 7/8, 33 2/8 arms, 78 7/8 wingspan
Ken Webster — 5-10 7/8, 32 arms, 77 wingspan

We’ll have our final live blog tomorrow, plus our final review piece and podcast.

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Welcome to our coverage of the 2019 NFL combine. Every day we’ll be updating events as they happen in Indianapolis, posting workout numbers and information.

This post will be updated constantly so keep hitting refresh.

We’ll end each day with a separate ‘review’ piece and a podcast. Today is a special day. A potentially legendary defensive line class works out with as many as 10-12 possible first round picks involved and depth deep into the later rounds. The Seahawks need pass rushers and they’ll likely need help at linebacker — so this is a big one not to be missed.

Yesterday was a fantastic day for the TE’s and WR’s (if you missed our review piece click here). Today could be even better for the defensive tackles, ends and EDGE rushers.

Here are a few things to remember:

— The Seahawks haven’t drafted a defensive lineman with sub-33 inch arms.

— They seem to really value the short shuttle for defensive tackles and inside/out rushers.

— 10-yard splits are important. Look for the EDGE rushers running in the 1.5’s and the inside/out types who run in the 1.6’s.

— The defensive linemen always test better than the offensive linemen in terms of explosive traits. After today’s session we’ll put the D-line class through TEF and see how they compare with previous drafts.

— Seattle is likely on the look out for a linebacker. They love top-level, SPARQ’d up athletes. Forty times, explosive testing and the short shuttle/three cone — it all matters at linebacker.

— Tony Pauline is predicting Oregon’s Justin Hollins and Montez Sweat will have fantastic workouts. I think Dexter Lawrence will also impress.

Kim Jones reported on the NFL Network that Ed Oliver is only going to do the broad and vertical jump. He’s choosing not to run or do any drills. Gerald Willis III isn’t working out due to a groin injury.

Defensive tackle forty yard dash times

10-yard splits in brackets

Terry Beckner Jr — 5.19 & 5.30 (1.86)
Isaiah Buggs — 5.15 & 5.18 (1.82)
Demarcus Christmas — 5.09 & 5.14 (1.77)
Greg Gaines — 5.17 & 5.17 (1.80)
Kevin Givens — 5.09 & 4.87 (1.59)
Trysten Hill — 5.05 & 5.07 (1.74)
Albert Huggins — 5.13 & 5.13 (1.81)
Dre’Mont Jones — 5.13 & 5.19 (1.77)
Kingsley Keke — 4.95 & 4.96 (1.77)
Dexter Lawrence — 5.05 & DNP (1.76)
Daylon Mack — 5.14 & 5.11 (1.74)
Dontavius Russell — 5.19 & 5.16 (1.82)
Khalen Saunders — 5.01 & 5.04 (1.73)
Chris Slayton — 5.13 & 5.16 (1.81)
Jerry Tillery — 4.94 & 4.97 (1.71)
Armon Watts — 5.24 & 5.26 (1.81)
Christian Wilkins — 5.10 & 5.05 (1.76)
Quinnen Williams — 4.87 & 4.84 (1.67)
Daniel Wise — 5.31 & 5.29 (1.80)
Renell Wren — 5.02 & 5.03 (1.75)

Right on cue… Daniel Jeremiah mentions he was in Baltimore when they drafted Haloti Ngata. We’ve only heard that story in every single interview or broadcast he’s ever done. Might as well have it again.

Dexter Lawrence injured himself during his forty yard dash (an impressive 5.05 at +340lbs). For context — Lawrence ran a faster time than 281lbs Dre’Mont Jones. He’ll sit out the rest of the day with a quad injury.

Pete and John, again, were observing intently. Unlike a lot of coaches, Carroll is constantly making notes and paying close attention to the forty yard dash times.

Carroll looked perturbed by something. It was when Ed Oliver was supposed to run (he’s sitting out). My speculative guess is they were wondering why he isn’t running a forty (aren’t we all?).

Khalen Saunders ran a superb forty yard dash. What a fantastic athlete. Major potential and he’ll just keep rising after a superb Senior Bowl.

Quinnen Williams had a fantastic forty and 10-yard split. He was a top-five lock anyway. This simply confirms it.

Kevin Givens ran a 1.59 10-yard split at 6-1 and 285lbs. If that’s accurate, it’s incredible.

The defensive tackles are onto the drills. First up is the ‘wave’ (change of direction). Most of the defensive tackles performed well. For me, Trysten Hill, Kingsley Keke and Christian Wilkins were the best. Very sudden shifts in direction. Jerry Tillery looks very athletic but stalled on his rep trying to guess the direction he had to run. Surprisingly, Quinnen Williams wasn’t great in this test. He probably had the worst rep. He slipped, was guessing way too much and it fell apart.

Now onto the agility drills. Demarcus Christmas has had a good start to his workout — moving quickly and showing off some athleticism. Trysten Hill had a good rep here, moving quickly in-and-out of the bags with good pad level.

Dre’Mont Jones had a good rep here looking really quick and athletic. Jerry Tillery looks to be on a different level though in terms of movement. He has incredible feet for his size, great hip-flexion and he’s moving incredibly well. Christian Wilkins also looked very good.

Daniel Wise’s short area movement in these drills is a lot better than the straight-line speed he showed in the forty.

Onto the bag/pad drills. Kingsley Keke had a violent rep, slamming the bags and showing tremendous quickness and power. His Senior Bowl and combine performances (so far) are absolutely miles better than his somewhat average tape.

Next it’s the stack and shed. Keke’s motor continues to rev. Jerry Tillery again had a good rep and has been one of the standout performers in this group. Christian Wilkins also had a good rep. Renell Wren and Daniel Wise finished things off nicely.

Ben Banogu just jumped an 11-2 broad — a record for defensive linemen.

The coaches had Dre’Mont Jones run linebacker drills which was interesting.

Here are the official forty times:

That concludes the defensive tackle drills. The EDGE rushers are up next.

Kyler Murray to Arizona at #1?

Sunday Combine Notes: Kliff Kingsbury telling people it’s a “done deal” the Cardinals will select Kyler Murray with the first pick of the draft. Plenty more here -> https://t.co/Tke8GyScfm pic.twitter.com/MqVy9MpTUt

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 3, 2019

EDGE rusher forty yard times

10-yard splits in brackets

Zach Allen — 4.95 & 5.01 (1.65)
Ben Banogu — 4.58 & 4.62 (1.56)
Nick Bosa — 4.84 & 4.79 (1.60)
Jordan Brailford — 4.72 & 4.66 (1.62)
Brian Burns — 4.56 & 4.64 (1.57)
Malik Carney — 4.70 & 4.76 (1.60)
L.J. Collier — 4.85 & 4.96 (1.75)
John Cominsky — 4.66 & 4.71 (1.62)
Byron Cowert — 5.15 & 5.23 (?)
Maxx Crosby — 4.64 & 4.67 (1.60)
Jamal Davis — 4.66 & 4.65 (1.58)
Rashan Gary — 4.61 & 4.59 (1.62)
Carl Granderson — 4.81 & 4.80 (1.71)
Gerri Green — 4.66 & 4.64 (1.66)
CeCe Jefferson — 5.03 & 4.95 (1.73)
Jalen Jelks — 4.93 & 4.95 (1.70)
Jonathan Ledbetter — 5.15 & 5.21 (1.81)
Shareef Miller — 4.71 & 4.70 (1.67)
Anthony Nelson — 4.83 & 4.83 (1.65)
Charles Omenihu — 4.97 & 4.93 (1.71)
Jachai Polite — 4.84 & DNR (1.71)
Wyatt Ray — 4.84 & 4.87 (1.68)
Sutton Smith — 4.70 & 4.70 (1.72)
Montez Sweat — 4.42 & 4.46 (1.55)
Chase Winovich — 4.60 & 4.69 (1.57)
Oshane Ximines — 4.86 & 4.79 (1.72)

The NFL Network is now indulging itself in a Mike Mayock interview during the EDGE rusher forty times, splitting the screen and completely ruining one of the big moments of the combine this year. Furthermore, their TV timer stopped working meaning we’re not getting any 10-yard splits.

The coverage has been massively frustrating. It’s also meaning we don’t get ANY 10-yard splits at the start. Then just as they got the system working, what did we get? Mike Mayock intercepting Dan Marino, adverts and then a Mayock montage of him on TV at the combine. Come on guys.

Josh Allen didn’t run — unless he’s working with the linebackers. Clelin Ferrell didn’t run.

Rashan Gary’s 4.61 and 1.63 split is fantastic for a 277lbs defensive lineman. Brian Burns posted an elite 1.5 split and a fantastic forty time. Jachai Polite ran a disappointing time.

The NFL Network just went its 156th advert break today. On return, Rich Eisen said, ‘welcome back… you’ve missed… a lot’. Exactly Rich. So have a word and tell them some of us actually want to watch these drills.

Montez Sweat ran a blistering 4.42 at 260lbs. That will be a combine record if it’s official for a pass rusher. Wow. That’s the kind of performance that gets you into the top-10. Every screamed about D.K. Metcalf’s 4.33 at 228lbs. Sweat is carrying an extra 40lbs.

Charles Omenihu and Jachai Polite were both slower than expected. Polite didn’t run his second forty because he’s been struggling with a hamstring injury. He won’t do drills.

Rich Eisen most common phrase during the combine:

“And we’re back…” (after an advert break)

Daniel Jeremiah most common phrase during the combine:

“That was a great rep…”

Now onto the drills after yet another advert break. It’s the wave/change of direction drill. Clelin Ferrell is working out despite not running a forty (which is pretty lame). Ditto Joe Jackson. He didn’t run but is doing the drills.

Rashan Gary has incredible movement and change of direction skills for such a big lineman.

In the agility drill, Ben Banogu and Nick Bosa had a good rep. L.J. Collier didn’t run fast and has looked a bit stiff. It seems he’s a better football player than tester.

Clelin Ferrell had a good rep but he’s spent both of the first drills pulling his pants up. Rashan Gary is putting on a show. Charles Omenihu had a good rep in the agility drill.

Montez Sweat struggled. He was tight in his step and struggled to get in and out of the bags without looking at his feet. He clipped a bag and tripped up a little.

Now onto the club/rip. Joe Jackson had a nice rep, slamming into the pads with power. Charles Omenihu had the coaches leading the drill barking in delight for his rep — he looked incredibly violent and quick.

Montez Sweat’s official forty yard dash is a 4.41. That’s incredible.

L.J. Collier had a great strike on the bag, kept his frame protected and belted the second bag before finishing. Nice rep.

The coach halted the drill to remind the players to finish with a sprint not a jog.

Rashan Gary is getting a lot of praise from the coaches on the field.

CeCe Jefferson is struggling badly. He ran poorly and he drew the ire of the coach leading the club/rip drill twice. He almost ran between the pads on the first attempt and on the second — his strike was tame and he didn’t finish. “That’s not good enough” shouted the coach. After Jalen Jelks’ rep another coach was heard saying, “this is sloppy”. The lead coach added again, “it’s not violent enough on these reps. Violent.” Charles Omenihu came along just in time to provide another rep that drew high praise. They seemed to like Chase Winovich’s effort too.

I’m not seeing Brian Burns out there for these drills.

The stack and shed was pretty straight forward. Montez Sweat’s stance looked good and I like the patience Omenihu showed to do the drill properly rather than race through. You want to see the guys punch with power and progress with a wide stance, balance and show an ability to stay clean.

Here’s confirmation of Sweat’s blistering forty time:

Nick Bosa looks in great shape and moves very quickly just look his brother. Brian Burns is carrying the new weight well and he’s fluid running in space and changing direction. L.J. Collier moved well in the drill that calls for the player to double-back, round a cone and sprint/finish.

Sweat obviously ran an amazing forty but in fairness during the drills he’s shown hip tightness changing direction.

They’re now onto the outside linebacker drills. Ben Banogu looked very smooth in coverage. Brian Burns also looked very good and made a stunning catch on his rep too. Chase Winovich looked very comfortable dropping into space and had a good workout.

Brian Burns and Nick Bosa both move very, very well in space. Sweat has the great straight line speed but he’s not even running these linebacker drills. He’s stiffer and tighter in the hips than Burns and Bosa.

It’s pretty remarkable seeing Rashan Gary so at ease during the linebacker drills at 277lbs.

That concludes the EDGE session. Just the linebackers to go. However, it’ll be very interesting to see the DL/EDGE three cone times, short shuttle and explosive testing marks.

Quinnen Williams managed a 30.5 inch vertical and a 9-4 broad.

Dre’Mont Jones jumped a 31.5 inch vertical and a 9-2 broad.

Trysten Hill had an excellent 35 inch vertical and a 9-7 broad. He’s had a big day.

Ed Oliver recorded a 36 inch vertical and a 10-0 broad. He’s a 3.72 TEF tester.

Devin Bush jumped a 40.5 inch vertical, Devin White a 39.5. That’s a great start for the linebackers.

Linebacker forty times

Otaro Alaka — 4.83 & 4.84
Dakota Allen — 4.78 & 4.77
Josh Allen — 4.70 & 4.64
Bryson Allen-Williams — 4.88 & 5.02
Jeff Allison — 4.83 & 4.83
Cody Barton — 4.67 & 4.64
Ben Burr-Kiven — 4.57 & 4.57
Devin Bush — 4.44 & 4.52
Blake Cashman — 4.52 & 4.51
Ryan Connelly — 4.67 & 4.72
Tyrel Dodson — 4.61 & 4.63
Emeke Egbule — 4.66 & 4.78
Joe Giles-Harris — 4.76 & 4.79
Porter Gustin — 4.71 & 4.69
Terrill Hanks — 4.99 & DNR
Justin Hollins — 4.51 & 4.53
Gary Johnson — 4.43 & 4.46
Jordan Jones — 4.62 & 4.65
Bobby Okereke — 4.61 & 4.59
Germaine Pratt — 4.58 & DNR
Cameron Smith — 4.70 & 4.76
Ty Summers — 4.52 & 4.58
Sione Takitaki — 4.63 & 4.67
Drue Tranquill — 4.60 & 4.58
Devin White — 4.42 & 4.45

They didn’t provide the 10-yard splits for the linebackers sadly.

Devin Bush’s 4.44 and his 40.5 inch vertical is why I’ve been mocking him in the top half of round one. Elite athlete and it shows on tape. He has some issues in coverage and vs the run but his potential is off the charts.

Here are some of the vertical/broad jumps from the LB’s:

Devin Bush — 40.5, 10-4
Porter Gustin — 35.5, 9-11
Christian Miller — 38.5, 9-10
Cam Smith — 39, 10-3
Devin White — 39.5, 9-10
Mack Wilson — 32, 9-9
Josh Allen — DNJ, 9-10

Mack Wilson says he has a sore hamstring so won’t be working out.

The feeling in the league was Devin Bush and Devin White were very similar prospects. Their workouts are almost identical.

Devin White broke down in tears when he spoke to his family after running a 4.42 forty. A great moment:

The NFL Network are over-egging the speed of the linebackers here. 4.7’s are not great times. Bush and White running in the 4.4’s is great but this isn’t anything like the kind of lightning class of LB’s they’re making out.

A year ago, eight linebackers ran a 4.5 or faster. This year there were ten. So it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Onto the drills. Justin Hollins looked good in the movement drill, side-stepping well with good balance and drop. Gary Johnson also looked really quick.

Christian Miller looked really stiff, slipped during his drill and tripped up on his finish — ending with a forward-roll.

Josh Allen struggled on the in-and-out drill stepping over the bags. He had to have a second go and didn’t seem comfortable. Then on the coverage drill he had a false start. He also seemed a bit stiff opening up his hips.

Bryson Allen-Williams looked a lot more comfortable unlocking his hips, dropping and changing direction.

Devin Bush was a bit stiff too which isn’t a surprise. He’s very fast but he’s had issues in coverage at Michigan.

It’s a real shame we can’t see Mack Wilson run these coverage drills. He’d put on a show.

Texas’ Gary Johnson ran well and has looked very fluid during drills. He’s quick, changes direction with minimal wasted movement and he’s getting the job done.

Christian Miller looks uncomfortable doing linebacker drills. Either he’s hurt or this performance is making clear he’s simply an EDGE.

Here are the official forty times for the linebackers:

Remember — the Seahawks love outstanding athleticism at LB. There aren’t many outstanding athletes based on these forty times but let’s see how the short shuttle, three cone and explosive tests went down.

Justin Hollins looks like a good athlete with some real potential to act as an EDGE, LEO or SAM for Seattle. He has the length, the forty time and he’s looking smooth during drills.

The three cone times have been released for the defensive linemen:

Here are the top short shuttle times:

Seattle always looks for great agility from their inside/out rushers or defensive tackles. So these numbers are important to remember:

Anthony Nelson — 4.23
Rashan Gary — 4.29
Jerry Tillery — 4.33
Zach Allen — 4.36
Charles Omenihu — 4.36
Daniel Wise — 4.36
John Cominsky — 4.38
Trysten Hill — 4.38
Keke Kingsley — 4.46
Dre’Mont Jones — 4.53
Renell Wren — 4.53
Christian Wilkins — 4.55

On that note I’m going to end the live blog for today. The review piece will be up soon.

Here’s our day two podcast…

The tight end class is deep

Here’s the best way to assess the 2019 draft. One area (D-line) is really deep in round one. The other positions lack legit first round talent. However, there’s really good depth in several other positions stretching deep into the draft.

The O-line class will provide options stretching into day three. There’s a decent number of receivers who could be taken between rounds 2-4. We’ll likely see three quarterbacks drafted early but there will be some players worth of consideration in rounds 2-3. There’s a decent number of cornerbacks with 32 inch arms. The only weak positions in terms of depth appear to be safety, running back and possibly linebacker.

The tight end class perfectly encapsulates the situation.

T.J. Hockenson is going to be a very high pick. It won’t be a surprise if he’s drafted between Jacksonville at #7 and Cincinnati at #11. He had a fantastic workout today and secured his place in that range.

After that? It’s possible we could see Noah Fant or Irv Smith Jr in round one. It’s equally possible they could last into round two. Any other player drafted in the top-50 might be considered a reach.

So there isn’t a lot of top-end talent but there is superb depth. That was on show today.

Hockenson, Fant, Foster Moreau, Dawson Knox, Josh Oliver, Drew Sample, Trevon Wesco, Jace Sternberger, Alize Mack, Kaden Smith and others impressed. Whether you take one in round two or round five — you’re going to be able to find a tight end.

There’s every type too — the athletic ‘big slot receiver’, the Y-TE who blocks, the players who can do a bit of both. With the league desperate for an injection of talent at tight end this will be well received.

The Seahawks are probably going to draft a TE at some point. Will Dissly is recovering from a serious knee injury, Nick Vannett is a free agent after the 2019 season and Ed Dickson is a veteran stop-gap. They won’t have a problem finding someone they like.

So what stands out from the workouts?

Firstly, this is a group who absolutely excelled in the short shuttle. In our big combine preview we highlighted how this appeared to be an important test for any prospective Seahawks tight end. Here’s a recap of the players they’ve added:

Luke Willson — 4.29 at pro-day
Will Dissly — 4.40 (8th best in 2018)
Nick Vannett — 4.20 (2nd best in 2016)
Anthony McCoy — 4.57
Zach Miller — 4.42
Jimmy Graham — 4.45

And here’s the long list of players who ran the kind of short shuttle that could appeal to the Seahawks (note — these times are really good and it’s unusual to have so many agile TE’s):

Foster Moreau — 4.11
T.J. Hockenson — 4.18
Noah Fant — 4.22
Kahale Warring — 4.25
Dawson Knox — 4.27
Drew Sample — 4.31
Jace Sternberger — 4.31
Irv Smith Jr — 4.33
Alize Mack — 4.34
Trevon Wesco — 4.38
Dax Raymond — 4.39
Caleb Wilson — 4.40
Kendall Blanton — 4.42
Isaac Nauta — 4.43
Josh Oliver — 4.47
Kaden Smith — 4.47

If the short shuttle really is an important test for Seattle TE’s — there’s no shortage of options. The names above include early and late round picks. There’s no cliff-face at this position.

Foster Moreau’s 4.11 short shuttle is the 4th best by a TE at the combine in the last decade. T.J. Hockenson’s 4.18 is the 10th best.

To put those numbers into perspective — Andy Isabella and Terry McLaurin both ran a 4.15 and D.K. Metcalf ran a 4.50.

What about the three cone?

Seattle has drafted four TE’s in the Carroll era. Here are their times and where they ranked within their draft class:

Anthony McCoy — 6.99 (#4)
Luke Willson — 7.08 (not invited to the combine)
Nick Vannett — 7.05 (#7)
Will Dissly — 7.07 (#4)

Like the short shuttle times, it appears they pay attention to the three cone too.

Here’s the top-10 times from the 2019 class:

Noah Fant — 6.81
Hockenson — 7.02
Kaden Smith — 7.08
Dawson Knox — 7.12
Dax Raymond — 7.15
Drew Sample — 7.15
Foster Moreau — 7.16
Trevor Wesco — 7.18
Jace Sternberger — 7.19
Caleb Wilson — 7.20

Only the three names at the top match Seattle’s previous preference. I guess we’ll find out this year whether a time slower than a 7.10 is off-putting.

Noah Fant’s 6.81 three-cone is the fifth best in the last 10 years. For reference, O.J. Howard ran a 6.85 and Jimmy Graham a 6.90.

It’s encouraging to see some of the ‘blocking’ tight ends impress in the agility testing. The likes of Moreau, Wesco, Smith, Sample and Blanton all performed well. These are possibly the players to focus on.

In particular LSU’s Foster Moreau arguably stole the show with an excellent combination of speed, agility and explosive power. He’s a tough, hard-nosed blocker who wore the coveted and respected #18 jersey for the Tigers.

Here are his testing numbers overall:

Height: 6-4 1/8
Weight: 253lbs
Arm length: 33.5 inches
Wingspan: 81.5 inches
Forty: 4.66
Vertical: 36.5
Broad: 10-1
Short shuttle: 4.11
3-cone: 7.16

That’s a really good looking athletic profile and Moreau is a player I’ll be spending more time on after the combine. Trevon Wesco and Drew Sample are the two players with arguably the best combination of agility and blocking.

Another couple of quick notes on the tight end class. Noah Fant had the second best vertical jump by a tight end (39.5) in the last five years and the fifth best in the last decade. T.J. Hockenson’s 37.5 is the eighth best and Moreau’s 36.5 the 12th.

Fant also had the ninth best broad jump in the last decade and the fifth best in the last five years.

This was a good day for the tight ends.

What we learnt about the wide receivers

Pete Carroll has only drafted two receivers who haven’t run a 4.4 forty or faster (Kenny Lawler 4.64, Chris Harper 4.50). Paul Richardson (4.40), Golden Tate (4.42), Tyler Lockett (4.40), Kris Durham (4.46), Kevin Norwood (4.48), Amara Darboh (4.45) and David Moore (4.42) all cracked the 4.4’s. Kris Durham (216lbs), Chris Harper (229lbs), Kenny Lawler (203lbs), Amara Darboh (214lbs) and David Moore (219lbs) were all +200lbs. Richardson, Tate and Lockett — the three most productive players — were smaller.

This really tells us two things. One — the Seahawks value speed and suddenness at the position even if you’re a ‘bigger’ receiver. Two — they’ve had greater success with smaller, quicker receivers since drafting Russell Wilson.

Here’s the list of receivers who ran a 4.4 or faster today:

Parris Campbell — 4.31
Andy Isabella — 4.31
Mecole Hardman — 4.33
D.K. Metcalf — 4.33
Terry McLaurin — 4.35
Emanuel Hall — 4.39
Darius Slayton — 4.39
Johnnie Dixon — 4.41
Miles Boykin — 4.42
Gary Jennings — 4.42
Ashton Dulin — 4.43
Jazz Ferguson — 4.45
Alex Wesley — 4.45
Dillon Mitchell — 4.46
Jaylen Smith — 4.47
Hakeem Butler — 4.48
Deebo Samuel — 4.48
A.J. Brown — 4.49

Jamal Custis (4.50), Bisi Johnson (4.51) and N’Keal Harry (4.53) just missed out.

As with the tight ends, there are plenty of options at varying levels. If they wanted to take a receiver with their first pick after trading down, that might be the range where Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, A.J. Brown or Deebo Samuel are expected to go. Emanuel Hall and Hakeem Butler are likely mid-round picks. Gary Jennings, Jazz Ferguson and Miles Boykin might be available later on.

Also like the tight ends — there are different types of receivers available. So if they want to draft a wide out this year there’s a decent chance they will have that opportunity.

The star of the day is undoubtedly Ole Miss’ D.K. Metcalf. He ran a 4.33 forty at 6-3 and 228lbs. He also had a 40.5 inch vertical and 27 reps on the bench press despite having 35 inch arms. He’s a truly elite athlete.

Practically every mock draft will have him in the top-10 after today. However, there are a couple of things to consider. Metcalf suffered a serious neck injury that ended his 2018 season and put his football career in doubt. He was recently cleared by doctors to continue playing but teams will study the medical info. If there are doubts about the longevity of his career, even if he can suit up in 2019, it’ll impact his stock.

Metcalf also ran a very limited route tree at Ole Miss, there are concerns that he’s too muscular and ripped and he had a number of concentration drops. He also tested relatively poorly in terms of agility — recording a 4.50 short shuttle and a 7.38 three cone.

A 4.33 forty at 6-3 and 228lbs will make teams forget about some of those issues but it’s at least possible he’ll last a bit longer than some of the mocks will project after today.

This report from Charlie Campbell sums up the situation.

I suspect today’s performance will secure Metcalf a first round placing even if he doesn’t go in the top-10. If he does last though — keep him in your mind for Seattle. He’s the type of sensational athlete they love to take with their first pick.

It’s no surprise Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin had strong performances. Campbell is a converted running back with explosive power (40 inch vertical) to match his 4.31 speed. He also has excellent catching technique, versatility and good character. He’s a modern day NFL weapon and could easily go in the top-40. McLaurin is an all-rounder who excels at catching, blocking and special teams. Both remain underrated.

Other highlights include Miles Boykin and Emanuel Hall jumping the second best vertical in recorded history (43.5 inches). Hall in particular is a player we sounded out before the combine. Here are the top-10 vertical jumps:

Boykin and Hall also topped the broad jump rankings with an 11-8 and an 11-9 respectively. Parris Campbell had an 11-3, D.K. Metcalf and 11-2 and Hakeem Butler an 11-8.

Notre Dame’s Boykin had a sensational workout overall and is practically a complete athlete. Size, length, speed, explosive traits, agility. He’s a player we’ll certainly be looking closely at after the combine.

Thoughts on the quarterbacks

It was difficult to get a sense of how well the quarterbacks were performing. The camera angle from behind the QB isn’t the best to analyse because of the lack of depth. On game tape it’s clearly the best angle because you can see the defense develop and a passer going through progressions. Here, in shorts and a T-shirt, I’d rather see it from the TV broadcast angle. Let’s just judge the arm strength and ball placement.

I think it was pretty clear that Jarrett Stidham, Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock had the best ‘arm talent’.

Stidham has long been a physical prospect with great tools. At Auburn he was essentially talked through the defensive looks and told what to do. At the next level he’ll need to make progressions and make plays under pressure. Today didn’t offer any insight in that regard.

Haskins looked a little bit like he was going through the motions. Like his tape there were good and bad moments. I’m not convinced he’ll be the second quarterback taken after Kyler Murray. Drew Lock also has the arm and had to do more with less at Missouri. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lock was the #10 pick to Denver and Haskins lasted to either the Bengals at #11 or the Redskins at #15.

Kyler Murray didn’t work out at all but it’s been a day of talk about him potentially being the #1 pick in Arizona. I’ve thought for a while they should take Murray with the top pick and wrote about it at the start of January. He’s the best player on the board.

Tomorrow is a big day. The defensive line class is the clear strength of the draft. There are a high number of defensive tackles, ends and EDGE rushers on display plus a handful of quality linebackers. It’s the big day at the combine this year.

There will be a number of star performers on Sunday but expect Dexter Lawrence to regain some of his lost stock. Today he put up 36 reps of the bench press (most among D-liners) despite having nearly 35-inch arms. I predict he will run an incredible time for a 342lbs linemen.

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Welcome to our coverage of the 2019 NFL combine. Every day we’ll be updating events as they happen in Indianapolis, posting workout numbers and information.

This post will be updated consistently so keep hitting refresh.

We’ll end each day with a separate ‘review’ piece and a podcast. In today’s we’ll be reviewing how the quarterbacks performed and looking at potential O-line and receiver targets.

If you missed yesterday’s review piece including TEF scores for the offensive linemen and potential running back targets, click here.

Before we get into the workouts, there was some positive news on a new deal for Frank Clark…

Hearing the Seahawks continue to make progress on a long-term deal with Frank Clark ahead of the franchise-tag deadline next week

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 2, 2019

It’s very important the Seahawks work out a deal here. If Clark plays on the franchise tag in 2019, he will join Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson and Jarran Reed as a free agent in 12 months time. That’ll put a lot of pressure on the Seahawks to get deals done and avoid losing core players.

Cornerbacks who fit Seattle’s size profile:

Blace Brown — 6-0 3/8, 32 arms, 76 3/8 wingspan
Blessuan Austin — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 76 7/8 wingspan
Deandre Baker — 5-11, 32 arms, 77 1/8 wingspan
Alijah Holder — 6-0 6/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Mike Jackson — 6-0 5/8, 32.5 arms, 77 2/8 wingspan
Isaiah Johnson — 6-2 1/8, 33 arms, 79 1/8 wingspan
Lonnie Johnson — 6-1 7/8, 32 5/8 arms, 77.5 wingspan
Justin Layne — 6-1 6/8, 33 arms, 80 1/8 wingspan
Rock Ya-sin — 5-11 6/8, 32 arms, 77 3/8 wingspan
Joejuan Williams — 6-3 5/8, 32.5 arms, 78 wingspan
Derrek Thomas — 6-2 7/8, 33 6/8 arms, 82 wingspan
Jordan Miller — 6-0 5/8, 32 7/8 arms, 76.5 wingspan
Jamal Peters — 6-1 6/8, 32 3/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Ryan Pulley 5-10 5/8, 32 6/8 arms, 77 5/8 wingspan
Saivion Smith — 6-0 7/8, 33 2/8 arms, 78 7/8 wingspan
Ken Webster — 5-10 7/8, 32 arms, 77 wingspan

That’s a good, strong, solid list of names and increases the likelihood of Seattle drafting at least one cornerback in their usual round 4-6 range.

Tight end forty times

Kendall Blanton — 4.96 & 4.98
Keenen Brown — 4.76 & 4.77
Noah Fant — 4.51 & 4.55
Zach Gentry — 4.92 & 4.91
Daniel Helm — 4.90 & 4.98
T.J. Hockenson — 4.71 & 4.75
Alize Mack — 4.71 & 4.73
Foster Moreau — 4.66 & 4.70
Isaac Nauta — 4.92 & 4.99
Josh Oliver — 4.64 & 4.71
Dax Raymond — 4.73 & 4.76
Drew Sample — 4.74 & 4.72
Irv Smith Jr — 4.64 & 4.71
Kaden Smith — 4.94 & 4.93
Jace Sternberger — 4.76 & 4.78
Tommy Sweeney — 4.84 & 4.86
Kahale Warring — 4.69 & 4.67
Trevon Wesco — 4.89 & 4.95
Caleb Wilson — 4.50 & 4.58

Pete Carroll and John Schneider were paying close attention to the tight end class

As the tight end drills are set to begin, I’m not sure I can take another story or anecdote from Daniel Jeremiah.

In the early catching drills, most of the players have done well. Drew Sample, just as he did at the Senior Bowl, looks very smooth and polished. Trevon Wesco caught a pass over his shoulder with nice anticipation — stretching out to bring in the ball. It’s a decent looking group so far.

Drew Sample told the coaches he won’t be doing the blocking drills. He seemed to note an injury issue of some kind.

Foster Moreau has looked good so far. Ran well in the forty and settling into the drills. They noted he wore #18 at LSU during the broadcast. That’s a big deal.

Irv Smith Jr didn’t really strike on his blocking drill. Kind of clutched the bag and ran with it. He didn’t do that much blocking in 2018. Jace Sternberger had a better rep.

Charles Davis suggested Trevon Wesco will be a full back at the next level. It’s an interesting thought.

The gauntlet is next. Isaac Nauta’s catching technique was good. Drew Sample dropped one of his catches but the technique looked good. Irv Smith Jr looked terrific in the gauntlet — fast, good technique, caught everything. The best rep of the group. Hockenson’s technique was absolutely textbook too.

Jace Sternberger had a very poor rep. He was swerving along the line, dropped catches and was all over the place. Trevon Wesco is not particularly athletic or fast but he looks like a load.

Sample’s second gauntlet rep was a bit sloppy — he let the ball get into him a little too much and didn’t run a straight line. Smith Jr and Hockenson are the two clear standouts from this drill. Sternberger’s second rep was a lot better.

Missouri receiver Emmanuel Hall jumped an 11-9 broad jump. Apparently that’s the second best ever.

Dawson Knox is having a good performance in the drills. He didn’t run the forty because he’s still recovering from a sports hernia.

Here are the top official 40 times for the tight end class…

In the wheel route drill, Dawson Knox continues to impress. Very athletic, very quick for his size.

Josh Oliver had a fantastic one-handed catch on his rep on a wide throw. Impressive. Irv Smith Jr laid out to make a really difficult low grab. Trevon Wesco tracked the ball well over his shoulder.

Noah Fant has dropped some passes today.

The tight end drills have now concluded. We’ll find out how they did in the jumps/agility testing soon.

Overall it was a decent session. Hockenson will go early but with the rest of the group — there aren’t lots of first/second round prospects but it looks like a thick class of mid/late round options. If the Seahawks want a tight end — and Pete and John were watching the workout very closely — they should be able to find one.

Foster Moreau was impressive and warrants a good look post-combine. I also want to take a closer look at Dawson Knox and Trevon Wesco.

Parris Campbell jumped a 40 inch vertical and an 11-3 broad.

N’Keal Harry had a 38.5 inch vertical and a 10-2 broad.

A.J. Brown had a 36.5 inch vertical and a 10-0 broad.

Miles Boykin jumped a 43.5 inch vertical — the second best ever recorded.

Quarterback forty yard dash times (group 1)

Jake Browning — 4.81 & 4.75
Ryan Finley — 4.74 & 4.75
Nick Fitzgerald — 4.65 & 4.72
Will Grier — 4.92 & 4.84
Dwayne Haskins — 5.04 & 5.06
Tyree Jackson — 4.59 & 4.68
Daniel Jones — 4.82 & 4.84
Drew Lock — 4.70 & 4.70
Trace McSorley — 4.58 & 4.60

Wide receiver forty yard dash times (group 1)

Note — the Seahawks want 4.4 or faster

Miles Boykin — 4.47 & 4.42
A.J. Brown — 4.57 & 4.50
Hakeem Butler — 4.49 & 4.50
Parris Campbell — 4.32 & 4.37
Jamal Custis — 4.51 & 4.54
Johnnie Dixon — 4.41 & 4.51
Ashton Dulin — 4.46 & 4.43
Jovon Durante — 4.55 & 4.59
Jazz Ferguson — 4.50 & 4.46
Travis Fulgham — 4.58 & 4.62
Terry Godwin — 4.60 & 4.55
Emanuel Hall — 4.40 & 4.39
Mecole Hardman — 4.36 & 4.34
Kelvin Harmon — 4.61 & 4.64
N’Keal Harry — 4.59 & 4.54
Lil’ Jordan Humphrey — 4.79 & 4.75

Noah Fant (39.5) and T.J. Hockenson (37.5) had the top two vertical jumps among TE’s.

Vertical jumps:

Noah Fant — 39.5
T.J. Hockenson — 37.5
Foster Moreau — 36.5
Kahale Warring — 36.5
Alize Mack — 36
Dawson Knox — 34.5
Josh Oliver — 34
Drew Sample — 33.5
Keenen Brown — 33
Irv Smith Jr — 32.5
Dax Raymond — 32
Kaden Smith — 32
Jace Sternberger — 31.5
Kendall Blanton — 31
Trevon Wesco — 31

Broad jumps:

Noah Fant — 10-7
T.J. Hockenson — 10-3
Kahale Warring — 10-2
Foster Moreau — 10-1
Alize Mack — 10-0
Keenen Brown — 9-9
Josh Oliver — 9-9
Trevon Wesco — 9-9
Drew Sample — 9-7
Kendall Blanton — 9-5
Jace Sternberger — 9-5
Caleb Wilson — 9-5
Zach Gentry — 9-2
Irv Smith Jr — 9-2
Dax Raymond — 9-2

The top three performers in the drills were arguably Fant, Hockenson, Moreau and Dawson Knox. They all had explosive testing too.

The wide receivers are now going through drills.

Hakeem Butler ran a better than expected forty time but he dropped his first pass in the toe-tap drill. Dropped passes and separation are an issue for Butler.

On Butler’s first rep on the over-the-shoulder drill he jogged downfield, didn’t bother tracking the ball and just let it hit the turf. Awful — and the coaches had a word. He shrugged.

Terry Godwin ran a slow forty and hasn’t started well in the catching drills.

N’Keal Harry tracked the ball over his shoulder nicely on a deep pass.

D.K. Metcalf just recorded a 40.5 inch vertical.

Now it’s the gauntlet drill. Butler again didn’t have a great rep, failing to run in a straight line. Parris Campbell, however, was absolutely on point. Great catching technique, natural movements.

N’Keal Harry was body-catching every pass in his second gauntlet. Poor technique.

First slant route for Hakeem Butler — yet another drop.

Will Grier’s first three throws in the slant drill were textbook in terms of placement and velocity.

The official forty times are out for the first group of receivers:

It’s no surprise that Parris Campbell and Emanuel Hall are at the top. A.J. Brown was faster than expected.

Drew Lock’s arm strength is very evident here. Good velocity on the shorter routes, can drive the ball downfield. He clearly has the best arm talent of this group of quarterbacks.

Parris Campbell just made a fantastic catch on a deep ball to the sideline from Ryan Finley. Campbell is putting on a show.

They’re now running up and to the sideline. Campbell is so sudden and then breaks off his release with great quickness. This is a very impressive performance from the Ohio State receiver.

The tight end agility testing results are out. Foster Moreau ran a 4.11 short shuttle (!!!). T.J. Hockenson’s 4.18 matched O.J. Howard’s. Noah Fant managed a 4.22.

Fant also had an excellent 6.81 three cone. Hockenson’s was second best at 7.02 followed by Kaden Smith (4.08) and Dawson Knox (7.12). Moreau recorded a 7.16.

Quarterback forty times (Group 2)

Gardner Minshew — 4.97 & 4.97
Brett Rypien — 4.92 & 4.97
Kyle Shurmur — 4.92 & 4.92
Easton Stick — 4.67 & 4.63
Jarrett Stidham — 4.82 & 4.86
Jordan Ta’amu — 4.78 & 4.78

Wide receiver forty times (Group 2)

Andy Isabella — 4.56 & 4.46
Gary Jennings — 4.47 & 4.43
Diontae Johnson — 4.56 & 4.53
KeeSean Johnson — 4.61 & 4.64
Olabisi Johnson — 4.55 & 4.52
DaMarkus Lodge — 4.57 & 4.56
Terry McLaurin — 4.36 & 4.39
D.K. Metcalf — 4.33 & 4.38
Jakobi Meyers — 4.67 & 4.64
Dillon Mitchell — 4.47 & 4.47
Stanley Morgan Jr — 4.53 & 4.58
Nyqwan Murray — 4.70 & 4.64
Hunter Renfrow — 4.59 & 4.63
Riley Ridley — 4.61 & 4.59
Deebo Samuel — 4.50 & 4.49
David Sills — 4.57 & 4.59
Darius Slayton — 4.40 & 4.42
Jaylen Smith — 4.48 & 4.50
Cody Thompson — 4.58 & 4.59
Jamarius Way — 4.71 & 4.63
Alex Wesley — 4.58 & 4.46

Todd McShay bet Mel Kiper on the ESPN podcast last week that Isabella would run closer to the 4.5’s than the 4.2’s. McShay had a good source there.

Wow — D.K. Metcalf ran a 4.33. That is… Calvin Johnson.

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside didn’t run which is a shame.

The NFL Network spent a large amount of time focusing on Rich Eisen and Kurt Warner having some ‘banter’ instead of showing the drills. This segment was bookended by adverts. So we missed a fair bit of the group two workouts.

Terry McLaurin looks really comfortable. Aside from McLaurin’s speed, dynamism, catching ability, special teams value and character — he also has terrific catching technique.

D.K. Metcalf dropped his first deep pass attempt. His second attempt was a little better — locating it in the air and just about clinging onto a difficult grab with his fingertips.

Dillon Mitchell struggled to track the ball in the air.

Again another set of adverts — the NFL Network isn’t giving us much on the drills with group two. We miss half of the gauntlet as a consequence.

Riley Ridley was fighting the ball a bit on his gauntlet. Deebo Samuel and David Sills ran well.

Andy Isabella had a drop and fought the ball a bit. DeMarkus Lodge had a good run in the gauntlet. So did Terry McLaurin.

D.K. Metcalf just looks incredible. If I were Marvel I’d call him about the next film. His body, speed. He’s the definition of a freaky natural athlete.

After his sensational forty time, Metcalf took a facetime call with his family. The NFL Network showed footage a highly emotional Metcalf. It was a nice moment:

It’s been difficult to get an assessment on the quarterbacks today. The camera angles have been unhelpful and there’s been too many adverts. The network doesn’t name both the QB and WR for every drill. It’s been a frustrating watch at times with too much ‘fun’ between the presenters and not enough true analysis of what we’re seeing.

For example, ‘that was a good rep’ is not analysis. Let’s have a specific, expert breakdown on what a player is doing well/poorly. Instead what we’ve had is a lot of ‘banter’, anecdotes, jokes and very little on the players. Maybe that’s what a wider audience wants? But I still have a hard time believing there’s a ‘half interested’ audience watching what is still a niche event. And doesn’t even a half-interested audience want to analysis that is something akin to how the teams will be critiquing what we’re seeing?

Jarrett Stidham has looked sharp but that’s no surprise. At Auburn he was told what to do and could do it. He has a strong arm. The issue is — can he throw with accuracy and precision when things break down or he has to go through progressions?

There’s a Malik McDowell update…

The #Seahawks are finally and officially releasing former high draft pick DT Malik McDowell, source said. He will be on waivers and would like to continue his football career.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2019

Hands up, who thought he’d already been cut?

Meanwhile, teams are starting to ask about Josh Rosen…

Here in Indianapolis sources tell me the Washington Redskins have openly spoken about trading for Josh Rosen, IF the quarterback becomes available.

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 2, 2019

I can’t believe the Cardinals have actively indulged in creating chaos just to create a market for #1 overall. They surely must be interested in Kyler Murray?

The NFL Network is winding things down now so I’m going to end the live blog. The review piece will be up shortly and don’t forget to check out our daily combine podcast.

Check out the podcast below with Brandan Schulze — we’ll be recording one a day during the combine…

Who are the most explosive offensive linemen in the 2019 draft? And which running backs are the Seahawks likely to show interest in?

Let’s find out…

Is it an explosive offensive line class?

Yes… more so than in previous years.

Three years ago we created a formula called TEF (Trench Explosion Formula). For a full breakdown of what the formula is, click here. Essentially, any prospect scoring 3.00 or higher is an explosive athlete.

Here’s the formula we use:

1. Vertical ÷ 31
2. Broad ÷ 9, then cube the result
3. Bench ÷ 27
4. Results added together = TEF

And here are the 2019 results (it’s good news):

Iosua Opeta — 3.62
Phil Haynes — 3.22
Chris Lindstrom — 3.18
Garrett Bradbury — 3.15
Andre Dillard — 3.13
Erik McCoy — 3.05
Kaleb McGary — 3.02
Elgton Jenkins — 3.01
Michael Jordan — 2.99
Hjalte Froholdt — 2.95
Tyler Jones — 2.95
Isaiah Prince — 2.93
William Sweet — 2.92
Max Scharping — 2.90
Trey Pipkins — 2.85
Dalton Risner — 2.83
Jackson Barton — 2.82
Shaq Calhoun — 2.80
Oli Udoh — 2.80
Ryan Bates — 2.75
Dru Samia — 2.74
Mitch Hyatt — 2.70
Devon Johnson — 2.67
Zack Bailey — 2.66
Nate Davis — 2.66
Tyler Roemer — 2.65
Andre James — 2.63
Javon Patterson — 2.63
Michael Deiter — 2.60
Tytus Howard — 2.60
Jonah Williams — 2.55
Cody Ford — 2.52
Dennis Daley — 2.46
Nate Herbig — 2.43
Paul Adams — 2.33

How does this compare to the previous three drafts?

Players scoring a 3.00 or more:

2016 — 6
2017 — 3
2018 — 7
2019 — 8

Players scoring at least a 2.85:

2016 — 9
2017 — 8
2018 — 8
2019 — 15

Here’s the combined top-10 testers from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (in bold):

Iosua Opeta — 3.62
Jason Spriggs — 3.54
Braden Smith — 3.52
Kolton Miller — 3.31
Connor McGovern: 3.29
Forrest Lamp — 3.23
Phil Haynes — 3.22
Wyatt Teller — 3.22
Scott Quessenberry — 3.22
Chris Lindstrom — 3.18
Connor Williams — 3.18
Garrett Bradbury — 3.15
Andre Dillard — 3.13
Nico Siragusa — 3.13
Alex Redmond — 3.10
Quenton Nelson — 3.07
Joe Haeg — 3.06
Joe Dahl — 3.05
Erik McCoy — 3.05
Will Hernandez — 3.04
Joe Thuney — 3.04
Kaleb McGary — 3.02
Elgton Jenkins — 3.01
Garett Bolles — 3.00
Michael Jordan — 2.99
Halapoulivaati Vaitai: 2.97
Germain Ifedi — 2.97
Isaac Asiata — 2.96
Hjalte Froholdt — 2.95
Dorian Johnson — 2.92
Brandon Shell — 2.91
Antonio Garcia — 2.89
Sean Harlow — 2.87
Taylor Moton — 2.86
Colby Gossett — 2.86
Will Holden — 2.84
Ryan Kelly — 2.84
Ethan Pocic — 2.81
Toby Weathersby — 2.77
James Daniels — 2.76

The following players did not take part in one or more of the tests and therefore couldn’t be scored:

Alex Bars
Beau Benzschawel
Yodny Cajuste
Chuma Edoga
David Edwards
Bobby Evans
Lamont Gaillard
Donnell Greene
Ethan Greenidge
Martez Ivey
Fred Johnson
Brandon Knight
Connor McGovern
Yosh Nijman
Ross Pierschbacher
Ryan Pope
Ben Powers
Trevon Tate
Jawaan Taylor

What are the highlights?

Iosua Opeta (3.62) is the most explosive TEF tester we’ve recorded in four drafts. Overall there was a decent increase in explosive performance — even with several big names (eg Jawaan Taylor) not able to work out.

Many of the players who are expected to be drafted early performed well in TEF — Andre Dillard, Chris Lindstrom, Elgton Jenkins, Kaleb McGary, Erik McCoy and Garrett Bradbury. All could be drafted by the end of round two.

Andre Dillard had a fantastic day overall and combined with his short shuttle and three-cone times (see below) he likely secured a top-15 grade. Chris Lindstrom was expected to be among the quickest and most agile O-liners testing but his explosive TEF score of 3.18 and his excellent combination of size and length could easily promote him into the top-50. The medical checks will be significant for Kaleb McGary and some teams might be concerned about his sub-33 inch arms. However, his combine performance warrants top-50 consideration. There’s been an increasing feeling that Garrett Bradbury will be a first round lock. It’s very possible he confirmed that today.

It’s unclear why Connor McGovern and Yosh Nijman recorded a broad jump but not a vertical. With a 9-4 broad and 28 reps on the bench, McGovern was set for a high score. Nijman’s could’ve been even better with a 9-6 broad and 27 reps on the bench. It’s safe to say, however, that both would’ve likely reached the 3.00 mark in TEF.

What about weighted TEF (wTEF)?

Jumping a vertical at 320lbs is considerably more challenging than jumping a vertical at 295lbs. We created a second formula to account for weight:

Weight x TEF x 0.1

We can give players a score that sufficiently emphasises their unique size.

Germain Ifedi — 324 x 2.97 x 0.1 = 96.1

wTEF scores for the 2019 draft class

Iousa Opeta — 109.0
Phil Haynes — 103.7
Andre Dillard — 98.6
Chris Lindstrom — 97.9
Garrett Bradbury — 96.4
Kaleb McGary — 95.7
Max Scharping — 94.8
Elgton Jenkins — 93.3
Michael Jordan — 93.3
Erik McCoy — 92.4
William Sweet — 91.4
Oli Udoh — 90.4
Hjalte Froholdt — 90.3
Tyler Jones — 90.3
Devon Johnson — 90.2
Isaiah Prince — 89.4
Dalton Risner — 88.3
Trey Pipkins — 88.0
Jackson Barton — 87.4
Shaq Calhoun — 86.8
Ryan Bates — 84.2
Nate Davis — 84.0
Tytus Howard — 83.7
Dru Samia — 83.6
Cody Ford — 82.9
Tyler Roemer — 82.7
Mitch Hyatt — 81.8
Nate Herbig — 81.4
Javon Patterson — 80.7
Michael Deiter — 80.3
Zack Bailey — 79.5
Andre James — 78.6
Dennis Daley — 78.0
Jonah Williams — 77.0
Paul Adams — 73.9

This doesn’t change much to the overall order but it’s interesting to note Alabama’s Jonah Williams has the second weakest combination of size and explosive power in this O-line class.

How does this compare to 2016, 2017 & 2018?

Here are the top-10 wTEF scores from 2016-2019 combined:

Braden Smith — 110.9
Iousa Opeta — 109.0
Spriggs, Jason —- 104.9
Phil Haynes — 103.7
Kolton Miller — 102.3
Scott Quessenberry — 101.4
McGovern, Conner —- 101.4
Forrest Lamp —- 99.8
Nico Siragusa —- 99.8
Quenton Nelson — 99.8
Will Hernandez — 99.4
Andre Dillard — 98.6
Chris Lindstrom — 97.9
Teller Wyatt — 96.9
Garrett Bradbury — 96.4
Ifedi, Germain —- 96.1
Kaleb McGary — 95.7
Isaac Asiata —- 95.6
Max Scharping — 94.8
Shell, Brandon —- 94.4
Connor Williams — 94.1
Vaitai, Halapoulivaati —- 93.8
Nembot, Stephane —- 93.6
Elgton Jenkins — 93.3
Michael Jordan — 93.3
Dahl, Joe —- 93.2
Joe Haeg —- 93.0
Erik McCoy — 92.4
Thuney, Joe —- 91.6
Robertson, Dominique —- 91.5
Taylor Moton —- 91.2
Colby Gossett — 90.1
Garett Bolles —- 89.1
Will Holden —- 88.3
Jessamen Dunker —- 88.0
Ben Braden —- 87.8
Toby Weathersby — 87.8
Dorian Johnson —- 87.6
Antonio Garcia —- 87.2
James Daniels — 84.45

What else did we learn today?

— The 2019 O-line class is more explosive than in recent years.

— Andre Dillard had the second best broad jump by an offensive lineman in the last ten years. Only Kolton Miller’s 10-1 was superior. Dillard matched Lane Johnson’s 9-10 and just beat out Taylor Lewan (9-9) and Eric Fisher. Considering Miller, Lewan and Fisher were all top-15 picks — it’s safe to assume Dillard is set for that range too as the best pass-protecting tackle in this class.

— The 2019 class of O-liners excelled in the broad jump. Of the 15 best attempts in the last decade, six were from this draft class alone:

Andre Dillard — 9-10
Chris Lindstrom — 9-9
Michael Jordan — 9-8
Isaiah Prince — 9-7
Yosh Nijman — 9-6
Trey Pipkins — 9-6

— Joshua Miles’ 36-inch vertical was the best attempt in the last decade, topping Donald Stephenson (35.5), Terron Armstead (34.5), Trent Williams (34.5) and Lane Johnson (34). Kaleb McGary’s 33.5 is the eighth best vertical jump by an O-liner in the last 10 years, level with Trey Pipkins from this class.

Three-cone and short shuttle times

Agility testing is also important for an offensive linemen. While the 2019 class is more explosive, they didn’t stand out in the three-cone or short shuttle.

— Here are the top-15 three-cone times:

Garrett Bradbury — 7.41
Andre Dillard — 7.44
Ryan Bates — 7.45
Shaq Calhoun — 7.46
Hjalte Froholdt — 7.51
Chris Lindstrom — 7.61
Trey Pipkins — 7.61
Kaleb McGary — 7.66
Connor McGovern — 7.66
Paul Adams — 7.68
David Edwards — 7.69
Dalton Risner — 7.69
Michael Jordan — 7.71
Mitch Hyatt — 7.72
Javon Patterson — 7.72

None of these times are particularly good. Last year Brian O’Neil topped the three-cone rankings with a 7.14. Bradbury’s 7.41 would’ve been the fourth best time in 2018.

— Here are the top-15 short shuttle times:

Andre Dillard — 4.40
Yosh Nijman — 4.50
Mitch Hyatt — 4.52
Dalton Risner — 4.52
Ryan Bates — 4.53
Garrett Bradbury — 4.53
Hjalte Froholdt — 4.54
Chris Lindstrom — 4.54
Connor McGovern — 4.57
Kaleb McGary — 4.58
Shaq Calhoun — 4.62
Elgton Jenkins — 4.62
Erik McCoy — 4.62
Jackson Barton — 4.66
Max Scharping — 4.69

Andre Dillard’s 4.40 is the sixth best short shuttle by an offensive lineman in the last decade. It matches James Daniels’ top time from a year ago.

Jonah Williams — having performed poorly in the explosive tests — ran only a 4.79 short shuttle and an 8.01 three-cone. This is not the athletic profile of a first round pick.

Potential running back targets

The Seahawks have consistently drafted running backs with explosive athleticism and size during the Pete Carroll era. We explained in our combine preview the type of profile they look for (and there’s a clear trend).

Using this information, we highlighted the following players in the previous three drafts as potential targets:

2016:

C.J. Prosise — 6-0, 220lbs, 35.5 inch vert, 10-1 broad
Kenneth Dixon — 5-10, 215lbs, 37.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad

(They drafted Prosise)

2017:

Christopher Carson — 6-0, 218lbs, 37 inch vert, 10-10 broad
Brian Hill — 6-0, 219lbs, 34 inch vert, 10-5 broad
Alvin Kamara — 5-10, 214lbs, 39.5 inch vert, 10-11 broad
Joe Williams — 5-11, 210lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-5 broad

(They drafted Carson)

2018:

Saquon Barkley — 6-0, 233lbs, 41 inch vert DNP broad
Kerryon Johnson — 511, 213lbs 40 inch vert, 10-6 broad
Bo Scarborough — 6-0, 228lbs, 40 inch vert, 10-9 broad
Nick Chubb — 5-11, 227lbs, 38.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad
John Kelly — 5-10, 216lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Lavon Coleman — 5-10, 223lbs, 33 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Rashaad Penny — 5-11, 220lbs, 32.5 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Royce Freeman — 5-11, 229lbs, 34 inch vert, 9-10 broad

(They drafted Penny and signed Coleman, Scarborough)

So who are the potential targets this year?

There are seven names:

Alex Barnes — 6-0, 226lbs, 38.5 inch vert, 10-6 broad
Damien Harris — 5-10, 216lbs, 37 inch vert, 10-1 broad
Alexander Mattison — 5-10, 221lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-7 broad
LJ Scott — 6-0, 227lbs, 33 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Miles Sanders — 5-11, 211lbs, 36 inch vert, 10-4 broad
Dexter Williams — 5-11, 212lbs, 36 inch vert, 10-10 broad
Tony Pollard — 6-0, 210lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-1 broad

Neither Rodney Anderson or Josh Jacobs worked out today and both players have the size the Seahawks like. They’re also both considered to be highly explosive so there are two more names we can potentially add to the list.

Sum up Friday at the combine…

— It’s a more explosive offensive line class in 2019 and several players boosted their stock including Andre Dillard, Chris Lindstrom, Erik McCoy and Garrett Bradbury. Plenty of offensive linemen will be drafted in the first three rounds and some decent options will be available on day three too.

— Despite a lot of first round hype, Jonah Williams had weak performances in the three-cone (8.01) and short shuttle (4.79) and had the second worst combination of size/explosive power. Round one? Really?

— Isaiah Prince looks lean and athletic and could be worth a good look as a potential mid-round developmental tackle. Michael Jordan played center for Ohio State but could fit in Seattle as a big guard or right tackle.

— There were no first round running backs working out today and the class is desperately lacking the kind of depth and star power we saw in 2018.

— The Seahawks need a full back and Wisconsin’s Alec Ingold could be firmly on their radar. He’s big, tough and even managed a 34-inch vertical today.

— The defensive linemen and linebackers were weighed and measured today. Dexter Lawrence is 6-5, 342lbs, has 34.5 inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan. My prediction is he will have a great workout on Sunday and significantly boost his stock.

— Daniel Wise is a name to keep an eye on. He’s 6-2 5/8 in height, 281lbs and has 33 inch arms. He’s incredibly quick as a pass rusher and will be available later than the likes of Oliver, Jones and others. As a specialist interior rusher he could be an option if he tests well.

— Brian Burns answered the major question about his weight today, coming in at 249lbs. There are some excellent EDGE options in this draft. Burns, Montez Sweat, Christian Miller and D’Andre Walker all showed off similar size and length. If the Seahawks want an EDGE they should be able to find one they like. Keep an eye on the 10-yard split times on Sunday.

— The Seahawks have never drafted a defensive lineman with sub-33 inch arms. Christian Wilkins, Jachai Polite and Khalen Saunders all have sub-33 inch arms.

— Renell Wren looks the part as expected — 6-5, 318lbs, 34 inch arms and nearly an 82-inch wingspan. Dre’Mont Jones, however, was smaller than expected at 281lbs and 6-2 6/8 in height. He has good length (33 6/8 inch arms) but ideally he’d be nearer the 290lbs range. It’s possible he dropped weight to run well at the combine.

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Welcome to our coverage of the 2019 NFL combine. Every day we’ll be updating events as they happen in Indianapolis, posting workout numbers and information.

This post will be updated consistently so keep hitting refresh.

We’ll end each day with a separate ‘review’ piece. In today’s we’ll be posting TEF results for the 2019 O-line class and reviewing which running backs fit Seattle’s prototype.

It’s a solid offensive line class with depth stretching into days 2-3. The running back group is nowhere near as strong as a year ago but there could be some potential value on day three if the Seahawks need to add a runner (much will depend on what happens with Mike Davis).

Defensive line weigh-in numbers

Dexter Lawrence is going to surprise people at this combine. He’s 6-5, 342lbs, has 34.5 inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan. That’s incredible size and he carries it superbly. He will run much faster than normal for a 342lbs linemen and people will be left talking about him after Saturday’s workout.

Ed Oliver came in at 6-2 and 287lbs. Here’s the problem though — he only has 31 6/8 inch arms. He lacks the size to play inside for early downs and doesn’t have the length to kick outside or even act as a five technique. Even with Oliver expected to have a great workout — it’s difficult to project what he is at the next level.

Quinnen Williams is 6-3, 303lbs with 33 2/8 inch arms. Christian Wilkins is 6-3, 315lbs with 32.5 inch arms. Khalen Saunders is 6-0, 324lbs with 32 2/8 inch arms.

Reminder — Seattle hasn’t drafted a defensive lineman or EDGE rusher with sub-33 inch arms.

Dre’Mont Jones is 281lbs and 6-2 6/8 in height. That’s smaller than expected. He has good length (33 6/8 inch arms) but ideally he’d be at the 290lbs range. It’s possible he dropped weight to run well at the combine.

Daniel Wise is a name to keep an eye on. He’s 6-2 5/8 in height, 281lbs and has 33 inch arms. He’s incredibly quick as a pass rusher and will be available later than the likes of Oliver, Jones and others. As a specialist interior rusher he could be an option if he tests well.

Renell Wren looks the part as expected — 6-5, 318lbs, 34 inch arms and nearly an 82-inch wingspan.

Nick Bosa is nearly 6-4, 266lbs with 33 inch arms. Clelin Ferrell is 6-4, 264lbs and has 34 1/8 inch arms.

Jachai Polite gets mocked to Seattle frequently but his 32 5/8 inch arms could be an issue. He’s 6-2 and 258lbs. His wingspan, however, is a very reasonable 80 2/8 inches.

Brian Burns completely answered any concerns about his size — weighing in at 249lbs. He’s also nearly 6-5 and has 34 inch arms and nearly an 84-inch wingspan. We’ll need to see how he works out tomorrow but this is a major positive for a player who reportedly played in the 220’s during the season. 249lbs is still not ‘big’ and he’ll need a Danielle Hunter type workout (as will Montez Sweat) to secure a first round placing.

Sweat weighed 260lbs at nearly 6-6. That’s a nice improvement from the Senior Bowl. He has nearly 36 inch arms.

Christian Miller is 6-3, 247lbs and has 35 1/8 inch arms plus an 82 2/8 inch wingspan. D’Andre Walker is 6-2, 251lbs, has 34.5 inch arms and nearly an 82-inch wingspan. There are lots of long, athletic EDGE types in this class.

There’s no Mike Mayock this year, obviously, which is a real shame. Mayock and the combine went hand-in-hand. Wonder how long it’ll take Daniel Jeremiah to say, “when I was in Baltimore…” or “Haloti Ngata”.

There’s another disappointing change this year. There’s no continuous live feed via NFL.com. This means you can’t track all of the forty times or workouts and have to endure the advert breaks on the NFL Network.

The coverage so far has been generally poor. Very little live action and a lot of adverts.

Offensive line Group 1 forty yard dash times

10-yard splits are in brackets

Paul Adams — 5.19 & 5.25 (1.83)
Jackson Barton — 5.18 & 5.19 (1.82)
Ryan Bates — 5.02 & 5.13 (1.70)
Beau Benzschawel — 5.26 (1.88)
Garrett Bradbury — 4.95 & 4.93 (1.74)
Deion Calhoun — 5.08 & 5.10 (1.72)
Dennis Daley — 5.27 & 5.24 (1.87)
Nate Davis — 5.24 & 5.25 (1.84)
Michael Deiter — 5.23 & 5.28 (1.81)
Andre Dillard — 4.99 & 4.97 (1.69)
Chuma Edoga — 5.20 & DNP (1.78)
David Edwards — 5.28 & 5.29 (1.80)
Bobby Evans — 5.22 & 5.21 (1.86)
Cody Ford — 5.21 & 5.30 (1.81)
Hjalte Froholdt — 5.22 & 5.20 (1.83)
Derwin Gray — 5.46 & 5.26 (1.85)
Phil Haynes — 5.22 & 5.20 (1.79)
Nate Herbig — 5.42 & 5.42 (1.87)

Andre Dillard looks like a terrific athlete. He ran a good forty and ten-yard split and he operated very well in the movement/agility drills. He looks the part of an athletic pass protector and it’s no surprise he’s being touted as a top-15 pick on this evidence.

Garrett Bradbury ran well but just looks extremely small. He’s getting a lot of praise on the NFL Network and many believe he will go in the first round. I’d be a little concerned about how he’ll operate at the next level with his frame.

Cody Ford is showing off his unique mobility with great size. David Edwards and Bobby Evans moved well in the drills designed to get them working to the second level.

Here’s Mike Solari running the early O-line drills…

Yodny Cajuste is expected to have an explosive performance in the vertical and broad but he appears stiff moving laterally and changing direction.

Andre Dillard continues to look fantastic. His knee bend is top-level, he’s incredibly agile and quick and his hand placement on the pad drills was good. He’s the star performer in this first group and he’s standing out in a big way.

The NFL Network cut away to adverts during the bulk of the kick slide drill. Chuma Edoga looked solid working from the right side (not so much from the left) and Cody Ford moved well for his size. Andre Dillard looked like an absolute natural again in his left tackle kick slide. He’s a top-20 lock based on this workout today.

Garrett Bradbury was very controlled and balanced in the mirror drill. Yodny Cajuste performed well in the mirror too — very quick, sharp movements with plenty of balance. Dillard, you won’t be surprised to hear, again looked terrific here. Very athletic and an absolute natural. Cody Ford also showed well — staying square and playing with sufficient control and bend.

Offensive line Group 2 forty yard dash times

10-yard splits are in brackets

Tytus Howard — 5.05 & 5.06 (1.81)
Andre James — 5.32 & 5.33 (1.85)
Devon Johnson — 5.13 & 5.17 (1.81)
Michael Jordan — 5.28 & 5.31 (1.86)
Chris Lindstrom — 4.92 & 4.93 (1.70)
Greg Little — 5.34 & 5.35 (1.84)
Erik McCoy — 4.90 & 4.92 (1.72)
Kaleb McGary — 5.15 & 5.06 (1.83)
Joshua Miles — 5.33 & 5.42 (1.85)
Iosua Opeta — 5.03 & 5.05 (1.76)
Javon Patterson — 5.14 & 5.13 (1.78)
Ross Pierschbacher — 5.24 & 5.21 (1.85)
Trey Pipkins — 5.12 & 5.19 (1.75)
Isaiah Prince — 5.09 & 5.12 (1.77)
Dalton Risner — 5.36 & 5.31 (1.93)
Tyler Roemer — 5.21 & 5.30 (1.78)
Dru Samia — 5.30 & 5.33 (1.84)
William Sweet — 5.35 & 5.27 (1.85)
Oli Udoh — 5.08 & 5.05 (1.85)
Jonah Williams — 5.10 & 5.13 (1.77)

Chris Lindstrom was expected to have a very athletic workout and be one of the best testers. A 4.92 forty and a 1.70 10-yard split is a good start.

Isaiah Prince looks really good. Well proportioned, minimal bad weight. He’s a player I’m keeping an eye on.

In the first drill, Mike Solari specifically called out Jonah Williams to give an example of the test. Probably fair to say there’s some respect for the player there.

Chris Lindstrom looked very smooth and agile in the wave drill — showing good transition and change of direction. Erik McCoy also excelled.

Sean Payton was surprisingly candid about his view on Kyler Murray. “He’s too good. I like him.”

Kaleb McGary’s body fat percentage looks incredibly low. He’s all muscle. Terrific frame. His explosive testing results will be interesting to see. Jonah Williams isn’t the same kind of athlete. I’ve a hard time understanding how/why he was ever touted as a top-10 pick. He’s solid and technically seems pretty adept but he has physical limitations that were at times exposed (eg vs Clemson).

Elgton Jenkins looks like a great big ball of power.

Rich Eisen might be the single best sports host on planet earth. What a natural.

Dalton Risner just looks exactly like the type of guy you’d want playing guard. Big but in proportion. Little bit of attitude. Good length. His explosive testing will be interesting to see because he doesn’t seem like an athlete but the frame is good.

Chris Lindstrom looked good in the kick slide. Greg Little had a surprisingly sloppy rep. Erik McCoy has been putting on a show. They made Kaleb McGary do his rep twice because the rabbit didn’t run quickly enough.

Isaiah Prince has a nice wide stance, he looks incredibly athletic and just has a nice long frame.

Here are some of the official forty times…

Chris Lindstrom looked good in the backpedal drill. The Eagles coach started the drill by telling him, “this drill is made for you.”

Greg Little hasn’t stood out — similar to his 2018 season tape. Erik McCoy had another good rep and has been one of the top performers in this second session.

Dalton Risner’s rep wasn’t pretty but it got the job done. He isn’t a great athlete but there is just something about his frame and attitude that appeals.

Max Scharping didn’t have a good Senior Bowl but his backpedal drill was very solid. Good use of the hips, did well to get downfield.

Jawaan Taylor is clearly not healthy. He didn’t run the forty and toiled a bit during drills. The coaches seemed pleased with Jonah Williams’ tight drill.

Elgton Jenkins had a really good mirror drill. He just looks the part of a top-50 pick. Chris Lindstrom equally looked very athletic — good quick steps, kept the pace up throughout the drill. Erik McCoy, no surprise, did well again.

Greg Little struggled in the mirror drill. It’s surprising how average Little has looked today.

Kaleb McGary was in very control but wasn’t really tested by his rabbit.

Dalton Risner keeps his base spread and his footwork is very good. Risner absolutely took it Jawaan Taylor as the rabbit. My word! He was sprinting around like his hair was on fire. Wow! What an effort. Love that. Loads of guys slouch as the rabbit. Risner was darting around, changing direction. Absolutely went for it.

Select Vertical & Broad jumps

Andre Dillard — 29 / 9-10 (This is strange from Dillard because the vertical is meh and the broad is WOW)

Garrett Bradbury — 31 / 8-8

Kaleb McGary — 33.5 / 9-3 (Very, very good)

Jonah Williams — 28 / 8-4 (not explosive)

Erik McCoy — 31

Chris Lindstrom — 30.5

Tytus Howard — 29.5

Cody Ford — 28.5

Dalton Risner — 28.5

Michael Deiter — 28

Elgton Jenkins — 28

David Edwards — 25.5

Mitch Hyatt — 25.5

Greg Little — 25

We’ll publish full TEF results in our review piece later.

Running back forty yard dash times

Ryquell Armstead — 4.46 & 4.46
Alex Barnes — 4.63 & 4.59
Nick Brosette — 4.72 & 4.75
Myles Gaskin — 4.60 & 4.59
Damien Harris — 4.58 & 4.64
Darrell Henderson — 4.53 & 4.37
Karan Higdon — 4.50 & 4.58
Justice Hill — 4.40 & 4.49
Elijah Holyfield — 4.79 & 4.81
Travis Homer — 4.49 & 4.54
Alec Ingold — 4.90 & 4.90
Alexander Mattison — 4.68 & 4.70
David Montgomery — 4.64 & 4.64
Qadree Ollison — 4.61 & 4.59
Tony Pollard — 4.53 & 4.60
Miles Sanders — 4.50 & 4.50
Jordan Scarlett — 4.49 & 4.48
Devin Singletary — 4.66 & 4.69
Benny Snell Jr — 4.70 & 4.67
Mike Weber — 4.49 & 4.48
Dexter Williams — 4.57 & 4.58
James Williams — 4.58 & 4.60
Trayveon Williams — 4.51 & 4.56

I really like Ryquell Armstead. Tough, physical and now 4.46 fast. That’s really good and he fits Seattle’s size profile.

This was a big difference compared to a year ago. Not a highly impressive group of runners here. It’s a small group too — although some key names didn’t run.

Remember — the explosive testing results are more important than the forty.

Jordan Scarlett looks very interesting. Well put together. Might have to take a closer look at him.

Mike Weber looked very smooth in the cone-drills emphasising change of direction.

Here are the vertical jumps for some the running backs:

Justice Hill — 40
Travis Homer — 39.5
Alex Barnes — 38.5
Damien Harris — 37
James Williams — 36.5
Myles Gaskin — 35.5
Tony Pollard — 35
Devin Singletary — 35
Alec Ingold — 34
Mike Weber — 33.5
Ryquell Armstead — 30
Jordan Scarlett — 30
Benny Snell — 29.5
David Montgomery — 28.5

I’m now closing the live blog for day one. The O-line and running back testing numbers have been revealed so I’m going to get started on TEF scores and identifying potential running back targets. The review piece will be posted shortly plus don’t forget — later today we’ll also have the first of our daily combine podcasts.

A quick note before we get started — tomorrow sees the return of our combine live blogs. During every session I’ll be posting live updates on the workouts as they happen. Then at the end of each day (Friday-to-Monday) I’ll write a review piece. Also this year Brandan Schulze and I will be recording a daily reaction podcast at the end of each workout. There’s loads going on so keep checking the blog and join in via the comments section.

Now for some thoughts on the measurements so far. This includes the QB’s, WR’s, RB’s, TE’s and OL’s.

Several tight ends fit the bill

Will Dissly is 6-4 and 265lbs. The Seahawks drafted him predominantly for his blocking. They also liked Nick Vannett for his ability to act as a Y-TE. Vannett was also listed at 6-6 and 257lbs at his combine.

There’s a chance the Seahawks will draft a tight end at some point this year. Dissly is returning from a serious knee injury, Vannett is a free agent after the 2019 season and Ed Dickson is a veteran stopgap. If they’re looking for more size and power to help with their physical offense — several names stand out.

We noted Trevon Wesco and Drew Sample in our big combine preview earlier this week. Wesco is pushing 6-4 and 267lbs (very similar to Dissly) with 34.5 inch arms and a massive 81.5 inch wingspan. He’s a good blocker on tape and looked the part of a possible Seahawks tight. Everything fits in that regard — tape, size, length. Let’s see if he can add a decent short shuttle (also important) to the list of reasons why he might be on Seattle’s radar.

Sample also measured well at nearly 6-5, 255lbs and 34.5 inch arms. He’s an incredibly well-rounded tight end who boosted his stock at the Senior Bowl with a strong display all week.

Two other names stood out. Kendall Blanton at Missouri is 6-6, 262lbs with big hands, 33.5 inch arms and nearly a 82 inch wingspan. Zach Gentry is even bigger at 6-8, 265 and 34 1/8 inch arms.

I’ve long seen Irv Smith Jr. as basically a ‘big slot receiver’. Nothing changed after his weigh-in today. He’s 6-2 and 242lbs with only 31.5 inch arms and a 75 inch wingspan. These are not impressive numbers if you want to use him as a blocker. He’s not expected to run a particularly good forty time either.

DK Metcalf isn’t quite as big as people thought

The recent photos of Metcalf in the gym made him look like he was auditioning for a part in the next Marvel movie. You’d have been forgiven for mistaking him for a defensive lineman. He actually weighed in at just 228lbs. It’s big for a receiver but maybe suggests the circulated photo was a little misleading.

Metcalf is possibly the most boom-or-bust player in the draft. He’s clearly fantastically gifted in terms of a physical profile. He’s also 6-4 in height, has 35 inch arms and 10 inch hands. He has a frame reminiscent of Calvin Johnson. He’s also expected to have a superb workout.

There are also medical concerns about his neck injury and his tape mixed dynamic downfield grabs with a limited route tree, concentration drops and an inability at times to make the most of his size. He does have a freaky frame though and if he lasts into range for the Seahawks they may consider him. He’ll need to run in the 4.4’s if history is an indicator on what they want in a receiver — big or small.

It’ll also be interesting to see Travis Fulgham and Jazz Ferguson workout. Fulgham is 6-2 and 215lbs with 34 inch arms. Ferguson is nearly 6-5, 227lbs and with an 82.5 inch wingspan. Again — keep an eye on the forty time. If they crack the 4.4’s they could be under consideration for a Seahawks team that has consistently sought speed at receiver.

The running backs to watch out for

The Seahawks have a type at running back. They like explosive traits, they prefer the size to be between 5-10 and 6-0 in height and about 220lbs. Several players fit into the size category — Qadree Ollison, LJ Scott, Alex Barnes, Rodney Anderson, Benny Snell Jr, David Montgomery, Alexander Mattison, Josh Jacobs, Ryquell Armstead, Damien Harris and Elijah Holyfield. Running style also matters and it’s why I think players like Mattison, Anderson and Armstead in particular might be coveted. We’ll see how they test tomorrow (although Anderson isn’t working out as he recovers from a knee injury).

This is a good looking bunch of offensive linemen

Jawann Taylor is 6-5 and 312lbs with 35 1/8 inch arms and nearly an 85-inch wingspan. He was already being touted as a top-10 pick. He’s a good workout away from possibly confirming that.

Greg Little’s stock has levelled out a bit and I thought he would be best suited moving inside to guard. However, with a 6-5 and 310lbs frame plus an 85-inch wingspan — that’s left tackle size.

Isaiah Prince could be a sleeper to keep an eye on. He’s 6-6 and 305lbs with 35.5 inch arms and an 84.5 inch wingspan. He’s good enough to get a crack to start at the next level. Martez Ivey was a big name recruit back in the day. He’s 6-5 and 315lbs with 36 2/8 inch arms and an 86 2/8 inch wingspan. You can work with a frame like that.

Dalton Risner divides opinion but two things are clear — he seems like a great guy based on interviews and he has decent size at 6-5, 312lbs and 34-inch arms. Oklahoma’s Dru Samia, Ben Powers and Bobby Evans all look the part and as a collective group looked great the last couple of years.

Mike Jordan was impressive at 6-6, 312lbs, 34 2/8 inch arms and an 83-inch wingspan. Mitch Hyatt will get an opportunity to start at tackle or guard at 6-5 3/8, 303lbs and 34 1/8 arms. Chuma Edoga, Elgton Jenkins, Tytus Howard, Connor McGoven, Cody Ford, Chris Lindstrom, Donnell Greene and several others all measured well.

Kaleb McGary surprisingly saw his arm length and wingspan drop considerably from the Senior Bowl. He’s 6-7 and 317lbs but has 32 7/8 inch arms and a 79 6/8 inch wingspan.

Will Grier rated highly by the league?

The two players we’ve focused on at quarterback are Kyler Murray and Will Grier. With good reason. It’s backed up by this article looking at a formula that predicts future NFL success. Russell Wilson is at the top of the leader board. Murray and Grier would come in just behind him.

I thought this was a well put together mock draft from Pete Schrager with only a couple of minor quibbles (eg Nasir Adderley in round one). It’s interesting that he notes the league is higher on Grier than the media and he believes he could be a first round pick.

Pete Carroll sees keeping the O-line together as a priority

This isn’t a surprise. I’m not sure if the Dallas game clouded a few opinions — but the O-line took a major step forward in 2018. Keeping D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy should be a priority and Carroll stated as much today. He also spoke highly of Delano Hill and said he wants to limit the number of explosive plays conceded on defense.

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Workout schedule

» Friday, March 1st: special teams, running backs, offensive linemen
» Saturday, March 2nd: quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends
» Sunday, March 3rd: defensive linemen, linebackers
» Monday, March 4th: defensive backs

Groups 1-3 (PK, ST, OL, RB)

Arrival: Tuesday
Measurements: Wednesday
Bench press: Thursday
On-field drills: Friday

Offensive linemen
For the last few years we’ve used a formula called TEF to measure explosive physical traits. It proved to be an accurate way of predicting which offensive linemen the Seahawks might be targeting. In light of Tom Cable’s departure after the 2017 season (due to his influence on the system) it’s unclear if it’ll be quite as useful in the future. Either way, it’s still a good way to compare the offensive and defensive linemen and measure explosive physical traits.

Why are they important? Pat Kirwan — a confidant of Pete Carroll — tells us why in this piece:

Every time a ball is snapped to start a play there is a critical element of explosiveness that takes place. When two players collide in an attempt to physically dominate each other, the athlete with the edge in explosiveness has the best chance to win the confrontation. It could be a blocker vs. a tackler, a tackler vs. a ball carrier, or many other examples of winning at the point of contact.

Explosiveness is defined in the dictionary as a violent release of energy, a sudden outburst. Football is a series of explosions. How do you measure it in athletes trying to play NFL football?

Take the vertical jump, standing broad jump and the bench press test results and add them together. If the combined score is over 70 there is a reason to consider the candidate at some point in the draft process for his explosiveness.

Kirwan’s formula is flawed because it diminishes the impact of the broad jump. A superb 9-7 only achieves a 1.2 point advantage over a below par 8-5. That’s why TEF was created — to do what Kirwan intended and measure explosive traits equally and emphasise their combined importance.

TEF is not an attempt to determine who is a good or bad offensive linemen. It’s merely a calculation to judge explosive traits. And while that’s only one part of any evaluation — it’s still a vital part of analysing a prospect or draft class. A year ago, seven offensive linemen scored an optimal 3.00 or higher in TEF. Of the seven, Quenton Nelson and Kolton Miller were both high first round picks. Braden Smith, Connor Williams and Will Hernandez were second round picks.

For more on TEF, including a breakdown of the calculation, click here.

Key tests
Vertical, Broad, Bench

Ideal size
6-3/6-5, 305-320lbs, 35 inch arms, +31 inch vertical, +9’ broad, +30 bench reps

Interesting note
For a long time we’ve been discussing the league-wide problem of the athletic discrepancy between college O-lines and D-lines. At the last three combines there were a total of 78 ‘explosive’ defensive linemen (explosive = a score of 3.00 or higher). In comparison, there were only 16 explosive offensive linemen. This is a big problem for the NFL. Those numbers will likely be even more skewed after the 2019 combine due to the strength of the D-line class.

The best drill to watch
The mirror drill. Two linemen stand opposite each other, with one acting as ‘the rabbit’. He’ll move around and change direction and it’s up to the participant to stick. It’s an important test of footwork, agility, mobility, balance, control and stamina. It’s also a good gauge of pass protection skills. Germain Ifedi boosted his stock in 2016 when he performed well in this drill working opposite Laremy Tunsil.

Five names to watch
Chuma Edoga (T, USC), Kaleb McGary (T, Washington), Chris Lindstrom (G, Boston College), Yodny Cajuste (T, West Virginia), Andre Dillard (T, Washington State)

Positional notes
There isn’t an offensive tackle worthy of a top-five pick. Just like a year ago, we could see the perceived ‘best’ lineman go early (Mike McGlinchey was the #10 pick). The favourite at the moment is Jawaan Taylor at Florida although Andre Dillard at Washington State could jump to OT1 with a good combine. Day two (rounds 2-3) should provide plenty of O-line value with a cluster of good guards and athletic tackles likely to be available.

Importance to the Seahawks
Much depends on the future of D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy — both free agents. Germain Ifedi and George Fant are also free agents in 2020. An O-line pick is very possible at some stage.

Running backs
The Seahawks have a type at running back. They’ve consistently drafted players with a similar physical profile. It’s made it fairly straight forward to figure out who they might like. Here are the players we identified from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 combines as probable targets:

2016:

C.J. Prosise — 6-0, 220lbs, 35.5 inch vert, 10-1 broad
Kenneth Dixon — 5-10, 215lbs, 37.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad

2017:

Christopher Carson — 6-0, 218lbs, 37 inch vert, 10-10 broad
Brian Hill — 6-0, 219lbs, 34 inch vert, 10-5 broad
Alvin Kamara — 5-10, 214lbs, 39.5 inch vert, 10-11 broad
Joe Williams — 5-11, 210lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-5 broad

2018:

Saquon Barkley — 6-0, 233lbs, 41 inch vert DNP broad
Kerryon Johnson — 511, 213lbs 40 inch vert, 10-6 broad
Bo Scarborough — 6-0, 228lbs, 40 inch vert, 10-9 broad
Nick Chubb — 5-11, 227lbs, 38.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad
John Kelly — 5-10, 216lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Lavon Coleman — 5-10, 223lbs, 33 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Rashaad Penny — 5-11, 220lbs, 32.5 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Royce Freeman — 5-11, 229lbs, 34 inch vert, 9-10 broad

They drafted Prosise, Carson and Penny. They eventually added Bo Scarborough during the season. There are a lot more names in the 2018 list because it was such a strong running back class. Usually their ‘type’ at running back is in relatively short supply. That wasn’t the case a year ago.

The Seahawks might not draft another running back this year but we should be able to identify which players they’ll like.

Key tests
Vertical, Broad

Ideal size
5-11, 220lbs, +36 inch vertical, +10 broad

Interesting note
The Seahawks preferred explosive traits over straight line speed prior to the 2018 draft. Christine Michael (4.54), C.J. Prosise (4.48), Robert Turbin (4.50) and Chris Carson (4.58) were explosive rather than fast. Rashaad Penny wasn’t quite as explosive but ran a 4.46. It’s probably not a major shift in terms of the type of player they like but it’s still worth noting.

The best drill to watch
The footage will be limited but absolutely it’s the coverage of the vertical and broad jump. Explosive traits are key. It’s nice to see the running backs cutting against pads while showing body control and quickness in the open field. Explosive power and the ability to run through contact is vital at the next level, however.

Five names to watch
Damien Harris (RB, Alabama), Josh Jacobs (RB, Alabama), Rodney Anderson (RB, Oklahoma), Ryquell Armstead (RB, Temple), Mike Weber (RB, Ohio State)

Positional notes
How many players fit Seattle’s prototype? That’s really the only question that matters. The Seahawks haven’t really strayed and gone after smaller, niche running backs. They like explosive power and physicality. Damien Harris and Rodney Anderson are former SPARQ stars and fit the size profile too. Mike Weber at Ohio State is expected to test well. Anderson likely would’ve been a top-25 pick had he not suffered a knee injury during the season. There’s nowhere near the positional depth we saw a year ago but there should be nice options in days 2-3.

Importance to the Seahawks
A year ago I wrote, “simply put, they have to tap into this running back class“. That’s not the case in 2019. The only question mark is whether they keep Mike Davis. If they do, they’re loaded at the position and might ignore it altogether. That said, they still drafted Christine Michael and Robert Turbin with a healthy Marshawn Lynch on the roster. Pete Carroll collected 5-star runners at USC. So if the right player is available, they could strike.

Groups 4-6 (QB, WR, TE)

Arrival: Wednesday
Measurements: Thursday
Bench press: Friday
On-field drills: Saturday

Quarterbacks
For the last few years we haven’t had to pay much attention to the quarterbacks. This year is different. With Russell Wilson’s contract situation set to dominate the headlines this off-season (and possibly beyond) — there’s a distinct possibility they’ll draft a QB. They have to start planning ahead. This is going to be an extremely difficult and aggressive negotiation. Preparing for the worst-case scenario — life without Wilson — is essential.

It’s difficult to work out who they might be interested in. After all, look at the starting QB’s Pete Carroll has used so far — Matt Hasselbeck, Tarvaris Jackson, Charlie Whitehurst and Russell Wilson. There’s very little consistency there.

Downfield throwing seems to be vital though. We know Carroll values explosive plays. Wilson in particular is an exceptional downfield thrower. Whitehurst struggled in Seattle but had the arm strength. That’s likely what convinced them to spend a third round pick to acquire him in 2010.

In this draft the two best downfield passers are clear — Kyler Murray at Oklahoma and Will Grier at West Virginia. Drew Lock and Jarrett Stidham might have stronger arms but Murray was a surgeon throwing deep in 2018 as he won the Heisman. Here’s what PFF noted about Grier’s performance last season:

Grier was once again tremendous for the Mountaineers in 2018, finishing the year as the nation’s third-highest graded quarterback. He let it rip with the best of them, sprinkling in deep shots with great accuracy just as quick as he’d hit a crosser over the middle or perfectly lead his targets away from coverage with relative ease. In total, he averaged the fourth-highest yards per attempt at 9.7 while throwing more deep pass touchdowns than any other FBS QB with 20. He goes down as arguably the best deep-ball thrower over the past two seasons as he’s thrown for more yards (2,850), more touchdowns (36) and more big-time throws (54) on passes targeted at least 20 yards downfield than any other quarterback since 2017.

Grier does lose velocity on some deep throws due to suspect mechanics. It’ll be interesting to see how he throws downfield at the combine.

Key tests
Deep throws

Ideal size
+6-1, 220lbs, +9.5 inch hands

Interesting note
The Seahawks have only drafted two quarterbacks in the Pete Carroll era — Russell Wilson (third round, 2012) and Alex McGough (seventh round, 2018).

The best drill to watch
Everyone wants to see the top QB’s throw the deep ball. That’s basically why they’re there apart from the medicals and interviews. They’re not facing a defense. They’re just standing in shorts and throwing the football. The only real reason to watch the drills is to see which players stand out throwing downfield with power and precision with reasonable mechanics.

Five names to watch
Will Grier (QB, West Virginia), Kyler Murray (QB, Oklahoma), Jarrett Stidham (QB, Auburn), Ryan Finley (QB, NC State), Drew Lock (QB, Missouri)

Positional notes
Kyler Murray, for me, is the most talented player in the entire draft and a worthy selection with the #1 overall pick. After that, the chances are teams will over-draft Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock in the top-15. Both are talented players but appear to be a significant notch below Murray and the top four from 2018 (Darnold, Allen, Mayfield, Rosen). Will Grier, Daniel Jones and Ryan Finley will likely be drafted in the top-100 picks. It’s not a horrendous quarterback class but it lacks the kind of clear top-10 talents that defined the 2018 group.

Importance to the Seahawks
Not everyone will agree but it’s of massive importance. If you actually sit down and properly consider the dilemma over Wilson’s contract, it’s a no-brainer to consider drafting a quarterback early this year. That doesn’t mean you take any player for the sake of it. You have to clearly identify a player you believe can be a future starter. In Murray and Grier, there are two candidates who fit Seattle in terms of their ability to throw downfield and produce in a big way in college. They might not draft a QB with their top pick in 2019 but they could spend a day two pick on the position as insurance for the future.

Wide receivers
Pete Carroll has only drafted two receivers who haven’t run a 4.4 forty or faster (Kenny Lawler 4.64, Chris Harper 4.50). Paul Richardson (4.40), Golden Tate (4.42), Tyler Lockett (4.40), Kris Durham (4.46), Kevin Norwood (4.48), Amara Darboh (4.45) and David Moore (4.42) all cracked the 4.4’s. Kris Durham (216lbs), Chris Harper (229lbs), Kenny Lawler (203lbs), Amara Darboh (214lbs) and David Moore (219lbs) were all +200lbs. Richardson, Tate and Lockett — the three most productive players — were smaller.

This really tells us two things. One — the Seahawks value speed and suddenness at the position even if you’re a ‘bigger’ receiver. Two — they’ve had greater success with smaller receivers since drafting Russell Wilson.

The entire NFL is seeing a shift towards speed and suddenness over pure size. The 2019 draft class is rich in players with great size who struggle to separate. You’ll have seen plenty of mock drafts listing N’Keal Harry, Kelvin Harmon and Hakeem Butler in the top-50. None of the three create consistent separation and rely on contested catches. That’s fine in college but at the next level against superior defensive backs you win fewer of those battles. The ability to separate is vital. Watch the forty, the 10-yard split, the three-cone and short shuttle. It’ll provide a clear indication on which players have the quickness and agility to create openings.

Interesting note
Carroll’s Seahawks don’t really have a ‘range’ where they take receivers. They’ve drafted two players in round two (Richardson, Tate), two in round three (Darboh, Lockett), three in round four (Norwood, Harper, Durham) and two in round seven (Moore, Lawler). They traded a first round pick for Percy Harvin. They’ve also had a degree of success with UDFA’s. The best non-FA athlete Seattle has acquired in the Carroll era was an UDFA — Ricardo Lockette. He ran a 4.41, had a 39-inch vertical and a 6.76 three-cone. He was also well-sized at 211lbs with 33.5-inch arms. The Seahawks have been comfortable bringing in high-ceiling UDFA receivers, finding success with Lockette, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.

Key test
Forty, 10-yard split, catching drills (proper technique)

Ideal size
6-1, 210lbs, 4.45 forty

The best drill to watch
Any drill that clearly shows the receiver’s catching technique. It’s extremely important. You want to see a wide out cupping his hands while presenting them to the ball. No alligator arms, no fighting the ball or snatching at it. Watch the downfield throws too and see who is good at high pointing the football, showing body control. Who is a natural hands catcher?

Five names to watch
D.K. Metcalf (WR, Ole Miss), Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State), Terry McLaurin (WR, Ohio State), Gary Jennings (WR, West Virginia), Emmanuel Hall (WR, Missouri)

Positional assessment
There isn’t a clear top-10 pick among the group but there’s nice depth overall. D.K. Metcalf has the physical profile to blow-up the combine but there are concerns about his WWE body and serious neck injury sustained at Ole Miss. Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin will have amazing workouts. Marquise Brown sadly won’t perform due to a lisfranc injury. Deebo Samuel had a terrific Senior Bowl but needs to allay some concerns about his actual speed. Emmanuel Hall is a burner and he’s not the only one. It’s a shame the league has banned Preston Williams from competing. Perhaps the most intriguing thing with this group is the number of ‘big’ receivers. The ones who manage to run well (4.4’s preferably) will seriously help their stock.

Importance to the Seahawks
Seattle currently has Doug Baldwin (free agent after 2020), Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown and Malik Turner under contract for 2019. David Moore is an exclusive rights free agent and the likes of Amara Darboh, Keenan Reynolds and Caleb Scott could be retained. It feels like they need one more quality target. Pete Carroll has often talked about landing a dynamic big receiver. This is a class full of big receivers. If any run in the 4.4’s — put them on the radar. Likewise, who are the sudden and speedy wide outs who can separate and get downfield to make explosive plays?

Tight ends
Seattle has drafted four tight ends under Pete Carroll — Nick Vannett, Luke Willson, Anthony McCoy and Will Dissly. Vannett and Dissly (the two remaining) were both considered throw-back Y-TE’s who can block. Willson ran a 4.51 at his pro-day with a 38-inch vertical. McCoy ran a 4.78 but was familiar with Carroll and had great size. All four players are quite different.

This is one of the more unpredictable positions to judge for Seattle. They tried to turn Jimmy Graham into the ‘complete tight end’ but settled on making him a red zone machine in 2017. It feels like the Graham experience provided a lesson of sorts. The Dissly pick suggests they’ll stick to players more in the mould of Zach Miller than Jimmy Graham and that style fits Seattle’s preferred offensive identity (which they regained in 2018).

It appears the Seahawks view the short shuttle as an important drill:

Luke Willson — 4.29 at pro-day
Will Dissly — 4.40 (8th best in 2018)
Nick Vannett — 4.20 (2nd best in 2016)
Anthony McCoy — 4.57
Zach Miller — 4.42
Jimmy Graham — 4.45

It was suggested they really liked O.J. Howard. He had the top short shuttle in 2017 (4.16). He was also an excellent blocker to go with his high level of athleticism. So any player who blocks well and runs a good short-shuttle could be on their radar.

Key test
Vertical, Broad, Short shuttle

Ideal size
6-5, 250-265lbs, +34-inch arms, +10-inch hands

Interesting note
In 2010 when Jimmy Graham was drafted in round three by the Saints — the following players left the board between pick #95 and Seattle’s next pick at #111: Everson Griffen, Alterraun Verner, Darrell Stuckey and Geno Atkins. The Seahawks took Kam Chancellor at #133. Reshad Jones (#163) and Antonio Brown (#195) were also day three picks. The 2010 draft had some depth.

Best drill to watch
Like the receivers, check out the catching technique. Is he cupping his hands and showing to the football, or is he fighting the ball?

Five names to watch
T.J. Hockenson (TE, Iowa), Drew Sample (TE, Washington), Noah Fant (TE, Iowa), Kaden Smith (TE, Stanford), Trevon Wesco (TE, West Virginia)

Positional assessment
T.J. Hockenson appears destined to be a top-10 pick and could be drafted by Jacksonville (#7), Detroit (#8), Buffalo (#9) or Denver (#10). For me he’s the second best offensive player in the class after Kyler Murray. There’s a big drop after Hockenson but as with the receiver and O-line units — there’s depth and value to be had on days 2-3. You’ve also got a good mix of blocking TE’s like Drew Sample and Trevon Wesco mixed in with some athletes and ‘big slot receivers’. There’s a bit of everything in this group.

Importance to the Seahawks?
It could go either way. Will Dissly is recovering from a very serious knee injury and Nick Vannett is a free agent after the 2019 season. Ed Dickson is a veteran stop-gap. Are they comfortable rolling with this trio — especially seeing as the TE position in 2018 turned into George Fant acting as a sixth offensive lineman? Or do they need to add another TE to provide insurance against Dissly’s injury, Dickson’s injury history and Vannett’s expiring contract?

Groups 7-9 (DL, LB)

Arrival: Thursday
Measurements: Friday
Bench press: Saturday
On-field drills: Sunday

Defensive line
The Seahawks appear to have defined preferences at each of the different positions. For example, Seattle hasn’t drafted a defensive lineman or EDGE rusher with sub-33 inch arms. Rasheem Green, Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Hill, Jaye Howard and Malik McDowell all tested superbly in the short shuttle (4.39, 4.37, 4.51, 4.47 and 4.53 respectively). If they’re looking for a quicker, interior pass-rush or inside/out option — this drill appears to be significant.

Twitchy athletes with great burst are their thing at DE/EDGE. The 10-yard split is clearly important. EDGE rushers Bruce Irvin and Cliff Avril ran 1.55 and 1.50 splits respectively. Anything in the 1.5’s is considered ‘elite’. If you’re looking for a possible LEO in this draft class then you need to be keeping an eye out for the 1.50-1.59 10-yard splits.

The splits are also important for inside/out rushers or interior pass rushers. Frank Clark was considered more of an explosive inside/out rusher and he ran a 1.69 split at 271lbs. Malik McDowell managed the same 1.69 split at 295lbs. Rasheem Green ran a 1.65 at 275lbs.

Look for any EDGE running a 1.5-split or any DE/DT running a 1.6.

Bruce Irvin (4.03) and Frank Clark (4.05) both ran incredible short shuttles. Cassius Marsh’s 4.25 and Obum Gwacham’s 4.28 were also really good.

There were serious concerns about Malik McDowell’s effort and attitude but he put on a show at the combine. He was 295lbs with great height (6-6) and length (35 inch arms) and ran a 4.85 with a 1.69 split. His three cone (4.53) was the same as Dalvin Cook’s.

Every year the defensive linemen generally test well. It’s indicative of the way college football has gone. The top High School players want to play defense because that’s where the money is in the NFL and the stats/kudos/respect. It often means some exceptional combine performers last deep into the draft. We spent a lot of time in 2011 talking about Justin Houston as a possible LEO target. He lasted into round three. Two years ago Kansas State’s Jordan Willis had a fantastic workout and also lasted into round three. His 1.54 10-yard split was the best for a +250lbs player since Cliff Avril’s 1.50 (Avril was also a third round pick). A great combine for a pass rusher will not automatically mean they shoot into the early rounds.

Key tests
Vertical, Broad, Bench, Short Shuttle, Three-cone, 10-yard split (forty)

Ideal size
DL — 6-2/6-4, 300-310lbs, +33 inch arms, +31 inch vertical, +9’ broad, 4.50 ss
LEO — 6-4, 250lbs, +33 inch arms, 1.50-1.59 10-yard split

Interesting note
Miami defensive tackle Gerald Willis III is the brother of New York Giants safety Landon Collins.

Best drill to watch
Just absorb everything. The D-line drills are the most entertaining, most fan-friendly of all the combine events. The bag drills, the swim/rip drills, the club, the working in space. It’s a real show of the most explosive athletes in college football competing in one venue. This is a D-line draft so enjoy.

Five names to watch
Christian Wilkins (DT, Clemson), Dexter Lawrence (DT, Clemson), Montez Sweat (EDGE, Mississippi State), Renell Wren (DT, Arizona State), Ed Oliver (DT, Houston)

Positional assessment
The D-liners will be the highlight of the combine. The 2019 class of defensive linemen has legendary potential. You’ve got a cluster of prospective top-10 picks. We could see as many as 10-12 first rounders from this group. The depth continues deep into days two and three. You also have every single type of player covered — nose tackles, dynamic interior rushers, speed rushers, prototype DE’s. Whatever you need it’s here. I could do a whole preview piece purely on the D-line class but here are a few highlights. I think Dexter Lawrence will run an outstanding forty time for his size (about 350lbs) and get people talking. I think everyone will love Christian Wilkins — his personality and his workout. I think it’s going to be interesting to see which of the defensive ends can run in the elite 1.5’s for the 10-yard split (there could be a few this year). I want to see if L.J. Collier is enough of an athlete for Seattle. What kind of a tester is Dre’Mont Jones at Ohio State? Will Khalen Saunders do a back-flip? How big is Ed Oliver and can he, as expected, be one of the stars of the combine? Is Quinnen Williams a potential challenger to Nick Bosa to be the first D-liner drafted? Is Nick a better tester than Joey? Is Christian Miller going to workout? How much does Brian Burns truly weigh? Is Clelin Ferrell more explosive and quick than people are giving him credit for? Will Gerald Willis III run a fantastic short shuttle? Can Jachai Polite and Montez Sweat secure top-20 grades with a great workout and allay some concerns about their off-field personalities?

Importance to the Seahawks?
You can easily make a compelling case that adding a pass rusher is Seattle’s top need this off-season. Of course it all depends on who they lose in free agency and the situation with Russell Wilson’s contract. Yet adding more support to Frank Clark and Jarran Reed is still essential. They’ve often tapped into the strength of a draft class and that could easily be the case again in 2019. However — there’s one thing to consider here. The Seahawks will trade down from #21. And if they drop into the 30’s or 40’s, there’s a chance they’ll move out of range for the best defensive linemen and into a range where O-line, receiver and possibly quarterback are greater strengths. With so much great D-line depth this year — are they prepared to wait until rounds 3-5 to add to the pass rush? Could they go in a different direction with their first pick after trading down? It’s possible but they could also take a pass rusher with their first pick as many are projecting.

Linebackers
The Seahawks have drafted a collection of freakish athletes at linebacker since 2010. Kevin Pierre-Louis, Korey Toomer, Malcolm Smith and Eric Pinkins all ran between a 4.44 and a 4.51 in the forty. Pierre-Louis, Smith and Pinkins all jumped +39 inches in the vertical. Bobby Wagner was a 4.4 runner at his pro-day with a 39.5-inch vertical. Of the five players they’ve drafted with a +140 SPARQ score, Wagner, Pierre-Louis and Bruce Irvin are included. Speed (forty yard dash) and explosive traits (vertical, broad) appear to be preferred.

That said, one of their big success stories since 2011 is K.J. Wright. He’s a 6-3, 246lbs bigger linebacker with incredible length (35 inch arms) but only 4.71 speed, a 34 inch vertical and a 10-0 broad. Wright might be the exception — a unique player with tremendous length and intensity.

Two years ago Pete Carroll stated they needed to add some youth at the position. In the following two drafts the only linebacker they’ve selected is Shaquem Griffin. The 2017 and 2018 combine didn’t produce many exceptionally quick or unique athletes. With Wright now a free agent it’s highly possible they will review this position again depending on how the 2019 linebackers test at the combine.

It’s also very possible they will bring back a man who had this combine performance in 2012:

Height: 5-11
Weight — 239lbs
Forty — 4.47
10-yd split — 1.53
Vertical — 39.5
Broad — 10-7
Short shuttle — 4.19

That exceptional workout belonged to Mychal Kendricks. That’s the type of athlete we need to be looking for if they’re ever going to draft a linebacker early. Kendricks’ forty time is the second fastest by a linebacker at the combine since 2010 (only topped by Shaquem Griffin’s 4.38).

Key tests
Forty yard dash, Three-cone, Vertical, Broad, short shuttle

Ideal size
+6-0, 230-240lbs, 4.4-4.5 forty, 6.70 three-cone, +10’ broad, 4.20-4.35 short shuttle

Interesting note
Bobby Wagner played 99.35% of the defensive snaps in 2016 and K.J. Wright played 97.41%. That led to Carroll’s comment about needing youth at the position to take some of the strain. Since then, Wagner tallied 93.08% of the snaps in 2017 and 93.34% in 2018. Wright had 87.07% in 2017 before missing most of 2018 through injury. It’s been clear for a while that they need some depth and help at the position.

Best drill to watch
The short shuttle results. We highlighted two years ago how important it might be for the Seahawks. Quickness and change of direction is vital at linebacker but the Seahawks also seem to value straight-line speed.

Five names to watch
Devin Bush (LB, Michigan), Mack Wilson (LB, Alabama), Terrill Hanks (LB, New Mexico State), Vosean Joseph (LB, Florida), Bobby Okereke (LB, Stanford)

Positional assessment
There are a cluster of names that could go in the first two rounds including Devin White, Devin Bush, Mack Wilson and Te’Von Coney. After that the depth is a little sparse. It’s been a long time since there’s been a really exciting linebacker class with top-level names and depth. Alabama’s Wilson is a player I’m keen to see at the combine. He was often used as a safety by Alabama on key-passing downs. That’s how highly they rated him in coverage. I watched his Rivals High School footage a few days ago and even prior to joining Alabama it was clear he had a special ability to move in space with his size and cover. Having said that I was a bit disappointed with his 2018 tape. Can he run as well as Bush and White to secure a first round grade? Terrill Hanks and Bobby Okereke have incredibly long arms like K.J. Wright. If they test well they could be on Seattle’s radar.

Importance to the Seahawks?
It gets more important every year. K.J. Wright could be set to depart in free agency and who knows what the future holds for Mychal Kendricks. Bobby Wagner is a free agent after the 2019 season. They need to add some young talent to the position one way or another.

Groups 10-11 (DB)

Arrival: Friday
Measurements: Saturday
Bench press: Sunday
On-field drills: Monday

Cornerback
The 2017 cornerback class was the talk of the town. The 2018 group was the complete opposite. The combine workout for last years CB’s was one of the most boring, uninspiring sessions I’ve witnessed in a decade of writing this blog. The length of the workouts didn’t help — they seemed to go on forever in part because so many players had to re-start their drills. Let’s hope it’s a much improved 2019 performance but the early signs aren’t great. It does not look like a strong cornerback class.

By now everyone knows what the Seahawks like in a corner. Every CB drafted in the Pete Carroll era has had 32 inch arms. Those players are generally physical and tall and take pride in defending the run.

A year ago we highlighted Tre Flowers as a possible target and mocked him to Seattle in many of our seven-round projections — simply because he looked like a prototype Seahawks corner at the combine. It was clear and obvious.

We’ve previously discussed the importance of wingspan too. Wingspan is defined as the length between the tip of your middle finger on one outstretched arm to the other. The average NFL cornerback has a wingspan of 75.5 inches (31.5 inch arm length). Here’s the arm length and wingspan data for some of Seattle’s draftees, acquisitions and starters since 2010:

Richard Sherman — 32 (arms) 78 (wingspan)
Brandon Browner — 33 (arms) 80 (wingspan)
Byron Maxwell — 33.5 (arms) 77.5 (wingspan)
Jeremy Lane — 32.5 (arms) 78 (wingspan)
Tye Smith — 32 (arms) 78 (wingspan)
DeAndre Elliott — 32 (arms) 77.5 (wingspan)
Neiko Thorpe — 31 3/4 (arms) 78 1/2 (wingspan)
Stanley Jean-Baptiste — 32 3/8 (arms) 78 3/8 (wingspan)
Pierre Desir — 33 (arms) 77.5 (wingspan)

In 2017 they drafted Shaq Griffin in round three. He has 32 3/8 inch arms but only a 74 3/4 inch wingspan so this was quite a difference compared to some of the other corners. Griffin lacks the kind of length they usually go for at the position.

Why is length so important? 100% of multiple first team All-Pro cornerbacks drafted since 1998 have +32 inch arms.

Short-area quickness also seems to be important. The short shuttle tests lateral quickness, explosion in short areas, body control and the ability to change direction quickly. In this visual demonstration of the drill, Mike Mayock states:

“It’s important for literally every position. Why? For the little guys it’s obvious. Quickness, acceleration, change of direction. How about the big guys? Can they bend? Are you a natural bender or are you a heavy-legged waist bender? A great time for a defensive back is a 4.2.”

If a great time is a 4.2, it’s fair to assume anything quicker than a 4.00 is exceptional.

Since 2010, only five CB’s have run a sub-4.00 short shuttle and measured with 32 inch arms:

2018 — Jordan Thomas (3.94)
2017 — Kevin King (3.89)
2016 — DeAndre Elliott (3.94)
2015 — Byron Jones (3.94), Tye Smith (3.96)
2010-2014 — No qualifiers

The Seahawks drafted Smith and signed Elliott. Short-area quickness and great length is a rare combination so any possible day three prospects with these physical traits will likely be on the radar.

Here are the known short shuttle times for drafted/UDFA cornerbacks in Seattle:

DeAndre Elliott — 3.94
Tye Smith — 3.96
Jeremy Lane — 4.14
Shaq Griffin — 4.14
Deshawn Shead — 4.23
Brandon Browner — 4.24
Richard Sherman — 4.29
Tharold Simon — 4.31
Byron Maxwell — 4.49

Key tests
Three-cone, Vertical, measurements (arm length), short shuttle

Ideal size
+6-1, 195lbs, +32-inch arms, 4.50 forty, +35-inch vertical

Interesting note
Speed previously didn’t appear to be crucial but it might’ve been the difference for Shaq Griffin. Five of Seattle’s six drafted cornerbacks before 2017 ran between a 4.47 and a 4.56 in the forty yard dash. Griffin ran a 4.38 and they drafted him earlier than any other cornerback in the Pete Carroll era.

Best drill to watch
The backpedal drill. Watch to see how the cornerback transitions and whether it’s effortless. Do they have loose hips and do they explode out of their break? Is their footwork smooth or clunky? Are they laboured in any way or does it just look natural?

Five names to watch
Jamal Peters (CB, Mississippi State), Rock Ya-Sin (CB, Temple), Lonnie Johnson (CB, Kentucky), Joejuan Williams (CB, Vanderbilt), Justin Layne (CB, Michigan State)

Positional assessment
Many of the big names are a bit overrated and it’s very difficult to get excited about any of the 2019 cornerbacks in round one. It feels like a year where you identify a collection of CB’s who fit your scheme and you find a range to add one and make do. It’s not a year to chase after the position in round one unless you really believe in a player like Greedy Williams. As usual for the Seahawks — look for the 32-inch armed prospects with decent height and watch how they test. Write down the names and find out how they tackle. You might discover the next player they draft on day three.

Importance to the Seahawks?
There are two aspects to this. Firstly, they could do with adding some competition for Shaquille Griffin and Tre Flowers. The depth at the position is pretty suspect and needs replenishing. Secondly, do they intend to re-sign Justin Coleman? If they lose Coleman they could be on the lookout for a dynamic slot corner. This means a very different physical profile. Coleman was only 5-11 and 185lbs at his combine with 31 1/4 inch arms. He did, however, run a blistering short shuttle (3.98) and jumped a 37.5 inch vertical.

Safety
After hitting on Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor in 2010, Seattle hasn’t had much success drafting for the safety position. Ryan Murphy, Winston Guy and Mark LeGree have come and gone. The jury’s still out on Tedric Thompson and Delano Hill (although Hill finished the 2018 season strongly).

There’s a real mix of physical profiles in the players they’ve taken, making it a difficult position to project. Thomas (31 1/4) and Legree (30 1/4) have short arms so the 32-inch test isn’t necessary here but Guy had great arm length (33). Murphy ran a 4.48 at his pro-day with an impressive 39-inch vertical but Legree (4.59) and Guy (4.70) didn’t run fast times (Legree only had a 31-inch vertical too). Hill ran a 4.47 but Thompson managed only a 4.60. Overall it’s hard to determine a Seahawks ‘type’ with these numbers. The only safety they’ve drafted in the first two rounds (Earl Thomas) is a tremendous athlete. He ran a 4.37 at his pro-day after pulling a hamstring running the forty at the combine (while still managing an official 4.49).

There aren’t many safety’s entering the NFL with elite level speed. Since 2010, only three (Troy Akpe, T.J. Green and Justin Cox) ran in the 4.3’s at the combine. Budda Baker’s 4.45 at only 195lbs is the 15th best time by a safety in the last nine years. The fastest players haven’t always been the best either. Here are the top-15 runners at the position since 2010:

Troy Akpe — 4.34
T.J. Green — 4.34
Justin Cox — 4.36
Natrell Jamerson — 4.40
Obi Melifownu — 4.40
Justin Reid — 4.40
Dane Cruikshank — 4.41
Josh Jones — 4.41
Terrence Brooks — 4.42
Montae Nicholson — 4.42
Shamarko Thomas — 4.42
Taylor Mays — 4.43
Godwin Igwebuike — 4.44
Earl Wolff — 4.44
Budda Baker — 4.45

We talk a lot about speed at safety because of Earl Thomas but the results here tend to suggest a couple of possibilities. Either speed isn’t as important as some people think to be a great safety or it’s indicative of a lack of quality safety’s currently in the NFL. Both might be true.

Key drills
Forty yard dash, Three-cone, Vertical, Broad

Ideal size
+6-0, 200-220lbs, 4.4 forty, +39-inch vertical, +10-5 broad jump

Interesting note
Bob McGinn’s sourced NFL draft article sums up the 2019 safety class as such: “This class of safeties lacks quality and quantity.”

Best drill to watch
Any of the drills requiring the safety’s to close in space and show off their open-field quickness and range.

Five names to watch
Johnathan Abram (S, Mississippi State), Marvell Tell (S, USC), Marquise Blair (S, Utah), Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida), Taylor Rapp (S, Washington)

Positional assessment
It’s difficult to make a case for any safety deserving to be drafted in round one. Taylor Rapp and Jonathan Abram are the most likely players to land in the top-40. Rapp should test very well in the short shuttle. If he runs in the low 4.5’s he could very easily find himself in the first frame. Deionte Thompson and Nasir Adderley have been hyped up unfairly. USC’s Marvell Tell is one to watch as a possible safety/corner convert project. It’s not a great safety class.

Importance to the Seahawks?
The Seahawks appear to like their existing safety’s more than the fans and media. Bradley McDougald has developed into a crucial starter. They seem to really rate Delano Hill and like Tedric Thompson’s potential. They traded for Shalom Luani during the season. It’s very possible they add to the position but it seems unlikely to be a high pick.

Further reading

First round mock draft

Second round mock draft

Free agent priorities for the Seahawks

Why the Seahawks aren’t as focused on SPARQ as you might think

The top performers in each drill position-by-position since 2006

What is TEF?

Thoughts and predictions on Seattle’s off-season

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