As we move towards draft season, I wanted to talk about some of my favourite players in the class. Some are players who will go in the first round, some will be available later on. This is my first batch of these profiles. More will follow.
Players who probably won’t be there at #32 (but I like them a lot anyway)
Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
An exceptional run defender and a complete bully 1v1. This is a proper player — someone who is almost certainly going to have next level success.
The eye test matches PFF’s #1 ranking for defensive tackles vs the run (91.2 grade). He succeeds not just as a gap plugger or container of single blocks or double teams. He wins by engaging contact, destroying blockers by throwing them away, then tackling the runner.
McDonald slams his hands inside and controls linemen. He throws off blockers with violence once engaged. His anchor is elite and he has a thick lower body with great balance.
Despite his height (6-3) he plays with great pad level and wins leverage battles. He constantly keeps his eyes in the backfield to make his play off the read.
If guards try to dip inside to run on the move he can be unblockable —- he’s too quick for that. Single blocks are food and drink for him. You are going to have to double team him a lot. Even then, he handles double teams and often creates interior pile-ups.
He will push the pocket and win with power over and over again. He also has surprising get-off for his size —- he is a good athlete at 325lbs. As a consequence, there’s untapped pass-rush potential and he offers more than just a typical nose tackle would. Good coaching could unlock a greater arsenal of pass-rush moves.
You can build a defense around players like this. I think he’s another Derrick Brown and should be a top-10 pick. He’s being underrated by draft media. Great teams have monsters like this winning in the trenches.
Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
There are not many human’s with Bank’s enormous size and length (6-6, 325lbs, 35-inch arms). He also has massive 10 3/4 inch hands. This is the physical profile of someone who could be special, especially when you consider how well he moves at this size.
He can play across the line in different positions —- nose, 1-tech, 3-tech, 5-tech. He barges his way into the backfield. He can swipe blockers’ hands away to keep his frame clean and skip into the backfield. Banks throws off linemen with disdain when playing at his best and he can bully mediocre interior blockers in the run game.
He shocks interior blockers with his quickness and movement. He shows an effective push-pull move and his lateral agility on some reps is astonishing. He does try a slightly laboured spin move at times. His straight-arm is better — allowing him to control blocks and plot a course to the quarterback or play the run.
The fact he barely played in 2025 due to injury issues will need checking. He also has an upright style at times when he gets tired and you see his form slip. There is some laziness on tape and he’s an occasional waist bender.
However, he also shows surprising quickness if you don’t get into his frame quickly. He’s very capable of running around blocks when gaps are created through stunts and he has a great swim move to penetrate. He shows a jolting punch which can shock linemen.
Banks is a ball of clay ready to be moulded into a disruptive, brutish force. The uniqueness of his frame and profile should ensure interest early in this draft. If he lasts, you end up taking a chance on a major talent. I think he should be a top-15 pick.
Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
The more I watched of Hood the more he grew on me. There are just so many snaps where he’s running right alongside the receiver. As a pure cover man there’s a lot to like.
Initially I worried he might be a flag machine at the next level. Often when he’s stuck to the receiver he’s making contact. It’s true that he needs to be able to run in the hip-pocket without being all over the receiver and I thought he was lucky not to be flagged a lot more in college.
However, the fact is his coverage is consistently tight. That’s what you want. And he wasn’t flagged. So maybe you just need to give him the benefit of the doubt and embrace what he does well?
He’s reasonably sized (6-0, 188lbs, 31.5 inch arms). He likes contact. There are a few examples of him appearing a bit flat-footed on his release at times but his recovery speed appears to be very strong. There are plenty of snaps where he’s running right alongside the receiver. He’s like a shadow in coverage.
His run defense is not a strong point and his tackling form needs a lot of work. You also need to look into the fact he’s played for three teams (Auburn, Colorado, Tennessee). He was also only the 11th fastest cornerback at the Senior Bowl (19.48mph).
Even so, the aim of the game is to draft strong cover corners who can stick. Hood can. That makes him a very intriguing player. You can work on the other issues — what he brings to the table already is very appealing.
Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
He has eally good size yet still has highly impressive range. Thieneman covers ground tremendously as a roaming free safety.
He has a nose for the football (six interceptions as a freshman at Purdue). He can launch downfield from deep and fly through space to hammer ball-carriers. He shows a quick trigger to sniff out plays in front of him.
Thieneman is an excellent downfield attacker and he’s willing to charge into vacant gaps and make a tackle. In multiple games he showed he’d done his homework — anticipating routes correctly. It is very evident he’s in the film room studying tape.
It’s easy to imagine him lining up anywhere. He’s a chess piece. He dodges blockers when playing in attack mode with great agility and good luck stretching out runs or bouncing outside if he has you in his sights.
He can start as a single-high safety and run 25 yards downfield to deliver hits for minimal gains. There are not many players with his size and range. He can take away a half of the field.
There’s evidence of jarring hits on tape and he plays with some violence. Centre-field players like this are not typical. There’s no hip stiffness in transition and he changes direction quickly.
There’s room for him to add more muscle without losing speed. He’s seen as one of the vocal leaders for Oregon. Reports suggest he is a football junky completely committed to his craft.
Attractive options who might be considered with Seattle’s first pick
Gennings Dunker (T/G, Iowa)
One of my favourite linemen to study in 18 years of doing this blog. It’s been comical to see the internet nit-picking him at the Senior Bowl or looking at the tape of the game after he suffered a grade-two MCL tear, played anyway, but didn’t move that freely when zone blocking.
He showed two years of consistently good tape. He can be an absolute prick as a finisher when given an opportunity and I like that. Dunker shows huge power on contact and is able to control blocks with brute force.
He can flow down the line to create cut-back opportunities for the running back. He blocks well on the move even when tasked with striking defenders at awkward angles. He loves to dump opponents on their back and then plaster them on the ground.
When he blocks square-on he is a people-mover in the running game. He can get out on the move, latch on to a target and control using his length which is impressive — 34-inch arms with a 6-5, 320lbs frame and big 10-inch hands. This is what an O-liner is supposed to look like — thick lower body, powerful upper body, long arms.
His combo blocks are sharp and effective. He’s very comfortable reaching up to the second level and knocking a linebacker out of position. His initial punch on contact carries violence. He keeps his feet moving on contact and drives through his blocks well.
His feet move well enough on kick-slide to protect at tackle if you want to keep him there. I think he’ll be a red-zone dynamo in the running game. He can handle counters (spin moves, inside counter) and he consistently executes his blocking assignment.
Dunker seals the edge for outside runs and he re-sets his feet to block off any edge penetration on inside runs.
I do get some of the complaints. He’s not Grey Zabel running to the second level or on pulls. That’s why he isn’t going to be a top-20 pick. Let’s not go overboard though and suggest he can’t play zone. He can.
He clearly loves the game and has a classic O-lineman personality. This is the kind of player I want on my football team. I think he can play right tackle but he’d be an excellent guard. Testing will determine his upside but I can’t see him failing at the next level. He might not be an elite interior lineman but I doubt he’s going to make you rue taking him. For me he’s a top-45 pick.
Joshua Josephs (EDGE, Tennessee)
The Seahawks typically value length in their pass rushers. He has it in a way many alternatives within this class don’t. He’s also very physical, plays with intensity and his personality fits this team. I think in time he could develop into a long-term successor to DeMarcus Lawrence.
Joseph’s pass-rush win percentage was 21.2% in 2025. Here’s how that compares to some of the bigger names in this class:
Rueben Bain Jr — 23.5
Romello Height — 21.8
David Bailey — 21.6
Joshua Josephs — 21.2
Akheem Mesidor — 20.8
R Mason Thomas — 20.3
He also had a 77.0 grade for run defending, which is perfectly acceptable at his position.
He is a highly dynamic pass rusher with a bunch of transferable skills to the NFL. He looks the part with great arm length and a long, lean frame. He works to disengage and is capable of initiating contact but he’s slippery to break off a block.
He seems to prefer to sprint into contact and then disengage rather than win with pure bend/straighten. His arm/over can be effective to win 1v1 and he does show quickness off the snap.
His run discipline is evident and he keeps his eyes on the ball-carrier when engaged. He has a spin move counter that succeeds enough to be a weapon.
He could do with adding more weight and becoming more of a power player and he can lose leverage battles at times. However, his acceleration to the quarterback on the chase is impressive and there’s evidence of throwing down tackles with disdain (love to see that).
There is a lot to work with here and I think he should be a top-45 pick in this draft.
Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)
He will be 25-years-old when drafted and combined with an injury history that’ll need checking out, that could keep him on the board. Some teams will have day-two grades on him, as I have.
He had major production in 2025 with 13 sacks and played a key role in Miami’s run to the National Championship game. He can get round the edge and beat offensive tackles. He’s also willing to drive through tackles to find a different route to the quarterback.
Mesidor is a challenging evaluation given he isn’t a twitchy type but his wins are often done quickly. You do see a level of quickness off the snap but I suspect he won’t run brilliantly — it’s hard to put into words.
He does show some shiftiness getting out of his stance and his arm/over is successful. His pass-rush win percentage was 20.8% in 2025 and his 67 pressures were second only to David Bailey and Bain.
It’s hard to judge his frame because he’s listed at around 6-3 and 280lbs but almost seems undersized to look at. Is he more like 6-2? He does line up inside at times and like Bain can attack outside shoulder of guards and succeed.
He has a really good inside counter where he can quickly get into position and attack with arm/over move. His motor is full-on — he will chase backwards to track ball carriers and sprint to the sideline.
His run defense is a massive positive. He had a 90.0 grade vs the run and only Jaishawn Barham had a better mark (90.4).
He did miss 11 tackles in 2025 and as with Bain his performances seemed to fit two extremes — great or quiet.
Testing is key — with his age, injury history and frame you need to know there’s upside here. The problem is I think if he satisfies the bigger questions he probably doesn’t make it to #32 and if he does, are you going to be the ones to take him off the board?
Players who could provide some value
Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF)
A truly dynamic edge rusher with the skills to get to the quarterback — but there are question marks about his every down viability due to his run defense. Even so, when he attacks the edge he shows a level of dynamism most others don’t in this class — plus he has a good repertoire of moves. He is a skilled and dangerous pass rusher.
He’s 6-4, 247lbs with 33.5 inch arms. He has consistent production with 20 sacks in three seasons, plus 93 pressures. His win rate is 19.2% this season and it was 22.7% last season.
Lawrence knows how to use his length, extending his arms to keep blockers off his frame. He’s very capable of attacking from a wide-9 angle to bend the arc. He also shows signs of an inside counter.
He’s slippery to get around sub-standard college left tackles. When the run game flows wide he can work down the line and positions himself well. However, run defense is not a plus point generally if asked to seal edge or anchor.
When he can run to the ball-carrier he’s a forceful tackler. He’s shown evidence of exploding off the snap and hammering linemen. He has dumped blockers on their back.
Lawrence attacks taller blockers by getting low and driving his arms upwards to gain leverage. His straight arm shows he can drive blockers into the pocket. He can chop away at the arms of blockers to avoid contact and can also rip through. As noted, he has an assortment of moves to attack blockers with and his bend is better than most EDGE rushers in this class.
He plays with a high motor and he lined up everywhere including inside (30 snaps in 2025). There is a player here, he is intriguing. The question is whether his run defense can improve or does he have to be a situational rusher?
There’s a chance with good testing he works into the top-50. I’m surprised he ended up at the Shrine Bowl rather than the Senior Bowl. Even if he does just end up rushing situational, he’s intriguing.
Kendal Daniels (LB, Oklahoma)
He’s a highly versatile chess piece only scratching the surface of his potential. He was used everywhere by the Sooners — D-line/EDGE, box safety, linebacker, slot, free safety. He’s 6-5 and 240lbs but played snaps at safety speaking to how intriguing he is.
He performed well in key games against Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, Texas. His range at his size makes him a fascinating linebacker project. He has the ability to roam the open field, go sideline-to-sideline and has take-on size.
Daniels recorded 5.5 sacks as an EDGE when playing for Oklahoma State in 2024. If needed to fill in as a big nickel he can do it. His drop ability at his size isn’t natural.
On tape you’d love to see a bit more violence. That is missing a little bit. But he will chase a lost cause. His closing ability is quick once he ID’s the ball-carrier.
It’s almost certain he isn’t Fred Warner — but there are size/athleticism/range similarities. I would draft him to take a shot at developing him. At a minimum he could have some versatility value and play special teams. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on his testing.
His personality would be a fit. He has an old school mentality — he’s grounded, there’s no flash and he fits the Seahawks personality. He’s humble and has talked in interviews about weak areas in his game. He has a good teaching background playing for Brent Venables.
I really like him as someone you take a chance on in the middle rounds.
Harrison Wallace (WR, Ole Miss)
I always like to see receivers show the potential to take over a game in college. Wallace dominated against Georgia in the playoffs, recording nine catches for 156 yards and touchdown.
He presents a good target for the quarterback and goes up to get the football and catches away from his body. He’s capable of high-pointing difficult grabs and he shows good, consistent hands with only three recorded drops in 2025.
He’s silky smooth with his routes and challenges defenders to stick with him. He doesn’t have lightning quickness but his route-running and gliding style get him open. He shows subtle separation techniques thanks to his stylish work on his routes.
The good thing is he doesn’t need to be wide open to make plays — just throw it to him and he is competitive. He also has a hesitation move to trick cornerbacks and a clinical stop-start.
He makes catches in heavy traffic when throws go into tight windows (this translates) and when he’s playing at his best he just looks the part.
His upside is to be determined through testing and it was a shame not to see him at the Senior Bowl. However, he’s a player with plenty of talent and a chance to make it.
In an era where non-elite speed/size receivers are excelling — why can’t Harrison Wallace?
Kyle Louis (LB, Pittsburgh)
Well known for his first-in, last-out approach and said to be completely committed to his craft. He was a team captain at Pittsburgh.
He’s a versatile player and was used in the box (319 snaps), on the line (105) and slot corner (244) for Pitt. He’s undersized (6-0, 224lbs) but electric. He was the 10th fastest player at the Senior Bowl (20.31mph) regardless of position.
Louis has a knack for big plays in big moments. His feel for the game is also impressive and he just has a sense for what’s developing and a nose for the ball.
He’s an explosive blitzer flying to the QB when given a runway. I was really surprised how effective he was starting at the line and creating pressure. He had 18 pressures in 11 games in 2025 for a player playing all over the field.
Despite lack of size he has shown he can play at the line, absorb contact and still make plays. He doesn’t give up on plays either and is always competing.
His downhill ability is underrated for his size and he’s willing to fill a gap and make a tackle. Louis works through traffic with great agility, dodges blocks and shows stop-start qualities.
There’s evidence of legit coverage ability when matched up against tight ends. He’s so loose in his transition for +220lbs. You also see his speed running to the sideline.
At the Senior Bowl he consistently made plays including in 1v1 coverage drills where he’s set up to struggle.
He could realistically play safety, WILL, SAM, big nickel and maybe MLB.
Drake Thomas was 223lbs at his combine and Ernest Jones 230lbs so the Seahawks can live with his lack of elite size.
I’m not sure how early you can take a player with this profile unless he stuns everyone with his testing — but at some point he’s going to be a player worth bringing into your building.
Kaden Wetjen (WR, Iowa)
If the Seahawks don’t retain Rashid Shaheed, I might go as far as prioritising Wetjen. He is an exceptional, explosive return specialist who jumped off the screen in multiple Iowa games.
He had 1538 kick return yards in college, 954 punt yards and six total touchdowns. He’s worth drafting just for the special teams value and given the way the kicking game has changed — I think he becomes a high value player.
Wetjen has stop-start acceleration when assessing options on returns. He’s calm and controlled returning kicks and everything slows down for him. Then he darts through the smallest openings and has shown he is very comfortable running through traffic.
His big returns were not reliant on great blocking — he is a playmaker who makes things happen. He consistently makes people miss. His smaller, sturdy frame makes him incredibly difficult to bring down. His balance in tight spots is remarkable at times.
Importantly he doesn’t make mistakes fielding the football — it’s like he was born to return.
It’s also possible Wetjen has untapped potential as a receiver. Iowa’s passing game is always a struggle. He will obviously make things happen with the ball in his hands and he does possess some quickness getting in and out of breaks.
He consistently created separation in 1v1’s at the Shrine Bowl.
He’s so much of a weapon I would take him late day two if you need a return man.
Logan Jones (C, Iowa)
Sensational athlete who doesn’t seem to be getting much attention in the draft media. Reportedly he can jump a 37-inch vertical, run a 4.09 short shuttle and a 1.53 10-yard split. This is the kind of profile the top centers in the league possess.
On his way to winning the Rimmington Trophy in 2025 (given to the best center in college football) he allowed the lowest pressure rate among BIG 10 centres (0.93%). He didn’t give up a single ‘quick’ pressure all season (defined as any pressure under 2.5 seconds).
His anchor at the point of contact is excellent and he excelled against some impressive BIG 10 foes, controlling several reps against Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington. He also had a reasonable game against Iowa State’s Domonique Orange. As you’d expect he’s extremely well coached at Iowa and led the line calls and his increased experience in college (51 games) will prepare him for the next level.
He drives defenders off the line and angles opponents to stretch out lanes. His combo-blocking is good and he can reach up to next-level blockers. He can get out on the pull and hit blocking targets in space. There is evidence of finishing blocks on tape. If there’s one thing I would like to see from time-to-time it’s better hand-placement to help control blocks in pass-pro.
Centers tend to last longer than they should at times. It’s never been cleared up why he didn’t attend the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl so is he injured? If he can’t test, it’ll impact his stock.
It also should be noted that despite being the top graded zone-blocking center last season in college football he fell to #15 this year with a grade of only 74.0.
Brian Parker (C/GDuke)
He is an excellent zone blocker and moves people off the ball with a great physical approach. He shows good technique with the ability to get his hands inside to control blocks.
Parker is very mobile and capable of progressing to the second level. His success rate landing on second-level blocks is impressive. He uses forceful hands to jolt defenders off balance with violence.
There are examples on tape of him springing big run plays due to his primary blocking. Duke seemed to funnel their run game to his side. In particular he had a big game vs California.
He is susceptible to the inside swim move and his length limits him to moving inside from right tackle. He only has 32 1/4 inch arms and that will be an issue for some. He’s not a big guy either at 6-4 and 306lbs but I like the fact he has nearly 10-inch hands.
Parker also looks better in smaller spaces where he can use his hand-placement and square-on. When he was at tackle he sometimes dropped a bit too deep in his sets, ceding ground to the EDGE rusher.
To me there are some similarities to Graham Barton but there’s very little buzz around Parker. Let’s see if combine testing changes that. I would consider him on day two and think he has a lot of potential at center or guard in the scheme Seattle runs.
If you missed my stream with Jeff Simmons earlier, reflecting on our experience at the Super Bowl, check it out here:
