Promise… promise… back to football tomorrow with a cap-review from Curtis Allen. However, I had too much fun making this video and wanted to share it…

I was looking forward to studying the 2024 quarterbacks. For weeks we’ve been hearing how ‘next year is better’. I wanted to find out if it’s true.

Today I’m going to talk about Caleb Williams, Travis Jordan and Quinn Ewers in some detail, while referencing Michael Penix Jr and Drake Maye (who I covered in part one).

Williams and Maye are being talked about as the class of the draft, far ahead of anyone else (including all of the 2023 quarterbacks).

I’ve watched at least three games of the players above and I’ve watched every snap Ewers has played at Texas.

If I were doing a ranking based on what I’ve seen so far, this would be it:

#1 Caleb Williams (USC)

Big gap

#2 Michael Penix Jr (Washington)
#3 Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)
#4 Drake Maye (North Carolina)

If Rattler can produce a full season of what he showed at the end of last season, he could easily reach the status of QB2. The talent is there. It’s a mentality and composure thing with Rattler, I suspect, that has held him back. Has he matured and settled down? If so, he can be a top prospect. I’m really looking forward to watching him this year.

So far I would put Penix Jr at #2 and I think there’s a huge gap between the brilliant Williams and the rest.

I would also say, so far, that Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud would be above quarterbacks #2-4 on my list. I would probably also put Anthony Richardson ahead of them based on his obscene upside and I would argue that Penix Jr, Maye and Rattler show some of the same pro’s and con’s that Will Levis flashed. They can do great things but they’re also capable of some real head-scratching moments. The difference is I’d argue Levis’ situation at Kentucky was far less conducive to success than anything faced at Washington or UNC.

It’s important to stress, these are early thoughts I’m sharing at the start of the summer. I will try to watch all of their games before the 2023 season begins. Then there’s a full season to digest and analyse. Things can and will change.

Increasingly though this looks like a deeper class than this year (mainly because so many of the 2023 eligible group returned to school) but the idea it’s far better at the top of round one is a myth, in my opinion.

I was looking forward to studying Caleb Williams because so much has been said about him. I was a bit disappointed with Drake Maye after all the buzz. It’s clear he can do some great things and pull off some great throws — but he also had a lot more misses than I expected.

Williams, I’m pleased to say, lived up to the hype.

Some of the improvisation he pulls off has to be seen to be believed. We’re talking about being chased by multiple defenders in the backfield, virtually blanketed, and pulling off numerous Houdini moves to extend plays. Not only will he escape pressure but against all the laws of physics, he can then — usually off balance and on the run with defenders breathing down his neck — launch the ball on a dime to an outlet 20-30 yards downfield.

To say some of the stuff he does is miraculous barely does it justice.

I have never seen a player be this difficult to bring down when he scrambles. Yet he matches unique elusiveness with a never before seen ability to max out his escapability with throws that just don’t make sense. There are a couple of passes on tape that look like Madden plays, where the computer just lets you throw at full velocity on the run on easy mode. Williams does it in real life.

There are scrambles where you see him step backwards and various defenders will get a hand on him but they can’t bring him down. Whether he’ll be able to do this at the same level in the NFL remains to be seen. It’s pretty f-ing exciting to watch in college, though.

Technically he throws with brilliant base and his footwork is good. His accuracy is very impressive and he makes difficult throws into tight windows look easy. He has a knack for putting it where only the receiver can make the play. His pocket manipulation when he isn’t scrambling is top notch. I love the way he squares his shoulders to every read. It also helps show off that he’s actually making progressions because his body movements are clear.

He’s not just a scrambler he’s also a very strong runner and can make people miss in the open-field. He can do the conventional stuff, throwing with timing and anticipation. When the ball needs to get out he can get it out quickly.

Caleb Williams is the ultimate playmaker and he has the potential to be incredible. His biggest test this year will be the pressure of expectation. He will be seen as the 2024 #1 pick from today until he proves otherwise. How does he handle the attention? Can he lead USC to glory to just tie everything together?

Nobody I’ve watched so far comes remotely close to Williams’ level. I have Penix Jr as QB2 at the minute because he has special arm talent. He can do things that the others can’t and challenge opponents in a way NFL teams are going to love. I know he plays in ‘the offense‘ (this is my new way of describing the UW, Tennessee, Ohio State etc style systems, please always read it in the same voice ‘the Critical Drinker’ uses for ‘the message‘) but you see clear evidence on tape of world class throws downfield, challenging any 1v1 coverage on the outside with a combination of placement and perfect velocity. Penix Jr can also vary his throwing speeds and deliver with touch when necessary. This particularly shows up well in the red zone.

He has a tendency to fall away as he delivers the pass and it’s a quirky release but the end result is consistently good. Unlike Hendon Hooker a year ago, he isn’t constantly throwing to wide-open receivers. Anyone looking to utilise vertical passing concepts and lead an explosive offense will be massively intrigued by Penix Jr’s ability on deep throws. He is such a big-play threat — and yet he does a good enough job managing things on a short and intermediate level that he isn’t a one-trick pony.

I legitimately think the Seahawks will be intrigued by him. He seems to have the personality that would fit the locker room. He has the arm. He’s certainly mobile enough to extend plays and throw on the run. There are moments where he misreads things or throws into dangerous areas. As I said in part one, eight interceptions in this offense in the PAC-12 is too many. Hooker had five in two years in the SEC. I think five maximum should be the target in 2023. If he can do that, then he has a perfectly legitimate chance to be the second quarterback on many boards.

This isn’t to hammer Drake Maye or write him off. There are some beautiful throws on tape, some magical moments. There are just way too many ‘WTF’ misses. He also isn’t playing in a difficult conference with loaded defensive play. I’d like to see a more rounded consistency and just getting the basics right — making the easy throws, making the right reads — to get to the point where all this ‘top-three lock’ talk is justified.

Florida State’s Travis Jordan was an interesting watch. Firstly, he’s a terrific athlete. He’s able to create big moments when he runs. He had an amazing scramble against Florida that was Caleb Williams-esque. He’s a playmaker when he escapes the pocket and his running ability will be seen as a big positive.

As a passer, his accuracy is hit and miss. He throws with a good base and his arm strength is good. I would suggest he needs his technique to be right to make accurate and explosive throws. He’s not one of these freaky physical monsters who can generate amazing torque and downfield bombs with non-ideal mechanics. He can’t wing it, basically, like the Williams’ can. That’s not a big flaw though.

There are too many turnover worthy plays at the moment. I watched the Florida, Clemson and Georgia Tech games and there were a lot of balls thrown into blanket coverage that could’ve gone either way. I wrote in my notes ‘there isn’t a tight window he doesn’t like’. I think he forces things a bit too much and has risky throws, often in the dangerous short and intermediate level where big returns are possible.

On the plus side, I like the look of his post and seam throws. He also throws well to the sideline on the mid-range and when the scheme is ticking, he executes with good timing. When he also has a clean pocket he can diagnose properly and make big chunk plays. A wheel route against Georgia Tech stuck in the memory simply because it’s the type of defensive breakdown Drake Maye tends to miss, getting caught up on a primary target. Jordan spotted the opportunity and delivered.

There are too many tipped passes. I haven’t worked out why but there a lot of tipped balls that again contribute to what felt like a high number of turnover worthy plays.

I do wonder about his ceiling and ability to maybe put his team on his back. Against Clemson they got behind early and then every series felt like a collection of dump-offs and short range plodding throws that didn’t go anywhere. When they needed some sizzle to get things going, it took until garbage time to make it happen. I need to watch some other tougher games to properly get a read here.

I didn’t like the way he throws a fade. On back-to-back plays against Clemson, for example, he threw the first fade short and the second one too high.

One moment that really did stand out was a fumble by the running back on the five-yard line, scooped up by a linebacker with a run for a touchdown in front of him. Jordan raced back and was the player to make the TD-saving tackle at his own 25-yard-line. Little things like that you just need to see.

I’m intrigued by him, absolutely. He has the skills necessary to be on the 2023 radar. It’d be good to see him drive FSU back to being a big threat in college football this year and be the team to beat in the ACC.

I’ll finish with Quinn Ewers, having now watched all of his 2022 games and the 2023 Texas Spring Game. He is without a doubt one of the biggest teases I’ve ever seen. There’s a lot to like about his brilliant whip-like release and arm strength. You see technical throws where he reads the defense and delivers perfectly like a top-level pro-quarterback. He makes throws with no balance or base and just delivers with core strength and it’s incredibly impressive. When he’s ‘on it’ he looks naturally gifted.

But my word, the Quinn Ewwwwww-ers nickname is justified. I don’t think I’ve seen so many misses before. People complained about Anthony Richardson’s accuracy and I’ve got no idea what they’d say about Ewers in 2022. There are so many overthrows it’s ridiculous. Even the little screens and dump-offs are wide of the mark sometimes. There are far too many turnover worthy plays. He overshoots wide open receivers on easy throws, sometimes for would-be touchdowns.

The offense he led just ground to a halt in the second half of big games (Oklahoma State, Kansas State) after good starts. It took him a whole quarter to complete a pass against TCU (if you don’t include the interception he threw into double coverage). He was shut-out against TCU in the first half and only scored a field goal in the second. The number of overthrown passes against TCU had me shouting at the computer screen.

His timing can be late and off. I mentioned the wheel-route by Travis Jordan a moment ago. Ewers had Bijan Robinson wide open on a similar play with the defender on the floor having fallen over. Ewers didn’t even look at him and checked down instead.

You can’t talk about Ewers as a first round prospect based on his tape last year. He’s young, I get it. He deserves time to settle in and develop. By all accounts he is a committed and determined person and will work to improve. He also has the physical tools and natural technique to be very good if he puts it together. I saw some of the same issues though in the Spring Game and I wonder if a problem is brewing for him. He looks like someone who’s going to need at least three years at this to work things out. Yet after this season, what happens? Texas can’t afford to have Arch Manning sitting for multiple years. Does Ewers transfer again?

There’s a lot of pressure on him to succeed and keep his job, plus develop, plus deliver on his potential enough to be ready for the NFL. I fear for him. There’s something there but at the moment, he looks like someone who’s right at the beginning of a long process.

My next group to study will include Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels and Cam Ward. I’ve already got all of the information I need on Tyler Van Dyke (I really wish he’d transfer away from Mario Cristobal).

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I think a lot of us thought that after the draft, there might be an opportunity for the Seahawks to bring back Poona Ford or Al Woods. Maybe even both.

Instead they’re heading for the AFC East, joining the Bills and Jets respectively.

It leaves the Seahawks a bit thin up front but there is some perspective to be had.

I mentioned this on the stream with Jeff Simmons yesterday. The 2013 Seahawks D-line is known for its depth but if you actually look at the defensive tackle position, it’s surprisingly thin.

Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel, Clinton McDonald and Jordan Hill were the only pure DT’s on the roster. They used Red Bryant as a big defensive end on early downs.

Nobody had heard of McDaniel when he arrived, while McDonald was a cheap addition to try and add some situational pressure. Hill was a mid-round pick. Mebane was the only consistent, proven veteran.

The current roster actually compares favourably with Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Cameron Young, Bryan Mone and Myles Adams. They’re also supposedly trying to turn Mike Morris into a three-technique or 3-4 end.

The true depth of the 2013 line was down to the pass rush rotation off the edge. They had Chris Clemons and Cliff Avril as starters, they rotated in Michael Bennett and had Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa on the roster too.

This year, they now have a rotation with promise if not the same level of proven quality. Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall are a good quartet with Tyreke Smith and Alton Robinson also in the background.

For that reason, I’m not sure the concerns about Seattle’s defensive front are warranted. Although they’re sticking to the 3-4 DNA, Pete Carroll has hinted at further use of hybrid fronts and systems. They could easily line-up on early downs with Jarran Reed and Cameron Young at defensive tackle, Dre’Mont Jones and Mike Morris at end then play one of the rushers at linebacker. That would provide ample size up front to defend the run. For obvious passing situations, we could see Jones and Morris play up the middle with two edge rushers. I could keep going. They have options.

It’s just not conventional. They don’t have a traditional nose tackle with massive size and two traditional 3-4 ends. The nose tackle, at the moment, is set to be a rookie who weighs 304lbs. Tony McDaniel did a good job anchoring the interior a decade ago and he wasn’t 340lbs.

I also think Morris, for a fifth rounder, could be a legit contributor this year. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if he comes in and forges a role for himself. He can be in the rotation and actually cause a few problems up front. He’s the type of player the Steelers have typically turned into a very useful 3-4 end.

I said during the draft that I think there’s a reasonable chance Cameron Young ends up being as good, if not better, than Keeanu Benton. I don’t think there’s a big difference between the two. The Seahawks splurged on Jones to be their game-wrecking interior presence and it’ll be up to him to be a difference maker, which he’s capable of.

I would prefer a bit more of a battle-tested presence up front and I think, come next year, they’ll need to look at the $40m being spent at safety and transfer some of that to the defensive line. They’ve backed themselves into a corner by paying too much at safety and that’ll need to be rectified. There’s not much they can do now, though.

Even so, there’s further perspective to be had here.

New England had the third ranked defense per DVOA in 2022. Their interior defenders consisted of Christian Barmore (PFF grade — 68.6), Daniel Ekuale (60.1), Lawrence Guy (53.5) and Davon Godchaux (53.1). They succeeded without outstanding interior play or great depth.

The Bills ranked fourth on defense. They only had DaQuan Jones (73.6) with a grade above 70.

It’s easy to focus on the 49ers and Eagles, or Chris Jones with Kansas City, and think you need a cluster of stars and big-time game-wreckers up front to succeed on defense. The Seahawks didn’t have that in 2013 and some of the better performing units in the NFL last season didn’t have it either.

The key is to play within scheme, make sure the rookies get up to speed quickly, get something out of Jones as a pass rusher and perform better at the perimeter.

I’m not sure there’s anything left they can do. Curtis Allen is working on a cap update but a cursory glance at the numbers makes for scary reading. The Seahawks essentially need to create $4.79m just to be able to sign their rookie class. That’s before making any new signings. I’m not even sure how they go about creating $5m, let alone sign anyone to add to what they have. I’m sure Curtis will provide some answers.

I also wanted to spend a bit of time talking about Derick Hall today.

The testing numbers speak to genuine high-upside potential — a 4.20 short shuttle, a 1.55 10-yard split. These are exciting results.

I’ve been trying to think who he reminds me of. Watching him on tape he isn’t your typical lean, long-limbed pass rusher. He’s built like a tank, which makes the testing numbers all the more impressive. As I was watching a couple of Auburn games late on Sunday I thought he reminded me of James Harrison. He’s a better athlete than Harrison but that’s who popped into my head while watching him.

I wanted to see if any similar comparisons had been made prior to the draft and stumbled across this article:

“(Hall) feels like a Steeler as much as anyone in this year’s class… it’s a ferocity and tenacity that serves as the foundation to be a Steelers EDGE rusher. Joey Porter, James Harrison, T.J. Watt. Nasty, junkyard dogs who play that way on the field.”

I can remember when Carroll arrived in Seattle and he made reference to the dominant AFC North teams, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, in the way he wanted to build. They pulled that off, creating the most physical roster in the NFL. They went away from that for too long despite various attempts to recapture it.

Picks like Hall and Witherspoon are a further attempt to re-establish that mentality. Like Harrison, Hall might take a couple of years to really find his feet. However, he appears to have the imposing physicality, the mentality and the commitment to his craft to reach the highest level. Further to that, he is going to be so important in those NFC West games.

I got bored of seeing Fred Warner firing up the Niners ahead of the three wins against the Seahawks last year, yelling at his team mates how much they hate Seattle. San Francisco were better and tougher in 2022. Hall is going to thrive in moments like this. Those big rivalry games. You can see it in clips on YouTube when he’s joshing with Alabama players in pre-draft training. I can almost see it now, him leading the huddle pre-game and rallying the troops before a key contest. Then he’ll be flying around the field like his life depends on the game.

That mentality is back in Seattle. Hall, Witherspoon, Jarran Reed, Bobby Wagner. Even players like Jerrick Reed and Kenny McIntosh will add to it.

Do not underestimate this turn with the Seahawks. They’re getting back to their roots. As much as Seahawks Twitter complains about it, that also includes running the football like this. That’s harder to do when you have insufficient talent and depth at running back. It’s why the Zach Charbonnet pick was important.

A final note. I am racing through the 2024 quarterback class. If you missed my first article on the position, click here. I’ve now watched half of Quinn Ewers’ games for Texas, added another game of Drake Maye and watched Oregon vs Washington. No time to sleep and all that. I will provide some further thoughts in another article coming up.

If you’ve enjoyed the blog this draft season and want to support the site via Patreon — (click here)

With Jeff Simmons…

The Seahawks didn’t draft a quarterback (again) and I sense it’s a situation of mild discomfort for John Schneider. No more than ‘mild’, I’d stress. Yet I think he’ll be mindful that Geno Smith’s contract is structured to be a ‘prove-it’ year, while Drew Lock only has a one-year deal.

Schneider’s from the Ron Wolf tree and clearly takes a lot of pride in his quarterback decision making. I think it’s one of the reasons why he’s only drafted two since 2010, despite constantly saying he’d like to take one every year. I suspect his record on quarterbacks is something he cares deeply about. It’s perhaps turned him off ‘taking a chance’ on players, to avoid blotting his copybook.

I’m just guessing at that admittedly but the Seahawks have been a bit conservative when it comes to taking shots at QB. Other teams are happy to buy a regular raffle ticket. It’s interesting that Tennessee, Detroit, New Orleans, the LA Rams, Las Vegas, Arizona, Cleveland, Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia and the LA Chargers all drafted a quarterback this year. Every team has a starter already. A lot of those teams have an ageing incumbent or might look to move on in the next year or two. They’re all taking a look at someone. The Seahawks chose not to.

I don’t think this is anything to do with Smith or Lock. I think it’s more to do with Schneider. They made it clear they’d be willing to draft a QB this year and said as much to their two contracted quarterbacks. I think Schneider wants to love a QB before taking him. I think he wants to truly believe the player can win a job one day. If that player was available last week, I think they’d be a Seahawk today.

With Smith’s contract set to cost at least $31.2m in 2024, a decision will need to be made even if he plays reasonably well. A series of $2m incentives can push him nearer to $40m. For example, if the Seahawks win as many games as last year and Smith’s performance is only average, that will trigger another $2m in 2024 salary. If he throws the same number of touchdowns as last year, he gets another $2m — even if he doubles the number of interceptions he throws.

It means Smith truly has to earn a future in Seattle. Meanwhile, Lock might be riding the bench all year making it impossible to judge his capability to start. Not having a player under contract beyond the end of this season leaves a little bit of concern. It’s OK to hope Geno can make this a moot point but the structure of the contract suggests the Seahawks aren’t entirely sure themselves. They don’t want to end up in a situation like the Colts, going year-to-year at the position. They did that in 2010, 2011 and 2012 until Russell Wilson finally came in and offered long-term stability.

Ideally you also don’t want to be forced into starting a rookie. Which is why adding someone behind Smith and Lock would’ve been attractive.

It means the Seahawks will likely be pouring over the quarterback tape this summer and into the college football season, hunting for a potential long-term solution — even if one ultimately isn’t required.

I’ve seen all the stuff about next years’ quarterback class being better. I’ve studied some of the players already because many were eligible for 2023. I’ve spent part of the last three days running through tape trying to get an early feel for those I haven’t watched, while reviewing those that I have.

Please note, these are very early impressions. I just can’t wait two weeks to start talking about them. These are incomplete assessments though. Last summer I watched every game Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis ever played in college. I’ll do something similar this summer with the 2024 crop.

What I will say is 2024 will be a deeper class. The bulk of the middle class for the 2023 draft returned to school. It impacted the Senior Bowl, as Jim Nagy highlighted in our interview. I spoke to a big league source who grumbled about it, saying it had left the 2023 draft with the top-five then ‘a bunch of sixth and seventh rounders’.

It’ll mean the 2024 group is loaded with familiar names. That doesn’t necessarily mean any of them are legit future NFL starters. Take Bo Nix for example. He crashed and burned at Auburn before fleeing to the friendlier environment in the PAC-12. Then, against the powder-puff defenses on offer, he excelled. He has physical talent and he did well last year. There’s something there. Yet it’s tricky to know how you balance out development, learning, progress and maturity versus situation. If he’s taken as a high pick, will he go back to the Auburn version when life is tougher again?

I haven’t had a chance to properly watch Caleb Williams yet. I have spent some time watching Drake Maye. I’ll come on to him in a moment. The player who intrigues me most going into next season is someone I never expected to be highlighting.

Two years ago, all the ‘way too early mocks’ had Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler as a potential #1 overall pick. I never bought it. I thought his tape was too erratic, he trusted his arm way too much and he needed to calm down and become a proper quarterback, not play like a kid who’d had too much sugar, benefitting from a prolific offensive system to produce stats.

In 2021 it caught up with him. He started the season badly and was benched for Williams (prior to his transfer to USC). It was an incredible fall from grace and a reminder to everyone why the ‘next year is better’ comments are often misplaced.

Rattler transferred to South Carolina for 2022 and received some buzz again a year ago. It was easy to resist. He had to prove the hype was ever worth it. Sadly, when the season began, he failed. He started poorly and it looked like he had no future in college, let alone the NFL.

However, something suddenly changed towards the end of last season. After a humbling defeat at Florida, South Carolina kicked into gear. They destroyed Tennessee 63-38 with Rattler throwing six touchdowns. He was unstoppable. It was like watching Patrick Mahomes — the comparison too many people rushed to when he was at Oklahoma.

Everything clicked. He was playing within the scheme, rather than just trusting his arm. He showed first-class processing skills. He was throwing dimes to all areas of the field. You could see clear evidence of passes delivered on time as the receivers made their break. His anticipation was top level and he started nailing beautiful seam throws.

This carried on the following week at Clemson, where he picked apart their big-name defense for a historic 31-30 win.

He was attacking opponents at every level of the field and they couldn’t stop him. Even when he was pressured, he would scramble to extend plays and keep his eyes downfield, before delivering improvised passes against the odds. When he was given time in the pocket, you saw ideal touch and velocity. He manipulated the pocket well to buy a little extra time on numerous throws, showing ice-veins to stay on course.

Some of the throws were miraculous, some were simply delivered to areas where only the receiver could make the play. I didn’t have to review these games. I was so impressed watching them live, I had to make notes at the time and have been saving them for today. It was a truly eye-catching pair of games, against good opponents, that showed that maybe Rattler was finally ready to deliver on the hype.

I’m glad he returned to school. The Gamecocks had something going at the end of the year and we now get to see if they can build off that. If he can play a full season like he did against Tennessee and Clemson, he could be a high pick.

Has he finally matured and settled down? Does he finally get what it takes to play quarterback properly? The decision to stay in school and continue to work is a positive sign.

The talent is obvious. I never expected to be talking him up, yet here we are. He still has a long, long way to go to be taken seriously as a NFL draft prospect. If he can show the light has switched on, he might be the ideal player to have develop behind Geno Smith — who will be a great mentor — if/when the Seahawks do draft a QB in the future.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the Seahawks will have an eye on Washington’s Michael Penix Jr this year. There are issues to be considered. Firstly, the scheme. It shares DNA with Tennessee’s ultra-spread out, half-field read system. I mentioned a few times during the season that Penix Jr, Hendon Hooker and C.J. Stroud all threw an identical interception, trying to look-off the safety then throw to a spot across the middle. On each occasion the defense read the script and had three players covering the spot where the blind throw was made. It speaks to the simplicity of the scheme and how unpredictable some of these QB’s will be when they get into the league and suddenly every window is 10x tighter and every look far more challenging.

However, it’s the arm. That arm. Penix Jr has first-round arm talent. It’s not just throwing from the pocket either. He’s more than capable of throwing off-platform or on the run with velocity and accuracy. The torque he creates through his core to throw on the run is highly impressive.

He doesn’t have the most orthodox release (there are times where he drops his right shoulder and fades as he delivers) but it’s quick enough and despite the spread-nature of the scheme, he’s adept at landing the ball into the right area on a 1v1 deep-shot.

Penix Jr is a very natural passer. I’d say he has ‘easy’ arm strength. He’s a not a one-note passer, though. He knows when to take a little bit off, especially on crossing routes and certain red zone situations. He generally makes life easy for the receiver. He also throws with good base and he’s very good at knowing when the ball needs to get out quickly. His arm strength shows well when he needs to fit the ball into tight windows too.

There are mistakes on tape that he will hope to clean up in 2023. Eight interceptions isn’t back-breaking but in the scheme he plays, he’s more than capable of lowering that number. Hooker had five interceptions combined in his final two years at Tennessee. Stroud had 12 in two years at Ohio State. That’s the kind of thing you expect and in the PAC-12, it’s not too demanding to expect he can throw five or fewer this year.

Athletically he’s good enough — he can scramble to extend plays and he’s enough of a runner to be useful. He has good size. There are tools to work with here.

I also get the sense that Penix Jr would fit the mental makeup of this team. I’m not sure with Rattler but Penix Jr gives off the impression that he’s fun yet dedicated, well liked and a very capable leader.

I’m not suggesting he’s nailed on to be a Seahawk in 12 months but if he’s able to take another step with Washington and maybe even win the PAC-12, he has a good chance to be on their radar. The arm. That arm.

It was interesting that John Schneider name-dropped Quinn Ewers when discussing Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There was no real need to. He was asked about something C.J. Stroud had said about JSN’s route-running. He added that ‘Quinn Ewers would say the same thing’. Ewers was only at Ohio State for a year, never played a game, then transferred to Texas. It’s easy to read too much into that. I couldn’t help but wonder if Ewers is already on Schneider’s mind, looking ahead.

He’s had a mixed start to his college career. In his first year as a starter he only played 10 games due to injury, with a 6-4 record. He had some highlight moments and some negatives. He threw for 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

I watched the Texas Spring game yesterday to start my evaluation, plus two games from the 2022 season. I was tempted to call him Quinn Ewwww-ers at times. He takes risks he won’t get away with at the next level (is that an inexperience thing?). He trusts his arm too much. He misses open receivers and doesn’t do a good enough job processing through reads and seeing the whole field. There’s evidence on tape of him flat-out missing wide open targets, opting instead for a covered option. He has ugly interceptions on tape and his accuracy can be erratic.

Again, I don’t know how much of this is down to inexperience. He was basically a rookie in 2022 and that could answer away a lot of those concerns. I did think in the Spring Game he looked somewhat similar though and I was hoping to see a few more flashes.

That said, the flashes were there in the proper games I watched. He has good arm strength and has a rare throwing motion and release. He can get the ball out with no wasted motion and deliver, at his best, with velocity and accuracy. As much as there are misses, he’s also shown an ability to execute complex passing concepts. The offensive design is both more challenging under Steve Sarkisian but also more translatable to the NFL.

There are moments of jaw-dropping quality at times where he throws with maximum velocity when he has no opportunity to step into the throw. There was one play where he was under pressure and virtually leaning backwards as if he was just going to fall over, yet flicked his wrist and completed a bullet-pass most college QB’s can’t make when they have ideal base or can step into the throw.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a quicker, whip-like release. There are also some outstanding passes on tape where you can barely believe his ball placement and touch, despite facing pressure. You do see evidence of completions into difficult tight coverage. Ewers has also shown an ability to look off the safety properly in order to create openings.

Overall the potential is there and with his release, arm strength and playing style I can see why Schneider maybe has taken a shine to Ewers.

I also noticed this article, where he was described as ‘the alpha dog’ among a collection of big name college passers:

Ewers was the guy everyone was talking about all weekend including the college quarterbacks. The ball just comes out of his hand differently and no one threw a tighter ball with more velocity then Ewers. ‘He’s got some Pat Mahomes in him the way he throws it,’ Bryce Young said. ‘The kid is legit, he can really spin it,” Miller Moss said. “I can see why he’s the top No. 1 guy, he’s special,’ D.J. Uiagalelei said. The comments just kept coming all weekend long and it wasn’t just how good he threw it that stood out about Ewers but his approach.

We mentioned the environment at the camp is always pretty loose and relaxed and most of the other quarterbacks go through the drills at about 70% intensity. Ewers competed hard in every drill we saw and it was refreshing to see. When you critique his skill set in terms of his arm talent, release, mobility and ability to throw in and out of the pocket from different arm angles, as well as change speeds and throw down the field with touch, it’s no wonder some are calling him the best quarterback prospect to come out of the H.S ranks since Trevor Lawrence four years ago.

Tony Pauline offered this assessment after watching Ewers last season:

“I try to remain conservative in my QB assessments, especially before a player is draft-eligible but Quinn Ewers is one of the most exciting redshirt freshman QB next-level prospects I’ve seen since Peyton Manning was at Tennessee.”

I did not get the same sense watching the two games plus the Spring Game I have watched so far. This is a big year for him. Let’s see if he can take the next step. There’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, with Arch Manning now at Texas and ready and waiting to be the saviour for the Longhorns. It also means, despite only being a redshirt sophomore in 2023, he’s likely to leave Texas at the end of the season — either for the NFL, or to transfer again.

It was interesting to hear Schneider talk about wanting to get extra 2024 stock when reflecting on Friday’s trade with the Broncos. It gave off a sense of being prepared for a potential need to move up. Or maybe he just thinks it’s a deeper class? We’ve got a long time to wait to find out.

The two quarterbacks that everybody is talking about as a ‘big two’ are Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. My initial assessment of Maye, as with the others, is mixed.

I wasn’t expecting to see the number of misses I saw in the three North Carolina games I watched today. There were throws that were high and wide. He made hard work of some throws on the run. There was evidence of throws dying when he had to get on the move. I think he lacks the same level of core strength as Penix Jr and Ewers. Even when Maye was able to step into throws, at times he would launch erratically off-target.

On top of this, he has a tendency to drift in the pocket. He has mobility but he’s not a difference making athlete as a runner or scrambler. I think the way he throws on the run is a bit of a concern. There were some ugly efforts when on the move. Generally, the word ‘inconsistent’ dominated the tape.

That’s because the positives are also very clear. As with Ewers, there’s evidence of ridiculous, improbable throws on tape. He can be falling away under pressure and still throw with striking accuracy between two defenders with the necessary velocity. His touch in the red zone is a major plus-point. There’s clear evidence of Maye running through three progressions and playing with next-level processing. His ball-placement on mid and long range throws can be stunning at times. When he can throw with base and get the footwork right, his velocity and touch is on point.

This is, again, why I never really like all this ‘next year is better’ stuff. It’s easy to say and it creates the impression the next crop are almost flawless. The reality is, the players I’m talking about here lack the incredible physical traits of the 2023 group but they carry some of the same pro’s and con’s. Nobody processes like Bryce Young and nobody throws with touch downfield like Stroud. Nobody comes close to Anthony Richardson’s athletic upside.

I will watch USC’s Williams soon to get a proper look at him. I’d say 2024 looks deeper but not necessarily better at the top. That remains to be seen. There are players with the potential to drive their stock into the elite range but it’s no given. There are several players with a point to prove and I would resist the temptation to make players like Drake Maye into something they aren’t. Not yet anyway.

There’s promise but that’s it for now. I look forward to watching more games in the coming weeks. That might shift my opinion. Roll on September.

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Last year I gave the Seahawks an A+ grade for their 2022 draft haul. It proved to be a deserved grade, with many of the picks having an immediate impact while laying the foundations for the future.

This year, they’ve built on that success and taken the roster to another level — adding talent at various positions while improving the overall depth, quality, violence and leadership on the team. It deserves another A+.

It’s always easier to achieve success when you have more picks, especially in the early rounds. Yet the Seahawks have executed a plan well and deserve credit for the additions they’ve made over the last three days.

High character, high talent

A week ago I spoke to someone who’s been in the Seahawks locker room and asked what he expected from this 2023 class. Here’s what I wrote in a corresponding article, discussing the answer:

The source suggested Seattle was seeking the ‘next wave’ of leadership. That the way they drafted a year ago, plus the decision to bring back Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed, had been a concerted effort to create a particular dynamic in the locker room.

It’s felt that the pick at #5 will need to add to that. It’ll need to be someone who can come in and fit into that culture. The description used was ‘firebrand’ — someone with the grit, energy and tone-setting qualities that can help elevate this team. The attitude has to match the talent.

Devon Witherspoon completely fit the bill at #5 and alongside Derick Hall could be the future soul of this team. They are physical and aggressive on the field, helping to set a tone. Off the field they are driven and focused. They’ll lead by example and drive the culture for the future.

All of the other picks fit in behind this. They didn’t take any character risks. They’re determined to create a locker room that can come together with a common goal, support each other and drive towards a Championship run in the future.

It’s not a surprise — they’ve stated their intentions multiple times over the last 12 months. It wasn’t difficult to project they’d continue with that plan, having put the success of the 2022 class down to a renewed focus on character.

The roster is coming together, on and off the field.

Best player available is the right approach

Free agency is for addressing key needs, the draft is for adding talent.

That should always be the approach. The Seahawks would probably admit that, for several years, they didn’t follow this plan. They nickel and dime’d certain positions in the veteran market then forced needs in the draft.

This is the second year in a row where the plan has been on point. They made a big free agency splash to add Dre’Mont Jones — a much needed impact defensive lineman. They followed that up with Jarran Reed before adding the likes of Bobby Wagner and Julian Love. Talent was acquired at every level of the defense and their big investment in Jones added a quality player at a good age.

That set up the draft for BPA. They didn’t force anything. They picked players where the value was high, rapidly upgrading their talent across the board.

This is a more physical team in 2023

Devon Witherspoon was the most violent player in the draft. Derick Hall is very aggressive and tough. You’ll get a shift up front from Anthony Bradford and Cameron Young. Zach Charbonnet is a classic Seahawks runner who drives through contact. The Michigan duo had a lot of success on a BIG-10 winning team.

The Seahawks are set up to be far more competitive, including in the trenches. There’s still work to do but it took the 49ers nine years and seven first round picks to create their excellent defense. Rome wasn’t built in a day (or two off-seasons).

Finally, a commitment to the pass rush

For years they talked about fixing the unit and then resorted to band-aid players like Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin. Now, there’s serious investment in the rush:

Derick Hall — R2
Boye Mafe — R2
Darrell Taylor — R2
Uchenna Nwosu — Big money FA
Dre’Mont Jones — Big money FA

There’s a real chance to get after teams now and improve the unit once and for all.

Stop moaning about running backs

As noted yesterday, plenty of teams spent high picks on the position again this year despite already having primary runners. The Seahawks now have a fantastic 1-2 punch and insurance against injury issues. They have Zach Charbonnet and Ken Walker on cheap contracts for the next few years. The Seahawks want to run the ball and they’ve never been any good relying on plug-in players at the position. They need talent and they’ve added talent.

Don’t sleep on Kenny McIntosh either. That guy can play. He was integral to Georgia’s National Championship win last season.

The Seahawks have a loaded offense

Young book-end tackles. Three legit receivers. Depth at tight end. Two top running backs. Geno Smith must be salivating at the weapons he has to work with. This could be the most explosive and dynamic offense this team has ever had. They are stacked.

Deep into day three they are finding contributors

Last year it was Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen. This year, the six players drafted in rounds 4-7 can equally come in and compete, provide depth and potentially have a significant impact. That was the foundation of their great drafts between 2010-12 and it’s happening again.

Value across the board

In my mock I had Devon Witherspoon at #6 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at #20. They were drafted at #5 and #20. I had Derrick Hall as a high second rounder and Zach Charbonnet in the top-50. They were taken at #37 and #52. Anthony Bradford and Cameron Young both had third round grades on my horizontal board and they got them in round four. Olu Oluwatimi was a fourth rounder, taken in round five. I had Mike Morris in round five. I had Jerrick Reed II in round four, they got him in round six. I had Kenny McIntosh graded in round three, they took him in round seven.

No reaches, nothing forced. Pure talent acquisition.

A nice bonus

Despite filling out their roster with a cluster of picks, they also managed to add an extra 2024 third rounder courtesy of the Broncos. They did it by trading out of round three, then taking a player (Anthony Bradford) I had graded as a high third rounder anyway.

The deal is all the better because per the draft trade chart, Seattle was only due approximately a sixth rounder in return. Getting a 2024 third rounder is daylight robbery.

What are the concerns?

The simple fact is Geno Smith is in a prove-it year. He can earn a minimum of $32.1m next year and millions more in incentives. With an obvious out on his contract, he’ll need to justify the deal. He’s capable but it’s no given.

If he fails this season, it’s a concern. Drew Lock is only contracted for a season and there’s currently no long term plan. They don’t want to end up in a situation like the Colts, going year-to-year at the position. Neither do they want to let down a good roster with issues at the most important position. Desperation in 2024 to get a QB will be a recipe for potential disaster.

Even then, there’s not a lot they could do this year. There was no obvious option to trade up for the top-three quarterbacks and they clearly didn’t rate Will Levis or Hendon Hooker enough to draft them.

It will be a source of some discomfort that the Seahawks are in basically the same situation as last season but with a greater financial outlay on Smith and Drew Lock. I think they would prefer to have a longer term plan in place, ideally.

I talked more about this subject here.

Elsewhere, they are still a bit light at defensive tackle. They’ve upgraded this off-season but they need more depth. It won’t be a surprise if they now create some cap room (somehow) to bring back Poona Ford and possibly one of Al Woods or Shelby Harris.

Conclusion

As with last year, I just wanted to see a proper plan. With free agency and this draft, the plan is obvious. They are building a team, not reaching for needs, they’re adding talent across the board and the roster is taking shape nicely.

The discipline and approach has been admirable. The Seahawks continue to head in the right direction.

My instant reaction notes on every pick

#5 Seattle — Devon Witherspoon (CB, Illinois)
The most violent player in the draft. His tape is incredibly fun to watch. He levels people. He is a total throwback to the LOB days. He has shown so much grit in his career as a no-star recruit going to the JUCO’s, then Illinois and then progressing rapidly. He can be a tremendous NFL cornerback. I think this is a good addition and signifies two things. The Seahawks ARE focusing on BPA and they ARE focusing on character. Witherspoon was one of only nine legit first rounders on my horizontal board.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Devon Witherspoon:

“I love the kid,” said one scout. “I love his interview. I love the way he plays. He’s got this presence to him. You know he’s locked in, he’s all about ball. He doesn’t care that he’s 185 pounds. He carries himself like he’s a bigger dude, almost like he’s invincible. If Witherspoon had Gonzalez’ size you’d have a top-10 corner.”

“Faster than everybody thinks,” said a second scout. “Wants to play the best man on the field. Got change of direction, acceleration, feel for the game. Very good tackler for the cornerback position. Top 15. He’s got everything you want.”

“I think he should (be drafted in the top 10),” another scout said. “He had a sensational senior season. He contested everything. He’s got a lot of fight. He’s on the borderline height-weight. His speed is good.”

“Hell of a football player,” a fourth scout said. “All he did was press. That’s all they did.”

There were no negative comments on Witherspoon.

#20 Seattle — Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio State)
I find this pick very interesting, intriguing and a bit surprising. I thought his lack of great speed would be an issue in Seattle. However, his agility testing is remarkable. Before his injury-hit season last year, he was very highly regarded. A lot of people had JSN as a top-15 pick so again, it’s another sign that the Seahawks are very much in BPA mode. They haven’t used either first round pick on the D-line. It’ll be exciting to watch JSN and see how he gets on. If he delivers, what an offense this could be.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Jaxon Smith-Njigba:

“I thought he was Adam Thielen,” one scout said, referring to Smith-Njigba. “He can get deep because of his route-running ability, whether it’s a double move or a little shake. His 40 was fast enough for me. He may be the most consistent out of the bunch. He can do some outside stuff, but he’s mainly best in the slot.”

“I do like him,” said a second scout. “He can be a good pro. More in the vein of a big slot kind of guy. He catches the ball. He’s competitive. You just wonder if he has the top-end juice.”

“I’m really concerned about his speed,” said a third scout. “The (4.52) is not real good nowadays, and I don’t think he plays that fast. He plays like 4.6 to me. He’s a really good player. I just don’t see that explosiveness.”

“He’s one of the most overrated players in the draft,” said a fourth scout. “He’s got good hands, not great hands. He’s got good vision and run after but he doesn’t run away from anybody and he’s not particularly elusive. He can find holes in zones, and he’s tough. He’ll take a hit to make catch. I don’t see special traits. Has to be a slot. Not fast enough to play outside. I’d rather have (Zay) Flowers because he’s really fast and really good after the catch. Sounds like he might be a solid second-round pick, and I didn’t see that.”

#37 Seattle — Derick Hall (EDGE, Auburn)
The Seahawks didn’t waste any time making their pick. They take Derick Hall, the top remaining edge rusher on my board. I had him with a high second round pick so this fits. He is an alpha dog and an absolute culture-setter. This fits perfectly what they have been saying, and I have been constantly repeating, that character is king. He also ran a 1.55 10-yard split and a 4.20 short shuttle. He has long arms. These are ‘Seahawk’ traits and a ‘Seahawk’ personality. Big fan of the pick. Seattle is finally loaded at the edge.

Here’s Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Derick Hall:

“Love the kid,” said one scout. “High-effort, motor guy that isn’t athletically gifted enough to play outside linebacker. He’s got to be a 4-3 defensive end, an undersized 4-3 defensive end.”

“Makes out-of-position plays,” a second scout said. “Does all kinds of things to make plays. Has a hump move, the Reggie White move. That’s pretty good for a guy that’s 252. Very athletic with great acceleration. Is effective with his long arms. Can outrun the drop-back of the tackle and backdoor the quarterback.”

“He was the leader, the bright light in the dark room with (coach Bryan) Harsin and all that controversy,” said a third scout. “It’s a disaster of a year, and he held it together. He’s a hard-charging guy. He’s not going to be a premier 12 sacks-a-year guy, but he’s going to get six to eight. You’re going to know exactly what you’re getting. He’ll raise the level of the guys around him. Very, very hard worker. Vocal leader. One of the few legit leaders that you find. There just aren’t that many of them. Everybody’s on their phone or scared to speak up.”

“Try hard,” said a fourth scout. “Gets swallowed up at the point of attack. More of a straight-line, effort (rusher). Tweener.”

I don’t think he’s a tweener, for what it’s worth. I think he can be Carl Lawson.

#52 Seattle — Zach Charbonnet (RB, UCLA)
I’ve been a big fan of Charbonnet for a long time. He was the third running back on my board behind only the two guys taken in the top-12 yesterday. He’s so tough and physical and will run through contact. He’s explosive and has ideal size for the Seahawks. This is the range I thought he would go in and for a team determined to run the ball as a priority, this creates a thunderous, dynamic one-two punch.

Bob McGinn scouting sources on Zach Charbonnet:

“He’s so subtle and smooth and effective and athletic,” said one scout. “Just got great feet. Knows how to run the football. Smart. Catches the ball. He’s going to be undervalued. This guy’s way more athletic than AJ Dillon.”

“He’s been kind of the heartbeat of that team for the last two years,” said a second scout. “He had a really good game two years ago when they beat LSU (38-27). He’s done really, really well for himself. He fits any scheme. Not the fastest guy but a good, patient runner. He’s powerful. What will hurt him a little bit is he’s not a huge threat in the passing game, but I think he’s good enough. He probably gets drafted lower than he should. His production was obvious. He’s got a lot to offer.”

“Straight-line speed, vision, tough, gritty. Stiff in change of direction. Upright runner. Does run hard but with less power because he’s too stiff and upright. Non-elusive. He’s not as good as Hassan Haskins was in a similar kind of role. Haskins was a better athlete.”

R4 (#108) — Anthony Bradford (G, LSU)
I really liked Anthony Bradford and had a high third round grade on him. He reminded me a lot of Damien Lewis. He’s an explosive tester with a 3.17 TEF score and an outstanding 105.2 weighted TEF mark. Clearly, explosive traits are still a big focus for Seattle. He also ran a very good 5.08 forty at 333lbs and he has the length they like. Just a really good pick and he has the potential to be a long-term starter at guard. Excellent pick. I would’ve been happy to take him at #83.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Anthony Bradford:

“Kind of an interesting guy,” said one scout. “He’s a big guy that runs well. Big body with strength. He had a nice strength match vs. (Georgia’s Jalen) Carter. He matched strength against him. Most of the time Carter just grabs the guard and would throw him aside. Adequate movement and quickness. Has body control and balance. With that size and speed he’s probably up to the fourth round.”

“He could (start) in the right scheme,” a second scout said. “He’s more of a gap-scheme player. Early-to-mid Day 3.”

R4 (#123) — Cameron Young (DT, Mississippi State)
The Seahawks are smashing this out of the park and have taken two blog favourites to start day three. Cameron Young had a fantastic Senior Bowl and like Abraham Lucas a year ago, received no attention. It was bizarre. He is very powerful with long 34.5 inch arms. He can control blockers with that length and he can anchor down or barge his way through contact. He is better than some of the other defensive tackles already taken. This is a home-run selection and what a round four for the Seahawks.

R5 (#151) — Mike Morris (DE, Michigan)
There was a time where people wondered whether Morris could be a second rounder. He started to receive a lot of buzz and was being touted as the next big pass rusher out of Michigan, following in the footsteps of David Ojabo. I thought he was outstanding against Michigan State in the rivalry/revenge game — playing with his hair on fire and the bit between his teeth. I also thought in other less important games he played well within himself. At the combine, he was still an interesting prospect but he laid a total egg running a poor 5.04 and then following it up with a 5.08 at his pro-day. There’s something there and the Seahawks are banking on bringing it out of him. I had him in round five.

Bob McGinn described Mike Morris as a ‘scouts nightmare’:

A first-year starter, he led the team in sacks with 7 ½ and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Before the combine, one personnel man predicted he’d be a Top 50 pick for sure. Then Morris (6-5, 274) ran 5.04 at the combine and even slower (5.08) at pro day. “I think he ran himself out of that (edge) position,” said another scout. Perhaps Morris’ best chance now would be to bulk up to 295-300 and try as a defensive end in a 3-4.

R5 (#154) — Olusegun Oluwatimi (C, Michigan)
I like Oluwatimi and praised him several times during the season for his solid performances. He won the Outland trophy and played on a double-award winning Michigan O-line. However, he has impossibly small hands (8.5 inches) for a 309lbs blocker which is a little bit odd. He’s explosive (9-2 broad jump, 29 inch vertical) rather than agile (4.68 short shuttle) which again hints at Seattle maybe returning back to explosive interior blockers rather than outright copying the Rams’ system. He will be able to compete quickly, he’s played a lot of football and he’s a solid pick. I had him in round four.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Olusegun Oluwatimi:

He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy but just about everything else: the Outland Trophy, the Rimington Award and consensus All-America honors. “I don’t know how he got the award as best lineman,” one scout said. “That was wild to me. He’s an undersized center only. Average athlete, quickness, strength and instincts. Lacks power and finish. He does a lot of good things but you wouldn’t want him out there full-time.”

Began his career in 2017 at Air Force and redshirted. Spent 2018-’21 at Virginia, starting 35 games at center his last three seasons. Moved to Michigan in ’22. “I’m not sure if there is a lot of love for him out there but he can play,” a second scout said. “It seems people either really like him or they hate him. I’d take him over Schmitz. He’s athletic enough. He’s strong, plays hard, plays smart.”

His 29 on the Wonderlic paced the top six centers. “I’ve seen him at Virginia and Michigan,” said a third scout. “He’s got high pad level. He’s got no strength. Doesn’t know how to use his hands. He does have some quickness and can get to the second level. He plays so high and they just push him all over. I didn’t like the guy.”

Arms were 32 5/8, hands a minuscule 8 5/8. “He’s going to go on Day 2,” a fourth scout said. “He crushed the interview process. He’s not like a wow-you athlete but more than athletic enough. Smart as shit. He’s a great communicator. He kicked ass at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to start next year.”

R6 (#198) — Jerrick Reed II (S, New Mexico)
I had Jerrick Reed graded in round four. He’s very aggressive running downfield and attacking ball-carriers. His testing is good and he has positional flexibility at safety and nickel. He can get around the field with range. Reed should be able to provide immediate special teams value and he’s a good candidate to replace Ryan Neal.

R7 (#237) — Kenny McIntosh (RB, Georgia)
What an end to the draft! I had McIntosh graded in round three. Kirby Smart called him a ‘BAMF’ and you see it on tape. He’s so physical and competitive. He drove Georgia’s running game last year. He’s a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. He has an incredibly engaging personality. This is a seventh round pick that could look like a steal in the future.

Video reaction on each pick between rounds 1-5

Live stream with Robbie (including live reaction to the Kenny McIntosh pick)

If you’ve enjoyed the blog this draft season and want to support the site via Patreon — (click here)

Welcome to the live blog for this year. I’ll be posting my reaction to every Seahawks pick on day three.

Don’t forget — I’ll be doing an instant reaction live stream immediately after the draft concludes. We may start this during round seven, so keep checking for updates.

NO tipping picks in the comments section

Seahawks day three picks

R4 (#108) — Anthony Bradford (G, LSU)
I really liked Anthony Bradford and had a high third round grade on him. He reminded me a lot of Damien Lewis. He’s an explosive tester with a 3.17 TEF score and an outstanding 105.2 weighted TEF mark. Clearly explosive traits are still a big focus for Seattle. He also ran a very good 5.08 forty at 333lbs and he has the length they like. Just a really good pick and he has the potential to be a long-term starter at guard. Excellent pick. I would’ve been happy to take him at #83.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Anthony Bradford:

“Kind of an interesting guy,” said one scout. “He’s a big guy that runs well. Big body with strength. He had a nice strength match vs. (Georgia’s Jalen) Carter. He matched strength against him. Most of the time Carter just grabs the guard and would throw him aside. Adequate movement and quickness. Has body control and balance. With that size and speed he’s probably up to the fourth round.”

“He could (start) in the right scheme,” a second scout said. “He’s more of a gap-scheme player. Early-to-mid Day 3.”

R4 (#123) — Cameron Young (DT, Mississippi State)
The Seahawks are smashing this out of the park and have taken two blog favourites to start day three. Cameron Young had a fantastic Senior Bowl and like Abraham Lucas a year ago, received no attention. It was bizarre. He is very powerful with long 34.5 inch arms. He can control blockers with that length and he can anchor down or barge his way through contact. He is better than some of the other defensive tackles already taken. This is a home-run selection and what a round four for the Seahawks.

R5 (#151) — Mike Morris (DE, Michigan)
There was a time where people wondered whether Morris could be a second rounder. He started to receive a lot of buzz and was being touted as the next big pass rusher out of Michigan, following in the footsteps of David Ojabo. I thought he was outstanding against Michigan State in the rivalry/revenge game — playing with his hair on fire and the bit between his teeth. I also thought in other less important games he played well within himself. At the combine, he was still an interesting prospect but he laid a total egg running a poor 5.04 and then following it up with a 5.08 at his pro-day. There’s something there and the Seahawks are banking on bringing it out of him. I had him in round five.

Bob McGinn described Mike Morris as a ‘scouts nightmare’:

A first-year starter, he led the team in sacks with 7 ½ and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Before the combine, one personnel man predicted he’d be a Top 50 pick for sure. Then Morris (6-5, 274) ran 5.04 at the combine and even slower (5.08) at pro day. “I think he ran himself out of that (edge) position,” said another scout. Perhaps Morris’ best chance now would be to bulk up to 295-300 and try as a defensive end in a 3-4.

R5 (#154) — Olusegun Oluwatimi (C, Michigan)
I like Oluwatimi and praised him several times during the season for his solid performances. He won the Outland trophy and played on a double-award winning Michigan O-line. However, he has impossibly small hands (8.5 inches) for a 309lbs blocker which is a little bit odd. He’s explosive (9-2 broad jump, 29 inch vertical) rather than agile (4.68 short shuttle) which again hints at Seattle maybe returning back to explosive interior blockers rather than outright copying the Rams’ system. He will be able to compete quickly, he’s played a lot of football and he’s a solid pick. I had him in round four.

Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Olusegun Oluwatimi:

He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy but just about everything else: the Outland Trophy, the Rimington Award and consensus All-America honors. “I don’t know how he got the award as best lineman,” one scout said. “That was wild to me. He’s an undersized center only. Average athlete, quickness, strength and instincts. Lacks power and finish. He does a lot of good things but you wouldn’t want him out there full-time.”

Began his career in 2017 at Air Force and redshirted. Spent 2018-’21 at Virginia, starting 35 games at center his last three seasons. Moved to Michigan in ’22. “I’m not sure if there is a lot of love for him out there but he can play,” a second scout said. “It seems people either really like him or they hate him. I’d take him over Schmitz. He’s athletic enough. He’s strong, plays hard, plays smart.”

His 29 on the Wonderlic paced the top six centers. “I’ve seen him at Virginia and Michigan,” said a third scout. “He’s got high pad level. He’s got no strength. Doesn’t know how to use his hands. He does have some quickness and can get to the second level. He plays so high and they just push him all over. I didn’t like the guy.”

Arms were 32 5/8, hands a minuscule 8 5/8. “He’s going to go on Day 2,” a fourth scout said. “He crushed the interview process. He’s not like a wow-you athlete but more than athletic enough. Smart as shit. He’s a great communicator. He kicked ass at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to start next year.”

R6 (#198) — Jerrick Reed II (S, New Mexico)
I had Jerrick Reed graded in round four. He’s very aggressive running downfield and attacking ball-carriers. His testing is good and he has positional flexibility at safety and nickel. He can get around the field with range. Reed should be able to provide immediate special teams value and he’s a good candidate to replace Ryan Neal.

R7 (#237) — Kenny McIntosh (RB, Georgia)
What an end to the draft! I had McIntosh graded in round three. Kirby Smart called him a ‘BAMF’ and you see it on tape. He’s so physical and competitive. He drove Georgia’s running game last year. He’s a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. He has an incredibly engaging personality. This is a seventh round pick that could look like a steal in the future.

In his day-two press conference, John Schneider delivered the following line when asked about the trade-down with Denver:

“We had a goal going into this thing to try and get into next year a little bit, next year’s draft. Throughout the process we had a couple of upsets in there, meaning we had some guys go that we were interested in. It happens. Especially early in the draft. So yeah, we felt real blessed to get into a deal with Denver and acquire that third round pick.”

I’m fascinated by this comment.

Firstly, the reference to having ‘upsets’. If he meant players came off the board in round three that they liked, making it easier to justify moving out of the round, that would make obvious sense. Yet he qualifies the comment by referencing upsets early in the draft — and connects it to trading down for 2024 stock.

A follow up question was asked about next year’s class:

“Yep, next year’s class is supposed to be really good. Not slating this year’s class, there’s just a common theme, I think everyone knows it.”

My initial thought when I heard him talking about upsets was to imagine he might be talking about the big Houston trade taking Will Anderson off the board. Or the fact Lukas Van Ness and Will McDonald went in the top-half of round one, perhaps influencing the picks at #20 and #37 in a way they weren’t necessarily anticipating.

I also wondered if Alabama’s Byron Young being taken at #70 was a setback. He not only would’ve filled a need, he’s a really good player and he fits their focus on locker-room alpha’s.

Yet why would missing out on any of these players be relevant to getting stock in 2024?

Is it possible he’s actually talking about the quarterbacks? There was all sorts of media buzz about C.J. Stroud falling (he didn’t) and there was a broad expectation Indianapolis would take Will Levis over Anthony Richardson (they didn’t). Could the ‘upsets’ actually be these two players going in the top-four?

After all, several late media reports connected the Seahawks to serious interest in Richardson. Wanting to get stock next year ahead of a ‘better class’ would make sense at the quarterback position.

Let’s not forget, Geno Smith is very much on a prove-it deal. The out in his contract gives the team a lot of security. His cap hit in 2024 will be no lower than $31.2m and there are achievable escalators to push it closer to $40m. It’s stating the obvious to suggest they’ll need to think carefully about that kind of financial outlay, even if he plays fairly well.

They are going to have to make a call at the end of the year. This isn’t a firm, long-term commitment. It’s plausible they were very prepared to spend a rare top-five pick on the position to plan ahead. Yet the players came off the board they were interested in, meaning there was nothing they could do.

Having extra stock for 2024 can help prepare the team for the possibility of needing to get a QB next year, possibly with some aggression. Trading up this year simply wasn’t realistic. They couldn’t pay the fortune Carolina paid for #1, the Texans clearly weren’t going to cough-up #2 and the Cardinals were always going to be more inclined to discuss with a non-division rival. Houston gave them a great deal.

The other thing to mention here is the reference to next year being a better class. A lot of people think next years’ quarterback class is superior. I think people mistake the reasons why.

The focus is always on the projected top two QB’s — Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. I don’t think that’s the point. Virtually the entire middle class of the 2023 quarterback class returned to college football. Jim Nagy mentioned in our interview how this had impacted the Senior Bowl. I then spoke to a top personnel man a few weeks later who said that basically there were the top-four 2023 quarterbacks, Hendon Hooker, “then a bunch of six and seven rounders”.

Here’s a list of players who realistically would’ve intrigued teams in this draft, who returned to school:

Michael Penix Jr
Bo Nix
Tyler Van Dyke
Jayden Daniels
Spencer Rattler
KJ Jefferson
Devin Leary
Cam Ward
Grayson McCall
Sam Hartman
Will Rogers

None of these players would’ve been high picks and some would’ve been day three or UDFA types. Others could’ve padded out the middle rounds. I suspect Penix Jr could’ve worked his way into day two because of his arm strength and character. Nix has his admirers and Rattler finished the season on fire for South Carolina.

All of this group will now be part of the 2024 class, which will also have Williams, Maye and Quinn Ewers. I also think Tulane’s Michael Pratt has shown enough to warrant serious intrigue for next season and some people like Florida State’s Jordan Travis.

So the difference between next year and this year will be the existence of a middle class. I am not a subscriber to the idea that Williams and Maye are streets ahead of Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. But this year simply didn’t have any depth at quarterback beyond the top five.

Having extra 2024 stock will give Seattle a chance to be flexible and develop a QB plan, if required, as the 2023 season unfolds. Even if you’re the biggest Geno Smith fan on the planet, you have to concede the Seahawks need to be mindful of the future.

Alternatively, Schneider’s comments might not be in relation to the 2023 quarterbacks at all. He could be talking about the Texans’ trade for Will Anderson or the likes of Van Ness and McDonald departing. That could simply be something on the top of his mind that just came out during a press conference. Yet I do think the objective of getting extra 2024 stock is tied to the fact the team doesn’t have a long term solution at quarterback. They are going year-to-year and find themselves in the exact same position they did 12 months ago, albeit with more money going to Geno Smith and Drew Lock.

Make no mistake, they’ll be wary of that — but I think they’re also right not to panic. Schneider, in a later answer, referenced you can make ‘huge mistakes’ when you do that. He’s obviously right. I compared the Geno situation favourably to Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes as a basis for selecting a QB this year. It’s worth noting that Alex Smith enabled the Chiefs to pick their moment. They ran with him for multiple seasons until the time was right to make their move for Mahomes.

You also need to avoid becoming the Colts, too. You can build a very good roster and feel like every year you’ll be in with a shot. But if you’re relying on year-to-year solutions, it can undermine everything when things don’t work out or suddenly change.

It’ll be interesting to see if they take a flier on anyone today. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been one of my favourite players to watch in college football for two years. He’s a dynamic athlete, he’s incredibly creative and he has the fabled 10-inch hands despite being undersized. He has an outstanding arm. DTR can also be erratic, hot-headed and he suffers from the same issue as Bryce Young in terms of how will he withstand a NFL beating.

Jaren Hall had a tremendous start to last season before tailing off. He looked like Russell Wilson at his best for BYU but we didn’t see his best consistently enough. Jake Haener has his admirers, as does Tanner McKee. Stetson Bennett is very talented but would work against their focus on character. Mac Duggan would fit the competitive nature they’re looking for but he’s just so physically limited.

I think it’s a challenging group to justify adding at the expense of some of the other players available at different positions.

Here’s a reminder of my updated draft board (click the image to enlarge):

Schneider is a Ron Wolf disciple and they’re brought up with a passion for quarterbacks and scouting the position. I sense they’re already thinking ahead to the future and trying to plot a long-term vision. For that reason, once this 2023 draft ends, I’ll begin the next challenge of scouting the 2024 class of QB’s.

If you missed my thoughts on the first two days for the Seahawks, click here.

If you missed our end-of-day-two live stream watch it here:

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