Alabama’s DeVonta Smith is exceptionally talented
Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs get all the attention at Alabama. Rightly so too, they’re both terrific players. Jeudy is lean and glides as a runner. He makes contested catches, gets downfield and he has YAC value. Ruggs is reportedly destined to run a 4.2 at the combine and does an excellent job extending to catch the football away from his body.
DeVonta Smith is the third wheel but he too warrants high praise.
Every time I’ve watched Alabama this season he’s stood out. He’s extremely dynamic and sudden and he’s practically unstoppable on slants. He’s an excellent hands-catcher. He has a burst of acceleration to separate and when he has the ball in his hands he can round corners and explode away from potential tacklers.
Against Ole Miss he set school records with eleven catches for 274 yards and FIVE touchdowns. Amari Cooper previously held the single-game yardage mark with 224 set twice (vs Tennessee & Auburn in 2014). The five scores were also a school record on a day Tua Tagovailoa also topped the mark for overall career touchdowns for Alabama.
Smith took a slant 74-yards for a score. He had TD’s on a crossing route with some YAC and a pass into the flat. His fourth touchdown was a deep post. His final score was a great sideline grab running towards the end zone. He basically showed he can score in every way possible in one single game.
At SPARQ he ran a 4.13 short shuttle and jumped a 35-inch vertical. He’s competitive, quick and catches well. If he turns pro after this season, keep an eye on him for the Seahawks. He looks like their type of receiver. Henry Ruggs left the game with a serious looking injury so fingers crossed he’s OK.
On the defensive side of the ball for Alabama, Trevon Diggs is the kind of defensive back the Seahawks could use. He’s tremendously athletic, physical and he tracks the ball well. He’s Stefon Diggs’ brother. He’s also a really good kick returner and had a 36-yard return in the 59-31 hammering of Ole Miss.
Elsewhere…
— On the subject of wide outs, CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns as Oklahoma beat Texas Tech 55-16. Lamb, Jeudy, Ruggs and Smith are just four of a great looking set of receivers for the 2020 draft. The Seahawks seem to have struck gold with D.K. Metcalf and hopefully John Ursua will eventually work his way into a role. Given the talent available at the position in the 2020 class, it’d be a surprise if the Seahawks didn’t tap into the group.
— One other player they could take a long look at is Washington tight end Hunter Bryant. The Huskies are developing a reputation for producing quality tight ends. Very few people talked about Will Dissly and Drew Sample during their final seasons at Washington but both significantly boosted their stock during the off-season and went in the fourth and second round respectively. The Seahawks will certainly need to add at least one tight end for next season. Bryant had a fantastic run and catch for yet another explosive play against USC. He finished with 49 yards on four receptions. He did have a fumble on a botched pitch. He’d be an excellent compliment to Dissly as a move-tight end capable of attacking the seam and creating mismatches. He catches the ball extremely well with strong hands and he’s very athletic. It’d be a surprise if the Seahawks didn’t have their eye on him.
— Jonathan Taylor had 119 yards on 26 carries plus a touchdown as Wisconsin beat Northwestern 24-15. He also had three catches for 15 yards. He can be a featured back and although he lacks top-level explosive athleticism or acceleration — he’s decently good at everything. He can cut, he can run with authority to get the hard yards, he’s not a slouch in the open-field. He has a very good chance to go in the top-50. It’s surprising that Wisconsin don’t feature tight end Jake Ferguson more in the passing game. He had a really good SPARQ score and is a terrific athlete capable of being more than a mere blocker. Some thought he could boost his stock into the early rounds this year.
— Clemson had a real battle against an energised North Carolina team today (and won by a point). Trevor Lawrence was rattled. He still managed to find Tee Higgins for a vital fourth quarter touchdown. Higgins finished with 129 yards on six receptions and a score. Add Higgins’ name to the long list of excellent receiver prospects. Isaiah Simmons had a big sack for a loss of 11-yards. He blitzed from the second level and blew up the attempted block by the running back for the sack. He also had multiple TFL’s. Is he a safety or a linebacker? He might be better at linebacker. Travis Etienne ran for 67 yards on 14 carries.
— I’ve never understood the first round talk surrounding Iowa pass rusher A.J. Epenesa. Where did it come from? He was spelled constantly last year and even in his better games there wasn’t that much to get excited about. This year he has one sack in four games. He had two tackles and a deflected pass only in a 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee today.
— Jeffery Okudah (CB, Ohio State) is showing why he’s the top cornerback in this class. He has great size, outstanding athleticism (he was a top SPARQ prospect) and he does everything. Against Nebraska he’s making jarring open-field tackles and jumped a route to make an interception. His second pick came after he slipped to the turf and showed great reflexes to catch a tipped pass while lying on his back. The Seahawks would surely love to have a player like Okudah. It’s a shame he’ll go in the top-10. Shaun Wade is another talented Ohio State cornerback. He’s a former five-star recruit and can play nickel or outside corner. Like Okudah he has size and is a willing tackler. He’s eligible for the 2020 draft but might stick around as a redshirt sophomore.
I’ll update this post with the later games shortly.
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Seems like someone else is seeing the same thing…
People are enamored with his route running. He’s a pure slot receiver at the next level IMO. That’s fine, but he’s not gonna carry a team’s passing attack.
It’s an embarrassment of riches at ‘Bama with these wideouts. Was Jeudy, then Ruggs, Smith now. Jaylen Waddle next?
Alabama has been recruiting South Florida annually for wide outs. It began with Amari Cooper and includes Jeudy plus several others. They have already received a commitment for 2020 from a star receiver at Miami Carol City High.
Is that Jones-Bell?
The first thing I ever noticed about Jeurdy is his field awareness. He was pointing and calling blitzes and hot routes for his highly touted QB.
Mone back on the team, signed to the PS. Nkansah waived off the PS to make room.
They didn’t add a FS? 😉
They’ve added them all at this point. None left.
Okudah with his 2nd pick in the first quarter!
Excellent prospect. Nailed on top-10.
J.K. Dobbins very underrated too. Physical to go with the elite SPARQ athleticism.
Dobbins looking pretty good, too. You’ve talked about him some.
That footspeed is going to translate well to the next level.
Sounding like day 2 will have a few nice OL options
I wonder, if his medicals check out, if Adams is worthy of one of our 2nd round pick. I know thats a homer thing in a way since he is a Husky but Ive seen him talked about as a 1st rounder previously. I figure the injury issues may drop him to the 2nd round.
Knowing our need at tackle long term, I wonder if we are heavily scouting him.
The problem here is — if the medicals check out, I’m convinced Adams will be a top-15 pick. He’s too good, too talented and too physically ideal not to be if teams are happy with the medicals. So the only way he falls into range is if there’s a big question mark over his health. And in that instance, how much are you willing to roll the dice for a player who might have a very short career?
#1 Alabama
#2 Ohio State
#3 Clemson
#4 Georgia
#5 Oklahoma
#6 LSU
Then a big gap.
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Wisconsin
It’s looking like one of those years where there’s a gap after Alabama.
Rob, Hunter Bryant is very similar in size to Evan Engram. But I’m guessing Engram is more athletic? But that’s the sort of NFL comp I think of with him. Not a classic TE blocker, but a move TE who is bigger than a nickel CB and faster than a LB so he creates coverage problems from a slot-type spot.
Am I on track or way off? Or somewhere in the middle?
Similar but I don’t think Bryant will match Engram’s insane combine performance.
Wow Garrett Wilson FR WR for Ohio St
That was money!
Kentucky’s Calvin Taylor is a grown a** man. This is a 6’8, slim 300 pound edge rusher.
I think NFL defensive minded HC’s are gonna want to get their hands on him.
I like Utah QB Tyler Huntley. Doesn’t have the strongest arm but its good enough, he’s accurate and has nice mechanics, mobile enough to allow RPO’s into the offense he’s running, team captain. Could be a nice option as a Day 3 developmental type.
Sometimes I think Utah CB Jaylon Johnson looks like one of the better zone scheme corners in CFB, other times he completely disappears.
Ohio State is an astonishingly athletic team. Ideal frames at every position. Explosive and aggressive.
I’m sure the Buckeyes have some weaknesses that can be exploited by the proper opponent. They also tend to play one inexplicably poor game per season on the road. But that catastrophic decision to start JT Barrett for three seasons really skewed the national perspective toward who occupies the ultra elite top tier of college football. Watson, Tua and Lawrence were boosting Clemson and Alabama somewhat above their baseline, while Barrett was sinking Ohio State markedly below its true level.
Trevor Lawrence reminds me of a football version of Rory McIlroy. Golf fans will know what I mean. McIlroy can look like the best player in the world, or he can look overrated and error prone. Following him in person it is incredible how many little weaknesses he has.
But it all depends on whether or not the driver is dictating. Same with Lawrence. The deep line drives to talented receivers with huge catch radius are Lawrence’s driver. Those plays showed up frequently in the playoffs last year, leading fans to envision that as the norm…now and forever. Nobody wanted to acknowledge Lawrence’s problems with processing quickly, and other flaws that continue to hold Lawrence’s YPA a full 3 yards below Tua’s.
Their problem is having just a single reliable deep target. And for most of the evening, UNC held Higgings in check. Etienne showed, that he
But still, having that is the difference vs UNC, and Clemson won, despite – in Swinneys words – being outplayed and outcoached.
People looking for T talent should watch Charlie Heck, LT of UNC. His opponents were mostly on the backpedal. Good lateral movement, clean hands, and at 6’8″ good wingspan.
Must rewatch the game, the UNC #21 also had heck of a game.
Has a team ever had 3 wideouts picked in the first round? What an insanely talented group.
Tua is running away with the first overall pick and probably the Heisman as well. Maybe he’ll stick around another year to try and avoid Miami.
I might be wrong, but I dont think so. The last time I remember a team having multiple 1st round picks at receiver was LSU in ’07 with Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis.
Ohio St. had two first round receivers that year as well – Ted Ginn & Anthony Gonzalez
Oh that’s right. Not sure how I forgot about U.S. representative Anthony Gonzalez.
Check out the block by the RT Alabama’s Jedrick Willis.
http://twitter.com/geoffschwartz/status/1178042476210331649
The next tweet reply with the highlight reel is great. Dude is a hog. Sign me up for that.
Saw that. Absolutely.
Missouri OT Yasir Durant. 6’7 330 lbs., wears his weight well. Incredibly strong anchor, doesn’t allow himself to get overwhelmed by the bull rush, surprisingly nimble as evidenced by Missouri using him on downblocks and pushing him into the second level quite often. Allowed the fewest number of pressures in the SEC last year.
Big boy guard to check out:
https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1178150035785228288
After all these years the Giants continue to play Eli Manning *checks notes* I mean Daniel Jones
And Dwayne Haskins is gonna attempt to be the 1st successful QB from Ohio St.
Taco Charlton just had a nice sack on Phil Rivers. Beat the RT off the snap and ran right around him to get to Rivers.
Hope to see some of that from Clowney, Ansah and QJeff today.
Congratulations to Frank Gore on becoming the 4th RB in NFL history to run for at least 15,000 career rushing yards!
Good for him. Seems like ages ago he was in a 49er uniform.
J. Coleman is having a heck of a game for the Lions.
And Earl Thomas looks finished in Baltimore.
The Scorpions – Wind of Change
https://youtu.be/n4RjJKxsamQ
I feel like it fits.
People were wondering what badass looks like? This guy is badass… 😉
https://twitter.com/SethGalina/status/1178369323687124992
I mean this makes sense. Dude has no instincts.
Colbert and Blair inactive on D.
Penny, Ursua, and Jennings inactive on O.
Penny, Pocic, Jennings, Ursua, Thorpe, Blair, Colbert inactive today.
Leave it to us dumb Americans to dig up the most useless stats out there… 😂
Russ gets to be the tall QB tho, that’s exciting?
From last week, but gotta appreciate this effort from my/our 2017 draft crush!
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1175868417426853888
Can we just eject this guy from the League already? 😡
https://twitter.com/PFF_Sam/status/1178370077634285568
Did I miss something? I Hill hurt too?
Let’s go. I see you, Shaq. (good thing the throw was high, though…)
And I’ll take the gift FG miss.
Sick spin move by Carson!
+32
🤡ney!
SEND IN THE CLOWNEY!!!!!
I was like: he had better not get caught by that OL…
oooh, it was Sweezy 😁
Sweezy flashing back to his DT days
Send in the Clown!!!!!!!!!
All I can say
Wow Clowney.
Will the Thrill!
I’m going to double down on my assertion that Will Dissly is a legit pro bowl TE and the best Seahawks TE since Zach Miller
Too easy.
Don’t want to speak too early, but pass pro has been really good so far.
When I watched the replay of the NOS game, I noticed our pass pro was pretty good then too.
BTW that throw by Russ to Lockett inches over the top of the jumping defender was a thing of beauty. Really looked like it was going to get picked as it hung in the air.
Been saying for the last couple of games that Rasheem Green is starting to show up in games. Especially in the second half when OL get tired.
That sack by Rasheem Green will get overlooked, but it shouldn’t. The ability to break that down in pursuit and maintain his balance was beautiful.
Totally. Especially considering how Murray juked Kendricks out of his jock strap on the previous play. Green is starting to deliver on his potential.
I agree. I think we all forgot that he’s only like 22.
There he was again!
Nooiice…
Fake punt here Pete
coward
Honestly, I thought the fake might be coming on 4th and 6. With 4th and 1 we might have just gone for it and effectively put this thing away before halftime, get the ball back in the 2nd half, etc.
I believe that’s LJ Collier’s first NFL tackle
Rasheem Griffin?
Wonderfully done there lads…
Excellent defensive series for SEA
Get Carson going for his confidence.
Reports of Carson’s demise have been greatly exaggerated
Agreed. I mean, literally all he needed to correct was to wrap up with both arms instead of using one arm to break his fall and expose the ball for a well-timed punch.
He’s flat out taking over this game
A guy like Gurley’s aren’t however. That knee is done.
Fo sho. Sad to see really. I mean, for him. He was one of the best when healthy.
Rams are driving again knocking on the end zone door. This will be a 1 score game at half.
It is. He can still be a factor for them because he’s such a complete back, but his days as that 3 down, workhorse are numbered.
Credit to ARI defense keeping SEA to 2 red zone FGs. Coming into today’s game, SEA were tops in the League for red zone TD percentage.
Excellent half of football for SEA. Lots to be happy about
Very enjoyable and fun. But against a glorified college team borrowing Terrell Suggs.
True that. But I’m still happy. Mostly happy about Carson reasserting himself as the lead back, and the DL getting after Murray so effectively.
😂🤣😂👌
Zero penalties! (right?)
I believe you are correct. When was the last time they opened a game without any first half penalties?
Wow, that’s quite the stat. Too bad we’re hardly ever up at halftime usually…
👀
Meant to be a response to Sea Mode
I say we march down the field for a TD to open the 3rd quarter, then start mixing in our young guys for some snaps to keep everyone fresh for the short week Thurs. game.
Kendricks has been lights out today.
Kyler looking like he wants no part of tonight’s affair.
He’s got a lot of work to do in terms of body language
BBK gonna get drilled in the locker room if that ends up being our only penalty of the game…
Poor Larry Fitzgerald with that face right before the break. “Come on, young bloods…”
I’m pretty sure Carson, Kendricks, and Green read this blog. They’re out there imposing they’re will. I know the Cardinals aren’t the toughest opponent and this team doesn’t have any sure fire BAMFs, but the growth from some of the young guys is good to see.
Did the refs create a penalty on Flowers?
Please tell me we’re not going to let this be a game now…
Mrs. Schottenheimer shoulda kept calling the plays.
💯%
Carson doing his best Lynch impression!
Apropos of nothing, and to the Cougs fans on the Blog, Minshew looks like the real deal. Having a nice game vs DEN today
Carson is a bad dude.
He’s playing a BAMF game that’s for sure.
Wanted that TD for him so bad.
Sure would have been deserved, but Prosise fresh off the bench was moving at 2x everyone else on the field.
Fournette just ripped off a tremendous run for JAX. If there’s a chance SEA could add him to the roster, I say go for it. Same with Calais.
I’m looking at this play. Sheesh…
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/1178437127178203136
Wow. That was something else
Here’s that Fournette run
https://twitter.com/PFN365/status/1178440082317029376?s=20
wow, nice.
Haha. He moves like a truck whose alignment is off.
Glad that he’s finding his groove again.
The accuracy!! That cutback to switch the play took so much power to change the direction of all that beef
Gardner Minshew is already better than Jared Goff,
So enjoyable to watch.