Jordan Davis has been the star of the combine this year
This was a day that promised much. Overall, it didn’t quite live up to expectations apart from the defensive tackle group. I’ll discuss in this piece why that might nudge Seattle closer to addressing the pass rush in free agency.
Firstly though, we need to talk about the story of the day.
Jordan Davis owns the combine
We’ve just witnessed one of the all-time great athletic performances. It doesn’t matter what the sport is or what the occasion is. Davis’ combine was a wonder of the world. A tour de force to match any physical achievement on the planet.
At 6-6 and 341lbs he ran an official 4.78. To put that into perspective — Nick Bosa ran a 4.79 at 266lbs.
Davis then set a combine record by an offensive or defensive lineman in the broad jump (10-3). He added a 32 inch vertical.
If he’d done the bench press and achieved a fairly standard 27 reps for a 1.00 score in TEF, his weighted TEF score would’ve been an obscene 119.7. Given he’s 341lbs, there’s every chance he would’ve done far more than 27 reps.
It’s not just the testing numbers though. He danced around the field with ease — moving subtly between the bags, changing direction quickly and moving in a way I’ve never seen a defensive tackle move before.
It’s not particularly surprising. In my initial breakdown of the overall class on December 6th, I noted:
Jordan Davis is 6-6 and 340lbs but he will be one of the stars of the combine. He will run quicker than anyone expects and make headlines.
In a year without clearly defined top-10 prospects, he deserves to go in that range. Dontari Poe was a lesser talent and went #11 overall.
Davis is a physical marvel. A superhero.
If the Seahawks had the #10 overall pick, we could’ve been dreaming about drafting him tonight.
The defensive tackle class dominates overall
Davis wasn’t alone — his Georgia team mate Devonte Wyatt looked absolutely sensational too. He ran a 4.77 and moved around the field like a linebacker.
He’s 304lbs.
We’ve never seen players like Wyatt and Davis before. They had 10-yard splits of 1.66 and 1.68 respectively. They are unique athletes. Not in that casual throwaway sense when talking about a pretty athletic player. They are legitimately different to what we see in the NFL.
Travis Jones is 6-4 and 325lbs and ran a 4.92. He ran a 4.58 short shuttle and a 7.33 three cone — both outstanding at his size. He’s also explosive — adding a 9-2 broad jump. In any other year we’d be raving about him. Instead he’s being blanketed by the Georgia duo.
Jones dominated the Senior Bowl by driving opponents backwards with brute force in 1v1’s. Now he’s shown he’s an elite athlete too and he deserves a first round grade.
Perrion Winfrey also had a superb week in Mobile and plays with an aggression and intensity. He got injured running a 4.89 with a 1.68 split. That’s superb. With that level of athleticism he could easily go in round one.
Tennessee’s Matthew Butler is an underrated player in the class. He ran a 5.00 at 297lbs and then jumped a 32 inch vertical and a 9-4 broad. He ticks a lot of boxes for Seattle and could be an early third round target.
DeMarvin Leal also ran a 5.00 but the key positive for him was a 4.49 short shuttle at 283lbs. Teams will like that a lot.
Eyioma Uwazurike will be a player I study tonight after he jumped a 33 inch vertical. He’s 6-5, 316lbs and has 35 1/8 inch arms.
Defensive ends fail to sizzle
There was a lot of hype and expectation among this EDGE group but unlike the defensive tackles, nobody really made any big headlines.
It’s disappointing from a Seahawks perspective. They generally target brilliant athletes who are quick, long, explosive and test well in the short shuttle. It’s hard to find those guys based on what we saw today. There aren’t many Darrell Taylor’s here, if they want to draft a similar partner in crime.
Let’s start with the positives.
Amare Barno will gain further study by teams post-combine after running a remarkable 4.36 — beating Montez Sweat’s record for a pass-rushing forty. He added a 37 inch vertical and a 10-11 broad but his short shuttle (4.45) was disappointing. He’s 6-4, 246lbs with 34 inch arms and could be interesting later in the draft.
Ole Miss’ Sam Williams has felt like a possible Seahawks option at #41. He’s angry, aggressive and has been a very productive pass rusher — with some concerns about his ability vs the run. He ran an excellent 4.46 with a 1.60 10-yard split. His 32.5 inch vertical was well below what was expected though and in drills some of his change of direction movements were stiff. He lacks the natural bend, lean, balance and straightening ability of Darrell Taylor. Even so — he can get after the quarterback thanks to his straight-line speed and aggression.
Dominique Robinson and DeAngelo Malone both pass the eye test in terms of body type for a Seahawks pass rusher. They’re lean and long with muscle definition. Robinson’s runs were mediocre but he jumped a 41 inch vertical. Malone only did on-field drills after adding 8lbs since the Senior Bowl. He appeared to be carrying the extra weight very well.
Joshua Paschal is a blog favourite. He only has 32 3/4 inch arms which could be an issue — the only pass rusher Seattle has taken with sub-33 inch arms of note is Alton Robinson in round four. He’s explosive and powerful and jumped a 10-3 broad. His run of 4.77 was good for a player weighing 268lbs. He didn’t do the short shuttle or three cone which is a shame given he ran a 4.30 shuttle at SPARQ.
Logan Hall ran a 4.44 short shuttle at 283lbs which is impressive. Trevon Walker managed a 4.32 at 272lbs — plus a brilliant 6.89 three-cone. Hall’s was a 7.25.
Boye Mafe ran a 4.53 at 261lbs — then added a 38 inch vertical and a 10-5 broad.
Jeffrey Gunter impressed during drills with his athleticism and mobility. He ran a 4.70 at 258lbs, had a 1.63 split and then added a 4.35 short shuttle. As a possible day-three rotational end, he has potential.
Now onto the question marks.
Only two players ran an elite 1.5 10-yard split — Amare Barno (1.54) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (1.59). I thought we might see multiple testers in that range today.
Why is Myjai Sanders now 228lbs, considerably lighter than the Senior Bowl? Has he been sick? This is a major question mark. His testing numbers were nothing to write home about either and well below expectations.
The following players all had sub-33 inch arms:
Aidan Hutchinson (DE) — 32 1/8
George Karlaftis (DE) — 32 5/8
Logan Hall (DE/DT) — 32 3/4
Joshua Paschal (DE) — 32 3/4
Myjai Sanders (DE) — 32 5/8
Cam Thomas (DE) — 32 1/2
Boye Mafe (DE) — 32 5/8
Kayvon Thibodeaux refused to do any on-field drills, jumps or agility testing for no serious justifiable reason — adding fuel to the fire that he has character flags.
The likes of Arnold Ebiketie and Drake Jackson didn’t run a forty. Jackson looks like he’s added a fair bit of weight — although he did jump a 36.5 inch vertical and a 10-7 broad.
Players who were expected to run blazing short shuttle times only did OK. George Karlaftis (4.36), Myjai Sanders (4.37), David Ojabo (4.45) and Amare Barno (4.45) were all expected to do better.
To compare, Frank Clark ran a 4.05 shuttle.
Aidan Hutchinson was expected to get into that range but only managed a 4.15. It’s still a very good time but there was talk of a similar time to Clark.
It just all felt underwhelming, including during on-field drills.
What does it mean for the Seahawks?
It suddenly looks like a top-heavy pass rush class and with the best players likely to be long gone by #41, I think what we saw today increases the chances of two things happening:
1. The Seahawks address their pass rush need in free agency
2. They are more likely to draft for the offensive line with their top pick, where there is a lot more available depth
I’ll write about this more after the combine. Yet my initial reaction to today is Seattle needs to go out and get a Chandler Jones type (or another) and then focus on potential targets such as Abraham Lucas, Cole Strange, Cam Jurgens or Zion Johnson in round two.
Failing that — look at other positions depending on what happens over the next week or so. You can add a quality linebacker at #41 if you move on from Bobby Wagner, potentially an excellent running back if Rashaad Penny moves on, there’s great talent at receiver and tight end plus we’ll see how the defensive backs get on tomorrow.
But unless one of the top defensive tackles — Wyatt, Jones or Winfrey — falls into round two, it’s hard to suggest which pass rusher actually makes sense with Seattle’s first pick.
We know the Seahawks love special traits. Right now — the players who could be there at #41 with those traits are not edge rushers:
Breece Hall (RB)
Kenneth Walker (RB)
Zamir White (RB)
Greg Dulcich (TE)
Abraham Lucas (T)
Cole Strange (C)
Cam Jurgens (C)
Travis Jones (DT)
Perrion Winfrey (DT)
Channing Tindall (LB)
Troy Andersen (LB)
Leo Chenal (LB)
You could add Boye Mafe to the list but again — he doesn’t have the length Seattle typically goes for.
Several linebackers stand out
Channing Tindall said he was a ‘freak of nature’ in an interview during the 2021 season. He proved it at the combine — running a 4.53 forty and then jumping a 42 inch vertical and a 10-9 broad. He is a special talent — capable of flying to the sideline and hunting down ball-carriers. Tindall is violent, quick and can be a destroyer of screens and stretch plays.
Troy Andersen has been threatening to break into round two after a good Senior Bowl. He ran a 4.42 forty at 243lbs then jumped a 36 inch vertical and a 10-8 broad.
Christian Harris’ tape never really lived up to expectations at Alabama but here he ran a 4.44 at 226lbs then added a 34 inch vertical and an 11 broad.
Damone Clark has the body of a Greek God and ran a 4.56 forty at 239lbs. He jumped a 36.5 inch vertical and a 10-7 broad.
Leo Chenal is stocky and doesn’t have a traditional body type for the position. However, he ran a 4.53 forty at 250lbs then jumped a 40.5 inch vertical and a 10-8 broad. He’s a special athlete.
Chad Muma ran a 4.63 forty and then jumped a 40 inch vertical and a 10-9 broad jump. His short shuttle of 4.28 is pretty good (although not in the range Seattle loves). He also ran a 7.06 three cone. Overall though he’s an explosive, agile athlete who flies to the ball on tape.
Agility testing is key at linebacker and the Seahawks typically target players who run well in the short shuttle. Given how late the linebackers did on-field drills, it’s unclear how many actually did the short shuttle.
I will update this article if/when the full results are revealed. Players testing particularly well (in the 4.00-4.10 range) will almost certainly be on Seattle’s radar.
Join us again tomorrow for the final day of combine coverage. I’ll be hosting a live stream with Robbie Williams at 8:30am (PST). The live blog will then start up once more and we’ll have the usual recap at the end. Workouts start at the earlier time of 11am (PST) tomorrow.
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Thanks for all this Rob. Outstanding stuff.
Tony Pauline said a couple days ago the DT free agent market should be red hot this year, with several players getting significant deals. Do you think today’s testing cooled that feeling some?
Possibly — but it’s a top heavy DT class. And when the top guys are gone… good luck
Relatedly, Pauline is reporting that the market for free agent OL is cooling after the o-line group’s strong showing at the combine. One might expect the smartest guys in the room to zig where the rest of the league zags.
Watch the Jets take Jordan Davis #4 then Davonte Wyatt #10 just to send us all in to therapy.
Luckily, I know just what to say when that happens:
Listen you’re my friend…
I noticed you haven’t really been yourself recently…
Yeah, I feel like something’s up…
How are you?
Are you okay?
Is there anything you want to talk about?
I just want to know how you’re feeling…
…and listen, even if you don’t know what to say…
I’m here to talk…
No matter what you’re going through…
I just want you to know I’m here…
I’ve got your back…
When you want to talk I’m here..
And I won’t let your kid play basketball without a meal.
And by the way…she’ll like it too. //wink
cha says::
“And by the way…she’ll like it too. //wink”
Stop shagging your wife and feed your child.
I just laughed loudly at this.
Because if I have to sit through these bloody commercials for much longer I’m going to boil my own face.
I have written three comedic plays for 24 Hour Theater here in Pensacola.
Which strangely is a lot like Fantasy Football.
There’s gonna be teams drafting QB, WR and there’s the really top players that we didn’t hope to get anyways. We’ll have the chance of nailing pick 41, don’t mess it up.
As a point of reference, here are the Combine / Pro Day results for Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and KJ Wright—
Irvin: 40-yd dash=4.41, vertical=33.5, broad=10-3
Wagner: 40–yd dash=4.46, vertical=39.5 (Pro Day), broad=11-0 (Pro Day)
Wright: 40-yd dash=4.75, vertical=32, broad=10-0
Watched a game of Amero Bano after his performance. He’s not very good, zero pass rush skill. Every snap he runs up to the Tackle and just sort of stands there like “oh theres this big dude standing in my way that sucks”. Still wouldnt hate him as a late round flier, as his athleticism does show up in space, should be a decent ST option.
Will we get Boye Mafe’s 10 yard split at some point?
Not until the draft guides come out where the national lot get that info from a team source
There is just no buzz for this combine online
My timeline doesn’t have anyone really talking about it on Twitter. This is the quietest this blog has been during a combine and looking on other sites it’s the same.
Just feels lots of people DGAF this year
I think part of the reason is the way the F.O. drafts….After months of your brilliant analysis, they take someone hardly even mentioned. Watch them pick a safety at #41.
That coupled with the #10 pick not there when it is needed desperately is a huge turn off.
Plus people are in a covid coma.
I think it goes beyond Seahawks fans
Far fewer are talking about and reacting to the combine online
The forums are empty
It just feels like fans have given the event this year a huge shrug
They start late. While that maybe is better for some to see it live, it leaves little time for digesting, analyzing and such before bedtime. At least that’s true for this guy with a growing number of gray hairs on my head. I’m tired 😴
It may go beyond Seahawks fans, but like L80 said, I just have a really difficult time getting excited for Pete’s drafts. He’s going to try to prove yet again he’s smarter than everyone else which hasn’t been the case since 2012. And not having that #10 pick and knowing what the team got for it (or if you prefer, what they didn’t get) makes this whole thing depressing.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy your analysis a great deal and you’re right about players far more than not which makes watching the draft far more interesting.
From a Seahawks fans perspective. Minus the hyper tribalized dorks on one platform I think there’s a malaise amongst fans. For two years running I don’t watch games in real time. Unbeknownst to me, until recently, my mom who is a jim zorn to now lifer and i do the same thing. Dvr it. Skip to the second half. Watch the offensive plays because that’s what determines if they win or lose. And for a finger on the pulse my mom can chapter and verse nearly everyone on the team and thinks the players have zero star power. She’s not some brain dead fan john clayton thinks he’s talking to.
Going towards the draft. I didn’t like the Harvin trade. I didn’t like the graham trade. And I have never got the point of this latest boondoggle. The card board cut outs. The we got our guy stuff. It’s actually sucking the funny out of the room.
Rob and the folks here keep me interested. Certainly not the team. Oh and I’m being a baby but when they picked Penny over Chubb? For whatever reason i stopped thinking the FO had a scant iota of a clue that they know what they are doing. Like this strange sense of: Oh no. These people literally might not know more about football than a guy in his workshop with a pad of paper and a carpenters pencil crunching numbers for a comment on a niche blog.
Maybe the fact that it wasnt on last year? People out of the habit of it being a fundamental part of the offseason? Or just a draft class with less hype surrounding it generally?
Obviously global events dont help (for me personally it has been a welcome distraction) and the combine is obviously not a primetime event, it’s stupid they tried to make it one.
I’ve wondered if global events have had an impact. I struggle to switch off from thinking about what’s happening in Ukraine. I couldn’t sleep on Sunday last week after watching those dads seeing their wives/kids go off on the train as they prepared to go and fight in a war. I never thought we’d see that again and it hit home as a dad of young kids. I interviewed someone in Ukraine on Monday and felt out of it afterwards for several hours.
You might be right about habits. I think a lot of people have had their routines changed permanently as a consequence of lockdown.
It could be because there are a lack of stars in this draft — particularly at quarterback.
But I’ve still been surprised how little interest there is in the combine. My ‘recap’ posts usually get +200 comments and this year it’s 10-20. I’ve checked other sites and it’s the same. On the forums, hardly anyone is talking about the combine.
FWIW Friday morning was the first day since the invasion I didn’t wake up and immediately go through the news feed for what’s been going on, because I was reading your combine recap. Obviously one thing is more important than the other, but I really appreciated having something else to read while drinking my coffee.
Thanks Henry, I’m glad the blog was able to provide that
just wanted to second this. SDB has been a welcome distraction for me these past weeks. i check-in several times a day… probably verging on an unhealthy degree!
Thank you 👏🏻
Agree that the lack of QB star power is a big factor though not the only one as has been mentioned.
it’s an interesting observation. wonder if it’s just the combine, or sports in general?
I find myself not watching as much NBA this year as I usually do, and i’m not sure why.
I think your explanation above is as good as any – some combination of the events in Ukraine, the continued somewhat limbo of Covid – – we’ve talked about it a ton at work, just a general malaise going around among so many people.
I do very much appreciate the amazing level of detailed analysis you’re giving here – i’ve never known nearly as much about draft prospects, and Seahawk picking tendencies – as i have from following these articles.
Thanks
I was looking at the Jordan Davis combine video and I’m thinking if I’m the Jaguars, why not get a guy who can turn into the next Aaron Donald at 1? Both Hutchinson and Thibodeaux have their issues and Davis seems more of a game changer than both of them. I don’t have a superstar WR in the draft and that can be settled via free agency anyways (Amari Cooper?), I have options for OL at 33.
From Jeremy Fowler:
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/33429789/free-agency-trade-buzz-nfl-combine-latest-aaron-rodgers-russell-wilson-qbs-risers-2022-draft-franchise-tags
In the modern NFL you’re only as good as your third receiver.
Swain isn’t good enough, Eskridge didn’t prove anything, we are loaded at WR but not with quality. And Russ has been asking for a WR – Antonio Brown, OBJ. It sure makes sense to get someone.
💯.
The case against trafing DK comes down to now Seattle will need two recievers. It’s simple math.
I can see lots of decent reasons to trade him from a draft angle. And I kind of get that excitement to think about getting a middle first round pick. I love Lockett but would dread going to battle with one albeit great reciever, one in his 30’s and some guys.
I hope they aren’t calling around on anyone that would cost more than a fourth. And barring that, fingers crossed Christian Watson is there in the fourth. Dude is a dog and a YAC machine. And could cause a lot of problems lined up with DK and Tyler.
Don’t think they are sniffing around for a WR 3. Seems to me the are probably doing due diligence in case Metcalf negotiations go south or someone offers a mind blowing offer for him. If they got two firsts this +, it could allow them to draft Corral, and/or pick up a stud DT or Edge, and grab a WR that fits Waldrons scheme in Rd2.
Could it be that they *do* feel good about Eskridge, and are thinking about trading D.K. for a haul, then turning around and trading a lower pick for someone to replace him?
Sorry ElPasoHawk, I basically just repeated your idea.
Great minds…. 🙂
Yup, this would be the hope for sure.
I’ve got to second Henry Taylor here. This site has kept me distracted inna positive way over recent time (months? Probably)
Though I would agree world events play a part at least in the states I think the boring answer is the NFL whiffed almost as hard as anyone has with such an easy property to market. The old schedule of events plus day time programming promoted itself. When I was a big sports radio fan I can remember Jim Rome (annoying as he can be at times) talking nearly live, more or less 10 minutes after getting Ngatadoing the event, on terrestrial radio going out to probably 4-6 million listeners..Haloti Ngata doing like 49 reps on the bench.
The NFL by going primetime completely loses real time publicity to that level. I don’t what Twitter’s user rate in the UK is bit there is a lot of this here from politics, sports, big arts events that continually outsize twitter’s impact and ability to relay info here in the states. Not bagging on twitter. Just an example. That twitter has no where near the ability to reach like american sports radio does.
But prime time. For an event that should have a slower pace? Just a bad idea. And more or less at a time when virtually anything you could do prior to march 2020 is back up and going?
I could see the Seahawks drafting Matt Corrall. If so then we would have ammo to draft Jordan Davis or Trevon Walker, maybe both. There is a lot to like about Matt Corrall. I don’t know much about mechanics but he’s athletic, mobile, smart, and a competitor. If we are tempted by three pics from Chicago last year than this year we should be blown away by offers for Russell.
If they like Corral they should draft him if they can
They need an out from this saga and if that means adding like GB did two years ago to try and find one so be it
I read an article suggesting the Broncos draft Matt Corrall at #9 in the 1st round. So if we trade Wilson we would have to possibly move ahead of the Broncos to make sure to get Corrall. OR just trade Wilson to the Broncos.
Trade Wilson to Denver. Ask Denver for a 1st and 2nd this year, a 1st and 2nd next year, and CB Patrick Surtain. Surtain is on his way to being one of the best CB in the NFL.
Hi Rob,
Your draft coverage has been outstanding as always, thank you!
With most combine testing done, I’ve put together a database of prospects who fit Seahawks historic size/ athletic thresholds. It might be useful for you and your readers, particularly for mock drafts. It’s here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O-F7QOw7jLjGkKGPKlREyYvL2nplDlbZ48Tu5z1uXCM/edit?usp=sharing
I think there are fair few LEO options and as you say Rob, it looks like a stacked draft for LBs as well
Thanks, I’ll check it out
Cheers Rob
checked out a video of Miami-Ohio vs. Cincinnati to have a look at Dominique Robinson. he flashed a couple times and almost made some big plays (just missed a TFL and a couple of sacks), but also looked very raw — which is to be expected. they mostly used him on stunts, but i saw him drop back in coverage once and he looked real fluid.
for his part, Eyioma Uwazurike seems like he could be a mid-round option as an inside/out rusher. he has the size and versatility for a Fangio-style defense and looked pretty disruptive in his highlight reel. more, he has a gritty backstory which, we know PC/JS value highly. thanks for bringing him to our attention Rob!
“One Seattle development this week: The Seahawks have been asking around on the receiver market. That’s interesting because they are already loaded at wideout. Maybe they just want depth … or maybe it’s something more.”
https://twitter.com/JoshNorris/status/1500483925998817281?s=20&t=fxVtFGGV7s5vx5wO-Hzqbg
Rob your site is my go to for draft information. I do 3-4 hr walks with my dog each day listening to Seahawk podcasts and continually compare y our analysis of the draft as well as other Seahawk issues with other commentators and feel they would be so much better going here to understand issues before starting their discussions. Love that you appear on various podcasts and always listen to them.
I do not often comment as I don’t feel I have much to add but your blog has certainly been a welcome distraction from covid and provided respite from my mind constantly thinking of the poor Ukrainian peoples (as well as Russian peoples) who needlessly are suffering as well as other personal troubles. Man’s history has been a constant tale of man’s inhumanity to other men. Maybe someday we will learn but not in my lifetime.
To all who provide commentary here I commend and thank you. Although the Seahawks are troubling and sometimes their actions do not may any sense ultimately in the grand scheme it is only a game and allows for escape from the daily problems we individually and collectively face.
Well said.
Thank you
I can’t tell you how much it means to me to read that people still enjoy this place
Rob, I think you are right in that the Ukraine situation is on a lot of people’s minds. Having said that, I read your blog everyday. No where else can you find such high quality analysis and your contribution is greatly appreciated.
Thanks TJ
Hey, Rob! Great stuff, as always. Is your only concern with Josh Paschal the 1/4” he’s missing in arm length? You sold me on him, and I haven’t come off of it as my favorite idea for pick #41. I love the on-field fit as a versatile tone-setter on the D line, and equally I think he’s a culture fit with his personal history, having overcome cancer and been a leader in the locker room. I super appreciate all your coverage of the combine, which has allowed me to feel totally comfortable just watching the Jordan Davis highlights.
It’s not a concern per se.
When you’re doing a projection you have to accept what the data says. And short armed offensive and defensive linemen have not been high picks by this regime.