There were a couple of big takeaways from the South Carolina vs Clemson game. First of all, Clemson’s D-line reminds me of Premier League side Manchester United. Big names, big expectations, lots of hype. Yet they consistently flatter to deceive. I can’t recall a game recently where they dominated. However, that defeat to Notre Dame lives long in the memory where they got their arses kicked in the trenches.
Bryan Bresee continues to be spelled like crazy because of strep throat, Myles Murphy was again missing in action. K.J. Henry is the one who creates the most pressure but he doesn’t finish enough plays with a sack.
Yet if you log onto any draft website you barely ever hear anything negative about Bresee or Murphy. They just get chucked into the early first round and everyone assumes they’re brilliant.
I understand why there’s a chance they’ll both go early. Murphy can reportedly run a 4.5 at 275lbs. Bresee can run a 4.7 at over 300lbs. They are both well sized, fantastic athletes. That can and should be acknowledged. Yet the tape isn’t good. Murphy only has 6.5 sacks for the season despite playing a high number of snaps. I’ve said a hundred times now, I think he plays the run like a pussycat. Bresee has had a difficult year for reasons we’ve discussed in the past — but he’s offered little more than an occasional flash.
So I suppose the question to ask is — for a player like Murphy — why is he suddenly going to turn on the production against NFL linemen, without the advantage of playing next to a loaded, 5-star D-line?
I fear he and Bresee are two players who have simply been far more athletic than anyone else in High School and college and they’ve been able to get by. At the next level, they won’t have the same significant advantage. They’ll need to play with more aggression, better technique and they’ll need to become proper football players. How early are you willing to take a chance on that?
The second takeaway is Spencer Rattler has as much natural talent as anyone in college football. For the second game in a row, after his demolition of Tennessee, he made incredibly difficult throws look easy. The problem is — he continues to have at least one absolutely horrendous decision in him every game. Sometimes, it’s multiple horrendous decisions.
In the Clemson game he threw an awful red zone interception which, at the time, acted like a cold bucket of water over everything else he’d shown to that point. Yet he finished the game strongly.
I hope he returns to South Carolina. Something is brewing there. If he goes back, has a successful season and not just a couple of good games, he can really propel himself back into the NFL discussion. Otherwise you’re still talking about a late day three flier on someone who will essentially be handing NFL teams a two-game résumé.
There are some really nice running backs eligible for 2023 and Kenny McIntosh of Georgia continues to excel. He’s an incredible pass-catching back to go with his tenacious, violent running style. Against Georgia Tech he had a +80 yard reception with a brilliant piece of ball-tracking over his shoulder, before a hefty chunk of YAC down the sideline. He then ran it in for a short-yardage score. He is destined to be a tremendous complementary back at the next level.
I’m really tempted to move Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran to the top of my positional list. He was brilliant again on Saturday. He turned interior linemen to create huge running lanes up the middle. He sprung a massive touchdown run in the fourth quarter by chipping the defensive tackle in a double team with the guard, then progressing to the second level and driving a linebacker off his spot. The running back followed him the whole way for an untouched scoring carry. Van Pran, if he turns pro, will be a high pick in my opinion. I’m not sure what his plans are but he is legitimately someone I think you can make a case for in the top-45.
Anthony Richardson is still being talked about as a raw, unpolished player. I think that is an outdated assessment. He is not the finished article — but who is at this point? Very few players are. While the occasional inaccurate throw still blots his copybook, you’re not drafting a hybrid Josh Allen/Lamar Jackson quarterback to play like Peyton Manning. Whatever he gives up in the occasional miss, he more than makes up for in world class playmaking talent.
Without Richardson I’m not sure how many games Florida would’ve won this year. There’s very little to shout about apart from the quarterback and leading running back. Against Florida State, Richardson was let down by his receivers on several occasions and had to try and desperately keep up with FSU. He had an incredible 3rd and 8 conversion — spinning away from tackles, running through contact to get the yardage. He had some outstanding throws — including one down the seam for a touchdown — but again, some that he missed too. He has amazing potential that just needs to be harnessed. Any coach worth his salt is going to be begging the GM to let him have a crack at Richardson. Especially if you’re willing to be patient with him.
He has 26 total touchdowns and nine interceptions for the year, playing for a rebuilding team in the SEC. Alternatively, C.J. Stroud has the perfect environment to succeed at Ohio State and has 37 total touchdowns and six interceptions. People act like there’s a big difference here but there isn’t.
Before I speak about Bryce Young — a word on Alabama’s Byron Young. Whether he is shooting gaps or just pushing his blocker into the backfield — he is constantly disruptive. He’s so underrated. He’ll not be a big-time playmaker at the next level but he’ll certainly do a job as a 3-4 DE.
Bryce put in a typical Bryce performance. If you can’t pressure him and force him to bail on the pocket, he will sit and pick you apart. He had all the time in the world against Auburn and was able to throw with accuracy, timing and step into downfield throws. It was an easy day and a good showcase for his talent. The thing is, he’ll never get it this easy at the next level. He did throw a dreadful interception over the middle — flat footed, didn’t step into throw, made it easy for the defender to undercut the route. Overall it was a good day but we know what he is by now, strengths and weaknesses. How the NFL judges his size/frame will be a big talking point throughout draft season. As I’ve said a few times — I don’t think anyone is wrong or right about it. If you worry about the frame, that’s valid. If you don’t and would happily take a shot, that is perfectly plausible too.
Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid had another big day (albeit against hapless Colorado). I just get the feeling he’s going to carry on making plays at the next level if he lands in the right offense. He’s quite a talent.
Another tight end, Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, showed why he should be a top-12 pick with another great performance against USC. He was constantly able to win battles in coverage to make receptions and he had a great TD boxing out a smaller defensive back. He’s a huge red zone weapon, a prolific playmaker and a great safety valve. Mayer is such a consistent, talented player.
Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez wears #24, says he grew up watching Marshawn Lynch and he runs just like him. He’s so strong, powerful and drives through contact. He would be a great option for Seattle. Rodriguez was so good again against Louisville.
Will Levis also had a decent end to his SEC season, throwing 11/19 for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a key rivalry win. We’ll see if Levis plays in the Bowl game, I would hope he doesn’t given what has happened this season with Kentucky’s O-line. He’s already nursing two injuries and the fact he’s not confirmed for the Senior Bowl yet suggests he might need some surgery or recovery time. Rodriguez has confirmed he’ll be in Mobile.
When I talk about systems and environments giving certain QB’s a big advantage in terms of production, not being sacked and winning — nothing highlighted it better than Tennessee’s win at Vanderbilt. They hammered Vandy — one of the toughest, in-form teams in CFB in recent weeks — despite losing Hendon Hooker to an ACL injury. We all know Ohio State and Alabama will also retain their production next year when their QB’s move on. Ditto Washington. Kentucky and Florida, on the other hand, are going to be in serious trouble. The advantages and disadvantages, experiences and pressure on the different QB’s doesn’t get talked about enough among fans and media. People watch prolific production, pretty (albeit wide-open) throws and jump to conclusions far too often.
This brings me on to Michael Penix Jr, who I like. He has grown on me over time because of his fantastic arm. Without a question, there’s something to work with there. However, I’m reading all this ‘Penix Jr for Heisman’ stuff and people talking on the radio about him being a first round pick and it just gets so frustrating.
Even Pete Carroll was asked on Seattle Sports about Penix Jr this week. His answer, tellingly, highlighted the great scheme he plays within. And there you go. Carroll nailed it with that answer.
When you operate in a half-field, one-read scheme that makes all the calls for you on the sideline and consistently is able to cook up situations where your receivers are wide open, you will have a lot of success. There weren’t many challenging throws for Penix Jr in the Apple Cup. Granted, he can drive the ball in such an attractive way — you can’t help but be impressed. Even a throw to a wide-open receiver can look amazing if delivered with an eye-catching flick of the wrist.
Yet I feel like I keep repeating myself on this — probably in a futile way, given I suspect people who read this blog already get it. At the next level you need to run through progressions, make checks and calls yourself, you need to make quick decisions and deliver precise throws into smaller windows. None of this is evident in the Washington, Ohio State and Tennessee schemes. The quarterbacks are all babied, given advice from the sideline and often just need to look off the safety and throw to the one-read. If everything clicks — you throw to an open guy most of the time. We’ve all seen what happens when it doesn’t because Stroud, Penix Jr and Hooker have all thrown identical interceptions into triple coverage.
Because of Penix Jr’s arm strength, when the scheme puts people downfield in space and he has all the time in the world to throw, it’s easy. This from Monday’s article highlights how much time Penix Jr has in the pocket…
Sacks conceded per-game in 2022:
Oregon — 0.4
Washington — 0.5
Georgia — 0.5
Ohio State — 0.7
Florida — 1.3
Alabama — 1.5
Tennessee — 1.9
Kentucky — 3.5
So if your guys are open and you have all the time in the world to throw and you have a big arm — production is inevitable.
Kudos to Washington for finding a coach in Kalen DeBoer who is essentially their answer to Josh Heupel. It should mean offensively they are productive for years to come, will regularly churn out prolific QB’s and they will have success provided they can deliver a complementary defense. We should be honest and up front about the scheme though and what it does for the quartetback.
Sadly, when Penix Jr has had to go off script and make decisions — we see things like the horrendous red zone interception he had against Washington State. In the NFL he won’t be able to sit there and just lob downfield to players with five yards of separation from a clean pocket. He will have to process and improvise and go through progressions. I’m not sure we have enough on tape to feel confident about that and as such, it tempers his stock. For me — the arm puts him in the third round range but even then he is a project who will need time to learn the ways of the NFL. When he gets a chance, he’ll need to show he can function outside of the college system he benefits from.
Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey and TCU’s Quentin Johnston didn’t play at the weekend due to injury.
And with that, the college football regular season is over. I will share notes on the Championship weekend and then we’re into the Bowls, where most draft prospects will opt to sit out and declare for the NFL.
I hope you’ve found the last 13 weeks useful. I’ve poured my heart into watching tape this year, knowing it was such a big draft in 2023 for the Seahawks. We’re talking 8-10 hours on a Saturday after I finish broadcasting for my day job, then multiple hours on Sunday with follow up study every week night after I finish work.
I’ve always suggested this has been like a second full-time job for me, running this blog. Since the summer it’s been more like a second and third full-time job. I don’t get everything right and never will but I hope it’s provided a decent overview of the draft in advance of the mainstream media arriving on the scene in January to tell you a load of information without any of the September-December groundwork.
If you’ve enjoyed the work and want to support the blog so that I can consider options for the pre-draft coverage in the new year, please consider supporting the site via Patreon — (click here)
Thanks so much for your efforts this year Rob.
Truly above and beyond!
Thanks man — and thank you again for everything you do for the blog. Exceptional articles.
I second that. The dedication you have for this is off the charts and we are the beneficiaries of it.
Thank you Rob!
And thank you Curtis!
You guys are both just best. Those of us regulars are so fortunate to have you both.
I sincerely hope you are at least realizing a small profit from Patreon and Super Chats Rob. You deserve it.
thanks for everything, Rob!
the work you put into this site is unmatched.
You don’t get a fraction of the credit and recognition you deserve.
I’ve lost count of all the times that I hear “evaluation” of a player in the MSM, and think… “Rob Staton was saying that 6 months ago!”
You have made following the Seahawks and the draft just a more fulfilling experience over the past decade-plus.
Much respect and appreciation to you (and your wife, for putting up with your unique dedication).
Rob, Thanks for putting into perspective the number of hours you spend on running this blog. There are a lot of us that don’t comment much but read it daily. I’ve been reading for about 7 years now and let me say thank you for both the amount of content and the quality.
Additionally you must have a saint for a wife.
She is the best. We’ve always been very good about letting each other live how we want, do things that we want. She lets me crack on
Please tell her thank you for being so cool. You found a good one on your first try. It took me 3 to find someone that is great about me doing things I like (mostly solo motorcycle traveling).
Question for you Rob. At the NFL level you always here analysts state the sacks are (largely) a qb stat. Obviously there is some nuance to that which scheme and base o-line talent, but does that hold true for college as well? Do you typically see heavily sacked qb’s in college accrue a lot of sacks in the NFL?
I’ve no idea — but the schemes which are producing a low number of sacks are designed to be spread out and get the ball out quickly
Greatly appreciate the effort!
Thanks for all this effort.
It’s always a blast getting your perspective and watching it ebb and flow through the season.
Extremely excited for the senior bowl this year. Every year it seems to shine a light on a player or so who needs that opportunity to separate from perhaps a middling college team.
Please combine…..be better this year.
Now that my hopes for Seattle this year are back on earth these two events are keeping me excited. Maybe Seattle gets to the playoffs but the overall defensive effort game to game reads first round exit and I’ve already seen that story for half a decade…..nobody would want to face us? Really, Pete? I think a ton of teams would gladly face us.
Super excited to see what Seattle does with that first pick. I know it’s been fun to “ride,” this year but unless they can get a qb, for me, I’d find a buyer.
Slowly pouring overall the top 5 picks this century and man alive its not good. Very few players have gone onto win a superbowl with the team that drafted them. A very, very, small amount of HOFers, surprisingly not even that much talent you could say is objectively good. A boatload of busts.
Plus your epic content and I’m not even seeing the likes of Carter/Anderson as better values than Clancey. I don’t know I’m sure it’ll change when draft season gets rolling.
Dane Brugler has his first mock up for the Athletic.
1. HOU Bryce Young
2. CHI Will Anderson
3. DET Jalen Carter
4. SEA Myles Murphy
Stopped reading it as soon as I saw Bijan Robinson down at 21
And the draft simulators are smitten with a Stroud/Young 1-2.
It will be interesting to see if they are updated after the combine.
Thanks for all the hard work Rob! Very much appreciated! This is the first place I go for Seahawks and draft news.
Thanks for your work Rob. You make football even more fun. I don’t think anyone matches you in the major outlets in scouting.
I might of missed it, but what do you think of the WSU quarterback?
I say this as a Washington fan. I would think Ward is a better pro prospect than Penix
Also, I suspect Penix might stay at UW next season based on NIL revenue. I think he needs at least a 2nd round grade to convince him to go pro.
Penix will be very interesting to watch when he eventually goes pro. He has a great arm, but can he run a more complex offense? I don’t know what kind of offense he worked in at Indiana.
It was the same offense as UW
DeBoer coached him at Indiana
Washington has an OG/OT named Jaxson Kirkland who might be NFL material. Any thoughts?
The draft analysis that you provide is beyond exceptional. It is a unique resource giving us reliable, believable information.
Was once a highly rated player but injuries have taken a toll. I doubt there’s much of a NFL future here
That’s what I thought. I just wasn’t sure if he was running someone else’s offense since he wasn’t head coach. So it all really comes down to whether he can learn another style of offense. It will be interesting to watch to see if he can make it happen.
Very well done this year, Rob. Your efforts are appreciated.
Thanks for all your work Rob, I think you genuinely have a talent for evaluating players, so many you’ve liked over the years have gone on to be hits in the NFL.
So much of the mainstream draft coverage just seems to be the same old regurgitated, lazy groupthink.
Congrats on the England match last night btw, think you’ve got a decent chance in this World Cup if Southgate’s brave enough.
And thanks to Curtis for your work on the site too.
Rob. When ranking the overall top hundred(estimates) . Just curious who are the top run stuffing de, dt, lb, safety in this draft. And where is there overall rank in the 2023 draft.
Rob – the depth and coverage this year has been and I’m sure will continue to be amazing. Your site is in an everyday must read!
Thank you Rob for all excellent articles. The details you provide on college players is outstanding. With so many college football games going each week, i did follow the games you mention every week.
Thank you for everything .
Thanks for all your viewing, analyzing and writing. Thanks to Cha for his thorough posts. Thanks to both of your wives for letting you two indulge in your hobby / obsession.
Thank you Rob and Curtis!
Rob I think you are spot on with your concern that any D-lineman drafted by the Seahawks with a top-5 pick is at high risk of underperforming due to the Seattle defensive scheme.
Going into this season if you had predicted Seattle could draft Will Levi’s without trading up, I think many of us would have jumped for joy. That looks possible (thank you Broncos) or perhaps Anthony Richardson. I’ll be looking forward to the Senior Bowl. Will you finally be able to attend this year?
Amazing content this year Rob, really appreciate it! Adding in the write up’s from Curtis has been very cool as well!
Like others have said already, it’s very cool to see the names get drafted and know something about them now.
I know this isn’t draft related, but I just saw that Aaron Donald will miss this weekend’s game with a high ankle sprain…
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10057250-rams-aaron-donald-ruled-out-vs-seahawks-1st-career-game-missed-due-to-injury
Lost his motivation to play us with Russ gone
But Christmas day, he gonna feast.
Crap game of the year
But every Hawks fan will be watching and rooting for the Rams in a bizarre twist.
Ha, Ha. Yep!
You know the network and NFL had that game as their premiere national game of the week at the start of the season.
And, like so many of those marquee games this year, it has becoming more of a slow drive past a car wreck. Your gonna watch, for a bit, but then shake your head and feel sorry for the victims as you drive/channel surf away.
Hey Rob,
Appreciate your insight bro. Might not always agree with all of it, but appreciate the work and the due-diligence done when formulating your conclusions. Hard to find content that looks to see things as they are unlike many media outlets that mail it in by copying off each other and doing just enough to put content out. The contrarian in me appreciates the aim to look beyond the obvious to see what’s really there. Especially hard to do with a coach like Pete Carroll who never takes off his rose-colored glasses when talking about the team.
Keep up the good work. Those who know appreciate all the effort that goes into your work.
👊🏻 from 🇵🇷,
EB
Appreciate all the kind words all 👍🏻
The quality of SDB is pointed out by a mock draft that I saw recently. It had Penix going in the first round and left Levi’s out of the first round entirely. Thank you again.
DL-Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, 6-4/290 –
Tuli has had a pretty darn good year: 12-games, 40-tkls, 20,0-TFL, 12.5-Sacks, 2-QBH, 3-PD & 2-FF.
The 20-TFL’s are #2 in FCS & the 12.5-Sacks is #1 in FCS currently. These stats may elevate his stock. (?)
Based on these numbers, he would seem to be of good value as a 3-rd round pick per Rob’s BB due to his production, I’m going to check him out more. Likely a bargain if available in Rd-3, however IMO it might take a late Rd-2 pick to draft him, the post season bowls/Sr. Bowl/combine, etc. will likely provide more information. My first impression is that he is a bit raw & needs NFL level coaching to hopefully overcome some of his college negatives & that is why he’s in RD-2/3 as a prospect currently. I’d guess that he is a “future potential” type of prospect perhaps worthy of a Seahawks pick?
The problem is he’s a tweener. Not an EDGE, not a DT. Seems to lack length. But he can rush the passer.
I’ve seen Tuipulotu listed on many sites as anywhere from 6-3/258 (a tweener) to 6-4/290 (base DE? or 3-tech?), his actual measurements aren’t known, I guess, until Sr Bowl/combine time. At any rate, this kid needs to hit the weights and learn more techniques and counters which should be coachable. Might be an option in the upper middle rounds if he’s closer to the 6-4/290 size and they need another DL candidate at that point.
Can’t say much more than everyone else – we are so lucky and grateful to have a BBC journalist providing excellent content and analysis on a subject we all care about. I love the draft
content especially, and the fact that there are some 10 plus years of research and evidence to back up statements.
It’s truly exceptional.
Not only that, it’s great having so many posters with their own thoughts and ideas on things as well.
Thanks Rob – and thanks everyone!
I was once surfing the internet on very hot summer’s day in 2012
When I thought I’d check out a curious little site
Called Seahawksdraftblog.com
I sat there reading and felt the knowledge caressing my face
As I fell asleep and dreamed
I dreamed that I was an NFL scout
And a scout for my favorite team
This really blew my mind
The fact that me, an overconfident curly haired blathering draftnik
Should be an NFL scout for the Seahawks, hmmm
There I was
I was taken to a place
The hall of the Heisman kings
I stood high on the trophy top
Naked to the world
In front of
Every kind of draft fool
There was smart ones, dumb ones, funny ones, cool ones
Square ones, round ones, big ones, crazy ones
Out of the middle, came a lady
She whispered in my ear
Something crazy
She said…
Spill it Rob, what’s the word
Spill it Rob, what’s the word
Spill it Rob, what’s the word
Spill it Rob, what’s the word
BEST. DAMN. CFB/NFL/SEAHAWKS. SITE. PERIOD.
Abso effing lutely
100%
Just to show off my 60s and 70s music knowledge, I will let folks who don’t know, that this is an homage to Spill The Wine by Eric Burdon and War (a band I believe are one of the more underrated acts from that era…The World is a Ghetto is an amazing album).
Anyway Blitzy, fantastically creative and very enjoyable. 😀
😎
How can we get the Seahawks to notice Greyson McCall QB at Coastal Columbia? He has great accuracy and I think he’d be ideal to pick in alter rounds to stay behind Geno for a couple of years and be our next quarterback.
Seahawks claimed Jonathan Abram off waivers.
Thoughts?
Neal is banged up and they liked him coming out so can’t hurt to take a look.
Doesn’t cost them anything.
With Neal banged up and the bad angle Josh Jones took on the Jacobs 86 yarder, I’m guessing they’re hoping he could be an improvement.
I thought someone claimed him last week.
he was picked up and released, by green bay I believe
He’s defined better than Jones out there if someone gets hurt. A little like adams. Great hitter but can’t cover.
The more I think about it the more I am convinced that if Anthony Richardon is on the board when the Hawks pick that JS will run that pick to the podium himself.
If we are to believe the two recent college QBs he liked a lot at Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen then the idea that he would have a chance to take Richardson and pass on him almost seems like crazy talk. Particularly when he has another 1st and early 2nd.
My bold prediction on Nov. 30th is that Richardson will be the 1st pick in the draft but if not and he is on the board when the Hawks pick in the tip 5 then he will be the Hawks future QB.
Seattle has a couple things going for them in the pursuit of Anthony Richardson.
First, Seattle may have the 2nd overall pick (thank you Denver).
Second, Houston picking first overall doesn’t have the luxury (like Seattle) of picking a QB they can sit for a year to develop behind a veteran starter. They will be pressured to pick the most NFL-ready starter.
Agree completely!
Rob,
Ben White??
I am guessing it is a family issue. No one is saying anything more than “for personal reasons.” Hopefully it’s nothing too serious for Benny Blanco.
Rob,
Thank you for this labor of love. I enjoy it daily.
How would you compare your level of excitement for this quarterback class, specifically Richardson and Levis to blog favorite quarterbacks of years gone by, specifically Mond, Lynch, or Lawrence.
Just adding my voice to the chorus of thank you’s. This season, SDB has reached a whole new level and it’s going to set us up for the most exciting and pivotal Seahawks draft in a decade.
Big work my friend! Thanks for the thoughtful, diligent work you continue to churn out seemingly daily. Appreciate all the CFB content as well this year to prepare for the biggest draft maybe ever. Can’t beat this site and community!
Rob, it seems the big question for Seattle is whether to add to the DL with the high first round pick and go BPA with their native pick or adding a QBOTF prospect with the top pick and going with BPA. I wonder how Tyree Wilson would factor into their plans. Yes, he’s hurt, but he’s built like a Greek God. 6’6″ 275 pounds with 36 inch arms is ridiculous!
Is there a huge difference between him and Will Anderson and Jalen Carter? I can see him going in the 8-12 range, but with the lack of quality in the class, could Seattle move up from their native pick to get him in addition to the QB like Levis or Richardson? They could also just take whoever falls out of Carter and Anderson and double dip in the front 7 like they double dipped at CB and OT last draft.
3rd option, which might be my favorite, trade down.
Top of this draft class seems pretty lousy. Unless their specific #1 QB choice is there, this year’s draft screams trade down if a typical trade package is available.
Seahawks will wear throwback uniforms next year. That’s awesome!
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-announce-throwback-uniforms-in-2023/
No surprise here but Levi’s declaring for the NFL draft.
Its time. Dude is closing in on his mid 20s.
It’s gotten a bit strange now with the NIL money and transfer portal, making it a bit less urgent to declare. It’s nowhere near first round money, but it still softens the blow if a player stays an extra year and collects a few hundred thousand. And, with the portal wide open, players can switch to another team in order to highlight their strengths and get more TV coverage, possibly upping their draft ranking.
Can’t decide if I want Utah to trip up USC right now or wait for Georgia to remind the world why the PAC 12 kicks off at midnight.
I’m of the opinion that the seahawks should draft a cornerback with one of their two first round picks. The hype on tariq woolen is well deserved, but he is not saving this defense this year or the next. Cornerback is the one position that Carrol has had success at developing. I don’t have any faith in the seahawks developing d-linemen. Trade the future hall of famer for a pass rushing, run stopping dynamo and a couple picks.
Why though? They’re back to finding good cornerbacks without that investment
You need good corners for pass rush.
You need pass rush for good corners.
The hawks have part of that equation solved.
Btw live woolen. Very wrong in how I saw him in college. Future HOFer? A lot of time from now til then to get to that point.
IIRC even Pete said they didn’t see the kind of play in college that he’s demonstrated this year, not even close. He obviously had the raw tools and speed to burn but he’s taken to coaching like even PC didn’t anticipate this quickly I do believe. The desire to be great in him must be strong.
And it would be cool if he got in the HOF.
But I’ll definitely defer to Pete here. I saw a fast, stiff player, who didn’t tackle and couldn’t turn his head.
Now he’s one of my favorite on the team.
Rob. Great shout out on Clemson DL, watch the last game too and it was a stinker. You love Bresee and Murphy’s profiles but the production is shocking. I think the best interior guy in that line is Tyler Davis by a mile.
Rob, genuine question, what is it about the Tennessee/Ohio St. schemes that doesn’t translate to the next level? Why does it work against most teams but not Georgia? Is it because the linebackers are just fast enough to cover the entire field, or the D lineman are able to plug the run better? Or that with the extra coaching and preparation in the NFL you’d see more picks from the defenders jumping the routes? Honestly just not sure what separates the higher level defenses that breaks these schemes
Well, in the NFL you can’t get your reads and protections from the sideline, play in a one-read offense where your only real challenge is to hold a safety or LB long enough for your only intended target to get open and in the NFL that player getting open is a damn site harder so the throw won’t be to a guy in a radius of 10 yards of open space.
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/01/michigan-football-mazi-smith-felony-weapon-charge/69691960007/
Idk if this would impact his draft stock at all, but thought id post it.
A felony gets you dropped in the draft like a cement block in a pool of water.
That is, unless you are playing for the Chiefs, who don’t seem to care about any players off field problems.
I see this as maybe a drop of one round ala Clark and Mixon. Just me but both of them were much worse. Let’s see how this plays out.
Would people rather have a combo of Richardson/Kancey or Carter/Anderson and another player from the first round?
Richardson and Kancey all day long. Take care of the most important piece and set up for long-term success, compared to having to worry about a quarterback in about year or two with no opportunity in the draft at a high pick.
This is if both options were open. Might be taken out of our hands.
Imagine a Carter/Kancey day 1.
Interior problems solved for at least 5 years.
I’m learning to come around to ideas like that since I really do think we will miss out on Levis or Richardson. Or Pete will win out and pass on them for a shiny new defensive toy.
Not a bad outcome at all.
No I think you had it right the first time.
If the board falls such that Seattle could have Richardson with the Denver pick and Kancey with their native pick, without question make it so.
And I don’t think it’s unrealistic to contemplate that
I think I would want Richardson and Kancey as well for the reasons you guys mentioned. Just cant wait to see how those early picks play out. If Bears are up there and stay there they will go Andetson or Carter which helps you in the QB department. If the Bears trade out then it helps you in the Anderson/Carter department as the team trading up is likely to go QB.
“If the board falls such that Seattle could have Richardson with the Denver pick…….And I don’t think it’s unrealistic to contemplate that”
It certainly is possible the donkeys just utterly collapse and lose out. They appear to be on the verge for sure.
I started reading the Seahawks Draft Blog when Pete Carroll became manager and have always enjoyed it. Since that time we have seen triumphs, championships and heartbreak. Pete is on his third rebuild and Rob has started a family. I appreciate all the writing Rob and cha have done. I’ve always enjoyed the Seahawks bog.
This year I decided – for the first time in my life- to express my appreciation more concretely as a patreon. I’ve free loaded for a decade and yet he has continued soldiering on and improving the blog contents. I hope others will also feel the Christmas spirit and help him out with family expenses. He’s worth it!
Alaksa inspired me to stop being a freeloader, so I just became a patron.
Go Seahawks!
Rob, what do you think of Oregon C Alex Forsyth and Texas RB Roschon Johnson?
Could see Seattle liking him. Big back w/ unique traits. Great STs play, good receiver for that 3rd down role, and his size would let him thrive in short yardage situations.
I like Johnson early day three
Liked Forsyth for a while but testing will be an issue for him (and maybe Seattle)
In the meantime, lots of lovely team chemistry going on in Arizona…😂
https://mobile.twitter.com/K1/status/1598111384797339649
So, how are we going to get updates from Jim Nagy when Twitter turns into Napster/MySpace/Geocities?
Rob, you do a phenomenal job, thanks for all your hard work. This is literally the only Seahawks website I visit, there is no reason to go anywhere else. Your work sterling as always. Looking forward to a fun draft season.
Thanks Mark — and thank you to everyone who made a similar comment, it means the world to me
Dang… respect to the Japan team. Draws group of death with Germany and Spain and somehow comes out on top (despite losing to Costa Rica in between!) I’m honestly not sad to see Germany bow out early again… 🤷♂️
Us not getting out of the group stage again with the kind of talent we have in our squad is simply embarassing. Their rebuild has been going about as well as the Seahawks did after 2017. Aging players getting playing time over more deserved players, who better fit the system.
Meant as a reply to Sea Mode.
I get the point re Penix and the scheme, but I’m not sure the advantage is based on the “half-field” analysis.
He goes through reads throughout the whole field when he has to–you can see that at the games. I think instead the offensive scheme at Washington under the new staff is just beyond many college defenses to handle, especially when it also involves a dynamic receiving corp like Washington has.
It is also true that Penix makes errors of judgement throwing into coverage, on relatively rare occasion, and those occasions are particularly noticeable because he does it too often in redzone. But I don’t think that flaw is particularly more pronounced in him than in several other QB prospects this year.
He has an NFL arm, of that there is no doubt. But what I’ve noticed at least as much is his ability to recover from mistakes–his own and his teammates’. He doesn’t hang his head. Very resilient and competitive that way. I would not be surprised if his NFL comparison ends up being Geno, in fact.
The offense is a half-field read offense — even if there are occasions where he can see options not available and he scans around (which, to be fair, is a very rare occurrence).
I get the sense I will have a battle against UW fans all draft season on Penix Jr but I’m afraid he is in the exact same environment as Stroud and Hooker. Those offenses are almost identical, they make life incredibly easy on the QB and they have almost no crossover to the NFL.
Even Carroll, when asked about Penix Jr, mentioned the scheme.
It doesn’t mean he won’t make it at the next level. But it does mean he has to learn to play in a completely different environment which will require coping with pressure, going through progressions, making pre-snap adjustments and throwing into tight windows — none of which he is currently doing with any regularity.
If we keep Geno, I’d be pleased with Penix as a 3rd round pick. I think learning under Geno would be particularly well suited for him.
I feel like if you miss Levis and Richardson I’d much rather have Penix in the 3rd than stroud with #5. Very similar guys to me. I’m not high or low on either, but sometimes guys do better without the early pick pressure on them as well.
Penix missed a ton of time in college.
Threw 62.5% completion for: 58 tds to 22 ints. Good if you count he missed almost half of a bunch of seasons.
Geno (give me strength) threw 67.4%. To 98 tds and 21 ints. Became the starter and never was sidelined. Was in the talk for a Heisman.
They are pretty different players.
Brock Huard was talking about Penix, He pretty echoed what Rob Said. He does have a strong arm. But Penix is in the right system. Brock has a third-round grade on Penix. Kalen Deboer has put Penix in a an offensive scheme that would make him successful. Whether that transfers to the NFL is an entirely different question.
Reassuring that Brock is voicing a similar view, good to know
Talent wise, is Penix similar to Kellen Mond? He kinda reminds me of him.
I like Penix’s arm more but overall they strike me similarly.
At this point we don’t know for sure if Penix is entering the draft. He could come back to the Washington Huskies for one more year.
I suspect that he has more physical ability than Kellen Mond. Somebody will draft Penix. Although I’m a UW Husky fan I totally appreciate Rob’s points about scheme and it’s not clear how transferable his skills will be. I will be rooting for him to succeed but know that it’s not a lock.
The arm is hypnotic, it seriously puts me in a trance watching the motion, the release, the precision, out throws- real deal- someone will bet on it, but he isn’t close to starting in the NFL.
A. Brown in a standoff with police, barricaded himself in his house. glad we never signed him,
I’ve long been struck by the dramatic difference between the prevailing perception of Jordyn Brooks and how he seems to be regarded in this community:
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/hes-running-the-show-seahawks-jordyn-brooks-draws-strong-reviews-as-bobby-wagners-successor/
I’m not enough of a student of the game to know who’s right (it’s likely somewhere in the middle), but I have often thought that the reviews of Brooks’ play here are pretty harsh. Could it be that our D-line is so poor that they can’t keep the other team’s O-line off of our linebackers, to “keep them clean” as they say?
Tackles aren’t a good stat, PFF is 58- he’s an average starter for me, nothing he does is special. Bobby prime made plays- Brooks doesn’t.
Rob has explained many times that tackles can be a bit of an empty stat. Yet Brooks is apparently the leading NFC inside linebackers in Pro-Bowl voting. They must be basing that voting on more than just tackle numbers.
Pro Bowls are pretty meaningless. Tyler Lockett has one Pro Bowl on his resume: 2015 as a return man.
Tackles are also of far less value than is generally perceived. Brooks has had a season-high 16 tackles in each of the last two games. They also conceded 444 yards rushing and had no defensive answers in ugly losses.
Brooks has not made any plays to effect the outcome of the game. He has one tackle for loss and one forced fumble this season. That is not good enough.
Yes, Brooks badly needs a good defensive line to play in front of him. But he is just the latest symbol of the Seahawks investing in positions of lesser impact.
Thanks cha. I guess my reason for sharing the article was to make the point that Jordan did, namely that people inside the business seem to hold him in (much) higher regard than the SDB community does. Everyone here has made great points about the problems that this D clearly has with Brooks right in the middle of it and his lack of game-changing plays but he’s likely a much better linebacker than we give him credit for here, just a victim of terrible scheme, coaching, and supporting cast. He could have the tools to really flourish with a change of scenery, playing for a Mike Vrabel or a Sean McDermott or a Robert Saleh.
Or he could be an average at best LB surrounded by avg to poor players. If his PFF grade is avg, he’s likely avg. It’s becoming increasingly obvious he wasn’t a good first round choice. Not LJ Collier bad, but not worthy of a 1st round investment.
Backing up Cha.
Brooks and wagner same combined tackles. Brooks will have more by seasons end.
Brooks three year stats: 11 passes defended. 1 forced fumble. 1 sack.
Wagner: 14 passes defended. 5 interceptions. 9 sacks.
Brooks is just a solid guy.
Wagner at that point in his career had a good deal more “game changing,” plays.
I’d also point out that Wagner has been playing behind Aaron Donald and in a system that is better schemed than the last few years in Seattle.
I don’t disagree with your overall comment. But idk if comparing Lockett not receiving a pro bowl proves the point that pro bowl votes are meaningless. Pro bowl, in theory, is relative to your peers. Lockett has been great, but I would never argue he was absolutely better than the pro bowl wide receivers voted in.
With Brooks receiving pro bowl votes and say he does get voted to pro bowl, wouldn’t that just show that maybe MLB play around the NFC is down? I mean, pro bowl is voted by just homers of hawks, or non-football people. It’s not like Brooks is a known commodity either or big personality. No one is voting for him just to vote for him.
Football people (Wyman, Baldinger amongst others) think that he is very, very good. PFF seems to be lukewarm on him. I’m not going to pretend to know more about the game than guys who played in the NFL, that’d be super arrogant. I’ll defer to the experts.
I won’t speak to Baldy, but Wyman is a shill for the Hawks and PCJS. His opinion is what the team wants it to be. Have you heard his defense of Adams, who is indefensible, over the years?
@Big Mike
The other day I actually heard Wyman kinda/sorta critique Cody Barton!
He said that he, at times, looks “lost” out there.
It was the first time I’d actually heard him say anything negative about a Seahawks player.
Well that’s one more time than I’ve ever heard. Hope you didn’t drive off the road from shock if you were in your vehicle.
I think he’s just a very average player
There are linebackers who plug holes, and their are LBs that chase. Wagner was a plugger until the last couple of seasons when he became a chaser. We need pluggers.
Don’t want to jinx it, but man it’ll be fun to have a rooting interest in a playoff hockey series.
Brooks is not a problem. I defended him many times, but i have to admit, that he is not a difference maker to say the least. Totally expected him to become one, still holding hopes for that.
True, Brooks can do his job and he has (had?) flashes, but he is not a game changer. He is the best we have though and I don’t think we should invest resources at the position. Rather pay the Dliners to give him more help.
Aha and now I see that he is struck by the illness that seems to be spreading in our team. If he misses the game on Sunday, he will be terribly hard to replace.
On the other hand, I wanted to say thank you Rob for all the work you put in studying college players and writing exceptional articles about that.
A very average player IMO he hasn’t taken a step and hasn’t justified the first rounder spent on him
💯
If both Brooks and Taylor had taken steps forward this year, to be the difference makers we were hoping/expecting, I’d feel a lot better about how close we are to building a good defense.
As it stands, they are both replaceable players, and that means we need to spend resources replacing them, or just ride it out with their mediocre play.
Neither is a good option.
I’m really feeling this way too about hoping those 2 would take big steps. How does everyone feel about trying to retain Brooks? I’m guessing he’ll get much more than a vet minimum deal somewhere. How much would be a comfortable amount to keep him?
I do believe Taylor still has time to develop. He got thrown to a new scheme in his second year and to be fair most of the time no one on that D looks good.
What if the Hawks decided to all on on having the best offense in the NFL in 2yrs. Add elite offensive players on Day 1 -2 and high upside but raw defensive prospects on day 3. Then finish the rebuild by going defense early and often next years draft.
#4 Athony Richardson
#16 Micheal Mayer
#36 Jalin Hyatt
#50 John Michael Schimtz
#82 Kenny Macintosh
Don’t think they will or that they should but if they did the offense would be stacked for the next 5 yrs.
I doubt they would do that and frankly, it’d be neglectful to continue with such a rancid defense
I agree Rob and certainly don’t think they will. Was just pointing out what type of talent they could add on offense with the early picks they have if the defense was not such a mess.
The lack of development as pass rushers from Taylor and Mafe is the single most disappointing part of the team for me this year. Really thought those two guys and Nwosu would give the Hawks a quality edge rushing group going forward. It has instead been the opposite as they are almost invisible outside of some splash plays by Nwosu.
That’s the beauty of having two firsts and two seconds in the first half of each round.
If they don’t see a really good prospect at a defensive position of need, they can always defer to picking a stud WR or TE…BPA, really.
That flexibility is what will possibly make this team a success for years to come.
With needs throughout the defense are they really BPA away from success?
Nope, but they likely not an offseason away from success either based on their last 2 games. And I couldn’t say a single position where I could say “Nahh man, don’t draft that player, we already have X guy who is dominating that spot”
This year has been one of the best, Rob. I have been following the site for years and always appreciate your work.
Chiming in on the Penix debate – here are my concerns:
1) Max Effort thrower – he has a good arm but his feet have to be set and he’s putting everything into each throw. Stroud can just flick the ball where ever he wants – I’m not making the case for Stroud btw.
2) Faces almost no pressure. This is my single biggest concern. This has derailed Zach Wilson.
3) Simplistic scheme that churns QB stats consistently. I don’t get too hung up on scheme other than he was not a very good QB when not running Deboer’s system.
As a round 3-4 guy; I’m on that all day. Anything earlier than that…man I just don’t know.
So no Stafford, Donald or Cupp for the Rams, who currently hold the draft pick just in front of Seattle’s pick through Denver.
It won’t mean anything about the quality of this team if the defense “recovers” its form and has a good or even great outing.
I’ve never been less enthused for Seattle to win a game.
Couldn’t agree more… also, that DEN vs LAR game on the 25th puts a hole in my stomach (LAR has all the reason in the world to bench their starters).
Well, we dont have the greatest track record of shutting down backup QBs.
Colt McCoy loves your post bmseattle.
McVay owns Carroll head to head, I believe 8-3 all-time. Considering both of those factors, I’ll happily take a win Sunday and then again in week 18.
Given Seattle’s history against this team I’m still excited to excise some demons. But I don’t just want a win, success will be determined by whether they can absolutely demolish this team. I want to see Drew Lock play the 4th quarter.
Well I hoped for that last week and hope it happens this week.
Cue the seahawks letting some back up walk up and down the field on them.
Aaaaaaaaaaand…….Colt McCoy likes your post too Peter
Is this Pete’s flex your muscles, we are back on track game?
Corny as it is I would hope so.
Already bad enough losing to the woebegone raiders.
Lose to the rams backups and a lot of the mid-season excitement will be sucked out of the room.
Useless exercise, but can’t help myself…
1R23 Anthony Richardson
1R23 Calijah Kancey
2R23 Sedrick Van Pran
2R23 Byron Young
3R23 Kenny McIntosh
4R23 Owen Pappoe
5R23 Jake Bobo
5R23 Abraham Camara
6R23 Tank Dell
Weekly Win Wish List:
Steelers
Bears (GB has better chance of picking up a win in coming weeks)
Jaguars
Browns
Raiders
Saints
Ravens !!!
Rob: If Penix was still on the board in the 4th round will you take him.
Not Rob (obviously), but the team already has Lock, Penix as an 6-7 or UDFA maybe. Not that he might fall that low. Some other team looking for a back-up to groom might go that high.
Lock will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
FWIW, Rob has Penix graded in the 3rd round on his horizontal board.
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/my-first-horizontal-board-for-the-2023-draft
Oops! Thanks… I gotta do more research before I post!
I don’t see that as much of a problem. I doubt there are many suitors for him. Unless they draft a good rookie, he should be signed for a reasonable amount.
Only interesting thing in today’s press conf is PC refused to name a starter at LCB. Tre Brown may get his first start Sunday.
Interesting…..
Presumably it would be replacing Mike Jackson. What has he done so badly to warrant replacement by someone recently off PUP. Suppose this could be at the expense of Coby Bryant but it seems unlikely. Interesting…
Or switch the question.
What has Brown down to warrant playing time?
Meanwhile I still think they are wasting the second best outside corner with Bryant having him play nickel.
C’mon Utes! Kick USC’s butt!!!
Hell no! Fight On is the theme of the day! USC win and UW goes to the Rose!
What is a BIG 10 team doing playing in the PAC 10 championship game?
Go Utah!
Eric Gentry, LB, USC, soph – 6’6” 210lbs – wingspan 7’1”
The Seahawks can always use a pterodactyl….
Love the Utes.
Given where Utah is, the players they get, Wittingham is one of the best coaches in College.
Full congrats to the Utes. They are a perennial media underdog. As a Husky I fully recognize the national media bias that elevates USC, Oregon & Washington every chance they get based on name recognition.
Utah’s offensive line could play in our division.
That Sophmore RG Keaton Bills!
Keep an eye on him
Appreciate it Rob! Love the content and the hard work shows.
Pac12 having 6 teams ranked top 16 without a playoff team is just so Pac12
USC loses. TCU losing. If the Frogs do lose, that will open the door for Bama and Ohio St.. Oh joy, 2 Big 10 teams and 2 SEC teams. I’m so excited I’m yawning uncontrollably.
TCU haven’t croaked yet!
Ribbet
To be honest I would rather watch Bama vs Georgia and Ohio State vs Michigan than watch TCU get its doors blown off by Georgia or USC show how weak the PAC 12 is again
We already saw OSU get their butts kicked by Michigan. Bama is certainly not playing with the heart of TCU right now. TCU should still be in the CFP. That was a hell of a game and enjoyed every minute of it.
I’m not an Ohio State fan by any means, but did you actually watch the game? I saw some stats, mich got 90% or something of their points and yards off of 5-6 plays lol I watched the game live and up until late into the fourth, that was a great game and could have gone either way. I’d love to see them play again, and see Georgia play Bama. Georgia vs Bama honestly just makes the most sense. TCU though only a 1 loss team, hasn’t played the schedule of Bama or anyone else. And they have been extremely lucky. Bama looks like the 4th best team. TCU doesn’t.
Give me a CFP of Mich vs OSU and Bama vs Georgia . Watch it end up being OSU and Bama with the victories too lol could totally see them winning and playing for title.
Watched every minute of the OSU/M game. OSU couldn’t keep up. Not looking forward to watching that again. Did you watch any of TCU’s games this year? They are a 2nd half team and have proven it throughout the season. Call it luck if you want but they were consistent about it.
Or just include Georgia and Michigan, and make it a double elimination for this year.
Nice to see that LSU is in the giving spirit. Just gifted Georgia a 95 yard blocked kick by not understanding simple football rules. Poor coaching.
Damn Stetson Bennett!
Looks superb tonight
People would be going crazy online if this were Bryce Young
And Jalen Carter!
My oh my
Jalen Carter gives me Fletcher Cox vibes
Will need a top two pick to get him
Houston might take him at 1 especially if they solve their QB problem by signing Jimmy G
Carter seems like a player Lovie Smith would, well, love
I toyed with it for my mock. Sign Jimmy G, go Carter #1
I don’t think Lovie Smith will last to next season but can definitely see Houston going defense at #1
Many see Jimmy G to Houston with the Coserio relationship.
It’s a realistic prospect, especially if they have their eye on a QB with their second pick or perhaps day two
Pretty rich TE class this year I’d say
Jalen Carter. ‘Nuf said.
Georgia just rubbing it in at this point.
It’s looking like Jalen Carter is going to be one of the top three picks.
I don’t know what direction the Hawks will go. But if the 1st four pIcks were (in no particular order) DT,DE,LB,Safety it would not hurt my feelings one bit. I am just sick of this defense. Three years in a row.
With that said if Carter is off the board but both Will Anderson and Anthony Richardson are on the board. Which way do the Hawks go?
Right now with 10 minutes to go Georgia has dropped 50 on L.S.U.
I just landed this three round mock from PFN.
4. Jalen Carter DT Georgia SEA
12. Will Levis QB Kentucky trade icon SEA
34. Michael Mayer TE Notre Dame SEA
49. Calijah Kancey DT Pittsburgh SEA
80. Zach Charbonnet RB UCLA
2024 PIT 3rd
I’ll take this and flap my wings and fly to Neverland.
Traded up to #12 by offering Pittsburgh the 2024 first round pick, getting back the Steeler’s third round pick.
Shoot Jalen Carter might not be there at pick 3
He probably won’t be, unless the top two are determined to go QB. He won’t get past Chicago
I’m really hoping the JV Rams can beat the Broncos in a few weeks.
I’m going to bed in a moment and will watch the rest on Sunday morning
But the massively overrated Clemson D-line already being dominated up front and Trenton Simpson already making mistakes at the second level
Commentators now pointing out what I’ve been saying — KJ Henry has been the consistent disruptor on that Clemson D-line. Murphy has been a pussycat and Bresee barely plays.