Flashback to my last time walking off Kyle Field. Time really does fly by. Best fans in the country.… https://t.co/OMvIxQSK7v
— Germain Ifedi (@GermainX1) November 29, 2015
The Tweet above indicates Germain Ifedi will turn pro and enter the 2016 draft. It’s not a big shock and was expected. So how good is he?
The Aggies flirted with moving Ifedi to left tackle this year. Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews also made the switch before becoming top-ten picks. Ifedi, for whatever reason, stayed at right tackle.
I went back and watched two Texas A&M games from this season to review how he performed. He played better than I remembered on the first viewing. He’s an enormous 6-5 and 320lbs yet moves superbly. His footwork is quite brilliant for a man his size — his kick slide is good, he moves freely to the second level. In the two games I watched he didn’t get beat once off the edge by a speed rush.
There’s very little ‘bad weight’ to his frame — he’s an enormous tackle and most of it is muscle. When a D-end tries to hand fight he usually absorbs the defender and it’s over. Technically he had some nice blocks — turning his man to open up a crease and moving people off the LOS to create a running lane. He has the athleticism to adjust on the move and if he ever moved to guard he’d have no trouble pulling or kicking out to the next level.
He kind of looks like a more athletic James Carpenter who’s in better shape. I like his chances of playing tackle in the NFL because of the athletic upside. He moves a lot better than Carpenter (who in fairness was more of a run blocker — and did it very well at Alabama).
I’ve seen quite a few complaints about his power in the run game but these issues didn’t show up in the two contests here. I thought he actually showed good leverage and punch to drive a couple of defenders off the line. Perhaps it’s more of a technique issue? Certainly to look at Ifedi you wouldn’t assume any lack of power.
He’s also quite the engaging and personable interview. He speaks very well. I suspect teams will like him when they meet with him.
Ifedi received a second round grade prior to the 2015 draft (he was contemplating declaring). Having watched Joeckel and Matthews rise as high as they did, you can understand why he backed himself to stay at A&M for another year.
The important thing to remember is — players with second round grades are going to be taken in the first frame. Remember last year when there was approximately 15 prospects graded in the first round? How else do you get to 32? Ifedi has every chance of being a top-25 pick even with a second round reference.
In terms of the Seahawks, he’d be an interesting prospect. If Russell Okung moves on and they seriously do think Garry Gilliam can switch to left tackle, Ifedi could be a decent replacement on the right side. As long as they upgraded the interior line (Alex Mack?) this could work for Seattle.
Ifedi’s size and raw athleticism makes for an interesting combination. If the Seahawks make the playoffs and you’re pinning your hopes on an offensive tackle being available beyond the 21st pick — this could be your best bet.
Rob, good stuff. If your projection from yesterday is anything like it will play out, Ifedi might be available at the bottom of the first round or lower. Which I suppose is where the Seahawks will be.
Seahwaks are picking #31 🙂
I could get behind this selection. Potential is high. He would be a nice depth pick at the worst and starter at RT, LG and perhaps LT at the best.
Here is an excerpt from Walterfootball… “Ifedi has more strength and nastiness to him than some other recent Aggie offensive line prospects like Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews and Cedric Ogbuehi. However, Ifedi isn’t as quick or athletic to be a left tackle like that trio. Sources say they see him more as a guard for the NFL.”
I would key into that nastiness part. That is the way Sweezy plays.. imagine if you have a RT (Ifedi) and RG (if Sweezy is resigned) who could both play with some swag to them. That would be pretty damn exciting in my book. Devastate in the rushing attack off the right side of the OL… Overall I like the value, potential and upside.
If he does well at the combine, then he might rise above where the Seahawks pick……. stay tuned!
Then you could roll Gilliam to LT, if Okung is not resigned.
Even if he were to rise up the rankings, it is a numbers game. The more potential quality linemen there are, the better shot we have of someone worth picking falling into our laps.
I like Ifedi. He would be the start of a very good draft for the Seahawks.
Nice read Rob. Glad we’re discussing him.
He’s still my favorite O-lineman in this class for Seattle.
Fantastic foot work, intellgent, very confident almost bordering on cocky personality, which I like, nice muscular frame with little bad weight, which we know Seattle likes, nasty, his hand placement could be a little better, but nothing that can’t be worked on. But, these are things you already pointed out.
His vetsatility is highly appealing. Looks like a modern day RT, with the ability and skill set to play LG if need be.
Also has good bloodlines, forme baseball player, and has adequate length.
If ya put a gun to my head and told me to make a 1st round selection for Seattle at this point in time, it’s A&M’s Germain Ifedi.
There’s some interesting prospects in this N. Illinois vs Bowling Green game.
N. Illinois WR Kenny Galladay, BG WR Roger Lewis, BG QB Matt Johnson, BG S Eilar Hardy, and N. Illinois SO RB Jordn Huff.
Arizona St S Jordan Simone (5’11, 185-195 lbs.) intrigues me. From Seattle, walked on at Wazzu, then walked on at Arizona St.
Lead the country in tackles and tackles per game, before suffering a season ending injury. Had 94 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and averaged 8 tackles per game. Great STs player, excellent speed and length, gritty as they come, and looks like he could play some dime back too. Should be available late on day 3.
Someone to potentially monitor.
He’s a little undersized, but as you said…gritty. It’s interesting though, a lot of fans at ASU aren’t as high on him as you’d imagine. I can’t recall the issues I previously read, but it might have been something to do with missed tackles (as a result of trying to lay the wood) or bad angles. If you’re interested, there’s probably some old threads discussing him on the ASU Scout forum
Just a heads up on the Gabe Marks question. Tony Pauline says he was gonna declare, than had that ankle injury, and is now leaning towards coming back.
Some exciting jrs are starting to declare. Boise St’s OLB/DE Kamalei Correa- 6’3, 240-245 lbs. Kid’s a flat-out stud.
Never heard of this CB from SD St Damontae Kazee-5’11, 185, was MWC POY with 66 tackles, 7 INTs, and 7 PBU. Definetly be checking him out tommorow when his team faces Air Force.
Quite a few others too.
Interesting. Don’t know if you saw my Marks response to your question in the last post, but I thought the injury might factor in. Selfishly, I hope he’s back. But for his sake, I really think he stands to gain much more by another season in college
Yeah-your probably right about Marks needing one more year.
Big fan of Correa.
Speaking of corners. Any thoughts on Houstons William Jackson? Sr. Long guy. 6-2. Arms look crazy long.
I think he struggles a bit with the ball in the air but everything else shows potential.
I like William Jackson. Tremendous upside. I think he’s a bit overrated though. Personally, I don’t see a 1st or 2nd round pick. He’s got great length as you mentioned, but when I look for CB prospects, specifically for Seattle, I watch their ‘kick step.’ Watch any Seahawk corner. It’s something Jackson will have to work on.
Maybe he isn’t overrated.
Dude had 21 PBU or deflections this year. That’s incredible man.
Also, I really like 2 CBs playing tonight.
Iowa CB Greg Mabin, a former WR with great size, tackling abilities, and length.
NC CB Des Lawrence. Only a jr, but he’s as tough and gritty as they come. Another kid with real good size.
Oops. Shoulda said 3 CBs playing right now.
Forgot to mention Clemson CB Cordrea Tankersley. Highly underrated.
I really like the idea of Ifedi. Maybe the most versatile O-lineman in football. The fact that he stayed on the right at A&M doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t capable of transitioning to the left…most thought that’s where he’d be heading into the season. Big mean RT/Guard/possible LT (or fill-in) is very appealing
I am cool towards Germaine Ifedi mainly becuase of the poor track record of sucess from Texas AM linemen, (Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher).
Eric Fisher isn’t from Tx AM. He went to Cent Michigan I think.
Joeckel yes I think has struggled but Matthews has been pretty good for ATL. Ogbuehi was just activated be Cincy so it’s too early to say.
I like this guy. His movement skills are excellent and would allow us to allocat money to a center as Rob mentioned.
Joeckel, Fisher etc were kind of expected to be LT, but Ifedi would most likely be brought in to be a RT… and have Gilliam swap to LT (or keep Okung). He plays with more grit and nastiness than the other mentioned, so I think he would be a nice addition.
In this option in the first round, an interesting proscess to follow would be Seattle letting Sweezy and Okung walk, move Gilliam to the left side after much improvement, and draft Sebastian Tretola as a second round selection.
Clear Starting O-Line of: Gilliam, Britt, Lewis, Tretola, Ifedi
Rob I can’t tell for sure from your writing but it seems like given the hypothetical choice between only one of Okung or Mack that you would choose Mack for the Seahawks?
Per dollar invested, I would choose Mack over Okung. However, if Lewis continues to improve, they won’t need a “high priced” center. They will stand pat in FA.
Well Mack will be 31 in 2016 and is currently under contract. He has no dead money hit to the Browns next season and can opt out of his contract if he chooses which is the source of this speculation. Seems like a long shot that he ends up a Hawk.
I still believe that keeping Okung keeps continuity. When that is paired with talent it is a good thing. I don’t know that they will “stand pat” in FA. Lewis is better than Nowak but that isn’t saying a whole lot. Adding someone at C makes sense, they don’t have to break the bank.
Adding a RT to that mix also makes sense so Ifedi is of interest.
I think adding Ifedi would be a solid pick. Can’t have too many players who can play RT on the roster. Okung will be a ~10M / year guy and I’m not sure he is worth that much cabbage. Anyone thinking he will only make 5 or 6M is nuts, it will be much higher. He has had some injury problems and consistency problems. I think he is ok to good, but not great. Spend the money somewhere else and improve the roster. A new Center or WR or TE or DT…….
I have liked Ifedi for a while. And – say it ain’t so – if we end up picking in the twenties I like him heaps better than Striker. Ifedi is basically Gilliam, only much better – quick, athletic, but not primarily a power run blocker. I agree with Rob that to look at Ifedi, you would not suspect power to be a deficiency. I suspect the fact that he plays in spread offense that does not feature a power run game lends to this perception, perhaps unfairly.
Watched some of his tape and I’m not sure, he has an awkward kick step and seems to always take the first step backwards. Think I like Spriggs or Bisnowatny more
Erick Flowers had one of the most awkward kick steps I’ve ever seen, and he’s been a fantadtic addition for the NY Giants. One of the better 1st round selections from the 2015 class.
I like Spriggs a lot too, but for all his rumored athleicism, it doesn’t always show. Spriggs is the kind of rookie that will be effective by mid season. He’s gonna need coaching.
Ifedi, Coleman, and Spriggs are my 3 favorite O-lineman.
I like Spriggs a lot. I like him better than some of the players projected to go at the bottom of the 1st round. taking into consideration the value of the position for the way Wilson plays.
He is more athletic than given credit for. He can play RT.
I like Spriggs. It’s why I said he’s one of my favorite O-lineman. Is he athletic? Yes. Does it appear he’s athletic as rumored? Not always.
He’s a great fit for what Seattle does and likes.
Got to agree with V12. Not seen any real evidence of great athleticism with Spriggs.
He looked pretty athletic against Joey Bosa. He was dominant against Iowa and Rutgers. I have watched a lot of tape on him.
Re-watched the game just now. It was a very impressive performance vs Ohio State.
Thought so too, why I mentioned him. Bosa beat him once but that was it if I recall
I like Coleman, Spriggs, Bosnowatny, & Dahl…hope that they just trade up for Coleman and be done with it
Rob you were so on the menu with Coleman it begs belief
“On the money”
I’ve been thinking a bit. Rob and others always discuss how if we reach for the 5th or 6th OT off the board we are not going to get as good of a value as we could by grabbing a top 3 guy at another position. But if you look at the hostory of us passing on obvious needs we end up with guys like Irvin and Richardson. The 1 year we did reach for that OL need we ended up with Carpenter. To me it says the way JS evaluates guys isn’t as great in the 1st round area.
I think at times they’ve drafted for size/athleticism/upside and backed themselves to turn an elite skillset into a top player. And it’s proven harder to do, for whatever reason, with the early round guys compared to some of the mid-to-late rounders. Which is slightly bizarre and hard to work out.
I think part of it is expectations. If Irvin was a 4th rd pick we’d talk about how great of a pick he was much like KJ. But because he was a top 20 pick we expect a Sherman or Thomas level of player. It almost feels like they see everyone on a levl playing field and just slot in the guys they want where they think they can get them.
PC’s system is somewhat unique insofar as he’s been on record saying he will adapt his system to what a player does well, rather than the other way around. I suspect he does a little of both. Still, it creates a situation where he and JS often appear to choose players with the most athletic upside – and it makes it appear they “force the board” in their own way, reaching for players that they obviously covet more than the pundits. I’m pretty sure I’ve read comments from both PC and JS that they choose players according to their board, and don’t really pay much attention to what conventional wisdom says they should do. I remember some of the draft grades they received from the national talking heads on drafts that have turned out pretty fantastic. Having said all that, they do seem to stray on occasion from BPA or perhaps “most unique or special player available” and choose from need. They also clearly operate under the tenant that more picks are better. The year they traded down a million times and ended up with Richardson and Britt is an example where this didn’t work out so well. Had they chosen Bitonio and then taken whoever of the historically deep receiver class fell to them on their next pick, they would clearly have been better off, as Rob has astutely pointed out before. Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. It would seem the rest of the NFL has paid attention to what the Seahawks are doing and “insane athleticism” in a less polished player who can be coached up is no longer such a market inequality. To me, the guy over here on my couch with no credibility, it appears that by trading back and choosing the most unique guy, PC and JS force the board in their own way. Also, as I’ve commented previously, they clearly have an idea who on their roster they’re going to retain, and who they’re planning on letting leave, so they draft for a year or more down the line, hoping to coach up the players in the meantime. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of last year’s O-Line picks show up in the mix in 2016. So, maybe they’re in a better position to pick BPA than we think? But, what do I know?
Thorson, I think you are very astute. There appears to be no causation or correlation between the round the O Linemen were selected and the functional results of the offensive line. We need only compare the Dallas line, full of high draft picks, with Seattle. Turbin and Michael have not fared better running behind the Dallas’ blue ribbon linemen. Last year, with a better RB, they looked much better. For all of its perceived shortcomings, Seattle’s low-budget, ragtag group is better than Dallas’ in most every statistical category this year. The guys taken in the first round are not permanently bigger, stronger and faster than the guys taken in the fifth round. Coaching, player commitment, blocking schemes and teamwork matter a lot more than the player’s college pedigree.
We can find good linemen in the middle rounds.
That is more a function of who they pick. statistically speaking there is no avoiding the fact that first round players have a better success rate then 2nd, and so on down the line. That doesn’t mean you can’t find players later. It just means that you go from 60% success in first round to 20% in later rounds. So the teams want more picks. For the Seahawks they haven’t had a first round pick in three years – and their second round picks haven’t been impressive either. So we just don’t know what the Seahawks would look like if they had been successful in first and second rounds over the last three years.
To me, they’ve always drafted for need with their 1st and 2nd round picks. They haven’t always worked out, but they take ‘their’ guys.
The draft is a lotto. The more tickets you buy (draft picks) the more likely you are to hit it big.
They would be SB winners, back to back 😛 I guess 1 out of 2 ain’t bad.
I like to look at the other players that were picked in that draft….
for example, when Seattle drafted the bum LB Curry high in the 1st round… almost the whole first round turned out to be a bunch of bums.
I still find it incredible that.. with millions of dollars a year spent on drafting/scouting, that a guy like RB Thomas Rawls (2015) or Arian Foster (2009) or Wes Welker (2004) or Kurt Warner (1998) can slip through the cracks and go on to have productive careers in the NFL.
I guess, I’m still impressed by the Seahawks FO for hits on late round and UDRFA than for their misses at the top of the draft(s).
Richardson placed on IR today. Nor sure will ever see him play for the Hawks again at this point. Either it’s not his hamstring or they just don’t think he can play and stay healthy. WR has to be a off season priority at this point.
PC said his hamstring isn’t coming along like they thought/hoped.
Too early to write him off, but his injuru history is troublesome. Wouldn’t surprise me if they took another guy like him.
Liking that 3rd round comp pick for a receiver this year, but no sooner.
Oklahoma WR Sterling Sheppard, S. Catolina WR Pharoh Cooper, Colorado St WR Rashad ‘Hollywood’ Higgins, and Oregon WR Bralon Addison are 3 guys I got my eye on.
I’m leaning towards Cooper in all honesty.. 2nd round. The scouting reports show a lot to like about the kid.. and he fits the “mentality” that SEA WRs demonstrate. The BIG CHIP on the shoulder.
I like Cooper — but I think the third round is a smidgen early. I’d guess more likely R4-5 for PC.
I wonder if Seattle will go WR in the 4th round again. Just hasn’t worked for them there.
Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Maybe that’s just the area they like to target them other than UDFA and occasionally the late 2nd-early 3rd.
I’m thinking either late second round pick or a 3rd round pick.. pay dirt on WR
Can’t see a 2nd round receiver.
O-line and an athletic LB are bigger needs.
Somewhere between 3rd round comp and 5th round. It’s entirely possible we get a 4th round comp pick for Maxi instead of a 3rd.
It could be. Unless they really believe in the duo of Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams. Kearse is heading to FA, Baldwin after 2016 too. Although theoretically they could extend Baldwin in the off-season and Lockett is locked up. They will at least hope Richardson can return. I wouldn’t expect WR to be a priority necessarily because it’s not a bad plan to think you’ve got Baldwin, Lockett, Richardson, the two Washington guys, maybe Kearse and then the chance to add a mid-to-late rounder too.
They could also add a cheaper vet like they did with Braylon Edwards in 2012 to make up the numbers.
I think rounds 1-3 at least have to be saved for other positions.
Yeah- not a priority, but definetly a position they should address.
I called it a priority because they don’t like to go into the draft with needs and wr is becoming one once again.
Plus, don’t really know what you’re getting with Jimmy next year
I was thinking more the fa route like a vet then draft. The priority I talked about was because you just can’t count on him to be healthy unfortunately and like you talked about are depth I shrinking at wr. Kearse could be the priority signing as well.
MSU OL wears them down.