Brock Huard made an interesting observation on Seattle Sports this morning:
“I was told very early, this is going to be in the image of Mike Macdonald. This free agent is going to be in the image of Mike Macdonald, this draft class is going to be in the image of Mike Macdonald. And you know what he wants? Baltimore tough. You know what he wants? Baltimore physical. You know what he wants? Baltimore bully.”
Most people will enjoy reading these words. The Seahawks need a greater physical edge to be the team they say they want to be. As Macdonald puts it, a team ‘nobody wants to play’.
I had the philosophy described by Brock above in mind when I wrote my latest mock draft yesterday. The players paired with Seattle were tough, physical and they play with violence.
I wanted to refine things today. These are the players I think best encapsulate a bullying, physical style…
Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell just hits differently. His tackles are jarring and forceful. He is the most impactful tackler in this class. When you also consider his size and closing speed he has immense physical talent. The labrum surgery could keep him on the board longer than he otherwise would be. Any team who takes him will benefit from his presence if he makes a full recovery.
The three offensive linemen I’d consider the most violent are Tyler Booker, Grey Zabel and Chase Lundt. Armand Membou would be squarely in the mix but he’s unlikely to be in range. Marcus Mbow wouldn’t be far behind.
Booker is a dominating tone-setter up front who loves nothing more than punishing opponents. It’s a well-worn debate over whether he’s a scheme-fit for zone-blocking but his playing style fits the mentality Seattle is looking for. Zabel is a stone-cold finisher and loves to bury opponents. His sheer number of pancakes and finished blocks is impressive. He’s usurped though by Lundt which is no mean feat. I haven’t seen a more violent offensive lineman in this draft. If you want someone who is going to sprint at full speed to the second level, reach up and connect on a block in space and absolutely level someone, Lundt is your man.
Here’s the video I posted earlier in the week as evidence (he’s the right tackle):
Meanwhile, if the Seahawks want to provide a physical disposition to the center position combined with athleticism and finishing, Purdue’s Mbow could be an option at the end of round two.
At tight end, Elijah Arroyo plays with the greatest edge. There’s a nasty streak to his game to go with the gliding, effortless ability to find space. He can box-out with his body and he competes for everything. The other tight end to mention is Jackson Hawes. He’s a no-nonsense block-first, think-later type who wants to help establish dominance at the line of scrimmage, acting like an extra lineman.
The most aggressive defensive player I’ve watched is Ty Robinson by far. Every snap is treated like his last. He doesn’t take no for an answer when he’s engaged at the point of attack and he plays relentlessly through the whistle. He embraces run defending with a passion and he combines explosive power, size and quickness to punish anyone who gets in his way. When I interviewed him there was a glint in his eye when I told him he looked like a classic, old-school AFC North defender. If there’s anyone who encapsulates the kind of bullying physicality Seattle craves it is Nebraska’s Robinson.
Not far behind is South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight. He was consistently the player who set the tone for their excellent defense. He continuously made plays on the field and always seemed to be flying to the ball-carrier and delivering a jarring tackle. His attitude and intensity fit the bill.
There are three defensive backs to mention. Jonas Sanker has a pop to his tackling, flies downfield in run support and he seems to enjoy doing it. Andrew Mukuba similarly just levels people despite a lack of ideal size. Upton Stout is also undersized but his run defense is excellent and there are examples of some big hits versus the run.
The running back class is loaded with tough, physical runners — led at the top by Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. Everyone knows about Cam Skattebo. His ability to break tackles and finish runs like his life depended on it is unique. I’m just not sure he has the lateral quickness to be truly effective at the next level. Bhayshul Tuten, Ja’Quinden Jackson and Tahj Brooks finish a lot of their runs. Kyle Monangai has a few mini-Beast Mode efforts. There are others I could mention too in a deep group of very talented runners.
Aside from the physical toughness of the players named here, I think there are several obvious character/profile fits — including Malaki Starks, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Jack Bech, Jahdae Barron, Kelvin Banks Jr and potentially Nick Emmanwori.
I think there’s a good chance some of these players end up in Seattle. We could easily see one or all of Zabel, Mbow and Lundt (such is the offensive line need). We could see Arroyo at #50 (would they even trade up for him?). I think if I was going to put money on any player ending up with the Seahawks (an unwise move before anyone does it) I’d pick Robinson.
