Here is my updated horizontal board post-combine. I have added a new ‘fringe second round’ (R2-3) tier and adjusted grades based on testing and further film study. Below you’ll find a position-by-position breakdown with thoughts on the Seahawks along the way.
Click to enlarge:
Quarterbacks
After watching the throwing sessions, all of the combine interviews and reviewing the tape, I think there are seven quarterbacks clumped together in a similar grading range. Increasingly it appears Cam Ward could go first overall — a factor highlighting team desperation at the position and a poor draft class at the top-end. Ward is a mid-to-late second round talent. Like all of the quarterbacks, there are aspects to like and want to develop, yet taking him first overall will create intense scrutiny and require a high performance level very quickly in his career.
I’ve been saying for some time that there’s a possibility Shedeur Sanders lasts longer than people think. His dog and pony show during this draft season has been fairly laughable. He showed up for one day at the Shrine Bowl, didn’t do anything, and went home. He didn’t throw or compete at the combine. He isn’t physically impressive and creates far too much pressure for himself. He gives off a vibe of being a celebrity quarterback, which is a stark contrast to the way the likes of Tyler Shough, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers, Cam Ward and Riley Leonard have conducted themselves. He is not, in terms of pure grade, noticeably better than those players or Jaxson Dart — if he’s even better at all.
I think there’s a very realistic chance we’ll see a run on the position on day two and by the end of the third round, seven quarterbacks will have been drafted. It’s a better group than people have been suggesting. There’s a lack of a wow factor but there are several potential starters.
I still believe the Seahawks will take one of these QB’s. In the past we’ve seen quarterbacks go too early (2024) or simply not cut the mustard (2022). This year, with a reasonable middle-class, we should see players go in rounds 2-3. I don’t think they will force anything but this is the best chance since the Russell Wilson trade that we’ll see John Schneider select a quarterback.
Running backs
I have 27 runners with draftable grades and I still haven’t studied everyone. Three players — Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson — could go in round one. Quinshon Judkins won’t be far behind. There are nine other running backs I think could justifiably be drafted on day two. It’s an incredibly deep class of running backs.
This obviously isn’t a high-priority for the Seahawks with their depth at the position. However, there will be value to be had at various points and it’s possible we could see players who are ‘too good to turn down’ even if it only means taking a runner on day three.
Wide receivers
I’m not convinced we’ll see a receiver drafted in the top-20. Matthew Golden might have the best chance after running in the 4.3’s. This feels like another draft like 2023 where the first wide out goes at around #20-ish.
There’s great depth again though. Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech look like excellent round two options. The likes of Tai Felton, Jayden Higgins, Tory Horton, Kyle Williams and Jaylin Lane all carry intrigue. In total I have 28 receivers graded for the first five rounds.
I wouldn’t rule out the likes of Noel and Bech at #50 for the Seahawks but players like Felton and Horton might be more likely in round three if they feel like they need a significant investment to replace Tyler Lockett.
Tight ends
Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland didn’t work-out but both could and should go in the top-10 and won’t fall beyond #14. They are both legit first-round talents, in a class with so few of those players available. Mason Taylor’s performance at the combine deserves separation as a fringe first-round talent. I have a group of seven tight ends graded in round three. Not all of these players will be taken in that round, meaning day-three value is likely.
Keep an eye on Jackson Hawes — the best blocking tight end who also had an excellent testing session at the combine, hinting at untapped potential as a receiver. I also really like the tape of Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans and Syracuse’s Oronde Gadsden. Jalin Conyers has an excellent physical profile too. This could easily be a position the Seahawks tap into.
Offensive tackle
It’s an incredibly weak class at tackle. Josh Simmons’ injury and lack of length is a concern, despite his good tape. I no longer view Kelvin Banks Jr as a guard prospect and see him as a right tackle only. I’m struggling to keep Josh Conerly Jr at tackle because he just doesn’t look like he has the size for it — I’m just not sure he’s ideally suited to guard either.
There are some big tackles available later on but none really feel like early round types. Jack Nelson and Logan Brown could be diamonds in the rough or, at least, good depth players — but this is not a good year to want an offensive tackle.
Guard
I have six players graded for the top-45 at guard, then a significant drop off to round three. That’s worth paying attention to. If the Seahawks see a similar fall-off, they might be minded to avoid risking missing out. It all depends on what they do in free agency. If they make a splash on someone like Will Fries or Aaron Banks, this is less likely to be a target.
Tyler Booker’s brilliant on-field workout allays any fears about his poor testing numbers to remain OG1 on my board.
Todd McShay noted today:
“One non-quarterback whose name came up a lot in conversations with NFL personnel was Tyler Booker. I’m not sure anyone in Indianapolis had a better week than the Alabama offensive guard in terms of his interviews with teams. Many teams consider him one of the cleanest prospects in the entire draft. I was told multiple times last week that Booker will come off the board a lot higher than expected.”
Then there’s this from Albert Breer:
“I had one veteran exec tell me Booker’s was the best combine interview he’d ever had with an offensive lineman.”
In a class without a lot of blue-chip talent, a quality player with outstanding character and a clean report will be coveted, trust me.
Armand Membou isn’t too far behind in terms of tape and obviously he had a superb testing session. Only two offensive linemen have jumped a better vertical than Grey Zabel (36.5 inches) since combine records were first collected in 2003. One of those two players is Tristan Wirfs. It might be time to stop saying #18 is too early for Zabel. Donovan Jackson picked up an injury at the combine but comfortably deserves to go in the #25-40 range in this class.
Tate Ratledge was one of the big winners at the combine — he’s explosive, agile and fast and plays with a mean-streak. I am now grading him firmly in the top-45. He has an elite testing profile and if he’d stayed healthy in 2024 and performed well, he could’ve been knocking on the door for round one. Will Campbell tested well at the combine but he struggled throughout 2024 on tape, he has short arms and will need to kick inside — a move that won’t suit his current style of play which lacks aggression.
After these seven players are gone, it’ll be difficult to add a potential rookie starter to your roster with legit upside potential.
Center
Jake Majors didn’t test but he looked excellent during on-field drills. Jared Wilson was the star of the position group in Indianapolis with a brilliant series of tests and drills. He’s very explosive (32-inch vertical, 9-4 broad jump), ran the best ever forty by a center (4.84) — easily eclipsing Erik McCoy’s 4.89 and besting Jason Kelce’s 4.92. He also defeated McCoy’s short shuttle (4.52 vs 4.62). Given how well McCoy played for Klint Kubiak, Wilson is a name to watch. He is a legit option at pick #50 for the Seahawks.
After that the position falls off a cliff, unless you want to draft Marcus Mbow to move him inside to center. Later on, Kentucky’s Eli Cox is a name to watch after a strong combine. If the Seahawks want to add impact at the position it feels like their options are Drew Dalman, Ryan Kelly, Wilson and possibly Majors. Josh Myers is another possible free agent but does he fit the zone scheme?
EDGE rushers
Abdul Carter is clearly EDGE1 even with the injury. For me, Donovan Ezeiruaku is EDGE2. He ticks so many boxes. He ran a 4.19 short shuttle which is outstanding. He has 34-inch arms and knows how to use them. He had 16.5 sacks last season playing pretty much as a one-man-band for Boston College. His pass-rush win percentage is 18.2% and he created 60 pressures last season — joint most during the regular season with Bradyn Swinson. His run-stop responsibility percentage (10.1%) also led college EDGE rushers.
On top of all this, he was a team captain and has exceptional character and demeanour. He is exactly the type of player the Seahawks have come to rate highly and draft early. He is an option, in my opinion, at #18.
This is also a need. In 2022, Baltimore — with Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator — stacked their EDGE rush depth with four players — Tyus Bowser, Justin Houston, Odafe Oweh
and Jason Pierre-Paul. In 2023, they had Jadeveon Clowney, Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy and Tavius Robinson. Once arriving in Seattle, they made quite an aggressive move to keep Darrell Taylor, then were equally aggressive to try and replace him with Trevis Gipson. Again, they had four EDGE rushers — Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor / Trevis Gipson.
Currently they only have three on the roster and Nwosu is an injury doubt after two challenging seasons. I think it’s somewhat likely they will actively seek to add another EDGE. Donovan Ezeiruaku fits the bill in so many ways from profile to performance/production and character. His 4.19 shuttle is worth noting — it’s similar to Derick Hall’s 4.22 (they had a first round grade on Hall) and Arnold Ebiketie’s 4.24 (they supposedly liked him a lot and potentially would’ve taken him instead of Boye Mafe).
Is #18 too high for Ezeiruaku? What I would say is — this is a class where the players taken at about #17-55 will carry similar grades. In a typical draft Ezeiruaku might be the 35th pick. This year, I could easily see him being taken between #16-24.
Reportedly there are legit character concerns hampering James Pearce Jr’s stock. I’m a big fan of Bradyn Swinson as a legit top-50 talent. Oluwafemi ‘the Mayor’ Oladejo has been one of the big winners this off-season. I think once Josaiah Stewart leaves the board this is an EDGE group that tapers off a bit, although Tyler Baron could be an interesting late third round option.
Defensive ends
Shemar Stewart is a tough one to analyse. He looked excellent at times during the Senior Bowl. He has outstanding flashes and running a 1.58 10-yard split at 267lbs is the real deal. Yet on tape he was too often a ‘nearly-man’ rusher, failing to finish plays or truly understand what is required to create a serious pass-rush plan. He was also spelled too often for comfort. His pass-rush win percentage of 12.4% is nothing to write home about, he only recorded 39 pressures and his run-stop responsibility percentage was a meagre 5.5%. It all makes you wonder whether the idea of Shemar Stewart is better than the reality.
Here’s a list of players who weighed +260lbs and ran a 1.60 or faster 10-yard split:
Montez Sweat — 260 — 1.50
Nick Bosa — 266 — 1.55
Yaya Diaby — 263 — 1.55
Josh Hines-Allen — 262 — 1.57
Vernon Gholston — 266 — 1.58
Nick Perry — 271 — 1.58
Whitney Mercilus — 261 — 1.58
Shemar Stewart — 267 — 1.58
Shea McClellin — 260 — 1.59
Jadeveon Clowney — 266 — 1.59
Dante Fowler — 261 — 1.59
Trey Hendrickson — 266 — 1.59
Preston Smith — 271 — 1.60
Bud Dupree — 269 — 1.60
Emmanuel Ogbah — 273 — 1.60
Carl Lawson — 261 — 1.60
Sam Williams — 261 — 1.60
There are some fantastic names on that list. There are also players who flattered to deceive or were just average. It’s worth noting that the star performers — Bosa, Hendrickson, Hines-Allen, Sweat — all had major production in college. Between the four of them they averaged 25 sacks each. The number would’ve been even higher had Bosa not missed much of his final year at Ohio State.
Shemar Stewart had 4.5 sacks in college. It speaks to his boom-or-bust nature. I do think he should be under consideration at #18 — but it’s important to have the right perspective on him
Landon Jackson’s excellent combine and playing style could secure a placing in the top-40. Mykel Williams didn’t test and looked small in comparison to Stewart and Jackson. Sai’vion Jones and Jordan Burch are both intriguing players with a potential range of #50-75.
Defensive tackle
I’ve long said this is a deep group of defensive tackles without many legit first round players. I’m even starting to doubt Mason Graham after he weighed 30lbs lighter than his suggested 320lbs by Michigan, with short arms and no testing numbers. What exactly is his level of upside? Until he tests, I’ve moved him down into fringe first round value. He simply doesn’t have the profile of an exceptional defensive tackle based on measurements.
We didn’t get any testing numbers for Walter Nolen or Kenneth Grant. I think they belong with Tyleik Williams, Derrick Harmon and Ty Robinson in the second round range — with Darius Alexander, TJ Sanders and Rylie Mills a tier below.
The player who possibly intrigues me the most based on combine impact was Nazir Stackhouse. He looked excellent and could be a terrific nose tackle option in the fourth round.
Based on what we saw and experienced at the combine I would imagine it’s increasingly likely the Seahawks will re-sign Jarran Reed. There’s depth at this position but unless they’ve fallen for someone like Nebraska’s Robinson, I suspect this won’t be an early-round target area.
Linebackers
Jalon Walker didn’t test but will likely go in the top-16. Jihaad Campbell was one of the big winners at the combine — looking superb during drills and testing well. He is a blunt-force impactor on tape and packs a punch as a tone-setting hitter. His pass-rushing value, versatility, physical playing style and excellent character make him a legit option for the Seahawks at #18. I think they’d love to have a player like this but I suspect he won’t get by the 49ers (#11), Colts (#14), Falcons (#15), Cardinals (#16) and Bengals (#17). If he somehow does — he could be their guy.
Carson Schwesinger deserves a top-40 grade and it’s very possible Demetrius Knight goes in round two after a better than expected combine. Barrett Carter also impressed me more than I expected but after him, I think there’s a significant drop-off at the position — even if the likes of Jackson Woodard, Nick Martin, Cody Lindenberg, Jeffrey Bassa and Teddye Buchanan could be interesting on day three.
I’ve no doubt the Seahawks will retain Ernest Jones Jr after watching the linebackers at the combine.
Cornerbacks
It’s a deep group. Travis Hunter will be a top-five pick and Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron likely won’t get out of the top-14. It’s looking increasingly likely that Barron could go in the top-10. Either player would be legit options at #18 if they lasted to the Seahawks.
Despite his awful tackling form, Maxwell Hairston will likely be a second round pick and Azareye’h Thomas is still in that range post-combine. I have 20 cornerbacks graded between rounds 3-5 so there’s depth on offer here. The Seahawks should be able to add to their cornerback room in this draft.
Safety
I was surprised that a tweet yesterday tossing out the possibility of doubling-down on offensive linemen in the draft received so much push-back from fans. Many replied saying they want the Seahawks to take Nick Emmanwori at #18 instead.
I’ll repeat what I said on Friday and Saturday. I like Emmanwori’s tape. He’s a unique player with exceptional size and speed. He’s a very good cover safety for his size, with versatility in his locker.
That said, I haven’t seen a single crunching hit on tape or forceful tackle. I think at times he could play with more urgency and intensity. The people comparing him to Kyle Hamilton need to remember that Hamilton was the best pound-for-pound player in the 2022 draft and he fell due to a bad forty and positional value. He was a far more accomplished — and physical — prospect than Emmanwori. He doesn’t succeed in Baltimore because he’s big and fast. Neither is Kam Chancellor a fair comparison. They’re both big players but Chancellor’s soul-taking intensity was way beyond anything shown by Emmanwori.
I don’t believe his addition will take Seattle’s defense to the next level. It would be a decent addition and nothing more, not a field-tilting move. I do not expect him to match Hamilton’s impact in Baltimore because they are a different quality of player. I have him as a tier-two prospect, with a similar grade to others at more pressing need areas.
I actually think it remains very close in terms of grading between Emmanwori and Malaki Starks. Granted, Starks running a 4.50 isn’t ideal and his 2024 season got gradually worse as it went along. During drills, though, Starks stuck out like a sore thumb. He will likely go in the 20’s or 30’s and it won’t be a surprise if he ends up being a value pick for a good defensive coach.
There is a drop-off after these two — although Xavier Watts’ production is very interesting, Marques Sigle’s testing profile catches the eye, Andrew Mukuba had a great year for Texas and Billy Bowman Jr injected life into his stock at the combine. Kevin Winston Jr is an impressive player but with an injury history.
Final thoughts
The Seahawks will go about creating cap room this week, with a likely Geno Smith extension and departures for players like Tyler Lockett, Rayshawn Jenkins and Roy Robertson-Harris. I suspect their free agency priority will be to add proven quality to the offensive line. My preference would be to focus on the center position first and foremost — and I wouldn’t mind them overpaying for Drew Dalman. Getting an elite center would be a huge get for this offense.
They will almost certainly set up to draft best player available at #18. If one or more of Jalon Walker, Jihaad Campbell, Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, Tyler Booker or Armand Membou last to them — they could easily be taken.
If, as expected, they are not available, I think you have a cluster of players with similar grades who could be considered. This includes Donovan Ezeiruaku and Grey Zabel — not just the likes of Shemar Stewart and Nick Emmanwori because they unsurprisingly tested well. The more I’ve studied Ezeiruaku and Zabel, the more I believe their mix of character, production and physical profile matches up to what the Seahawks have looked for.
I firmly believe they are eyeing the quarterback class with the intention of drafting one of the top-seven QB’s provided the board works in their favour. Trading up from #50 wouldn’t be out of the question if they sense a rush is forthcoming and they have a conviction about one or more of these signal callers. I think teams are higher on this group than the media.
Other players who feel like good fits at #50 include receivers Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech, guard Tate Ratledge, center Jared Wilson, pass-rushers Bradyn Swinson and Oluwafemi Oladejo, defensive tackle Ty Robinson and cornerback Azareye’h Thomas.
The third round could be used as a trade-chip to move up from #50 if required. If they keep it, this looks like a good place to target tight ends, receivers and cornerbacks — unless the quarterbacks last into range at #82 and they could be an option there too.
