Seahawks Draft Blog

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Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr has my attention

September 26, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I recently sat down to watch Maryland receiver Tai Felton and couldn’t help but notice the person throwing him the ball. Billy Edwards Jr might be the best kept secret in college football.

Granted, his only real test so far was a close loss to Michigan State. I’d also suggest he’s unlikely to declare for the draft after just one year as a starter. He transferred from Wake Forest after a redshirt freshman season and has been waiting his turn behind Taulia Tagovailoa since.

Even so, I wanted to write a short piece on him today and note he’s one to watch for the future.

Edwards Jr has a sidearm release but he’s able to whip the ball out with great velocity. He’s constantly attacking the middle of the field — throwing layered passes with the necessary arm strength. You see him throw from the left hash-mark to the right sideline with ease. He can also throw with touch downfield, he knows when to hang a pass in the air to create a 1v1 opportunity or a fade to the back corner of the endzone and he’s very capable of throwing downfield in the 40-45 yard range.

I’m really focusing on third down conversions this season and this was an area Edwards Jr really impressed me. He had one 3rd and 13 seam throw against Michigan State that was an absolute bullet placed with great accuracy between a crowd of defenders. He regularly showed poise in the pocket, kept his base and delivered to move the chains. Maryland are 36/66 on third and fourth downs this season — 54.5% conversions. Several of these conversions were 3rd and at least mid-range yardage with Edwards Jr getting the job done.

He plays smart football. He’s very willing to go through progressions and check down wisely to take what a defense offers. Yet he’s not overly conservative. There’s plenty of evidence in four games this season of him throwing into tight windows, putting a bit more on passes when needed to fit the ball into his target. There’s one redzone throw against Virginia arrowed in between two defenders for a touchdown that really makes you sit up and take notice. Edwards Jr holds the safety to the left with his eyes then comes back over the middle, delivering with great accuracy and velocity between the two defenders thanks to the space he created. He does try to be creative and he’ll take a few risks to be a playmaker.

He’s athletic enough to be used as a runner — although his running style is a bit reckless and he takes too many avoidable, heavy hits. He has 10 total touchdowns and two interceptions in four games. He’s leading the BIG-10 in passing yardage.

He’s listed at 6-4 and 219lbs with room to add a little more weight if needed. I’ve listened to the way he speaks and it’s impressive. He’s determined, carries a bit of a chip on his shoulder, speaks well and you can imagine him being a lead voice in a locker room.

Here’s the Maryland Head Coach on his quarterback:

“I think he has emotion, and he’s one of those guys that he’s on both sides of the aisle, per se,” Locksley said. “Like, you’ll see him hanging out with the running backs, and then he’ll be with the big [offensive] linemen. He kind of gets along with everybody, and to me when you think of a quarterback, it’s a person that elevates the level of his teammates. Always say he has to have the mind of a coach and the skill of a player, and those are characteristics Billy showed early.”

I think he’s an impressive looking quarterback. I’m eager to see more and will be tracking him in the coming weeks.

You can watch his performance against Michigan State here:

As for his top target Tai Felton — he’s very savvy with his routes, shows good body control and an ability to adjust to the football in the air. His YAC ability is impressive. He has enough size and the only thing to be uncertain about is his pure speed. That will determine how early he goes — but he’s a player who could easily find a day two home in the draft.

Scouting notes week four: Michigan pass rusher is unstoppable, Kaleb Johnson in round one & more

September 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Josaiah Stewart dominates USC

Michigan might have abandoned the passing game but at least they can rely on a decent collection of NFL defenders to be competitive. Nobody was more impressive than Stewart against the Trojans. He was unstoppable — collecting two sacks, three TFL, four QB hits and a forced fumble. However, these numbers barely highlight just how dominant he was on Saturday.

It’s one of the best pass rushing performances I’ve seen in a long time. He consistently screamed off the edge, had the two tackles struggling to get even a hand on him and USC had to shift their protection throughout the second half to try and stop him wrecking the game.

Stewart lacks ideal size and length (6-1, 240lbs, 32 1/4 inch arms) but he’s just so dynamic attacking the edge. He plays with a relentless motor and has surprising power. Watching him I couldn’t help but think he was a fit for the Mike Macdonald Seahawks.

He transferred from Coastal Carolina in 2023. As a true freshman he set the single game program record with four sacks and collected 12.5 for the year (another school record). His sophomore season wasn’t as productive — recording just 3.5 sacks. He had 5.5 in his first season for Michigan.

Stewart rose to prominence last season because he was the player who famously bull-rushed top-10 pick JC Latham into Jalen Milroe on the final, decisive play to win the Rose Bowl, despite a +100lbs weight difference:

If he was 6-5 and 250lbs with 34 inch arms he’d be on a trajectory to be a very high pick. The size will cost him because there are so few players with his physical profile who turn into top NFL rushers. Yet there’s just so much to like. Almost every rep is attacked lack it’s his last. He will challenge tackles with his physical playing style and I suspect he’ll do a better than expected job vs the run as a consequence, just through sheer attitude.

Look at him set the edge on Saturday, this is a grown-man rep:

He consistently sacrificed his body against USC to run full pelt into the tackle to drive him backwards and impact the running game. It’s an unorthodox but effective jolt-back style.

Yet he’s not just uniquely powerful and committed for his frame. There are genuine bursts of suddenness off the edge:

He’s going to need a wide-alignment to be effective. With his lack of length you’re unlikely to see him engage and rip through contact. Stewart needs an angle and it could limit his role to that of a situational edge or rotational 3-4 OLB. Yet a creative schemer could put him in various positions to succeed. I also wouldn’t bet against him playing way beyond his size limitations.

For example, despite his lack of length he did show an ability to straight arm the left tackle, keeping his frame clean to peak into the backfield and remain in the play. Plus his smaller height enabled him to win leverage battles as he got underneath the left tackles’ pad level to drive him backwards on one snap, forcing an incompletion.

The other thing working in his favour was a dangerous inside move. He really only had two forms of attack and he’ll need to be more varied. Yet whenever he darted to the inside shoulder of the tackle he was so quick. You could see how terrified both tackles were, struggling to defend the edge and the inside rush. Stewart absolutely hammered Miller Moss on one inside move and as a consequence the throw was nearly intercepted (it should’ve been).

He had an edge rush from the right hand side that ended the first half. Again he was too quick and the right tackle couldn’t get hands on him. It was a very easy win based on pure quickness off the edge.

His sudden agility movements are reminiscent of top edge rushers. Stewart can glide in his sideways shifts to dodge blockers and remain clean.

USC began the third quarter constantly shifting protection to help whichever side he attacked. They chipped him with the RB, pulled guards to support on his side and they had the TE help with a double team. They knew he was wrecking the game.

The first USC touchdown happened on a snap when he was being spelled. There was a noticeable difference when he wasn’t on the field.

I think the pick-six from Moss thrown to Will Johnson was provoked by the fact Stewart was in USC’s head. He was closest to Moss, too, when he made the ill-fated throw after another dynamic inside move.

He beat the running back and right tackle to force a red zone fumble at the end of the third quarter. He was too fast, again, for both. Two blockers vs one rusher made no difference.

Stewart ran an inside rush in the fourth quarter where the right tackle was just hanging on for dear life — he was too powerful to be stopped and ran through the block. On the same drive, he forced an incompletion on 3rd and 7 with yet another dynamic interior rush — easily beating the left tackle.

With 34 seconds remaining — guess what? Another dominant inside rush to force an incompletion, this time with the game on the line. He ended the contest, just as he did against Alabama last season.

As I said, he was unstoppable in this game. He received a 95.8 PFF grade for the performance and is currently PFF’s top graded edge rusher for the season (92.9). Having listened to his interviews — he’s mature, well spoken and appears to have have high character marks. This isn’t surprising given the way he plays.

Stewart might not be ideally sized but there’s no doubt in my mind that you can win a lot of games with players like this on your roster. He’s a warrior, a perfect fit for Seattle and would be a tremendous addition to the rotation. Even with other needs on the roster, I’m inclined to say ‘find a way to get this player’.

Iowa running Kaleb Johnson adds to deep RB class

Ashton Jeanty at Boise State is quite rightly getting most of the draft buzz at running back but it’s an increasingly strong looking group. Arkansas’ Ja’Quinden Jackson has caught my eye, Nicholas Singleton and Trevor Etienne are destined to be effective pro-runners and I’m a fan of DJ Giddens. The depth stretches into players like Raheim Sanders, Kyle Monangai and several others.

However, Iowa’s Johnson flashed so much on Saturday against Minnesota, I think he has the makings of a NFL star. He has everything.

He’s ideally sized at 6-0 and 225lbs with sprinters speed. If he finds a lane he’ll accelerate and reach top speed quickly and he pulls away from defenders. He can get skinny to run through gaps in the line.

This play ended in a 40-yard run:

You want to see running backs run through contact in order to gain extra yardage and turn good runs into great runs. Johnson leads all running backs in college football with 444 yards after contact. For comparison, Omarian Hampton who is second on the list has 394 yards, with Jeanty a distant third with 354.

The Boise State runner leads the NCAA with 6.32 yards after contact per attempt, with Johnson second on 5.41.

What about missed tackles? Johnson is ranked first with 30 in just four games. Jeanty has 26.

Explosive runs? Again Johnson leads college football with 18 runs of 10+ yards (Ja’Quindon Jackson, who I highlighted last week, also has 18).

He was as unstoppable against Minnesota as Josaiah Stewart was against USC. Iowa only managed 62 passing yards in the game and still won 31-14 despite a totally one-dimensional attack. It was down to Johnson’s 206 yards on 21 carries, including three touchdowns. He already has 685 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the season. His yardage total unsurprisingly leads college football with, again, Jeanty in second place on 586 yards.

The one area where both runners aren’t particularly impressive is in the passing game. That might say more about Iowa than Johnson’s ability to be a receiver — but he only has seven catches on seven targets for 26 yards. Jeanty has five catches on eight targets for a meagre 12 yards.

While most people are starting to consider Jeanty a realistic first round possibility — I think Johnson’s right up there too. They are the two most talented pure runners eligible for next year. I think they both deserve fringe first round grades and at a time where the running game is becoming more important due to the frequency with which we see two-high safety defensive schemes — they could both easily go in the first frame next April.

Other scouting notes

— Week four was not good for injuries. LSU’s Harold Perkins tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Michigan’s Will Johnson left the game against USC with an injury. Raheim Sanders at South Carolina barely featured and top tight end Colston Loveland didn’t play. Earlier in the week we saw talented cornerback Shavon Revel ruled out for the season with an ACL injury too.

— It was another underwhelming day for LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell against UCLA. I remain unconvinced by people projecting him as a high first round tackle and personally see him as a day two guard. It’s since been revealed he has sub-33 inch arms, increasing the likelihood that he’d need to kick inside.

— LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier again played well against UCLA. He showed sensational accuracy on a downfield throw at the start of the second quarter. He looked off the safety and then threw a perfect dime to the right sideline, hitting the receiver in stride with such precision it looked like he handed the ball to the wideout:

Every week I’m impressed with the level of anticipation he shows when throwing. Look at the screen grab below. He’s off-balance with the center virtually standing on his toes in the pocket. He throws to the crossing route (see the circled receiver) with perfect accuracy right down the hash marks, letting him run onto the football for the completion. It’s not an easy throw due to the lurking defender positioned just in front of the midfield logo:

Once again Nussmeier was great on third downs — LSU converted 10-15 on the day. You could visibly track how he manipulated defenders with his eyes by watching his helmet stripe. He finished 32/44 passing for 352 yards, three touchdowns and zero turnovers.

I’m incredibly impressed with the technical level he’s showing. Very few quarterbacks play this way in college. He’s producing results on a much less talented LSU roster this year, too. How teams judge his physical upside will determine how high he goes but I wouldn’t rule out a high grade by some. He’s not a weak-armed player — he just doesn’t have a cannon with amazing scrambling ability. Make no mistake though — he is very talented and deserves more attention.

— Some quick thoughts on two other quarterbacks from week four. I watched Penn State and Drew Allar versus Kent State. He reminds me of Mike Glennon. They have the same frame, throwing style and they were both a bit gangly and ungainly on the move. Max Brosmer at Minnesota had a mixed day against Iowa but he did have some nice throws over the middle. He lacks consistency at the moment. He didn’t get much help in the game and his second pick was a tipped pass. His first was a poor late throw although on replay a hideously bright setting sun appeared to be shining right in his eyes. Brosmer isn’t going to be a high pick but he is a player I’d be fearful of if he landed with the Rams or Niners.

— This is shaping up to be a good tight end class. Penn State’s Tyler Warren is one of my favourite players to watch so far. He’s incredibly dynamic as a pass catcher and is clearly Drew Allar’s favoured target. On Saturday he also threw for a touchdown and took a direct snap before running for 17-yards. I think he’s a fringe first rounder and a likely top-45 pick. LSU’s Mason Taylor continues to shine. Both players are plus blockers and they will carry a lot of NFL appeal. Taylor is the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor (ex-Dolphins pass rusher) and his uncle is Zach Thomas (former Dolphins/Cowboys/Chiefs linebacker). It’s also good to see Iowa’s Luke Lachey back on the field. He’s a tremendous blocker in the run game and can be a good pass-catcher too. I really like all three players.

— Two Iowa offensive linemen have caught my eye. Center Logan Jones is an elite athlete with the kind of traits and size that have worked in Scott Huff’s scheme previously. He had a tremendous run blocking game vs Minnesota. Gennings Dunker is also very athletic, physical and a classic Iowa lineman who could be a very useful guard at the next level.

Finally, please support Puck Sports and check out my latest show below reflecting on the Dolphins game — if you can also like the video that’d be great:

Curtis Allen’s week three watch-notes (vs Miami)

September 22, 2024 /

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

The Mike Macdonald era in Seattle is off to a 2-0 start. While they haven’t buried their opponents in those first two games, winning while still experiencing NFL growing pains signals encouraging progress.

Today’s game against the Miami Dolphins was supposed to be a sizable step up in competition for the Seahawks — an extremely talented AFC team with aspirations of a deep playoff run.

Things obviously haven’t gone to plan for the Dolphins. Another concussion to Tua Tagovailoa and his subsequent placement on Injured Reserve has left a hole that threatens to sink their season.

Also, what was one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing teams last year has seen a sizable drain in talent. Christian Wilkins left for Las Vegas, Bradley Chubb is still out and recovering from a torn ACL and Shaq Barrett decided to retire.

Yet they still feature a lot of firepower – particularly on offense – and that must be respected.

This game is an important marker for the Seahawks to see where they stack up against the rest of the NFL — not to mention a top-flight tune-up for next week’s game in Detroit against the Lions.

The individual matchups will be a treat to watch — D.K. Metcalf versus old rival Jalen Ramsey, Zach Sieler against former teammate Connor Williams, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill against Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, Jaelen Philips against Charles Cross.

The Seahawks need to win more of these matchups than they lose. Or at least hold the majority of them to a draw.

What areas of this game do the Seahawks need to excel in to go 3-0?

Control the First Half with the Offense

In the Mike McDaniel era, the Dolphins are a fantastic 16-2 when leading at halftime and an awful 3-14 when trailing. While it is true that most teams feature a winning record when leading after two quarters and a losing record when trailing, not many are as extreme as the Dolphins.

This is more so when you consider the Quarterback now running the offense is a sizeable step down in capability from the starter, which hinders their ability to generate points quickly.

While a lot of attention is rightly being given to the shift in Quarterbacks, the offense can help their defense tremendously by applying scoreboard and game clock pressure with a balanced attack by Geno Smith and the running game.

The Dolphins have not yet found their stride in two main aspects of their defense yet and the Seahawks must take advantage.

On run defense, Miami was a top-10 unit last year. They conceded only 3.8 yards per carry and only gave up 100 yards on the ground in six of their games in 2023. This year? 4.5 yards per carry and they have given up 100 yards in each of their first two games.

They really miss Wilkins and Jerome Baker on their run defense.

Fan confidence in the Seahawks’ running game is not high after a poor performance against the Patriots and the unsettling news about Ken Walker’s oblique injury troubles. However, a recommitment to the running game, with the evolving chemistry on the offensive line, should produce some opportunities to feature a more balanced offense this week. That simultaneously takes some pressure off Geno Smith to carry the offense and helps the defense do their job.

In pass rushing, Miami has seen a stunning drop in effectiveness so far this season. Last year they were one of the NFL’s best, finishing at #3 overall in sacks (56) and pressure rate (27.7%) without very much blitzing at all (21.5% of the time, sixth lowest). A good chunk of that effectiveness fed off their ability to keep the running game in check and force obvious passing situations. Combine that with an elite quick-strike offense, and you have a real force.

This year? In their first two games they have been among the league’s worst. They have three sacks (which projects to 26 for the season) and a mere 15.6% pressure rate. This is despite a considerable uptick in blitzing (31.1%).

Geno Smith knows how to handle heavy blitzing. He has been blitzed on 33.7% of his drop backs this year and has consistently burned them. He is completing 75% of his passes for 9.6 yards per attempt and a 101.2 passer rating.

Where can he attack this defense in the passing game? An area that has proven to be a weakness for Miami is passes to Running Backs and Tight Ends. The Dolphins this year are conceding 7.6 yards per catch to Tight Ends and a whopping 12.4 yards per catch to Running Backs.

This is not new. They were among the league’s worst in these two categories last year as well. Yet strangely, their first two opponents have not gone to that well very often.

The Seahawks need to attack this weakness liberally this week. They have excellent pass-catchers in Noah Fant, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. A couple of well-timed passes to beat the blitz and flip the field could really help them take charge of this game.

Protect the Perimeter on Defense

In Tua Tagovailoa’s first two years as an NFL Quarterback in Miami, he was steady but unspectacular for Head Coach Brian Flores. He missed some time with injuries and was not making a strong case to be the Dolphins’ long-term franchise Quarterback.

When Mike McDaniel became the head coach in 2022, Tagovailoa exploded with a season that garnered some MVP votes.

What happened?

Acquiring Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle maturing into a star certainly helped. But something else drove his success — throwing over the middle of the field. In his first two seasons, Tagovailoa avoided throwing in the middle like his life depended on it and it severely limited his game.

McDaniel changed that. He deployed plays that took advantage of his Quarterback’s elite processing and decision-making. As a result, his entire game improved. He added more air yards to his passes due to being able to make defenses respect his ability to attack more of the field. Slants and short post routes were thrown before pass rushers could get anywhere near him. Therefore, Tagovailoa has been the Fastest Gun on the NFL in getting the ball out in recent years, and as a result his pressure rate faced was miniscule.

That is the context we need to discuss defending backup Skylar Thompson.

He is a vastly different Quarterback than Tagovailoa.

He will rarely throw over the middle of the field.

Have a look at the two target charts from his starts in 2022:

The field between the numbers looks like a barren wasteland. Only a fraction of his attempts attacked this area.

That was 2022. Has he improved in this area two years later? The preseason says no. A video of his every throw in preseason this year shows that passes intentionally designed to go to the middle of the field were only made on approximately 10 or so of his 61 throws. Most were awful, some were disastrous and should have been or were intercepted.

That is not to say that Thompson will never throw over the middle today. In fact, you can probably expect a throw or two to try and surprise the Seahawk defense. In whole though, success on defense will mean using the sideline as an ally and pressing Wide Receivers to disrupt their routes from the numbers to the sideline and using a deep safety to keep an eye on anyone who gets through the net.

McDaniel will very likely call a section of the plays he did for Tagovailoa — those snap-throws to the perimeter to De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert and the two Wide Receivers and let them create with their speed and vision. It’s a Miami staple and it works very well for them.

Edge defenders like Devon Witherspoon, Jerome Baker, Tyrell Dodson and K’Von Wallace will be especially important in defending these types of plays. They will need the vision to see the angles, the speed to get behind blockers and the sure-handedness to bring these runners down before they get a head of steam.

This is also true of the run game. Yes, Miami does run in between the tackles. But they love to have sweeps and end-around runs that give their speedy backs room to operate. The cornerbacks will need to be alert to get off Wide Receiver blocks and show determination to tackle these runners for a minimal gain. Both Woolen and Witherspoon have been graded very well by PFF in run defense so far this year. This will be a very intriguing chess match.

The other area that Thompson differs from Tagovailoa is he uses his legs much more. He hangs onto the ball far longer than Tagovailoa, simply because he does not have his processing speed and confidence. Asking him to stand in the pocket, scan and deliver a strike is not his strength.

He is faster and has a strong arm to throw on the run. Pass rushers will need to pursue him with vigour and limit his time to find a receiver. We all saw this in Seattle with Russell Wilson, once he escapes the pocket, Wilson was very dangerous. Thompson has some of that to his game. The problem for him is, it is too big a part of his game, and at times he can be inaccurate which negates the strength. He also prefers to retreat to the perimeter to buy time rather than go forward in traffic.

My guess would be Mike Macdonald will take another pass this week on revealing his Bag of Tricks on defense, and deploy a standard tack when the backup is in: flood coverage and make him beat you. How is this different than years past, where players like Colt McCoy would dice the Seahawks up? This team can get pressure with four. Inside pocket pressure from the likes of Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy will be nicely supplemented by the speed of Boye Mafe and the power of Derick Hall, with some Dre Jones mixed in for good measure.

That is not to say Macdonald will not dial up a package in a key moment.

Like the offense, the early part of the game is key. Thompson typically has started slow and rusty – particularly with his accuracy on throws of any length – and had a difficult time finding a groove. If they can help the offense have a quick start, that ratchets up the pressure to keep up and Thompson just is not built for that.

In his 2022 playoff game start, he was 7 for 21 with an interception in the second half of the game. The defense had created three turnovers but Thompson was just not able to take advantage.

As talented as Miami is, this should be a game the Seahawks can have in hand and control.

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan is intriguing

September 20, 2024 /

One of the best feelings when scouting quarterbacks is seeing a player not protected by his scheme. High-percentage throws, often in the form of extended hand-offs and wide-open deep shots, are common. You end up judging players based on non-translatable environments. When you see a player doing something as simple as throwing over the middle with consistency into tight coverage, it’s virtually heaven.

Memphis’ Seth Henigan has shown he can do this. It was enjoyable watching his tape. I want to run through my thoughts based on what I’ve seen in his three games so far this season.

This is his fourth year starting and his experience shows. There were multiple times against Florida State where you could see clear progression through reads. It’s rare that you’ll see a player go to a first, second and third read and eventually pull the trigger over the middle. Henigan does that.

His first handful of throws in the game showcased a NFL style skillset. His internal clock would tick as he eyed up a couple of reads over the middle before checking down. He took off on a roll-out before throwing for a first down on the run. He’d take a three-step drop, set his feet and throw to a covered defender over the middle because that was the best option, delivering an accurate pass with timing over the middle (no hitch) to get the seven yards on first down the defense was offering. He dropped in a nicely thrown 45-yard downfield shot to the right sideline for a big play, noticing the opportunity with a 1v1 outside.

Henigan diced up Florida State all afternoon, showing total command of his offense and an ability to attack different areas of the field. I just keep coming back to the way he was throwing to covered receivers but his timing and accuracy was sufficiently good that he was able to make completions over the middle of the field. This is what you need to do in the NFL.

He also showed poise and improvisation when needed. On one play at the end of the second quarter his intended target was a quick throw to the outside receiver. I think he anticipated the cornerback blitz but perhaps didn’t expect the defender would get to him as quickly as he did and then jump to block the throw, rather than go for the sack. Henigan pumped to deceive the corner, moved to his right to buy a little more room and then completed the pass for a nine-yard gain on first down.

One of the things I’m really zoning in on this year is how a quarterback handles third downs. I was really impressed with Henigan here.

With 18 seconds left in the first half he turned a 2nd and 20 into a 3rd and 7 with a layered pass over the middle in-between defenders, then figured out the flaw in the coverage on the next play to get a first down — setting up a scoring opportunity as time expired.

He started the second half with a laser throw into tight coverage over the middle to convert a 3rd and 5 situation. The pass needed extra zip and perfect accuracy and he delivered. He capped this drive with a 3rd and goal play-action touchdown — throwing off-balance with incredible anticipation and accuracy, guiding his pass to the receiver’s right arm as he fell backwards to avoid the covering defender.

The play of the game was a 3rd and 13 play with 4:05 left in the third quarter. He stepped up to avoid a blitz off the left edge, side-stepped to avoid his own lineman running into him and had to re-set in the pocket. He did all this while keeping his eyes downfield. With very little back-lift he then threw over the middle for a conversion:

These are plays you can look at and imagine happening in the NFL.

Against North Alabama you saw similar plays — throws into tight coverage, completed by standing tall in the pocket, throwing with base and timing and delivering on target for chunk yardage. He was credited with five ‘big time’ throws in the game, was able to get his opponent to jump off-side on more than one occasion and again exploited 1v1 coverage on the outside with another 45-yard touch pass.

With the rest of the season to come — he already has 84 career passing touchdowns for Memphis (26 interceptions). He has added nine rushing touchdowns. This is the kind of career production and experience teams love and it shows with the confidence and understanding he plays with.

I like his mechanics. His release is sufficiently quick and he can throw with touch. His ball placement both on an intermediate and deep level is good. He doesn’t have an absolute cannon of an arm but he understands when a throw needs a bit more mustard to beat a coverage. He’s not a slouch in the pocket and can move around when needed. Certainly he can throw on boot-legs and roll-outs and his pocket movement is good.

Ceiling will be the big question mark. He is not a big powerful gunslinger who can launch it downfield 60-yards and I’m not sure he ever will be. Neither is he a massively creative force to extend plays and as a runner it’s very much on a ‘needs must’ basis. Henigan is technically impressive and I can definitely see him appealing to the Shanahan tree teams looking for someone to run their scheme. I don’t think he’s limited to these systems though — and there’s enough on tape to feel like he has sufficient promise to be drafted with the idea of seeing how he gets on with the step-up in quality.

Henigan is a player I want to keep watching this season. He’s unlikely to end up being a high draft pick but he’d be worthy of a Senior Bowl invite to show what he can do. He might not be physically brilliant enough to project as an eventual NFL starter but a player like this definitely deserves a chance in the NFL. He was a lot more intriguing than I expected.

At the moment I have Quinn Ewers and Shedeur Sanders rated as legit first round talents (although both players carry question marks — injuries for Ewers, baggage for Sanders). Carson Beck is a fringe first round player for me. Garrett Nussmeier, on limited playing time, has a tentative day two grade although I need to see more starts to confirm that mark. I think Cam Ward and Jalen Milroe deserve to be graded in round three currently, due to their physical tools, upside and character — but both players are technically flawed and will need to show progress over the coming weeks in that area. Then I have eight players graded in a day three tier, including Henigan. It’ll be interesting to see if any of that group can show sufficient progress in the coming weeks to make a jump.

My early thoughts on the Seahawks, the future and the 2025 draft class

September 19, 2024 /

It’s still too early to form any big opinions on the 2025 draft class — and it’s especially too early to pass judgement on what the Seahawks could potentially do next April. However, I wanted to share some thoughts as we approach the fourth weeked of the college football season.

Currently I think this is shaping up to be a difficult first round, with only a handful of blue-chip players and little in the way of legit first round depth. There have been years when a board looks this way in September/October and changes by the end of the season, Senior Bowl and combine. At the moment though, it’s not looking like a particularly strong draft at the top end.

When there have been drafts like this in the past, such as in 2013 and 2015, the Seahawks traded premium draft stock for proven veterans. That’s something to remember. They also made the expensive Jamal Adams trade during the covid-impacted era, when it was trickier to get intel on prospects.

I’m not predicting the Seahawks will make a move similar to the Leonard Williams trade pre-deadline, or go big-game hunting in the off-season for a star, but unless there’s a big change in how the first round is looking, I wouldn’t rule it out.

One of the big off-season areas of focus will be the offensive line. I talked about this the other day but Will Campbell at LSU, often touted as a top-10 pick online, is not playing remotely close to that level. I’m not convinced he can stick at tackle and might have to move inside and I have a day-two grade on him currently. His team-mate Emery Jones has only been marginally better — but at least he has a bit more intensity to his play.

Kelvin Banks Jr at Texas has been better but still mostly ‘good’ not ‘great’ and I wonder if he’s destined to move inside too. I think he has a legit shot to go early but it’ll be interesting to see if the league views him as a tackle or guard.

There are some tackles I think are being undervalued. Ohio State’s Josh Simmons has ideal size, good feet and pass-protects well. I think he could be a top-45 pick at tackle. Jack Nelson at Wisconsin can be a tone-setting, physical right tackle or a dominant guard. I’m usually sceptical of small-school buzz online but Charles Grant at William & Mary is legitimately athletic and looks the part. How he performs at the Senior Bowl, assuming he attends, will make or break his stock. Aireontae Ersery at Minnesota also has all the physical tools required to start at the next level.

I’d be particularly interested in Nelson to play guard in Seattle with right tackle versatility and I believe he warrants a second round grade. However, there are two other players I want to focus on here. Alabama’s Tyler Booker was the first non-quarterback I wrote about for this draft cycle and I still rate him very highly. He has great size, he plays with an edge, he’s a five-star athlete and he’s even spelled at left tackle this season. He is an A+ character player and could be a day-one starter next year. The Seahawks will probably need to find a new starting left guard for 2025 so the fit makes sense.

The other player is Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea. He is starting at tackle currently. I don’t like that fit. I think his footwork will be a problem defending NFL speed off the edge. However, I think he can be an exceptional guard. When he can block square-on, place his hands on an opponent and control blocks, his vice-like grip and tremendous power make him a dominant force. If a team is willing to move him inside, I suspect he could quickly develop into one of the better NFL guards. Both he and Booker play with a physical intensity combined with plus athleticism.

The other interior line options are thin. It’s looking like a quite poor center class — the hope will have to be that the Senior Bowl uncovers some options here, possibly through converting players to the position. I am looking forward to seeing how Parker Brailsford gets on in the SEC for Alabama. However, I’d advise rooting especially hard for Connor Williams to succeed this year and earn an extension. Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson has excellent athleticism but last year his tape was so underwhelming. This is a big year for him. I think Georgia’s Dylan Fairchild warrants third round consideration currently but I found his team-mate Tate Ratledge (who is having surgery on an ankle injury) a little bit overrated.

I’m starting to lose faith that we’ll ever see a truly dynamic, modern tight end in Seattle. In fairness, they are rare. As we’re seeing with Kyle Pitts — even the supposed sure things can fail to make an impact. The Seahawks drafting AJ Barner this year perhaps spoke to how they might approach things going forwards, although they did re-sign Noah Fant. It is a good tight end class though — with Colston Loveland a near lock for the top-20. Tyler Warren is my favourite non-first round type — he has an excellent, rounded skill-set and could be a top-50 pick. Mitchell Evans, Jake Briningstool, Mason Taylor and others have impressed so far, while I’m looking forward to watching Utah for Brant Kuithe.

There are good defensive linemen eligible for next year. Mason Graham at Michigan should be a top-five pick. TJ Sanders at South Carolina is someone I think has top-50 potential. Tyleik Williams has tremendous run-defending ability with the potential to be more than he’s shown as a pass rusher. Howard Cross is a pure penetrating threat but lacks ideal size. I think Kenneth Grant and Deone Walker are a little bit overrated and see them more as day two types (many consider them first rounders).

Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker are two dynamic playmaking linebackers who would fit well in the Mike Macdonald system — but both could/should go early. After that, it feels like an underwhelming linebacker group with mostly mid/late round types — although I need to do more work on the position. Alabama’s Deontae Lawson reads plays very well and just seems to gravitate to the ball. He has second round potential. Team-mate Jihaad Campbell has the frame of an edge rusher and might be an ill-fit at the next level playing off-the-ball linebacker but he also has major athletic talent.

There will be opportunities for teams to add in the secondary. Aside from the bigger names, I really enjoyed watching Shavon Revel and think he will have a good chance to go in round one at cornerback. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori really intrigues me, I’m a big fan because of his great size, speed, instinct and versatility. There are other safety’s too — Kevin Winston Jr, Keon Sabb, Lathan Ransom, Hunter Wohler and Rod Moore have caught the eye. Malaki Starks will likely be out of reach.

I’ll finish with the much-discussed quarterback position. An argument is often made that because Geno Smith has had an unusual career path and hasn’t actually started many games since entering the league in 2013, he might be better positioned to enjoy a longer career deep into his 30’s. The Seahawks can’t bank on this. The worst thing they could do is assume Smith will be able to play on for years to come (they won’t do this) as it’s something very few quarterbacks achieve.

Smith turns 34 in less than a month. He is in the latter end of his physical peak and to his credit still looks incredibly sharp athletically. Yet when players get to their mid-30’s, nature tends to take over. Whether you’ve started 40 NFL games or 200, getting old is getting old. The Seahawks seem to be taking things year-to-year which is wise.

The best approach would be to plan for all eventualities — and it looks like the Seahawks are well on top of this. That’s why they made the Sam Howell trade. They knew they had to add a younger player this year and will likely continue to look to add.

By taking this approach they’ll be covered either way — they can plan for the future while also retaining Smith if he’s able to perform at a good level for a few more years.

Given the experience of the 2023 quarterback class so far, not to mention the growing pains for the 2024 class in the first two weeks, it wouldn’t be a bad plan to draft a quarterback with the intention of bedding him into the system without any pressure to start early. After years of the NFL throwing quarterbacks in at the deep end, we might be about to see a shift. This will be even more likely if Michael Penix Jr excels in 2025, 2026 or whenever he replaces Kirk Cousins in Atlanta.

It certainly worked for Patrick Mahomes. Clearly Mahomes also had the talent and the right coach and weapons. That helps. Yet this feels like the best plan to mimic for Seattle. Copy the Chiefs if you can. Smith is similarly well placed, as he’s showing, to be a similar or perhaps even better version of Alex Smith in Kansas City. Drafting someone in 2025 or 2026 as an heir-apparent would be prudent. Then you won’t have to start a rookie and can make an educated call on when to pass the torch.

There’s no downside to this. The worst case scenario is Smith plays deep into his 30’s and you never hand off the baton to the new guy. This isn’t a problem at all though, because it’d simply mean Smith playing well enough to warrant remaining as the starter. As the Eagles showed when they controversially drafted Jalen Hurts in round two despite recently paying Carson Wentz, you can never over-prepare at the most important position in football.

The best case scenario would be a seamless transition as we saw with Mahomes. Win now with Smith, yet still plan for the future. The Seahawks have an ideal opportunity here that few teams possess.

However, it also takes the right player being available. I’m not yet convinced that the right player is in the 2025 class. Quinn Ewers is an excellent talent but he’s injured again. Shedeur Sanders does not strike me as an individual John Schneider would rush to anoint as the future of the Seahawks franchise. Is Carson Beck dynamic enough as a passer or as a person? Will he go too early anyway?

There are players I can imagine Schneider having interest in beyond the three most talked about quarterbacks. Garrett Nussmeier is showing legit potential as a pro-level pocket passer at LSU and I wrote about him in detail on Wednesday. He might prefer a second year starting for the Tigers before turning pro but with the technical level he’s showing, there’s a chance he will start to move into legit top-50 consideration.

Cam Ward has physical tools and a personality I think the Seahawks will be open too — but I do wonder whether his tendency to drift in the pocket and be too quick to improvise may be exposed later this season. I wrote about this in more detail here. At the moment Miami are beating up weak opponents. Ward unravelled somewhat at Washington State when facing adversity.

As much as I wrote in the week about a reality check on Jalen Milroe’s supposed development, I do think he’ll be a name to monitor closely throughout this process. His inability (so far) to throw over the middle, a lack of processing evidence from the pocket and the fact he’s pretty much playing as a big-armed running back will likely preclude him from being considered by the Shanahan tree coaches.

However, we know John Schneider likes a big arm and athleticism at the position. Ryan Grubb wants to attack all areas of the field and Milroe has the arm to do this. He’s playing for Kalen DeBoer this year which could lead to crossover potential. Character and personality matters a lot to Schneider at this position and Milroe is A+ in that category. He might be a uniquely intriguing quarterback to the Seahawks. Not to mention he could be available in a range between picks #60-80, depending on what happens during the rest of this season. It’ll be interesting to see what he does against Georgia in Alabama’s next game, which takes places a week on Saturday. Although I will say, at the moment I don’t see a player remotely close to being ready to start in the NFL. He still looks like a great athlete playing quarterback and he needs to be better from the pocket.

There are others too. I think Drew Allar’s frame, arm and athleticism are right up Schneider’s street but I’m not sure you can take him earlier than round four. Let’s see how Will Howard’s season at Ohio State goes. We’ve also talked recently about Brady Cook, Miller Moss and Max Brosmer — plus Riley Leonard will try and repair his stock after the nightmare of Northern Illinois.

Personally I don’t have a problem — at all — with John Schneider being picky at the quarterback position. He hasn’t whiffed on anyone since the Russell Wilson trade, so why wouldn’t you back his judgement? If there is someone he likes next year, or in 2026, I don’t think he’ll hesitate to pull the trigger. For the right player I think he’d be aggressive if necessary.

Having Geno Smith playing the way he is currently makes this a good situation for Seattle. If he continues this level of performance, they don’t have to force anything. Look how being desperate has impacted the Carolina Panthers. They traded for Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Bryce Young. They tried to acquire Deshaun Watson. It’s been a disaster. The Seahawks have positioned themselves to avoid this. They can now play the ‘win now’ game and look ahead.

As for Sam Howell, I’m not writing him off. You have him under contract for another year next season and it’d be ideal to have him remain as a backup with starting experience at a cost effective price. If he grows within the next 12 months to warrant consideration to be ‘the guy’ in the future, great. At the moment it’s difficult to project he’ll be a future starter. He lasted to round five for a reason despite having no character or injury concerns. I graded him in round four and he went about where he should’ve gone in the draft. He’s a plus backup but he’s not likely, in my opinion at least, to be the person who eventually takes over from Smith as the next starter.

I’ve mentioned a lot of names in this piece but it’s important to remember it’s only the 19th September. Things can and will change. Players can still emerge and stock will fluctuate. The Senior Bowl is critical in this process, as is the combine. Furthermore, we’re only two games into the Seahawks’ season. This time last year, Seattle had one horrible loss to the Rams and one great win in Detroit. Who could’ve predicted what followed? By this time next month, things could’ve changed. That’s why we’ll keep reflecting and discussing both the current roster and players in the draft cycle.

Finally, if there’s another site on the internet producing 5750 words of draft/Seahawks talk in two pieces in the middle of September, I haven’t seen it. So if you appreciate what we do — subscribe to our YouTube channel, watch the videos we do including the weekly hit with Puck Sports and there’s Patreon too if you want to support our work.

Scouting notes week three: Garrett Nussmeier in review, plus Jalen Milroe, Brady Cook, non-QB’s & more

September 18, 2024 /

Garrett Nussmeier review vs South Carolina

This was my third time watching LSU this season and on each occasion I’ve been impressed with Nussmeier. While he had some sloppy moments at the end of the South Carolina game on Saturday, he still led his team to victory while flashing anticipation, accuracy, a NFL arm with touch and good decision making. He was also facing a strong defense with NFL talent in a hostile road environment with an excellent home crowd in attendance. LSU had to win this game and they did, mostly thanks to their quarterback.

With 2:45 remaining in the first half, he steps into the pocket knowing he’s going to get drilled. He still delivered a fantastic layered strike 25 yards down the seam:

He did well to deliver this pass over the top of one defender and in-between two others while facing pressure. Look at this screen-shot to see the margin for error, while knowing you’re about to get blasted by a pass-rusher:

That is a NFL-level throw.

Then there’s this pass with 13:40 left in the third quarter. Again he faces pressure from his left side. Nussmeier throws as he’s contacted by the edge rusher and still delivers a 40 yard dime exploiting 1v1 coverage on the outside. Note how long the ball hangs in the air. This is perfect loft and touch on the pass, with enough velocity to get it downfield. It’s also a very catchable ball — you can throw with too much arm when you go deep. This is touch plus velocity plus accuracy:

The anticipation and direction on the throw is excellent — he delivers the ball to an area where he anticipates the receiver will be, long before he’s anywhere near the spot. This is an exceptional deep throw.

He had a key conversion on 3rd and 7 with 3:42 left in the third quarter. It’s a three-step drop from the shotgun with seven defenders at the LOS. He anticipates pressure and six defenders rush. He drops, throws off balance knowing he had a slant route as the hot and he executes for a first down. This is a good sign — he understood the situation, knew he didn’t have time to waste and had to get the ball out quickly. He knows where the hole in the defense will be and a receiver runs right into that spot. He beats the pressure with a quick throw. Textbook — and the kind of play he’ll need to make all the time in the NFL.

Most college quarterbacks are not running an offense like this. They operate in one-read systems with the decision making coming from the coaches on the sideline. Typically when the read isn’t open, they take off and improvise. This is Nussmeier basically running a translatable pro system.

With 12:25 left in the fourth quarter he again faced a key 3rd and 9 from inside his own red zone. South Carolina rushed five. He stays in the pocket, accepts pressure will come and throws the best anticipation throw I’ve seen this season for a conversion. The receiver is only just breaking to the sideline and Nussmeier throws to an area his target will run in to, with the defensive back not even facing the play. This is a NFL throw. It’s the kind of thing you have to do every week in the pro’s — where you have far smaller windows and time to throw. This is again superb from Nussmeier:

I’ve studied virtually every game the top draftable quarterbacks have played since the 2021 season. Do you know how many quarterback I see sitting in a pocket, trusting their protection and throwing with the level of anticipation as per the video above? It’s extremely rare.

After this play things became sloppy. There was a fumbled snap that hit him in the chest and a lousy red zone interception that almost cost LSU the game. He didn’t read the dropping defender and threw it straight to him. In this instance, he completely botched the pre-snap read and post-snap diagnosis. He was under no pressure. It’s one of the easiest interceptions you’ll see thanks to a poor piece of judgement from the quarterback. It should’ve been a pick-six but the play was overturned because a defender I’ll praise in a moment stupidly took a cheap shot at Nussmeier on the return. Instead, it gave LSU another chance to get the ball back and win.

To his credit, he capitalised. On a 4th and 3 play at the South Carolina 42-yard line he executesd a perfect hard-count to draw an offside penalty in a way Aaron Rodgers would’ve been proud of. He earns a five-yard penalty and a first down. On the next play he throws perfectly to the left pylon for a massive completion, setting up first and goal. LSU won the game by punching it in shortly after.

So what’s his ceiling? He certainly has translatable skills. I don’t doubt that he’ll come into the NFL and pick things up on a technical level. He’ll be better prepared than most and it’s probably no coincidence given his father is the current Eagles QB coach and has previously spent time coaching Justin Herbert in LA and Dak Prescott in Dallas in the same role.

However, he doesn’t have special traits. He’s decent at everything physically but not an X-factor. He’s not a Josh Allen or Justin Herbert type with the size, cannon arm and athleticism. He’s not a scrambling dynamo or an improv genius. He’s pretty good in a lot of ways but the special traits are missing.

The question becomes — can the technical qualities, understanding and translatable structure/tape compensate at the next level for not being a physical difference maker? We see quarterbacks do it — but can this quarterback do it? That’s what teams need to work out.

I like him though. He is a NFL talent, even if his ceiling is probably mid-level starter complementing a good team, rather than being the kind of ‘saviour of the franchise’ talent. There are players in the NFL, some that are earning a lot of money, with similar strengths and weaknesses.

I do wonder if a lack of starting experience might mean it’s more likely he returns to LSU in 2025. After waiting so long to start, I’m not sure he’ll be rushing to the pro’s. His dad being in the NFL will also provide some perspective on the importance of sticking in college to gain playing experience.

A final note, there’s been a lot of change at PFF recently in terms of the media personalities who front their various podcasts and articles. I don’t know if something similar is happening behind the scenes. While I appreciate Nussmeier had some iffy moments late in the game and missed at least one opportunity to throw downfield vs South Carolina, a 64.5 grade did not feel appropriate for this performance.

This was a big game for LSU, against an unbeaten SEC opponent on the road and a good defense. He made three big time throws per PFF, the same as Cam Ward against the hopelessly overmatched Ball State. Yet Ward received a 90.6 grade for essentially a bunch of extended hand-offs against an opponent Miami hammered 62-0. I watched the game and it just left me wondering if the Ball State players were allergic to the Miami jersey’s. They didn’t seem to want to tackle or cover.

Ward’s completion percentage was still only 67.9% (19/28). It seems he was rewarded for scoring a bunch of simple touchdowns, aided by non-existent coverage/tackling, against an inferior opponent. Nussmeier was penalised for not being flawless in a far trickier environment but ultimately contributing as much as anyone to a great win.

The grading difference between the two cannot be 64.5 and 90.6.

Other notes from LSU vs South Carolina & general draft thoughts

I didn’t understand LSU’s Will Campbell being projected as a top-10 pick before the college season began. I didn’t see that on tape. Nothing so far this season has changed my mind. For me, he might not even be able to stick at tackle. He struggles with speed off the edge and I wouldn’t want him protecting the blind-side. At the moment I’m giving him a day-two grade at guard.

I much preferred his team mate Emery Jones who played with a lot more physicality and toughness at right tackle. Even so, he hasn’t had a great start to the season either. I have him currently marked as a fringe first rounder. What I would say is — a lot of the mock drafts you’re seeing online are full of absolute nonsense. Trust me. There are players out there lazily being projected early without any justification.

Even some of the legit players — Mason Graham and Will Johnson at Michigan for example — are not pulling up any trees. They’ll still go early. Malaki Starks the safety at Georgia is legit. Kelvin Banks, who may also need to kick inside to guard, is legit. Colston Loveland the tight end and Abdul Carter the defensive X-factor also warrant consideration early. Yet the biggest name living most up to the hype currently is probably Colorado’s receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. I’ve never watched a player like him. On Saturday he had 13 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns and also had an interception and five tackles. He is genuinely unique.

This is a muddled draft with little to be excited about at the top end. This is particularly highlighted by the quarterbacks. Quinn Ewers started well but is injured again. Shedeur Sanders is mixing some great big time throws with embarrassing comments on the field and off it, as question marks about his suitability as a franchise leader grow. Carson Beck looked pretty ‘meh’ against Kentucky. God’s speed to the desperate teams destined to pick in the top-10.

Back to the LSU/South Carolina game, TJ Sanders is an excellent defensive tackle for the Gamecocks and a player I have graded currently as a potential fringe first rounder. He is DT2 on my early, developing draft board behind Mason Graham and ahead of Tyleik Williams. I’m also intrigued to see how Kyle Kennard the edge rusher tests. He’s the player who gave away the dumb penalty on Nussmeier that probably cost South Carolina the game. However, to his credit he faced the media and apologised for the play — receiving praise from his Head Coach for taking responsibility. I think he has day-two potential and already has five sacks, seven TFL’s and two fumbles after three games. Finally, I really like South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori and have him graded in round two at the moment.

The reality with Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe

I saw a tweet from an Athletic draft writer at the weekend, claiming, “You can literally see growth happening here” in terms of Milroe’s development under Kalen DeBoer.

I’m immediately sceptical anytime I see anyone misuse the word ‘literally’. Pedantic as this may be, I didn’t literally see Milroe grow during his trip to Wisconsin. But I thought I’d watch the tape to see if there’s a nugget of truth about his development which wasn’t apparent when I watched Alabama’s opening two games against Western Kentucky and USF.

I’m going to be honest with you. It’s total bollocks to suggest there’s anything different about Milroe after three games. It doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen. He’s had three games with DeBoer. Michael Penix Jr had an entire spell at Indiana with DeBoer before coming to Washington. He knew the offense. This could take time. But let’s not manufacture a narrative that he’s developed as a passer because it isn’t true.

The player I’m watching in 2024 is the same player I watched in 2023. Milroe is a terrific athlete playing quarterback. He is not a sophisticated passer. He has a good arm and he’s very capable of getting the ball downfield. He has a terrific build similar to that of a running back. He’s a dynamic runner and can be an X-factor in the ground game. He wasn’t an anticipation thrower delivering passes within a complex structure last season and that remains the case. He still doesn’t methodically work a defense through scheme.

Too often it’s a one read and run approach with Milroe. He doesn’t play with much pocket presence at all. He’ll check his read and set off if it isn’t there, trying to create as a runner. Sometimes he won’t even come off the one read. A case in point against Wisconsin, he eyed a check-down immediately on 3rd and 4 and telegraphed where he was going with the football. He hitched, then threw, and by the time the ball got to the receiver the defender was ready to pounce and make a tackle for no gain. Time to punt.

Real development would be examples of Milroe staying patience in the pocket, making different reads, attacking the middle of the field, throwing a range of passes including layered passes. What we typically see is a somewhat limited route tree with a big emphasis on the deep-ball and his running ability.

I don’t even think he’s really improved his deep-accuracy. DeBoer is excellent at scheming opportunities and he had some great play-calls to open receivers downfield. Milroe executed these throws but even then you see him sitting waiting for the player to uncover with minimal or no pressure, then he throws to an open man. The NFL doesn’t work this way. He will face so much more pressure, he’ll need to make an incredibly varied range of throws. He won’t be able to take off as much as he does.

His accuracy is inconsistent. He doesn’t attack the seam or the middle of the field much. I’d describe him as a fantastic athlete and a brilliant read-option college quarterback. My fear for the NFL is teams will just sit in cover-two and take away the deep ball, forcing him to work the middle while spying his runs. While he’s a big, physical runner with speed — he lacks Lamar Jackson’s dynamic suddenness to threaten and keep opponents honest.

If you combined Garrett Nussmeier and Jalen Milroe you’d have a heck of a player. I’m afraid at the moment Milroe reminds me too much of Malik Willis in terms of a quarterback and unless he can take steps to become more rounded, he’ll likely go in the same range in the draft (at best) as a player with physical qualities who is going to need a lot of development to start in the NFL. If people are hoping for a Jalen Hurts type of player, Hurts was a far more accomplished passer by the time he left Oklahoma. There’s still time for Milroe to take a big step but it’s premature to suggest it’s happened already.

Two other notes from this game. I remain a big fan of Wisconsin left tackle Jack Nelson and have a second round grade on him. I think he’s better suited to right tackle or guard but he’s extremely tough, he’s adept at turning opponents and finishing, he can brawl as well as anyone and while he doesn’t have elite-level footwork to stick on the blind-side at the next level, he’s not a slouch either. Sadly though, it wasn’t good news for Tyler Van Dyke. He tore an ACL in the game. He turns 24 next March. It’s hard to know what his next move is, having transferred from Miami to Wisconsin this year.

Final notes

— I watched a lot of Missouri last season and was impressed with quarterback Brady Cook, enough to talk about him when he was mostly not discussed anywhere else. I don’t really understand why — he’s better than some other quarterbacks who are being debated a ton.

As with Nussmeier — the big thing that stood out was his efficiency on third down. He had multiple conversions, including one on fourth down. He ended the game with a big third and 7 completion when protecting a six point lead against a dangerous opponent. Cook delivered a good, accurate and not easy throw to the left sideline. Then on a 3rd and 2 he scrambled to ice the game.

He has a reasonable arm, he can move around and scrambles well. I don’t think he has a supremely high ceiling in terms of big-time traits but he’s well sized and looks a bit bigger this season. Cook threw over the middle, showed he can deliver layered passes and this was an accomplished display. He is a big reason why Missouri has been so successful over the last season and a bit.

He’ll have plenty of opportunities to raise his stock playing in the SEC, with games against Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina down the line. It’s tricky to project his range at this point but I do think he’s underrated by the media and some NFL teams will feel he has sufficiently intriguing skills to warrant a closer look.

— Carson Beck had a really odd game against Kentucky. On the one hand, Georgia got the job done as they often do. Yet Beck missed some throws, risked turnovers and just didn’t look all that special for a player often touted as a potential top-10 pick. He did, however, still have some nice throws delivered with velocity and accuracy. His next game is at Alabama, a must-watch (obviously).

— Quinn Ewers left the game against UTSA with an abdominal strain. It’s since been reported he’ll miss the next game and then likely return. Texas appears pretty committed to Ewers, despite the clamour for Arch Manning. There will be pressure on Ewers, though, when he does return — because Manning looked so good in relief on Saturday. Let’s not lose sight though that as exciting as Manning clearly is — Ewers also looked terrific pre-injury. It is a concern though that he’s injured again. The two things we needed to see from Ewers this year was a clean bill of heath and greater consistency. He’s banged up already. Kelvin Banks also got hurt for Texas against UTSA but it doesn’t appear serious.

— Defensive lineman Mykel Williams, hyped for his potential and not his production at Georgia, missed the game against Kentucky. He hasn’t taken the step forward that many anticipated so far. He’s not alone though — Tennessee’s edge rusher James Pearce Jr has zero sacks in three games, had PFF grades of 63.8 against NC State and 60.1 against Chattanooga and his stat line only shows three tackles, one QB hit and two hurries. So much more was expected of him.

— It’s such a shame that the questions about Shedeur Sanders are there. He should be the clear favourite to go first overall based on talent alone. In a high-pressure game for Colorado against rival Colorado State, he completed 36/49 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns. He had some great throws, while playing behind a terrible O-line. It’s true he looks too often for the big play instead of taking what the defense offers but he frequently pulls off the big play anyway.

That said, he was still throwing downfield late in the game (again) when killing clock was more important. You get the impression that Colorado in its current form exists mostly to showcase Shedeur — including playing his rap song after touchdowns are scored, delaying the band playing the fight song. He hammers the O-line publicly, yaps at Nebraska players at the coin toss. Look at the state of this. You do have to wonder how he’s going to handle someone other than his dad being his coach.

— This is starting to look like a good tight end class. Penn State’s Tyler Warren really caught my eye and I currently have him as TE2 behind Colton Loveland with a good second round grade (pre-testing). Mitchell Evans, Jake Briningstool and Mason Taylor also look like potential day two picks, with others in the running for rounds 3-5.

— There’s some good depth at running back starting to emerge too. Ashton Jeanty at Boise State has a chance to be a first round pick, while Georgia’s Trevor Etienne could also work into the top-45. I enjoyed watching Nicholas Singleton and DJ Giddens but the player I want to highlight today is Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson, now playing for Arkansas. He’s brilliantly sized, has superb contact balance, runs through tackles and has a burst of speed. He’s taken his game to a new level early this season and looks tremendous. He’s definitely one to watch.

— I currently have 100 players graded on my early horizontal board. Some of these grades will adapt and adjust as the season goes on and there are others I want to watch before publishing it. I may do a stream soon, though, specifically to discuss some of the players I think are underrated/overrated and discuss the quarterbacks and potential round one types.

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