If you missed the measurements (and some thoughts on Daniel Jeremiah’s top-50 list) be sure to click here.

The best part of the Senior Bowl is the O-line vs D-line drills. It’s the one thing the NFL Network sticks with and you genuinely get a good look at how these players compete 1v1.

I was able to go back and watch these drills on repeat — but I haven’t had access to any other parts of the day apart from some of the receiver drills where I thought Oklahoma State’s James Washington set about confirming a top-40 grade.

It’s also worth noting that a bad performance here doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be drafted by the Seahawks. Justin Senior was a late Senior Bowl call up a year ago and looked quite out of his depth on day one. He showed relative progress as the week went on and that’s probably why the Seahawks ended up spending a sixth round pick on him. Even so, his first showing in Mobile wasn’t good.

Here are my day one notes:

— The big winner, without doubt, was UTEP’s Will Hernandez. He started working against Ohio State’s Jalyn Holmes. On the first snap he just walled him off, showed excellent footwork to guard against a counter and rode him out of the play. His second snap was just pure dominance. Hernandez showed great initial footwork and balance to mirror and then dumped the DL on his backside. You could see how frustrated Holmes was after. He couldn’t beat him. The coaches put Hernandez up against Miami’s Chad Thomas at the end of the drill. Thomas had been arguably the most productive performer on the North D-line to that point. This was best vs best from day one. Hernandez won again — emphatically. He got into Thomas’ pads and just overpowered him, sending him to the turf as he tried to counter. I’ve had Hernandez in my top-50 from the start and this was a fantastic start for him.

— Isaiah Wynn worked at left and right guard but didn’t get any tackle snaps which was a shame. He’s going to play guard at the next level but it still would’ve been good to see him have a little time at tackle. He had a great snap against Alabama’s Da’Shawn Hand — great footwork, set, an initial jolt to engage and he finished the block by shoving Hand to the floor. Technique, footwork and finish. Wynn is really good.

— After Will Hernandez, you could make a case for Alabama center Bradley Bozeman having the second best performance. He consistently won with leverage which is impressive considering he’s pushing 6-5 and 317lbs. He gets his hands inside, locks on and gets a good knee bend. He had a nice win against Texas’ Poona Ford who really should’ve won the leverage battle considering he’s under 6-0. Bozeman controlled the block and finished. On his next snap he won again with great hand placement against Greg Gilmore of LSU. We’ve talked about it for years — but hand technique is so underrated when judging these players in the trenches.

— Brian O’Neill at Pittsburgh was listed as the #16 pick in Mel Kiper’s mock draft but his technique needs a lot of work. He’s clearly athletic (he is a former tight end) but he reaches with his arms and it’s easy to counter. On his first snap here he engaged well against Garret Dooley from Wisconsin, kept his frame clean and won. Yet on the next play Dooley knew what he was going to do. He simply clubbed his hands away, knocked him right off balance and all O’Neill could do was grab Dooley and hold. It was an ugly snap. You never see Isaiah Wynn reach and overextend. O’Neill might have the physical upside but he’ll need work based on this evidence.

— They didn’t show enough of UTSA’s Marcus Davenport to judge but I saw one snap where he bull rushed Auburn’s Austin Golson and walked him back into the quarterback. He’s quick enough working the edge to be satisfied with his game in that regard. When you see him rushing inside like this with leverage and power — that’s why he might go in the top-15.

— Ole Miss’ Marquis Haynes is going to provide a steal for someone. He has good size, he’s a playmaker and he’s versatile. Here he had a great rush against Alex Cappa of Humboldt State — swiping at his arms and brushing him off. He dipped inside for the win and it all looked so easy. Cappa had no answer — it was like he was stuck in the mud (bad footwork). Haynes had a lot of production at Ole Miss. He’s one to watch during this process.

— One of the bigger 1v1 disappointments was Ogbonnia Okoronkwo from Oklahoma. I’m not sure if he was trying too hard or what. On his first snap he did a great job getting into Tyrell Crosby’s frame, jolting him right off balance for the win. He bullied him. Yet on the next snap he went way too wide to try and win with speed and Crosby just used his length to ride him out of the play and onto the ground. They put Okoronkwo against a different blocker on his third snap — he tried a spin move, fell over and ended up on his backside. He lacked control.

— NC State’s B.J. Hill looked big, quick and physical. He refused to be blocked when getting upfield against Washington State guard Cole Madison (who had a good performance overall). Mason Cole managed to stone Hill on another snap though, slowing him down. That was a good battle inside.

— Harrison Phillips probably had the rep of the day. He looked more like Justin Timberlake pulling off an incredible sidestep to fool Scott Quessenberry of UCLA, darting from left to right and exploding into the backfield. He looked quick, athletic and sharp. Quessenberry recovered on the next snap though — stoning him inside on a bull rush. The third contest between the pair was pretty much a draw. Phillips engaged and tried to work upfield but Quessenberry stayed with him.

— Two unheralded names to watch for the rest of the week are Kemoko Turay from Rutgers (long, lean, really quick with a nice spin move) and Nathan Shepherd from Fort Hays State (aggressive, tough, intense). Turay’s had injury problems and Shepherd is a small schooler but both made decent starts today.

Here are some other thoughts from the day courtesy of Tony Pauline and Draft Analyst:

Isaiah Wynn/Georgia lining up at guard. Very quick and explosive during #SeniorBowl practice

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 23, 2018

Marques Haynes/Mississippi standing over tackle. Flashes impressive power.

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 23, 2018

Ian Thimas/TE/Indiana looks good in all areas: blocking, catching the ball and looks athletic during first #SeniorBowl practice.

— Draft Analyst (@DraftAnalyst1) January 23, 2018

Uchenna Nwosu/LB/USC quickly beats Alex Cappa/OT/Humboldt State around right edge for a would-be sack #seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/Z7yBpHGRXE

— Draft Analyst (@DraftAnalyst1) January 23, 2018

Harrison Phillips/Stanford dominating opponents

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 23, 2018

Tre’ Williams/LB/Auburn fills quickly and lays a hard hit on Rashaad Penny/RB/San Diego State to force a fumble #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/Cd24oSChdg

— Draft Analyst (@DraftAnalyst1) January 23, 2018

Tony has an excellent prospect-by-prospect recap at Draft Analyst. These words on Notre Dame tight end Durham Smythe will be interesting for Seahawks fans: “Smythe had a terrific day and was the best tight end on the North. Was dominant in blocking drills and as a blocker in scrimmage. Manhandled Jalyn Holmes a number of times. Also caught the ball very well.” If the Seahawks draft a tight end this year, you better believe they’ll be good at blocking.

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Firstly, these always seem to be different at the combine. For example, a year ago Adam Bisnowaty was measured as having 32 5/8 inch arms at the Senior Bowl. That was a red flag given his 6-6 height. At the combine, his arm length was measured at 33 7/8 inches. Quite a difference.

So while these measurements are interesting, the accuracy and usefulness is debatable.

Draft Bible has the data in full here in a useful format. I’m listing some key names:

Cornerbacks with +32 inch arms:

Chandon Sullivan (32 1/2)
D’Momtre Wade (32 5/8)
Levi Wallace (33 3/8)
Christian Campbell (32 1/2)
Jamarcus King (32 1/2)
Isaac Yiadom (32 1/4)

Marcus Davenport (DL, UTSA)
6-5, 259lbs
34 inch arms, 9 inch hands, 81 1/4 wingspan

Frank Ragnow (OL, Arkansas)
6-5, 307lbs
33 1/4 inch arms, 9 1/8 inch hands

Dallas Goedert (TE, South Dakota State)
6-4, 260lbs
33 7/8 inch arms, 10 1/8 inch hands

Ian Thomas (TE, Indiana)
6-3, 256lbs
33 1/8 inch arms, 9 5/8 inch hands

Marcell Ateman (WR, Oklahoma State)
6-4, 216lbs
33 5/8 inch arms, 9 inch hands

D.J. Chark (WR, LSU)
6-2, 196lbs
33 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

James Washington (WR, Oklahoma State)
5-11, 210lbs
33 7/8 inch arms, 9 5/8 inch hands

Isaiah Wynn (G, Georgia)
6-2, 308lbs
33 1/8 inch arms, 8 1/2 inch hands

Shaquem Griffin (LB, UCF)
6-0, 223lbs
31 5/8 inch arms, 9 inch hands

Marquis Haynes (LB, Ole Miss)
6-2, 233lbs
33 inch arms, 9 7/8 inch hands

Micah Kiser (LB, Virginia)
6-0, 236lbs
31 7/8 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

Darius Leonard (LB, South Carolina State)
6-2, 229lbs
34 1/8 inch arms, 10 3/8 inch hands

Uchenna Nwosu (LB, USC)
6-2, 245lbs
33 1/2 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

Dorian O’Daniel (LB, Clemson)
6-0, 215lbs
31 1/8 inch arms, 9 3/8 inch hands

Quin Blanding (S, Virginia)
6-2, 209lbs
31 3/4 inch arms, 8 1/8 inch hands

M.J. Stewart (CB, North Carolina)
5-10, 198lbs
31 1/2 inch arms, 9 3/8 inch hands

Rashaad Penny (RB, San Diego State)
5-11, 224lbs
31 1/2 inch arms, 9 1/8 inch hands

Kalen Ballage (RB, Arizona State)
6-2, 222lbs
33 1/4 inch arms, 9 3/4 inch hands

Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming)
6-5, 237lbs
33 1/2 inch arms, 10 1/8 inch hands

Luke Falk (QB, Washington State)
6-4, 211lbs
32 1/8 inch arms, 9/3 inch hands

Poona Ford (DT, Texas)
5-11, 306lbs
32 3/4 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

Da’Shawn Hand (DT, Alabama)
6-4, 282lbs
34 1/4 inch arms, 10 inch hands

Troy Fumagalli (TE, Wisconsin)
6-5, 247lbs
32 1/4 inch arms, 9 5/8 inch hands

Tyler Conklin (TE, Central Michigan)
6-3, 252lbs
33 1/4 inch arms, 9 3/4 inch hands

Tyrell Crosby (T, Oregon)
6-5, 319lbs
34 3/8 inch arms, 10 7/8 inch hands

Will Hernandez (OL, UTEP)
6-2, 340lbs
32 3/8 inch arms, 9 3/4 inch hands

Mike Gesicki (TE, Penn State)
6-5, 242lbs
34 inch arms, 10 1/8 inch hands

B.J. Hill (DT, NC State)
6-3, 321lbs
32 1/4 inch arms, 10 3/8 inch hands

Harrison Phillips (DT, Stanford)
6-3, 303lbs
33 3/4 inch arms, 10 1/2 inch hands

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (LB, Oklahoma)
6-1, 243lbs
34 1/2 inch arms, 9 1/4 inch hands

Tyquan Lewis (DE, Ohio State)
6-3, 276lbs
33 5/8 inch arms, 10 3/8 inch hands

Brian O’Neill (T, Pittsburgh)
6-6, 298lbs
34 1/8 inch arms, 9 3/8 inch hands

Jaleel Scott (WR, New Mexico State)
6-5, 216lbs
33 7/8 inch arms, 9 3/4 inch hands

Kyzir White (S, West Virginia)
6-2, 216lbs
32 inch arms, 9 7/8 inch hands

Meanwhile, Daniel Jeremiah posted his pre-Senior Bowl top-50 today. We noted last year how it’s difficult to read anything into these rankings. Otherwise the Seahawks would’ve had a shot at Sheldon Rankins and Keanu Neal in 2016 and a year ago they would’ve been able to draft Marlon Humphrey or Evan Engram.

Even so, it’s interesting to look and compare to our own rankings — to see who we might be overrating or underrating.

Here’s my own top-50 and a list of the players I think are worth legit first round grades (11 in total).

My thoughts completely align with Jeremiah’s in terms of the top four. Saquon Barkley, Quenton Nelson, Tremaine Edmunds and Bradley Chubb are the best four players in the draft. I think that’s a pretty cast-iron thought.

I also like Jeremiah’s rankings for Vita Vea (#9), Marcus Davenport (#10) and Ronald Jones II (#12). All three were in our ‘legit first rounders’ list.

Jeremiah’s ranking of Roquan Smith (#19) also resonates. Smith is really good — but at around 6-0 and 225lbs, some teams are going to be put off by his size and scheme fit. He will be limited to the WILL for some teams. It’s something to consider with a lot of people projecting Smith as a possible top-10 pick.

Billy Price is listed at #30 (quite low in my view) with Isaiah Wynn at #37 (Jeremiah suggests he has pro-bowl potential at guard, a point I’d agree with 100%).

Nick Chubb and Kerryon Johnson are the last two names on the list at #49 and #50. Jeremiah compares Chubb to Jonathan Stewart — a connection we’ve talked about over the last few weeks.

What I read from this top-50 is — Ronald Jones II is the running back to consider in round one but if he isn’t available or you’re determined to trade down — there will be good options in the second round.

So here are the players I believe warrant legit first round grades and where Jeremiah has them listed in his top-50:

Saquon Barkley — #1
Quenton Nelson — #2
Tremaine Edmunds — #3
Bradley Chubb — #4
Sam Darnold — #6
Josh Rosen — #7
Vita Vea — #9
Billy Price — #30
Ronald Jones II — #12
Tim Settle — Not ranked
Marcus Davenport — #11

Here are some of the names not included in Jeremiah’s top-50 that were present in mine: Tim Settle, Royce Freeman, Rashaad Penny, Frank Ragnow, Braden Smith, Lorenzo Carter.

Here’s why I think Settle warrants consideration:

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Here are the big name prospects who decided not to participate at the Senior Bowl this year:

HB Sony Michel
HB Nick Chubb
LB Lorenzo Carter
LB Rashaan Evans
LB Josey Jewell
OL Billy Price
QB Mason Rudolph
WR Anthony Miller
DT Maurice Hurst
WR Courtland Sutton
LB Skai Moore
OL Martinas Rankin
DE Duke Ejiofor
OL Frank Ragnow
DT Derrick Nnadi
LB Harold Landry
OL Braden Smith
CB Anthony Averett
DE Bradley Chubb

Mason Rudolph, Harold Landry, Anthony Miller and Frank Ragnow are nursing injuries. The Georgia and Alabama players finished their season several weeks after everyone else having qualified for the National Championship game. Bradley Chubb has very little to prove as a top-five pick and only stands to risk injury.

Billy Price opted against participating, as did Braden Smith. That’s slightly disappointing because both players had something to gain from being in Mobile. It’s indicative perhaps that both are hearing positive things about their draft stock. That wouldn’t be surprising. Price is a legit top-20 pick and Smith will gain a lot more attention when he destroys the combine.

To see who is attending, you can view both rosters by clicking here.

Here is the practise schedule (all times are CT):

Tuesday, January 23
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (SOUTH)
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm (NORTH)

Wednesday, January 24
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm (NORTH)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (SOUTH)

Thursday, January 25
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm (NORTH)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (SOUTH)

Here are some of the players to monitor and why…

North roster

Jaleel Scott (WR, New Mexico State)
Best known as the receiver responsible for this catch, Scott reportedly has a 6-6 and 215lbs frame while showing the ability to compete for the ball in the air. Seattle could be in the day three market for receivers.

Kyzir White (S, West Virginia)
Seen by some as a possible big nickel, White has size (6-2, 218lbs) and has been touted as a possible high pick in a mediocre safety class. It’s difficult for safety’s to stand out in Mobile but he’s someone to watch in Saturday’s game.

Kalen Ballage (RB, Arizona State)
A good athlete with excellent bloodlines, Ballage is a fantastic character and comes across as a great guy. He has so much potential but ended up being lost amid a sea of mediocrity at Arizona State. He will use this draft season to regain some momentum.

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (LB, Oklahoma)
He’s a difficult player to judge. At about 6-1 and 240lbs it’s hard to imagine him playing defensive end at the next level. And yet he’s such a talented pass rusher and does his best work in attack mode. Size could limit his stock but he’s good. Watch him in the DL vs OL drills.

Harrison Phillips (DT, Stanford)
The first college game I watched in 2017 was Stanford’s trip to Australia. Bryce Love had a big day vs Rice but so did Phillips. He stood out. Henry Anderson went in round two after a great combine. Can Phillips move from likely top-100 pick into the round two range? If he’s capable — he’ll stand out in DL vs OL and come close to matching Anderson’s combine.

Brian O’Neill (T, Pittsburgh)
Listed in the middle of round one in Mel Kiper’s first mock draft, I watched some of O’Neill last week and wasn’t blown away. He looks a bit stiff, tall and reckless. He chose to declare early and is a former tight end. This will be a vital week if he’s going to live up to Kiper’s billing.

Tyrell Crosby (T, Oregon)
He looked a bit big and sloppy and his play was a bit mixed too. Watching him live, it was hard to judge his play against Washington as the game escalated out of control. As with the other O-liners, he has a great chance to impress in the pass rush/pass pro drills.

Will Hernandez (G, UTEP)
He’s big, physical, strong and has some nuance to his technique. You wonder if he’s a bit stiff as an athlete though — he’s not Billy Price, Quenton Nelson or Isaiah Wynn on the move. Might be a straight ahead blocker. You know what the theme is here though. The O-line vs D-line drills are the most important part of the Senior Bowl.

Luke Falk (QB, Washington State)
He had a hit and miss season career. At times he looked like a possible second rounder, then he’d have a stretch of games where he’d look like a day three type. This will be a tough week for Falk given the upsetting situation at Washington State. He has to show adequate arm strength and can he look like an alpha leader within the group?

Durham Smythe (TE, Notre Dame)
I haven’t studied Smythe but noticed a few people talking about him in the comments section. Notre Dame traditionally does a good job developing TE’s and require their guys to do some blocking. Seattle might draft a TE at some point and whoever it is will need to block. Mike Gesicki (Penn State), Tyler Conklin (Central Michigan) and Troy Fumagalli (Wisconsin) are also on the North roster.

B.J. Hill (DT, NC State)
Bit of a hidden gem and a possible mid round DT with value — Hill has an opportunity to grow his stock in Mobile. Especially since he’ll be competing against the likes of Will Hernandez 1v1.

Tyquan Lewis (DE, Ohio State)
Once considered a possible high pick not so long ago, Lewis never really delivered on the promise. He had seven sacks in 2017 and 9.5 TFL’s but had to work as part of a rotation at DE. This is a nice opportunity for him in a setting made for pass rushers to impress.

South roster

Quin Blanding (S, Virginia)
Once a big-time five star recruit pursued by many top teams, Blanding chose Virginia and never really reached the highs expected. He’s 6-2 and 210lbs and we’ll see if he can make some plays in the game.

Da’Shawn Hand (DT, Alabama)
If Blanding was once a highly recruited High School stud, Hand takes it a step further. He was the #1 recruit in the country. Yet at Alabama he always had a supporting role and flattered to deceive. He has the physical talent but needs to show it here.

Marcell Ateman (WR, Oklahoma State)
Another big receiver (6-4, 220lbs) who could have some appeal to the Seahawks later on. The receiver class looks better from round three onwards than it does in the early rounds. Ateman is one to watch.

James Washington (WR, Oklahoma State)
Ateman’s partner in crime, Washington is likely a top-40 pick. He’s compact with a similar frame to Golden Tate and is capable of making big plays downfield.

Shaquem Griffin (LB, UCF)
Shaquill’s brother and a much-admired playmaker for UCF. It’ll be interesting to see how the NFL coaches use him in Mobile. Is he rushing the passer, playing at linebacker, safety? Or a combination of all?

Rashaad Penny (RB, San Diego State)
With so many big name RB’s not attending, this is a big opportunity for Penny. He’s stout, returns kicks, has home-run hitting ability and he’s tough. Hopefully he gets some decent carries in the game. He has MVP potential for the game and could make a big impression.

M.J. Stewart (CB, North Carolina)
In a seriously underwhelming cornerback class, Stewart has the size and athleticism to boost his stock significantly here and at the combine.

Marquis Haynes (LB, Ole Miss)
It felt like Haynes was at Ole Miss forever — but now he’ll turn pro and he’s an interesting prospect at about 6-2 and 230lbs. He was a playmaker, totting up TFL’s and impact plays for many years. One to watch and could be a valuable day-three option.

Daniel Carson (K, Auburn)
The only kicker with a chance of being drafted. He will get a chance in a camp somewhere. You don’t need me to tell you why he’s listed here. Has quite a big leg and scored a lot of points for the Tigers.

Uchenna Nwosu (LB, USC)
Not a million miles away from a Rashaan Evans type in terms of playing style. Reportedly there is some interest within the league in Nwosus’s forty time and a feeling it will make or break his stock.

Micah Kiser (LB, Virginia)
Kiser could generate some first/second round talk down the line. He’s in a similar position to Leighton Vander Esch in that regard. He’s 6-0 and 240lbs and looks the part. One to monitor. He could be a riser.

Dorian O’Donnell (LB, Clemson)
Certainly benefitted from Clemson’s all-star D-line and there are concerns about his modest size at the next level (6-1, 215-2220lbs). Seen by many as a WILL and might have to prove he can play the SAM in Mobile.

Isaiah Wynn (T, Georgia)
For me, one of the best prospects in the draft based on what he showed on tape. Wynn was a master at left tackle, controlling even the Alabama front seven in the Championship game. He will likely move inside to guard. This is a great setting for Wynn to push himself into a possible first round placing.

Ian Thomas (TE, Indiana)
Not the most versatile or interesting tight end, Thomas is a pure pass catcher and a big target. He’ll likely be a late round pick at best but it’ll be interesting to see if he can generate some buzz here and perform well at the combine. Dallas Goedert (TE, South Dakota State) is also on the South roster but I think he’s a bit overrated.

Marcus Davenport (DE, UTSA)
A monster in college and this is his big opportunity to cement a place in the top-15. His tape is great. He looks fast, powerful, dynamic and at times unstoppable. Now can he do it in this setting against his peers? Davenport vs Wynn will be box-office viewing.

Poona Ford (DT, Texas)
Compact defensive tackle who excelled at the Shrine game according to reports. Ford had eight TFL’s in 2017. He’s only 6-0 and 305lbs but that sometimes helps with leverage. Let’s see if he excels in the DL vs OL drills.

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Another day and another mock draft by one of the higher profile pundits on ESPN or the NFL Network. This time it’s Daniel Jeremiah’s turn. He has the Seahawks taking a cornerback at #18:

Isaiah Oliver (CB, Colorado)

Oliver has excellent size and speed. He can locate and play the ball down the field. The Seahawks are likely headed toward a rebuild in the secondary.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The Seahawks aren’t taking a cornerback in round one. They have consistently waited until later in the draft to take CB’s. If there’s one position in football Pete Carroll is clearly very comfortable drafting to develop, it’s cornerback.

Even when they had an opportunity to draft Kevin King with his unique size, length and athleticism — they passed in favour of waiting until round three to get Shaq Griffin. Indeed Griffin — a late third round pick — is by far the highest pick they’ve spent on a corner since 2010.

Instead they’ve started 5th round picks, 6th round picks, free agents from the CFL and UDFA’s. This has never been a position Carroll has looked at early.

Jeremiah’s point on change in the secondary is accurate. And it’s true the defense is going to look very different going forward. An early pick on a DB is unlikely though, as illustrated here by Kenneth Arthur at Field Gulls. In fact you could argue they’ll probably never take one in the first round unless they end up picking in the top-10 and a Jalen Ramsey or Patrick Peterson are sat waiting for them.

As for Oliver, he’s not a player I’ve spent much time on personally. Here’s what an anonymous scout told Bob McGinn about his pro-prospects:

“He’s a solid third-round talent who may go earlier if he impresses or fools personnel staffs with his elite athleticism at the combine and pro day,” said one scout. “He does have make-up speed … average instincts and inconsistent reaction to short and intermediate routes … just average physicality in run support and as a tackler.”

Elite athleticism is very appealing to the Seahawks. Average physicality and mediocre run support is not.

It’d be unfair to criticise Jeremiah or Mel Kiper for their picks at #18 (Kiper also had Seattle taking a defensive back). They’re not Seahawks fans, they’re unlikely to have intimate knowledge of team needs or the philosophy Carroll uses to draft certain positions.

If anything they’re following the narrative to a tee. The Legion of Boom era might be over. Completely. And given how important the secondary was to Seattle over the years, repairing and rebuilding it will be seen by many as a likely course of action.

However, that is unlikely to be Seattle’s priority this off-season.

For starters, it’s at least somewhat possible that both Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas will remain with the team. If they re-sign Bradley McDougald, Justin Coleman and Byron Maxwell and continue to develop Shaq Griffin — that’s a useful looking secondary. None of this is improbable.

Secondly, they drafted a number of defensive backs a year ago. As well as Griffin they brought in Delano Hill, Tedric Thompson and Mike Tyson. It’s possible they will get an opportunity to stake a claim before the Seahawks write off their chances.

Thirdly, we’ve already heard Carroll speak directly about the need to repair the running game. It was the outstanding theme of his end of season press conference. Carroll’s arguably the best developer of DB’s in the NFL. Being able to field a strong secondary is within his grasp even if there’s major change coming. Fielding a strong running game has been an overwhelming problem ever since Marshawn Lynch left.

They simply haven’t been able to manufacture even an average running attack.

The crisis that occurred this year can’t be underestimated. Russell Wilson was the leading rusher, only one running back scored a touchdown and that was gadget player J.D. McKissic and they pretty much played with one arm tied behind their backs all season.

Carroll and co. will get this defense going again. Probably not to 2013 levels, maybe not 75% of what they once had. He’ll put a defense on the field though to compete. It’ll be younger, cheaper and feature new faces. Carroll’s a proven builder and will likely go about this the way he did in 2010-2011. It’s also entirely possible he’ll retain three elite players in Thomas, Sherman and Bobby Wagner.

The running game on the other hand is on its knees. The offensive line needs an overhaul in terms of the way it functions, with personnel changes possible too. The running backs are ineffective bar one man — a 7th rounder who spent most of 2017 on injured reserve.

They clearly want to be tough, physical, productive and punishing in the running game. And they’re so far away from that — this is the unit most likely to get attention.

Interestingly in Jeremiah’s mock, Billy Price (C/G, Ohio State) was still on the board at #18 and Isaiah Wynn (T/G, Georgia) went at #23 to the Rams. These are two of my favourite players in the class and it was reassuring to see Wynn listed that highly (more on him here). It’s extremely possible he works into the first round discussion. If the Seahawks had their second round pick available to get a running back, I’d be banging the table for Seattle to take Wynn with their first choice. He is a terrific player.

All of the running backs are on the board expect Saquon Barkley too. This projection shows quite clearly how beneficial it’d be for the Seahawks to move down and try to acquire multiple day two picks to try and repair their running game.

I also think the mocks by Jeremiah and Kiper prove how few legit first round prospects there are. There’s very little consensus aside from the very top of round one. By the time you get into the 20’s — there’s a lot of unexpected picks.

This isn’t a good cornerback class for example, yet both Kiper and Jeremiah are loading their first round with corners. Both include a tight end — yet neither player (Mark Andrews or Hayden Hurst) really warrants that type of placing (we might not see a TE drafted before the end of round two). Harrison Phillips — a likely top-100 type who could get into round two with a good workout — is also listed in round one.

This is a draft class that save for about 10 names is still really working itself out. There are about 18 places in round one up for grabs, with the Senior Bowl and Combine likely to determine who makes it. The strength of this class is not going to be in the second half of round one. The players going at 45 are not going to be that different than the players going at 20.

It’s good news if you’re hoping Seattle trades down. If there’s a big cliff at about pick #15-20 (and if the late first round is going to be a bit of a jumbled mess) — teams might be very interested in trading up to #18 to get at the last few remaining players they actually like in round one.

Here’s my own mock draft if you missed it earlier in the week (with the Seahawks trading down out of round one):

#1 Cleveland — Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming)
#2 NY Giants — Sam Darnold (QB, USC)
#3 Indianapolis — Saquon Barkley (RB, Penn State)
#4 Cleveland (via Hou) — Bradley Chubb (EDGE, NC State)
#5 Buffalo (via Den) — Josh Rosen (QB, UCLA)
#6 New York Jets — Quenton Nelson (G, Notre Dame)
#7 Tampa Bay — Vita Vea (DT, Washington)
#8 Chicago — Marcus Davenport (DE, UTSA)
#9 San Francisco — Tremaine Edmunds (LB, Virginia Tech)
#10 Oakland — Orlando Brown (T, Oklahoma)
#11 Miami — Billy Price (C, Ohio State)
#12 Cincinnati — Minkah Fitzpatrick (S, Alabama)
#13 Washington — Roquan Smith (LB, Georgia)
#14 Green Bay — Tim Settle (DT, Virginia Tech)
#15 Arizona — Mike McGlinchey (T, Notre Dame)
#16 Baltimore — Calvin Ridley (WR, Alabama)
#17 LA Chargers — Baker Mayfield (QB, Oklahoma)
#18 Cleveland (via Sea) — Denzel Ward (CB, Ohio State)
#19 Dallas — Arden Key (DE, LSU)
#20 Detroit — Leighton Vander Esch (LB, Boise State)
#21 Denver (via Buf) — Derwin James (S, Florida State)
#22 Denver (via Buf, KC) — Lamar Jackson (QB, Louisville)
#23 LA Rams — Harold Landry (EDGE, Boston College)
#24 Carolina — Taven Bryan (DT, Florida)
#25 Tennessee — Joshua Jackson (CB, Iowa)
#26 Atlanta — Maurice Hurst (DT, Michigan)
#27 New Orleans — Lorenzo Carter (LB, Georgia)
#28 Pittsburgh — Da’Ron Payne (DT, Alabama)
#29 Jacksonville — Courtland Sutton (WR, SMU)
#30 Minnesota — Derrick Nnadi (DT, Florida State)
#31 New England — Ben Banogu (EDGE, TCU)
#32 Philadelphia — Rashaan Evans (LB, Alabama)

If it played out like this (with the Seahawks acquiring day two stock) — they’d have a good opportunity to address the running game (RB, OL) and/or add to the defense.

One final thought for today — if you can come out of this draft class having taken a couple of players from Georgia, you’ve done well. There’s a reason that team came agonisingly close to winning the playoffs despite starting a true Freshman quarterback. Wynn, Michel, Chubb, Carter, Wims and others. That was a loaded group.

If you missed the podcast I did this week with the UK Seahawkers, please have a listen:

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Before we get into Mel’s mock, this week I was invited onto the Pedestrian Podcast (courtesy of the UK Seahawkers). Please check it out below and have a listen…

Mel Kiper published his first 2018 mock draft today, with the Seahawks taking Derwin James at #18:

“James is tough to figure out, but Seattle would be thrilled to get him here. He’s super talented and looked like a top-five pick as a freshman at Florida State in 2015, but he missed the entire 2016 season because of a knee injury. James had a solid 2017 season with 84 total tackles and two interceptions, but scouts wanted to see more. At his peak, though, James is a typical Seattle safety and fits what it looks for. Kam Chancellor’s future is up in the air after a neck injury, and the Seahawks could need a replacement.”

Regular visitors to the blog will know I’ve been saying James is a bit overrated — but I’m starting to think my view is part of the consensus. Kiper has him at #18, I had him at #21 in my mock draft. I think he’s going to go in the mid-to-late first.

My argument for him being overrated was based on projections of a top-10 slot, which are/were unrealistic. But I also think it’s important to work through some of the hype with James — one of the biggest names in the 2018 draft but not necessarily one of the absolute best prospects.

Physically he looks the part. I’d expect a good vertical jump at the combine and some nice explosive testing marks. I don’t think he’ll be the fastest or the most agile but he’s about 6-3 and 211lbs so that’s not a big surprise.

In the Nike SPARQ testing he had the following performance:

Height: 6-2
Weight: 202lbs
Forty: 4.52
Short shuttle: 4.27
Power throw: 40
Vertical: 37 inches
SPARQ: 113.34

It’s a reasonable workout for sure. Yet if you compare it to Lorenzo Carter’s at Georgia, there’s a bit of a difference:

Height: 6-5
Weight: 234lbs
Forty: 4.63
Short shuttle: 4.32
Power throw: 41.5
Vertical: 40 inches
SPARQ: 129.75

James is a box safety well suited to playing up at the line of scrimmage. He’s a sure tackler and occasionally delivers a big jarring hit. His run defense is extremely disciplined. Look at the play below and the patience he shows before shedding Damien Harris’ block and making the tackle:

Derwin James is an amazing run defender, love his potential at the SS spot. Look at him read the play, shed the block and make the tackle!! #NFLDraft #DraftTwitter pic.twitter.com/QsT40ErzOw

— Bradley Ylitalo (@NFL_drafthub) November 18, 2017

He is capable of creating a fear factor on crossing routes and that’s one of the reasons he’ll be a first round pick. This is textbook — reads the play, classic form on the hit and makes it count:

Harry + Derwin James would be unfair. Please make it happen Rick. pic.twitter.com/GZ9VOPEEsD

— Tyler Carmer (@CarmerSkol) December 27, 2017

Here’s another example of his tackling form. Anyone who’s watched Lamar Jackson will know how difficult he is to tackle in space. James executes his attempt perfectly:

#NFLDraft #Browns – two future 1st rnd picks #DerwinJames #LamarJackson meet. @Browns pic.twitter.com/bv99fyEBZM

— Scott Dryden (@BrownsScout) November 3, 2017

Put him up against a bigger receiver and he can gain position and make a play on the ball:

Derwin James with the interception! He picks off Chad Kelly. #OleMissvsFSU pic.twitter.com/yNxRIcL1q6

— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) September 6, 2016

These are some of the areas where he’s going to excel. If you want someone who can run and hit effectively as a box safety, James will provide some value.

Sadly, James just doesn’t make enough plays beyond the hits and tackles. It’s why Kiper starts his blurb with the line ‘James is hard to figure out‘. Brock Huard said the following about him today when assessing Mel’s pick for Seattle:

“Freak show. Five star, #1 recruit in America just a few years ago… There’s an unbelievable Youtube — when I did some Florida State games — of him in a weight room jumping some 50 inches on a pad. An adonis. You’re not supposed to be that dynamic at that size. So unique gifts and all that, kind of fits Pete’s eye and scouting eye. Not nearly the productivity. Where is all of it on the field? Let me see that come to life. Where is that play after play after play… you don’t see those two back each other up and that’s why he’s probably going to be a mid to late first rounder instead of some of the safety’s we saw last year taken in the top ten.”

We’re talking about a decently explosive athlete. Not the fastest, I wouldn’t expect a great forty time. But he’s explosive. And big. But still a box safety.

And unfortunately, you see moments like this:

Eek, Derwin James. pic.twitter.com/Owuwvliq1p

— Rob Rang (@RobRang) September 23, 2017

He’s the last line of defense in the video above. He’s playing deep — and in that situation, he just has to do better.

How is he covering in the short game? This is where Minkah Fitzpatrick excels. In the video below, James is covering Florida’s Antonio Calloway in the slot:

With Antonio Callaway (WR – Florida) and Derwin James (S – Florida State) declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft, let's revisit the time they went 1-on-1 near the goal line. pic.twitter.com/xhRa8BmRH8

— Shawn Spencer (@Spencer_NFL) December 7, 2017

You could say it’s a mismatch in coverage and any right minded quarterback will exploit that. If you’re taking a safety in the top-20, however, you want more than he’s showing here.

While he’s very good at the LOS, you also see some misses. Damien Harris in the video below takes him out of the play quite easily. If the hope is that James can be Kam Chancellor — with Kam’s limitations and strengths — well Kam never looked like this attacking a running back in pass-pro:

Watch the pickup by Damien Harris (@DHx34) of Derwin James. pic.twitter.com/T0UJUjQhzJ

— Travis Reier (@travisreier) September 4, 2017

James is far from a bad player. He’s good and will likely will go in the first round. Is he a treasured blue-chip prospect in the same tier as Tremaine Edmunds, Saquon Barkley, Quenton Nelson and Bradley Chubb? No, not for me. And he might not be in the second tier either.

So what about his fit in Seattle?

With Kam Chancellor retiring, being able to land a dynamic strong safety with great size could be perfect timing. There are a couple of things that are important to remember though:

— In the Carroll era, the Seahawks have only drafted one defensive back in the first two rounds. It’s Earl Thomas, a future Hall of Famer. Carroll’s track record in Seattle is to draft DB’s later and coach them up. It’s a plan that has worked emphatically so far. It doesn’t mean they won’t take James in round one but history tells us they’d have to rate any safety or corner very, very highly to pull the trigger.

— How important is it for the Seahawks to invest their top pick in a strong safety? If Earl Thomas stays in Seattle they could re-sign Bradley McDougald and have a good pairing. Ultimately, what is best? Earl & McDougald plus the ability to use the first rounder on someone else? Or having Earl & Derwin James?

Ultimately it probably comes down to this — Carroll’s ability to coach up a safety versus the need to repair or manufacture a running game. In the last two years Seattle failed spectacularly to run the ball. They can’t make it a hat trick in 2018. And if they draft James at #18 — they won’t pick again until the second half of round four. That’s a significant wait to do anything about the offense.

Further notes on Mel’s mock

— Kiper has Josh Allen at #1 to Cleveland. I also mocked that in my projection. Not because I think Allen is the best QB in the class — there’s just too much noise at the moment suggesting John Dorsey (Browns GM) believes he is.

— Vita Vea drops to #19 in Mel’s mock. Maybe I’ll be wrong but I’m 99.9% certain he will not fall that far. Top ten prospect.

— Mel includes Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews, UCLA tackle Kolton Miller, USC defensive end Rasheem Green and UCF corner Mike Hughes in round one. I need to watch more of Green and Hughes — I’ve not studied them at all. I was surprised to see Andrews in round one (I’m not convinced he’ll go in round two, let alone the first) and Miller’s inclusion also raised an eyebrow. Perhaps most surprising though was Pittsburgh tackle Brian O’Neill at #16. I need to watch some of his tape.

— Kiper has Billy Price falling to the Panthers at #24. Interesting.

— He also only has one running back (Saquon Barkley). It’s worth noting that Kiper is Lord Commander of the ‘don’t draft RB’s early’ clan so it’s not too surprising. Still, it goes to show the options Seattle would have if they wanted to trade down significantly — possibly into round two. There wouldn’t just be good options at running back — but also on the O-line (Wynn, Ragnow) and defense (Carter, Vander Esch, Settle).

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With Kris Richard likely out, the Seahawks are expected to turn to Ken Norton Jr as defensive coordinator, sources say. All indications are he’ll be back in Seattle, where he was the team’s LB coach from 2010-14. 🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾🤜🏾

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2018

Mike Garafolo also reports Norton Jr has an out in his recently signed contract with the 49ers to move to Seattle. The report is backed up by Alex Rozier who claims it’s a three-year contract.

The length of the deal suggests Pete Carroll isn’t thinking of quitting any time soon.

It became apparent Seattle was moving on from Kris Richard when they tried to lure Gus Bradley from the Chargers. Did they expect to land Bradley? Have they been seeking an alternative since?

Expect to see a lot of statistics highlighting how bad Norton Jr’s Oakland defense was. Some key points need to be highlighted here:

— Jack Del Rio pretty much ran Oakland’s defense. Pete Carroll might do the same in Seattle and he’s going to be better at it.

— Oakland had Khalil Mack but they didn’t have Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas.

— Norton Jr is a great motivator and commanded great respect from Seattle’s alpha dog defense before he left for Oakland.

Bucky Brooks made this observation on the hire:

If this is true, it's all about Pete Carroll wanting a joystick as a DC. There's no way metric or film study that suggests Norton is a better game planner or play-caller than Richard.. This is about the HC wanting someone who won't challenge his ideas or suggestions https://t.co/3NuBRYmE8S

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) January 15, 2018

I’m not sure it’s quite as negative as this. Brooks implies Carroll wants a yes man. That’s one way of looking at it. The Brian Schottenheimer hire also plays to this dynamic. Rex Ryan highlighted Schottenheimer’s loyalty to the Head Coach during an interview on Brock and Salk this morning. Ryan told this story during the piece:

“One day, we were playing the Detroit Lions and I told these guys, ‘Look, we are going to run the ball 40 times tomorrow,’ because I thought in my heart that was the best way to beat them. We’re just going to pound them. So, sure enough, we’re doing it, they got (Ndamukong) Suh, they got all these other guys, and we’re running the ball. Well, all of the sudden, they’re putting eight, nine guys down there and we can’t run it. Yet, Brian is so loyal to the head coach, that by God, we’re getting beat 20 to nothing and we keep running it. I finally went over and said, ‘Guys,’ I’m looking at Schotty, I said, ‘Schotty, we’re down 20,’ and he said, ‘Yeah but Rex, we’ve got to get those 40 carries.’ I go alright, forget it. I call the offense over and Brian said, ‘I think we can throw it on them,’ and I said, ‘Well, you guys want to win the game, I know I told you we were going to run it 40 times. Would you rather win the game or run it 40 times?’ I said alright, let’s just light them up. And that’s exactly what Brian did, he flipped the switch, we went no-huddle, ended up forcing overtime and winning.”

That’s pretty striking evidence that Schottenheimer will do pretty much whatever Carroll asks.

However, I’m not ready to assume Carroll is an overlord demanding everyone ‘respect his authoritah’. It could be that he wants to be more hands on. It’s possible he simply believes his message has been lost over the last two or three years — or that he’s relinquished too much control.

He wants to run the ball as a point of emphasis, so he appears set to name an offensive coordinator committed to doing so. He possibly wants more control of the defense. In the past maybe it was Bradley, Richard or Dan Quinn leading the way on game day, with Carroll acting as the motivational source? Perhaps the roles are flipping, with Carroll now in charge and Norton Jr doing what he does best?

One other thing to consider:

When Norton was fired in Oakland, some of the players seemed to suggest he was never given much control, was a scapegoat https://t.co/DJRQFDNlyN

— HawksChronicle (@HawksChronicle) January 15, 2018

The two coordinator hires are not flashy. They aren’t new or bold or different. The Seahawks haven’t gone after big names to do things differently. This really is Pete Carroll going back to his roots. This is an attempt to play the way he wants to. We’ll see if Norton Jr and Schottenheimer help make that happen.

Meanwhile…

One more assistant coach about to return to Seattle: Mike Solari will once again be the team’s OL coach, replacing Tom Cable, source says. Solari is the latest Ben McAdoo NYG assistant to find work elsewhere.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 15, 2018

Here’s your Tom Cable replacement. Solari was Seattle’s O-line coach between 2008-09, spent four years as San Francisco’s O-line coach between 2010-14 and most recently spent two years coaching the Giants’ O-line.

In 2009 I wrote a piece for Bleacher Report looking at Solari’s version of the zone blocking scheme. Here are some notes:

Offensive line coach Mike Solari has predominantly favoured a slightly different variation. It could be described as a “power ZBS” in that the guards are usually bigger and do most of the heavy work load.

Unlike Knapp’s ZBS, they are the primary movers with the center more likely to progress to the second level and attack linebackers due to directional drive blocking.

The advantage of Solari’s system is that if a defense goes run blitz, the linebackers can be driven out of the play creating huge gaps.

It’s possible the Seahawks could combine the two. Looking at the current roster, the potential is certainly there to be flexible.

Guards Mike Wahle and Rob Sims are athletic enough to fill Knapp’s ZBS. Wahle in particular has good technique and should be able to execute well as a starting left guard. Neither are the big power types that would usually be used in Solari’s scheme.

Mansfield Wrotto, however, stands at 320lbs—the perfect kind of weight to fit the power ZBS. He’s also a good athlete, so he could excel in this system. The downside is he’s still a little raw even approaching his third year in the league. The mental side of the Solari version is less demanding which could help Wrotto get on the field.

The center position is a point of contention. Chris Spencer has the freaky athleticism and solid strength which would make a good fit at guard in either system. His issue has always been execution and technique, which would be a problem at center in either scenario.

Recently drafted Max Unger is a little more predictable. He is an obvious guard in Knapp’s ZBS background and a center in Solari’s. I have to believe the Seahawks won’t be willing to flex between the two at center, but they may have to in certain circumstances.

Expect the power ZBS in 2017.

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