He's In! Congratulations to The Enforcer, @easleyforce5, for being elected to the @ProFootballHOF!#PFHOF17 #GoHawks #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/GkbQcAW8mL
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 5, 2017
Firstly, congratulations to Kenny Easley. If you missed BobbyK’s article yesterday, check it out here.
Tony Pauline has some interesting info on Garett Bolles (T, Utah) and Justin Evans (S, Texas A&M):
The buzz continues to build around offensive tackle Garett Bolles. As posted earlier this week Bolles has been stamped the superior athlete from this year’s offensive tackle class and several people have told me for a month now he’s the best left tackle in the draft.
Bolles is likely to measure a shade under 6-feet/5-inches at the combine, which may turn a few teams off, but from what I’m hearing don’t be surprised if he lands in the top half of round one.
I’m told Evans, who had two solid practices at the Senior Bowl before sitting out Thursday with injury, is expected to blow up the combine and put up Byron Jones type numbers.
The belief is Evans could land in the late part of round one and I’ve heard his name linked with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys presently have four defensive backs up for free agency including two safety’s, starter Barry Church and JJ Wilcox.
Bolles could end up in the top-10 as the best left tackle in college football in 2016. Evans’ athleticism and intensity shows up on tape and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he rose like Karl Joseph a year ago and found his way into the top-25.
Daniel Jeremiah says teams are not excited by this years quarterback class:
I couldn’t find a scout or executive who was excited about DeShone Kizer or Mitch Trubisky. When you’re talking to teams that already have an established signal-caller, there’s no reason for them to feed me false information. In fact, it would benefit them if these quarterbacks went early, dropping talented players at other positions into their lap.
Sometimes the NFL is hard to figure out. The lack of interest in Deshaun Watson compared to the building buzz around Jared Goff a year ago is bizarre.
Jeremiah has also info on Haason Reddick’s stock:
Most impressively, he showed excellent run instincts and the ability to sort through the trash and find the ball carrier in team drills. Reuben Foster is the top inside linebacker in this draft class, but Reddick is putting some pressure on Florida’s Jarrad Davis for the No. 2 spot.
After the combine Reddick will probably be considered a clear top-22 pick. There just aren’t many players with his combination of size, extreme athleticism and versatility. He can play any of the three linebacker spots and rush the edge. He’s an incredible player.
It’s interesting though that Jeremiah notes he’s closing in on Jarrad Davis as the #2 inside linebacker. It goes to show that even if Reddick moves up boards — it might just create a different opportunity for the Seahawks if they want to take an athletic linebacker in round one, be it Davis or Zach Cunningham for example.
Reddick, however, is pretty much the perfect type of prospect for the Seahawks. It’s a shame to think he’ll be off the board by #26.
Bucky Brooks offers some insider info on two players we discussed during the Senior Bowl week — Obi Melifonwu (S, Connecticut) and John Johnson (S, Boston College):
“They did a nice job at both spots,” said an AFC college scouting director. “I wouldn’t want them to play outside extensively, but they are certainly capable of playing on the island in spots. … Every team is looking for a guy who can (handle) dual responsibilities in this league.”
Both players could be on Seattle’s radar.
This video of Melifonwu was posted on Draft Breakdown yesterday.
The NFL.com draft tracker was updated today with reports on some of the Senior Bowl competitors.
Melifonwu got the following review from a AFC Pro-Personnel Director: “He’s a freak. He’s going to blow away the combine. He’s fast and will post some of the best vertical and broad numbers at his position. He’s going to get a lot better in the pros and he has that elite size that will get him overdrafted.”
Lance Zierlein added: “Big and athletic, he may lack the coverage qualities and instincts needed to work as a “last line of defense” player in a pass-happy division. Melifonwu is an effective downhill tackler who has the ability to match up against tight ends and make a living near the line of scrimmage. His football instincts aren’t up to par, but the size and traits will be extremely enticing for teams who covet traits first.”
The Seahawks don’t necessarily consider ‘traits first’ — but they’re an important part of what they look for in the early rounds.
Alex Anzalone (LB, Florida) got a positive review with a NFC Personnel Director stating: “You saw at (Senior Bowl) practice how gifted he is athletically. He just has to prove he can stay on the field.”
There’s no doubt Anzalone could be an intriguing player. His issues staying healthy are the only concern, otherwise he’d potentially be a first round possibility. Having only checked today, I wasn’t aware he was a former 5-star recruit according to Rivals.
Boston College safety John Johnson is a player to keep an eye on. A NFC Secondary Coach said of Johnson: “He’s really caught my eye out here. Had to go look him up with one of our scouts to find out more about the kid. Way more athletic than a lot of the safeties you see out at this game.”
He excelled during Senior Bowl drills.