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HEADLINES

– Khaseem Greene runs an official 4.71, while Alec Ogletree clocks a 4.70

– Dion Jordan runs an official 4.60 and looks really impressive in drills

– Ziggy Ansah records an official 4.63, while it’s a 4.58 for Barkevious Mingo

– Sheldon Richardson is a little disappointing in drills and runs a 5.02

– Sharrif Floyd runs an official 4.92

Today the defensive linemen and linebackers work out. Given Seattle’s needs at defensive tackle, linebacker and maybe even defensive end, this is a crucial day in the lead up to the draft.

One of the big things on the NFL Network right now is to get a former GM or coach to compile a top-ten mock draft. We’ll update our full two-round projection on Wednesday as usual, but I thought I’d put together a quick top-ten myself based on what we’ve learnt so far and what I think we’ll see today…

#1 Kansas City – Luke Joeckel (T, Texas A&M)
#2 Jacksonville – Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida)
#3 Oakland – Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri)
#4 Philadelphia – Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon)
#5 Detroit – Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama)
#6 Cleveland – Ziggy Ansah (DE, BYU)
#7 Arizona – Matt Barkley (QB, USC)
#8 Buffalo – Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
#9 New York – Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee)
#10 Tennessee – Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State)

The pick at #5 was influenced by this early report today…

If you want the draft’s top CB, Dee Milliner, you’ll probably have to trade ahead of Detroit at 5 to get him.

— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) February 25, 2013

Interesting times. I’ve also moved Sheldon Richardson up to #3 in anticipation of today’s work out. He benched 30 reps of 225lbs, as many as Jesse Williams managed despite weighing 25lbs more. He moves like a linebacker so should post an excellent forty time and perform well in the mobility drills. Ansah and Jordan (if they work out) should do well too. I’ll post live updates below.

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (Group 1 – defensive linemen):

NOTE – The number in brackets is the ten yard split

Ziggy Ansah (DE, BYU): 4.62 (1.56) & 4.65 (1.57)
T.J. Barnes (DT, Georgia Tech): 5.22 (1.91) & 5.22 (1.88)
David Bass (DE, Missouri Western): 4.85 (1.67) & 4.84 (1.70)
Josh Boyd (DT, Mississippi State): 5.00 (1.67) & 5.18 (1.75)
Armonty Bryant (DE, ECOK): 4.78 (1.66) & 4.85 (1.67)
Michael Buchanan (DE, Illinois): 4.72 (1.59) & 4.71 (1.62)
Everett Dawkins (DT, Florida State): 5.00 (1.73) & 5.05 (1.73)
Lavar Edwards (DE, LSU): 4.82 (1.64) & 4.81 (1.64)
Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida): 4.93 (1.73) & 4.87 (1.68)
Kwame Geathers (DT, Georgia): 5.40 (1.88) & 5.50 (1.91)
William Gholston (DE, Michigan State): 4.93 (1.73) & 5.06 (1.76)
Malliciah Goodman (DE, Clemson): 4.87 (1.65) & 4.90 (1.70)
Cory Grissom (DT, USF): 5.25 (1.74) & 5.35 (1.82)
Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State): 5.28 (1.82) & 5.13 (1.80)
Jordan Hill (DT, Penn State): 5.15 (1.75) & 5.22 (1.75)
Montori Hughes (DT, UT-Martin): 5.13 (1.83) & 5.29 (1.80)
Margus Hunt (DE, SMU): 4.65 (1.62) & 4.60 (1.62)
Chris Jones (DT, Bowling Green): 5.30 (1.83) & 5.34 (DNR)
Datone Jones (DE, UCLA): 4.84 (1.63) & 4.84 (1.63)
Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon): 4.53 (1.57) & 4.63 (1.60)
Joe Kruger (DE, Utah): 4.88 (1.75) & 4.82 (1.75)
Corey Lemonier (DE, Auburn): 4.60 (1.58) & 4.53 (1.57)

Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah will be top ten picks. The little mock I did earlier at the top of this post was basically a review of what we expected to see today and neither player disappointed. Incredible.

Both players managed a sub-1.60 ten-yard split to go with blistering runs. Every mock draft will have them in the top ten from now until April.

Jordan in particular. Wow. I wouldn’t rule him out as a #1 pick option. Unlimited upside.

Margus Hunt also performed extremely well, that will give him a little kick start after a disappointing Senior Bowl. He ran in the early 4.6’s, benched 38 reps of 225lbs yesterday. All this at 6-8, 277lbs.

Armonty Bryant had one of the most bizarre running styles you’ll probably ever see. He looked like Scooby Doo pursuing a sandwich.

First Pete and John sighting of the day:

Corey Lemonier was the final player to run among the first group. He ended with a bang — matching Dion Jordan’s unofficial 4.53. If the Seahawks don’t grab a LEO to cover Chris Clemons in free agency or round one, then Lemonier could be in to play.

Seattle’s new defensive line coach Travis Jones was out on the field running mobility drills:

No big surprises during the first set of drills. Ziggy Ansah, Datone Jones, Margus Hunt, Dion Jordan and Corey Lemonier moved really well. Johnathan Hankins had to be stopped at one point to go over the drill again, something I’ve never seen before. His frame is extremely sloppy.

Now it’s onto the bag and cone drill, hurdling objects.

Everett Dawkins looked really good for his size and handled the bags perfectly. Sharrif Floyd kicked one of the bags over but generally moved well.

Johnathan Hankins looked a lot better in the second drill. Given how flabby he is, the guy can move. He needs to tone up though.

Datone Jones is a superb athlete. I just wonder if he’s maxed out at 283lbs. To play inside consistently you have to think he’d have to add another 10lbs.

The linemen are now onto the dummy drill where they get a chance to flash a swim and club move.

My favourite part of this drill? The coach in charge has a football on a stick and kind of waves it a bit to mimic a snap. It’s totally unnecessary, but I bet that guy loves dusting that thing off every year. I wonder if he ever got to the airport and thought, “Oh my god… I’ve left it in the garage!” I’d love to see that get through customs too.

Back to the football. Another drill, another chance for Datone Jones to look the best. Sharrif Floyd, Johnathan Hankins and Dion Jordan also looked effortless and explosive. Joe Kruger, William Gholston and Malliciah Goodman were underwhelming.

Armanty Bryant dominated at a small school, but he looks distinctly average in drills today. William Gholston really does not look all that impressive today. He’s fumbling through the drills a bit.

In the punch drills, Montori Hughes and Dion Jordan were the best. This was the first drill where Datone Jones rushed a little bit and had to be told to slow down.

We’re now back to the mobility drills and a few the bigger players are looking tired.

Brandon Jenkins (DE, Florida State) didn’t run a forty yard dash but he’s done the other drills. And he hasn’t looked particularly good so far.

In the current cone drill, Dion Jordan is sprinting around like a cornerback. His lean, change of direction, explosion and ability to go through the gears is incredible. This is one of the all-time great work outs.

Johnathan Hankins is getting better and better as the drills go on. Datone Jones seems to be tiring. LSU’s Lavar Edwards has flashed so far, he’s one to go back and have another look at after the combine.

That’s the end of the drills for the first group of defensive linemen. They’re moving on to the vertical jump. Coming up next, the likes of Sheldon Richardson, Barkevious Mingo, John Simon, Bjoern Werner, Jesse Williams and Sylvester Williams.

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (Group 2 – defensive linemen):

NOTE – The number in brackets is the ten yard split

Bennie Logan, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Jesse Williams, John Simon and Alex Okafor are not running the forty yard dash.

Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU): 4.53 (1.60) & 4.53 (1.55)
Sam Montgomery (DE, LSU): 4.79 (1.64) & 4.68 (1.64)
Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M): 4.87 (1.69) & DNF
Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri): 5.00 (1.77) & 4.97 (1.69)
Akeem Spence (DT, Illinois): 5.13 (1.67) & 5.15 (1.69)
Devin Taylor (DE, South Carolina): 4.75 (1.60) & 4.84 (1.59)
Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State): 4.79 (1.68) & 4.81 (1.66)
Brandon Williams (DT, Missouri Southern): 5.25 (1.79) & 5.31 (1.80)
Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina): 5.00 (1.73) & 4.93 (1.72)

The number of non participants was very disappointing. We knew guys like Alex Okafor bailed at the last minute, but what’s the excuse for players like Bennie Logan and Jesse Williams?

One player who completely bombed? DaMontre Moore. He doesn’t look good in shorts with a really unrefined frame. He managed just 12 reps on the bench press yesterday and now a 4.89 forty. In his second attempt he pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury, but I suspect it may be more a damaged ego.

Bjoern Werner also doesn’t have the best physique and didn’t run a great time (4.79-4.81)

Barkevious Mingo matched Dion Jordan’s time from earlier but really had to run fast given his middling 2012 tape and lack of production. You watch Jordan and you can see his best is yet to come. You watch Mingo and you wonder how he fits. So while Jordan is trending upwards today, I’m not sure Mingo will get the same kind of boost.

Sheldon Richardson didn’t run as fast as I expected. In fact, Sylvester Williams posted a quicker time despite carrying an extra 20lbs.

We’re now onto the mobility drills again. Brandon Williams is moving well despite his massive size. Bjoern Werner tripped up and looked a little stiff.

Sylvester Williams looked incredible on the first drill. No waste bend, moved around freely. If only he wasn’t 25 this year, he’d be a top pick.

Bennie Logan, who didn’t run a forty, is now working out. Why?

Damontre Moore is out of the drills with the suspected hamstring injury mentioned earlier.

Onto the bag drills and Brandon Williams is again putting on a clinic, making light work of his huge size. He tip toes around like a 260lbs lineman.

Bjoern Werner, Devin Taylor, and the two Williams’ again all impressed in the rip and club drills. Surprisingly, Sheldon Richardson looked pretty average.

The NFL.com coverage has now moved away from drills to have some thoughts from Mike Mayock. Great timing, guys.

The official forty yard dash times are in for the defensive lineman:

Ziggy Ansah – 4.63
Armonty Bryant – 4.86
Michael Buchanan – 4.78
Everett Dawkins 5.06
Lavar Edwards – 4.80
Sharrif Floyd – 4.92
William Gholston – 4.96
Malliciah Goodman – 4.87
Johnathan Hankins – 5.31
Jordan Hill – 5.23
Montori Hughes – 5.23
Margus Hunt – 4.60
Chris Jones – 5.33
Datone Jones – 4.80
Dion Jordan – 4.60
Joe Kruger – 4.83
Corey Lemonier – 4.60
Barkevious Mingo – 4.58
Sam Montgomery – 4.81
Damontre Moore – 4.95
Sheldon Richardson – 5.02
Devin Taylor – 4.72
Bjoern Werner – 4.82
Sylvester Williams – 5.03
Brandon Williams – 5.37
Trevardo Williams – 4.57

The linebackers are about to run the forty yard dash, including Alec Ogletree and Khaseem Greene.

Tony Pauline is reporting the Star Lotulelei heat problem is not as grim as first feared:

“Lotulelei did not fail his physical but rather was given an incomplete designation pending the consultation with the specialist, the person said, adding it was Lotulelei’s decision to withdraw from drills after hearing the doctors’ recommendation that he sit them out.”

Lotulelei’s agent, Bruce Tollner, said in a statement Sunday that his client will visit a specialist later this week and is expected to participate in every drill at his pro day March 20. Tollner said Lotulelei will continue to interview with teams in Indianapolis.”

Tollner and doctors who examined Lotulelei are hopeful the situation will prove to be similar to that of Carolina Panthers defensive end Frank Alexander, who was pulled from combine drills last year following an abnormal test but was then cleared by specialists.”

One player a lot of fans are talking about today is Datone Jones. I thought I’d put some tape out there while we’re going through a lull in proceedings waiting for the linebackers to start. So here’s his performance vs Stanford in the PAC-12 title game:

Unofficial 40 yard dash times (linebackers):

Oregon’s Kiko Alonso is not running the forty yard dash. Why? Arthur Brown has also decided not to run. Again, disappointing.

Sam Barrington (LB, USF): 4.78 & 4.75
Steve Beauharnais (LB, Rutgers): 4.81 & 4.79
Jon Bostic (LB, Florida): 4.50 & 4.57
Jamie Collins (LB, Southern Miss): 4.60 & 4.59
Zaviar Gooden (LB, Missouri): 4.50 & 4.56
Khaseem Greene (LB, Rutgers): 4.67 & 4.69
Gerald Hodges (LB, Penn State): 4.72 & 4.84
A.J. Klein (LB, Iowa State): 4.68 & 4.75
John Lotulelei (LB, UNV): 4.75 & 4.78
Brandon Magee (LB, Arizona State): 4.69 & 4.66
Kevin Minter (LB, LSU): 4.82 & 4.81
Nick Moody (LB, Florida State): 4.72 & 4.69
Sio Moore (LB, Connecticut): 4.62 & 4.63
Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia): 4.62 & 4.62
Sean Porter (LB, Texas A&M): 4.78 & 4.78
Keith Pough (Howard): 4.87 & 4.87
Kevin Reddick (LB, North Carolina): 4.72 & 4.66
Bruce Taylor (LB, Virginia Tech): 4.94 & 5.06
Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame): 4.81 & 4.80
Chase Thomas (LB, Stanford): 4.88 & 4.87
Cornelius Washington (LB, Georgia): 4.53 & 4.50
Tom Wort (LB, Oklahoma): 4.69 & 4.75

Alec Ogletree wasn’t as explosive as expected, running in the 4.6’s unofficially. I thought he’d be quicker than that.

Khaseem Greene ran the time I was expecting — in the 4.6’s. He’s a good enough athlete on tape but you never expected to see a 4.5.

Zaviar Gooden ran a great 4.50 while Jon Bostic was also impressive with a 4.5.

It’s worth remembering that Brian Cushing ran a 4.74 at the combine.

Cornelius Washington — more of a pass rusher from Georgia, ran a 4.50 (unofficial) with a 1.62 ten-yard split.

The NFL Network is doing it’s usual trick of showing highlights of earlier drills while current guys are on the field. They kindly showed some of Alec Ogletree and Manti Te’o going through some of the mobility work and both looked pretty stiff.

Finally back to the live feed… Khaseem Greene looked really fluid in the bag mobility drills. He’s looking really sharp out there.

They just ran a catching drill where five guys in a row got in wrong. Can’t say this has been a particularly eye catching work out so far. Ogletree has been a big disappointment.

Official 40 yard dash times for the linebackers:

Zaviar Gooden – 4.47
Manti Te’o – 4.82
Jon Bostic – 4.62
Jamie Collins – 4.64
Khaseem Greene – 4.71
Kevin Minter – 4.81
Sio Moore – 4.65
Alec Ogletree – 4.70
Kevin Reddick – 4.70
Chase Thomas – 4.91
Cornelius Washington – 4.55

I still don’t understand why Kiko Alonso is out there running drills but didn’t compete in the 40.

Zaviar Gooden and Khaseem Greene looked really smooth in the catching drills, showing great back pedal, change of direction skills and burst.

A.J. Klein tripped up during his drill and appeared to injure his ankle.

Ogletree is now officially on a 4.70 which is a big surprise. Greene was given an official 4.71.

Zaviar Gooden’s 4.47 stands out and he’s likely to get interest from the Seahawks. But I wouldn’t rule out anyone running in the 4.6-4.7 range. After all, Brian Cushing ran a 4.74.

This statistic is pretty interesting for Greene and his stock.

The linebackers are now onto the bag drills. What can I say? Greene continues to impress. Great lean round the edge, quick feet despite the fact he’s added size for the combine.

Ogletree seems to be starting to try too hard, just tripped up on his attempt. Kevin Minter and Manti Te’o both look quick despite their 4.8’s earlier.

FREE AGENCY UPDATE

Anyone want Desmond Bryant still? Take a look at the mug shot from his recent arrest. My word.

The drills are starting to wind down so we’ll call it a day for today. I need some food after six hours. Tomorrow I’ll be starting an open thread and will have all the vital defensive back info available later in the day. Hope to see you there and thanks for getting involved.

Utah DT Star Lotulelei, projected top five 5 draft pick, will not work out after echocardiogram detected heart condition. Filed to ESPN.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 24, 2013

Lotulelei’s left ventricle is pumping at 44 percent efficiency – normal range is 55-70 percent. He will undergo more tests in Salt Lake City

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 24, 2013

Hard to say how this effects his draft stock, although suddenly that issue is barely significant. According to his agent he’ll work out at the Utah pro-day on March 20th. He could have surgery to rectify the problem and make a swift and full recovery. It could potentially improve his quality of life and be no issue at the next level. But it’s something teams will look into.

In other news…

The defensive linemen completed the bench press drill tonight. You can see the results here, although a lot of high-profile pass rushers didn’t take part (Sharrif Floyd, Johnathan Hankins etc). Margus Hunt and Brandon Williams both managed 38 reps. Sheldon Richardson and Jesse Williams had 30 reps (excellent for Richardson). DaMontre Moore had 12 reps.

Jason La Canfora is reporting that a trade for Alex Smith between San Francisco and an unnamed team is essentially complete. It cannot be rubber stamped until the new league year begins on March 12th. Several members of the media present at the combine have speculated that Kansas City would trade for the 49ers quarterback. Smith for the Chiefs? It almost seems like a foregone conclusion at this point. Compensation is unlikely to be much more than a 4th or 5th round pick.

Randy Starks is likely to be franchise tagged, according to Gregg Rosenthal. He could’ve been one of the few free agents Seattle went after. A terrific run defender for his size, Starks can also penetrate and collapse the pocket. This would be a wise move by Miami.

Bob McGinn from the Journal Sentinel is quoting the opinions of unnamed scouts on certain prospects. You can read into this whatever however you want, but McGinn made a similar post last year absolutely hammering Robert Griffin III. Sometimes scouts have an agenda, whether it’s to lower a guy’s stock or whatever. So this might be a lot of hot air. It’s interesting to read, nonetheless.

If you missed it earlier, don’t forget to check out Day Five of the combine as it happened.

Hit refresh for the latest from Indianapolis as it happens. You can also watch live yourself by clicking here.

HEADLINES

– Tavon Austin runs an official 4.34, the same as Ryan Swope

– Cordarrelle Patterson runs an official 4.41 but didn’t look comfortable, dropping passes and running awkward routes

– DeAndre Hopkins only managed a 4.57 but is the most impressive during drills

– Robert Woods had a 4.51 but like Hopkins really impressed during the work out

Quarterback unofficial forty yard dash times (first group):

Tyler Bray (QB, Tennessee) – 5.00 & 5.07
Colby Cameron (QB, Louisiana Tech) – 4.83 & 4.66
Mike Glennon (QB, NC State) – 5.00 & 5.00
MarQueis Gray (QB, Minnesota) – 4.69 & 4.72
Landry Jones (QB, Oklahoma) – 5.03 & 5.03
Colin Klein (QB, Kansas State) – 4.81 & 4.78

Biggest surprise from the first group? Landry Jones running a sharp 1.69 ten yard split. Quick, move him to defensive end.

Next up it’s the first group of wide receivers, including Tavon Austin, Steadman Bailey, DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Hunter.

Keenan Allen is not working out today. Marshall’s Aaron Dobson also didn’t run the forty.

Wide receiver unofficial forty yard dash times (first group):

Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia) – 4.25 & 4.31
Steadman Bailey (WR, West Virginia) – 4.57 & 4.50
Alan Bonner (WR, Jacksonville State) – 4.50 & 4.47
Josh Boyce (WR, TCU) – 4.38 & 4.38
Marcus Davis (WR, Virginia Tech) – 4.40 & 4.53
Corey Fuller (WR, Virginia Tech) – 4.38 & 4.37
Marquise Goodwin (WR, Texas) – 4.25 & 4.29
Cobi Hamilton (WR, Arkansas) – 4.47 & 4.59
Chris Harper (WR, Kansas State) – 4.57 & 4.46
Mark Harrison (WR, Rutgers) – 4.47 & 4.47
DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson) – 4.50 & 4.50
Justin Hunter (WR, Tennessee) – 4.44 & 4.41
Brandon Kaufman (WR, Eastern Washington) – 4.53 & 4.59
Tavarres King (WR, Georgia) – 4.43 & 4.44

That’s an incredible (albeit unofficial) forty performance from Tavon Austin. That will do his stock the power of good. Anyone hoping he can be a DeSean Jackson type with a little Percy Harvin can feel a little more satisfied today.

Perhaps it’s time to start contemplating how early Austin could go in the draft?

Bucky Brooks admitted on the NFL Network that adding 0.08 to the unofficial times is usually a good indication of the official number. EVen still, a written-in-stone 4.33 or 4.35 would be excellent news for Austin.

Texas’ Marquise Goodwin also ran a 4.25 with a 1.49 ten-yard split. His second attempt was an unofficial 4.29. He looked completely relaxed.

Rutgers’ Mark Harrison ran two 4.47’s at 231lbs. Impressive.

DeAndre Hopkins managed two 4.50’s which was about expected. Steadman Bailey’s two times of 4.57 and 4.50 were a little surprising. He plays faster than that.

Justin Hunter ran an unofficial 4.41 but he weighs less than 200lbs at 6-4.

That concludes the first group of forty yard dash times. The quarterbacks and receivers will now go through passing/catching drills. That’ll be followed by the running backs running the forty yard dash, and then the second group of quarterbacks and receivers.

First sighting of Pete Carroll and John Schneider watching today’s drills together:

As the quarterback and receiver drills got underway, Tyler Bray looked a lot heavier than college. Almost like a different player compared to his time in Tennessee.

Tavon Austin is carrying on the momentum of his forty yard dash, showing sharp hands in the toe-tap drill.

Mike Glennon floated his deep ball a on the downfield drill. It was ugly. He threw back-to-back awful passes that forced the receiver to stop and wait for the football. That’s not good given he’s in shorts with no pass rush.

Bray looked excellent as expected, but he has a terrific arm. DeAndre Hopkins did well to chase down one of Bray’s throws and make a difficult catch. Steadman Bailey followed suite moments later making an equally impressive full-stretch grab.

Seattle’s offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was down on the field for receiver drills:

I don’t really like the gauntlet drill, but Austin and Bailey both showed really nice hands.

Hopkins looked really sharp. In all the tape I’ve watched on the three, Austin, Bailey and Hopkins barely had any drops.

While the drills are going on, there’s a lot of positive Twitter chatter about Matt Barkley.

Text I received from a scout this morning: Matt Barkley will not get past the Arizona #Cardinals at No. 7 overall.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 24, 2013

Of course, there’s no way of knowing how qualified this unnamed scout it. Matt Miller is the guy who last year declared Russell Wilson to be one of the worst picks in the entire draft. I think he’s employed by professional Google Search Spoiler B******r R****t. Even so, it was only a matter of time until Barkley’s stock started to trend upwards again. I had him going to the Cardinals in my most recent mock draft. I’ve had him at #1 to Kansas City too. He’ll be a top ten pick. There’s also this:

And I would be very surprised if #azcardinals took Barkley at 7. — Kent Somers (@kentsomers) February 24, 2013

However, Somers isn’t quoting any sources here. That might just be his opinion due to all the media-bashing of Barkley. That wouldn’t surprise me. I remember the utter defiance of the Detroit Lions’ beat writers in 2009. They consistently talked down the chances of Matt Stafford being the #1 pick.

The receivers are now running routes. Hopkins continues to impress in a big way. He looks bigger in shorts than he does on the field. We’re seeing smooth cuts and breaks, plus sharp hands. He might not be running as fast as Austin right now, but Hopkins has been among the most impressive players today so far.

Greg Cosell is sitting in on the broadcast with Matt Smith and Bucky Brooks. He’s also talking like Michelle from the film ‘American Pie’. “This one time… at Band Camp…”

The second group of quarterbacks and receivers are preparing for their drills. Among those competing — Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Quinton Patton, Ryan Swope, Terrance Williams and Robert Woods.

Austin is having a really sharp work-out here. He looks muscular, strong and smooth. Steadman Bailey just ran a pretty awkward out-route, although it was also a poor throw by the quarterback.

Mike Glennon has had an inconsistent day. Some bad throws earlier, now he’s on the money. Today is pretty similar to what you see on tape.

If you missed it yesterday, it’s not good news for Dion Jordan. He’s going to compete tomorrow but will then require surgery. He’s expected to miss 3-4 months.

Some other breaking news today, prospective free agent defensive tackle Desmond Bryant of the Raiders was arrested in Miami for ‘criminal mischief’. Not good news for anyone hoping he’d land in Seattle.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Colby Cameron did a good job today, running a 4.6 and throwing well too, particularly on the post-corner route. He could be a later round option if the Seahawks want to take a quarterback.

DeAndre Hopkins just made a stunning catch on a deep ball from MarQueis Gray. Real fingertips stuff. Crazy catch.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider are still watching closely. Along with the Harbaugh’s…

Mike Mayock says some scouts had Marquise Goodwin down for a 4.19 forty time. It’ll be interesting to see the official electronic times. Mayock wasn’t impressed by Goodwin running routes, citing he struggled to track the ball and get his head turned properly.

Cordarrelle Patterson managed a 37-inch vertical jump at 6-2. Mayock says physically he’s a top ten pick but he’s unsure a lack of production will get him there.

Interesting Tweet:

Bucky Brooks: #Seahawks had Anquan Boldin with a top 15 grade. Dropped him to 2nd round when he ran a 4.72 in the Combine.

— Matt Erickson (@SeattleDoorMatt) February 24, 2013

Quarterback unofficial forty yard dash times (second group):

E.J. Manuel (QB, Florida State) – 4.62 & 4.63
Ryan Nassib (QB, Syracuse) – 4.84 & 5.06
Matt Scott (QB, Arizona) – 4.66 & 4.69
Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia) – 4.56 & 4.60
Tyler Wilson (QB, Arkansas) – 4.96 & 4.94

Great times for E.J. Manuel (nearly 240lbs) and Geno Smith. I’d say Smith in particular looked much smoother than expected. Matt Scott also ran an impressive 4.66. Not quite the positive news for Tyler Wilson who looked slow and strained and only just avoided hitting the 5-second mark. Ryan Nassib also underwhelmed with a 4.84 or 5.06. Not good.

Wide receiver unofficial forty yard dash times (second group):

Aaron Mellette (WR, Elon) – 4.47 & 4.47
Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee) – 4.37 & 4.40
Quinton Patton (WR, Louisiana Tech) – 4.46 & 4.50
Denard Robinson (WR, Michigan) – 4.34 & 4.45
Da’Rick Rogers (WR, Tennessee Tech) – 4.56 & 4.44
Lanear Sampson (WR, Baylor) – 4.43 & 4.44
Ace Sanders (WR, South Carolina) – 4.53 & 4.59
Kenny Stills (WR, Oklahoma) – 4.34 & 4.28
Ryan Swope (WR, Texas A&M) – 4.44 & 4.38
Conner Vernon (WR, Duke) – 4.59 & 4.47
Markus Wheaton (WR, Oregon State) – 4.34 & 4.40
Terrance Williams (WR, Baylor) – 4.46 & 4.59
Marquess Wilson (WR, Washington State) – 4.41 & 4.47
Robert Woods (WR, USC) – 4.44 & 4.44

I’m not sure if there was an issue with the timer, but there were some crazy differentials between the first and second attempts and that shouldn’t happen. Da’Rick Rogers and Conner Vernon improved their times by 0.12 seconds on the second run. Terrance Williams on the other hand ran a second attempt 0.13 seconds slower than the first go-around. No idea what was going on there and we’ll have to wait for the official times later today.

Cordarrelle Patterson confirmed his speed at 6-2 and +200lbs. It’ll be interesting to see him run routes later.

Denard Robinson was quick but why isn’t he being worked out as a running back? He basically played QB/RB at Michigan and he’s the same size as Chris Johnson. Ryan Swope, Kenny Stills and Markus Wheaton all ran quick times that’ll help their stock. Marquess Wilson also put in a good show. Robert Woods was also quick enough to give his stock a boost. He’s good enough to be a first round pick.

Quinton Patton and Woods looked good in the toe-tap drills, making a sharp cut and get both feet down with minimal effort. Cordarrelle Patterson looks a bit awkward, just as he does on tape. He just ran a deep route that looked painfully difficult. It doesn’t help that he’s wearing baggy T-shirt/shorts for the drill.

Geno Smith, like Mike Glennon, is floating the deep ball too much.

Ryan Swope doesn’t look like a wide receiver. He looks like he should be working in Blockbuster’s. I’d still take a chance on him being a productive unnatural type via the middle rounds. Markus Wheaton showed great catching technique in the gauntlet. Ace Sanders struggled and took a ball in the face for good measure. I want to see Cordarrelle Patterson extend his arms to catch the ball. Everything is into the body. He’s all speed an upside, the technique leaves a lot to be desired.

Official 40 times are now in for the receivers:

Marquise Goodwin – 4.27
Tavon Austin – 4.34
Steadman Bailey – 4.52
Josh Boyce – 4.38
Justin Hunter – 4.44
DeAndre Hopkins – 4.57
Mark Harrison – 4.46
Chris Harper – 4.55
Cordarrelle Patterson – 4.42
Quinton Patton – 4.53
Da’Rick Rogers – 4.52
Denard Robinson – 4.43
Terrance Williams – 4.52
Markus Wheaton – 4.45
Conner Vernon – 4.68
Ryan Swope – 4.34
Kenny Stills – 4.38
Marquess Wilson – 4.51
Robert Woods – 4.51

I suppose the big headline is Ryan Swope is officially as quick as Tavon Austin. So pick your poison. Austin in round one, or Swope later.

The receivers are now running 10-yard routes. Robert Woods continues to look like the most impressive player out there — he’s showing the same crispness as Hopkins and equally strong hands. And just as I said that… Woods drops a back-shoulder pass.

Justin Hunter had a vertical jump of 39.5-inches. He had a poor 2012 season but has impressed athletically in Indianapolis. It’s still hard to get behind him given how sloppy he looked for Tennessee. Former NFL Scout:

If you were watching Patterson work out you would never believe he is the best WR in the Draft. Saw WOW on tape, here I am not seeing that. — Bryan Broaddus (@BryanBroaddus) February 24, 2013

I thought Patterson hurt himself today. He might still be a top-15 pick based on upside, straight line speed and the ability to score any time the ball’s in his hands. However, you’re going to have to coach him up in a big way. Otherwise he’ll wing it, which is pretty much what he did at Tennessee. And winging it in the NFL will kill a quarterback.

The final group to work out today will be the running backs.

Running back unofficial forty yard dash times (first group):

Montee Ball (RB, Wisconsin) – 4.62 & 4.65
Kenjon Barner (RB, Oregon) – 4.44 & 4.46
Le’Veon Bell (RB, Michigan State) – 4.52 & 4.56
Giovani Bernard (RB, North Carolina) – 4.50 & 4.50
Rex Burkhead (RB, Nebraska) – 4.69 & 4.75
Knile Davis (RB, Arkansas) – 4.30 & 4.31
Andre Ellington (RB, Clemson) – 4.59 & DNP
Jonathan Franklin (RB, UCLA) – 4.47 & 4.50
Mike Gillislee (RB, Florida) – 4.50 & 4.50
Ray Graham (RB, Pittsburgh) – 4.72 & 4.71
Jawan Jamison (RB, Rutgers) – 4.62 & 4.50
Onterio McCalebb (RB, Auburn) – 4.27 & 4.21
Joseph Randle (RB, Oklahoma State) – 4.63 & 4.63
Theo Riddick (RB, Notre Dame) – 4.66 & DNP
Zac Stacy (RB, Vanderbilt) – 4.50 & 4.60
Stepfan Taylor (RB, Stanford) – 4.78 & 4.72
Cierre Wood – 4.50 & 4.53

The average time for a running back over the last few years has been 4.59.

Watching the running backs this year was pretty underwhelming. It lacked the star power we’ve seen in recent years. There’s a few players here that’ll be productive at the next level, but unless Eddie Lacy makes it into the first round were unlikely to see any of the group go early.

Ontario McCalebb’s 4.21 is slightly undermined by his sub-170lbs size. LeVeon Bell’s times were impressive given his size. Knile Davis ran two 4.3’s and he was always a fast guy, but he had a bad 2012 season with fumble problems. He really had one good year in college. Andre Ellington appeared to get injured during his forty yard attempt. Montee Ball’s 4.6’s are good enough — he will be a productive player at the next level. I’d take a chance in the middle rounds.

Official 40 yard dash times for the running backs:

Montee Ball – 4.66
Kenjon Barner – 4.52
LeVeon Bell – 4.60
Giovani Bernard – 4.53
Rex Burkhead – 4.73
Knile Davis – 4.37
Andre Ellington – 4.61
Jonathan Franklin – 4.49
Mike Gillislee – 4.55
Ray Graham – 4.80
Jawan Jamison – 4.68
Onterio McCalebb – 4.34
Joseph Randle – 4.63
Theo Riddick – 4.68
Zac Stacy – 4.55
Stepfan Taylor – 4.76
Kerwynn Williams – 4.48
Cierre Wood – 4.56

Matt Flynn update

Peter King just said on the NFL Network that he thinks Seattle will release Matt Flynn. He didn’t believe they would pay his salary to keep him and would choose to save some back by releasing him. King didn’t expect much of a trade market.

I believe the team would make a $1.25m overall saving if they cut Flynn. It doesn’t sound much, but paying $7.25m for a backup is unnecessary. Personally, if they do cut Flynn I’d consider drafting a quarterback and letting him compete with a veteran to be the backup.

And we have to remember here, paying the starter peanuts and the backup $7.25m is an odd dynamic. That could play a part in any decision.

End of the day

Things are starting to wind down in Indianapolis and the NFL Network isn’t even showing live coverage of the running back drills, they’re speaking to Scott Pioli. We’ll call it a day for today, but remember we’ll be live blogging again from 6am PST tomorrow. Hope to see you there for the all-important defensive lineman and linebacker drills.

Today the defensive linemen and linebackers were weighed and measured, while the offensive linemen and tight ends ran drills.

Yesterday Kip highlighted an article that discussed Bill Walsh’s ‘ideal defensive tackle’. As we all know by now, Walsh and Pete Carroll are closely connected. The listed height and weight of Walsh’s ideal interior lineman was 6-2 and 290lbs. Sheldon Richardson is 6-2 and 294lbs officially. Once again, I refer to Kip:

I think Richardson will probably go in the top 14 picks- I just can’t see him getting past Carolina barring a disaster.  Richardson stands so far ahead of his peers at collapsing the pocket that I’d say he’s worth trading up for, even though it will mean losing picks in a draft where a 2nd rounder feels an awful lot like a 1st.

Would it be expensive? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not. But I dare anyone to tell me they wouldn’t be excited about seeing Sheldon Richardson lining up in Seattle’s defensive line for the next few years.

Defensive lineman – height, weight, arm length

Ziggy Ansah – 6-5, 271lbs, 35.18′ arms

Armonty Bryant – 6-4, 263lbs, 35.68′ arms

Tank Carradine – 6-4, 276lbs, 34.68′ arms

Quinton Dial – 6-5, 318lbs, 34.48′ arms

Sharrif Floyd – 6-3, 297lbs, 31.68′ arms

Johnathan Hankins – 6-3, 320lbs, 33.08′ arms

Jordan Hill – 6-1, 303lbs, 33.48′ arms

Montori Hughes – 6-4, 329lbs, 32.58′ arms

Margus Hunt – 6-8, 277lbs, 33.68′ arms

John Jenkins – 6-4, 359lbs, 34.08′ arms

Datone Jones – 6-4, 283lbs, 32.68′ arms

Dion Jordan – 6-6, 248lbs, 33.78′ arms

Corey Lemonier – 6-3, 255lbs, 34.48′ arms

Bennie Logan – 6-2, 309lbs, 34.08′ arms

Star Lotulelei – 6-3, 311lbs, 33.58′ arms

Barkevious Mingo – 6-4, 241lbs, 33.68′ arms

Alex Okafor – 6-5, 264lbs, 33.78′ arms

Kawann Short – 6-3, 299lbs, 34.68′ arms

Bjoern Werner – 6-3, 266lbs, 33.28′ arms

Brandon Williams – 6-1, 335lbs, 32.58′ arms

Jesse Williams – 6-3, 323lbs, 32.08′ arms

Sylvester Williams – 6-3, 313lbs, 33.48′ arms

Linebackers – height, weight

Arthur Brown – 6-0. 241lbs

Zaviar Gooden – 6-1, 234lbs

Khaseem Greene – 6-1, 241lbs

Jarvis Jones – 6-2, 245lbs

Kevin Minter – 6-0, 246lbs

Alec Ogletree – 6-2, 242lbs

Manti Te’o – 6-1, 241lbs

If I’ve missed any players out that you want to check up on, Walter Football has the full listings here.

Kawann Short had the most eye-catching weight — he certainly didn’t look like a 299lbs defensive tackle on tape. He appears to be slimming down to fit into a more orthodox three-technique role. He won’t do drills tomorrow due to injury.

It was good to see Dion Jordan close to 250lbs after some speculation he’d played the 2012 season at closer to 230lbs. I think as the draft process continues, he’ll develop into a top-five shoe-in. Incredible upside. He should test well tomorrow.

Sharrif Floyd had considerably shorter arms than the other defensive linemen — 31.68 inches to be exact. As a comparison, that’s three inches shorter than Kawann Short. None of the lineman listed above had arms shorter than 32 inches in length apart from Floyd. This could be an issue when he tries to disengage and gain leverage. He wasn’t a great pass rusher at Florida.

Oklahoma tackle puts on a clinic, Fluker struggles

Lane Johnson can feel pretty good about his time in Indianapolis. He ran an impressive 4.72 today, managed 28 reps on the bench press despite +35 inch arms and overall looked the part of a franchise left tackle. Any team that misses out on Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel can feel very comfortable about Johnson as the fall back.

It’s pretty pointless concentrating too much on offensive line forty times on the whole. None of the other tackles or guards got close to Johnson, apart from Arkansas Pine-Bluff’s Terron Armstead who managed a 4.71.

Looking back at the footage of today’s drills, D.J. Fluker continues to concern me. He ran a 5.35 and a 5.32 but generally looked sloppy in the mobility drills despite losing 16lbs since the Senior Bowl. He’s managed to generate some hype since the SEC Championship game where he dominated Georgia’s defensive line. I’m not convinced it was totally warranted. He’s still a bog standard right tackle who’ll be better off moving inside to guard — at least in my opinion. Watching him struggle to get around today just highlights how much he’s going to struggle defending the edge — something that flashed on tape time and time again. He doesn’t play well against speed. He’ll be challenged by speed every week in the NFL and I’d be worried about that.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to take a guy who might work out at right tackle in round one. If I’m drafting him that early, I have to believe he can be an all-pro guard. Personally, I’d probably rather draft Larry Warford to fill that role. I have a real dislike for drafting right tackles in round one. Seattle’s experience with James Carpenter being a classic example. I was a big fan of Carpenter in college, much more so than Fluker. But the Seahawks drafted Carpenter, were forced to kick him inside when he struggled at tackle and then replaced him with a former 5th round pick.

You don’t need to spend big on a right tackle. And Fluker isn’t good enough to be the exception. I hope he’s off the board by #25, because it means a better player will be available for the Seahawks.

Speaking of Warford, he ran an epic 5.53 and a 5.68 today. Part of me hoped that was a shirtless attempt, just for old times sake. Chance Warmack wasn’t much better at 5.55 and 5.53 — not that it matters in the slightest. Warmack will be a fantastic guard at the next level.

Tony Pauline believed Jonathan Cooper outperformed Warmack, while Eric Fisher was also getting the better of Luke Joeckel:

Must say to this point Eric Fisher out performing Luke Joeckel and Jon Cooper out performing Chance Warmack.

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 23, 2013

I thought Cooper had a fantastic work out today and if he gets out of the top fifteen, whoever drafts him is getting a steal. He can probably play either of the guard positions or center. Teams value the center position strongly these days, almost as much as left tackle. That could give him an edge versus Warmack.

Tight ends fail to impress

I thought it was a bitterly disappointing day for the tight ends in the forty yard dash. None of them ran as fast as expected. Zach Ertz only managed a 4.76, Gavin Escobar a 4.84, Jordan Reed a 4.72 and Tyler Eifert a 4.68. In the last three years, thirteen tight ends have run faster than Eifert who was among the quickest this year. Lane Johnson at 303lbs ran faster than Ertz and Escobar and matched Jordan Reed’s time. Take that in for a moment. Can Johnson catch?

I doubt the lousy times will hurt the tight ends too much, but what it won’t do is vault any of them into the top half of round one. If Reed managed a time in the 4.5’s he could’ve become a legit first round option. He runs in the 4.7’s and probably settles somewhere in rounds two or three. Had Ertz managed a 4.5, he could’ve been a lock for the top-20. He might still go in that range given his career at Stanford and solid tape. Eifert remains firmly in the round two range for me.

What about Escobar? His stock seemed to be trending upwards in a big way and I had him in round one recently. However, a 4.84 isn’t going to get anyone out of their seat. He’s a dynamic, big target. But he’s clearly not an insane athlete. His best asset is his hands.

Eifert looked the most athletic in terms of physical appearance and I thought Ertz looked a little stiff in drills. Reed overall didn’t show the kind of explosive athleticism I expected to see. And while physically he compares to Aaron Hernandez, I wouldn’t compare the two players based on tape.

Arkansas’ Chris Gragg ran a 4.50. Kudos for him. He’s talented but suffered (like everyone) due to the Razorbacks’ decision to take a year off from taking football seriously in 2012. Vance McDonald managed a 4.69 which is particularly ‘meh’ considering he doesn’t look comfortable catching a football on tape.

You can see all of today’s forty yard dash times by clicking here.

You can watch a full recap of the days drills by clicking here.

Injury news

Another day, another withdrawal. This time Alex Okafor has decided not to run a slow time… errr… I mean rest a hip flexor by not working out. Dallas Thomas will also be absent with a torn labrum — an injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

There are also concerns over Arthur Brown’s shoulder injury that kept him from competing in Mobile. He was a last minute withdrawal from the Senior Bowl and didn’t tell anyone in advance that he was hurt. It’s unclear whether he’ll do drills tomorrow.

Jarvis Jones conducted a press conference discussing his spinal stenosis issue. He won’t work out at the combine, a decision which puts a lot of pressure on his pro-day. Just a hunch, but I can’t see Jones being a first round pick at this stage. Too much risk, and he’s clearly hiding by not testing in Indianapolis.

Jones on stenosis: I have a slight narrowing in my spine. Some of ya’ll probably have it and you don’t know. — Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) February 23, 2013

 

Jones: I don’t have no contusion in it. I only had one accident of having a stringer at USC. Never had any symptoms after that.

— Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) February 23, 2013

Day four links

Danny Kelly notes that Markus Wheaton managed 20 reps of the bench press at 5-11 and 189lbs. In other words, nearly as many as massive lineman Travis Frederick. Wheaton is incredibly underrated. Just like DeAndre Hopkins and Steadman Bailey. We’ll see if size matters in April.

Mike Mayock gives his thoughts on the first day of drills.

Manti Te’o faced the media today. I wonder what they asked him about?

Tomorrow I’ll be live blogging throughout the defensive lineman/linebacker drills. Hope to see you there.

One final note — who allowed Under Armour to dress this year’s prospects like they’re going to a 90’s rave in their underwear?

Though a follower of the draft for over two decades, 2009 was the first year I started doing tape breakdowns and informing myself about prospects.  Not with Mel Kiper analysis or googled scouting reports, but by watching and evaluating the players myself, while taking cues from analysts I respected.  Before 2009… I wouldn’t claim to be any kind of authority on the draft before that.

With that caveat in place, I have no doubt that the 2013 NFL Draft is the deepest draft I have ever seen.  A few days ago, Mike Mayock made similar comments when he said the 2013 draft was the deepest he’s seen in at least ten years.

No area is deeper in this draft than the wide receiver position.  Approximately ten wide receivers have received a first or second round projection, and that list does not include some of my favorites.  As many as six tight ends have been talked about in that same range.   In the first round, we might be witnessing perhaps the best offensive line group ever.   Mayock has gone so far as to say that the 25th pick is going to feel a lot like the 5th overall pick this year.  That surplus of talent will push into the middle rounds as well, because you probably won’t see ten of the first sixty picks being receivers, six tight ends in the first sixty, and so on.

In a draft that is almost unbelievable in it’s reserves, one position stands out as the exception:  Linebacker.  Even at the top, this isn’t a great linebacker class.  I’d take Luke Kuechly, Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David, Dont’a Hightower and Mychal Kendricks over any linebacker this year.  What’s really striking to me is how few “fast” linebackers there are in this group that are quality prospects.  To be sure, there are some gems out there later on- I’ll cover them in a future post- but they’ll likely be snatched up quickly and it won’t be long until you’re sifting through ashes just hoping to find this year’s version of Korey Toomer or Malcolm Smith.

It’s something that rival head coach Jeff Fisher brought up at the combine during his media session yesterday, although his complaints centered around a lack of inside linebackers and linebackers with size.  I would agree with Fisher, except I am not lamenting a lack of big linebackers, but a lack of truly fast ones that fit Pete Carroll’s mold well enough.

John Schneider had his own presser of course, and he said something that I found interesting.  He talked about his process of upgrading over parts of the roster and specifically name checked Bobby Wagner and Malcolm Smith.

This name drop interested me because it implied that Malcolm Smith is a starter.  Malcolm Smith is fast, he’s smart, and he’s a more of a football player than an athlete- and he’s a good athlete.  But he’s never been a full time starter, in large part to his being 6’0″ and just 226 pounds.  Though a standout at USC, Smith was injured constantly, which shouldn’t be terribly surprising given his size.  The only comparably sized player to be a long term starter in recent years that I know of is Cato June (6’0″, 225 pounds), who had just five starting seasons in seven years before retiring.  Though a very good player, the scarcity of similar success stories and the brevity of his career suggests that he was an exception that proved the rule.

In a league where 240 pounds is considered preferable for 4-3 linebackers and 230 pounds is treated as a cutoff point, it strikes me as a tough sell to walk into next season banking on Malcolm Smith as your starter all season (and postseason) long. This is no slam on Smith, who I think is one of the teams very best backups.  But players of his size typically remain backups.

Maybe Seattle would start him anyway.  Maybe a weak linebacker class could scare them more than a 226 pound player with 3 NFL starts and an extensive injury history in college.  Maybe they bring Leroy Hill back for one final season.  Maybe.  But I doubt it.

I’m open minded, and I won’t tell anyone there is a right and wrong answer on this.  But I would guess that Seattle is hunting for another starter at linebacker this offseason.  A fast one.  If you want a starter caliber player in this draft, you will probably have to grab that player in the first four rounds.  If you want a difference maker, someone like Alec Ogletree, Khaseem Greene or Arthur Brown, and he’s there at #58, you almost have to take him.  I do not think Seattle will go so far as to draft a linebacker with their first pick, but if they did, I’d understand why: they might not get another chance.  Certainly, if a top option remains at #58, I expect they’d rush to the podium.

Fortunately for us, 4-3 weakside linebackers are rarely drafted in the first round.  It’s happened just once in the previous three drafts (Sean Witherspoon in 2010).  Some of these players, such as Alec Ogletree, might be considered as 3-4 inside linebackers and get taken early as a result, as was the case for Dont’a Hightower last year.  Tony Pauline’s big board lists Arthur Brown 40th overall and has Khaseem Greene (funny enough) 58th overall- the same spot as Seattle’s 2nd round pick.

Finally, there is one other factor to consider.  I can’t link a source or anything, but I’ve heard third-hand that John Schneider grades his entire roster with a numbering system and makes draft picks based not on the draft grade, but on the upgrade differential of his starters and that draft grade.  I can’t imagine that Malcolm Smith carries a very high starter grade- I’m not even sure he’s a starter at all.  It’s hard to envision Seattle ignoring that as they work through the very early rounds, especially if a great value presents itself in round two.

Today the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs were measured, weighed and interviewed.

DeAndre Hopkins was the main positive of the day for me. At 6-1 and 214lbs, he also has ten inch hands, 33 inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan. For a guy who doesn’t look all that big on tape, those are some impressive numbers. The perception has been — Hopkins is a smaller receiver, Keenan Allen and Cordarrelle Patterson are bigger targets. It’s time we changed that perception.

Allen only measured an inch taller (6-2) and he was 8lbs lighter. He has the same size hands but shorter arms (32 inches). Cordarrelle Patterson is 2lbs heavier than Hopkins, 7/8’s of an inch taller but has smaller hands (10 inches vs 9 inches) and smaller arms (33 inches vs 31 inches). There’s very little between the three players in terms of size and on this evidence, it’s no surprise that Hopkins has been the more consistent target with those hands and reach.

Allen won’t do any drills in Indianapolis due to lingering injury concerns. Patterson will undoubtedly run a terrific forty yard dash. It’ll be very interesting to see how Hopkins matches up for pure speed.

Tavon Austin came in at 5-8 and 174lbs. Dexter McCluster was 5-8 and 172lbs in 2010. We’ll see if Austin can run faster than McCluster’s 4.58 on Sunday. There were no surprises with Robert Woods (6-0, 201lbs), Terrance Williams (6-2, 208lbs) or Steadman Bailey (5-10, 193lbs) — although it’s worth noting that Bailey has ten inch hands and comparable arm-length to the taller Keenan Allen. I’m going to keep saying it, Hopkins and Bailey are the two best receivers in this class in my opinion. And Bailey might be the most underrated player overall.

Justin Hunter is the only big-name receiver to show above average height — he’s listed at 6-4 and 196lbs (needs to add weight). Pete Carroll showed up at Robert Woods’ press conference, having previously recruited him for USC. No, this doesn’t mean the Seahawks are necessarily going to draft him.

You can see a full press conference with Pete Carroll at the combine by clicking here.

Keep an eye on Ryan Swope this weekend. He doesn’t have great size at 6-0 and 205lbs but if he runs well, he could really boost his stock. He’s a natural receiver with a knack for making clutch plays.

Da’Rick Rogers measured at 6-2, 217lbs with 33 inch arms and 9.5 inch hands. No issues there. I’ve added 2011 tape at the bottom of this piece so you can see him in action for Tennessee. However, it’s the same old concerns with Rogers. He had multiple failed drugs tests with the Vols, constantly tested the patience of his coaches and didn’t heed any warnings. Eventually, he was shown the door and had to move to Tennessee Tech.

Seattle’s receiver coach Kippy Brown was part of the Tennessee staff during the recruitment and will know all about the player — possibly better than anyone in the NFL not named Derek Dooley. The Seahawks will get a unique insight into his character, attitude and ability. Brown left for the Pacific Northwest before Rogers took the field as a true freshman, but he’ll know enough to offer an educated opinion. The interview process will be huge for Rogers. I still have a hard time buying into him, but then I’m not sitting in on any interviews this weekend. I’m not investigating his background. I’m judging him on previous mistakes. My main concern isn’t that he’ll fail in the NFL. It’s that he might drag others down with him. He has a lot of athletic potential as you’ll see in the video below. But can you trust him?

Matt Barkley came in taller than expected, just a half-inch away from 6-3 while weighing 227lbs. He also had big hands (crucial) at 10.1 inches. Compare that to Geno Smith (6-2, 218lbs, 9 inch hands) and there’s quite a difference. Still, it could be worse — Tyler Wilson has 8.5 inch hands. That will scare off some GM’s. For what it’s worth, 5-8 Tavon Austin has bigger hands than Tyler Wilson, who came in at 6-2, 215lbs. Ryan Nassib (6-2, 227lbs) and E.J. Manuel (6-4 237lbs) both have a chance to show off some physical skills this weekend.

Barkley also delivered a confident press conference, batting away concerns about his arm strength and speaking with the kind of authority teams want from a franchise quarterback. “I”m strong enough to make every throw and move in the pocket.”

You can see Barkley’s combine press conference by clicking here.

Eddie Lacy won’t run the forty yard dash due to a hamstring injury, but it was concerning to see him at 5-11 and 233lbs. In one of the more bizarre admissions so far this week, he told the media, “I might have gained a pound or three” since the end of the season. Nice one, Eddie. Marcus Lattimore on the other hand is on a major charm offensive, coming in at 5-11 and 221lbs. He’s a fantastic public speaker and will be among the best interviews at the combine. It’s difficult not to root for Lattimore.

See Marcus Lattimore’s press conference by clicking here.

Montee Ball (5-10, 214lbs), Giovani Bernard (5-8, 202lbs), Andre Ellington (5-9, 199lbs), Jonathan Franklin (5-10, 205lbs), Joseph Randle (6-0, 204lbs), Stepfan Taylor (5-9, 214lbs) and Mike Gillislee (5-11, 208lbs) will all be jostling for draft position this weekend in a tight running back group.

The offensive lineman took on the bench press today and will kick off the drills tomorrow. Jonathan Cooper had an impressive 35 reps at 225lbs. Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher managed 27 reps, D.J. Fluker and Travis Frederick 21 reps. Lane Johnson had 28 reps despite his long arms and lanky frame (impressive).

You can find all of today’s measurements and bench press totals by clicking here.

Injury news

Chance Warmack chose not to lift today due to an apparent shoulder injury. Travis Kelce won’t work out at all due to an abdominal tear.

Zach Ertz to run a slow time?

I’m not sure what to make of this news, but it’s surprising. Tony Pauline is reporting Zach Ertz will run a particularly mediocre forty yard dash tomorrow:

Several people have commented to me in the past 24hrs they don’t expect Zach Ertz/TE/Stanford to break 4.7 in the forty tomorrow.

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 22, 2013

I fully expected to be blown away by Ertz, who looked like a dynamic receiver at Stanford. It won’t destroy his stock — Rob Gronkowski only managed a 4.68. He also weighed 9lbs more than Ertz. He’s such a competent pass catcher I can’t see him dropping out of the first round. But if he runs in the 4.7 range he’s much more likely to be around in the late 20’s.

Sam Montgomery’s stock falling

It’s something we’ve talked about already, but according to Pauline, Sam Montgomery is not getting any help from the LSU coaches:

Confirmed today what I’ve heard since October; LSU coaches not giving Sam Montgomery/DE/LSU are rining endorsement. Quite the contrary — Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) February 22, 2013

He will fall. I’m surprised to see him still appearing in first round mock drafts. If his college coaches aren’t willing to bang the table for him, who in their right mind will do it in a NFL war room? Remember this picture?

Combine links

Daniel Jeremiah talks about Seattle’s options at #25. He believes getting a receiver for Russell Wilson would be a wise move and name checks DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen. He also admits the depth at receiver is so good, there will be options in rounds two or three. As much as I like Hopkins, I’m not convinced the team will necessarily go for a receiver in round one. The options in round two could be incredible. The defensive options in rounds two and three are not as attractive.

Jeremiah also states “everybody” in the NFL has Sharrif Floyd ranked as a sure-fire top-five pick. Welcome to Jacksonville, Sharrif.

James Dator ponders the possibility of the draft being moved to May. I do not like this idea.

Bill Polian voices concerns over Tavon Austin’s size. “Great college player… great athlete… size worries you.”

Final thoughts and looking ahead

I’d recommend checking out Kip’s piece today highlighting what Bill Walsh looked for in a defensive tackle and how this relates to the Seahawks. I’m now going back and re-assessing every evaluation I made about this defensive tackle class as a consequence of reading it. Funnily enough, I started with Johnathan Hankins at Ohio State and I’ve already adjusted my view on him. I’ll go into more detail another day after the combine.

Tomorrow I’ll be away with work so will post an open thread for people to discuss the offensive line and tight end drills. When I get in I’ll watch the replay and make a few notes so stay tuned for that. On Sunday and Monday I’ll be live-blogging throughout the workouts involving the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, defensive lineman and linebackers. Instant results and commentary. Hope to see you there.

Da’Rick Rogers tape vs Cincinnati, LSU, Georgia and Florida

If you are a fan of well written articles and an evaluator who just “gets it”, I’d recommend The Rookie Scouting Portfolio by Matt Waldman.  I like him personally because I watch tape on prospects and invariably come to the same conclusions he does.  Like me, he’s one of a few charter members of the Russell Wilson NFL fanclub that staked their claim before last season.  If you read the Studying the Asterisk article that made the rounds last year, then you are already familiar with his work.  I guess this has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but do yourself a favor and bookmark his blog if you haven’t already.  It’s great.

I try to check in with his site every couple of weeks. It’s useful as a double check for my own analysis; to see if there are nuances he picked up that I missed.  It was during my most recent visit that I noticed a link to a peculiar draft website that has apparently gotten a lot of pub in social media circles.  The site is titled “Bill Walsh: How I Evaluate Each Position.”  The site is a clever idea- a compilation of various written analyses by Walsh covering every starting position.  Walsh, one of the greatest and most influential NFL coaches of all time, was an intellectual above all else, and his analysis remains relevant all these years later.

As Danny Kelly is fond of pointing out, Pete Carroll is a bit of a Bill Walsh protege, having been San Francisco’s defensive coordinator in the mid-90s while Walsh served as a consultant.  In Win Forever, Pete Carroll says himself that Bill Walsh was a major influence in how he evaluates and handles his players, specifically at quarterback.  That proved valuable as Carroll mentored one star quarterback after another at USC, only to see most of them flounder when leaving Carroll’s side for the NFL.  Reading Bill Walsh talk about quarterbacks, you’d think he was talking future tense about Russell Wilson, when he’s actually talking past tense about Wilson’s boyhood idol, Joe Montana.

I’ve often thought that Carroll was the 21st century equivalent of Walsh:  brilliant, unique, creative, and easy to learn from.  His boyish exuberance stems not from some mystical fountain of youth, but a mind that never tires of new ideas and new challenges.  Walsh was stern if not prickly, but his passion for the game burned just the same.  Both have proven masters at building dynastic rosters on the fly from spare parts and savvy drafting.  If you know where to look, you can see Walsh’s fingerprints in many of the things that Pete has done.

I can’t say for sure if Pete and Bill would see eye to eye on defensive tackles, although reading Walsh’s breakdown of the position, it sounded exactly like the kind of player the Seahawks need:

Ideal size: 6-2, 290

Must have the girth, strength, ballast to hold off the guard, or to step into a tackles’ block without being knocked off the line of scrimmage.

Quick, strong hands to grab and pull are critical. This is common with the great tackles. The hands, the arms, the upper body strength and then the quick feet to take advantage of a moving man, just getting him off balance.

You are looking for somebody who can move down the line of scrimmage and make a tackle, pursuing a ball-carrier. That would be lateral quickness in a short area, being able to get underway and move over and through people. If you get knocked off the line, or get knocked sideways or knocked off balance, you cannot play this position. You must be able to work your way through people, so that kind of strength is a must.

The best defensive tackles move the offensive guard back into the quarterback. (emphasis mine) They won’t have nearly as many sacks as others, but if they can move the guard back into the quarterback, then the quarterback has to avoid his own lineman as if he were a pass rusher before he throws the ball. So this is a key ability.

On a few occasions already, Rob has highlighted pass rush at defensive tackle as Seattle’s biggest need.  Derek Stephens voiced similar sentiments at his blog during his roster analysis.  But here is where I interject: with respect to Seattle’s needs, guys that can provide production from the interior are extremely rare and ridiculously valuable.  The Seahawks registered 36 sacks last season, tied with Buffalo for 18th in the NFL.  They were 16 sacks behind the league leaders Denver and St. Louis.  If the ultimate goal is to reach the 50 sack plateau, Seattle has a long way to go, and even Geno Atkins wouldn’t add 16 sacks on his own.  The Seahawks actually produced 9 total sacks from the defensive tackle position last season anyway- so it’s not like the group was a pile of crap by any means.

Of course, there is so much more to pressure than sacks, and this might be more true at defensive tackle than anywhere else.  Which is good, because I really doubt we are finding an interior 10+ sack a year monster in this draft class.  If a scheme is built to have the 3-tech play the role of the cleanup hitter, it wont work unless you have a hall of famer at that spot.

But Walsh ends his analysis with something hopeful.  Most people judge a 3-tech by how often he’s getting into the backfield: how many sacks and tackles for loss he accumulates.  Walsh says the great defensive tackles aren’t racking up stats, but rather they are pushing the guard into the quarterback and forcing him to move.  John Schneider, when talking about Bruce Irvin in his combine interview today, also used that term.  He specifically mentioned that Irvin was forcing the quarterback to move.  (On a related note, he singled out Jason Jones as a free agent they want to “keep an eye on” in free agency).

I really doubt we’ll find the next Geno Atkins this year, but we might find a component pass rusher: a player that can be the table setter.  Finding the next Derek Wolfe might prove to be enough.  Not enough to reach 52 sacks of course, but a positive first step in that direction.

Here are how some of the best defensive tackle options stack up as pocket pushers:

Star Lotulelei:

Though inconsistent and under-developed, I’d wager that Pete Carroll and Dan Quinn salivate when thinking about what they could do with Lotulelei’s raw ability.  I saw one play against USC’s stellar run blocking line where he drove back a double team straight backward and pancaked both blockers- and this was on a rushing attempt.  I have literally never seen that before.

Lotulelei is quick off the snap and possesses near Suh levels of pure strength.  He tends to keep his arms locked on the target and seems almost completely foreign to the basics of arm technique: almost no attempts to body control, yanking to defeat balance, rips or swims.  He seems perfectly content to treat most guards like lineman sleds.  And often, it works.

At Utah, Lotulelei was not a consistent pocket collapsing force.  He could be in the pros.  He has by far the most untapped potential at the position in the 2013 draft.  He will likely be a top five overall selection, and barring a buddy-buddy trade with Jacksonville at #2, I really doubt we’d have a shot at him.  And yes, that trade would cost way more than just Matt Flynn.

Sharrif Floyd:

Floyd is a lean 303 pounds and probably the best pure athlete in this DT class.  (I consider Ansah to be a 5-tech with interior versatility).  Floyd’s first step and arm use are median level at best compared to his peers, but he still creates pressure by never giving up.  He never stands still or concedes- his constant thrashing and fighting reminds me of watching a rodeo bull.

Floyd tracks the ball very well and I’d easily say that he’s better against the run than he is at disrupting the pass.  After watching several of his games, I wasn’t shocked at all to learn that he’s tallied just 4.5 sacks over 3 seasons.  Floyd just isn’t a very good pass rusher, despite being a gifted and versatile athlete.  Reminds me of Kentwan Balmer when he came out of North Carolina in that regard, though I think Floyd will have a better career.

Florida mixed 3-4 and 4-3 looks.  I saw Floyd play every position possible on both of those fronts, which is pretty impressive.  He has long, strong arms and can disengage from run blocks well enough that I think he can make a good NFL career as a run stopper, which is why I think he needs to play either a 5-tech or a 3-4 defensive end position in the NFL.  Playing in such a role gives him more space to use his athleticism, and doesn’t require him to bag tons of sacks to be considered good.  I think his hype level is a little out of control, but then again 3-4 defensive ends have been known to go early and there aren’t a ton of them at the top this year.  The former GM who first highlighted Floyd as a top 10 pick was Scott Pioli, who drafted a 3-4 defensive end himself in the top three picks just 4 years ago.

Sheldon Richardson:

Richardson is a well balanced defensive tackle who’s most prominent feature is his speed and pursuit capability.  Mike Mayock might have said it best when he observed that Richardson moves like a linebacker at the defensive tackle position.  Richardson is a red-ass that keeps after the play even when it’s far away from him, and can be seen chasing down tackles from 20 or more yards away several times a game.  He collapses the pocket by far the most often out of the known 2013 defensive tackle options, mostly because guards cede so much ground out of respect for his speed and explosiveness.

I had to retire from Division II because of people who played the game like Richardson does.  I couldn’t protect my body with my short arms and defensive tackles would rip me forward to execute the swim move and I just couldn’t stop it.  Ceding ground with a backpedal helped, because it’s harder to swim someone when they are moving away from you.  Of course, doing so came at a cost as I was essentially walking the defensive player into the pocket.  This is why a pocket can only last so long, as guards and tackles are often ceding ground strategically while protecting themselves from their assignments next sudden attack.

This is what Richardson does to guards.  He has a strong upper body with violent arms, and guards have to respect his quick step and ability to crash a gap with his speed.  I tallied a very high number of plays where Richardson got 3 yards deep in the pocket in little time despite doing very little to earn it because the guard was appeasing him with real estate.

Richardson only had 4 sacks last season, and just 2 sacks the season before, but those stats don’t tell the story of how he impacts the pocket.  He had a ton of near sacks and quarterback hits, too.

I think Richardson will probably go in the top 14 picks- I just can’t see him getting past Carolina barring a disaster.  Richardson stands so far ahead of his peers at collapsing the pocket that I’d say he’s worth trading up for, even though it will mean losing picks in a draft where a 2nd rounder feels an awful lot like a 1st.

Kawann Short:

Short is maybe the draft’s “craftiest” defensive tackle- an expert at exploiting mistakes and sneaking through the smallest of gaps to gain backfield penetration.  He’s particularly effective on running plays against a zone blocking scheme.  Zone blocking scheme tends to move it’s blockers one direction in unison like a wave.  Short seems to have figured out a way to jump those gaps at the start of those runs, as I saw him break into the backfield far more against zone runs than anything else.

Short has by far the best college production among this group (excluding Brandon Williams from Division II), posting six or more sacks each of the last three seasons, with 49.5 total tackles for loss during that span.  And until I read that Bill Walsh analysis, Short was my favorite defensive tackle in this draft.

The problem with Short is that despite his polish and skill, he’s more of a mistake exploiter than a pocket collapser.  He’ll scatter a few quality plays from time to time, but I would estimate that he pushes the pocket with about half the frequency that Sheldon Richardson does.

I see Short as an excellent option for a 4-3 team that likes to blitz.  Spread the blocking lanes out with blitzers and he’ll exploit that extra space.  Problem is, Carroll’s late season actions indicate that he wants to reduce his blitz count going forward and rely on a four man base rush instead.  Since Pete has come here, he’s had to blitz to get sack production and guys like Irvin and Clemons have typically struggled without that boost.  Drafting Short will give us a weapon, but it might also increase our dependency on the blitz to get the most out of him.

Or to put it another way, I see Short as a guy that is a clean up hitter more than a table setter.  He doesn’t make the players around him better per se, but if you help him out a little, he’ll get you some production.

Sylvester Williams:

Williams is a complete defensive tackle who at times can be quite dominant.  He’s bigger than most 3-techs at 313 pounds, and holds up very well against the run with a strong anchor and good rush awareness.  He could easily transition to the 1-tech if needed, or Red Bryants “big 5-tech” role for that matter.  That versatility holds a lot of appeal for John Schneider who prizes versatile players, so it should hardly be a shock that a Seahawks scout was seen talking to Williams at the Senior Bowl.  If Seattle allows Branch to leave in free agency it could potentially telegraph an intention to select Williams, as there aren’t a ton of versatile defensive tackles in this draft that are quality options.

Williams’ best asset is his fast first step, which is by far his best tool for achieving penetration and push.  Brandon Mebane once had 5 sacks playing as a run stuffing 1-tech in 2008.  He did it because a 310+ pound man that explodes into a gap before you’ve even fully left your stance is something that’s really hard to stop.  Mebane’s 2008 season was so impressive that Seattle moved Mebane to the 3-tech hoping to optimize his talent during the following two seasons.  It didn’t work out, and drafting a similar player like Williams carries the risk of repeating history.

Which isn’t to say that having an excellent first step is a bad thing, and fortunately Williams also possesses a strong upper body and active hands.  Yet strangely, for a player with size, power, fast hands and fast feet, Williams does not push the pocket as often as I would have expected.  With Williams you know whether he will be successful or not within the first second.  If he doesn’t succeed exploding into a gap and a chance for a swim move doesn’t present itself, he’s often content with a stonewall.  It may be partially due to his short arms- which are just 32 ⅝” long.  When I watch Williams I see a lot of effort with his hands but not a corresponding amount of results.

Williams is a good, well rounded player, and displays I think the best awareness of any defensive tackle in the draft- rarely will you see a defender that can sniff out and anticipate a screen faster than Williams can.  I see him as being a long term quality starter in the Alan Branch mold, but not a difference maker in the pass rush and not a consistent pocket collapser.

Brandon Williams:

Brandon Williams is the most unique defensive tackle in the draft.  Looking like a “chiseled” 340 pounds, Williams is a better athlete than most players his size.  Based on what I saw of him during the Senior Bowl and practices, he has a fast first step and at time shows the best pure power in the draft outside of Lotulelei.

What surprised me the most was how good his arms were- he is surprisingly one of the best defensive tackles in the draft at shedding blocks with his sudden arm moves and substantial upper body strength.  What surprised me even more was how bad he was against the run despite weighing 340 pounds.  He can get bulldozed by double teams and pushed back even by single blocks, often because of high pad level and an inability to easily locate the ball while being drive blocked.

You would think at 340 pounds Williams would be a pure nose tackle, but his strengths and weaknesses align ironically with the 3-tech role instead.  Williams played mostly 3-tech for Missouri Southern, a Division II school, and currently holds his school’s all time sack record with 29 sacks over 3 seasons.  Williams was up and down at the Senior Bowl, though he turned heads with a strong final day of practice.  People often say that Senior Bowl practice matters more to evaluators than the game itself, and that strong practice has helped remove some of the level of competition fears surrounding him.  It’s been enough for some to suggest he could be a potential top forty pick, and it’s considered unlikely that he’ll get out of the 3rd round.

Williams is a strange prospect, and Carroll does like “unique” talents.  Yet as the slowest member of this defensive tackle group I’m not sure how Carroll would react to that; since he worships speed.  Bill Walsh was pretty big on speed too, and in fact it was a crushing defeat to Walsh’s team during Pete’s early coaching days that served as the formative moment of that philosophy.  At least, that’s how Pat Kirwan remembers it.

I’m not sure if Williams fits, but he can push the pocket better than most, and is a better pure pass rusher with his technique than you would think.

Jordan Hill:

Hill isn’t very big nor does he anchor well, but he is probably good enough against drive blocks to be a non-specialist defensive tackle.  He partially makes up for this by being consistently very fast off the snap, and keeps a good pad level.

Hill’s uses his arms a lot like a 3-4 defensive end would, excelling at disengaging via extension, not unlike Greg Scruggs but with shorter, weaker arms.  He has excellent backfield vision and tracks the ball well.  If I had to highlight Hill for being the best at anything out of this group, I think he might have the best short area quickness.  He can cover two yards side to side very fast, and despite being weak to interior drive blocks he’s actually an asset against slower developing stretch runs because he can disengage and cover short areas of grass very quickly.  Not only is he very quick, but he’s exceptionally instinctive and knows where to move to keep a runner in front of him while keeping his shoulders square.

Unfortunately, Hill can’t seem to use his shed ability to actually swim past defenders, which I theorize is from a lack of functional upper body strength.  If he had it, I think he’d be using it.  He also lacks lower body strength and is impotent as a bull rusher.

Hill is a bit like Kawann-Short-lite as a 3-tech.  He can sometimes slip through exploitable mistakes but he doesn’t force guards back.  He could be a serviceable 3-tech, but not a star.  I like him more as a 3-4 defensive end, where he can use his quickness around the edge more and will get more mileage out of his talent for two-gapping and reading the football.  Then again, Hill stands just 6’1″ and doesn’t appear to have the longest arms, so he’d be a bit of a gamble in such a role.  Those factors might explain why he’s expected to be drafted in the mid to late rounds despite having some talent.

So who’s the best?

I would say that the only great pocket collapsing defensive tackle in this draft is Sheldon Richardson, and I’d say he’s far ahead of second place.  I think Star Lotulelei comes next, followed by Brandon Williams, Sylvester Williams, Kawann Short, Sharrif Floyd and Jordan Hill.  Every one of these players has something he’s special at, but Richardson is the guy who will disrupt the passing game the most.  His speed is a huge bonus for our speed obsessed front seven as well.

Walsh’s criteria is illuminating when it comes to sorting the great players from the good ones.  I could envision scenarios where all of these options could become worthwhile component pass rushers, with Richardson being the clear best choice to be an impact player for Pete Carroll’s needs.  I think Short grades out better overall than his ability to push the pocket indicates, and could be a great pick if Seattle is willing to design a more aggressive defense that can create enough confusion for Short to exploit mistakes and hesitation.

I’m working on a piece covering the defensive tackle class, which I should have posted very late tonight.  In the meantime, PatrickH mentioned this article in the comments yesterday which links the Seahawks to Cumberland University tight end B.J. Stewart:

Stewart came to CU as a wrestler, reaching the No. 1 ranking in the nation in the heavyweight division for two weeks during the 2009-10 academic year. He posted a 40-24 overall mark in two years and finished his sophomore season ranked 10th nationally…

“NFL scouts love former wrestlers. If he had played four years at even a Division II school, he might be up there on some mock draft lists right now…”

Three scouts called me from Montgomery after watching him practice there. The Seahawks have shown the most interest and have been on him the longest, but I’ve recently sent film to the Falcons and the Lions…

After starting two years at defensive end, Stewart led the 2012 Bulldogs with 21 receptions for 396 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per catch.

There are some videos of Stewart on youtube.  I remember watching game film in high school that was filmed better, but if you have a lot of patience it’s out there.  Stewart is even skinnier looking than this 6’5″ 253 listing indicates- I’m going to assume that Seattle probably views him as a Joker/H-back type.  Could be a player to watch in the very late rounds or undrafted free agency.