Here are my thoughts from day one. I’ve managed to watch all of the 1v1’s from the O-line and D-line drills. These are the notes I made…

Star performers (both rosters)

Carson Vinson
Walter Nolen
Jalen Rivers (at guard)
Aireontae Ersery

Opt-outs

It’s worth noting Armand Membou didn’t practise today even though he was in Mobile. People are saying he currently intends to participate and is maybe nursing an injury — although the speculation has already started that because Daniel Jeremiah put him at #11 in his mock draft that he’s opting to sit out. Byron Murphy pulled out of the Senior Bowl a year ago for this very reason.

Several other players have also pulled out. None of the Ohio State players are in Mobile. Jack Nelson isn’t participating, along with fellow offensive linemen Jared Wilson, Tate Ratledge and Ajani Cornelius. Defensive linemen Jordan Burch, Nic Scourton and Alfred Collins opted out. Cam Skattebo isn’t in Mobile and neither is Andrew Mukuba, Carson Schwesinger, Xavier Watts or Elic Ayomanor.

National team notes

— Wyatt Milum, lining up at left guard, lost a rep to Jamaree Caldwell way too easily. He overset off the snap and his footwork was all over the place. He gave up the inside for Caldwell — so much so that it was virtually an invitation. It goes to show that the transition from tackle to guard isn’t always an easy one. Milum had some afters with Yahya Black following another rep. I liked Milum’s aggression off the snap and he quickly got into Black’s chest and engaged. He basically held him off with only his left arm and had the feet to block off the route to the QB. Right at the end of the rep Black regained some leverage and drove Milum backwards but the rep had already been won by the left guard. That’s when the pushing and shoving between the two started. Milum was given one rep at left tackle and it was painful to watch. Donovan Ezeiruaku just swiped his hands away and ran around him for an easy win. Milum had enough time to turn around and get a good look at Ezeiruaku hitting the QB though. I’ve said for a while that with his lack of length and sluggish feet, there’s no way he can play tackle at the next level. It’s absurd that some people have been projecting him as a first round pick. He’s a guard convert and will not go in round one. Hopefully he’ll settle into the position switch on day two. I really like his potential for the Seahawks at left guard in a zone scheme. Let’s hope for better tomorrow because he has the potential.

— Marcus Mbow struggled at right tackle. He completely oversets with his initial slide, leaving a canyon of space to the inside. All Mike Green had to do was set him up and then dart inside as Mbow tried to engage. It’s terrible technique with his footwork. He had another rep later on where he jumped early on the snap, again failed to set in the right position and was bullied by David Walker of Central Arkansas. Mbow doesn’t look like a tackle. Neither does he look particularly powerful with any kind of anchor or sand in his pants. He looks undersized. When they moved him inside, he still got shoved backwards. His final rep was a win against Josaiah Stewart surprisingly. He did a much better job setting the edge and then working to control Stewart.

— I’m not sure Mike Green showed ‘amazing’ quickness. He’s clearly quick and looks smaller than your typical EDGE. But given he’s never going to be a power guy, or even speed-to-power, you want to see exceptional speed. I think we saw ‘good’ athleticism not ‘great’ athleticism today.

— Aireontae Ersery started strongly against Landon Jackson. The Arkansas pass-rusher used unorthodox technique on an arm-over to get to the outside but Ersery quickly recovered to shut-down the edge, using his length to shove Jackson off balance. He then had the athleticism to regain a positional advantage and drive his man to the turf. On his next rep, he completely controlled Mike Green, latching on and not letting go. To score the hat-trick, in a rematch with Jackson, he drove to the edge and the defender didn’t have the bend to turn the corner, so Ersery sent him to the ground. I’ve had reservations about Ersery sticking at tackle but this day answered some of those questions. Impressive.

— Yahya Black bullied Caleb Rogers at left guard on a rep. He engaged the blocker and then just threw him aside like a used dishcloth. Rogers had a better rep against Florida State’s Joshua Farmer but then in a rematch between the two, Farmer crossed his face and shoved Rogers backwards into the QB. Jamaree Caldwell also bullied Rogers into the backfield for a win.

— Josaiah Stewart won with pure speed against Ozzy Trapilo. It was a complete mismatch. All Stewart had to do was bend around the edge and he was home and hosed. Stewart then had a win against Josh Conerly Jr, faking to the outside then dipping inside. He was too quick and powerful for Conerly and had the bend and lean to work around his right shoulder. Conerly couldn’t stop him getting to the QB. A promising start for Stewart.

— Grey Zabel got a lot of praise online today. As someone who has promoted Zabel a ton on the blog, it’d be beneficial for me to just agree with all of the praise and say he was brilliant. I don’t think that was the case though.

On one rep for example, which many are classifying as a ‘win’ on Twitter, he is shoved five yards into the backfield by Jamaree Caldwell. Caldwell then disengages and dips inside to the quarterback. We get this every single year in Mobile. If you are an interior lineman (Zabel was playing center) and you immediately go backwards five yards into the lap of the QB in shotgun, that isn’t a win. The sole point of the 1v1’s isn’t to avoid getting whipped with a swim move off the snap. If an interior defender forces a guard or center backwards into his quarterback, they win. You’ve moved him off the spot. Every year we talk about this during the Senior Bowl and every year ‘losses’ are called ‘wins’ on the internet.

I’d also say Zabel didn’t shoot his hands quickly enough off the snap. If he’s going to move inside to center he’s got to be the aggressor. I was once told by a very experienced personnel executive that this was the first thing he looked for. Are you shooting your hands and taking your game to the opponent off the snap?

On a third rep against Aeneas Peebles, the defender tried to cross Zabel’s face after faking to the right shoulder. Zabel, again at center, worked to get his left arm in place to shield the gap. He then rides Peebles out of the play, so it ends well. However, I think a dynamic NFL rusher doesn’t allow that one left arm to stop them bursting through that gap. Zabel has to close it off quicker. On a right guard rep against Ty Robinson, I thought he initially did well to sink, leverage and stall but then Robinson countered with power and managed to move towards the QB. Maybe call that one a score draw.

Zabel had a better rep at guard against Peebles. I think he’s just a better player and was able to get his feet in the right area then work his hands. He kept working his hands inside. Now, an ideal rep would’ve seen him get the hands inside off the initial punch and control from there. Because he had to readjust his hands all the time, Peebles almost squirmed out of his grip. But the hands and feet were connected enough for Zabel to get position and then work Peebles to the turf.

Zabel took so many reps, way more than anyone else. I was surprised how much work he had in the 1v1’s. In a left guard rep against Darius Alexander, the defender tried an arm-over move but Zabel landed inside and sunk his hips well to latch-on — turning Alexander with his back to the quarterback. It would’ve been nice to see him finish here but strangely Alexander was able to back himself into the QB until Zabel was able to plant the anchor.

I’m not saying Zabel had a bad 1v1 session at all — but when I was looking at Twitter earlier, I was almost expecting to see Zack Martin out there. There is a tendency for group-think at the Senior Bowl with so many people attending these days. I thought Zabel performed as you’d expect for someone kicking inside with his talent — it was a mixed bag but with the potential to develop over the course of the three practises.

You do also need to consider the scrimmages, which I’ve been able to find a ‘bit’ of online. Zabel does look impressive here. This is a better rep below from Zabel, playing at right guard. He shows a really good reach and he drives the linebacker well out of the play. This is the kind of blocking play Seattle will use under Klint Kubiak so it’s good to see:

Zabel at RG lining up and driving out the LB on the FS of OZ pic.twitter.com/aJeULvxgGF

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) January 28, 2025

Zabel also does a good job hooking the interior defender in the video below when lining up at center:

Zabel at center hooking the shade pic.twitter.com/raMERU8vUb

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) January 28, 2025

— UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo easily beat Jalen Travis off the edge. He had a nice clean get-off, swiped Travis’ hands away and then turned the corner with natural ease to finish. Great rep. Oladejo also kicked inside and drove Marcus Mbow backwards. Then he went up against Josh Conerly Jr. His initial move was poor — an attempted inside counter and he hopped into contact. You’ll get buried at the next level doing that. However, he recovered well and countered with a neat spin move back to the outside. Conerly Jr did well to recover and regain position himself, before Oladejo worked back inside and swam into the QB. It’s rare you see an edge defender try three moves in one play. Okadejo is someone I haven’t studied and I’m keen to see more. Josh Conerly destroyed him when the pair met at midfield in an end-of-session 1v1, much to the delight of his offensive team-mates.

— There was a great rep from Jalen Rivers working at guard against Yahya Black. As I said, these interior linemen need to shoot their hands and take their opponents on, without reaching and over-extending. Rivers was right into Black off the snap and just dominated him. Lovely rep. Then he did the same thing to Ty Robinson on his next opportunity. He showed a fantastic initial punch, he got his hands inside and he had jolting power. Robinson tried to work his feet to get away but Rivers stalked him with light feet, every step containing a new punch. I haven’t studied Rivers but I want to now. When they kicked him out to right tackle he was easily beaten off the edge. I’m guessing his home is at guard.

— Jonah Monheim had a win against Oregon’s Jaramee Caldwell, a rarity today. He let Caldwell’s aggression work against him and used his momentum to cut his hands and send him down to the ground. On another rep he also had a win against Yahya Black. However, Joshua Farmer bullied Monheim into the backfield on another rep. Farmer consistently straight armed blockers and drove through his feet. It was effective today. Back to the center Monheim, he also bossed Aeneas Peebles towards the end of the session. A good day for Monheim, someone I didn’t expect to be as impressed with as I was.

Look at the USC center reach up to the second level and seal off his man in this scrimmage rep:

Grey Zabel was ballin on day one of Senior Bowl practice. This reach and wall off on the loose 3T is sick pic.twitter.com/L2v1URkDKs

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) January 28, 2025

— Darius Alexander has a ton of physical upside. He slapped Ozzy Trapilo aside rushing the left edge, completely opening up the B-gap. Sadly he just stumbled as he exploded to the QB but the rep was still won. Anthony Benton easily beat Donovan Ezeiruaku. He just caught the spin move and finished. Mike Green ran around Ozzy Trapilo like he was a tackle dummy on one edge rep. Too easy.

American team

— Overall this practise was nowhere near the level of the national team. The 1v1’s were far shorter for the linemen and there wasn’t the same seriousness to the session, at least based on what I saw on the NFL Network.

— Walter Nolen looked so quick beating Miles Frazier while crossing his face. You can’t teach his level of quickness. Nolen’s second rep saw him drive Caleb Webb backwards into the quarterback with sudden power. Teams are always looking for this kind of player — someone with the power to be combative in the trenches, with the quickness and burst to exploit openings and penetrate as a pass-rusher. Nolen, for me, looked like the real deal today and a potential top-20 pick. Miles Frazier faired better in his second rep against Alabama’s Tim Smith — but he’s a far weaker opponent than Nolen.

— On TJ Sanders first rep, he was surprisingly easily handled by Jacob Bayer of Arkansas State. Bayer shot his hands inside brilliantly, kept his feet moving and controlled the block throughout. On Sanders’ second rep, he stuck Garrett Dellinger on his backside with power. For some reason Sanders and Kyle Kennard were both wearing sweatpants during the practise. I’m not sure it helped — they looked pretty casual out there.

— A lot of people loved seeing Deone Walker’s measurements yesterday. Today, reality struck. He has a sloppy frame with an overhanging gut. He’s also top-heavy with no size in his legs or arse — there’s just no lower body explosion. His legs are so thin. He also has terrible pad level and gets upright late in the rep, providing a huge target on his chest. He showed no plan in his first rep against Clay Webb of Jacksonville State and was easily controlled. On his second rep against Garrett Dellinger it looked like he was moving in slow motion and couldn’t be bothered. He showed a bit more fight and effort on his third rep but still made it a struggle to get an advantage against Clay Webb. Later, the pair had a 1v1 rep in front of the whole roster at midfield. Webb easily won it. Walker, again, looked like a sloppy sack of potatoes. He had a terribly disappointing 2024 season for Kentucky and based on what we saw today, he’s a day-three pick at best.

— Ian Rapoport reported earlier in the day that Shemar Stewart wouldn’t practise at the Senior Bowl due to an injury that needed some work. However, he was out there in the 1v1’s. Jonah Savaiinaea easily handled him in their first rep. The Arizona blocker’s set was far better than any of the right tackles we saw in the first session. Although Stewart tried to rip through Savaiinaea, he still ran him out of the play. On Stewart’s second rep he bull-rushed Emery Jones into the backfield. Everyone seemed to have success against LSU’s Jones. Savaiinaea’s second rep wasn’t as good against Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The Georgia defender attacked his chest and won with hand-placement and power. Once he drove Savaiinaea off the ball, he disengaged to finish.

— Tennessee’s Omar Norman-Lott kind of won his first 1v1 rep against Sacramento State’s Jackson Slater — fighting through the gap with effort more than anything. He didn’t have to do much to work through to the backfield. His second rep flashed pure power, driving back Jacob Bayer into the backfield. Norman-Lott lacks an ideal frame and it’s hard to work out what his best down-to-down position would be.

— Now onto the biggest surprise of the day. Carson Vinson of Alabama A&M was fantastic. For me, he’s today’s big winner. There’s definitely some technical refinement to be had with him but wow — he looks the part. Kyle Kennard lost a rep to Vinson in his 1v1. Initially it looked like Vinson shifted his weight too far to the left but Kennard didn’t have the quickness on the inside-counter to capitalise, allowing the left tackle to recover and keep him off the QB. Vinson buried Sai’vion Jones on his second rep — setting well, getting his hands in the right position and dumping Jones to the turf. In a late final 1v1 at midfield in front of everyone, Vinson walled off Shemar Stewart and made it look easy. The whole offensive roster exploded as Vinson celebrated, forcing the whole defense to do a set of push-ups. He’s nearly 6-7, 314lbs and he has 35 1/8 inch arms. If he keeps this up, he’s going to be flying up draft boards ahead of the combine.

— Emery Jones had a poor year for LSU in 2024 (so did Will Campbell). On his first 1v1 rep he was easily beaten by Notre Dame’s RJ Oben to the outside. I don’t think he can play tackle at the next level. His technique was all over the place today and you just wanted someone to light a fire under him. The problem with Princely Umanmielen is the same — inconsistent effort. On his first rep against Logan Brown of Kansas, he just tried a lazy spin move and gave up when the tackle caught it. Jared Ivey has some splashes on tape but he was way too upright and high against Jackson Slater on his first 1v1 rep and just gave a big target for the blocker to attack and win. You expect the bigger name, bigger school players to dominate these reps. Ivey did have an easy win on an inside move against LSU’s Jones.

Quick-hitting notes on other positions

I have only been able to dip into what’s available online because most people focus on the OL vs DL 1v1’s. Here are some things I picked up on though…

— Seth Henigan’s passes were fluttering all over the place, he also had some inaccurate passes in 7-on-7. Not sure if it’s nerves but he didn’t look like a draftable player today. Alternatively, Riley Leonard looked assured and threw with some velocity to the mid-range level. He also looked very athletic on the run. Jalen Milroe, athlete as he may be, didn’t look technically sound. I didn’t see much of Jaxson Dart.

— The tight ends Mason Taylor and Elijah Arroyo looked smooth in their routes and they showed a great ability to create late separation. Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren are top-12 locks in round one — so it’ll be interesting to see where Taylor and Arroyo go. They, for me, are the next two tight ends to be taken. They won’t last beyond pick #50 and could go in the top-45.

— I really like Washington State receiver Kyle Williams and thought he did a great job creating easy separation during his reps. He looked way smoother than Xavier Restrepo, for example. Tez Johnson also looks sharp and dynamic — which he needs to at his size.

Before getting into today’s article be sure to check out my stream with Jeff Simmons below discussing the appointment of Klint Kubiak and other topics:

What’s next for the Seahawks under Klint Kubiak?

There are two key things that will shape Seattle’s off-season, both relating to the offense.

1. What do they do at quarterback

2. How do they fix the offensive line?

The quarterback situation is the next big domino to fall. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted yesterday:

With their coordinator in place, the next big question for the Seahawks’ offense is the future of (Geno) Smith. The 34-year-old quarterback is seeking an extension as he enters the final year of his contract, and it’s not a given that the two sides will be able to agree to one.

The Seahawks are not going to live with a $44.5m cap-hit for Geno Smith. Equally, they are not going to give him a significant contract extension that guarantees a lot more money and guaranteed term. On the other hand, I suspect this is exactly the kind of commitment Smith is looking for.

I get the sense we’re in the early stages of a game. Both sides will use brinkmanship to try and gain leverage. Yet really, they’re likely just indulging in a slow dance until a deadline of sorts arrives, likely at the combine, where they can get around a table and create some clarity.

Is either party willing to compromise and to what extent? Can common ground be discovered? At the moment, I’m guessing it’s too hard to predict. Thus, anything could happen. A parting or a new deal.

Whatever happens though will shape the success of the Kubiak’s spell in Seattle. If they move on from Smith, it won’t be fair to ask Kubiak to perform miracles with bad quarterbacks. They need to provide him with something to work with.

That could be Sam Darnold, who Kubiak worked with in 2023. It could be Kirk Cousins, another player he worked with in Minnesota. Or it could be Geno Smith — and I still think it’s in his best interests to compromise and retain his bridge position in Seattle, rather than force his way out. For that reason, I think a compromise probably will happen. However, Pete Carroll’s arrival in Las Vegas could give him an alternative to use as leverage.

A veteran will be required though, with the potential to draft a rookie too. I think there’s some possibility they view Jaxson Dart as a fit. They could just go the day three route with someone like Tyler Shough or Will Howard. But I still think there could be a level of intrigue in Quinn Ewers, as much as some people will hate to read that.

Maybe my reading of the situation is wrong but I just get a sense that John Schneider has been intrigued by Ewers’ talent for some time. He had an underwhelming 2024 season after suffering injuries to his ankle and abdomen. That could lead him to last a big longer than he otherwise did on draft day. If he goes in the #50-80 range, Schneider might see it as worth a shot to develop Ewers — who does carry natural talent, even if he hasn’t shown it consistently enough (in part because of the continued injuries).

A final thought on this. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that Ewers’ best fit might be a Shanahan-style system. The Seahawks just appointed a coach from that tree. So while it might be a departure from Schneider’s typical ‘big, strong-armed, athletic’ preference at the position — he might be prepared to see if Ewers can become Seattle’s answer to Brock Purdy (just with a little less mobility and a better arm).

As for the offensive line, I had a look at New Orleans’ splits in 2024. The snaps are weighted strongly towards a preference for zone blocking, with 64.1% in zone.

I’ve said a few times I’d like to see more of a gap-heavy scheme, with Sean McVay adjusting his system because teams were adapting and finding ways to impact LA’s offense.

Nevertheless — I’m not that weighted to the idea, provided the Seahawks can become an effective zone-blocking unit. Charles Cross, Abe Lucas and Sataoa Laumea appear suited to the system. Bringing in quality zone blockers and executing at a higher level is still a reasonable plan.

It’s why I wrote recently about targeting Atlanta’s talented center Drew Dalman in free agency. He’s an ideal fit for a zone scheme. James Daniels, before his injury, was excelling as a zone blocker in Pittsburgh. Will Fries had a 91.2 grade as a zone blocker in 2024. Mekhi Becton surprisingly had higher grades in zone vs gap this season. So there are some options set to reach free agency.

Recently we identified the players performing well in zone eligible for the draft. Wyatt Milum, Armand Membou, Jack Nelson and Grey Zabel all performed very well in the system and all four players are competing at the Senior Bowl this week. Keep an eye on them.

Senior Bowl measurements

You can find all of the measurements via the Senior Bowl X timeline. Here are my takeaways:

— Darius Alexander the Toledo defensive lineman has 34-inch arms. He could be a big performer this week. There’s a lot of splash on tape.

— Iowa’s Yahya Black on the other hand isn’t the splashiest player but he does a very solid, consistent job working the interior. At 6-5, 337lbs and with 35-inch arms, he’s one to watch in the middle rounds.

— Josh Conerly Jr’s size and length was a question mark, pertaining to his ability to stay at left tackle. He doesn’t have ideal height for the position (6-4) but at 313lbs with 34-inch arms, that’s reassuring for teams.

— Jaxson Dart has good size at a shade under 6-2, 226lbs with 9 1/2 inch hands. This is the kind of profile teams will be comfortable with. Dillon Gabriel, at 5-10, 200lbs and nine-inch hands, is at the other end of the scale. It’s also strange that for a quarterback who is 6-3 and 213lbs, Seth Henigan only has 8 7/8 inch hands. Jalen Milroe’s 8 6/8 inch hands are an alarm bell. Tyler Shough has the best frame of all the quarterbacks. He will get buzz in Mobile and would make for a quality, cost-effective backup with a chance to be developed (even if he turns 26 this year).

— Tez Johnson at Oregon is extremely small and light at 5-9 and 156lbs.

— Cody Lindenberg is a great athlete at linebacker and measuring 6-2, 239lbs with 33-inch arms adds to the intrigue he carries.

— I’m not sure many teams will view Armand Membou as a tackle at 6-3 and 332lbs. He does have 34-inch arms though and his testing at the combine will go through the roof. Wyatt Milum is 6-5, 315lbs with massive 10 2/8 inch hands. For me this is perfectly acceptable at guard or center — and his lack of great feet was always going to force him inside. Grey Zabel is in the same place with his size and length. As much as I want to see him finish blocks a bit more, Jonah Savaiinaea’s frame — 6-3, 339lbs, 34 5/8 inch arms — is very appealing for an interior lineman convert.

— Devin Neal is 5-10, 220lbs and both explosive and agile. The ideal runner.

— Walter Nolen (33 inches) and TJ Sanders (33 5/8) both get the all important +33 inch arm measurement for interior defenders.

— Donovan Ezeiruaku, Shemart Stewart and Prince Umanmielen have terrific size and length. Meanwhile Deone Walker is 6-7, 340lbs with 34 5/8 inch arms. It’s great size — but his tape was underwhelming in 2024. Testing with that bulk will make or break his stock.

There wasn’t a home-run candidate. There wasn’t a hire that would’ve had people punching the air in delight. This was about the Seahawks playing the hand they were dealt — and I think they played it well.

It certainly seems like Hank Fraley was the #1 candidate. That’s not a surprise. He’s done a tremendous job in Detroit coaching their offensive line. You only had to watch his interviews to see he was a very effective communicator and someone capable of leading an entire offense.

Having waited for him, then seemingly spent a few days trying to work things out to appoint him, there was a danger they’d be stuck in a battle for the other candidates. The attractiveness of the Houston and Tampa Bay jobs was obvious.

To pivot to Kubiak, seal the deal, and get things sorted before the Senior Bowl is a relief and a good decision. Now things won’t drag on. They can decide on an offensive staff and start planning for a vital off-season.

Kubiak has called plays before and he’s been the ‘Head Coach for the offense’ in New Orleans, working for a defensive-minded boss. He’s been around successful coaches — including his dad Gary, Norv Turner, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin Stefanski.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea to pair Fraley with a passing game coordinator, essentially setting up Bevell/Cable 2.0. Now they’ve got one man calling the shots. He can also potentially call on the experience of Rick Dennison and John Brenton — two respected offensive line and running game coaches. They followed him to New Orleans last season and could come to Seattle too.

I don’t know about you but I thought Derek Carr was cooked. Yet he had a decent season in 2024, at least when he was healthy. Kubiak has also worked with younger quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Spencer Rattler. He coaxed some good play out of Kirk Cousins and if the Seahawks are inclined to pursue Sam Darnold, he worked with him in San Francisco.

This is a hire that makes sense. The Seahawks can avoid some of the inexperience question marks that came with Ryan Grubb. Although Kubiak’s success will almost certainly be determined by John Schneider’s ability to upgrade important parts of the offensive roster.

I do have a slight reservation if he’s a bit more committed to ‘zone’ rather than ‘gap’ blocking. It’s hard to say given Sean McVay has gone all-in on size, power and more gap concepts. Is Kubiak minded to do the same? The Saints did draft Taliese Fuaga in round one last year and he’s hardly a finesse blocker.

Earlier on Sunday I voiced a concern that maybe the Seahawks were over-correcting their 2024 problems by focusing too much on offensive line coaches and running game coordinators. I do think they’re better off bringing someone in who can design plays, execute a vision and ‘complete the circle’ as Pete Carroll would say. The key to improving the O-line and running game is good decision making in free agency and the upcoming draft.

Now we as fans can focus on the absorbing trench battles at the Senior Bowl with loaded classes of linemen on both sides of the ball participating in Mobile. It’s a relief they got this sorted. They had to move on quickly after Fraley’s decision to stay in Detroit — and they have done.

If you missed the roundtable I was part of on Hawk Blogger’s channel earlier, check it out below. I’m planning to join Jeff Simmons on a stream on Monday at 2pm PT to further dive into the Kubiak hire.

I’ll provide some thoughts after I’ve finished hosting the AFC Championship game coverage over here. Open thread for now.

The #Seahawks are hiring former #Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new OC, sources tell The Insiders.

Kubiak, the first candidate to interview in person, lands the job after a thorough process that continued into this weekend. pic.twitter.com/isxnD8znOr

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 26, 2025

It was revealed on Saturday that Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has been interviewed to replace Ryan Grubb in Seattle. It’s the latest confirmed meeting, although it’s unclear if this was a virtual or in-person conversation.

After doing a bit of digging, I have to say the prospect of appointing him is a little bit underwhelming.

Let me be clear — I completely appreciate it’s difficult to get an angle on candidates in a positive or negative sense unless they have a track record. It’s easy to praise San Francisco bringing back Robert Saleh. He’s a proven deliverer of defensive results. All of the names linked to the Seahawks carry an element of the unknown.

If you’d have said a year ago that Liam Coen was going to be Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, my mind would immediately be drawn to his ill-fated year with the Rams. Yet 12 months on and he’s just been paid a massive contract to be Jacksonville’s Head Coach, after a great year in Tampa Bay.

We simply don’t have the intel to create highly informed opinions about these candidates. It’s why I’ve not gone overboard on hoping for anyone in particular. I have to be honest though, I’m not blown away by Stenavich. If he’s appointed, I’ll be as desperate for him to succeed as anyone else. I just have reservations.

Are they over-correcting too much? I appreciate fixing the offensive line and running game is a priority this off-season. Does that really mean you have to go and seek out an ex-offensive line coach, with no play-calling experience, to try and sort this out?

Both Hank Fraley and Stenavich have been praised for the work they’ve done in Detroit and Green Bay respectively. However, they’ve also been given great tools to work with. The Lions have pumped resources into their O-line. Green Bay has drafted very well. Yes, there’s an element of development too. But this isn’t hindsight — Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom were huge blog favourites. The Packers were wise to draft them where they did and have benefitted from those decisions. It hasn’t all been glory and success either. Former second round pick Josh Myers hasn’t developed or shown his best football in Green Bay and he’s expected to be allowed to reach free agency in a few weeks.

We’re talking about two coaches who are working for exceptional offensive minds, working with talented players. Taking a coach like this, giving them play-calling responsibility, asking them to help rebuild a line and lead the entire offense is a whole different challenge.

Fixing the line and running game is important but not at the expense of two other really important things. One — the ability to sufficiently design, call and execute an offense properly. Two — having the skill to develop a young quarterback. Even if the Seahawks retain Geno Smith, this team needs to find a long term answer sooner rather than later. Committing to the running game and fixing a bad O-line can’t come at the expense of play-calling, tactical chops and QB development.

The last time the Seahawks gave a lot of power and control to an offensive line coach, it led to the Tom Cable years. I’m more inclined to say a better plan might be to get a good play-caller and offensive mastermind and then, you know, just do a better job drafting and signing offensive linemen.

On Fraley, watching his interviews you could see why they seemingly made him their top choice. His communication skills jump off the screen. It was very easy to imagine him leading an offense or even a team. It’s no surprise anyone who had worked with him was rushing out to praise him, with Frank Ragnow joking he would sabotage interviews with other teams to keep him in Detroit.

To be brutally honest, you don’t get that sense at all from Stenavich. He doesn’t carry the same presence during interviews. It was easy to imagine Fraley being the ‘Head Coach of the offense’ with the way he communicated, I’m afraid Stenavich doesn’t give off that same aura.

That interview feels a bit Waldron-y.

It’s also interesting to note that Stenavich only got the Green Bay OC job once Luke Getsy, their first choice to replace Nathaniel Hackett, had agreed to go and call plays in Chicago instead. The talk is that Getsy, who had two awful spells with the Bears and Raiders, will replace Stenavich if he departs.

I think you always need to be sceptical about coaches riding the coat-tails of top offensive leaders. Nathaniel Hackett certainly seemed to ride LaFleur and the last great spell of Aaron Rodgers’ career in Green Bay.

I also get the sense that LaFleur views the offensive coordinator position as interchangeable under his leadership. He is the offense in Green Bay. So he’s more than happy for his right-hand-man to interview for a sideways move that he could block, if there’s a chance to further a career and call plays. I worry that we’re talking about a fantastic lead singer and the Seahawks are going to go after the base player because he’s on the same stage.

Adam Stenavich interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks OC job, huh? I can't think of a more underwhelming loss if he were to get the job. He's a great OL coach, but the offense is designed, ran, and called by Matt LaFleur.

— Robin Adams (@theotherRobin19) January 26, 2025

I’m starting to think they probably should’ve hired Klint Kubiak when they had a clean run at it. He has play-calling experience already, he’s been the ‘head guy’ running an offense for a defensive-minded Head Coach and he showed some promise before injuries decimated New Orleans.

Now, with several other teams entering the OC market, he might have options — including working close to his family base in Houston.

He has contacts and could’ve brought in the likes of Rick Dennison and John Benton — who he took to New Orleans — to help with the offensive line and running game. It might not be a hire to instil confidence in the way Saleh does for San Francisco’s defense but it would’ve settled things down over a week ago and the Seahawks could’ve cracked on with plans for the off-season.

There’s still a chance they could turn to Kubiak. Or, admittedly, it’s possible he told the Seahawks he either wasn’t interested or wanted to keep his options open. But there was talk he was ‘in the drivers seat’ right up until Detroit’s unexpected loss to Washington, making Fraley available. It seems they spent a week trying to coax Fraley to come to Seattle and, understandably, he’s opted not to uproot his young family and stay in a job, with a promotion, which is very attractive in Detroit.

The problem for the Seahawks is they are three weeks removed from firing Ryan Grubb and three days removed, now, from Fraley’s decision to stay in Detroit. Now they might face competition for certain candidates from teams with more attractive roles available. I think it’s fair to wonder whether they’ve managed this search effectively. The only way to address that concern is to make a good appointment. I’m not sure Stenavich constitutes that.

Thoughts on the Seattle’s offensive coordinator search

I’m posting this mainly in the hope the article will end up as some kind of reverse jinx. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to know who Seattle’s next offensive coordinator is going to be.

According to Hank Fraley’s wife on social media, the decision between Seattle and Detroit was ‘close’. The problem is, it appears after an in-person meeting and subsequent talks over staffing and fit, the Seahawks have missed out on the guy they presumably wanted to hire.

It’s not a big deal provided they can pivot quickly to Plan B. However, there are some issues worth noting. Suddenly the Texans and Buccaneers are looking for an offensive coordinator too. Houston can offer a top young quarterback and some good weapons. The Buccs’ last OC just got paid an absolute fortune to be a Head Coach after one year of production, with a talented offense in a weak division.

Today it’s been revealed Tampa Bay have interviewed Grant Udinski. If these two teams start competing for the same candidates as Seattle, things could get tricky. The Seahawks don’t have a young quarterback, they need major repair work to the offensive line and they just fired their last offensive coordinator after one season.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder what Udinski and Klint Kubiak feel about the situation. Has a nose or two been put out of joint, given they seemingly targeted Fraley and kept them waiting for a week?

Originally I thought Detroit losing in the playoffs was a good thing for Seattle. It would enable them to interview Fraley in person, giving them another candidate to choose from in the coming days with an appointment likely in the middle of the week. Now I’m wondering if a better scenario was a strong Lions playoff run, shifting the Seahawks to act instead of delaying the process.

There was no home-run hire in this cycle. Even so, I think some fans would’ve felt somewhat reassured had the Seahawks had a clear idea on who they wanted to replace Ryan Grubb and landed them swiftly.

Now there’s a little bit of a sense that maybe this isn’t a very attractive job and perhaps some fear over whether they can get this right?

The Senior Bowl practises start on Tuesday. The off-season is well and truly underway. They’ve had three weeks now. It’s time to appoint a coordinator. They can’t afford to let this drag on much longer.

Thoughts on Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft

Contradictory opinions this week on Will Howard aside, Jeremiah does have strong contacts in the league. Last year he was the one who started talking about the Seahawks potentially taking a cornerback at #16. It seems that probably would’ve been the case if Byron Murphy had been off the board.

Here are some thoughts on Jeremiah’s mock, published today:

— I think it’s very likely that his top-two picks are spot on — Abdul Carter at #1 and Travis Hunter at #2. The Giants seem to like Cam Ward and might feel obliged to take a quarterback early — even if other teams don’t even have a first round grade on Ward. I can’t see Shedeur Sanders at #6, however, unless Tom Brady insists on it. To me, Pete Carroll is far more likely to favour building up his roster, adding a veteran QB (Geno Smith?) then taking a quarterback later on. Perhaps even Jaxson Dart with their second pick?

— I’m not surprised he has Tyler Booker going 10th overall. As we’ve said all along, Booker is a perfect combination of size, power, 5-star recruit upside and he has unbelievable character. In a separate tweet, Jeremiah called him ‘Will Anderson on offense’ and that sums him up perfectly. He’s a plug-and-play guard from day one. Increasingly I’ve been thinking he won’t last to #18 — especially with the cost of offensive linemen these days. I’d been thinking #16 to Arizona or #17 to Cincinnati. I hadn’t thought #10 to the Bears — but I think Jeremiah’s onto something here. That makes a ton of sense. Booker not attending the Senior Bowl also suggests he’s getting positive intel about his placing in the draft.

— Tyler Warren has felt like a top-10 pick for weeks. I’m not sure why as a fanbase we’ve talked about him as much as we have. There’s no chance of him reaching #18. I don’t think Colston Loveland will reach #18 either but if he does — he’s someone they might consider.

— The Seahawks take Kenneth Grant at #18, the Michigan defensive tackle. I don’t think this is very likely. They’ve placed a high degree of importance on football character. Grant’s tape was underwhelming in 2024 and he often left you wanting a lot more. Despite possessing great athletic traits and playing alongside top-five lock Mason Graham, he ranked 46th in pass-rush win percentage with a measly 9.4%. He had 27 pressures, good for a ranking of 30th. This is a far cry from a top-20 pick at defensive tackle. For comparison, Byron Murphy led college football last year with a 19.6% pass-rush win percentage and he had the fifth most pressures (45). Grant’s run defense grade of 86.3 was good for 15th but I’m not convinced you’re taking a solid run defender in the top-20.

— The linemen going early and often in Jeremiah’s mock does speak, however, to the likelihood of the Seahawks taking a defender with their top pick. Jihaad Campbell, Malaki Starks, Nick Emmanwori, James Pearce Jr, Shemar Stewart, Mike Green and TJ Sanders are all on the board. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Matthew Golden are also there, along with Josh Conerly Jr and Josh Simmons. If the Seahawks stick to BPA — there are plenty of good options here.

If you missed my thoughts on why Geno Smith reuniting with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas is plausible, check out the video below. It’s worth wondering if Tyler Locket will also head that way once he’s cut…

Yesterday I ran through some of the defensive line options for the Seahawks and looked at pressures and pass-rush win percentage. Given Seattle’s obvious need on the offensive line — with an apparent keen desire to fix their running game — I also wanted to look at some data for the offensive linemen in the draft.

PFF grades are highly debatable, let’s acknowledge that to begin with. But it’s the only accessible data to judge individual run-blocking. PFF separates grades for zone blocking and gap blocking, which feels useful at the moment. Klint Kubiak and Grant Udinski have backgrounds in the zone-blocking world, while Detroit, where Hank Fraley coaches, mix in both schemes.

It’s interesting that the grades for zone-blocking across the board were much higher. I’m not sure why that would be — maybe it’s easier? But here are the results for both schemes:

Run blocking PFF grades (zone)

Wyatt Milum — 90.3
Armand Membou — 87.5
Jack Nelson — 86.4
Grey Zabel — 84.8
Cameron Williams — 84.0
Marcus Mbow — 81.6
Kelvin Banks Jr — 81.5
Connor Colby — 81.3
Jared Wilson — 78.9
Aireontae Ersery — 77.3
Dylan Fairchild — 77.2
Will Campbell — 74.5
Josh Conerly Jr — 73.7
Donovan Jackson — 73.2
Jonah Savaiinaea — 69.5
Seth McLaughlin — 66.4
Josh Simmons — 66.2
Tyler Booker — 65.5
Emery Jones — 64.0
Jake Majors — 63.8

Run blocking PFF grades (gap)

Wyatt Milum — 78.9
Grey Zabel — 78.7
Armand Membou — 76.7
Josh Simmons — 71.6
Kelvin Banks Jr — 70.8
Donovan Jackson — 66.8
Josh Conerly Jr — 65.6
Jake Majors — 65.5
Seth McLaughlin — 65.5
Jared Wilson — 65.2
Will Campbell — 64.0
Tyler Booker — 63.0
Aireontae Ersery — 62.9
Marcus Mbow — 62.6
Emery Jones — 61.7
Dylan Fairchild — 60.3
Jack Nelson — 57.2
Jonah Savaiinaea — 53.2
Cameron Williams — 52.3
Connor Colby — 47.3

Some teams work quite closely with PFF and use their data. Others, reportedly, are creating their own similar systems. It has at least been speculated in the past that the Seahawks place some faith in data like this. For example, they drafted Byron Murphy who easily led college football in pass-rush win percentage in 2023. They also signed Tyrell Dodson, a highly graded linebacker according to PFF.

That doesn’t mean they’re going to draft someone just because they grade well in the lists above. However, they might use the information as part of the process.

The thing that stands out to me is Wyatt Milum, Grey Zabel and Armand Membou all grade well in both blocking schemes. If they appoint a coach wanting to mix between zone and gap — that could come in useful. This also aligns with what the tape shows. Milum, Zabel and Membou, I’d argue, are the most physically aggressive offensive linemen I’ve studied in this class. I think Tyler Booker also belongs in that conversation — but his grading, surprisingly, was pretty average in both systems.

Mel Kiper mocked Membou to Seattle at #18 in his first mock draft this week. I think he’s unlikely to go that early, unless he performs brilliantly at the combine. That isn’t out of the question. Reportedly he runs a 1.63 10-yard split and has clocked 20mph on the GPS. Measurables matter too (and he’s too short to stick at tackle) but great testing could propel him into consideration.

Regardless, I would expect all three of Milum, Zabel and Membou to go between #18-60 — a range that includes Seattle’s first two picks. I really want the Seahawks to add highly aggressive people-movers to their line. These three do it well, while retaining control. They should be on our radar.

Now let’s look at pass-protection:

Pressures conceded

Cameron Williams — 26
Emery Jones — 25
Marcus Mbow — 25
Donovan Jackson — 19 (tackle)
Will Campbell — 18
Jonah Savaiinaea —15
Jake Majors — 15
Aireontae Ersery — 13
Kelvin Banks Jr — 10
Connor Colby — 10
Tyler Booker — 10
Armand Membou — 9
Josh Conerly Jr — 9
Dylan Fairchild — 9
Jack Nelson — 9
Grey Zabel — 7
Seth McLaughlin — 7
Wyatt Milum — 6
Jared Wilson — 5
Josh Simmons — 1 (missed time)

Sacks conceded

Cameron Williams — 5
Jonah Savaiinaea — 4
Marcus Mbow — 3
Connor Colby — 2
Donovan Jackson — 2 (tackle)
Will Campbell — 2
Aireontae Ersery — 1
Kelvin Banks Jr — 1
Josh Conerly Jr — 1
Jack Nelson — 1
Grey Zabel — 1
Emery Jones — 1
Dylan Fairchild — 1
Jake Majors — 0
Armand Membou — 0
Wyatt Milum — 0
Tyler Booker — 0
Seth McLaughlin — 0
Jared Wilson — 0
Josh Simmons — 0 (missed time)

I cannot make this clear enough — I want nothing to do with Cameron Williams. Technically he is a mess. He has limited college starts and it showed on tape. At times he looked lost in pass-pro, a genuine liability. He has great size and looks the part. He’s a massive project though and shouldn’t be anywhere near the first round like some high-profile mocks have been suggesting. Look at the numbers above.

On a positive note, the three players who excelled in their run blocking again show well here. Milum and Membou didn’t give up a single sack despite playing tackle (with Membou competing in the SEC) while Zabel gave up just one sack. All three performed well in terms of pressures conceded too.

These numbers are a key reason why I think Booker is a strong option for the Seahawks. His size and aggression is tailor-made for strong run-blocking, so you can work to improve his grading there. Yet despite playing on a terrible Alabama O-line (he was the only consistent performer) he still gave up zero sacks and only 10 pressures.

The numbers also speak to why I’m a little bit confused why Will Campbell, who didn’t play well in 2024, is mocked so highly. If it’s purely do to expectations over his testing, fine. Yet we’re talking about a short-armed tackle who probably has to move inside, who had a fairly bad final season at LSU. His overall grade per PFF (72.2) for the season put him at #117 among offensive tackles in college. His testing, which is expected to be great, could be the only reason for taking him in the top-15 like many are projecting.

These numbers don’t say much for Jonah Savaiinaea or Marcus Mbow either. I’d take Donovan Jackson’s stats with a pinch of salt. Moving out to left tackle was a thankless task for a natural guard and he did a good job in relief. When he was playing at left guard, he gave up three pressures and zero sacks in four games.

If the Seahawks do go with a zone-blocking scheme under their new OC, Wisconsin’s Jack Nelson has good stats in that system and his pass-pro numbers are excellent too. He’s one of the more underrated linemen in the draft and can play tackle or guard. If they want a quality zone-blocking center, Georgia’s Jared Wilson would be a worthwhile target. Likewise, Dylan Fairchild looks like a great left guard option in a zone system per these numbers.

For what it’s worth, potential free agent target Drew Dalman (C, Atlanta) gave up two sacks and 10 pressures in 2024. His run-blocking grades were 82.3 in zone (196 snaps) and 65.0 in gap (52 snaps). Ryan Kelly graded 57.8 in zone (127 snaps) and 72.5 in gap (135 snaps) while giving up one sack and 11 pressures. They are two contrasting options.

At guard, Trey Smith graded an 83.0 in zone (220 snaps) and 69.9 in gap (140 snaps). He gave up a surprisingly high 30 pressures in 2024, although he conceded zero sacks. Mekhi Becton graded 76.4 in zone (248) and 63.2 in gap (200 snaps). These are unexpected results given his size. He’s given up 32 pressures and five sacks this season. It’s frustrating to see John Simpson and Dominick Puni both grading well in run-blocking — two players who were available to the Seahawks last off-season and were much discussed.

Possible project Ben Cleveland in Baltimore graded a 71.0 for his 20 gap-scheme snaps. If they want size and power up front, he might be a cheap roll of the dice.

Another surprising note — Charles Cross performed far better in gap (84.3 grade on 160 snaps) than he did in zone (70.2 grade on 168 snaps). However, Abe Lucas was better in zone (72.2 grade on 50 snaps) than gap (56.1 grade on 82 snaps). Part of the problem Seattle has had, in my opinion, is the odd mix in styles of their offensive linemen. Charles Cross, for example, is not an obvious line-mate for Anthony Bradford. Equally, Bradford is not an obvious fit next to the smaller centers they’ve been signing and drafting. They need clarity on what they want to be and the personnel needed to execute their chosen system — even if it means a healthy balance between zone and gap.

Finally, can anyone explain the video below to me? These two appearances from Daniel Jeremiah, discussing Will Howard, were a day apart — on the Brock & Salk show on Wednesday, then the Pat McAfee show on Thursday:

The Seahawks have pumped resources into their defensive front. You can easily argue it’s time to focus on the offensive side of the ball. It’s Seattle’s biggest need. They need to invest in their O-line.

There are a couple of things to consider though:

1. The 2025 draft class is deep on the offensive line, so you have options

2. The Seahawks didn’t have an edge rusher who ranked in the top-20 for sacks, pressures or pass-rush win percentage in 2024

There’s no doubt that Mike Macdonald could further elevate Boye Mafe and Derrick Hall next season. Perhaps Uchenna Nwosu returns and stays healthy in 2025? Yet the one thing the Seahawks really lack is a destructive player rushing from the edge. If one is available at #18 it has to at least be a consideration.

There are appealing offensive linemen who are likely to go in the first round. I’ll do a similar piece for the O-line tomorrow. While upgrades are needed, the change in offensive coordinator should help. I don’t think Ryan Grubb did a good enough job helping his line, particularly with a predictable running game often telegraphing their intentions with the way they used the shotgun.

They might also look at the draft board and see better first round value and impact on the defensive line. The Seahawks don’t have a true game-wrecker aside from Leonard Williams. Byron Murphy should take a step in year two but while his all-round game is promising, I’m not sure he’ll ever be a dominant interior penetrator.

Dre’Mont Jones and Nwosu could be cap-casualties given their lack of production (Jones) and availability (Nwosu) — so adding an inside/out rusher or another edge could be appealing, especially given what’s available in this draft. Plus, Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins are both free agents so don’t rule out a defensive tackle if the talent value is there.

Jordan Burch, Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart and Jared Ivey all have size and versatility. Burch, Williams and Stewart in particular have outstanding physical upside — the kind that can be harnessed into difference making talent.

Although a player like Stewart looks like a frustrating nearly-man on tape — it’s worth remembering that Danielle Hunter — with 99.5 career NFL sacks — only recorded 30 pressures and four sacks as a senior at LSU. He had obscene physical tools that were harnessed through good coaching and development in Minnesota. The Seahawks might have the ideal Head Coach to work on a raw, high-upside talent. You see major flashes on tape from Stewart. Can he be developed? If not him, Williams or Burch could be strong alternatives. I’m a big fan of Burch’s upside in particular.

The Seahawks not only paid Dre’Mont Jones but they gave him every chance to succeed in 2024. It didn’t happen — but they seem to want to incorporate that type of player into the scheme.

If they want more in the interior, TJ Sanders and Walter Nolen are pure pass-rushers who’ve shown an ability to wreck games. Kenneth Grant always left me wanting more on tape but there’s no doubting his athletic upside. You wish he brought it more often, with more motor, but his ability to run across the line at speed, at his size, plus his combination of quickness and strength, could easily tempt a team to believe he’s the real deal. Ty Robinson is a name to watch at the Senior Bowl too.

Then off the edge, we’ll see where James Pearce goes. He was once touted as a potential #1 overall pick but he didn’t take a jump in 2024. Mike Green had a 17-sack season for Marshall, while Princely Umanmielen — when he wants to turn it on — can be massively disruptive with great length and speed. LSU’s Braden Swinson is one of the more underrated players in the class and don’t forget about Josaiah Stewart — a player loved by Mike Macdonald’s mentor Wink Martindale.

Here are how the top names ranked for pressure win-percentage this season:

EDGE

Josaiah Stewart — 27.1%
Princely Umanmielen — 22.8%
James Pearce — 22.7%
Abdul Carter — 22.6%
Bradyn Swinson — 22.1%
Ashton Gillotte — 20.9%
Mike Green — 20.1%
Donovan Ezeiruaku — 18.1%
Jack Sawyer — 17.9%
Nic Scourton — 17.3%
Kyle Kennard — 13.1%
JT Tuimoloau — 12.3%
Landon Jackson — 11.5%

Inside/Out

Jared Ivey — 16.8%
Jordan Burch — 15.7%
Darius Alexander — 12.8%
Shemar Stewart — 12.4%
Mykel Williams — 11%

Defensive tackle

Derrick Harmon — 17.6%
Rylie Mills — 14.3%
Mason Graham — 13.8%
TJ Sanders — 12.6%
Walter Nolen — 10.9%
Ty Robinson — 10.4%
Kenneth Grant — 9.4%

And here’s how they ranked for pressures:

EDGE

Abdul Carter — 66
Jack Sawyer — 64
Bradyn Swinson — 60
Donovan Ezeiruaku — 60
Mike Green — 59
Ashton Gillotte — 57
Princely Umanmielen — 55
James Pearce — 55
JT Tuimoloau — 51
Kyle Kennard — 39
Josaiah Stewart — 37 (missed time)
Nic Scourton — 36
Landon Jackson — 35

Inside/Out

Jared Ivey — 40
Shemar Stewart — 39
Darius Alexander — 37
Jordan Burch — 32
Mykel Williams — 26 (missed time)

Defensive tackle

Derrick Harmon — 55
Ty Robinson — 42
Walter Nolen — 35
Mason Graham — 34
Rylie Mills — 34
TJ Sanders — 33
Kenneth Grant — 27

Here are some key comparisons based on players’ final seasons in college. I’ve included the players listed above so you can compare. This is why, by the way, there’s a good chance Abdul Carter will be the #1 overall pick:

Pressures

Abdul Carter — 66
Nick Bosa — 66
Brian Burns — 66
Will Anderson — 65
Jack Sawyer — 64
Jared Verse — 62
Bradyn Swinson — 60
Donovan Ezeiruaku — 60
Bradley Chubb — 59
Mike Green — 59
T.J. Watt — — 57
Maxx Crosby — 57
Josh Hines-Allen — 57
Ashton Gillotte — 57
Quinnen Williams — 56
Princely Umanmielen — 55
James Pearce — 55
Derrick Harmon — 55
Zach Allen — 54
Nik Bonitto — 52
JT Tuimoloau — 51
Chris Jones — 49
Montez Sweat — 48
Calijah Kancey — 47
Byron Murphy — 45
Will McDonald — 45
Ty Robinson — 42
Nnamdi Madubuike — 41
Jared Ivey — 40
Christian Barmore — 39
Shemar Stewart — 39
Kyle Kennard — 39
Josaiah Stewart — 37 (missed time)
Darius Alexander — 37
Nic Scourton — 36
Walter Nolen — 35
Landon Jackson — 35
Mason Graham — 34
Rylie Mills — 34
Jeffrey Simmons — 34
Dexter Lawrence — 33
TJ Sanders — 33
Jordan Burch — 32
Jalen Carter — 32 (missed time)
Braden Fiske — 28
Kenneth Grant — 27
Mykel Williams — 26 (missed time)

Pass-rush win percentage

Josaiah Stewart — 27.1%
Nick Bosa — 26.5%
Nik Bonitto — 23.8%
Princely Umanmielen — 22.8%
James Pearce — 22.7%
Abdul Carter — 22.6%
Bradyn Swinson — 22.1%
Jared Verse — 21.8%
Ashton Gillotte — 20.9%
Mike Green — 20.1%
Byron Murphy — 19.6%
Calijah Kancey — 19.6%
T.J. Watt — 18.1%
Donovan Ezeiruaku — 18.1%
Jack Sawyer — 17.9%
Quinnen Williams — 17.6%
Derrick Harmon — 17.6%
Brian Burns — 17.5%
Nic Scourton — 17.3%
Will McDonald — 17.2%
Christian Barmore — 16.9%
Jared Ivey — 16.8%
Chris Jones — 16.7%
Will Anderson — 16.4%
Bradley Chubb — 16.2%
Montez Sweat — 16.1%
Jordan Burch — 15.7%
Maxx Crosby — 15.5%
Jalen Carter — 15.5%
Jeffrey Simmons — 15.5%
Zach Allen — 15.5%
Josh Hines-Allen — 15.3%
Rylie Mills — 14.3%
Mason Graham — 13.8%
Kyle Kennard — 13.1%
Dexter Lawrence — 13%
Darius Alexander — 12.8%
TJ Sanders — 12.6%
Shemar Stewart — 12.4%
JT Tuimoloau — 12.3%
Nnamdi Madubuike — 11.8%
Landon Jackson — 11.5%
Mykel Williams — 11%
Walter Nolen — 10.9%
Ty Robinson — 10.4%
Kenneth Grant — 9.4%
Braden Fiske — 8.9%

Of course, there are plenty of players with strong college statistics over the last few years who amounted to nothing in the NFL that are not included on the list above. It’s a good comparison though, to at least see how certain big names in the draft shape up to established stars when they entered the league. It highlights why I think someone like Bradyn Swinson deserves more attention. It suggests I need to reassess Derrick Harmon (although there are, seemingly, people in the league who agree with my day two assessment). I also think it speaks to Jordan Burch’s potential, as a 290lbs athletic freak rushing the edge.

The 2025 draft class is littered with high-potential players. You might be able to get Rylie Mills in round three — a player who led college football interior defenders for sacks (eight) and was third for pass-rush win percentage. The Seahawks need a player like him who can move across the line with high-upside physical skills and quickness. Ty Robinson is another excellent talent.

So while our focus is understandably on the offensive line — this is a draft where defensive linemen are particularly appealing and productive. Adding another defensive end or EDGE, or even another defensive tackle, could end up being a focus within the first three rounds. They might be comfortable waiting until pick #50 for an offensive lineman. That could be an area where someone like Wyatt Millum lasts. His lack of great footwork means he probably has to kick inside — but his aggression could make him a fantastic left guard. This could also be an area where Armand Membou, Dylan Fairchild and forgotten man Jack Nelson go.

Either way, this has got the makings of another trenches draft. Boye Mafe ranking 35th (47) and Derrick Hall 36th (45) for pressures isn’t going to cut it for a starring role. They need a top-20 outside rusher here. Jared Verse led the NFL for pressures as a rookie.

This should be a first round consideration for Seattle — even if the main priority for the off-season is to finally fix the offensive line.

Here’s my latest with Puck — if you can, please leave a comment in the video on YouTube and give it a like…

Source says Lions OL coach Hank Fraley is scheduled to interview in-person today with the Seahawks for their offensive coordinator position. This will be the second interview for Fraley with the Seahawks.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) January 21, 2025

My initial reaction to this news is it’s a positive for the Seahawks. Hank Fraley is likely to be a man in demand. It would make logical sense for him to pair with Ben Johnson in Chicago, without any play-calling pressure. Yet if that was such an obvious sure-thing, then he probably wouldn’t be travelling to the Pacific North West for an in-person interview.

There’s not actually anything suggesting Johnson has earmarked Fraley for the Bears. There are reports suggesting Dennis Allen and Darren Rizzi will be appointed as defensive and special teams coordinator respectively. Some people have suggested Fraley as a possibility — but nothing more.

Again though, it’d make a ton of sense for Johnson to pursue this. He’d get an ideal person to lead a much needed O-line revamp in Chicago. Therefore, the Seahawks have at least made a strong enough pitch to warrant a meeting in Seattle.

I’m quite open-minded about any of the three candidates who’ve reportedly had in-person meetings. Klint Kubiak has been around a lot of good coaches and had a strong start in New Orleans before injuries derailed their season. If Grant Udinski can convince the Seahawks to appoint a 28-year-old as their offensive coordinator, he must be something special. Fraley has a strong offensive line background and comes across as a good communicator during interviews.

There are also some concerns with all three. Will Kubiak insist on running a zone blocking scheme that even Sean McVay has effectively abandoned? Is Udinski truly ready to be the Head Coach of an offense? Being a great and popular offensive line coach won’t necessarily make Fraley a brilliant coordinator.

Whoever gets the job — and a decision is probably coming in the next 24 hours — it’ll be an intriguing hire. Given the Ryan Grubb experience, it’s likely to be someone who meshes well philosophically, schematically and perhaps even personality-wise with Mike Macdonald. They’ve got to get this right.

Meanwhile, there’s increasing chatter about Pete Carroll potentially being Plan B in Las Vegas, after Johnson’s decision to go to Chicago. We’ve talked about this a lot over the last two weeks but this is a move that also carries a lot of intrigue for me.

Carroll is big on familiarity. We saw that in his coaching hires in Seattle. He was the major mover to bring back Bobby Wagner, while we regularly saw old returning favourites — Bruce Irvin, Luke Willson, Marshawn Lynch, Frank Clark and others.

The Raiders are an expansion franchise at this point, similar to where the Seahawks were in 2010. Coincidentally, they also own the #6 overall pick in the draft — just like Seattle 15 years ago. They need some foundational pieces to be more competitive, while building something to be more sustainable and long term.

Pete Carroll was Geno Smith’s biggest backer in Seattle. I think John Schneider brought Drew Lock in via the Russell Wilson trade with the intention of seeing him compete fully to start. Instead, Carroll clearly always leaned towards Smith. A year ago it felt like Schneider was perfectly open-minded about moving Smith if the right opportunity emerged. It didn’t. Maybe it will this year?

Would Carroll’s Raiders make an offer to the Seahawks to acquire Smith? Giving Carroll his own bridge quarterback and someone he trusts and knows?

If he takes the job in Las Vegas, I think there’s a distinct possibility that could happen. The Raiders are also better placed to reward him with a new contract. They have the second most cap space available this year ($86m) and a league-leading $158m next year.

The Seahawks would obviously need a player to pivot to. However, as we’ve mentioned, two of the coordinator candidates they’ve talked with in person have history with Sam Darnold. I also think we’re in a different NFL environment these days. World class talent at quarterback is worth paying a fortune for. Otherwise, I think we might see teams focus on value, development and opportunity.

For anyone saying ‘will Schneider trade Smith with no obvious better options out there’ — he did just that when he dealt Russell Wilson. Nobody looked at a Smith/Lock competition as a good situation in 2022. That’s what the Seahawks ended up with, though, and they made it work. Of all the GM’s in the league, I think Schneider is the most prepared to make a bold move. Especially if a decent trade offer came in from the Raiders — such as a day two pick in this draft.