Get Grey Zabel in a Seahawks uniform

North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel possibly won’t be my highest graded offensive lineman but he might be the one I want the most on the Seahawks.

I think his tape is fantastic. He ticks virtually every box. He plays with great physicality and he’s a classic tough guy offensive lineman. Zabel’s a true finisher and that’s the kind of lineman I want the Seahawks to target. You watch his blocks and he’s constantly working his feet, adjusting his hand position and driving forwards looking to clear opponents off the line.

His agility and movement is excellent — meaning he can mirror off the edge with ease and reach up to the second level comfortably. It won’t be a surprise if he runs a great short shuttle and 10-yard split. There’s plenty of twitch in his short-area change of direction and he plays with loose hips for a man listed at 6-6 and 305lbs.

When he connects he’s strong at the point of attack and even when defenders gain leverage and jolt him backwards, he has a strong enough back and base to plant the anchor. Zabel plays with heavy hands on contact and he transfers power through his legs to win leverage battles in a way not common for a man his size.

Durability is a key strength of his — he’s played in 58 college games. He’s strong in both the running and passing game. I wouldn’t put it past him to excel at tackle but I think he can be a tremendous guard.

There are technical improvements he needs to make to clean up some initial hand-placement issues, so he doesn’t have to adjust as much and turning forceful power into controlled power at the next level will be key. However, NDSU has a production line for NFL talent — Cody Mauch, Dillon Radunz, Billy Turner, Billy Turner. Zabel to me is the most exciting NDSU lineman I’ve watched on tape. I’d love to kick him inside to left guard and develop him.

He is PFF’s top graded offensive tackle with a 91.8 grade. He’s given up one sack in 2024, three hurries and only six pressures. He is on my board with a strong second round grade pre-Senior Bowl and combine. I want this guy in Seattle.

This upcoming draft class will present interior O-line options for the Seahawks. They might prefer to go with a bigger, SEC-battled-tested player like Tyler Booker — or one of a handful of others worthy of going in the top-50. Zabel belongs in the conversation and in a few years I’ve got a feeling we’ll look back and determine he provided fantastic value wherever he’s taken.

Justin Simmons & Will Campbell declare

Players are already starting to declare for the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the college football regular season. Justin Simmons, despite his recent knee surgery, is turning pro. Ohio State’s left tackle is the best blind-side blocker eligible and could still be a high first round pick as a consequence.

LSU’s Will Campbell has also turned pro, with many in draft media rushing to declare he’s the best offensive lineman available. I would dispute that with gusto. He is a short-armed tackle who has to kick inside to guard and doesn’t play with the kind of aggression and power you ideally want from an interior blocker. He doesn’t play with any edge and too often looks passive.

Here’s Campbell giving up an easy sack on Saturday, leading to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier having to temporarily leave the game with an injury:

So you can’t play him at left tackle due to his length and he doesn’t have the ideal characteristics of a guard. Why exactly is he the top offensive lineman again? Or a high pick at all for that matter? I’m starting to think people lean too much into Bruce Feldman’s freaks list for their projections. In the 2024 version, it was reported Campbell can run a 1.57 10-yard split. I’ll believe that when I see it.

I think he’s firmly a day two prospect for teams who don’t place a high value on physicality and power at the POA and might prefer a more athletic guard.

Quarterback notes

Thankfully Nussmeier was OK and returned to throw two long touchdown passes including a superb 55-yard effort. When the internet turns against someone, it spreads quickly. They are being a bit silly. He will go in the first round if he declares and I do think John Schneider will see some appeal with his playing mentality. I think a lot of teams will like his personality (turn the volume on below):

He has easily thrown the most NFL-level passes this year among the quarterback class. There are aspects to his game that need ironing out and he made some mistakes. Guess what — so did Cam Ward. The difference is, Nussmeier threw 11 interceptions in a loaded SEC schedule including South Carolina, Texas A&M and a much improved Florida on the road, plus Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma at home. This isn’t an ACC schedule.

Neither did he have LSU’s typical assortment of weapons or the protection we expected given the high profile O-line in front of him. Nussmeier is talented and while many are saying he should return to school — I’m not convinced another year under Brian Kelly’s regime will do him that much good. Not unless they blitz the portal for weapons and linemen.

In terms of the other quarterbacks, I thought Cam Ward probably had his most impressive game of the season at Syracuse even in a defeat. He looked far more poised with less unnecessary pocket movement. Granted, he was facing yet another appalling defense. Yet this was a strong display and it’s a shame Miami didn’t make the playoffs so we can see him face tougher opponents. He did nearly throw a really bad red zone pick at the end — he was lucky it was dropped after being tipped up in the air.

Quinn Ewers showed plenty of arm talent with a fantastic 50-yard throw against Texas A&M that had perfect touch, accuracy and velocity. However, he also once again showed major inconsistencies and turnovers. The Longhorns have this habit of playing well for one half and terribly in the other. He threw an awful pick-six, returned for 93-yards, Texas A&M’s only points. The ankle injury clearly hobbled him and disrupted his rhythm. Ewers is such a difficult projection. There are signs of natural talent most weeks but the injuries and mistakes have prevented him from taking a step forward this year. I don’t think his stock has improved in 2024.

Jalen Milroe produced another mix of ugly throws leading to mistakes and flashes of physical potential. He had two fumbles and a pick in the game. He also showed off a strong arm. As with the Will Campbell talk, I’ve spent weeks baffled by draft media’s chatter around Milroe.

Apparently he’s shown real development as a passer. Look at the numbers. Last year he attempted 284 passes and so far this year he’s on 287 — so it’s a fair sample comparison. He has 15 touchdowns and 10 picks this year. Compare that to his 23/6 ratio from 2023. His quarterback rating has dropped by nearly 20 points. His yardage is down by 200 yards and his completion percentage has improved by a whopping 0.1%.

If anything he’s just become a more effective runner. His average per rush has improved by 1.4 YPC, his yardage jumped from 531 to 719 and he scored eight more rushing touchdowns.

You’re drafting him purely for physical potential. He is not an accurate, poised passer. When Oklahoma took away his running, he couldn’t do anything. Any NFL system would need to be designed with the quarterback run being a main feature, with limited responsibility initially from the pocket — building the playbook up over time. That’s a big project, not a first round quarterback.

Shedeur Sanders played well in an easy win vs Oklahoma State but had a three play sequence where he took unnecessary sacks to turn a 1st and goal to 4th and goal at the 37 yard line. This is the side of his game that needs major work. He lingers on plays too long, needs to take what’s there or get out of the play. My worry at the next level is he’ll be too focused on the spectacular and it’ll be hard to knock that out of him. It could mean he takes too many risks, absorbs too many sacks and is constantly in a boom-or-bust mode. To his credit he checked down a lot more after dad had a word at half-time but he also threw behind badly leading to an interception. He’s a talented player but if I were the Giants, Raiders or Jets banking on him being a franchise saviour early in the first round — I think they’re in for a shock.

Max Brosmer continues to show he has something. The Minnesota quarterback has had a really understated year — playing well within a system that involves more under-center work than most and excelling in several games. His first touchdown against Wisconsin was a well thrown pass with great anticipation in the red zone with timing and accuracy. Here’s his second passing touchdown of the day:

That’s a perfectly placed throw to attack the mismatched defender. And again — look at the play. It’s a play-action pass under center. Virtually every college quarterback works exclusively from the shotgun these days. You have to figure out how comfortable they are under center in the pre-draft process and camp. Here’s Brosmer turning his back to the defense and when he pivots to throw, he sees a defender in his face. It’s a great pickup by the running back to buy the quarterback an extra second — but he doesn’t panic, he stays calm and poised and delivers a bullseye throw.

I’ve taken a bit of time to study Brosmer’s personality and character and he is highly driven, impressive and has had to work for everything. There’s a player here. The difficulty is how do you project a player without spectacular physical tools? He doesn’t have a weak arm and he’s not immobile but he doesn’t have difference making athleticism or an X-factor arm. Eventually he might just find the NFL is a level too high. That said, of all the quarterbacks who get talked up for the draft, I’ve seen plenty from Brosmer over the last six weeks to justify more attention compared to the others.

Another player who deserves more attention is Memphis’ Seth Henigan. In an upset win against Tulane he was superb — showing great awareness on third downs (10/16) while managing the game and still being able to make impressive downfield throws. He set a new AAC record for career passing yards during the game (13,972) and helped Memphis surpass 20 offensive points for a 39th straight game. The Tigers secured consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history and the quarterback is a big reason why. He is elevating his team.

Check out the game highlights here and watch the throw he makes 28 seconds in. He doesn’t step into the throw due to a muddy pocket but still launches the ball 50-yards downfield with accuracy. This is on 3rd and 9, so it’s a key play.

Henigan has some tools, plenty of experience and he’s had success. Whether he’s quite good enough to start in the NFL remains to be seen but if we’re talking about second and third tier quarterback prospects — he and Brosmer deserve more attention than they get.

Finally among quarterbacks, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King intrigues me. He might not declare but he is eligible. He could’ve/should’ve beaten Georgia in a crazy eight-OT contest. Afterwards I watched several other Georgia Tech games to get a feel for their QB. He’s an excellent athlete, deceptively quick and a hard runner. He outran Jalon Walker to the edge on one play. He was physically exhausted during this game after putting the team on his back as a runner and passer. He shows no quit, can break off big game-breaking runs and also get yards after contact when necessary.

King’s arm is good and he can make plays downfield. I was impressed with how he threw on third downs, including a huge 3rd and 7 completion in the fourth quarter when leading 20-13. A minute later he ran for his second touchdown in what should’ve been the clinching score.

His offense is very RPO heavy. It’s tricky and not exactly pro-style but he was efficient, dynamic, creative and generally did a good job protecting the ball while taking calculated risks.

Overall I like him. I’m intrigued to see if he intends to return to school or turn pro. If he does go back, he’ll be a name to watch in 2025.

Now here are my non-quarterback notes:

— Mike Green had another sack (see below) for Marshall. It’s a stunt, otherwise known as the cheat code for CFB pressure. You can see the closing speed as he bursts to the quarterback though. I really hope Green attends the Senior Bowl so we get a good look at him in 1v1’s:

— Speaking of the Senior Bowl, there’s been a raft of accepted invites in the last few days. It’s great to see the likes of Tai Felton, Elijah Arroyo, Xavier Restrepo, Kalel Mullings, Ty Robinson, Grey Zabel, Riley Leonard, Will Howard, Jordan Burch, Demetrius Knight, Bru McCoy, Josaiah Stewart, Hunter Wohler and Jack Nelson heading to Mobile. It’s a bit of a shame to see Kurtis Rourke accept a Shrine Bowl invite — unless the Senior Bowl didn’t make a big push for him. The Senior Bowl is easily the superior of the two and it was better for the league (and draft enthusiasts) when they weren’t competing.

— On South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight, he had a crucial interception to clinch a win against Clemson. Every time I watched the Gamecocks he stood out. It’s frustrating they didn’t make the CFB Playoffs because their defense is loaded with talent. Knight is mature, already has a family, plays every down like it’s his last and he’s had an impact this year. I just hope he tests well.

— I’ve been saying it a few times recently — Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell is a tank. My guess is he goes in the top-25 in this class.

— Sticking with linebackers, UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger had another eye-catching performance against Fresno State. He had 15 tackles, a sack, one TFL and one deflected pass in the win. He recorded his ninth 10+ tackle game of the season, the most by a UCLA defender since Eric Kendricks in 2014. When I talk about wanting to see attacking intent from a linebacker — this is what it looks like:

— Jake Majors the Texas center had another strong game against Texas A&M. He won’t go as high as I have him graded (round two) but that’s all the more reason to grab a steal of a player, possibly in round three. To me he has long-term NFL starter written all over him. He can control blocks, his hand placement is good, he’s aggressive and athletic, he can reach to the second level. I like Majors a lot.

— Alabama center Parker Brailsford had an excellent game in pass protection against Auburn. It’s been mostly a steady year for Brailsford but I think we saw flashes of his enormous upside at the weekend. Size and measurements are critical for his stock but there’s no doubting he can play. If Ryan Grubb remains offensive coordinator in Seattle next season, his own experience with players like Brailsford could be very useful. He’ll also get plenty of other intel on Alabama’s prospects from Kalen DeBoer and co.

— Shiloh Sanders delivered one of the hits of the season in the second half of Colorado’s big win against Oklahoma State. You love to see tackles like this:

— It’s becoming increasingly difficult, while watching another productive day for Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, including hurdling defenders with ease, to not project he will go higher than most think. He could go in the top-15 in this class.

— While watching the Memphis vs Tulane game, receiver Greg Desrosiers Jr caught my eye. He made a string of plays including an incredible move to get open on 3rd and 8 to virtually clinch the game. He’s a redshirt junior and a transfer from UMass. I’ll monitor to see if he declares.

— Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson has declared for the NFL. I don’t understand why he isn’t universally considered RB2, which is where we’ve had him for weeks. He has been Iowa’s whole offense this season and can make plays like this:

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