Seahawks meeting with Malik McDowell & Obi Melifonwu

Reportedly, both meetings took place today:

Let’s start with McDowell. He started the 2016 season being touted as a potential top-10 pick. Physically, he certainly had that potential. McDowell is deceptively quick for his size (6-6, 295lbs) with the ability to take over a game when he’s on form.

A 4.85 forty and a superb 4.53 short shuttle are indicative of his quickness.

That’s the good bit out of the way.

Now onto the bad.

McDowell appeared to mail in the 2016 season as soon as it started to go south for Michigan State. He slouched through games. One play against rival Michigan stands out, with McDowell blatantly moping around and watching the running back push the pile into the end zone for a touchdown. Did he go to help? Did he get involved? No. But he did throw his arms up in frustration once the score was confirmed.

He finished the season with 1.5 sacks and only seven TFL’s. For a player with his talent, this was a complete waste of a year.

So was it just a rough few months? Was he saving himself?

Well maybe — but his interviews are among the worst you’ll see. If this is his personality off the field, it totally justifies how he acted on it:

His body language is atrocious. I remember watching this interview during the season and immediately thought ‘this guy doesn’t seem like a Seahawk’.

It seems like it isn’t just a lack of enthusiasm for the media either. Eric Edholm reported the following about how teams viewed McDowell’s interviews at the combine:

“Worst interview we did,” said one team. Added another: “Awful interview. Awful.”

“Does he love football? Is he going to work? I can’t figure out what makes this kid tick. He might be the type who, maybe he falls and it lights a fire under him. I don’t know. But I need that light on more often, and he didn’t like it when we asked him about that. McDowell might never fully show his full skill, but passing on him also means you’re missing out on a potentially rare talent.”

We can go through all the Pete Carroll ‘master motivator’ spiel as much as we want. Do you really imagine the Seahawks spending a first round pick on a player of this character?

I suspect they were bringing him in to prod him and poke him and hopefully the fire lights up. Yet everything about him — effort, demeanour, body language — it’s not good.

Always compete? He might need a Mike Zimmer style coach to drag him kicking and screaming into a successful career.

He’s not a complete lost cause. It’d be nice to see/hear more of this:

His pass rush repertoire also needs padding. He basically has one move when attacking the edge, a club/swipe. He’s mastered it and has success with it — but it’s also quite predictable and pro-offensive tackles will see it coming a mile off.

The Seahawks have had visits like this in the past. A year ago they met with another player with suspect motivation — Mississippi State’s Chris Jones. They didn’t draft him though. And let’s be real here, Chris Jones is Russell Wilson at his most enthusiastic compared to McDowell’s MSU media day appearance.

There’s room for another inside/out rusher on this roster but drafting McDowell seems like a risk for a team that not only passed on Jones a year ago but also Robert Nkemdiche. I didn’t include McDowell in my top-40 yesterday because I think he’s the perfect example of a player you let someone else draft. If he becomes a success, good for them.

We’ll see if the Seahawks see something in him. He’ll probably need to have been at his most impressive during this meeting today.

If they do ultimately draft him, they’ll believe in the size and quickness — they’ll think he’s possibly worth the risk because his talent is extreme. If they did select him you’d give them the benefit of the doubt because of his extreme ceiling. D-liners don’t have to be press conference stars but they do need to be ready to go to war every week. We saw Nkemdiche in Arizona in 2016 with his great physical profile basically be a total non-factor as a rookie. The fear has to be that McDowell could be similar.

That said — there aren’t many players with the ability to anchor and bull rush inside combined with the quickness to play the edge and get to the QB. He could be really good. Can you trust him to be great though? And if he falls to #26 with this physical profile, isn’t that in itself a warning sign?

It might be that they’re willing to trade down, possibly into early round two, and that could be the type of range where they feel comfortable taking a chance on McDowell.

Melifonwu on the other hand is a different case. He’s a sensational athlete and very personable and motivated. Is he a competitor? Well look back at the way he reacted with major disappointment at ‘only’ jumping a 44 inch vertical at the combine (he wanted to break the record).

The Seahawks have spent a lot of time with Melfionwu during this pre-draft process. A lot of people ask whether he’s gritty enough. I think it’s a little bit unfair. If you’re expecting crunching hits every week, well not even Kam Chancellor does that. While he isn’t Kam (who is?) he’s not exactly a shrinking violet either. He’s a sure tackler, he closes on the ball rapidly and he has the short area quickness to be a real threat as a big nickel or corner.

He could easily be their pick. He might not be their #1 choice or preferred target. But he might be the best option at #26 if they don’t move up or down.

For more on Melifonwu, click here.

195 Comments

  1. Trevor

    I would be shocked if McDowell was the Hawks pick at 26. For me he is the least Seahawky personality / character in the draft. The Hawks have a clear need for and interior pass rusher but unless McDowell falls to the end of the 2nd I hope they don’t give him serious consideration and if he is there at the end of round #2 with his talent that should be a huge red flag in itself.

    I would prefer Daeshon Hall or even a developmental guy like the kid from Arkansas.

    • Trevor

      Deatrich Wise Jr

    • Kenny Sloth

      Really diggin the profile on Derek Rivers from Youngstown st

    • Sean-O

      Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. I saw a decent amount of Big 10 football last season & he definitely didn’t stand out in a good way during the ’16 season.

      I know Todd Mcshay has mocked Mcdowell to Seattle but I just don’t see the fit there. Feels a lot like Nkemdiche in last years draft.

      • Scraps

        Boy I hate Tarzan/Jane thing; anyway it’s a cliche, and should be retired. Jane Clayton was a very resourceful woman in the books. Saying “plays like Jane” means you figure any woman is a pitiful flower.

        • Kenny Sloth

          You’re not wrong!

        • Leonard

          Or it means the player looks huge and powerful but plays like an individual who is physically much smaller and weaker. It’s referring to a single smaller female. Nowhere does anyone make sweeping judgements about all women. Maybe try giving people the benefit of the doubt when they aren’t explicitly saying anything offensive. It actually says more about you when your mind automatically goes there.

        • AlaskaHawk

          It’s a catchy phrase the first time you hear it. It’s also a very dismissive term – and it insults women. But getting back to the dismissive part – why even allow those players to be drafted? The term says it all – they will never succeed in football, they are wimps, they are pretenders, they have zero chance of succeeding and will cost some foolish team a draft spot and waste valuable space on the practice squad if the team doesn’t cut them in preseason.

          So lets save everyone some time and cut them now, punish them for pretending to be a football player, and then recruit Jane to be General Manager since she makes better choices than the current ones.

    • Phil

      Here’s my fantasy vision for the day. The Jets need a CB (see Rob’s last mock) and the ‘hawks want an interior DL with some pass rushing ability. How about trading Sherman to the Jets for their #1 (coincidentally a pick 6) and Sheldon Richardson? Tell me that I’m living in an alternative reality — sometimes it feels that way.

      Being my own critic, as good as Sherman has been, I just can’t see a team giving up a top-10 pick for him.

    • Preston

      ROB … Any GM worth his salt will always take next years draft strengths/weaknesses into account when considering their picks for this year. For example this years OL class looks very weak, and is an immediate need, how does this years class stack up to next years? If it isn’t much better (or worse) than this years, do you think Schneider would take an OK player in a higher round this year foreseeing the lack of talent in next years draft? Reason I bring this up.. I don’t find much to like about almost the entire d-line class. Only D-liners I would take in this class are Myles Garret, Solomon Thomas and Daeshon Hall – though I’m no scout.

      That said, considering Richard Sherman’s 1) Age 2) Salary cap 3) Contract soon expiring 4) Team issues 5) downward performing trend.. I don’t see why we WOULD keep him. Whether we like it or not, it has become so apparent the need for CB that it’s arguably just of great a need as OL. I’m not sure how reasonable it is of fans to believe Sherman will be around much longer. Unless there is better CB talent waiting for us in the 2018 draft.. I don’t see how we pass on a corner in round 1 to take a pass rusher. Again, I’m no scout.. Just a fan

      • Rob Staton

        One other thing to consider though — this teams track record in drafting and developing CB’s.

        • Preston

          You’re right in that Pete Carroll expertise is in drafting/developing corners. But as you mentioned before, there seems to be a huge drop-off in talent for d-line. Bennett and Avril likely have another monster season in them each. Clark, Rubin, and Reed clearly are proven contributors, and we don’t know what we have in Jefferson or Lewis. Though worth noting Seahawks moved up to grab Jefferson and upside on Lewis. DT is most definitely a need. I’m just wondering that given we have more depth on the line than we do DB (also aging DB group) and strength of this class, if the 2018 dline class is more talented and better to address our needs? Essentially, what is the opportunity cost? Honestly it would be great to find opinions on strengths/weaknesses across all positions in the 2018 class. Sorry to divert from the draft at hand, just curious to know how Schneider, or any GM, would approach this years draft based on what they see in next years. After all, scouting prospects is a process across years – right?

  2. nichansen01

    After Marshawn Lynch, I don’t think the seahWks really care how you Interview.

    • cha

      Sounds like the point though is the interview isn’t the whole ball of wax, but just another question mark in his profile that is indicative of not worthy of a Hawks first round pick.

    • Rob Staton

      It’s not about the interview.

      It’s about how his terrible body language on the field matches up with the personality you see on camera.

      Marshawn Lynch didn’t talk to the press. When he got onto the field he gave absolutely everything for his team.

      You’d have a point if McDowell put in even 75% of the effort Lynch did. He doesn’t get close.

    • Misfit74

      Lynch was an amazing competitor, and still is.

  3. Totem_Hawk

    Hawks are desperate for a DT who can rush the passer but so are about 25 other teams. Those guys are rare.

    • Rob Staton

      Exactly.

      And if McDowell drops to #26 despite teams being desperate for this type of player — the alarm bells go off IMO.

      • DC

        The alarm bells have been going off for a while. Put Malik in a room which coach Cable for a few hours. They’ll get this attitude thing figured out one way or another.

        • Rob Staton

          I’d sit him down and show him 10 bad clips. And then I’d ask for his thoughts on what he’s just seen.

          • Totem_Hawk

            Was Malik playing ALL the time? Was he a 3 down DT? If so perhaps being more of a rotational DT could be positive and bring out his talents?

            • cha

              Rotational DT’s you take later in the draft. Not first round.

            • Rob Staton

              It wasn’t so much about tiredness. There were clear examples where he completely mailed it in. Even in the rivalry game against Michigan.

              • Seahawcrates

                And if he was playing all the time, where was his production? I understand when a player is hurt or misses time, but his sack #’s and tackles for loss just aren’t there. Your talent should demonstrate itself somehow.

    • Ishmael

      Are they desperate though? I think they’d like a guy who can give them a bit of pop, but they mainly seem to be concerned with gap discipline and control. They have up to this point anyway.

  4. Kenny Sloth

    Someone in the last few threads called Melifonwu “a very rich man’s Brandon Browner” and I think that’s incredibly apt

    • Misfit74

      That was me 😉

      • Sea Mode

        Missed that in the thread, but have certainly thought just that too.

        • peter

          I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Not sure if you guys are saying that as a positive or a negative but I loved Browner’s game when he first came here. Obi’s not going to flip dudes over in traffic and give them a suplex on or near the sidelines but I love the length/speed/ and his ability to clean up broken plays.

          • Sea Mode

            I, at least, mean it in a very positive sense.

            • Kenny Sloth

              It has it’s positives and negatives for me

              Obi has a very posh playing style as it were.

              Very ‘futból’, his tackles

              • Ishmael

                if the opposite of that is Justin Evans – 7 awesome hits, 2 horrible missed tackles, and one complete fail – I think I like the safety of Melifonwu. The only guy in this entire class who can really hit like Kam, IMO, is Reuben Foster.

                • peter

                  Jarrad david does that for me as does foster. Melifonwu to me is the most ” chess piece,” player in the draft. Even if he doesn’t work at one position I think you get a player that can be awesome somewhere else in the backfield. Three safeties? Big nickel? Outside corner…i think it’s all on the table for him.

                  • Ishmael

                    Probably fair, I love Davis as well for what it’s worth.

                    Melifonwu is just a freak, as rare as they come. If he’s coachable, he could be anything. It’s hard not to take a chance on that.

                  • D-OZ

                    Coach-able; According to his coach, he is the most coach-able player he has ever coached. Student of the game.

                  • D-OZ

                    He is a sure tackler. It is his elite range that set’s him apart. Easley range. IMO.

  5. nichansen01

    I am under the general impression that this is actually a pretty deep class of edge players. Players like Joe Mathis and Daeshon Hall (and many others) make me feel like this is the first class in awhile with legit pass rush options beyond round 1.

    • nichansen01

      It seems like I could make a long list of puss rushers who interest me this year, where last year was limited to Noah Spence.

      • Misfit74

        Perhaps McDowell is a player that if he slides deep enough into round 2, they consider it a good value and are willing to move up for him, similar to what they did with Jarran Reed?

        • BobbyK

          That’s a fair point, but I’d have a hard time trading multiple picks to select a guy like this. You know?

        • D-OZ

          I don’t think McDowell goes in the 1st. That’s why the interest.

          • Ocotillo25

            This. They’re doing their research in case in falls to the 3rd or so.

  6. Peanut

    I just hope Godell say Obi´s name correct when he announce him as our pick.

    I do love Kevin King, but oh man oh man having Obi-Wan next to Kam would strike fear into any reciever that is about to run a route that gets anywhere near them.

  7. DC

    Chris Wormley at his pro day (DNP at combine) ran a 4.82/4.87 40 & a 4.55 short shuttle. Not bad vs Malik McDowell’s 4.85 40 & 4.53 ss.

    • peter

      This draft class feels from my observations like a lot of players you’re taking chances on. And it validates a bit with JS’s recent comments. I’d burn a third and move up to take Wormley. The Dline needs help and Wormley plays a TON of snaps and gives good effort almost all the time.

      Obviously I’m not in any kind of in charge but McDowell would be a non starter for me.

      • DC

        I would consider Wormley with our first selection (trade down?). He’s got the versatility we tend to like. Generates modest pressure with 6 sacks last year. If he could do that from the interior I would be very interested.

        • peter

          If Seattle could generate that kind of pass rush from the inside plus some additional TFL as well as add a versatile inside out rotational piece all in one player that could have huge dividends in reducing Bennett’s snaps as the season plays out.

    • DC

      Chris Wormley

      6’5″
      34 1/8 arms
      298 lbs
      10 1/2 hands
      4.82/4.87 40
      Broad – 9’2″
      Vert – 31.5″
      3 cone – 7.08
      Shuttle – 4.55
      bench – 23 reps

      Malik McDowell
      6’6″
      34 3/4 arms
      295 lbs
      10 1/2 hands
      4.85 40
      Broad – 9’4″
      vert -28.5
      3 cone – 7.69
      Shuttle – 4.53
      bench – 23 reps

      These guys are very similarly built (based on the #s) and test similarly as well. Difference is that one of them brings their lunch pail to the job.

    • C-Dog

      I would be more fired up for Chris Wormley, or Larry Ogunjobi than I would McDowell because I think their personalities are pretty impressive, and I don’t think their athleticism is too far off from McDowell’s. However, if they did draft McDowell, I would have the confidence that they know what they’re doing with him.

      Ultimately, I think really what this signals is a likelihood they could be drafting DL early this year.

    • RWIII

      DC: You make a good point for Wormley.

    • D-OZ

      I like Wormley way better than McDowell…

  8. CharlieTheUnicorn

    If Obi is not the preferred target for Seattle in round #1…. I would be shocked.

    • HawkTalker #1

      Then I suggest not standing in water when they announce the #26 pick. 🙂

      • peter

        The seahawks aren’t as sneaky as we may perceive them to be. This is the third meeting with obi so far. I have to expect these meetings to mean something.

        • HawkTalker #1

          They are interested for sure. Due diligence, for sure, still . . . Don’t get caught standing in the water. 😉

        • Logan Lynch

          Not to be negative since I like the idea of drafting Obi, but what about the possibility that the high number of meetings suggests there’s something about him that SEA is unsure of or worried about? Maybe they keep meeting with him because they like the physical profile, but they feel the need to dig more into his personality. Something with him just isn’t sitting quite right with them and they want to keep digging.

          Ok, tin foil hat off now!

          • Rob Staton

            I think it’s highly likely you’re right.

            They’re trying to get to know him.

            So could go either way.

  9. Sea Mode

    Here’s what I’ve been cookin up for a thought experiment:

    What troubles me looking at the draft board at night is that the spots we pick at in the first 3 rounds are all kind of at the top of each “Tier”. To get the best value out of a draft, you want to be picking at the bottom of each Tier, and picking up draft capital as you position yourself there.

    I’m seeing pockets of value perhaps available in early R2 and then late R3. Basically, unless someone great falls:
    – the player at 26 could be the same tier as what’s available at 39. (Rob’s “Tier 4-5”)
    – the players from 40-90 could be of similar value.
    – after 90 there is a significant drop off until R5-R6 becomes good value again (possible interpretation of what JS was saying the other day)

    So what if we could find a way to pick twice early in R2, and feast on the guys in “Tier 4” that fall through the cracks of late R1, or Tier 5. This could work even better since all of the top 5 maybe 6 QBs I imagine will be gone withing the first few picks of R2, further pushing our targets down to us. Add to that perhaps another 3-4 names that aren’t on our Seahawks board, and the value around pick 40 could look very similar to what might be available at 26.

    Something like this:

    1. Trade down from 26 with a QB-hungry team at the top of R2, let’s say NYJ for now = get their R3P70. (trade chart value is a little off, but they gotta be aggressive at some point or they are never going to find a QB and stop sucking, so they pay the little premium)

    2. Trade up from pick 58. Let’s say 58 + our two R3 comps to Carolina for R2P40.
    (say Carolina made a bold move up in R1 and traded 2017 R1P8 + R2P64 and 2018 R1+R3 to SF for the #2 overall, so now they are looking to recoup some picks this year and are glad to move down a bit.)

    At this point, we could either stay with a nicely spread out 39, 40, 70, 90 or further trade down from 70 to pick up something that value in R5-R6. Let’s say we move down so as not to end up with only 6 picks in the entire draft.

    3. Trade down from 70 for a late R4 and a R5 pick. KC has 10 picks in this draft, two in R3 and multiple in later rounds. They see that special someone at the top of R3 like we did with Lockett, and send us a similar package to what we paid WAS to move up for him: R3P91, R4P132, R5P170, R6P216.

    Whew, so with all this wheeling and dealing, here are Seattle’s 9 picks in the 2017 Draft with some names:

    R2P39- DB Justin Evans/Jourdan Lewis (Melifonwu/Baker if they fall)
    R2P40- TE/WR Evan Engram/DL Chris Wormley/CB Quincy Wilson
    R3P90- DL Daeshon Hall/WR Chris Godwin/CB Akhello Witherspoon
    R3P91- OG Isaac Asiata/Jermaine Eluemunor
    R4P132- TE George Kittle/CB Shaq Griffin
    R5P170- DB David Jones/S Shalom Luani/QB Brad Kaaya
    R6P210- WR Deangelo Yancey/DB Adrian Colbert
    R6P216- RB/KR Dalton Crossan (no options here, I really like this guy. Discount McCaffrey… 🙂 )
    R7P226- DT Grover Stewart/QB Trevor Knight

    (I didn’t specifically try to get adjacent picks, it just worked out that way as I looked for indicative value on the trade chart and potential trade partners.)

    Let me know how your mock draft might look if we had these 9 picks, with these or any other players. See if you feel better about the bang for your draft buck.

    P.S. If Awuzie is available at 26, I think I would call the whole thing off, pick him, and maybe consider a small trade up from R2P58 with one of the R3 comps.

    • Derron James

      I think Atlanta would take Justin Evans if available because I believe they want to run 3 safeties, and possibly the cowboys as well…

      • Sea Mode

        Ok, then I’ll settle for Obi or whoever else gets pushed down! The great thing about drafting for value is that you don’t get locked in on any “must-have” prospect.

        I think ATL might target Adoree Jackson in R1, or go a different direction (Njoku?) and look at Marcus Maye at the end of R2, reuniting him with Keanu Neal as that 3rd safety.

    • Kenny Sloth

      It’s gonna be a long wait at 26 for a tradedown

    • Ground_Hawk

      Do you rank Awuzie higher than Obi, in regards to who you think Seattle would prefer? If both are available, then I have Obi over Awuzie.

    • Dale Roberts

      Good analysis. I think we’ve all seen some holes/sweet spots in this draft and you’ve done a good job of quantifying those positions. The pivotal pick will be #26. If one of the special athletes falls then you make the pick regardless need. If not then you do your damnedest to trade down. You nailed it when you said #26 might be the same as #39. It also feels like our third round picks are just out of the money. If there aren’t any unique players by #90 and we haven’t already used them to trade into round 2 I can definitely see swapping a third for a 4th and 5th round slot. I might put Wormley and Wilson above Evans and Lewis but in general you posited a very nice draft.

      Kittle is an interesting guy because in different draft he’d be a more rare commodity. This year he get’s pushed down. However, he doesn’t bring anything unique. We already have a “Kittle” on the roster. If Gerald Everett were available in the third round I’d pounce. He’s raw but with great physical talent and is a noted blocker.

      Curtis Samuel and Donnel Pumphrey are underrated because they both have the ability to tilt the field. Samuel has 4.3 speed but the strength of a RB and the hands of a WR he will be a nightmare matchup on Sunday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pat’s grab him at 31. Pumphrey is too small to be a cowbell running back but at 10-12 touches a game he also could tilt the field.

      I’ll break with Rob on the QB question. There are eight teams in real need of a QB. I believe teams are sandbagging and that five QBs will be taken by pick #90. I think this group of QB’s is better than last year’s and the 2018 class isn’t inspiring.

      I also think we are underestimating Dalvin Cook’s popularity among east coast pundits. Out here Cook gets more drools than Fournette. Not sayin’ it’s right, just that he’s an east coast favorite will go higher than we think on the west coast.

    • Hawkfan086

      We need some guys to bring dowg back to team. In the beginning John and Pete brought in the Chris Clemens’ and the Breno Giacaminis’ to fight and bullies. We need more of those types. Especially with the late round guys.

      http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/03/2017-nfl-draft-player-profiles-north-carolina-wr-mack-hollins/

  10. Awsi Dooger

    I’d be shocked at a 6-6 defensive tackle who wasn’t wildly inconsistent. It’s simply too tall for the position, just like Michelle Wie is too tall for LPGA superiority at 6-1.

    Those leggy interior defenders despise coke machine-type centers and guards having easy access to their legs. Play after play. I warned about this on Dolphin forums two years ago when Miami drafted Jordan Phillips out of Oklahoma in the second round. He is listed at 6-5 or 6-6, depending where you shop.

    Phillips is a constant frustration among Dolphin fans due to so-called inconsistency. I call it logic. I was a very young early elementary school kid during the Packer glory years under Lombardi. But all the neighborhood kids were sharp and we were quickly following football. Jerry Kramer had the glory block in the famous Ice Bowl. Jethro Pugh made it very easy for him. Pugh was a 6-6 Cowboys defensive tackle who allowed Kramer to get low and submarine him. Easy Bart Starr touchdown sneak and the Lombardi legend grows.

    The Cowboys were early devotees of athletic testing and finding ideal body types. I remember someone in the Dallas organization reluctantly conceding several years later that until that Jethro Pugh example they didn’t realize height could be a disadvantage at defensive tackle. I’m not sure if it sourced from Gil Brandt or Tex Schramm but it was someone prominent, and in a deflated tone.

    The character is another matter. Almost impossible to evaluate without access to friends and tons of info. That’s why there is so much disparity in how troubled players turn out. We simply don’t know enough and have to guess. Jordan Phillips was summarized as a lazy type coming out of college, like McDowell. I’m not sure those moody guys shouldn’t be moved outside where they can deal with more simplistic one-on-one situations and perhaps perk up naturally instead of sulking.

    McDowell is more talented than Phillips, IMO.

    • nichansen01

      One of the positives I heard about McDowell was that despite his height, he can still function as an immovable anchor in the interior. There are effective tall defensive tackles, Calais Campbell comes to mind. Key is that they get low and anchor every play.

      • DC

        Calais was a 3-4 DE in AZ.

        • BobbyK

          They played him at DT in lots of instances, too. Most of his career sacks, I’m willing to bet, were up the gut… not off the edge.

          • Ishmael

            It’s fair to say that Campbell is an outlier though. He’s a genuine star, tremendous player, but he is very unusual. The trend is against players like that – doesn’t mean there won’t be exceptions, but the odds are against them.

    • CanuckHawk

      As I recall the Dallas Cowboys did okay with Jethro Pugh and Ed “Too Tall” Jones leading the way in Super Bowl XII.

    • C-Dog

      That’s an interesting point. I think it depends on how you play a longer bodied DT, if you play him at a nose, he might have those problems (Isn’t Phillips a NT for the Fins?), but if you’re asking him to attack the gab between the tackle and guard, that length can serve as an advantage if the player has good athleticism. There’s been some really efffective long 3 techs in the league over the years, and in Pete’s tenure in Seattle he seems to have gravitated to longer ones, outside of Rubin. I get what you are saying though. Personally, though, I think 6-3 to 6-4 is kinda that sweet spot.

    • RWIII

      Awsi: Your post makes a ton of sense. Being 6’6 for a defensive tackle could be a disadvantage. Very good.

      • PDXBen

        Shorter guys can get under a DTs pads but taller guys have longer arms to initiate contact….I think there are probably also sub types within these height categories: Like when you see a tall person who is ALL leg, vs someone who has a longer torso.Regardless, McDowell seems like a pouty kid in a mans game- gonna get punched in the face and wanna quit . Pass.

    • Rob Staton

      I think the big difference is Jordan Phillips never mailed in a season.

  11. Victor

    No player is a lock to be a sure thing remember Aaron Curry the safest pick in the draft that year he came out ended being one of our biggest busts. Jordan Hill injury prone he played well but couldnt stay on the field. My point is no one is a sure thing so i have no issue with taking a guy with immense upside like McDowell remember he is only 20 years old. There is a standard that the defense will accept so i believe these guys will help him and teach him. I would love him on this team if they see fit to draft him.

    • Rob Staton

      And I don’t think we should ever view anyone as a sure thing. That said — this is the point with McDowell. It’s about giving yourself the best chance to avoid drafting a bust. When you see a player slouching the way he did in 2016 and then you see his personality and the way he conducts himself and the two come together — why isn’t he going to be another Aaron Curry?

      Maybe he will turn it on at the next level. Maybe. But we all know how people will react if the Seahawks draft someone like this and the gamble doesn’t pay off.

      • Stephen H. Pitell

        I’d look into chemical depression. If a pill would fix his problems, we’d be set.

      • no frickin clue

        There’s something wrong when a guy is observably indifferent at many times in what amounts to an 8-month job interview. Effort is not coach-able. If he’s not going to give an honest effort now, then when?

  12. Hawk Eye

    let’s think of grit, heart and effort as part of talent
    let’s think of dedication, preparation as part of talent
    let’s think of competitive fire as part of talent
    let’s think of “coachability” as part of talent
    does he play because he is good, or is he good because he loves to play
    does the player like to win or hate to lose? Not the same thing, not the same end result.

    now add those to the tape and combine results and judge accordingly

    • Kendo

      Makes perfect sense to me

  13. cha

    Sheil Kapadia‏Verified account
    @SheilKapadia

    Follow
    More
    Seahawks RFA Garry Gilliam has signed an offer sheet for a one-year deal with the 49ers, per a league source

  14. Aaron

    Looks like Gilliam actually has a market despite his regression last year.

    @SheilKapadia
    Seahawks RFA Garry Gilliam has signed an offer sheet for a one-year deal with the 49ers, per a league source…. (link: http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0645786102388495343-4) espn.com/espn/now?nowId…

    If Gilliam is signed by the 49ers I hope the Hawks target Moton in RD2 as a RG/RT prospect. Guy is questionable in terms of playing RT but if Ifedi is going to be our RT next year we need some depth on that side.

    • nichansen01

      UGh. I did not want to see Gilliam go.

    • Overtime

      Apparently he only got a 1 year deal from the Niners. The Hawks will probably match that. Had it been a multi-year commitment they would let him walk.

      • Greg Haugsven

        I wonder what the miners offer is? Im guessing 3 million.

        • BobbyK

          They won’t match that (if it’s $3 million). Ifedi is going to be the RT. And if Joeckel is the LT, then Fant will be the swing tackle and Gilliam wouldn’t have even made the team.

          • Greg Haugsven

            I agree they wouldn’t match that. Whatever it is I’m assuming it’s north of 2 million at least.

            • BobbyK

              Contract is for $2.2M w/$1.4M guaranteed.

              Too much for a historically bad player who seems to be motivated/good for about a 4-5 game stretch each year.

              Then again, you’re only as good as your last game(s)… and Gilliam was pretty good after getting dumped for Sowell mid-season.

              He’s a frustrating player…

              • JakeB

                I really don’t think he had a shot to make the roster unless someone got hurt in the preseason. Was kind of a nonguaranteed contract security blanket. I wish he was going to be around for the big OL competition, but everyone should still be fighting for playing time besides Britt.

              • Coleslaw

                He’s streaky, but he hasn’t been bad at the end of the season yet. We know it takes well into the year for our line to play right, Gilliam has owned that each year. Pay him that money, very much worth it with our line.

                I don’t think Joeckel will last at LT and I don’t know if he even beats Fant (more about Fant than Joeckel) I’d rather have:
                LT: Fant, Joeckel
                LG: Joeckel, Glowinski
                C: Justin Britt, Joey Hunt
                RG: Aboushi/Glowinski
                RT: Ifedi, Gilliam
                2.2M for someone who’s been with us longer than any other O liner on the roster (Maybe other than Britt)

              • Hawkfaninmt

                Seems like they could possibly pick up Clady or Dunlap for that kind of money to come in back-up/compete.

                • Old but Slow

                  Not a bad move by the young man, but sign him. Offensive linemen age like fine wine and well made strong beer (a personal infatuation), as they gain experience and guile.

                  He has shown that he can play, sometimes well, sometimes otherwise, but the qualities are there and he is young.

                  There is reason behind the interest from the dark side.

                  • Old but Slow

                    This comment was meant to be about Gilliam, to avoid confusion.

    • Eburgz

      That sucks. Hope they match the offer. If they don’t then where does that leave us with tackle depth? Fant and Joeckel both play on the left side and I’ve got the impression Odiambo is more comfortable on the left as well(still not happy he caused that safety by stepping on RW’s foot when he stepped in for Ifedi at RG against Atlanta). I’m not sure how difficult it is to switch from one side of the OL to the other but I bet it’s not easy. Ifedi hasn’t even played one snap at RT in the NFL and we are going to bank on him to be a good RT and also never get hurt?

      What if Ifedi twists his ankle in training camp again?

      Well…
      If Fant and Joeckel are LT, LG then that leaves Odi as our starting RT. If Joeckel wins the LT spot Fant could backup both LT and RT. Then imagine another Tackle gets hurt after Ifedi goes down and where that leaves us. If we don’t retain him we are basically forced to either use a high draft pick on a tackle (more youth doesn’t instill confidence) in what appears to a bad OT class. Better hope someone like Moten is sitting there for us in that case because there are only a handful of guys in the class that are going to be able to start at OT their rookie year.
      OR pick up a veteran OT for depth (what could we even get for 2.2m?)
      OR risk playing a super raw rookie/street FA if we have a couple injuries (highly likely in this sport)

      I say matching the offer is a no brainer but I’m guessing the Hawks decline to do so.

    • Overtime

      Everybody dumped on Britt, too, until they didn’t.

    • Dale Roberts

      The only reason they wouldn’t match would be if the Hawks think he’s reached his ceiling. $2.2 million isn’t expensive for an athletic, 26 year old RT who’s only a three year vet.

  15. East Side Stevie

    Have a feeling we will match that offer sheet on Gilliam, because if we let em go its my understanding we wont get ccompensation for him. But correct me if Im wrong. Rob I get the impression that you arent very high on Tredavious White Im curious to hear more about that.

    • Ishmael

      Not to speak for Rob, but I think he’s been pretty high on him for a while. Terrific character, very high floor, NFL ready player. He’s going to step in and be a good player for someone from day one. Probably won’t ever turn into a real star, but he’ll be a solid starter for a long time.

      • East Side Stevie

        By me thinking Rob not being high on him my evidence would be White not being included in Rob’s top 40 big board or in Rob’s 1st round mock from the other day.

      • Kenny Sloth

        He’s not the eye popping difference making athlete we look for in the early rounds.

        Jarran Reed’s selection a year ago is the biggest detriment to this argument.

  16. RWIII

    Brock Huard also likes Tre’Davious White.

    1st point. I would be vertical very surprised if Melifonwu lasts until pick 26. No dout Chancellor is a more vicious hitter then Melifonwu. Chancello is also a team leader. With that said Melifonwu had a higher upside than Chancellor. Chancellor is very athletic. But Melifonwu just plain knocks it out of the park when it comes to talent.

    2nd point. As far as McDowell is concerned: First round, forget about it. 2nd round I think I would rather take a chance on Wormley.

  17. Patrick T.

    I’ve been reading you for many years Rob and am finally writing my first comment. Thanks for providing some of the best draft content anywhere. I am a much better fan because of you and the community of regular commenters here.
    I imagine that McDowell had a lengthy conversation with Michael Gervais and that the results of that conversation (as well as his demeanour throughout the day) will go a long ways towards determining how seriously they comsider him.

    • Rob Staton

      Quite probable

  18. Ed

    I love your blog Rob, it’s my favorite place to go for Seahawks draft info, but I think you’re being a bit rough on McDowell. He’s only 20 years old, one of the youngest in this DL class, to me he just comes off as young and immature. I know I was a completely different person at 23 (which a lot of these prospects are) vs. 20. I think Frank Clark came into the league at 20/21, now at 23 he’s already played two NFL seasons and still coming into his own both on and off the field. I like McDowell’s game alright, but I like a lot more considering his age. I think we have some great role models on the DL here, they helped Frank grow and I think they could help someone as young and talented as McDowell too.

    • Rob Staton

      The thing is though, Frank played his heart out at Michigan. McDowell might just be immature. Yet his body language is bad on camera and on the field, plus in an extended job interview (2016 season) he well and truly mailed it in. That has to be a concern. Doesn’t mean he’s going to be bad at the next level but you have to try and minimise the opportunity of making a bad pick.

      • Ed

        When I watched his film I knew absolutely nothing about him or his backstory, I was just going down the list of DL prospects and watching their tape so I could have an opinion on them. I didn’t notice him mailing it in or having bad body language, but I wasn’t looking for it either, maybe I would notice on a re-watch. I only watched the five games of his on draftbreakdown, I thought he looked good, the thing I noticed that bothered me was he frequently missed tackles when he got into the backfield, but I thought at least he was getting penetration. I loved his hand fighting, quick first step though, and movement for a guy his size. Maybe he had some ugly games too, I’m just going by the ones I saw, I didn’t see the Michigan game. I’m sure this season was mentally tough on him, he was on a two loss team the previous year, he’s expecting to be on a good team again, have a big year and go pro, instead he’s on a terrible three win team and his stats took a step back. I went through something similar going from high school to college ball, it was extremely difficult for me to deal with at the time, but when I got to college it felt like a clean slate. When I look at McDowell I just see a young immature guy dealing with some adversity, yes it got to him, but lots of people get knocked down, grow, learn, and bounce back. Betting on him definitely has risk, I think giving millions to any 20 year old would, but given his age I think I’m probably more hopeful he could turn it around than some others are.

    • Old but Slow

      While I agree with your early point that he is immature, and the unfortunate interview (for him) looked to me like a little kid, fiddling with his face, not sure what to do with his hands, totally self conscious and out of his comfort zone, but the film shows the same indifference, and that is a big difference.

      Very understandable that the team is getting to know him. Is the problem something that they can deal with?

      Intriguing player.

      • Old but Slow

        When I say “film” I am talking about game film, not interviews and stuff.

  19. Sea Mode

    Obi vs. Chidobe, if both are available at 26: let the discussion begin. Although I think we would all be happy with either, I’m curious to hear whom you all prefer at this point.

    I currently have Awuzie higher than Obi. (there, I said it… 😉 )

    It’s not because I absolutely think Obi can’t be better, but simply because from the limited material available on the internet, I have no way to know the kind of man I am getting with Obi.

    Some prospects are more reclusive and take more digging into, and Obi is one of them. I think the fact that Seattle has met with him so many times speaks to this. Like us here on the blog, we know PC is drooling to get that kind of a physical and athletic specimen in his hands to mold. He’s a heck of a piece of clay and potential mismatch eraser, no doubt there.

    But how ready is he mentally to play at all the different positions we project him being able to cover? How smart is he really beyond the glasses he wears in a couple interviews? Is that competitive fire we reach to read into his disappointment at his combine vert more of just a guy who wanted to showboat in the gym, or a guy who has a real fire on the field, on the sideline, and in the locker room? How much is real instinct and how much did his elite athleticism account for in a small college program?

    Obi very well might have all this, it’s just an unknown for me at this point. Whereas with guys like Jarrad Davis and Chidobe Awuzie, they hardly even need to bother setting up a meeting unless it’s to check out the injury status. You turn on one game and one interview, and you know instantly who the guy is and that he’s simply got it. Leadership, grit, instincts, smarts. It’s all there beyond a shadow of a doubt.

    The big thing I long for in Obi is the size and length to cover big WR/TE, but Awuzie is not one of the tiny slot guys either to the point where he would become a liablity. I also love Awuizie’s knack for blitzing from the slot and think that is a huge asset we are absolutely going to need if we play 3 safties (reference Gary Patterson article). And if a Mike Evans or Gronk comes to town, we know Awuzie already has the versatility to shift to another spot and let Sherm or Kam or whoever cover the big guy. We think Obi might have it or be able to learn it, but who knows. Yet another projection we have to make at this point.

    Let me know where you guys are at.

    • Rob Staton

      I genuinely think Chidobe will be gone by #26. Obi might be there though.

      • Sea Mode

        Yeah, I’m definitely not getting my hopes up too high for Chidobe to be there. And even if he were, they might opt for Obi anyway. Would mean he checked their boxes in the interviews and visit, so I would be equally stoked.

    • millhouse-serbia

      Obi vs Chidobe- trade back and take Buda. Use that pick to trade up and take Quincy.

    • Hawkfaninmt

      I think that there are more comparable players to Chidobe than to Obi… so i would go Obi.

    • Eburgz

      Awuzie is the safer bet. He is great athlete (137 SPARQ puts him in the top 3% in the NFL at his position). according to Tony Pauline he scored a 35 on his wonderlic (Peyton manning scored a 28, Brady a 33 for reference). Excellent football IQ, character and instincts. Experience playing in the slot/outside cb and safety along with a decent 6 foot 200 pound frame. He is a threat blitzing off the edge, solid in run support and a good special teams gunner. Watched his interviews and a couple of his games and i’m totally sold. Hard to poke holes in his game but he isn’t very long 30 5/8 (arms) 74 1/8 (wingspan) and he doesn’t get many picks (3 in his four years at Colorado and only 1 his senior year).

      Obi is a wildcard. Even better athlete (might be the best athlete in the NFL next year) with ridiculous size and length to match. I think he has good ball skills and is excellent at fitting in in the run game and he’s a sure tackler. No idea what his wonderlic is haha but his coach eluded to the fact that he is intelligent and had a great GPA in school. his football IQ, character and instincts all have been questioned throughout the draft process. Some people think his instincts aren’t great, that he plays with slow eyes and poor recognition. Ive heard that people think he is soft or not gritty enough because of how he comes across in interviews and because he isn’t a big hitter despite his speed/size. He mostly played deep free safety so I think he is a tougher projection because he is going to be playing a different position.

      Can’t go wrong either way if you ask me but I would probably be more excited to have Obi based on how I view his potential. You can’t teach bigger, faster, stronger. I say swing for the fences. Get him in the program, coach him up and hope he develops. I think Awuzie will be taken by a more risk averse team picking before 26 and the luxury to choose will be taken from us.

      Give me Obi in R1 and Wormley (love that he has blocked a bunch of kicks and is a team captain) in R2

  20. Sea Mode

    Special teams reserve WR with 0 catches in 13 games this year, but impressive vert.
    http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/kaleb_moore_811945.html

    @13_JALLEN

    Baylor WR Kaleb Moore destroyed his @nfl pro day with a 40 then a 44 in vert, a 10″8 Broad jump & ran 4.49 & 4.58 40 times.
    WE WORKING ‼️

    5:58 PM – 17 Apr 2017 from Texas, USA

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      He has zero catches in his career at Baylor from his bio. Not terribly big, but went 6’11” in HS in high jump… placed 3rd in state at 5A in Texas. 2 sport athlete, track and football. I honestly don’t know how he would fit into the NFL….

    • Hawkfan086

      Mack Hollins, WR, North Carolina
      Height: 6-4. Weight: 221. Arm: 33.25. Hand: 9.75.
      40 Time: 4.54.
      Projected Round (2017): 6-FA.
      4/8/17: Hollins has good size to him and ran faster than expected at the combine. As a senior, he played in seven games, making a total of of 16 receptions for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He had 30 receptions for 745 yards and eight scores as a junior.

      • Misfit74

        I like him

  21. CharlieTheUnicorn

    Perhaps McDowell is being brought in to see what makes him tick. The Seahawks may really like Wormsley or Watt or a few other pass rushers in the mid 2nd round range …. but this guy might slide due to the “concerns” expressed on the blog by the members. What happens then is you might be able to slip him down tot he bottom of the second round and get value for the pick.

    Always think about value when thinking about the draft. If two guys are almost identical, but one would cost more draft capital… why spend it, when you can get 2 (or 3) guys instead of 1. My hunch is they have some genuine questions about him and might target him in the late second round.

    The second round is an absolute wildcard pick imo. They could go any number of directions with the pick. S, CB, LB, DL, OL, RB, TE, WR….. ok, not kicker or punter or QB 😉

    • Sea Mode

      Besides touching all bases before you cross him off definitively, it also could serve more than anything as a bit of cover so as not to broadcast to the world which DL we are targeting early on.

  22. Sea Mode

    Ok, so the Gilliam thing. I think we have to put it into context with the whole RT question.

    1. Call me a conspiracy theorist or whatever, but I hypothesize that when they are targeting a position in FA or the draft, they like to give off the impression that they are fine at the position anyway if they miss out. I’m referring to the former insistence that Ifedi would stay at RG. Contrary to what everybody saw as obvious, they seemed adament about it. Why? Perhaps to give T.J. Lang the impression that even if he didn’t sign with us, we weren’t going to roll over and die at RG. Why hand him the leverage of knowing we have a huge need at RG.

    2. And after they did miss out (admitting they really wanted Lang) and signing Aboushi (Mar. 20), they both start affirming in interviews that Ifedi is the RT and now is the time to make it happen (Mar. 28). Was that the truth all along, or is that another coordinated shift of gears knowing that now they were looking at negotiating with Gilliam and/or possibly targeting a RT in the draft?

    3. I personally think that Gilliam is worth the tender, even as a swing tackle, with his youth and upside he has shown in a few games, and that they should match it this year.

    • C-Dog

      I will be interesting to see what they do there. For the $ he signed, I kinda think they are going to let him walk onto that 49er roster.

    • vrtkolman

      He has shown upside in a few games over the past two years, but those other games have been historically bad. I personally think they are done with him but we’ll see in five days.

    • cha

      1. I thought they were targeting Lang at LG? Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory, just the Hawks rolling with the punches and making adjustments as needed. It’s nice to go into the offseason with a very specific plan but things happen. The guys you target sign with other teams, the player you want in the draft gets grabbed just ahead of you, etc. This just has a feel of the Hawks making adjustments as they see fit.

  23. cha

    Sheil Kapadia‏ @SheilKapadia
    Dion Jordan’s one-year deal with Seahawks is for $640,000 with no money guaranteed, per a league source. $615K base, $25K workout bonus.

    • Drew

      Huge possible return with very little risk, I love it!

      • Drew

        And apparently he’ll be a RFA in 2018

  24. C-Dog

    With the 26th pick in the NFL 2017 Draft, the Seattle Seahawks punt inside the opponents 5 yard line on the idea of drafting Malik McDowell, and select SDB favorite Obi Melfonwu, defensive back, Connecticut.

    26: R1P26
    S OBI MELIFONWU
    CONNECTICUT

    58: R2P26
    DL LARRY OGUNJOBI
    CHARLOTTE

    90: R3P26
    G NICO SIRAGUSA
    SAN DIEGO STATE

    102: R3P38
    WR JOSH REYNOLDS
    TEXAS A&M

    106: R3P42
    EDGE CARROLL PHILLIPS
    ILLINOIS

    210: R6P26
    CB BRIAN ALLEN
    UTAH

    226: R7P8
    TE DARREN DANIELS
    WASHINGTON

    Seattle is still in the market of going DL early, though, and they like Charlotte’s Larry Ogunjobi, who’s athletic traits aren’t too far off from McDowell’s and his demeanor and ethic seem a whole heck of a lot better.

    R3 they let Garry Gilliam be a 49er and select Nico Siragusa to help out at guard at Germain Ifedi transitions to RT, select Josh Reynolds who offers them a red zone target, and they grab edge rusher Carroll Phillips.

    In the late rounds, they add SPARQy Brian Allen to develop at outside corner, and SPARQy Husky TE Darren Daniels.

    UDFA’s include CB Xavier Coleman, FB Freddie Stevenson, RB Elijah Hood, DT Glen Antoine, QB Alek Torgersen, OT Storm Norton, LB Jimmy Gilbert, and K Nick Weiler

  25. EP

    Who do we all think is the most likely to drop out of the first round? The player has to be considered a genuine first round talent (I know around 40 could arguably go in the first round) and has been more or less since midway through last season. I’d say Jabrill Peppers personally despite the fact he is probably my favourite player in the whole draft class. I can just see teams passing on him because they might not know how he will fit in their system. If they want a safety they may feel more comfortable taking a Buddha Baker/ Justin Evans/ Josh Jones before Peppers (that’s considering Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker are off the board). He is an incredible athlete with potential wherever you put him but I think some teams may not be willing to take a risk when there are other safer options available.

    • EP

      I’ll no doubt be wrong however and he’ll be taken in the first 20, which I hope he does

    • Ishmael

      Dalvin Cook

    • AlaskaHawk

      Buddha Baker because he is small for a safety. Though someone is doing a good job trying to sell him as a slot cornerback.

  26. Ishmael

    I will just add on McDowell that the last two DL guys they’ve taken early have been seriously big dogs. Jarran Reed was the leader of an Alabama defence filled with big time five star guys, a lot of whom are going to go on to star in the NFL. And his leadership was totally unquestioned.

    And by the time Frank Clark was a senior, he was assuming a leadership role as well, saying things like: ‘As a senior my job isn’t to give up my team, my job isn’t to have my head down when we’re losing. You need to keep your guys positive.”’

    They’re the total opposite of McDowell. You know they’re going to bring it, especially when their backs are to the wall. Faced with some on-field adversity McDowell folded like a house of cards. Why is it going to be any different at the next level?

    • C-Dog

      Nice take.

    • Rob Staton

      I think this is due diligence on McDowell

    • Ed

      I don’t think he folded like a house of cards, he’s being talked about as a first round draft pick, I personally liked his tape and potential. He was on a terrible team and didn’t respond well, were people bagging him the previous year when the Spartans were a top ranked team? Winning covers up a lot of problems, you have no idea how some of these Alabama players will act if they’re drafted by a losing NFL team, we haven’t seen them put in that situation. We have no idea of the infighting and problems that would erupt on the Seahawks if we have a losing season. When you’re looking at McDowell you may be looking at a guy at his low point, struggling with seeing his expectations dashed. Imagine being 20 years old, thinking you could be a top first round pick and seeing your season go down the drain and your play suffer. None of us know the guy, none of us have interviewed him or his friends, teammates, and coaches to get a sense of his true character. I don’t mean to be going to bat for the guy, but based on his tape and potential at 20 years old I’m just open drafting him if he’s available. I’d have a lot more doubts if he was 23 or older. The Seahawks are doing their due diligence on him, if they come away comfortable drafting him then I’m comfortable. There seems to be some rumors we’re going to target interior pass rush early in this draft, I’d rather wait at 26 or move back and draft McDowell then make a huge trade up to the top of the draft (if it’s even possible) for Solomon or Allen (the two rumored targets), that trade up would have a lot of risk as well.

      • DLep

        Great post Ed.

        • Ed

          Thanks DLep!

  27. JakeB

    No surprise but rapsheet says Hawks won’t match on Gilliam

    • vrtkolman

      I’m hoping Ifedi kicks out to RT and Aboushi gets a starting spot at RG. He’s really underrated and could prove to be a solid signing.

      • JakeB

        I was very intrigued by the Aboushi signing as well. However the OL competition shakes out, I just want them to get it right the first time.

  28. ukhawk

    Some very good points made questioning McDowell’s character, intensity, skill set and I agree all these concerns are valid.

    That said, I think he should be a target in R2; especially considering the strong locker room, coaching staff & excellent winning atmosphere Seattle can offer.

    Really enjoyed Brett Kollman’s video review of McDowell & liked some of the points made. Ultimately he is a prospect with elite physical tools who flashed dominant skills in run & pass and who is very young & under developed. He undoubtedly wore down (mentally & physically) as the bad year progressed at MSU but as with many DT prospects, his intensity & dedication have been questioned.

    Personally I believe he is similar to Calais Campbell in terms of make-up & upside. A guy who also slipped into R2, who was also questioned for similar concerns coming out of Miami, a guy with a unique skill set who can play inside/out, made multiple pro bowls and a guy who we wanted to sign in the offseason.

    Definitely not in R1 but maybe a risk to take in R2

    • vrtkolman

      It seems to me like teams will overdraft interior pass rushers with big measurables. Arizona took Robert Nkemdiche in the 1st round last year and he had a ton of red flags. I don’t think he would last to our round 2 pick.

      • DLep

        I see the comparisons to Nkemdiche and not that they are unfair but I would just point out that in contrast, McDowell doesnt have any known off field red flags and he was actually more productive than Nkemdiche. 24.5 tfls and 7.5 sacks in his career (including 13 and 4.5 as a sophomore). 50 career solo tackles.

        Nkemdiche had 16 tfls and 6 sacks and never had more than 7 tfls in a season. 41 solo tackles. Not a huge difference in production but not insignificant either.

  29. cha

    Ian Rapoport‏Verified account @RapSheet · 54m54 minutes ago

    That was fast: The #Seahawks will not match OT Garry Gilliam’s offer sheet and he’s headed to SF now to sign with the #49ers, source said 🖋

    • nichansen01

      Ugh

    • Lord Snow

      Bennett, Avril, and Clark must be salivating by now.

  30. Isaac

    I have to say this blogs commenters are the most educated people within football. Rob does an insane job keep us so informed and making the draft process more of a educated guess.

  31. CLB

    NFL TV currently showing 2007 Dallas at Seattle wild-card playoff game.

  32. Trevor

    Sherm not showing for OTA’s.

    What I once thought was nearly impossible to think of trading Sherm seem much more probable than not right now.

    • vrtkolman

      Where did you hear that? Albert Breer tweeted that Sherm won’t report for voluntary offseason workouts (which isn’t a big deal), but will report before OTA’s.

      • Trevor

        He has reported every other year and lives in the area. Him not showing is a big deal.

        • Del tre

          Muchado about nothing.

    • Lord Snow

      I doubt their desire to trade him goes up or down based on showing or not showing up for a voluntary activity.

      I seem to recall that in the early years, Lynch used to get work in preseason and training camp. That ended at some point.

      Don’t read so much into it. Brady didn’t show up. Will they trade him? Thoughts like this just feed the media beast.

  33. Trevor

    My 10 Days left till the draft

    Beast Mode Traded to the Raiders for a 6th Round pick

    Sherm Traded to Titans for a 1st and 4th

    Hawks Trade back with one of their 3rd round picks to get a 4th and 5th

    Rd#1 (From Titans) Kevin King (CB / Wash) Perfect prospect to replace Sherm.

    Rd#1 Obi Melinouwfu (S / UConn) Hawks get an ultra Athletic Big Nickel and replacement for Kam longer Term

    Rd#2 Daeshon Hall (DE / Tex A&M) Love his upside as a pass rusher

    Rd#3 Issac Assiata (G/ Utah) Love this guys nastiness and he can compete for a Guard Spot / Backup Britt at Center

    Rd#3 Comp Akhello Witherspoon (CB / Col) Ideal Hawks outside CB physically. Now he needs to be motivated and learn how to tackle.

    Rd#4 (From Titans) George Kittle (TE / Iowa)

    Rd #4 (From Trade Back) Tewan Taylor (WR / W.Ken)

    Rd#5 (From Trade Back) Aviante Collins (OL / TCU ) Love this guys athleticism in a ZBS scheme. Could develop into an ideal OT / G Swing Guy

    Rd#6 (From Raiders) Grover Stewart (DT / Albany St) – This guy is a beast and the type of guy they seem to be looking for in the middle of that run D.

    Rd#6 Samson Eukban ( LB / Eastern Wash)

    Rd#7 Zane Gonzalez (K / Ariz St.)

    • vrtkolman

      I would be pretty ecstatic with this draft. King and Witherspoon would be fantastic prospects to reload the LOB. Obi too of course. The rest of the draft is solid too, though I would also love Wormley/Larry Obg in the 2nd and hope that Hall drops in the 3rd.

      • Misfit74

        That draft, and a specific haul of DBs like that is one of few things that would allow me to accept the idea of trading Sherman.

        Even still, we’d have to expect our secondary to suffer some serious growing pains and it could mean a poor season.

  34. Jujus

    LARRY OGUNJOBI – I don’t get all of the hype that everyone seems to be pushing on this guy. Not amazingly athletic, from a nowhere school, is he even really a 2nd rounder?

    • nichansen01

      Just a sign of how bad this DT class is.

    • C-Dog

      He’s a pretty good player athletically, showed up well at the Senior Bowl and Combine. Seattle is reportedly interested in him.

      • JakeB

        I’d love for them to find another young DT even though it’s such a shallow class. Ogunjobi, j. Johnson, or Tomlinson is who I have my eyes on

    • Kenny Sloth

      He plays really well.

      Holds the point, penetration upside, strong, physical, athletic, clean technique, solid feet and flexibility, I’m surprised he’s not getting more hype

    • Rob Staton

      I wasn’t that impressed with the tape I watched vs Louisville.

      • C-Dog

        The Louisville tape seems to be a detraction for him, for sure. When I was looking at it, I thought there was times he was getting good penetration when they were lining him further away from center.

  35. Misfit74

    Josh Norris’ team by team mocks had Seattle today. I like his comments for Bolles, and frankly like many of his choices besides 26. Brian Allen and Witherspoon FTW! (source: Rotoworld)

    [
    Round 1 (26): LB/EDGE Tyus Bowser – Hear me out. One, Bowser can play off the ball or rush the passer. He is an incredible athlete but also comfortable in space. Two, K.J. Wright’s contract is about to become very expensive with very little guaranteed money left on the deal. Three, perhaps the team wants to infuse more SAM play back in the defense, but even if not Bowser has pass rushing upside.

    Round 2 (58): OL Dion Dawkins, Temple – Dawkins played left tackle at Temple, but he lined up at guard and right tackle during Senior Bowl week. I tried to make a starting five out of the Seahawks’ offensive line and couldn’t do it. I wonder if they will try to trade up for Garett Bolles.

    Round 3 (90): S John Johnson, Boston College – Some teams might view Johnson as a corner, some as a safety. The Seahawks could view him as both thanks to Johnson possessing 32-plus inch arms. Both safety contracts are coming to an end.

    Round 3 (102): CB Ahkello Witherspoon, Colorado – Another corner. Witherspoon fits the size and athletic profile and was another member of a loaded Colorado defensive backfield.

    Round 3 (106): CB Brian Allen, Utah – Yes, another corner, because the team is uncertain at the position. Allen is older. He projects to the outside.

    Round 6 (210): DL Roderick Henderson, Alabama State – The Seahawks have looked at a number of big, run stuffing defensive tackles. There aren’t many in this class.

    Round 7 (226): QB P.J. Walker, Temple – The Seahawks backup quarterback situation is a mess. Walker is generating late interest in the process.
    ]

    • DLep

      Id really like the Bowser, Dawkins (as a guard), Witherspoon and Henderson picks. That would be a nice haul. Id sub Shaq Griffin for Allen and maybe Xavier Woods for Johnson (if we are doing like for like position subs) but that’s just personal view there.

    • Misfit74

      “K.J. Wright’s contract is about to become very expensive with very little guaranteed money left on the deal.”

      This is not something I’ve seen discussed or even thought about. Perhaps Jarrad Davis is more of a target than I thought…

      • All I see is 12s

        Left to right: Fant, Joekel, Britt, Boush, Ifedi. See, not hard. Glowinski and Ohdiambo will also compete. Better than last year

        • DLep

          I could see that being a decent five actually. Fant is the big wild card to me. If he makes major strides then the unit could actually be a plus.

        • Eburgz

          I think Glowinski is going to win one of the starting guard spots. Not sure why everyone seems so down on him.

  36. Ross

    If Obi and Marlon Humphrey are both available at #26 do the Hawks go Obi? Letting Humphrey go would kill me – I think he’s the best CB in the draft and plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. Curious if this is possible (both him dropping to 26 and us passing on him)

    • Rob Staton

      I wouldn’t expect Humphrey to be there

  37. Sea Mode

    Seahawks Re-Sign ERFA RBs Troymaine Pope & Terrence Magee

  38. Jujus

    http://draftanalyst.com/da-draft-buzz-april-17-part-ii-small-school-defenders-shooting-boards

    Tony Pauline saying Grover stewart has 24 visits and cant make them all he is in high demand – if we want him i Think he is a comp pick @ 3…

    And Samson Ebukam who I think we need as a DE/OLB has great hand work getting alot of interest from more teams.

  39. Sea Mode

    First Hogan last year, then Gillmore this year and now Gillesie. The Pats aren’t just adding players, they are also draining their division foes at the same time.

    @RapSheet

    Here we go: #Patriots extended an RFA offer sheet to #Bills RB Mike Gillislee. It’s for 2 years, $6.4M, source said. $4M in the 1st year.

    The #Patriots structured the Mike Gillislee deal to make it tough for the #Bills to match. Similar to Chris Hogan from last year. 5 days.

    10:35 AM – 18 Apr 2017

    • Misfit74

      I always liked when we poached inter-divisional players, or seemingly planned how to specifically beat those teams with roster construction.

      Now we just plan on how to beat the entire league. 🙂

  40. BlueHawk22

    Great stuff Rob! I’m a huge fan of your work.

    When ESPN’s Bill Barnwell broke his mock draft with trades involving Richard Sherman – one of those including a trade with Miami (Seahawks get 1-22 and 2018 – 4th round), I immediately put both McDowell and Melifonwu as my 1st round choices at 22 and 26 respectively. Given this information in your post, I’m kind of second-guessing this now. Based off his measurements and tape alone, I really like McDowell. Man, kind of a bummer.

    As it stands now, I have:

    1st/26 – Obi Melifonwu, S
    2nd/52 – Tarell Basham, Edge
    3rd/90 – Nico Siragusa, G
    3rd/102 – Justin Evans, S
    3rd/106 – Carroll Phillips, Edge/OLB
    6th/210 – Freddie Stevenson, FB
    7th/226 – Michael Roberts, TE

    • BobbyK

      Sherman and Maxwell reunited. I could see it. The Dolphins owner loves star power. Not great at getting it as much as he’d like though.

  41. Misfit74

    Man, there a lot of guys I’ve come to really like in this draft. I’m having the toughest time with the DTs and OTs.

    I really like Obi, King, Awuzie along with Lattimore and Humphrey. The later guys like Witherspoon, B. Allen, J. Johnson, J. Jones, Evans. Then there are guys like H. Wilson, X. Coleman, S. Griffen a bit harder to peg.

    At LB I like Foster, Davis a ton. Cunningham isn’t quite what I thought he was but could still crack round 1. I like Watt, T. Williams as edge LBs.

    Guys like D. Rivers and T. Hendrickson have me very excited.

    Corey Davis, Chris Godwin, and Carlos Henderson at WR. Engram, Kittle, J. Smith, and Shaheen at TE. R. Davis, K. Hogan, and Zamora late WR fliers.

    Still, the biggest wildcards are: who that we have a chance at drafting can play OT? Who will we target at DT? Will we draft a C or C /OG to hedge Britt’s contract?

  42. BobbyK

    It would be fun to do a mock draft from the perspective if we were the GM of teams and had a guaranteed 5-year contract. So many GMs don’t draft for what’s in the best long-term interest, because they won’t be around to see the fruit of their labor if they don’t win now. Like TJ Watt, he’d be a top-10 pick imo if it were next year but some GMs need the best player for now, as opposed the best actual player. There are some players I wouldn’t touch who are going in the top 20 in real life.

  43. MontanaMike

    I can think of a dozen scenarios that i could live with, i’d really like to pick up Sidney Jones if he’s still available with our last 3rd rnd comp pick.

  44. GB3

    My Mock on Fanspeak netted some intersting results.

    26. Obi M. (S)
    58. C. Wormly (DL)
    90. Jake Butt (TE)
    102. Sidney Jones (CB)
    106. Rascal Douglas (CB)
    210. Elijah Lee (LB)
    226. David Jones (S)

    I’m sure they’ll trade back and pick up another pick to net themselves a lineman and WR.

    This was another intersting Mock II (even had a mock with Obi and Adoree being Seattle’s 1st two picks. Didn’t include because I doubt that happens w/o Seattle trading up to grab one of them)

    26. Obi M. (S)
    58. Quincy Wilson (CB)
    90. Jake Butt (TE)
    102. JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR)
    106. Nico Siragusa (OG)
    210. Elijah Lee (LB)
    226. David Jones (S)

    Rob, any thoughts about Seattle possibly asking Obi to add 10-15 lbs and having play a Bruce Irvin type role? I know they’ve toyed around with moving Safety’s to LB’s in the past and vice versa…big fan of your blog,thanks!

    • Rob Staton

      I think the game has shifted since 2012, so much so that a Bruce Irvin ‘SAM’ type role is more or less in the distance now. A fifth DB — especially an athletic safety — is the present and future of the NFL defense. So Obi staying at around 220lbs would be ideal for a big nickel role.

      • GB3

        Excellent thought, thanks!

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