Mayock updates rankings board
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock updated his prospect rankings today. It’s his first update since the combine. Here are the headlines:
— Kevin King is ranked as Mayock’s #3 cornerback
— Gareon Conley and Fabian Moreau move into the top five at CB
— Budda Baker is now classified as a slot corner, ahead of Chidobe Awuzie
— Jarrad Davis is now the #3 linebacker
King’s rise is the big news here. This is a deep cornerback class and a lot of players will have similar grades. Upside can be a difference maker, so can size and length. King has everything.
Furthermore, his tape has always been really good. Perhaps because he was the ‘other guy’ across from Sidney Jones, he never quite got the credit he deserved.
The only real concern mentioned by anyone was long speed. He ran a 4.43.
He has no character flags. He regularly references tape study and the intricacies of the position. He has experience in the slot and working outside.
King won’t necessarily be graded any better for his play than Tre’Davious White. Yet the size, length, athleticism, agility and upside could act as a tie breaker.
By placing him at #3 in his rankings, Mayock is practically asserting he’s a top-25 pick. In this class, the corner’s will go early and often. It brings about a scenario we touched on in last weeks mock — with King off the board before Seattle’s pick.
Conley, Awuzie and Moreau are also seemingly moving up boards for the same reason. They too showed tremendous upside at the combine. Although this is concerning:
#UCLA CB Fabian Moreau suffered what's believed to be a pectoral injury during the bench press today. Full injury extent not clear yet.
— Courtney Fallon (@CourtneyFallon_) March 21, 2017
Jim Mora spoke after the workouts stating the injury ‘was nothing to worry about’.
Kris Richard apparently attended the UCLA pro-day. If Moreau had 32-inch arms you’d have to think he’d be a legitimate option for Seattle with his explosive, twitchy athleticism. That’s not to say he won’t be on their radar — but he’d be the first corner they drafted with sub-32 inch arms in seven years of the Pete Carroll era.
The talent at cornerback and safety is so good early in this draft, we could see an unprecedented run on defensive backs in the first round. Teams will want a part of this. They won’t want to miss out. This is without doubt a defensive back draft. We could see 13-15 DB’s going in the top-40. It’s not as crazy as it sounds when you list the names out. It’s quite realistic:
Jamal Adams (S, LSU)
Malik Hooker (S, Ohio State)
Marshon Lattimore (CB, Ohio State)
Marlon Humphrey (CB, Alabama)
Gareon Conley (CB, Ohio State)
Budda Baker (S, Washington)
Kevin King (CB, Washington)
Obi Melifonwu (S, Connecticut)
Jabrill Peppers (S, Michigan)
Adoree’ Jackson (CB, LSU)
Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU)
Chidobe Awuzie (CB, Colorado)
Justin Evans (S, Texas A&M)
Fabian Moreau (CB, UCLA)
Quincy Wilson (CB, Florida)
Teez Tabor (CB, Florida)
Cordrea Tankersley (CB, Clemson)
And this isn’t accounting for arguably the top corner prospect, the injured Sidney Jones. There was some good news on Jones’ achilles earlier today when he tweeted this:
Surgery was great ✊🏾
The doctor said that I will for sure be playing this upcoming season 😎 #DontCountMeOut 💯— Sidney Jones IV (@SidneyJonesIV) March 21, 2017
It’s still quite likely Jones will start the season on the PUP list and may endure a medical redshirt in year one. However, he’s a highly talented corner and well worth a second round investment by someone.
A defensive back in round one still feels the most likely pick for Seattle considering the lack of roster depth at both corner and safety. It’ll be interesting if both Kevin King and Obi Melifonwu are off the board at #26. With Garett Bolles and Haason Reddick very likely to be unavailable too, a trade down scenario at that point could come into play.
Notes on Cordrea Tankersley
I spent a bit of time watching Clemson’s Tankerlsey over the weekend. He could be an option for Seattle with their second round pick or if they trade down from #26.
According to Charlie Campbell, he met with the Seahawks at the combine.
— Tankersley has a knack of undercutting routes, showing ample recovery speed to react and make a break on the ball.
— He’s generally very sticky in coverage. He’s grabby and might have some rough days early in his career as he works out what he can get away with. Yet unlike Gareon Conley he’ll jam and use his hands to control the route and get a feel for what the receiver’s going to do. This is a really underrated part of a CB’s game and it’s a big problem for Conley, who too often gives a free release and the room to make a cut or double move.
— Tankersley appeared to have a strong grasp of Clemson’s scheme and worked well with the free safety to cover his zone and pass off receivers.
— Showed ability to bait the QB by dropping off route, getting out of the line of sight only to make a late adjustment and play the ball. This was the type of move Kam Chancellor made against the Niners in the NFC Championship game. On two occasions I saw Tankersley pulled a similar move, gaining one interception.
— Uses his length well. Will jam at the line and disrupt routes. Has 32 inch arms. High pointed the football to make one brilliant sideline pick. Has some understanding of how to use the sideline to his advantage.
— He’s less finesse than other CB’s in this class. He’s not Brandon Browner but he’s not Ahkello Witherspoon either.
— Tankersley is an opportunist. Bad throws were punished. When a quarterback was moved off the spot and running for his life, Tankersley would read his eyes and make a play. Showed instinct and feel, has a habit of being in the right place at the right time.
— He had 16 PBU’s in 2016, the same number as Kevin King (who got a lot of targets as teams avoided Sidney Jones) and only one less than Adoree’ Jackson and Tre’Davious White.
— Tankersley matched-up vs Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges and won that battle comfortably, showing he can cover big, athletic receivers/tight ends. He did blow an assignment covering Isaiah Ford in the same game.
— He ran a 4.40 at the combine so there’s no problem with long speed.
— Run support was fine. He had a nice TFL vs Derrick Henry in the 2015 National Championship. Fine in this class is a bonus because a lot of the corners are below average in run support.
— Athletically he didn’t have an amazing combine despite the 4.40. He only managed a 29.5 inch vertical at the combine (improved to 30.5 at his pro-day). His 4.32 short shuttle was slower than a lot of the top prospects (and doesn’t compare favourably to some of the LB’s either) but it’s only 0.03 seconds slower than Richard Sherman’s 4.29. He ran a 7.00 three cone. The Seahawks have drafted three players with a +7.00 three cone (Byron Maxwell, Tharold Simon and Jeremy Lane) and Tye Smith ran a 6.97.
— He has the playing style of a Seattle corner and has a bit of the Byron Maxwell’s about him (Maxwell went to Clemson too so this isn’t a surprise in terms of playing style and technique).
While the Seahawks are unlikely to see him as a freakishly good athlete worthy of the #26 pick — he could be a very solid cornerback investment in round two. He isn’t as flashy as some of the corner’s being tipped for the first round but he’s grittier with a knack for making plays.
Vince Biegel insight
If the Seahawks don’t take a linebacker in the first two rounds, Wisconsin’s Vince Biegel could be a target in round three. The Badgers make videos of their players offering an insight into their background and personality. There’s a T.J. Watt version too. Here’s Biegel’s:
The one thing I’ve always noticed about Tankersley’s tape is that he is handsy. Regularly jams the receiver at the line and throws off his routes. Will he get called for PI more than others? Most certainly. But Seattle has shown that with their CBs they are willing to err on the side of too much contact.
I’ll take it compared to Gareon Conley — who has so much talent but hardly ever gets his hands on anyone and makes life way too easy for the receiver.
Agreed. Does the vertical not worry you a little bit? His tape shows that he can highpoint the ball really well…but 29″ is pretty darn underwhelming.
It does a little bit. His height and length makes it less of a concern overall but it’s kind of weird really. No real reason why it would be as bad as that. There may be a reason for it but we’ll never know. Strange one.
Did he retest the vert at his Pro Day?
Actually he did. Apparently he got up to 30.5 inches.
As a basketball guy, I knew quite a few guys who were better 1 foot jumpers than 2 foot jumpers. He might be in this category, and if so, it simply means he’s better jumping off the run than flat footed.
As long as the other measureables stack up, I don’t see this as a huge issue.
Nothing wrong with jamming at the line. Sherman used to do that a lot in his younger days.
I’m all for a jamming cornerback that can tackle.
When it was more legal. That’s why Sherman changed.
Seattle gets away with a ton of holding. Not as much as they used too, but the refs won’t call it after awhile.
Tank is a great fit for a team like Seattle. Perfect zone corner.
Excellent point. Seattle said they wouldnt change, but they were fibbing; they press far less and with less oomph than before the league-wide clampdown on Browners style of play.
Any thoughts on these Witherspoon a better fit for Seahawks than King tweets?
https://twitter.com/PFF_Steve/status/843905422318747648
https://twitter.com/PFF_Steve/status/843907678615359491
https://twitter.com/PFF_Steve/status/843910416656875520
Personally the reason I like King is it feels like this COULD be the best draft we’ll get before Sherm/Earl/Kam are no longer Seahawks to replace them with really talented players. Lots of fans out here wanting to grab a 5th round safety or a CB in R3 at the highest or something…not that star talent can’t be found that low (ie Sherm, Kam, etc) but I am looking at King and not seeing a CB2, but a CB1 with Sherman 2.0 potential. I am not looking at certain safeties and thinking “they’ll be better than Terrell” but “if Earl retired our defense would still be really, really good with this guy at FS”. You know?
Obviously you don’t want to over spend when for all we know Earl, Sherm & Kam could be Seahawks for the next 3+ years but still…we don’t to ever draft in the top 16 of every round so we miss out on a lot of high level talent, we never had a shot at Marcus Peters for example, but King (for example) is a CB who in a regular CB draft class (not historically deep & talented) he’d be a top 20 pick. We likely get a shot at him this year because there is so much depth at CB that some teams might pass over him for other, more shallow positions, before they drop off the ledge.
Two words: run support
Ahkello Witherspoon’s tackling is a major concern. Being a Seattle cornerback isn’t just about length. The Seahawks want long, physical corners who can tackle. Witherspoon might not even be considered by this team his tackling is so poor.
In your mind are these the two key standouts about King?
1. Freaky athlete. As you said, if the Seahawks draft in R1 it’s for a freak athlete or OL. They not taking some average athlete, correct?
2. Run support. From the sounds of it, run support is a weakness for the majority of the CB’s in this draft class. King stands out as a CB who is good in run support.
So when you add those two things together with good tape and no red flags…all that’s left to know is the private meeting stuff (is he gritty? is he a lover of the game? is he a team player? will he fit in with the LOB? etc).
I think King is fine in run support. Not a major positive for him or a major weakness.
I think he’s a little finesse despite his size. I really want a thumper while they’re available. Marquez White and Tankersley are great fits.
I can hear fans cheering already “TAAANK”
White has great coverage skills, but he’s not much of a tackler.
King is much more aggressive.
Beware of CBs that don’t have more than 30 tackles in a season.
His tackles are soft you’re right.
Lots of potential in that area though. He’s a real big guy!
He has kind of a lax character and I’m becoming less convinced he’ll be their kind of guy
I wonder if our hopes of Kevin King hinge on Marshawn Lynch? I see the Raiders and Texans, the two teams picking right in front of the Seahawks, as needing in on the CB market in round one. I wonder if it’s possible to trade our #26 and Lynch to the Raiders for their #24. Could be the difference between getting King or Obi… or not. I know it’s not much for Beast Mode, but the only real alternative is to hold on to his rights and we are forced to sit out the rest of free agency. This way something could be gotten (two spots higher) AND we could still sign a FA DT or something in this slow second wave.
No. The Hawks have little to no leverage in the Lynch situation.
The Seahawks have more leverage than people realise.
For starters, they are approximately $12-14m under the cap right now. And while they need to save around $7-9m for a draft class, IR and practise squad — they won’t need to even pay the draft class until May. So if Lynch un-retires, they are under no pressure to release him immediately.
I highly doubt he is going to want this to linger for weeks and the Raiders are also not going to entertain a situation where he maybe turns around and says, ‘staying retired’ in mid-May and they’re left high and dry. So Seattle doesn’t have to do anything. They can’t be held to ransom to release a player they have under contract just because he wants to go somewhere else.
My feeling is — Lynch won’t even file the papers to return until everything is sorted. An agreement between Seattle and the Raiders, an agreement between the player and both teams. Lynch is highly unlikely to file the papers and then talks occur. This will be sorted before he un-retires. And if no agreement is forthcoming, it probably won’t happen.
“My feeling is — Lynch won’t even file the papers to return until everything is sorted”
Agreed. And further, this is Marhawn, so he probably has little interest or desire to participate in OTAs and Mini Camps. He’s always on Marshawn time.
I’ve been telling people this very thing. Nobody believes me. If Lynch comes back I am sure Seattle will get some compensation back from the Raiders. I think 2 spots up in the first round is enough compensation for me. Thanks again for what you do!
+1
Lots of people are saying the Seahawks have no leverage. If we chose to not use the leverage we have, that would be one thing. Some people apparently think Schneider will move aside, grateful (as the fans are) for Marshawn’s time with Seattle, noting Schneider didn’t collect on Marshawn’s pay, which he could have. But a note of generosity when a much-beloved player is retiring, vs Lynch’s wanting to come back and wanting the Seahawks to stand aside, is a very different situation. The Seahawks have leverage, even if some fans may be outraged if they use it.
This is silly reporting season. First there was talk about Sherman getting traded. Now Lynch is coming out of retirement. Who starts these stories? and if they actually are true, which is the chicken and which is the egg?
Sad part of the offseason.
Great job Rob! Which group between the CBs and Safeties do you feel is stronger (top talent wise) and which one is deeper (higher quality throughout)?
I am wondering how you think the Seahawks draft board will look when ranking both groups together?
Cornerback is deeper but it’s a very good safety class. Talent-wise they’re pretty similar, there are just more cornerbacks.
I think they have a really good chance to draft 3-4 DB’s. This is the draft to go big on DB’s.
A bit top heavy for safeties, it seems to me..
Any late guys you really like outside Shalom Luani?
I hope we take him, but I really hope it’s because he goes later than we think.
Rayshawn Kenkins, Tedric Thompson (didn’t run as well as I thought he would), Jadar Johnson.
What are your thoughts on Eddie Jackson? Talent for hawks wise and what round?
Depends on his health checks. Not convinced he’s the type of player Seattle will be interested in. They like special qualities at safety. Nothing particularly special about Jackson.
A solid 50% of my interest in Thompson is that his name’s Tedric, and has a brother called Cedric. His tape is pretty good as well though, I’d be happy if we took him somewhere during or after round four.
LOL
+1
Awesome ball skills.
My hope is to see Tedrick improve that 40 at his pro day. He doesn’t have a high enough profile for his pro day to boost his stock too much.
Just because the draft media isn’t talking about him doesn’t mean teams aren’t. What did he run at the combine?
Kenny. Late round safeties?
Richmond S David Jones, Michigan St S Montae Nicholson, VA-Tech’s Chuck Clark.
I’ll check them out fam thank you
I’d like to see us draft Jones of Richmond in the 6th or 7rh round. Projected to be a 3rd rounder at several sites before breaking his arm in October, he has great size at 6’3″ 210 and was his conference pre-season defensive player of the year.
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/03/01/college-highlights-david-jones-s-richmond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCfl2uwVtIc&t=191s
A UDFA big safety we could pick up for at least competition in the OTAs and training camp is Yamen Sanders of Montana, who at his pro day March 13 measured 6’4″ and 215 pounds, timed 4.56s in the 40 and touched 42 inches in the vertical jump. He missed a lot of 2016 with injuries – here’s some highlights of his junior season 2015, seems like he gets a few int. and tackles well in wrapping up the receivers right away and the RBs frequently in the backfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG1Zlk4hZFM&t=2s
Actually would prefer us to draft with one of our 3s BC Safety Johnson rather than Luani of Wash.St.. He was slightly slower in the 40 at the combine, but was a little faster in the 3 cone and short shuttle, and jumped 37 to 31 in the vertical. What worries me about Luani is, according to NFL.com: “Teams will have trouble trusting him as a tackler. Has been tagged with 31 missed tackles and 11 broken tackles allowed in just two seasons. Instincts against the run are below average and he’ll take poor angles to the ball.
BOTTOM LINE Luani has the ball production and enough flashes on tape that scouts will be forced to keep him alive in their draft meetings. While Luani showed some improvement as a tackler, Washington State was forced to protect him by playing him in more underneath zone where he was able to cover and not worry about being the last line of defense. Luani likely needs to get his start as a special teams cover man, but without fundamental tackling, that could be a challenge.”
NFL.com on Johnson: “Has starting experience as cornerback and safety. Can play high safety or cover the slot. Interceptions don’t just come his way, he goes and gets them. Has agility to take zig-zag downhill track to running backs. Special teams monster with 30 tackles over the last three seasons on cover teams. Needs to improve physicality as a tackler.
BOTTOM LINE Ascending defender with the experience, athleticism and ball skills to play as a high safety or in man coverage. Johnson is well above average as a ball-tracker and has the soft hands to finish at the catch-point against receivers. He has decent size but won’t be a banger as a tackler, however, his ability in coverage has NFL personnel men buzzing as a potential early starter in the league.”
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote that “NFL evaluators definitely noticed Johnson throughout the week” at the Senior Bowl, reporting that he “came into the weigh-in on Tuesday and looked the part and then went to work on the field in practice. Johnson is a former cornerback who showed off his fluidity in space and ball skills during practice. His ability to play as a high safety or matchup in the slot should increase his value.”
Johnson started all 13 games at free safety for Boston College this past season, leading the team with three interceptions and ranking second with 77 tackles. McShay described the 6-1, 205-pounder as an intriguing player who “showed a ton of versatility” this week in Mobile and “can play cornerback if needed and cover a lot of ground as a safety.
Only highlight video I could find, like the others above, were of his junior year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBLLva1Cd5U
Thanks Rob. I know Budda Baker has been talked about being able to play nickel and also Kevin King. Do you think Seahawks will prioritize those DBs that can play several positions (including special teams/return)?
Its hard to think they will start a rookie in the backfield but maybe try and get them snaps somewhere else.
Very possible. And they played a lot of nickel last year. It’s become a 70% snaps position league-wide and lane played 71% in 2016. So they could draft a safety like Baker or Melifonwu and play them in the slot year one — or one of the cornerbacks — and have them handle that role initially. It’s very viable.
This is why I think the possibility of drafting Obi at 26 is intriguing to many contributors on this blog: elite athlete, long player, and appears versatile. He is my ideal pick at 26, so long as there are no surprise drops e.g., Bolles, Reddick, and, according to Mayock, King.
There was a Brooks and Jeremiah podcast where they were talking to teams, some team apparently had Budda as their #1 nickel corner. I think a lot of teams are going to see him as a Mathieu-esque piece in the backfield.
What do you guys think of Jourdan Lewis as a slot corner?
Off field and arm length issues aside.
Thick and fluid he can go to the Steelers or something
Rob, what do you make of Mayocks Safety rankings? Jabrill Peppers at the top? I believe you’ve compared Hooker to Earl Thomas in terms of range and instincts, while Peppers has 1 career INT… Is this just a matter of taste? How would you rank the top 5 safetys in this class?
Peppers played LB last year and that’s why he had one pick. Too much is made of Peppers’ stats IMO. After all, how many interceptions did Reuben Foster, Haason Reddick, Jarrad Davis, Zach Cunningham, T.J. Watt etc get in 2016? And a corner like Kevin King, with all the targets he received playing across from Sidney Jones, only had two picks.
Furthermore, Peppers has the same number of TFL’s in 2016 as Myles Garrett. So he must’ve had some impact while playing out of position.
I can see Peppers being the #1 safety on some boards. I think he’s top-25 overall. Hooker would be my #1 safety. Not much between Budda Baker, Melifonwu, Adams and Peppers for #2.
Yes, but one of those King picks was otherworldly. All kinds of athleticism on display on that play…
Sure. But the point is always made about Peppers’ production and his one interception. Yet the top CB’s in college and the top LB’s didn’t exactly have great stats.
That’s a great a video on Beigal. Would be a great addition to the Seahawks.
Rob, would you be able to accurately profile draft tendencies by position for any NFL franchise with a longer term GM or are the Seahawks more specific in their desired attributes than most teams?
Sitting here in awe of the UWash secondary last year..King, Jones, Baker
Maybe we can get a bargain if we draft all three? Seriously, there has to be some advantage to drafting 3 DBs who have played together …..
Kofi Amichia, from USF with a MONSTER workout. He broke TEF with a 32 on the bench, 9’6 broad, and 33.5 vert. If my calculations are right, that is a 3.36 TEF score, which would have been first at the combine. Late-round draft pick?
He’s actually a 3.44 TEF
My bad but do you think the Hawks will target him. And if so, when?
Possibly. Would be interesting to know his arm length. Would probably be day three or UDFA.
According to this article (http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/georgia-bulldogs-lineman-kofi-amichia-latest-to-commit-to-usf-bulls/1183247) from when he committed to college, he has a 6’10” wingspan (and is a former basketball player). Don’t know what that ends up translating to based on his torso width.
Skittlz. The Hawks might target Kofi Amachia as an UDFA. Maybe /Maybe not.
So how many OL is that now that have hit the 3.0 TEF mark with the addition of pro day numbers?
I’m really struck by how many players in Rob’s list above played together in the same defensive backfield. Three from OSU. Two each from LSU, Florida, and UW (would be three before Jones’ injury.) That’s nine of seventeen who were teammates with someone else. And not just guys on the same team but the same position groups. Over half the list. Not sure if the observation has any particular meaning, but I find it amazing that all that talent coalesced at those schools and is coming out in the same draft
How much of it is down to actually receiving good coaching? And kids coming out of high school knowing that certain colleges have a proven track record with certain position groups? Means you start getting the best talent going to where the best coaches are.
UCLA DB Fabian Moreau. Didn’t he run after Obi at the combine? Was that who PC & JS were shown looking blown away by? While not the production of him, he’d be a great fit at safety and nickel back. I could see Seattle liking him a lot.
He does have the freakish athleticism too.
I thought that Pete was reacting directly to Obi’s 40, mouthing the time to Kris Richard, but maybe I’m wrong?
No you could be right. It probably was.
I still could see them really liking Moreau. 5th year SR. We know Seattle likes older prospects too.
Yeah, very possible. Like him as a FS?
I could see them liking Moreau’s upside for sure. His tape is stunningly hit and miss. The USC game he has a tremendous interception at one point but also gives up a deep ball to Smitch-Schuster after getting destroyed at the line and gives up an easy TD working inside offering a free release and not having the reaction skills to prevent one of the easiest TD give-ups I’ve seen by a CB this draft season.
His tape is stunningly hit and miss.”
Agree completely. I watched every UCLA game last year and thought Moreau was just a guy … I don’t remember any flash … nothing to make me think that he could be a first round pick. Then, he lights up the combine.
To paraphrase someone else’s post from a few days back, I think he’s an athlete. And, I hope he doesn’t end up a Seahawk.
Pete mouths ‘4.4’ which suggests Melifonwu.
Grambling St WR Chad Williams.
Tried discussing this guy, but whatever
Seattle met with him at his pro day.
Thought they might like him. He was one of the most impressive WRs at the SR bowl. Big time production, good size, gritty and highly aggressive. He was the one fighting with S Rayshawn Jenkins. I like that man. Shows how competitive they are and how important practice reps are to them.
Pretty good size too. Hawks need a WR and a TE too.
2 CB (2 2017)
2 S (1 2017 / 1 2018)
1 LB/DE (2017)
1 OL (2018)
1 WR (2018)
1 TE (2018)
I feel those are the basics the Hawks need in this draft. 2 CB, 1 S and 1 LB/DE to contribute a lot this year and the others for competition and hope to replace (Kearse/Joeckel/Lane/Chancelor/Graham) in 2018.
Sounds like a Seahawks WR to me.
I think a WR is a much high priority than it’s being given credit for.
Is he the sort of guy Wilson will like throwing to? What we’ve seen of him so far is that he’s not keen on throwing contested balls, doesn’t like putting it up for jump balls, and will almost always throw it to the 1v1 even if that is to a lesser talent ie. all of the Kearse RZ targets last year.
Obviously not a hard and fast rule, but as general trends? He likes Baldwin, he likes Lockett, they’re both small, quick, great route runners, and they’re always open.
I hope we get him. He showed out at the senior bowl or at least showed he deserved to be there. Plus that’s my alma mater. GSU baby!
I wonder if Richard was having a look at Vanderdoes and Takk down at UCLA. They’ve been looking at a fair amount of DTs in this class.
Vanderdoes makes sense.
Takk was a spectator. Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have met with him though.
With their interest in FA LB Gerald Hodges, recent signing of LB Arthur Brown grabbing an EDGE seems much more likely.
If they get Hodges, he and Brown would be better backups then the Hawks had last year.
I keep leaning towards SAM/LEO myself. In 2012, they signed Barrett Ruud before the draft, and the ended up with Bobby Wagner R2, though. Sometimes they like to cover bases with FA. It’s possible that they are still looking at some of these inside backers.
We are a smart team in terms of using FA as a tool in order to allow us to not have to force need to an unhealthy degree. We allow ourselves good flexibility in being able to choose the best players and maneuver around the draft board to get good value, add picks, and help the cap somewhat in the process.
CB, S/Slot CB, OLB/Edge, OT, WR, ILB, TE, DT, OG might be how I’d order how I’d prioritize positions given who we have rostered and how we play.
Now, we just have to match the positional needs vs. positional value vs. draft capital vs. availability accross 7 rounds, UDFAs, trade potential, and remainder of FA with current roster. No sweat.
With the apparent interest the team has in freakish athletes, why are we not hearing more about Tanoh Kpassagnon from Villanova. Great combine numbers, scholar/athlete, and effective from the little tape I’ve seen. He would seem like a good 2d rounder, but I have not seen much hype about him. Is there something I am missing?
He seems like a possibility at Leo.
12. Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
If we can get past Kpassagnon’s physical appearance – a shredded, 6-7, 289 pounds of muscle – the reality is that his athleticism doesn’t match the look, as the redshirt senior tested poorly across the board at the combine. Kpassagnon posted abysmal agility results, with a 7.46 three cone and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.62 seconds. That matches up with the lack of bend and flexibility you see in space and around the edge on tape.
http://insidethepylon.com/nfl/2017-nfl-draft/2017/03/14/combine-affect-2017-edge-class/
Kpassagnon’s combine was actually pretty mediocre.
Personally I think the Michael Bennett role or even a permanent move to 3 tech (If he’s able to get strong enough) would suit his athleticism. He would really shine on the interior and he is perfectly capable of shedding guards and tackles one-on-one in the running game. He also has the agility to loop and stunt effectively with really quick feet.
Physically his best comp is probably Calais Campbell with a considerably better broad jump when you look at their combine results. He definitely has the chance to excel just needs a good landing spot.
What’s the story with CB Brian Allen? Top 10 SPARQ tester in the class, long arms…
His stock is rising. I initially had him as their 6th Rd pick. They may have to go higher to get him. I hope not.
Agreed. I hope not. But I think teams that are confident in their DB coaching will look at a prospect like him even in the 5th and say “I can work with that.”
he’s only a nine game starter. Plus unless you have whole games of Utah stored somewhere from last season, Draft Breakdown only has “Marcus Williams vs. Arizona State and you can see Allen.
If you really try hard I think there’s some Marcus Williams 2015 game tape out there but then you’re watching Allen’s first year (non-starter) at DB.
I like him. Not just as a height/length prospect but as an actual player. To me he’s a priority UDFA.. maybe if the winds are blowing right a 6th (if Seattle had it) or 7th round pick and I wouldn’t mind. Will need to work on his tackling and would probably start on special teams.
Garett Bolles
Haason Reddick
Obi Melifonwu
Kevin King
The growing list of players Rob gets me all excited to see us draft at #26, who I now doubt will still be there at #26.
Great job, Rob. I just wish the rest of the league would keep overlooking your guys until draft day!
Well remember we are mostly looking through the lens of Seattle needs, fit, roster, and drafting philosophy. It’s not the same for every team. Yes those guys are excellent, but they’re perfect for us and match our needs perfectly. Somebody we like will make it to 26, certainly. Even if not one of those 4. Imagine the dilemma we’d have if we picked 5 or 10 spots higher? Then we’d be nervous about a bigger list!
Check out this tape of LB Steven Taylor (6’1″ 225 lbs) vs Louisville
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/steven-taylor-vs-louisville-2016/
He reminds me of Jarrad Davis. Guy plays with his hair on fire. Effective blitzer with good closing burst. Very good production (50 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks over 4 years).
Houston’s pro day is March 27. Can’t wait to see how he performs.
There’s my guy. Watch his tape against Florida St. One man wrecking crew. He can cover too.
He needs to get a little stronger and there are some things technique wise he needs to clean up. A very good prospect though.
Hikutini stood out in that Louisville tape.
Really don’t like him.
That defense was a sieve
And let’s not forget, this might very well be the best TE class EVER to come out in the history of the NFL.
This is so perfect:
R1: Kevin King
R2: Cordrea Tankersley
R3: Duke Riley
That gives us a secondary flanked by Sherman Tank on the outside, and full-out nobility everywhere else in coverage: King, Earl, Duke, and Chancellor!
On a more serious note, thanks for the article, Rob. I was just going to ask you for a feature on Tankersley since I noticed you had mentioned him a couple times already.
Agree that he is very handsy, though, but I like the disruptiveness.
@AaronWilson_NFL
Oday Aboushi (Seahawks), $975K, $200K signing bonus, $775K salary, $500K playtime incentive
1:15 PM – 21 Mar 2017
Also doesn’t look like we were too interested in retaining Brandon Williams. I imagine Vannett replaces him this year.
@AaronWilson_NFL
Brandon Williams (Colts), $855,000, $80K signing bonus, $775K salary, minimum salary benefit
1:15 PM – 21 Mar 2017
Graham, Willson, Vannett… I’d say our TEs are the best TE situation in the NFL. I expected nothing from Vannett as a rookie because he was a 3rd round rookie and had two established guys ahead of him. However, this year he’s going to contribute, whether it’s a Ryan Hannam situation as a stud blocker (people forget Vannett was the best blocking TE in the draft class last year) or a guy Carroll said surprised/impressed them with his receiving ability. We’re going to have great receiving options next year, whether it’s a bunch of TEs or Baldwin, Lockett, or PRich. I’m sure Kearse will still be on the roster to run his 10-year 40 yard dash so he can contribute nothing on STs, but at least he’ll be “familiar” with the team. And he’s a good teammate.
Oh. He works hard, too.
I see them stashing a late round pick at TE on the practice squad. Maybe someone like Darrell Daniels. With Willson and Graham on 1 year contracts, 2018 will be a year we need options at the position.
He has a lanky frame and seemed to regress in production this past season compared to his Junior year (injury and other factors), but dang are these some impressive testing numbers:
WR Dominique Reed, Arkansas (listed 6-3, 175)
4.37 40yd, 40″ vert, 11′ 4″ broad, 4.48 SS, 6.85 3C, 6 bench
Such a long, funky stride makes his speed so deceptive. Here’s highlights from his Junior year. The vert on the catch at 2:55 mark is impressive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQBDEadALwE
Some team will add him as a project with that speed I imagine.
Gerald Hodges is visiting Seattle. He would be outstanding linebacker depth. He was very good in SF, one of the few.
Bradley McDougald signed a year deal today. Keep improving that depth!
One year*
Does anyone think Elijah Lee has the coverage ability to move to SS in a similar role to Kam Chancellor?
I think it would help mitigate some of his strength deficiencies if he’s further away from the LOS but he would still be able to use his physicality to impact the game. He could be an every down player while staying at 229lbs instead of at LB where he would be undersized.
Seahawks agree to terms with former Bucs’ safety Bradley McDougald on a 1-year, $2 million deal per Ian Rapoport. Nice signing for safety depth.
He played free safety in Tampa. Not sure he’s fast enough to play single high here but maybe He’s pretty good, very underrated signing here. He’s a step above the depth we had last year, if not a few steps. He’s also only 26. Might have a chip on his shoulder with the lack of interest in him.
Agree, think this is a really underrated signing. The defense basically fell off a cliff after Earl went down last year, you could say that easily cost us a couple of games, which meant playing on the road in the playoffs. Season could have ended much differently with even just a pls McDougald isn’t Earl obviously, but just having a solid reserve who can step in play solid if need be can actually be the difference between 10 wins and 12 potentially.
https://draftcobern.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/2017-nfl-free-agency-analytics-profile-bradley-mcdougald/
Sorry, meant to say ‘Season could have ended much differently with even just a plus player at safety.’
I wonder if Seattle is considering using him in the Buffalo role? Looks like a nice signing to add to the secondary depth regardless. Thanks for the link, DLep!
No problem! Yeah, I also wondered whether Seattle thinks of him as both good depth as FS and also good enough to bring on the field even when Earl and Kam are still out there. He seems to give them some flexibility for sure.
Reading up on this, the Bucs kept Chris Conte over him because Conte offered positional flexibility. I think McDougald is probably only a SS in our scheme. He is McCray’s replacement. Still an upgrade over him though.
Does this signing make taking Buddha Baker or Obi more or less likely? I feel like he profiles more in the mold of Earl, making Buddha even less likely than he may have been as an option for the Hawks
Josh Norris now mocking Watt in the first round, says not a matter of if but when in the first.
Bucky Brooks’ mock on the NFL network the last couple days has the Atlanta Falcons taking Watt with the 31st overall pick. Here it is on NFL.com:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000793939/article/bucky-brooks-mock-draft-30-qbs-slide-to-texans-chiefs
Tony Pauline is reporting that 40% of the teams interested in Obi Melinfonwu view him as a CB at the NFL level. I think the Hawks might be one of those teams. In fact, it’s been my belief since the Senior Bowl that the Hawks would primarily view Obi as a CB in their scheme, with the versatility to fill in at other spots if needed.
The addition of Bradley McDougald gives the team a quality 3rd safety, though there is still no long-term option signed past 2017 at the SS position.
The Hawks have done a good job of filling holes in FA, with short-term, (mostly) cheap deals. CB remains wide open, so doubling-up at CB is a big possibility in the draft.
I agree about Obi, which would be a bit concerning if we passed on an actual corner for him, at 26. IF, and it’s a big if we are targeting CB at 26, I hope to God we draft an actual CB. He’s an unGodly athlete but I don’t want to assume this makes him a good corner (and I’m not suggesting you said this, either).
And now Kiper mocking King to the Seahawks. I would not be mad!
I want to propose an alternative way of thinking about how the Hawks might approach this draft. I know it isn’t this simplistic, but I’ll toss it out anyway. The Hawks have built their team with star power, and invested a lot of money in those stars, which has put an onus on finding cheap, quality role players and depth. When we view the 2013 squad in hindsight, they had the perfect mix of stars and quality depth. Last year, there was a lot of talk at the start of the year that the hawks were getting that 2013 vibe, and that they were as deep as they had been since that 2013 squad. However, by the end of the year it was evident that they were thin at Safety, CB, LB and even WR and RB (not to mention the o-line issues). Some of that was the result of injuries, but they didn’t have the established depth behind the starters.
So, I went through a couple scenarios in my head and here’s how I characterize it:
Scenario 1: Stand pat in the draft
Potential for 1 Star, 1 starter, 3 rotational players, and 2 projects.
Implication: The hawks don’t get cute but there may be pressure to overdraft in the late 2nd and 3rd rounds to fill needs due to the lack of 4th and 5th round picks.
Scenario 2: Star Power: Trade up in 2nd (maybe grab a combo of King/Obi/Watt/Engram/Tankersley)
Potential for 2 stars, 1-2 rotational players, and 2 projects
Implication: The Hawks add potential star power, but sacrifice some depth in the draft. Can they add more depth in free agency?
Scenario 3: Rebuild the Farm: hawks trade 26 for 32 and 103, trade 58 for 72 and 131, and then trade 102 for 11 and 147
Potential for a star at 32 (still possible for Watt or Obi) plus 2 future starters at 72 and 90 (maybe Asiata and Griffin) and 4 Rotational players (Luani, Tomlinson, Chesson, Kittle) plus 3 projects in the late rounds.
For a team built on stars, do they approach this draft looking to move up with an eye on replacing their stars down the road, or on building depth across the field with potential to grow into starters?
The draft can’t get here soon enough.
@AaronWilson_NFL
Obi Melifonwu (Connecticut) met with Lions last night, lunch with Panthers today. 4.09 short shuttle, 10.69 long shuttle, 7.05 L-drill
9:39 AM – 22 Mar 2017
@AaronWilson_NFL
Obi Melifonwu has visits with Steelers, Seahawks and Saints. Texans attended his campus Pro Day workout
9:39 AM – 22 Mar 2017
OBI FREAK STATUS FURTHER CEMENTED.
Budda Baker ran just 0.01 faster in the short shuttle. Dang…
Is sparq broken yet?
I just forwarded zwitman the numbers asking that, and he just replied: “oh boy”
Hopefully he’ll post the number shortly
It would make sense if the Seahawks viewed Obi as a corner. As Rob has stated, run defense is an important part of being a Seattle corner. Obi would have that down from day one. If King is gone, I would love to double dip on Obi and then Tankersley/Witherspoon. Try out Obi at the outside corner spot and if it isn’t working out, you move him back to safety.
+1 if that’s what they wanna do I’m all for it
His visits suggest to me that teams see him as a pick from around pick 19-32.
Seattle may not see him at 26. Time will tell.
I like the depth signings the Seahawks have gotten done. Joekel/Aboushi on the line, McDougald/Cox in the secondary, Lacy at running back, and now possibly Gerald Hodges. I still think they add some DL depth in the near future as well.
If anyone missed this link on Joeckel that Hawk Eye shared yesterday, it is worth a look IMO.
http://threestepdrop.com/2017/03/19/a-look-at-the-film/
also LB Arthur Brown
LT: Joeckel
LG: Glowinski
C: Britt
RG: Aboushi
RT: Ifedi
?
Fant, Joeckel, Britt, Glow/Aboushi, Ifedi
Not sure how the right side will shake out or if they are willing to kick Ifedi out (they have said they planned to keep him at RG), but I’m pretty sure on the left side and center.
Super TEF alert at Eastern Michigan. Most athletic OL in this class so far:
OT Andrew Wylie, 6052, 312, 33.5 arm
4.95 40yd, 4.32 SS, 7.43 3C
TEF: 3.19
wTEF: 99.58
34 VJ
9’7″ BJ
N/A BP = class average 24
Here’s a video on the Pro Day where you can get a look and he speaks a bit:
https://twitter.com/EMUAthletics/status/844334019835678721
Sorry, typo there on the agility drills (still impressive): 7.2 3C, 4.5 SS
And his agent tweeted he weighed in at 305 lbs.
Pauline confirmed this as well and reported the bench reps:
“UPDATE: Center Andrew Wylie measured 6050 and 305 pounds, touched 34 inches in the vertical jump, completed 20 reps on the bench and timed under 7.1s in the three-cone.”
So, adjusted scores are:
3.04 TEF
92.83 wTEF
Sounds like Seattle moving on from McCray with McDougald. I like them bringing in depth at LB and DB, ensuring they dont HAVE to pick a certain position in a certain round; that gets a team in trouble, and has cost Seattle before (re; Carp, Moffitt, Britt, Irvin, etc). Far better to have positional flexibility so you can take the highest rated player on your board, rather than having to reach to fill a need position over a higher rated player at another position.
Still convinced they take a DB with their first pick, certainly with one of their first two, but now I think they are willing to wait till round three to take a LB. This is shaping up to be a great Draft for Seattle. I hope they dont get cute…
Wait, Bruce Irvin was a reach?
Also nice to see them add a Free Agent OL–they’ve added Joeckl and Aboushi, which makes it less likely they reach on a guy in the Draft. Now they can focus on getting someone where they feel good about taking them–like Asiata in the third, for instance. They dont have to jump the gun on a linemen now…
Really cool to hear of guys who might be available late or UDFA that are TEF monsters. Most havent worked out in the past, so having some cheap young guys as long-term projects is a good thing. Hopefully they sign a couple and we get some that can play.
Who was asking about receivers yesterday? Per Tony Pauline:
“Grambling receiver Chad Williams also took part in today’s workout and looked good.
Williams measured 6004/207 pounds, posted a 35.5 in vertical jump and 10-foot-3 in the broad jump. He fastest forty times came in between 4.35s to 4.39s, while his short shuttle clocked 4.21s and three cone at 7.12s.
Williams spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.”
http://draftanalyst.com/pro-day-march-21-la-tech-update
Another excellent find Sea Mode! Hopefully all these FA signings, both of our own FAs like Willson, etc. and 2 OL, a few on defense including today at FS with Mcdougald to back up Earl will allow us to draft a couple WRs, either 2 late or 1 late and 1 with on of our 3s. Kearse and Richardson could both be gone after this year, and Lockett is coming off a terrible compound fracture of his leg. Would like to see us draft this guy Williams with a day 3 pick and/or Robert Davis of Georgia St., who’s 6’4″ and had a great combine. Godwin of Penn. St., Darboh of Michigan, or Golliday at NI might be available with late 3 or if we get additional picks in rounds 4-5. Whoever it is needs to be tough and able to block in this offense.
draftanalyst.com has one of the best pro day coverage pages – nfl.com’s coverage is few and far between literally, it frequently takes a couple days before they post the pro day results.
http://draftanalyst.com/pro-day-reports
Whoa, check this out!
So, the Seahawks were among 14 NFL teams present at Missouri State pro day that just finished half an hour ago. And look who we have here…
LB Dylan Cole, 6-0, 239
4.49 40 (#2 of LBs at combine–I’m not counting Jabrill Peppers as LB), some reports say 4.52
32 BP (#1 at combine by 5 reps!)
39″ vert (#1 at combine by 2 in)
10-5 broad (tied #2 at combine)
4.02 SS (#1 at combine)
6.82 3 cone (#2 at combine)
Led the nation in tackles as a senior with 12.91 per game.
Here’s some videos of the drills and interview snippets on his agent’s twitter:
https://twitter.com/brennansports/status/844579196508635141
Pete was saying they need some guys to play for Bobby and KJ (to at least spell them from playing almost 100% of the snaps on defense, and step up in case they get injured). Cole looks like a Bobby Wagner clone with the same height, weight (2 lbs. more for BW), speed, and strength.
Great find, Sea Mode!
http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/03/01/college-highlights-dylan-cole-lb-missouri
We’ve signed depth at most all of our ‘need’ spots. Typical Seahawks Pre-draft planning. We don’t have to reach for needs, we can be flexible to maneuver around the draft, and get the best talents that fit our profiles.
OT, OG, RB, TE, LB, S, K
We haven’t signed a RFA/UFA CB of note , though we somehow retained Shead. We’re still looking at Franciose (LB/Edge) and Hodges (ILB).
Certainly CB is priority #1 at this point.