I made a mental note a year ago that John Schneider referenced Jalen Milroe running 22mph on the GPS during Alabama’s win against Georgia in 2024.
How fast you run in pads in a game situation is better data than how fast you run in shorts in a sprint you’ve trained weeks for in advance.
The Senior Bowl for years has also used GPS tracking through Zebra Technology to measure the speed of every player competing in Mobile.
Derick Hall was easily the fastest defensive lineman at the 2023 Senior Bowl. He ran a top speed of 19.12mph. That ended up translating to a fantastic 10-yard split of 1.59 when he ran the 40-yard dash.
Clearly this played a part in the Seahawks giving Hall a first round grade and taking him early in the second round.
Boye Mafe was the sixth fastest defensive lineman the year before, running at 17.52mph. He was marginally quicker than Arnold Ebiketie (17.21mph) who was also said to be a potential target.
You can also use this data as a cautionary tale. L.J. Collier was not quick enough to be a dynamic edge rusher in the NFL. He ran at 15.24mph in 2019. That’s a faster time than Zion Young (15.04mph) and LT Overton (15.21mph) ran this year.
For this article I looked at the Zebra technology data from the 2026 Senior Bowl for hints as to which players could perform well at the combine, or could have the kind of suddenness that would appeal to the Seahawks.
Gabe Jacas (DE, Illinois)
On tape he’s very much a player who prefers to run through you rather than around. He did so to the tune of 12 sacks in 2025, including seven in his last four games.
In Mobile he was timed as the second fastest defensive lineman, running at a speed of 18.19mph. The only faster player was Quintayvious Hutchins who is 30lbs lighter than Jacas. The player in third, Nadame Tucker, is 14lbs lighter.
That speed of 18.19mph makes him quicker than Donovan Ezeiruaku (17.39mph) the 44th overall pick from a year ago.
This really caught my attention. If you’re talking about a player who is physical, aggressive and also quick — there’s a package to work with here. If you’re looking for a long-term heir to DeMarcus Lawrence, can Jacas fill that role? Lawrence ran a 1.63 10-yard split. Let’s see if Jacas can get into that range.
There are some other things to note though. Jacas doesn’t have 34-inch arms like Lawrence (32 3/4) and he has small 8 3/8 inch hands (Lawrence has 11-inch hands). In terms of run-defense, Jacas is also pretty average at setting an edge (surprisingly). So it’s not an apples for apples comparison. Yet his playing style is a match, he comes from a strong wrestling background and he’s a well respected team captain with production. His personality fits the Seahawks.
Mike Washington Jr (RB, Arkansas)
He might be one of the most underrated players in the draft. Washington is 6-0, 228lbs and has 34-inch arms. He is adept on tape at sprinting to the outside and then turning upfield for big gains. I think he has every chance to be an excellent outside-zone runner. However, he’s also capable of running through contact to get the tough yards. He recorded 644 yards after contact in 2025.
There were certain games where he jumped off the screen. Unfortunately, he played for such a poor Razorbacks team that this tended to be too sporadic to gain genuine draft-traction.
At the Senior Bowl he was the second fastest player at any position, running 21.02mph. Only Davison Igbinosun ran faster and he’s a 190lbs cornerback. No other players cracked 21mph in Mobile.
Like Jadarian Price, he’s always moving forwards and downhill. He times his cuts extremely well, allowing him to accelerate through space and turn good runs into great runs. He finishes his runs too.
If Ken Walker departs, the Seahawks are going to need to add a running back at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised if they rate players like Washington higher than the media is projecting. His speed and size is highly intriguing. Let’s see if he can confirm a top physical profile this week including a great time in the 40.
Personality wise, another checked box. He is someone I can easily imagine the Seahawks wanting in their building.
Kyle Louis (LB, Pittsburgh)
I’m a huge fan of everything Louis does on tape and have been talking him up for some time. I would have him higher on my board but he’s a shade under 6-0 and 224lbs — you have to be honest about the projection for a player at that size.
Yet this is a captain who was ‘first in and last out’ at Pittsburgh. He is absolutely the type of personality and player the Seahawks draft and sign. His feel for the game is top notch, he has a knack for making big plays, he’s an explosive blitzer and he’s just so physical attacking downhill despite his size.
I want to see him test because he was the fastest linebacker at the Senior Bowl, running 20.31mph. He was the 10th fastest player at any position. If he can confirm that speed and perhaps throw in some explosive testing results too — you become more comfortable about his size.
Keep an eye on TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr too — he was a fraction behind Louis at 20.23mph.
Gennings Dunker (T/G, Iowa)
Let’s be clear, the Zebra data on Dunker is nothing special. His top speed was 12.57mph, only 16th fastest among linemen. However, Zebra also measures something called ‘explosive efforts’ tracking acceleration/deceleration. Dunker had 10 of these explosive efforts at the the Senior Bowl. The average among all O-liners in Mobile for explosive efforts was 5.4 — half as many as Dunker.
He also covered more yards (10,696) than any other player. Keylan Rutledge was second at 9961, with Carver Willis at 9792. Nobody else cracked 9000.
I’m interested to see if this can translate to quick acceleration in the form of a good 10-yard split. He might also record sufficiently explosive results in the vertical and broad jumps to become a very interesting prospect.
Dunker has produced two years of consistently good zone-blocking tape at Iowa. He’s comfortable reaching up to the second level and knocking a linebacker out of position. His feet move well enough on kick-slide to protect at tackle.
He’s such a tough, physical player. He’s a finisher when given an opportunity and loves to dump opponents on their black and then plaster them on the ground. He can get out on the move, latch on to a target and control using his length. His combo blocks are sharp and effective.
There’s a lot to like here but the testing will shape how early he’ll go.
The day 2/3 cornerbacks
Adding depth at this position seems very likely for the Seahawks given what could happen in free agency in two weeks time. There are multiple intriguing players who could be available without needing to use the #32 pick.
Davison Igbinosun at Ohio State is a bit of an enigma. As mentioned already, he ran the fastest in Mobile (21.12mph). He’s also well sized (6-2, 192lbs), his run defense is very solid and you see flashes on tape where he’s in perfect position throughout a route and he looks the part. He was also penalised 16 times in 2024 alone (he reduced that down to five in 2025), he struggles to recover and there are just too many moments that leave you shaking your head. The Senior Bowl 1v1’s were a perfect example of the ups and downs you see with him.
He is well worth a flier though if you think you can promote the traits and turn him into a far more complete player.
Arkansas’ Julian Neal ran at 20.22mph. He has great length and size (6-2, 208lbs, 33 1/8 inch arms). I expected him to be leggy on tape at his size but he closed quickly and sticks downfield. He’s competitive when the ball’s in the air. Neal only missed four tackles in his final season in college and he’s a tremendous run defender. If he turns that Senior Bowl speed into a good forty, he’s interesting.
Daylen Everette at Georgia is a bit like Igbinosun — a tease. The traits are there but there are too many ugly reps. Again, he’s an excellent and willing run defender. He’s 6-1, 190lbs and has 32 inch arms. His top speed was 20.04mph. He was frequently described as the leader of Georgia’s secondary, he has a ton of starting experience (again, like Igbinosun) and he has a swagger to him that most good cornerbacks have.
Chris Johnson from San Diego State was a trendy name gaining traction towards the end of the college football season. He ran at 19.95mph. I didn’t see a lot of suddenness on tape so that was interesting. He does show a high level of football intelligence and he’s capable of playing with his eyes on the quarterback while covering. He times contact well to play the ball. He does occasionally let receivers get in behind and he forces himself to recover.
Finally there’s Colton Hood at Tennessee. The more I watched of him the more I liked. He likes contact. He’s reasonably sized (6-0, 188lbs, 31.5 inch arms). He was only the 11th fastest defensive back in Mobile (19.48mph) which was interesting. I thought he’d be faster. Yet there are times on tape where he’s a little bit flat-footed on his release. I thought his recovery ability was strong. He would often be in position to make a play, to the point I’m surprised he wasn’t flagged more often for contact — that’s how locked in he was.
His expected testing, if it’s a little bit down on some of the top players, could be why all the mock drafts have soured on him a bit recently.
I’ll raise one final player who didn’t go to the Senior Bowl — Miami’s Keionte Scott.
He’s one of the most physical defensive backs you’ll come across. He’s an absolute demon attacking the line of scrimmage. His run-defending almost has to be seen to be believed at 195lbs. He is very prepared to stick his head in where it’ll get hurt to make a play. He had five sacks and 20 pressures in 2025 as a blitzer. He plays like a linebacker.
There’s a snap against Louisville where he takes on a tight end, hammers him, then gets a TFL on the running back. I wrote down in my scouting notes, ‘He is a legit LOB/Dark Side mentality fit’.
There are concerns with missed tackles (40 in four years is too many) and he’ll need his technique fixing there — plus he’ll be a 25-year-old rookie. However, he’s the kind of player I would want on my team. He is a warrior.
So why is testing important? He gave up 111 receptions on 166 targets in college. I want to know if this is an athleticism problem or a technical issue. If he can run and jump, I would back a good staff to fix some of these problems.
He’s a nickel/slot corner, not someone you play outside. Last season he had 489 snaps in the slot, 196 in the box, 62 at the D-line and only six at outside corner. He might not be in play for the Seahawks, who need help outside. I want him to have a good combine though, because I love his playing style.
If you missed it yesterday, please check out my big combine preview. It takes a lot of effort to put it together every year so any eyes on it makes the effort worthwhile.
