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Will Levis had an impressive showing at his pro-day
Before I get into the Will Levis review, a general thought. I think the Seahawks are telling us how the early part of this draft is going to shake out.
I know people are desperately trying to parse everything as a smokescreen at the moment, depending on their personal wants and needs at #5.
But let’s think about this for a second.
Pete Carroll, John Schneider and an entourage of Seattle’s staff attended the Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky pro-days.
Next week, they’re going to Texas Tech and Florida. Schneider confirmed that.
That covers C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Anderson, Will Levis, Tyree Wilson and Anthony Richardson.
In other words, the six players who are consistently being projected to be the first six players drafted.
Some mock drafts continue to include Jalen Carter in the top-five but I will just keep repeating what I’ve said for a while, however repetitive or boring it is. There’s stuff teams know about, some of which has already been reported in the media, and it gives me reason to believe there’s little chance he’ll be drafted by the Seahawks.
So while fans rabidly debate the meaning behind numerous selfies with quarterbacks and why the Seahawks are attending pro-days en masse — I think it’s simply this:
1. They are watching the players who are slotted to go in the range they’re picking
2. They have a rare top-five pick and want to get as much info about these six players as possible
They can’t do this level of extensive work when you’re picking 20th. What are you going to do? Attend 30 pro-days as an eight-man travelling band? When you’re picking fifth overall you can narrow the field and make sure you’re at the pro-days you need to be at.
To me, it’s as simple as that.
It remains to be seen if they’ll still go to Texas Tech because it’s been revealed Tyree Wilson won’t do a workout. They may still want to meet with him.
If you don’t think these six players will be the first taken, that’s fine. I’m not suggesting someone else can’t work their way into the mix. Yet even the Panthers picking first overall are having dinner with Will Levis. So the teams at the very top are doing their work on him. The Seahawks are doing the same thing.
Rather than tie ourselves in knots, let’s just embrace that the team is doing the necessary work to get this pick right. That’s reassuring. It’s very possible the players they are watching are simply the consensus players to go early and they’re doing their homework.
Onto the notes on Levis’ throwing session…
He looks in fantastic shape and there’s no doubt he’s a brilliant athlete. I actually think he’s too ripped, though. He looks absolutely jacked. He has a reputation at Kentucky for living in the weight room, which is hardly a bad thing. It’s the polar opposite to certain other players (Carter, J.). However, I’m not sure being this big is a good thing. I think if he took the edge off his workouts it might actually help him be more elusive, nimbler and a better scrambler.
Right off the bat this was a more up-tempo pro-day than Bryce Young’s. Jordan Palmer put the session together so it’s no surprise, he’s well versed in this process. The scripting was excellent and this was a brilliantly designed plan.
I thought Levis’ footwork was better than some of the talking heads suggested. His drop looked very smooth, his base was solid and the ball came out very well. He doesn’t drop his arm on release, it’s a nice compact throwing motion with the ideal release point.
The mock-play-action stuff was nicely executed. I really like the way he set to throw on those deliveries and the ball shoots out 20-30 yards downfield with ease.
Young had a lot of pointless ‘drop, set and check-down for seven-yards’ throws. I much preferred the session Palmer put together. He had Levis stand in the pocket, pretend to go through two reads, then re-set and check down to the running back who had peeled off towards the sideline. This is just a better way of emphasising the same thing.
Stroud’s hardest throws were the ones when he moved to his left on Wednesday. This is typically the case for most QB’s. Palmer designed some very elaborate ‘exit the pocket’ throws for Levis, where he had to scramble a long way to the left and deliver. The accuracy was ever so slightly off here, as they were with Stroud. But bloody hell, what an arm from Levis. To be virtually sprinting to the left and then deliver with that much torque and velocity. It’s impressive. It deserves to be described as a major positive and it’s not like the throws were well off the mark. We’re talking fine margins.
Throws like this were all over Twitter during the session:
This THROW by Will Levis 😳 pic.twitter.com/J3h6JZMxMp
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) March 24, 2023
There was also one throw where he launched it 75-yards downfield, hitting the receiver in stride. It was a mouth-ajar moment.
Levis was showing off his physical prowess here and he clearly has a bigger arm than Stroud and Young. He lacks Stroud’s perfect touch and consistency but he does have a bigger arm. There were some issues too, though. One 50-yard downfield throw was badly under thrown to the point the receiver had to stop and wait for the pass (which he bobbled). This does show up on tape. I don’t know why his downfield throwing is inconsistent like this. He’s capable of beautiful, crazy downfield bombs as we saw here. But every now and again there’s the odd duck. It must be a technical thing that teams will have to work out.
On a more positive note, I absolutely loved his throws on the move to the right hand side. They were perfectly judged in terms of arm strength, placement and touch. He hit receivers in stride and you can well imagine him in a bootleg offense having a lot of fun on levels and crossers.
He made 25-yard throws over the middle look so easy. He can flick his wrist and the ball shoots out. The way the ball leaves his hand is a thing of beauty. He generates so much pace on the delivery — it’s pretty to watch.
There was one 40-yard seam throw where he dropped, set his feet, added a ‘find the laces’ adjustment and then launched it on the money downfield like he was handing it off downfield. These are the ‘wow’ moments for me, rather than the big bombs. You can attack linebackers on these routes with quicker players and if they can release into these zones quickly off the snap, Levis can attack for big chunk plays with his arm.
There was a mid-range in-cutting route that I thought was wonderful. Three-step drop. Progression read simulation across the middle to two targets, bolt right back to the left hand side and fire with perfect velocity and loft, hitting the receiver in stride. Perfect.
He did the modified ’throw against the grain’ pass we see at a lot of pro-days. As with Young yesterday, he didn’t create as much momentum on his initial run which was good to see. He threw the ball at the 10-yard line, off balance across his body and the receiver caught it at the opposite 17-yard line. That is incredible arm-strength and the throw had good loft — it wasn’t a direct, flat throw as we saw with some of Young’s deep passes.
The NFL Network kept talking about players like Cam Newton and Josh Allen during the session. This isn’t Levis. These are poor comparisons. For me he’s more of a Justin Herbert but even then it’s not an ideal comparison. Levis showed what he does best today. Play-action, bootleg throws where he can get on the move and utilise his arm to varying levels of the field. He is perfect for the Sean McVay offense and it’s why he excelled so much in 2021. He’s not going to play hero ball like Allen or be a big powerhouse like Newton. He’s not a crazy improvisor and he needs to play within structure. He needs the right scheme and the right scheme is McVay’s.
Overall I thought this was a very good performance, brilliantly scripted by Jordan Palmer. Stroud’s pro-day isn’t going to be topped — it was a masterclass in tempo, skill, talent, touch, accuracy and sheer quality. This, to me, felt far more impressive than Young’s which as we discussed yesterday, felt like a box-ticking exercise to get it out of the way. Levis is not the naturally gifted, ‘born to do this’ passer that Stroud and Young are. However, he is an incredibly physically gifted player with ideal character, attitude and dedication to improve and develop.
It leaves me wondering, again, what exactly people expect? I keep hearing criticism of the quarterbacks this year — or at the very least a lukewarm response. I think the top-four deserve a lot more love. I’m not surprised the team with the #1 pick are checking them all out. This is a really good group, better than most years.
It baffles me because the defensive alternatives in round one are nothing to write home about.
I think Will Anderson is a quality player worthy of going #3 overall and he’d be a great selection for Seattle at #5. He’s not a special player though. He is not Myles Garrett, Von Miller or a Bosa brother. He doesn’t have elite get-off or bend around the arc. He’s physical, explosive, he plays the run brilliantly and when used in space, he can fly to the ball-carrier or quarterback. He is not, for me, a game-wrecking edge. I would happily take him at #5 because I think he will provide around 10-12 sacks a season consistently, he’ll lead your defense (if not your entire team) and it’s a safe pick with a high-floor. Anderson is a fantastic scheme fit for Seattle.
There are question marks about Tyree Wilson’s quickness and ability to be more than a big power-rusher. When I interviewed Jim Nagy before the Senior Bowl, he suggested the right range for Wilson would be ‘top-10 or top-15’. He’s now being regularly mocked in the top-five but is it justified? Mel Kiper put him at #11 in his last mock and it does feel a little bit like Wilson’s a good player, with flashes on tape — but how has he become a top-six lock?
I’ve talked about Carter’s issues. Then you have the cornerbacks who are likely to get pumped up due to the premium nature of the position.
We seem to hear a lot about what’s wrong with the quarterbacks but barely anything about some of the question marks on the defenders. Why is that?
I have no doubt that like Herbert, Levis can excel at the next level in a scheme that suits him. I think he would be a good pick for Indianapolis or Seattle. I continue to think the Colts will take him, either in a trade-up to #3 or with the #4 pick.
The Seahawks certainly made sure they got a prime viewing spot for this one:
Don’t underestimate the power of character and personality. Levis is beloved by the people at Kentucky. I know, I’ve spoken to them. I’ve interviewed Levis personally:
He is going to leave no stone unturned to maximise his potential.
While he’s far from the finished article as a passer, let me share some scouting quotes, courtesy of Bob McGinn, on Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. See if you can find any similarities to what’s being said about Levis and Anthony Richardson:
Josh Allen
“He reminds me of (Blake) Bortles,” a second scout said. “Bortles lacked consistent accuracy and I see the same thing with Allen. Big-time athlete but really an inconsistent passer. I don’t see (Carson) Wentz. Some people do because they had the same coach (Craig Bohl). Wentz was a very mature, confident person.” Two-year starter. “He looks the part and a good athlete,” a third scout said. “But you talk about lacking in being a winning quarterback. He has a lot of bad tape (even) at that level. Somebody will still take him high. Are we going on what the tape is and the production and the winning? Or are we going on this guy looks like he should be an NFL quarterback and how he throws the ball?”
Patrick Mahomes
“People are trying to make that comparison because of his arm. He’s got a really good arm, but Favre was not as reckless as this guy.
“He’s crazy. He plays crazy. He’ll do anything. I don’t even think “gunslinger’ is the right word. He’s reckless.”
“He’s in ‘that offense’ and the way he plays, he’s very erratic,” another director from an NFC team said. “You can see the talent but he’s just so streaky and wild and reckless. He put a lot of balls up for grabs where you’re saying, ‘Man, what are you going to get with him?’
“He could (come on) but I don’t see it. I just don’t think he has the necessary qualities. He has no vision, no mechanics. He’s erratic as hell. He makes a lot of mistakes. It’s going to be a long (development).”
“Mahomes is the boom or bust guy,” said one of the two evaluators that expected him to fail. “He carries the biggest upside but he does have a bust factor. He’s just going to be inexperienced doing the things he’s going to do here.
“When you start looking at players that play off the script it concerns you, and a lot of what he does is off-script. In the NFL, when you get off-script is when you make big, big errors. It’s not as easy to make the off-script play on our level as it is at Texas Tech.”
So far my pro-day rankings for the top-four are:
1. C.J. Stroud
2. Will Levis
3. Bryce Young
If you missed my reports on Stroud’s pro-day check it out here. Here’s my write-up for Young.
A final note for today. I went back and reviewed the safety class after the combine, in part due to a recommendation from a scouting friend who raved about the depth of the group.
One player I adjusted up was Alabama’s DeMarcco Hellams. Then I saw this tweet today:
Quick @seniorbowl story we’ve been sharing w/ GMs.
Alabama DS DeMarcco Hellams sustained Day 2 injury that kept him from playing gameday.
He was in tears when he told me about it. That’s how much DeMarcco truly loves ball.
Every NFL team is searching for guys like @DHellams2. pic.twitter.com/obVxFLnSt4
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 24, 2023
Hellams isn’t a special athlete but he’s a heck of a football player. He plays with a ferocious nature and he leaves everything on the field. He’s indicative of this class for me. There are some absolute blood-and-thunder ballers available, even if there’s a distinct lack of obvious blue-chip first round talent. And several of those blood-and-thunder types happen to play the safety position this year.
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I’d be happy with any of the 4 QBs. Can’t wait for draft day.
There are clearly 5 players worthy of being drafted at 5. That is a nice spot for the Seattle Seahawks to be in.
John Schneider said yesterday there were “about a dozen” players they were watching at Ohio State and “15-20” at Alabama. He also said they spoke to DJ Fluker.
they also announced another top-30 visit with a safety. I don’t know who they will draft but I am convinced they are going to draft a safety. Personally, I hope Skinner slips to Round 4 because of the injury and Seattle drafts him.
Which one?
Jordan Howden
You have him as a 4th rounder. What do you see?
Great approach, determined player. Not flashy, good special teams value. Can shift around. Like his energy.
Always rooting for DJ Fluker. Seems like a gentle giant. Hope he lands somewhere.
Does Zach Harrison’s game remind anyone of Tyree Wilson? If the Hawks are interested enough in Wilson to hit up his pro-day, I could see them liking Harrison as an alternative. They have very similar body’s: 6’6, 270-275, huge wingspan. Neither one is particularly fast off the line (Wilson looks slow, frankly).
Harrison is crazy long (36 1/4 arms), ran a 4.41 40 at his pro day and just has a nose for the ball. His highlight reel is full of plays that lead to defensive TD’s. Strip sacks, punching it out, tipping passes at the line. Rob has him as a 3rd rounder on the big board. I could see Pete loving the way he seems to create huge, momentum shifting plays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HslGZjP4x8&ab_channel=PrinceHighlights
I really hope the colts blow this one and pick a cornerback. “What? Quarterback?! I thought you said cornerback!”
Ugh, didn’t me to reply to your post. I guess it was only a matter of time before this happened.
I would much sooner Harrison in the 3rd round than Wilson at 5. I know I am in a minority but I think he is really overrated and want nothing to do with another Big 12 defender in the 1st round much less the top 5. The fact that Wilson even testing is another red flag IMO. He certainly had great size and length but there were a ton of games he was invisible and that does not sound like a top 5 pick to me.
Check out how similar they are. I think if they like Tyree as a fit, they will like Harrison too. He’s only 21 years old as well. Rob raised some concerns about Wilson’s fit in our scheme, but if they are willing to go see him, I’d think Harrison was one of the guys they were checking out at OSU’s pro day as well.
Harrison: 6’5 1/2, 274 lb, 36 1/4 arms, 10″ hands
T Wilson: 6’6, 271 lb, 35 5/8 arms, 9 5/8 hands
Not a minority with me.
No testing on Wilson and not a size fit. That’s two too many strikes. Pass.
Since “testing doesn’t matter,” his tape looks slow. I don’t get it. And unlike a few others he’s been at the position for a while with hohum production.
I’m not sure about Harrison for size to scheme fit, see Carlos dunlap, but I’d rather take him in day three. Then top five for a non testing probably not quick wilson.
Every since you interviewed Levis last year it had felt inevitable that he would be a Seahawk. Fits the scheme and type of QB that JS had liked in the past. Truly believe Levis or Richarson will be the pick at 5 and Hawks fans should be over the moon if that is the case.
The more I think about it the more I think the Texans take Will Anderson at 2. Demeco Ryans has a long term deal and comes from a team that won with a dominant defense. He was an All American LB at the university of Alabama and was known as a great leader and character player. Sound like anyone in this draft? The Texans are not a QB away from being competitive. This is a complete rebuild and they need talent all over the roster along with a dramatic culture change. Who better to start that culture build than with Anderson. Ryans can rebuild the OL around Tunsil and Defense around Anderson.
They will likely be picking early again next year and could target a QB then with a much better roster to support his development. Or maybe after the draft they are the team that goes after Lamar Jackson.
Hope this comes true!
I fully understand Ryan’s is a defensive guy but he’s also not stupid and knows the one thing more important then a defensive all pro is a QB
If all goes right with drafting a QB he won’t get to pick this high again so I really don’t think they are going to pick Will Anderson,
also I’m not familiar with the GM in Houston but how much say does Ryan’s have over the GM even if he wanted Anderson,
I’m torn between both of you.
Mills has yet to do anything. But if they select a qb they could still. Ery well be a top ten picking team unless every pick hits which rarely happens.
Qb is so important but the niners were able to drop Purdy into that team because the team is generally pretty well stacked.
I just don’t see the Shanahan tribe selecting Richardson
Once again Trevor, I agree. I think T Wilson/WAnderson go 2 &3.
Looks like we watched the same workout. I couldn’t agree more.
For me, Levis is QB2 in this class.
And although we’re all basking in the beauty of Stroud’s pro day (and Nat Champ performance), we shouldn’t forget he played behind an OL anchored by Wypler and bookended by Jones and Johnson, and he was throwing to JSN and MHJ.
Levis had none of that. NONE
So I’m not sure how much meaning there is to “QB1” or “QB2” this year. It’s really more, who do you like? Who fits your scheme better? Your locker room better?
And FWIW, I think Schneider and Carroll love Levis
Bingo
JSN never played this year and Stroud has a better track record than Levis of playing good against great teams (Vs Georgia is one example). Imo Stroud is QB1.
Fair point on JSN.
Still a big difference playing with an oline that had three picks in the top two rounds. And currently on walterfootball has the number two pick with Harrison Jr. And a top ten guard.
And we’re not even talking defense here.
Kentucky is going to have Levis, rodruguez and that might be it this year.
I wouldnt be surprised if Egbuka goes higher than JSN when he comes out. Obviously thats an easy call on Harrison Jr. Now I say that cause I think Egbuka will probably be seen as a fringe 1st and then run great at the combine and have great numbers to help his case. I mean playing 2nd fiddle last year he had 1100 yards and 10 TD’s. Paltry to Harrison’s 1200 and 14 TD’s but I digress. Brian Hartline believes they have 3 1st round receivers FWIW next year. Obviously hyping guys up but not necessarily without merit.
Look at John Schneider’s face (above in the article) he is grinning ear to ear. I think he likes Levis. 👍😀
That was noticeable
He’s going to have to trade up to get him though
Schneider looks like he’s dressed for a Phish concert.
And I would be grinning too if I was on a QB tour with the #5 pick in my pocket. By the time he gets to Gainesville his facial muscles will be cramping.
Problem is, trade up with who at this point? Colts, Texans, and Panthers presumably also want a qb and AZ probably won’t trade with us.
Well, I didn’t say it was likely
I’ve always been on board though, if there’s a qb they truly like above the others, they should do what it takes to get them.
I agree
Pete and the traveling medicine show still have to see Richardson’s pro day.
Really bummed about Young’s pro day… he’s by far my least favorite top five prospect.
I wouldn’t be bummed about it
It just wasn’t anything to write home about physically (and never was likely to be)
I wouldn’t be bummed at all, plus everyone has there own opinion for example listening to With The First Pick podcast which is ex Vikings GM Rick Speilman and who was at all three pro days he says Bryce young had the better pro day compared to Stroud
What a supreme consolation prize!
It’s a catch-22. The best player for our team in 2023 is a defender. The rare, rare, rare opportunity to land a top QB…unprecedented in Carroll era. Thankfully, what seems like a Catch-22 is actually a win-win. Preferably, we take this opportunity to draft our QBOTF.
Now, if the board ends up with a chance to pick Anderson or Young Tha gets a lot trickier. I might just take Anderson in that scenario.
I appreciate the team doing their due diligence on the top players and others who attended the same Pro Day’s as the QBs, such as Byron Young and Nigba, for example.
Bottom line is I think they should still consider trading up, if possible -IF- they really want one of the top QBs. Perhaps their masterful plan will end up they didn’t need to but if you find the right guy: don’t f-around and miss out.
I agree. Others above mention that defense might go at #2 and #3. Or, the Seahawks trade up to #2 and have their choice of three of the four QBs.
I do not see how this draft could be more interesting. We have SDB and the 5th pick. Bring it on!.
The great thing about all four QBs is that they seem like great kids who are well spoken, love football and work hard. You could picture any of the four leading a team and being the face of the franchise.
Underrated aspect of this QB class. It shouldn’t be overlooked.
Makes me think teams have either/or attitudes when it comes to these QBs.
Teams not named after a certain big cat, that is.
Spot on
Here is the selfie.
https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1639348838396751872
Looks like Avril on the right
Greg Olson is in heaven.
He’s like a grown man on Christmas morning staring at the ‘72 Chevelle his wife just showed him in the garage.
Stunned and quite pleased.
Juice Scruggs improved his short shuttle to a 4.64 this week
Really good mid-round option
I’m beginning to think this is the preferred draft route after signing Evan Neal. There are so many defensive players in play at 20 and in round 2 (not to mention WR3, TE and RB2).
Would be my preferred move. As long as it’s a center to play center I’m good.
+1
JS is drooling in that picture
I wasn’t able to watch his pro day, so big thank you to Rob for the thorough breakdown and continued effort as always. You are a gem for us Seahawks fans.
One thing I wanted to say because I saw some fans talking about a mock draft with Seattle trading up to #3 for Richardson (which I don’t see happening because I don’t think AZ will trade that pick to a division rival) is just the arrogance a lot of people have surrounding the draft. It seems like people who like the idea of taking a QB like Richardson (and would include Levis as well because I hear a lot of the same about both) acknowledge the risk, but consider the upside and think it outweighs the risk. The crowd who are saying no to a QB like Levis or Richardson are convinced that they’ll be busts and talk like there’s no chance they can be a superstar QB. In other words, all they think about is the risk and don’t consider the upside at all. Instead they say just draft a defender, not noticing the irony whatsoever that the defender could just as likely be a bust as one of the QBs and don’t offer anything close to the upside.
So again, thank you for the thorough coverage you’re providing and giving some of us a breath of fresh air from the maddening nonsense we hear in other spaces.
Thanks for the kind words
I think this article highlights, with the quotes on Mahomes & Allen, that a lot of rubbish gets talked about QB’s with high ceilings
Great point, and just imagine if this was last yr’s QB class instead…the #5 would have no chance of landing your QBOTF. This year we’re in a very rare & special position. Top 4 QB or the top Defender.
I wonder if levis being “too jacked,” come a bit from getting drilled every Saturday.
Our own #3 got pretty beefy after get crushed over and over. Yes I know some was on him but some was still in that sieve of a line the team trotted out.
Simms had the same comment about too jacked. Couldnt get the comment out of my head watching the pro-day reel. Until he chucked the ball into the next county. So much for getting to mifield for a hail mary. Take the kickoff, doen it, snap from the 25 and chuck it in the end zone.
I think Will just loves a workout
I get it, but learn to work out like Brady. He needs long muscles that stretch, flex and don’t bunch up. Fewer bulges, more like a pitcher. It will serve him better in the long run.
Some athletes I grew up with got overly drawn to the gym and get more motivated to improve their weights more than the sport they play. Levis seems that way, and his lack of instincts on the field might be a result of that
He’s not ‘more motivated’ to be in the gym than play the sport.
As I said in the piece, I think he’s bulked up too much.
But no, he is not ‘more motivated’ to be a body builder. He lives and breathes football.
Haha, that long lean muscle. It’s always sunny…
https://youtu.be/lwM9xMvD7VA
Awesome clip! Thx.
Wtf everyone.
The most flexible athletes on the planet might be gymnasts who are also rocked up.
Baseball….could two sports be more diametrically opposed?
Great read…lots to consider. Lately I’ve been thinking that everybody, me included, has simply assumed that Houston is taking whomever Panthers don’t take between Stroud and Young, or there’s a small chance they take Will Anderson with the second pick. But isn’t it odd that the Texans are not making very much noise? You hardly hear about them. This maybe makes sense since they are clearly a cellar-dweller, a rebuilding team with a new HC and GM. But, maybe there’s another scenario to consider, and one that makes sense…they are going to select Richardson with the #2 pick. Consider: They have a similar set-up at QB as Seattle with Davis Mills and now Case Keenum (who BTW would be a good guy to mentor a young QB). The Texans ain’t going anywhere for at least a couple years. The point is, Houston is a place – like Seattle – where Richardson could redshirt for a year or two. Most NFL drafts hold some surprises…could Richardson-to-Houston be the draft surprise of 2023?
Rob. Any red flags concerning Tyree Wilson not testing?
Apparently his doc didn’t want him to sweat while his incision healed. He’s setting up testing prior to the draft so: more will be revealed.
The play-by-play announcer for San Diego State vs Alabama in the NCAA tournament just said, “an NFL General Manager is in the building.” Any idea who it is and who they’re scouting?
1. John Schneider
2. Anyone who can play safety
It was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He’s a Princeton alum (possible they advance and face SDSU) and was there with HC Kevin O’Connell, who’s a SDSU alum.
Oh, and go Aztecs!
– SDSU alum
That was sweet! I too lived in San Diego not far from there in Chula Vista and Imperial Beach. My Dad was in the Navy. VAW-88.
Barring a miracle, it looks like a historic match with Creighton in the Elite 8,
Good three-cone for Mayer, not a good shuttle:
20-yard shuttle: 4.73
Three-cone drill: 6.97
I saw the ss being reported at 4.31.
https://twitter.com/billym_91/status/1639421633621377024?s=46
Apparently Note Dame put Jarret Patterson’s shuttle on their website next to Mayer by accident 🤦♂️
These are sensational numbers and should lock Mayer into the top-15
Agreed. If he somehow gets to Seattle at 20 they need to pounce. Great RAS score: https://twitter.com/mathbomb/status/1639467718519713792?s=46
Can’t wait for Richardson’s pro day next week. Feeling more and more likely he falls to us. Would make me extremely excited for the future if we snag him.
Getting a bit wobbly in Levis after watching vids by Kurt Warner and Matt Walaan … hoping for some good counterpoints.
Matt Waldman
You remember Wilson pressing when the defense was crap? When there were almost no healthy te’s let alone three? How about when we played Peterson at dunningback?
It is not hyperbolic to say levis played with one of the worst rosters in a power five school.
Most people watching tape are watching this year.
In 2021 kentucky with a tiny bit of help was 10-3 and relevant for the first time in maybe my lifetime.
This is 100% true and you can tell with the way people frame their arguments on Levis
Not worried about Levis. But do have concerns about Bryce Young 🤔
This.
There is that -or- there is that Levis was on an island in 2022.
He seems like given a redshirt he would take a lot in about role and execution and perfecting within that, instead of trying to do everything.
Time will tell but he got the arm and tge ethic. Gotta go for it if you get tge chance.
One thing I can say for sure is that most of this community, myself included, are really locked in to those QBs as the target at #5. #20 is a whole different matter. If most people here were polled on who would you like to see drafted at #20, there would be a very wide distribution. Personally, I’m a fan of Drew Sanders @20, but there are a dozen other names that i would be very happy with. Hawks are going to be spoiled for choice at #20. All I can say for sure is that this is going to be a fun draft, and I am confident that it will be a good one.
I’ve already scheduled my time off from work. Draft day can’t come soon enough,
By a wide margin there are less names I’d be unhappy with at 20 then players who I would be stoked for.
SmOkEsCrEeN!!!
My favorite thing about these people is that they believe that John and Pete are playing this crazy game of 4D chess against other GMs who are too stupid to realize it, yet us fans with a fraction of the information can see clear as day what they are doing. Luckily the other 31 teams pay their staffs millions to be completely stupid on the inner workings of the NFL.
In all seriousness though, thank you rob for all you do and for creating a space where most of the takes are sane and well reasoned. Hyped for the draft every year because of all the work you and others put in
Such a great point!
That only “we” can see the smoke screen
It’s just not appropriate to air certain things
Makes sense, thanks.
I wish that had included mayo in the coffee!
Curious how Bryce Young’s arm compares to Drew Brees or Joe Burrow’s? From what I understand, those guys also had mediocre arm strength?
Burrow didn’t have an elite arm but it was hardly mediocre
Maybe I’m the only one but I prefer Levis to Richardson, he just seems more polished with an extremely high upside as well, admittedly a very different type of upside than Richardson. I get this sense that many in the media acknowledge Richardson needs a redshirt year to unlock his true potential but why isn’t the same being said of Levis? Because he’s expected to come in and start right away? But then I see many mocks where he’s going to the Raiders where he would likely redshirt behind Jimmy G. I think a year in our system under Geno would be perfect to hone the little things in his game that might not be quite ready, very similar to Mahomes with Alex Smith. I just find it curious that many fans and media find Levis such a risk not worth taking
Nah, you’re not, and media narratives are always weird and story-like, rather than analytical. I prefer Levis, I think the upside is similar (though certainly he can’t run like Richardson), but Levis has a higher floor. We have more info on him and I like that his completion percentage didn’t drop last year, despite playing on a much worse team. The idea that he’ll get past Seattle though and goes to the raiders (or sometimes I see him slip all the way to the Bucs) is just laziness on the mock drafter’s part, to me.
Worst case scenarios:
1. Stroud, Richardson, Levis all go top 4.
2. Seahawks trade down and miss out on a top QB and the top one or two defenders
I’d rather trade down than draft Bryce Young. I don’t think he’ll be anything special. Not sure there will be a clear cut choice available at #5. Trading down might be the best option, depending.
People keep suggesting a trade down
For whom?
Who is better than taking a chance on Young being what a lot of people expect him to be?
Agree. Trading down would be so dumb.
Stroud, Richardson and Levis go top 4. That leaves arguably the best quarterback still in the clock. SO TAKE THAT ALL DAY!!
Now I am done replying to stupid comments
Young doesn’t have any elite physical skills to make up for his short stature. He doesn’t have Murray’s speed or arm strength, or Russ’s deep ball. And I’m guessing his ability to operate from a tight pocket will be just as bad as those two players.
I’m sure he will have a perfectly average NFL career.
What elite physical skills did Drew Brees and Joe Montana show? IQ is the difference maker and Young has that in spades. Whether he will be great or not is the big question but I am confident that he will be good. He is another high floor player and that tends to be not as exciting as the high ceiling physical skills of Levis and Richardson. It doesn’t mean that he can’t win a Super Bowl – look at Trent Dilfer…
Joe Montana was no slouch, he high jumped 6’9″ as a 15 year old. That is a pretty explosive athlete.
While Young is my least favorite QB (mainly due to size), he’s still really good and would feel fine drafting him at 5.
This is why I’d rather not spend capital on trading up, and just staying put. Anyone of the top 5 dropping to Seahawks I’m comfortable with drafting. Based on preferences:
Stroud > Richardson > Levis > Anderson > Young.
Will Levis ticks all the boxes and answers so many questions. It would be too perfect for fate to be so kind
Honestly, there’s enough concerns with Carter as it is for me to not want him in the first round
Other teams will jump to take him. He’s been called the most talented player in the draft and five minutes ago he was deemed a top 3 pick if not #1.
His talent hasn’t disappeared because of some bad headlines. He’s still the same great player. We should take him at 5. I don’t care about an “elite personality”. Elite personalities don’t win games. Great players win games.
Draft J Carter and don’t look back.
Those 40% of plays he is in make him elite. ?
What a 🤡take Dave!! 😂😂 You Carter 🍆riders are delusional.
Most people in this community were clamoring for J Carter two months ago because of his talent.
Was everyone delusional two months ago? Has his talent changed in the last 60 days, Joe?
Nope.
I understand the concerns about his commitment and his judgement. My assertion is that his talent is worth the risk.
You can disagree but it’s not a crazy take – which is why Carter isn’t leaving the top ten. Don’t be surprised if the Lions grab him right after us.
The Seahawks have worked with lots of different personalities over the years. They can work with Carter too.
They are now in a position to possibly grab a guy that everyone thought would be a #1 pick five minutes ago. I hope they go for it if Stroud or Levis aren’t available.
Your assuming he doesn’t self destruct this summer.
I don’t think he’s the next Malik McDowell, no.
You’re right
He’s worse
🤦🏻♂️😂😂😂
Dave, you’re not listening.
You’re dismissing the concerns glibly.
These are not just a few minor issues.
If Carter makes an effective rush, block or tackle on 20% of the 40% of the plays he is used in then he will be effective on 8% of the defensive plays. Who wouldn’t want to make him a high pick? 😭
AlaskaHawk finds the idea of J Carter being a high pick laughable.
I wonder how he explains why everyone and his brother listed him in the top 3 two months ago.
Dave, because information has emerged since then
You’re not listening
Dave here, not listening to absolutely anything I’m saying about Carter
The people who refuse to even acknowledge what is said in this article and others, is so frustrating
Dave would sign Albert Haynesworth to a $100m contract and say the same thing he said in his comment. “I don’t care about an “elite personality”.’
As if this is about ‘personality’.
Is Tyree Wilson a consolation prize to anyone else or is it just me?
Apparently he just went through a “foot procedure” and won’t participate at pro day. Maybe they are making the trip for someone else? WR Loic Fouonji for 2024? (kidding)
Its fun to have 4 legit QB prospects at the top of the draft, especially without a consensus ranking. My personal ranking is Stroud – Richardson – Young – Levis, and have Levis a pretty distant 4th, but it makes for a fun debate that almost everyone has a different opinion on how to rank them.
What absolutely baffles me is how a big chunk of the fanbase won’t even entertain the idea of a QB at #5 because these guys are bUstS, but still want Jalen Carter and chalk up his issues to being young
Will Levis/Anthony Richardson are impressive. The only thing I keep coming back to is… aren’t geno smith/drew lock and qbs like that close to being as impressive. If your trying to pick a qb to develop wouldn’t they pick one later if JS/PC think one is special.
For as much criticism your giving to the anti qb people. I think your trying to push a qb on everyone just as much
I’m pushing QB’s on people by… writing detailed reports explaining exactly what I like/dislike about them, stretching over the course of 12 months.
That’s exactly the same as shouting ‘NO QB’ on Twitter and calling it an argument…
Meanwhile most of my mocks have had a DL to Seattle at #5
🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦
Sometimes I wonder if people think these comments through
Geno Smith is 33 this year, has had a journeyman career and 3/4 of a good season.
Drew Lock is, currently, a second round flop who has achieved nothing since entering the league.
So no.
I’ve never gotten the Geno hype. I thought he looked OK at best. I don’t mean to insult the guy, but where did it come from? He did get the job under some weird circumstances. Wilson is far and away our greatest QB ever and left by upsetting the fans. I feel like Seahawks fans had some kind of breakup rebound with Geno. We got dumped by the best player in franchise history so we have to celebrate Geno. But… he’s not as good as Wilson was.
Geno’s ok. That’s fine. If you’ve got a chance for a superstar QB, I say take it.
He was a helluva lot better than Wilson not just this past season but the past 3 seasons.
Geno had a much better 2022 than Wilson. However Wilson was a much better QB the previous 9 years and that is not debatable.
Wilson is unlikable and spurned the Seahawks, we get it. Many are just skeptical that Geno can turn into a long term Franchise QB at 32 years old. Apparently most of the NFL agreed as we didn’t hear of any other offers for Geno other than the Seahawks low ball offer that he signed.
Come on? Really….
What is the point of a comment like this?
And you are trolling with a comment that portends Rob to be pushing quarterback. Call them as I see them
I do think that Rob has lost some of his usual ruthless objectivity in regards to Anthony Richardson – positive comparisons to other physically elite past prospects whilst sidelining comparison with inexperienced types.
Richardson looks like a player who really would have got a lot of benefit from another year starting in college (unless his QB coach there is more of a hindrance – interestingly the Gators football coaches page does not list anyone as a QB coach)
I take issue with the suggestion I haven’t used ruthless objectivity with Richardson. I studied every game he played in college and have made an assessment after numerous long form videos and articles discussing his play. By the end of the season, when he declared, I was talking him up as a top-five pick when most others weren’t. Now, he’s a consensus top-10 lock.
Here’s what I wrote after the Kentucky game:
He answered those questions, emphatically. What he showed in one season of starting was enough to highlight his obscene upside and potential.
I’ve never argued he wouldn’t have benefited from more playing time. But he declared, it is what it is. You have to make a judgement and I have. And I don’t blame him from getting out of the Florida disaster zone that he carried.
Since you are talking Richardson, what is your analysis of his last game playing against Florida State? I thought the game was fun to watch – pretty evenly matched. Ultimately he was outplayed by a less gifted quarterback who was willing to give his body up with quarterback runs/scrambles. Richardson did show off his long range passing abilities.
“Outplayed” was not the description I would use
Richardson was a one-man team
I’m not buying the one man show. I was impressed by Richardson’s receiver Pearsall with 148 yards. Rushing with Etienne for 129 yards, Johnson Jr 85 yards, and Richardson had 41 yards. He had a decent offensive line and strong running game.
Someone has to catch those passes! Richardson was 9/27 and 198 yards.
His opponent Jordan Travis went 13/30 and 270 yards. More importantly he ran more often and gave up his body 15 times for 83 yards. Passing was much more balanced but no outstanding receivers. And Benson rushed for 111.
I’m not picking on Richardson. Maybe he could have used more receivers but Pearsall was so good. Maybe it was the defenses? I just think Travis gave up his body on the quarterback runs to get the win.
Don’t buy it then 🤷♂️
How do you think he got those yards?
Where do you think Pearsall will be drafted?
To say he was “outplayed” in that game is a leap
I don’t understand this comment AlaskaHawk
You responded to Rob’s statement that you can’t just look at stats or a game when it comes to Richardson…by asking about one game, as if that one game sums up Richardson?
Not to steal anyone’s thunder, but I watched every Florida game last season. And starting in late October/early November I was posting comments on the blog about Richardson being potentially the number 1 pick. I have the comment receipts to prove it too.
It’s totally ok for you or anyone else to have a different opinion of Richardson. That’s why we have draft blogs and drafts.
But unless you spent the time I did watching Richardson, not just the last game of the season, but all of them, then maybe give me, and of course Rob since he’s doing what I did with Richardson, but with all the QB prospects, a little more deference?
Or at least come better prepared to support your position.
Sorry for the grumpy rant
I asked for Robs analysis of that game, the final game of Richardson’s college career. I did’nf say he wasn’t draft worthy because I think be is. I also think his competition Travis will be a first round pick next year. As far as an argument the stats and finals score speak for themselves.
That’s box-score scouting though, isn’t it?
Texas Tech were 5-7 in Mahomes’ final year — does that speak for itself too?
Just look at levis. I’d argue that staying in Kentucky hurt his stock. Not just the other qbs but now there’s apparently tons of super knowledgeable qb coaches all unemployed all online that think he sucks because he got the pleasure of playing on a team with maybe one other draftable player who didn’t even play the whole season.
Meanwhile “tier three,” Hendon hooker with all his tds couldn’t even elevate his team past kentucky in 2021.
If we’re going to parse things to the final grain of sand and I’m being purposefully pedantic here, Stroud with a loaded up team at Ohio couldn’t beat stetson bennett.
The Richardson stuff is getting lazy. “Stats are bad, that’s all I need to know.” You. Have. To. Watch. All. Of. His. Tape. There are a lot of cases where he made corrections game to game, but especially from the start of the year to the end.
He had no supporting cast. Florida sucked. Look at their bowl game without him. Coaching was bad. You have to know what to look for with him. This is why the vast majority of fans are nothing more than people casually watching the game and thinking it is all black and white.
Rob almost took Richardson out of consideration earlier this year because of his play. Then he got better enough that he is now going to be a top 5 pick.
He is probably the most physically gifted quarterback we’ve ever seen. We easily have the best situation to help him succeed: time to let him get better.
I’m ready to get this waiting period over so people can start eating crow. Or jump ship because they think they know better than our front office.
“But he declared…..”
And that’s that. Really. Should he have played more? I really don’t know. I take in a decent amount of college games.
I posit broadly hypothetically that there are tons of qbs taking tons of snaps and due to reasons such as conference, coach, other all those extra snaps aren’t making one bit of difference.
But here we are. A supremely athletically gifted player who needs time to develop. And in a weird twist of fate Seattle (maybe others. Don’t know barely care) are in the unique position to do such a thing.
The Off-season dates were announced today and Phase 1 which includes medicals begins April 17. I’m hoping we will get some news on physicals for Jamal Adams, Brian Mone and Will Dissly.
I know there have been folks on here suggesting we trade Will but as of the end of January, it was still unclear whether he would need knee surgery. So, I don’t think he is a legitimate trade commodity until the status of his knee gets cleared up.
The team needs at least one TE who can block well, and Dissly seems to be the best we have. Drafting a good blocker like Washington would seem wise if Will can’t go.
I agree. I take Michael Mayer or Darnell Washington but I like the monster more. You would improve the OL and the run game. I don’t want another 5th round TE it time to grab a talented one. Take the one you want at 20 and let the other teams scrabble for the other as we move on to a different position.
Hypothetical:
If Anderson goes to Arizona and qbs are taken by Carolina, Houston, and Indianapolis, but Seattle is not enamored with whomever is the remaining 4th quarterback…what is our best option?
Seattle acts like they want the QB but is willing to trade it with LV and take Abe Abe or Will McDonald and BPA at 20.
In my opinion – and I don’t care what preferences PCJS have – Christian Gonzales, CB from Oregon. He’s a dependable day 1 starter and will help close the holes in the defense much better than betting on another D-liner we are incapable to develop.
Low key statement/concern.
That for every fan smashing their keyboard screaming dline who is the last dline Seattle developed? Maybe reed. Otherwise it’s a who’s who of guys that never worth a second contract and were welcomed back after they journeyed around the league for a few years.
Frank Clark was the last guy I consider as being developed to his potential. In general, I am not a fan of the EDGE type Seattle is coveting. I think, we should have drafted Cameron Thomas from SDSU instead of Boye Mafe.
But there are still so-called draft analysts, who get away with the theme. PFNs Fragroza on why he gave Myles Murphy to Seattle at #5…
“Regardless, pair Murphy with longtime independent DL trainer (now Seahawks pass-rush specialist) BT Jordan, and watch how quickly opposing offenses begin to scheme against the first-team All-ACC prospect.”
Yeah… whatever. Someone tell them the message… it’s PCs defense. And he wants to peg a square through a round hole, always.
the lookback at the scouting quotes on Allen and Mahomes…are a blast to read.
I’m happy w any of these 4 QB’s – if they somehow go 1-4 in a row, I’ll definitely be a little disappointed – but Anderson will also be a fun Hawk to watch.
Who’s the next best QB – anyone worthy of one of our 2nd round picks?
Just taking a look at WalterFootball’s mock database, and only 7 out of 40-50 mocks have the Hawks taking a QB out of all the mocks since March 1st.
All I’m saying is that a lot of people’s draft projections are going to get messed up by the 7th pick and will be 1000% dead by the 15th pick
Kinda like everyone’s March Madness brackets.
I am curious. When we signed Evan Brown, I thought the talk of taking a center early would slacken, but it is almost as though he does not exist. I even saw a blurb on Seahawks.com in which they listed the new signings and Brown was not even on the list.
Is he that bad? Then why take him? Haynes is good enough to hold down RG for a least a season, and will probably be an improvement over Jackson. Brown seems like a good place holder, also.
We have greater needs.
After a quick search, I read that Brown was pressed into service at center early in his career when Frank Ragnow had a season-ending injury. He started exactly 24 games, 12 at center, and the other 12 at guard when Halapoulivaati Vaitai also had a season-ending injury.
So there may be some perception that he is just a useful backup.
He was drafted as a center, and JS says while he can play both positions effectively, they see him as a center.
I’ll be even more forcefull, on John’s show he flat out said Evan is a center
The price they paid he was brought to compete and mostly backup both positions. Haynes hasn’t made it through a season without getting injuries.
Brown was a hedge against the draft not presenting an opportunity — and if they do draft a center, he is great depth at two positions.
Steve Avila played a lot of snaps across the whole line – could he be on their radar?
Short shuttle and size suggest it’s unlikely
Is he Jared Goff with a better arm?
To be fair that’s like saying, ‘Is he LJ Collier but with a 1.57 10-yard split?’
The better arm bit makes them very different players — and physically they are too different to make that comp
Smokescreen 🤣🤣🤣
Yes, PCJS, et all, have nothing better to do than spend a week feigning interest in QBs just to fake out teams drafting, checks my notes, behind them.
Denver you’re failing to see the reality here.. They’re faking out the teams behind them cuz they don’t want anyone jumping in front of them to draft Jalen Carter. I mean you know, boys will be boys. Seahawks will be the #1 D in the NFL with him playi9ng what, 25% of the snaps?
While also turning up to 25% of the meetings and workouts…
But those 25% of snaps will be so dominant, so otherworldly, that it will rattle the other team’s offense. The other 75% snaps will be them so scared that it will lead to turnovers, and sacks galore for the soaring peacock!
(please read with sarcasm font).
Bump and Stacey show mentioned (I think bump said it but could have been a guest…) Bobby Wagner asking for a commensurate value contact with his abilities and quality of play for at least $7mil. They insinuated inside knowledge.
Does not sound like Bwagz is coming back. I cannoy see the hawks paying him more than $2-3 mil if they are truthfully interested. I’m not even sure the hawks can afford that under the cap.
Love ya, and bye bye Bobby.
See you at the ROH ceremony Bobby. It’ll be well deserved as will the HOF induction. Know when to call it a career tho.
It’s one of the saddest things in sports watching a player you admire drag on and on getting worse and worse.
Bobby is probably worth $5m/yr at this stage of his career. Didn’t he get $10m from the Rams last year, and by all accounts he played very well, after a down season in 2021.
Also, we have no idea really what we’ll get from Bush at LB, even though he’s quite a bit younger than Bobby. And with Brooks likely to start the season on PUP, we’re painted into that corner again, needing to draft an LB or two.
If we had the cap room, I’d be in favor of one last hoorah with Bobby!
We don’t have $5m to spend though
and if they create $5m it should go on the DL
I understand, and agree MLB isn’t the highest priority, and I’d rather see an addition to the DL as well. I’m still holding out hope they pull a lever or two and figure out how to add A’Shawn Robinson, as he’s still available I believe.
Didn’t Wyman talk about Bobby not being a proper fit for scheme and the new direction toward younger players? He even talked about how Bobby wasn’t attacking the line in 2021 and that’s why they signed a young, aggressive Bush.
💯💯💯
Hey Rob, not sure if you check other mock sites but Walter football appears to think the top of the draft will go similar to what you think (possibly 4qbs go top 4).
I don’t hate his draft for the hawks, although I would flip some of his second round picks.
First he has us taking will Anderson with all qbs off the board, second Calijah Kancey (gotta admit that’s a nice infusion of talent to dline).
Second round has us taking Jalin Hyatt and then Sam la porta…I’m not in love with those picks, I’d prefer downs and then one of JMS or Wypler to lock up center position but overall it seems he’s pretty in tune with what the hawks need. Also McDonald was available early r2, so could flip cancey with him
Laporta is a great grab. I’m not a fan of Hyatt
Imagine the chip on the shoulder and extra motivation for the QB who is passed over and left for the Hawks at #5? All 4 have high skills and great character/leadership – I lean to Levis but any of that group falling to #5 must be selected IMO.
Couple ‘top 30’ visits scheduled. Via:
https://twitter.com/JustinM_NFL
OL Braedon Daniels Utah-reportedly up to 307lbs at pro day
40 Yard Dash: 4.99 seconds
10 Yard Split: 1.71 seconds
Vertical Leap: 30.5 inches
Broad Jump: 9’1″
20 Yd Shuttle: 4.60 seconds
Three Cone: 7.53 seconds
S Jerrick Reed New Mexico St
40: 4.46 (Tied for 3rd among S at combine)
Bench: 18 reps
VJ: 38” (👀👀 5th at combine)
Broad: 10-2 (8th at combine)
3C: 7.16
SS: 4.31
Was Daniels reported interest or a top-30?
https://thedraftnetwork.com/braeden-daniels-nfl-draft-2023-interview/
JM: I thought you were terrific. Did you meet with many teams formally? Do you have any top-30 visits coming up?
Braeden Daniels: I have some in-person visits coming up. One of them is with the Seattle Seahawks. I had formals at the combine with the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals. I had a bunch of informals as well.
Read it as a top 30, but its a bit unclear.
I know it was reported recently they spent time with him at his pro-day so he might be referring to that
Rob, thank you for the incredible coverage of last week’s pro days. I have no doubt that PC/JS are high on the ‘big four’ QBs and Will Anderson. But what do you make of Tony Pauline’s recent report that the Seahawks are interested in Jaren Hall? According to Pauline, Hall had an outstanding throwing session at BYU’s pro day: “He threw more than 50 passes, and many of them had a high degree of difficulty. Hall wasn’t just accurate — he displayed pinpoint pass placement and drove deep passes downfield with speed. […] Hall has come across great in interviews, as he’s a mature 25-year-old married man.
Well, if they don’t take a QB early they may well take one later. But Hall will very much be a late round flier
Don’t see a point spending a draft pick on a QB that’s nearly the same age as Lock
What I like about Levis is his determination. Yeah sounds odd and we can asume all theae cats have it but Levis gives off that vibe he is going to keep climbing up that mountain and nothing will stop him…nothing
In every interview, he details exactly where he needs to improve, what he’s working on. He is driven to get better and not resting on anything
Rob, if both him and Richardson should be available at 5, which one would you take? Or do you want to see Richardson’s pro day first?
Either
I lean Richardson because of his use in the run game and he’s more physically gifted overall. Also younger. Not a huge difference but it’s enough for me to lean his way. I’d be happy with either.
Tony Pauline on Viliami Fehoko:
Fehoko tipped the scales at 282 pounds, six more than his weight at the Combine…ran 4.72 40…measures a shade under 6’4″ and comes with arms that are 33″. He’s one of the most intense defenders you’ll find in this year’s draft class and offers the versatility to be used at a number of spots up front.”
https://www.profootballnetwork.com/pro-day-news-and-rumors-all-eyes-on-will-levis-stephen-f-austin-standouts-and-more/
Fehoko has been steadily increasing weight over the off season. Leads one to believe the league sees him more as a 3-4 DE, pass rushing 3T, than on the edge.
Dude plays really hard and has a nice spin move at times. Theres not a whole lot of tape of San Jose St.
Will try and check him out
Tony Pauline says the Jets held a private workout with Wypler at OSU pro day
There will be competition for him and JMS
We’ll have to make up our mind how much we value the position. If we do, get one of these two guys with a second round pick. But we should draft a C no matter what.
I think it’s more about valuing the prospect. Signing Evan Brown suggests they value the position.
And it sounds like they like both Schmintz and Wypler (especially JMS)
The problem is, it looks like Schmintz’s floor is Buffalo at 27.
And if JMS goes at 27, I expect Arizona will take Wyler at 34.
So the question is do they value either highly enough to take at 20, or after a trade down/up?
Honestly, if it were 20 and JMS, I would rather do the alternative and take dawand Jones, kick Lucas to guard, and consider which is best:
LG Lewis, C Evan or
LG Evan/Haynes, C Lewis
More moving pieces but also mo big bodies
Hawks should trade number 5 for Trey Lance. Might troll Seahawks Twitter with that one.
Unfortunately, he has a Bible verse tattooed on his arm, and Seahawks Twitter and members of the SBNation site have deemed that A Bad Thing. Jalen Carter must be taken at 5 though. /s
God forbid.
See what I did there?
I am atheist but appreciate the morals and philosophical teachings from religious works.
I also believe religion has nothing to do with sports players and their ability. But if Levis believes it does, I say to each their own. As long as he’s dropping dimes on intermediate and deep routes I could care less who he attributes his success to. We all find motivation from deeply personal experiences. If his motivation to succeed is through his faith, he wouldn’t be the first or the billionth person to believe so, the point for me is that he had motivation to succeed and believes in himself.
As a person of faith, I respect this perspective. I would add that sometimes it isn’t to perform better physically but as a reminder of where their physical talent came from. Humility and gratitude.
Rob – Levis certainly has the physical tools to be a Seahawks’ QB, but it wasn’t until I listened to your interview that I found out that he had previously played at Penn St. and then chose to leave there to go to Kentucky. From the reading I’ve done, it sounds like rather than stay at PSU and compete with Clifford for the starting QB position, he chose to leave.
This causes me to question how he is going to react if the Seahawks draft him and then he has to compete with both Geno and Lock to become the starter. Will that kind of competition make him a better QB, or will he be feeling that he wants to play elsewhere?
I’m sure that JS/PC will be asking themselves the same question …
Well, in fairness, he lost his starting job to a younger player. So in that situation you have two choices. Transfer to another school. Or risk being a backup for the rest of your college career, kissing goodbye to any pro prospects.
So he transferred and it’s proven to be a good decision. He’s going to be a first round pick.
The same thing happened to Joe Burrow (transferred from Ohio State when he wasn’t starting), Justin Fields (transferred from Georgia when he lost-out to Jake Fromm), Jalen Hurts (transferred from Alabama when he lost out to Tua), Russell Wilson (transferred from NC State when Mike Glennon was given the starting job) and Kyler Murray (transferred from Texas A&M).
So this is not unusual at all and as we see, a lot of successful NFL QB’s transferred after losing jobs or failing to win jobs at their first school in college.
I understand that many QBs have transferred schools and have had successful NFL careers, including Russell Wilson. But, in the current situation, where we are comparing 4 potential picks to decide how to rate them, I would hope that some questions are being asked about their respective personal choices they have made in the past — is there evidence that they can face adversity and overcome it, or have they chosen to avoid facing the adversity. To me, when the Seahawks are down by 4 points with 2 minutes to play, I want a QB who is eager to show that he has the stuff to lead the team to victory despite the hardships he may have faced earlier in the game or the season.
I think we focus on physical traits because we have data to compare. But, I would argue that grit and determination are equally important but harder to measure. When there is evidence that a competitor has chosen to not compete, this begs the question why.
Phil I get where you’re coming from but not how you are arriving there.
In college you get limited opportunities to start. There’s no sense in stating if you believe you aren’t going to get that shot.
I think betting on yourself and transferring shows as much heart as I need as opposed to sit.
Levis made kentucky relevant for a while. That’s no easy feat.
So just so I’m clear about your stance on this:
1. We should challenge and question Levis’ decision to transfer to Kentucky, where he has turned himself into a first round pick, and not focus on the fact he turned his career around, instead we should linger on why he didn’t stay at Penn State and significantly risk ever playing college football again
2. You’re going to gloss over the number of quarterbacks who transferred in near identical circumstances that I just listed for you
3. You’re questioning the guy’s grit for going to play for Kentucky, in the SEC, where he was hammered every week and earned respect from the entire school for the way he carried himself?
Come on. You’re going down a rabbit hole with this.
Simms is suggesting he could drop into the late first or even early 2nd. I used to pay a lot of attention to him but his Zach Wilson is better than Trevor Lawrence takes and now this leaves me out in the cold with his opinions.
Simms….I dont know. It’s hard to hear him bang on one qb but sing tge praises of another when hooker never elevated that program. Is even older, injured. And it’s the goofiest easiest qb play to watch.
I respect Simms a ton
I would be interested to know if he only watched 2022 tape
I grasp where you’re coming from here but I think you’re not taking a realistic account of these proto-pro players. They have a narrow few years after high school to carve a path into the NFL, they can’t afford to @£$! around — they can strangle their careers in their cribs if they pick, or stay in, bad developmental situations. “Coach buried you on the JV team so bust your tail and prove him wrong instead of quitting” might be good advice to a 14-year-old but guys with the clock ticking on their pro athletics career have to be cutthroat — one could as well cast it as, by leaving town he bet on himself and he won.
If you have an Athletic sub, here’s an interview with Levis from 2021 talking about the decision to transfer. Specifically, he cites being used (because he’s a big dude) as a battering ram for situational run plays (he had more runs than throws in his Penn State career!) as a typecast he needed to escape while he still had time.
https://theathletic.com/2384189/2021/02/12/will-levis-kentucky-penn-state/
Some choice quotes:
“(It came down to) what would put me in the best situation to ultimately reach my goal to play in the NFL. In order to do that, I know I need to be a starting quarterback for at least two years somewhere to put myself in the best position possible.”
“I just needed an opportunity to step into a role where someone can see me as just more of a throw-first quarterback who can also run as opposed to the other way around. And it’s not that the coaches didn’t see me that way, it’s just the team that we had and what was needed of us. … I was all for it because I’m always going to be all about helping the team win. … That’s just the role that I was put in most of the time this year and I was fine with it. But at the end of the day, it’s not really who I want to be as a quarterback. I don’t want to be known as the guy who goes in and puts his head down and runs the ball.”
However, one executive doesn’t believe Carter will experience a significant fall down draft boards and attributed the poor performance to tough coaching. “It really wasn’t as bad as how it was reported,” the exec told La Canfora. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. [Chiefs defensive line coach] Joe Cullen was leading the drills, and he went pretty hard on the kid. I don’t know if he was trying to make a point, but he had him doing the same drills as [much smaller linebacker] Nolan Smith, and he was really trying to wear the kid out.”
What? Yeah…no thanks
Have you got a link?
ProFootballRumors.com
I am 50 years old and have been following the draft at least since high school and I cannot remember people trying to prop up a flawed prospect this vigorously?
This is right.
We’re near enough the same age. I’ve been following in earnest since before Rob’s site. I can not recall this effort to will something into existence.
This could be good news, if the executive is from Arizona or Houston.
That would be delicious!
This feels more and more like a feint. Convince the world you’re all in on a QB so that someone who is really likes QB3 or QB4 will move up to #3, and voila Anderson slides. What did they accomplish by going to these pro days to watch them throw in shorts? Why plaster it on their official social media afterwards? BTW, they were obviously at Alabama’s pro day… where was the Will Anderson pic with front office? I don’t recall them telegraphing interest in Cross last year.
I really hope they go QB at 5, or trade up if they really love someone, but I’m reading the tea leaves another way. You can argue it’s different and there’s five higher players on their board, with 1 being guaranteed to fall, but if you rate QB4 over Will Anderson this is not how you operate.
For those of you playing the smokescreen drinking game, time to take a shot…
As I said in the blog, they are simply travelling to watch and meet with all of the top players expected to go in the range they’re picking
We don’t have to concoct a hair-brained scheme that has Seattle attending pro-days to influence other teams to trade with the Cardinals. If it was that obvious, teams wouldn’t fall for it anyway.
They’re just doing homework on the key players, including the key defensive players.
Regarding the selfies with the qbs, I haven’t seen this much analysis and interpretation of meaning in a photo since the cover of the Abbey Road album.
LOL
Two sentences? Two sentences is the most you’ve about a photo. Thanks for the hot take Ian.
My comment wasn’t directed at you, rather at the general discussion of the photos that seems widespread on social media. No offense intended.
Gotcha. My bad.
Is it as obvious as bringing in a 4th round QB for a team visit, leaking to someone in the media that they were going to take him in the first, and then passing on him 4 times? Let’s not kid ourselves, they play these types of games all the time.
They also have never been in the range to eyeball the Top-4 QBs like this. It’s been stated several times this is the HIGHEST draft pick ever for this front office and this pick is a gift from DEN.
I’m sure they are enjoying the process and this isn’t a smokescreen at all. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It can definitely be both
It surprises me how many self proclaimed mock draft experts ignore the offensive line equation.
Geno was solid last year. He also played behind an improved offensive line vs 21’. Not drastically better but better. Russ had a good year in 21’, obviously not great but still solid. Levis in 21’ played behind a much better line at Kentucky than what they had in 22’ and had a great year. So Levis struggled a bit at times and that is the pundit focus (on 22’ vs 21’ season)! How about what changed on the O-line between 21-22’?
Russ’ line in Denver was obliterated by injuries in 22. Not giving him a complete pass here but that is a fact. The Denver O line was patched together and not good maybe even the worst line in the NFL. It is all Russ on the major decline talk now. He likely can’t be “fixed”..
Now the Denver media reports Russ better watch out. They signed Jarret Stidham and thus Russ could be on a short leash. What the heck has Stidham done thus far? Not much.
Frankly reading most of the crap out there from the supposed experts is just click bait crap. I come to this site to get knowledgeable, well evaluated information. So refreshing.
Fortunately the real experts will be making their evaluations and holding their true viewpoint on players close to the vest. They will smokescreen the pundits. They will then make the picks using way more information than the pundits make watching a few games in 22’
I personally believe all 4 QBs we’ve discussed here for a long time will be drafted in the top 5. Hawks go QB unless all 4 are gone by 5. If and when this happens, we can all look back and really appreciate the insight of Rob and many contributors to this blog and laugh at most of these other “experts”. I will say Mel Kiper seems to align his draft view closer to this blog than any of the others.
I hope the Hawks get a chance to get one of the top 4 QB’s. I’d be happy with any of them. Every one of them has a chance to be special and for people to look back and say #4 should have been #1 IMO.
Seattle has another Top 30 visit with a safety, Jerrick Reed II out of New Mexico. He isn’t on Rob’s latest board but his Pro Day numbers show some athleticism.
Rob- thanks. I hit here site on the regular since about 2021 and you’ve spoke of Levis before and seriously the Justin Herbert comparison is straight proper. But Herbert with all his skills in a McVay offense and look out. Levis in Seattle would be a home run.
As someone who’s not quite sold on the Will Levis hype on this blog, I would love to see Rob stream a spirited debate with someone on the other end of the Levis spectrum.