Seahawks Mock Draft #1
As we put the 2016 NFL season behind us, all eyes turn to Indianapolis, home of the NFL Scouting Combine. In what promises to be the first of many, 12's Talk presents our initial Mock Draft.*
Round 1(26)- Marlon Humphrey CB Alabama: A redshirt sophomore, Humphrey is a popular pick for Seattle in many mock drafts, and it is easy to see why. He fits the famous " Seahawks Corner mold". He stands 6'1", 198 lbs, and appears to have the 32 inch arms John Schneider requires outside corners to have.
In addition to length, Humphrey is an incredible athlete. He was a state champion Track athlete, winning the 110 meter and 400 meter hurdles in the 2013 World Youth Track and Field Championships. The athleticism translates onto the field.
The first think that stood out on my initial viewing on Humphrey is how well he reads screens. Watch as he completely destroys both this screen play and the receiver.
He poses both the strength to jam receivers at the line, and also the speed to get good breaks on the football when playing off-coverage. Humphrey also displays some of the same swagger as a young Richard Sherman. If the right Offensive Lineman falls to 26 (Ryan Ramczyk please), Seattle could wait until the second to take UW product Kevin King, who features a similar profile to Humphrey.
Round 2(58)- DeMarcus Walker DL Florida State: In one months time, this could look like a complete pipe dream. If Walker test well at the combine, he could rocket up the draft boards. He is primarily considered an edge, and doesn't fit the mold of past Seahawks pass-rushers like Chris Clemons, Michael Bennett, and Cliff Avril.
At 6'3", 275 lbs, Walker can be seen as a bit of a "tweener". He looks too squatty to be a traditional Leo in Seattle scheme, yet not quite big enough to play inside every down. What do we know about Walker? He can rush the passer. His 16 sacks earned him the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Below are 2 sacks, one off the edge, one against a guard. Walker sets up the tackle beautifully. He blows by the guard so quickly, even the attempt to hold Walker fails.
Walker can disappear for stretches of the game, looking almost disinterested once he is initially blocked. There are no obvious indications this is due to anything but general exhaustion, but teams will have to do some research on this.
Walker can disengage and re-route lineman with a strong punch, as seen below (watch the Right Guard).
Walker could be an instant contributor, similar to Frank Clark's role in Year 1. Whether or not he can develop into an every down lineman remains to be seen.
Round 3 (90)- Adam Bisnowaty OL Pittsburgh: Finally, the Seahawks take a lineman (hopefully after signing a solid vet) and Bisnowaty appears to be a fit. A Left Tackle for 4 season, Bisnowaty appears destined to be a Right Tackle in the NFL. at 6'6" 300 lbs, he looks like a typical Seahawks lineman.
Despite his lean stature, Bisnowaty is a bully, using effort and a mean streak to routinely push his man off the ball. He has no standout skills, but is solid-average across the board. He has some mechanical issues that make sucseptible to a strong bull rush, but it is nothing good coaching can't fix.
He reminds some of Breno Giacomini, a comp that should leave most Seahawks fans smiling.
Round 3- (105) Chris Goodwin WR Penn State: At 6'1" 210 lbs, Goodwin fit the mold of Jermaine Kearse. Calm down people, the Kearse-Goodwin comp ends with their size... kind of. Goodwin excels at 2 things: high pointing the ball and an ability to seperate on " 2nd plays" (when QB scrambles on busted play).
Here he high points the ball, making a tough catch in traffic, and breaks a tackle to gain a few more yards.
Below, he shows of his improv skills on a busted play.
Round 5 (184)- Jamaal Williams RB BYU: The 5th round has been a good place to find a quality RB of late, as Jay Ajayi and Jordan Howard are good examples. Williams could be the next guy. At 6'"2 220 he is a power runner, who poses surprisingly good wiggle for a guy his size.
He didn't catch the ball much, but appears to be an adequate receiver out of the backfield.
Round 6 (211)- Cole Hikutini TE Louisville: With Luke Wilson likely on his way out, the Seahawks could be looking for another Tight End to pair with Jimmy Graham and Nick Vannett. Hikutini could be this guy. He has no standout skills, but should be at least average across the board, including in the run game.
Round 7 (229)- Joe Mathis EDGE Washington: My hunch is that after the combine, Mathis will be a conversation in Round 4. But for now CBS Draft Scout (the rankings I've been basing everything on) have Mathis at 223 on their Big Board. Mathis rushes the passer well and was the best pass rusher on one of the best defenses in the country.
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Before missing the remainder of the season with a foot injury, Mathis had 5 sacks and 7.5 TFL in 6 games. He is quick off the edge, and could grow into a Leo position while he refines his game.
*As the off-season progresses, we will update our mock drafts.
