Grading the Draft

[Captain 97]

I don't see the line being much better this year if at all. Zabel will probably struugle - OL always take at least a year to get up to speed. Olu is still Olu, maybe Haynes takes the next step, hopefully Lucas can stay healthy. Maybe the run game improves with Hernandez and Ouzts added in. I don't see Darnold having a goid year because without protection he turns into a sack magnet and turnover monster. Arroyo should help make up for the loss of DK as a big target.

The D looks like the same group with Murphy hopefully more impactful, although if they use him as a NT don't expect numbers any better than last year. The edge guy they signed from Dallas is over the hill snd who knows what Emmanwori's going to look like. Hopefully not another Aaron Curry or Taylor Mays but who knows. Don't see any reason to be excited about the CBs or ILBs either.

What year did the Oline get up to speed??? lol

Think he's talking generally, league wide. Though I believe the commanders went from the bottom of the league to the middle in one season. They utilized FAs. But yeah, I'd like to see some kind of movement like that.

IF Haynes has any sort of possiblity of taking a step why not Olu?

Yeah. He dismisses Zabel saying that it takes a year or two for O-Line to get up to speed and then just writes off the existing guys who now have had a year in the league.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Olu's got two years in, he might still get better but i doubt it. I said Haynes could take the next step, and Cross and Lucas (if he gets back to 90% or better) are known quantities. So unless Zabel is as good or better as a rookie than Tomlinson was last year, i don't see much improvement overall. But perhaps the new offensive scheme will be a better fit for their talents.

[Donn Beach]

This guy is pretty high on the offense

With veteran Leonard Williams anchoring the defensive line and longtime Dallas Cowboy Demarcus Lawrence joining Boye Mafe at edge-rusher, they should be solid at the point of attack and a thorn in the side of opposing quarterbacks.

Seattle also has a pair of decent inside linebackers, especially if Tyrice Knight continues to improve opposite Ernest Jones IV.

It's the secondary where Seattle really has the potential to thrive in 2025. With rookie Nick Emmanwori joining Julian Love, the Seahawks have a pair of the versatile safeties that NFL teams covet nowadays.

Seattle also has one of the better collections of cornerback talent in the league, with Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon and even Josh Jobe all ascending young talents at the position.

Outside of Emmanwori, the Seahawks focused mainly on the offensive side of the ball. But it wouldn't be any kind of real upset if Seattle has the NFC West's best overall defense in 2025.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/251 ... 2025-draft

[Donn Beach]

Olu seemed to check all the boxes in college, All American, wins both the Outland and Remington awards. The Michigan line he is on is voted the best in college football. After having transferred there from Virginia his teammates vote him a captain. Then it looks like he doesn't have a very good combine. And so far has been a bit disappointing

Draft profile, sounds like his success could be scheme oriented

Four-year starter and highly decorated player who was part of a unit that won the Joe Moore Award (best offensive line in college football) in consecutive years. Oluwatimi benefited from tight splits and a scheme designed to take advantage of double teams up front. He will bend a little at the waist, but displays good technique on double teams and generates decent drive on base blocks. He lacks the lateral quickness needed for range as a run blocker and must learn to better recognize and respond to twists in pass protection. Oluwatimi has future starting potential but could struggle in a scheme that forces him to play in space

[Sibelius Hindemith]

PFF graded Olu at 64.2 which means "backup" level.

BTW how did you feel about JS' decision to re-sign Jhonathon Hankins to fill the void at NT? With a grade of 35.9 the folks at PFF seemed to feel that he played some real impactful downs on the ol' gridiron last year.

[Donn Beach]

What happened to the Hankins posts?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

I deleted my last one. Doesn't seem worth arguing about - we'll see how things play out, but i'd be disappointed if JH is the main NT going into the season.

[Donn Beach]

He's not going to be. I think the deal is he wore down last season. By the end of the season he was seeing 30% of the snaps. I'm guessing he would have a specific role. He still needs to make the team. Generally speaking I think MM knows what he's doing, seems to like veteran linemen

[Sibelius Hindemith]

That probably means Murphy playing more snaps at NT and getting the majority of double-teams.

[Donn Beach]

That probably means Murphy playing more snaps at NT and getting the majority of double-teams.

Yeah, what's troubling you, not a fan or you would play him someplace else?...

He's PFF breakout candidate for the Seahawks

"The Seahawks grabbed the top interior defensive lineman in the 2024 draft with the 16th overall pick, but his rookie year was a relatively quiet one with just a half-sack to his name on 244 pass-rush attempts," Jonathon Macri wrote. "Expect a larger role for Murphy in Year 2, where he should be able to highlight more of that pass-rush upside that allowed him to deliver a 91.5 pass-rush grade in his final college season and 20.3% win rate on true-pass-sets, the seventh-best mark for his position in 2024."