April 20, 2024 • 17 mins
Corbin Smith of the Locked On Seahawks Podcast joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the NFL Draft coming up next week including the Seahawks needs, the quarterback situation, linemen on both sides of the ball, and Brock Bowers’ skills.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
I mean locked on Seahawks podcast ourfriend Corbyn Smith corbyin how are you man,
I'm good, Safty thays me.Hey, listen, great news on
your wife, buddy. That wasawesome news that you shared the other day.
So want to congratulate you guys ongetting that great piece of news from
the doctors. Man, thank you, I appreciate it. It was it
was news from the heavens, Igain. Yeah, well, you guys
(00:22):
deserve it for sure. But hey, we got draft coming up on Thursday.
The mock draft is on Wednesday.We're getting close. What are your
thoughts on where the Seahawks sets theammunition, they've got, the needs they
have As we're sitting here six daysaway from getting this thing going, I
think that this is still a situationwhere when you look at this draft,
(00:44):
obviously every draft is fluid, butthis is a draft that is just loaded
with tackles and receivers, and somany teams that are in the back half
of the first round need players atboth of those positions. The Seahawks happen
to be one of the few teamsin that cluster the last fifteen twenty teams
that doesn't need players at either oneof those spots, and so I still
(01:04):
feel like there's a strong possibility herethat John Schneider's gonna get some really good
offers for that sixteenth pick. Well, have to see what happens in the
first fifteen, but I would stillsay I'd say it's probably an eighty percent
chance that they're moving down just becauseof how this draft class is composed and
where the blue chip players are atposition wise. I think you're exactly right
on that. But is there aplayer or players that might be available at
(01:29):
sixteen where if you're John Snyder Corbyn, I'm giving you the power to make
the call, you have to takethis guy if he's there at sixteen.
Of the guys that have a reasonablechance of actually being there at sixteen,
there's three players that come to mind. The first one to be Troy Fatanu
from Washington keeping him in the PacificNorthwest. I think he could be an
(01:49):
all Pro guard in the NFL,and Seattle badly needs a guard at either
position. They have not been ableto. I mean, Lake and Tomlins
has been a solid starter in theleague, but they have not made any
moves that are super inspiring in termsof long term Fatanu would definitely be the
first one I'd have on my list. Jared Verse, the pass rusher from
Florida State. That guy plays withso much tenacity. He's a great run
(02:15):
defender along with being able to getafter the quarterback with speed and power.
And I know that they've got fouredge rushers on the roster, but if
you've got an opportunity to bring inanother guy. You guys saw what happened
when Uchennan Nuos who got hurt lastyear. The run defense just fell apart,
and a huge part of that wasthe depth they had. An edge
could not defend the run. SoJared Verse at number sixteen, Patanu at
(02:37):
number sixteen, And I've been pushingthis name. I'm gonna keep pushing it.
Cooper Degene from Iowa. Seattle needsa safety long term, and you
want to talk about a guy thatcould be an absolute superstar in Mike McDonald's
scheme. Cooper Degen has the bestinstincts of a secondary player that I have
ever scouted. And you put himback there as a do it all safety
(02:59):
that can also place slot outside court. He could play every single position in
the secondary. That is a guythat Mike McDonald has to be drooling over.
So it's kind of like Devin Witherspoonlast year that the staff in the
front office loved him. At five, Cooper Dejean is a guy now that
we know he's healthy and he rana four to four to two at his
pro DA. He is very mucha player that I expect to be in
(03:20):
play there at sixteen. Yeah,I'm glad you brought up a safety spot
because there hasn't been enough chatter aboutthat. I mean, if I'm not
mistaken, the Hawks cut their twostarting safety, so they need an answer
at safety. But how far backcould you move you think Corbin and still
feel good about getting him. Idon't think you could go back too far
because to get into the twenties.The Philadelphia Eagles I think would view dejene
(03:45):
as a starting quarter on day one, and then just behind them, I
think you could look at a fewother teams in there at twenty five.
The Packers, They've got Jayir Alexanderand then there's a mount everesized crevasse on
the depth chart talent wise, likethey could definitely use another corner. And
he's used to playing in cold weathertoo, so I think there's several teams
(04:05):
once you get in the twenties,Jacksonville, even at number nineteen, I
could see the Jaguars having a lotof interest in him as well. So
that would be a player that andI could see him getting picked before the
Seahawks are up. That's the kindof playmaker we're talking about. And now
that he's had a chance to showhe's healthy, we'll see if he's there.
That just strikes me the player JohnSchneider could say, and Mike McDonald
(04:28):
two man, that is the Swissarmy knife that could make this defense so
much better. By himself and puthim with Devin Witherspoon, you got a
chance to have a really filthy defensein your back seven. Do you think
there's a high level of urgency todraft both a guard and a center fairly
higher? Do you think that theyfeel like they've got their answer with Olu
Timmy at center. I think Goliewith Timmy is the one that they're hoping
(04:53):
he's going to be the guy.And when he played last year, and
I know it was not a lotof snaps, he only started one game,
but his path protection was outstanding.When he had his opportunities, he
helped open up a hole for arushing touchdown late in the game against Detroit,
So you saw flashes. He wasa great college player, tons of
experience, and I think they broughtNick Harris more than anything to help with
(05:15):
the transition under Scott Huff because heplayed for him at Washington. But I
don't view that as a true competition. I think Ola with Timoy is going
to be the guy, and they'regoing to be looking for guards in this
draft. Yeah, no question,they got to make some hey there for
sure. But I wonder, though, if you're Ryan Grubb and you're John
Schneider and you get together and talkabout Michael Pennix, what kind of conversation
(05:41):
do you think they're having about thequarterback. I mean, obviously they got
a guy who knows him better thananybody who knows if he'll even be there.
There's a bunch of teams Corbyn pickingright before the Hawks that do need
quarterbacks. But how influential can RyanGrubb be when it comes to influencing or
not influencing John Schneider to actually takeRyan Michael Pennix. I think that there's
(06:02):
going to be a voice there,But this is really I mean, it's
John Schneider's decision. We know howclosely he's paid attention to quarterbacks over the
years, and we know how RussellWilson's camp was not happy that he was
watching John Allen and Patrick Mahomes andsome of those other qbs. He pays
very close attention to that position andlistening to what he had to say a
(06:24):
couple weeks ago on his radio show, the way that I interpreted it with
Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler coming outhere, it is all about value.
I do not think that Michael Pennoxshould be picked at number sixteen, But
if the Seahawks traded down one oreven twice, I can see this being
a draft where they get such goodoffers they move down twice to get extra
Day two picks. If they getinto the back half of the first round
(06:46):
and he is still available and they'veadded picks on day two to address their
other needs, that would be wherethat value I think would jump out to
John Schneider and Ryan grub at thatpoint, I think would be saying,
hey, now we can go gethim. So I think that's the scenario
where Pennis could be a Seahawks.So what is the impact of Sam Howell.
Then does the trade to get SamHowell change the hawks priorities in John
(07:10):
Schneider's mind, and should it changethe priorities that the Hawks have. I'll
answer the second part of that questionfirst. I think that it should change
their priorities because this team has enoughissue on the roster right now. And
Sam Howe, in his defense,I know a lot of people are going
to look at the way that hekind of imploded late last year, but
(07:31):
eric the enemy gave him no fightingchance to be successful. I mean,
they never ran the football. Theyasked him to throw six hundred and twelve
times last year as a first timestarter. John Schneider has been enamored by
him ever since he was a sophomoreat North Carolina. He loves the physical
tools, he loves the toughness,the running ability, and you can see
(07:53):
it on film. This is aguy they very much liked. And if
not forgetting Drew Locke in the RussellWilson trade, I think that it's a
slam dunk that Sam Howe gets draftedby the Seahawks. In fact, I
think he gets drafted much earlier thanthe fifth round, but with Drew Locke.
They felt like they had kind ofa pseudo draft pick at the quarterback
position at that time, so theydidn't pull the trigger. I think they're
(08:15):
very excited about him. I thinkthat Ryan Grubb is pretty excited about to
see what he can do with GinoSmith right now too. Though, So
the quarterback position, to me,I understand, if you can get a
franchise guy, got it you trulythink is a franchise quarterback, ye,
and it's the right spot to pickthem, then you do it. But
I don't think that they're in aposition where they have to reach it all
now with Sam Holby in there.Well, Corbyn Smith again is with us
(08:35):
when the Locked On Seahawks podcast andguys quick me if I'm wrong, But
the Seahawks don't have any real longterm answers right now at the linebacker spot.
They got some nice players there,but nothing, nothing locked up long
term. So if they do wantto go linebacker, what does that class
look like? Especially on Day twoand three, Corbyn, I don't think
(08:56):
this is a very good linebacker class. In fact, I think that there's
not a single guy maybe Eddrian Cooperfrom Texas A and m Can sneak into
the very tail end of the firstround because he's uber athletics, he can
rush the passer as a blitzer.There's a lot to like there. But
there's not a guy that jumps offthe film. You're saying that guy is
(09:16):
a first round caliber player, andI don't think there's a lot of guys
early day too. That makes sensenow from Seattle's perspective, I think Junior
Colson, with his relationship with MikeMcDonald, he started as a true freshman
for him at Michigan. He isa really good run defender that I think
has a lot more upside to getin the backfield than what he showed at
(09:37):
Michigan. I mean, he hadso many future NFL players in front of
him that the chances to make playsin the backfield weren't necessarily there most of
the time. I think he's gotthe ability to do that. He's somebody
I expect to go off the board. Middle to middle second round to early
third round is probably where I wouldput him down. Cedric Gray is another
player from North Carolina that I couldsee the Seahawks having interest in because of
(09:58):
his blitzer ability, his athleticism,and he's still relatively young to the position.
He was playing another spot when NorthCarolina recruited him. So there's a
handful of guys, but I thinkif you don't pick one in the second
to third round, there's a hugedrop off. There's some intriguing guys developmentalized
day three, like at Jordan McGeefrom Temple or a Tyres Knight from UTEP.
(10:20):
But those guys are going to needtime before they're gonna be ready to
play on Sundays. It's just it'sa top heavy class and quite frankly,
the top isn't that great either.How high is the need for defensive tackle
and what do you think of thoseguys? You know, the Texas guys
in Newton from Illinois, I thinkJerson Newton is a top ten player in
(10:41):
this draft. He is remarkable.My my scouting report, I have him
listed down as an adam ready todecombust every snap. That's what he does.
The guy is just incredibly explosive playswith and a relentless motor every single
snap. He had eight sacks lastyear playing with a fractured foot the entire
(11:03):
season. I mean, the guyis just a machine and he's not that
small. He weighed in at threeoh four at the combine. We're not
talking about a two hundred and eightypound guy. He has the size to
play in this defense. He canplay the run incredibly instinctive. If a
player that would be another one atsixteen. I know they just signed Leonard
Williams ahach contract, but Jared Reedis going to be free agent next year.
(11:26):
Draymond Jones and the cap hit oftwenty one million in twenty twenty five,
and if he doesn't play to thatlevel this year in a new defense,
there's no way the Seahawks are keepinghim at that price tag. So
I think that's one of those positionsthis year. It doesn't look like a
huge need, but if you canget Newton or Murphy, I like.
I just don't see quite as muchpass rushing skill and production is what you
(11:48):
see from Jerzon Newton. But boththose guys are clearly first round caliber players.
If you're picking the best guy availableon the board, they very much
will be in the mix of theSeahawks who have met with both of them.
Wants this pre draft period. Iwant multiple offensive lineman drafted. I
want a competition for offensive lineman.I want a brand new inside situation for
the Hawks. And you said,do you think Big o'lo is going to
(12:11):
be your center? Would that ruleout a Jackson Powers Johnson you think for
them if they're going to go thatroute, absolutely not. You watch Jackson
Powers Johnson what he brings to thetable as a physical run blocker that's got
plus athleticism. He has played guardin the Pac twelve previously. In fact,
I actually think guard would be hisbest position. While Duke's Graham Barton,
(12:33):
I would make a strong argument thatthat guy could immediately be an all
Pro caliber center, like he hasthat kind of nastiness and his pedigree.
He played center as a freshman forthe Blue Devils. So that's the fun
thing about this class guy. You'vegot a lot of players that have versatility
that could be first round picks,and I think Schneider's gonna be looking at
(12:54):
guys that can play tackle and moveinside just to give themselves a little more
insurance for Abe Lucas. But atthe same time, if you can get
somebody like Graham Barton that's played allfive positions on the offensive line at a
high level, or even Powers Johnson, who has all the physical tools and
has played both guard positions before.Those are guys that very much have to
be high on your big board,even if John Schneider doesn't seem inclined to
(13:18):
want to use a first round pickon a guard. Tight Ends get more
expensive and more important every year inthis league, and there's one right there
that I think Seahawks fans would love. Is it worth sixteen? If brock
Bauers falls to there, even thoughthey're not in like desperate need for a
tight end, he would be onmy short list. But I don't think
he's going to be there. Theguys that I mentioned are players I think
(13:39):
there's at least a possibility. Ithink this kid has too much skill to
fall past the top twelve picks.And I know tight end it's a position
where teams don't like to invest thosesuper high draft picks in. But this
kid can do it. I mean, five rushing touchdowns in college? How
many tight ends do I mean?He is just he's a freak. He
is an incredible football player. Ifhe's a great blocker, he is going
(14:03):
to be gone in the first twelvepick. So he's there sixteen. Absolutely,
you have to consider pulling the stringsthere, especially because you don't want
him to fall to the Rams atnumber nineteen. Could you imagine if that
happened, Corbyn, I'm gonna askyou the same question at five o'clock.
If Michael Pennox is there, whatare you doing at number sixteen? Correct?
(14:24):
I'm not picking Michael Pennix. Ithink that there are too many other
needs for this team, and there'stoo many other good players in this draft
class. And quite frankly, Iknow Gino didn't put up as good as
numbers last year, but he wasstill in the top ten in a lot
of categories, and I feel likethere were a lot of things working against
him last year. So I justI'm not forcing the issue. If he's
(14:46):
there, if you trade down tolike twenty two to twenty five range and
he's there, then I'm putting alot of thought into it, because I
think at that point, if I'verecouped a second round pick or another third
round pick, it's easier for meto say I can address these other needs
now more capably, and I canbring in a guy that maybe can compete
with Keo right away. I justthink that they've got enough needs in their
(15:09):
roster. I'd be hard pressed towant to make that pick there at sixteen,
Corbyn, how you voting in thepoll I put out today, it
says one year later, would youhave rather had the Hawks draft Devin Witherspoon
or Jalen Carter? Oh, Wearspoon? Hands down? Okay, hands down?
Can you imagine how bad that Seahawksdefense would have been without him last
year? Yeah? But Carter hada pretty good year too, he did.
(15:33):
But I think in terms of lookingat this is just my opinion.
I think when you watch both teams, Jalen Carter was benefiting a lot because
they've got some other studs on thatfront line, and it feels like Seattle's
secondary, like they had a lotof issues given up big plays. And
can you imagine just how bad therun defense would have been if he didn't
have Witherspoon coming up to save theday Like that Steelers game, he was
(15:56):
the only guy making tackles. Yeah, so I and I think he has
an incredibly high ceiling that is stilluntapped in this defense with Mike mcdonald' so,
I think both of them are gonnahave really good careers. But Witherspoon,
of the guy was very high onand he lived up expectations last year
and there's still a lot left forhim to accomplish in this defense with Mike
McDonald. Well, what's funny,what is the NFL value more? Do
(16:18):
they value the high end defensive tackleor the high end shut down corner?
And I don't know if there isa true shutdown corner right now in the
NFL Corbyn, but the highest paidcorner is making twenty one million. There's
ten defensive tackles making that or morein the NFL. Yeah, I think
that when you have a game changingdefensive tackle, that that is the more
(16:40):
valuable thing in the NFL right now. But here's where I would counter a
little bit. I think that thecorners that are gonna get that kind of
money are the ones that can doit all, the ones that can blit,
that can stop the run, thatcan play inside and outs. I
mean, there are not very manycorners that can play outside in the slot
at a very high level in theNFL. For a reason. There's different
(17:02):
skill sets. You got to havedifferent instincts, different ways to read the
field, and he showed last yearthat he can play at a very high
level at both positions. He's anincredible Blitzer the physicality he brings. So
those kind of guys that are chesspieces, those are the defensive backs that
are gonna get paid, not justthe guys that play in the outside and
put up solid numbers as cover corners. You've got to be able to do
(17:26):
more in what is becoming a positionlessNFL on defense. Corbyn, great stuff,
You're the man. Always appreciate it. Follow the Lockedown Seahawks podcast.
Check out Corbyn's Twitter account as wellor ex account. I'm sorry available right
now at Corbyn Smith NFL and we'llsee you Thursday at the vMac. Buddy.
Appreciate this, fell Yeah, thanksfor having me, guys, appreciate
(17:47):
it. You got a man,Corbyn Smith. We're gonna break Zion Tupola
for two a zt F gonna stopbuy and say a low next on ninety
three to three KJRFM.
I mean locked on Seahawks podcast ourfriend Corbyn Smith corbyin how are you man,
I'm good, Safty thays me.Hey, listen, great news on
your wife, buddy. That wasawesome news that you shared the other day.
So want to congratulate you guys ongetting that great piece of news from
the doctors. Man, thank you, I appreciate it. It was it
was news from the heavens, Igain. Yeah, well, you guys
(00:22):
deserve it for sure. But hey, we got draft coming up on Thursday.
The mock draft is on Wednesday.We're getting close. What are your
thoughts on where the Seahawks sets theammunition, they've got, the needs they
have As we're sitting here six daysaway from getting this thing going, I
think that this is still a situationwhere when you look at this draft,
(00:44):
obviously every draft is fluid, butthis is a draft that is just loaded
with tackles and receivers, and somany teams that are in the back half
of the first round need players atboth of those positions. The Seahawks happen
to be one of the few teamsin that cluster the last fifteen twenty teams
that doesn't need players at either oneof those spots, and so I still
(01:04):
feel like there's a strong possibility herethat John Schneider's gonna get some really good
offers for that sixteenth pick. Well, have to see what happens in the
first fifteen, but I would stillsay I'd say it's probably an eighty percent
chance that they're moving down just becauseof how this draft class is composed and
where the blue chip players are atposition wise. I think you're exactly right
on that. But is there aplayer or players that might be available at
(01:29):
sixteen where if you're John Snyder Corbyn, I'm giving you the power to make
the call, you have to takethis guy if he's there at sixteen.
Of the guys that have a reasonablechance of actually being there at sixteen,
there's three players that come to mind. The first one to be Troy Fatanu
from Washington keeping him in the PacificNorthwest. I think he could be an
(01:49):
all Pro guard in the NFL,and Seattle badly needs a guard at either
position. They have not been ableto. I mean, Lake and Tomlins
has been a solid starter in theleague, but they have not made any
moves that are super inspiring in termsof long term Fatanu would definitely be the
first one I'd have on my list. Jared Verse, the pass rusher from
Florida State. That guy plays withso much tenacity. He's a great run
(02:15):
defender along with being able to getafter the quarterback with speed and power.
And I know that they've got fouredge rushers on the roster, but if
you've got an opportunity to bring inanother guy. You guys saw what happened
when Uchennan Nuos who got hurt lastyear. The run defense just fell apart,
and a huge part of that wasthe depth they had. An edge
could not defend the run. SoJared Verse at number sixteen, Patanu at
(02:37):
number sixteen, And I've been pushingthis name. I'm gonna keep pushing it.
Cooper Degene from Iowa. Seattle needsa safety long term, and you
want to talk about a guy thatcould be an absolute superstar in Mike McDonald's
scheme. Cooper Degen has the bestinstincts of a secondary player that I have
ever scouted. And you put himback there as a do it all safety
(02:59):
that can also place slot outside court. He could play every single position in
the secondary. That is a guythat Mike McDonald has to be drooling over.
So it's kind of like Devin Witherspoonlast year that the staff in the
front office loved him. At five, Cooper Dejean is a guy now that
we know he's healthy and he rana four to four to two at his
pro DA. He is very mucha player that I expect to be in
(03:20):
play there at sixteen. Yeah,I'm glad you brought up a safety spot
because there hasn't been enough chatter aboutthat. I mean, if I'm not
mistaken, the Hawks cut their twostarting safety, so they need an answer
at safety. But how far backcould you move you think Corbin and still
feel good about getting him. Idon't think you could go back too far
because to get into the twenties.The Philadelphia Eagles I think would view dejene
(03:45):
as a starting quarter on day one, and then just behind them, I
think you could look at a fewother teams in there at twenty five.
The Packers, They've got Jayir Alexanderand then there's a mount everesized crevasse on
the depth chart talent wise, likethey could definitely use another corner. And
he's used to playing in cold weathertoo, so I think there's several teams
(04:05):
once you get in the twenties,Jacksonville, even at number nineteen, I
could see the Jaguars having a lotof interest in him as well. So
that would be a player that andI could see him getting picked before the
Seahawks are up. That's the kindof playmaker we're talking about. And now
that he's had a chance to showhe's healthy, we'll see if he's there.
That just strikes me the player JohnSchneider could say, and Mike McDonald
(04:28):
two man, that is the Swissarmy knife that could make this defense so
much better. By himself and puthim with Devin Witherspoon, you got a
chance to have a really filthy defensein your back seven. Do you think
there's a high level of urgency todraft both a guard and a center fairly
higher? Do you think that theyfeel like they've got their answer with Olu
Timmy at center. I think Goliewith Timmy is the one that they're hoping
(04:53):
he's going to be the guy.And when he played last year, and
I know it was not a lotof snaps, he only started one game,
but his path protection was outstanding.When he had his opportunities, he
helped open up a hole for arushing touchdown late in the game against Detroit,
So you saw flashes. He wasa great college player, tons of
experience, and I think they broughtNick Harris more than anything to help with
(05:15):
the transition under Scott Huff because heplayed for him at Washington. But I
don't view that as a true competition. I think Ola with Timoy is going
to be the guy, and they'regoing to be looking for guards in this
draft. Yeah, no question,they got to make some hey there for
sure. But I wonder, though, if you're Ryan Grubb and you're John
Schneider and you get together and talkabout Michael Pennix, what kind of conversation
(05:41):
do you think they're having about thequarterback. I mean, obviously they got
a guy who knows him better thananybody who knows if he'll even be there.
There's a bunch of teams Corbyn pickingright before the Hawks that do need
quarterbacks. But how influential can RyanGrubb be when it comes to influencing or
not influencing John Schneider to actually takeRyan Michael Pennix. I think that there's
(06:02):
going to be a voice there,But this is really I mean, it's
John Schneider's decision. We know howclosely he's paid attention to quarterbacks over the
years, and we know how RussellWilson's camp was not happy that he was
watching John Allen and Patrick Mahomes andsome of those other qbs. He pays
very close attention to that position andlistening to what he had to say a
(06:24):
couple weeks ago on his radio show, the way that I interpreted it with
Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler coming outhere, it is all about value.
I do not think that Michael Pennoxshould be picked at number sixteen, But
if the Seahawks traded down one oreven twice, I can see this being
a draft where they get such goodoffers they move down twice to get extra
Day two picks. If they getinto the back half of the first round
(06:46):
and he is still available and they'veadded picks on day two to address their
other needs, that would be wherethat value I think would jump out to
John Schneider and Ryan grub at thatpoint, I think would be saying,
hey, now we can go gethim. So I think that's the scenario
where Pennis could be a Seahawks.So what is the impact of Sam Howell.
Then does the trade to get SamHowell change the hawks priorities in John
(07:10):
Schneider's mind, and should it changethe priorities that the Hawks have. I'll
answer the second part of that questionfirst. I think that it should change
their priorities because this team has enoughissue on the roster right now. And
Sam Howe, in his defense,I know a lot of people are going
to look at the way that hekind of imploded late last year, but
(07:31):
eric the enemy gave him no fightingchance to be successful. I mean,
they never ran the football. Theyasked him to throw six hundred and twelve
times last year as a first timestarter. John Schneider has been enamored by
him ever since he was a sophomoreat North Carolina. He loves the physical
tools, he loves the toughness,the running ability, and you can see
(07:53):
it on film. This is aguy they very much liked. And if
not forgetting Drew Locke in the RussellWilson trade, I think that it's a
slam dunk that Sam Howe gets draftedby the Seahawks. In fact, I
think he gets drafted much earlier thanthe fifth round, but with Drew Locke.
They felt like they had kind ofa pseudo draft pick at the quarterback
position at that time, so theydidn't pull the trigger. I think they're
(08:15):
very excited about him. I thinkthat Ryan Grubb is pretty excited about to
see what he can do with GinoSmith right now too. Though, So
the quarterback position, to me,I understand, if you can get a
franchise guy, got it you trulythink is a franchise quarterback, ye,
and it's the right spot to pickthem, then you do it. But
I don't think that they're in aposition where they have to reach it all
now with Sam Holby in there.Well, Corbyn Smith again is with us
(08:35):
when the Locked On Seahawks podcast andguys quick me if I'm wrong, But
the Seahawks don't have any real longterm answers right now at the linebacker spot.
They got some nice players there,but nothing, nothing locked up long
term. So if they do wantto go linebacker, what does that class
look like? Especially on Day twoand three, Corbyn, I don't think
(08:56):
this is a very good linebacker class. In fact, I think that there's
not a single guy maybe Eddrian Cooperfrom Texas A and m Can sneak into
the very tail end of the firstround because he's uber athletics, he can
rush the passer as a blitzer.There's a lot to like there. But
there's not a guy that jumps offthe film. You're saying that guy is
(09:16):
a first round caliber player, andI don't think there's a lot of guys
early day too. That makes sensenow from Seattle's perspective, I think Junior
Colson, with his relationship with MikeMcDonald, he started as a true freshman
for him at Michigan. He isa really good run defender that I think
has a lot more upside to getin the backfield than what he showed at
(09:37):
Michigan. I mean, he hadso many future NFL players in front of
him that the chances to make playsin the backfield weren't necessarily there most of
the time. I think he's gotthe ability to do that. He's somebody
I expect to go off the board. Middle to middle second round to early
third round is probably where I wouldput him down. Cedric Gray is another
player from North Carolina that I couldsee the Seahawks having interest in because of
(09:58):
his blitzer ability, his athleticism,and he's still relatively young to the position.
He was playing another spot when NorthCarolina recruited him. So there's a
handful of guys, but I thinkif you don't pick one in the second
to third round, there's a hugedrop off. There's some intriguing guys developmentalized
day three, like at Jordan McGeefrom Temple or a Tyres Knight from UTEP.
(10:20):
But those guys are going to needtime before they're gonna be ready to
play on Sundays. It's just it'sa top heavy class and quite frankly,
the top isn't that great either.How high is the need for defensive tackle
and what do you think of thoseguys? You know, the Texas guys
in Newton from Illinois, I thinkJerson Newton is a top ten player in
(10:41):
this draft. He is remarkable.My my scouting report, I have him
listed down as an adam ready todecombust every snap. That's what he does.
The guy is just incredibly explosive playswith and a relentless motor every single
snap. He had eight sacks lastyear playing with a fractured foot the entire
(11:03):
season. I mean, the guyis just a machine and he's not that
small. He weighed in at threeoh four at the combine. We're not
talking about a two hundred and eightypound guy. He has the size to
play in this defense. He canplay the run incredibly instinctive. If a
player that would be another one atsixteen. I know they just signed Leonard
Williams ahach contract, but Jared Reedis going to be free agent next year.
(11:26):
Draymond Jones and the cap hit oftwenty one million in twenty twenty five,
and if he doesn't play to thatlevel this year in a new defense,
there's no way the Seahawks are keepinghim at that price tag. So
I think that's one of those positionsthis year. It doesn't look like a
huge need, but if you canget Newton or Murphy, I like.
I just don't see quite as muchpass rushing skill and production is what you
(11:48):
see from Jerzon Newton. But boththose guys are clearly first round caliber players.
If you're picking the best guy availableon the board, they very much
will be in the mix of theSeahawks who have met with both of them.
Wants this pre draft period. Iwant multiple offensive lineman drafted. I
want a competition for offensive lineman.I want a brand new inside situation for
the Hawks. And you said,do you think Big o'lo is going to
(12:11):
be your center? Would that ruleout a Jackson Powers Johnson you think for
them if they're going to go thatroute, absolutely not. You watch Jackson
Powers Johnson what he brings to thetable as a physical run blocker that's got
plus athleticism. He has played guardin the Pac twelve previously. In fact,
I actually think guard would be hisbest position. While Duke's Graham Barton,
(12:33):
I would make a strong argument thatthat guy could immediately be an all
Pro caliber center, like he hasthat kind of nastiness and his pedigree.
He played center as a freshman forthe Blue Devils. So that's the fun
thing about this class guy. You'vegot a lot of players that have versatility
that could be first round picks,and I think Schneider's gonna be looking at
(12:54):
guys that can play tackle and moveinside just to give themselves a little more
insurance for Abe Lucas. But atthe same time, if you can get
somebody like Graham Barton that's played allfive positions on the offensive line at a
high level, or even Powers Johnson, who has all the physical tools and
has played both guard positions before.Those are guys that very much have to
be high on your big board,even if John Schneider doesn't seem inclined to
(13:18):
want to use a first round pickon a guard. Tight Ends get more
expensive and more important every year inthis league, and there's one right there
that I think Seahawks fans would love. Is it worth sixteen? If brock
Bauers falls to there, even thoughthey're not in like desperate need for a
tight end, he would be onmy short list. But I don't think
he's going to be there. Theguys that I mentioned are players I think
(13:39):
there's at least a possibility. Ithink this kid has too much skill to
fall past the top twelve picks.And I know tight end it's a position
where teams don't like to invest thosesuper high draft picks in. But this
kid can do it. I mean, five rushing touchdowns in college? How
many tight ends do I mean?He is just he's a freak. He
is an incredible football player. Ifhe's a great blocker, he is going
(14:03):
to be gone in the first twelvepick. So he's there sixteen. Absolutely,
you have to consider pulling the stringsthere, especially because you don't want
him to fall to the Rams atnumber nineteen. Could you imagine if that
happened, Corbyn, I'm gonna askyou the same question at five o'clock.
If Michael Pennox is there, whatare you doing at number sixteen? Correct?
(14:24):
I'm not picking Michael Pennix. Ithink that there are too many other
needs for this team, and there'stoo many other good players in this draft
class. And quite frankly, Iknow Gino didn't put up as good as
numbers last year, but he wasstill in the top ten in a lot
of categories, and I feel likethere were a lot of things working against
him last year. So I justI'm not forcing the issue. If he's
(14:46):
there, if you trade down tolike twenty two to twenty five range and
he's there, then I'm putting alot of thought into it, because I
think at that point, if I'verecouped a second round pick or another third
round pick, it's easier for meto say I can address these other needs
now more capably, and I canbring in a guy that maybe can compete
with Keo right away. I justthink that they've got enough needs in their
(15:09):
roster. I'd be hard pressed towant to make that pick there at sixteen,
Corbyn, how you voting in thepoll I put out today, it
says one year later, would youhave rather had the Hawks draft Devin Witherspoon
or Jalen Carter? Oh, Wearspoon? Hands down? Okay, hands down?
Can you imagine how bad that Seahawksdefense would have been without him last
year? Yeah? But Carter hada pretty good year too, he did.
(15:33):
But I think in terms of lookingat this is just my opinion.
I think when you watch both teams, Jalen Carter was benefiting a lot because
they've got some other studs on thatfront line, and it feels like Seattle's
secondary, like they had a lotof issues given up big plays. And
can you imagine just how bad therun defense would have been if he didn't
have Witherspoon coming up to save theday Like that Steelers game, he was
(15:56):
the only guy making tackles. Yeah, so I and I think he has
an incredibly high ceiling that is stilluntapped in this defense with Mike mcdonald' so,
I think both of them are gonnahave really good careers. But Witherspoon,
of the guy was very high onand he lived up expectations last year
and there's still a lot left forhim to accomplish in this defense with Mike
McDonald. Well, what's funny,what is the NFL value more? Do
(16:18):
they value the high end defensive tackleor the high end shut down corner?
And I don't know if there isa true shutdown corner right now in the
NFL Corbyn, but the highest paidcorner is making twenty one million. There's
ten defensive tackles making that or morein the NFL. Yeah, I think
that when you have a game changingdefensive tackle, that that is the more
(16:40):
valuable thing in the NFL right now. But here's where I would counter a
little bit. I think that thecorners that are gonna get that kind of
money are the ones that can doit all, the ones that can blit,
that can stop the run, thatcan play inside and outs. I
mean, there are not very manycorners that can play outside in the slot
at a very high level in theNFL. For a reason. There's different
(17:02):
skill sets. You got to havedifferent instincts, different ways to read the
field, and he showed last yearthat he can play at a very high
level at both positions. He's anincredible Blitzer the physicality he brings. So
those kind of guys that are chesspieces, those are the defensive backs that
are gonna get paid, not justthe guys that play in the outside and
put up solid numbers as cover corners. You've got to be able to do
(17:26):
more in what is becoming a positionlessNFL on defense. Corbyn, great stuff,
You're the man. Always appreciate it. Follow the Lockedown Seahawks podcast.
Check out Corbyn's Twitter account as wellor ex account. I'm sorry available right
now at Corbyn Smith NFL and we'llsee you Thursday at the vMac. Buddy.
Appreciate this, fell Yeah, thanksfor having me, guys, appreciate
(17:47):
it. You got a man,Corbyn Smith. We're gonna break Zion Tupola
for two a zt F gonna stopbuy and say a low next on ninety
three to three KJRFM.
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