NFL Draft profile: Rutgers Kamaal Seymour is a late round developmental prospect
One option to help rebuild the offensive line for the New York Jets could be Rutgers Kamaal Seymour, a developmental player with big upside.
Seymour was the right tackle for the Scarlet Knights for 41 games as a starter. However, once he went to the Senior Bowl he was seen more as a guard in the NFL.
“He's a smart player,” Rutgers play-by-play voice Chris Carlin told Sports Illustrated.com’s ‘Jets Country.
“I just think in terms of the size it's going to be very difficult to play on the outside. And that's why I think if he's going to make the transition to the inside. I just think it's getting used to being a guard.”
The entire conversation with Chris Carlin of ESPN-NY 98.7 FM and the play-by-play voice of Rutgers football can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/seth-everett/chris-carlin-on-kamaal-seymour.
THE LOWDOWN ON KAMAAL SEYMOUR:
“When I say a developmental guy, I think he's a guy that will probably need a year before he's ready to start for a team (in the NFL),” said Carlin. “He might be somebody that can help you out in terms of adding depth for that first year, but I don't know that Kamaal is a starter right away on the line.”
Even though his whole career at Rutgers he was a right tackle, once there was potential for him to be in the NFL, scouts were trying to move him. Last year, Seymour was projected to be drafted, but instead opted to return as a redshirt senior. Then, it was thought that Seymour’s size would be better suited for the blindside and he was considered heavily at left tackle. It wasn’t until this past winter, that Seymour has been talked about in terms of the guard position, even though that had been discussed by the Scarlet Knights when they were considering reshuffling their offensive line.
The book on Seymour is that he excels at blocking the run and is not great against the pass. That could translate better into a guard role than a tackle, even though his experience is at tackle.
“I think he has the size,” said Carlin.
“I think it's more likely that he's going to fit better inside rather than outside. He played right tackle for almost the entirety of his career. He was originally a defensive lineman when he came to college. Never really played a ton of o-line before that, but adapted very well early in his career. I think he's got the size to play guard and he definitely has the athleticism.”
WHERE HE FITS ON THE JETS:
“I don't think he's a plug and play guy,” Carlin added. “I think he's a little bit developmental, but I think that Kamaal is somebody that can definitely be a starter in the league on the offensive line.”
The Jets have eight picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. Seymour had been slated as a Day 3 selection or perhaps even an undrafted rookie free agent.
One thing that came up in the discussion with Carlin was the fact that Seymour couldn’t visit the Jets, despite the proximity to Piscataway, due to the ongoing issues with the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams are not allowed to meet with players in person and no workouts can take place. Players are allowed to virtually meet with teams using video streaming apps.
He did however participate in a local pro day held at TEST Football Academy in Martinsville, N.J. before the coronavirus shutdown.
“I don't think it hurts him because teams know he has been a good soldier. He's done everything the right way and there's a lot of tape on him. He has played a lot of games over the last three and a half years,” Carlin said.
“So, it's not like he's kind of a guessing game at this point. I think it's more that because I don't think he's big enough to be a tackle. I think you're going to have to try to make an educated guess on what his abilities are going to be at the guard position. I think he's somebody that there's always been pretty good reports about and they've been high on for a long time.”
The Jets may take an offensive lineman in the first round, and there are certainly big players that will still be there at No. 11. Seymour is a potential later round pick with the potential to develop and grow into a bigger role.
