Seahawks Combine Confidential: Defensive Tackle
INDIANAPOLIS - Poised to cash in as a free agent, either with the Seahawks or another team, Jadeveon Clowney's future remains the biggest story line for the franchise at the NFL Scouting Combine.
But while Clowney's status will continue to draw headlines and stir up speculation all the way until the start of the new league year on March 18, he's not the only prominent free agent on Seattle's defensive line who could be wearing new threads next season.
Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, defensive tackle Jarran Reed will test the market hoping to land a lucrative long-term contract. General manager John Schneider indicated on Tuesday that the Seahawks would love to bring him back, though he all but ruled out using the franchise tag on him.
"We definitely want him back, absolutely. Great guy. Great locker room guy."
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Reed hoped to replicate his outstanding production from a breakout 2018 season in which he finished with 10.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hits. Similar numbers would have set him up nicely to become one of the highest-paid interior defensive linemen in the sport this spring.
However, Reed's 2019 season got off to a rocky start, as he received a six-game suspension from the NFL in late July. Upon his return in Week 7, he wasn't able to come close to matching his pass rushing numbers from the year prior, finishing with just 2.0 sacks in 10 starts.
Diminished production and a stacked crop of veteran free agents could lower Reed's value to an affordable rate for the Seahawks. But even if he returns, Al Woods and Quinton Jefferson are also free agents, making the position one of significant need steering towards the draft.
Here are four defensive tackle prospects who could be on Seattle's radar as targets in the first three rounds in April.
Ross Blacklock
Coming from a well-coached program at TCU, the 305-pound Blacklock offers immense versatility along the defensive line. In three seasons at the school, he played substantial snaps as a 3-technique one-gap defensive tackle, in the 0-technique nose tackle role, and at defensive end.
"In our defense, you gotta be able to play both, so I played and I played the zero," Blacklock said. "But you gotta be comfortable to play both cause when they shift... you gotta be able to flip sides to play both sides of the ball."
A disruptive run defender, Blacklock holds up well against double teams and has the quickness to penetrate gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield. He's also flashed as a pass rusher, though he has room for growth developing counter moves off his bull rush. He finished with 67 tackles, 11.5 tackles, 5.5 sacks for loss in his collegiate career.
If there's a reason to be cautious about Blacklock as a prospect, he did miss the entire 2018 season with an Achilles tear and only played two seasons for the Horned Frogs. But he came back from the injury without a hitch and looks the part of an ideal 3-tech defensive tackle in Seattle's scheme.
Neville Gallimore
A Second-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2019, Gallimore finished his stellar career at Oklahoma with nearly 150 combined tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 17 tackles for loss. And while those numbers are solid, he's only displayed dominance in spurts and looks to be far from a finished product.
One of the most physically gifted interior defenders in this draft class, Gallimore displays a lean, muscular frame at 304 pounds and offers intriguing athletic traits as a potential 4-3 nose tackle. He possesses an explosive first step and rare change of direction skills for a player of his size and exhibits active hands to work off of blocks as a run defender and pass rusher.
Chronically battling pad level issues, Gallimore never quite put everything together for the Sooners, but he's a high-ceiling prospect with star potential if he takes to coaching. He has enough positional flexibility to play either defensive tackle spot for the Seahawks and would be a quality second-round selection.
Justin Madubuike
For teams seeking pass rushing help in the interior, Madubuike fits the bill. Though undersized at 293 pounds, he plays stronger than his frame would suggest, has a sudden first step, and excels at getting narrow to split gaps, which allowed him to rack up 11.0 sacks over the past two seasons for the Aggies.
Unlike Gallimore, Madubuike consistently wins the leverage battle and uses a powerful lower body to win as a pass rusher at multiple spots along the defensive line. He has a couple reliable go-to counter moves in his arsenal, including a refined spin move he turns to regularly working off his bull rush.
When asked about where he sees himself playing at the next level, Madubuike indicated he'd prefer to play 3-tech, but said, "I believe that any team that picks me, I'll be able to be flexible and play any position that they want me to."
Madubuike can be overpowered at times in the run game and whoever drafts him will need to work with him on anticipating the snap more effectively. Under 300 pounds, he's probably not suited to play nose tackle in the NFL, but he'd be a viable replacement for Reed as a one-gap penetrating 3-tech in Seattle's scheme.
Leki Fotu
A former rugby star for the U.S. national team, Fotu only played one season of high school football, but proved to be a natural earning All-State honors in Utah. Still learning a new game, he didn't play much in his first two seasons with the Utes, but he emerged as a First-Team All-Pac 12 selection in his last two years on campus.
At 330 pounds, Fotu has tree trunks for legs and large, muscular arms, making him very difficult to generate movement against in the run game. Displaying the competitive fire that made him a standout rugby player, his motor is always running hot and for a bigger-bodied tackle, he moves fairly well in space and pursues the football well.
A true two-gap nose tackle, Fotu isn't going to offer much as a pass rusher and finished his career at Utah with just 4.0 sacks. But he's a stout run defender who has played in a similar system to Seattle's at the college level and would be able to contribute as a space-eating nose tackle right away for the Seahawks.
