Seahawks Draft: Top 10 Defensive Players Left Entering Day 3
After landing top cornerback and receiver prospects in Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with two first-round picks on Thursday night and adding edge rusher Derick Hall and running back Zach Charbonnet on day two, the Seattle Seahawks should have an equally final four rounds in the 2023 NFL Draft with six picks remaining.
Which defensive prospects could be in consideration for general manager John Schneider and Pete Carroll on Saturday? Here are my top 10 available prospects still on the board with reported visits and scouting reports:
23. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT/EDGE, Northwestern
Reported Visit: Top-30 Official
A remarkable athlete at 282 pounds who ran a sub-4.50 40-yard dash at the combine, Adebawore could play significant snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle while also sliding outside as a standup edge, making him scheme flexible. His athletic gifts don't always show up on tape, but he's a high effort player with outstanding positional versatility who can get after quarterbacks and stuff the run from multiple alignments, making him well-worth an early round investment with a sky-high ceiling.
56. JL Skinner, S, Boise State
Reported Visit: Combine Formal
Skinner possesses all the physical traits teams crave in a modern NFL strong safety. Standing 6'4 and weighing 218 pounds, he's an ex-track standout with excellent straight-line speed and underrated ball skills, as evidenced by his four interceptions in 2022. Hard hitting by nature, he also recovered a trio of fumbles in his final two college seasons, showing a propensity for creating turnovers. Unable to test at the combine, his change of direction and lateral movement skills remain questioned, but in the right scheme, he has a chance to be a star in the league.
57. Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
A playmaking machine in the Utes' secondary, Phillips put points on the board like an offensive player, scoring four touchdowns on interceptions over three seasons. Undersized at 5-9, he likely will be relegated to the nickel in the pros and his disappointing testing at the combine may cast questions about him handling top-tier slot receivers, but he plays faster due to a high football IQ and his innate ability to read quarterbacks to time up his break on throws should set him up for great success.
91. Colby Wooden, DT/DE, Auburn
Wooden lacks the prototypical NFL defensive tackle build at under 285 pounds and has battled persistent leverage issues, making it easier for opponents to get underneath him. However, he plays bigger than his size against the run and deploys a healthy array of counters to disengage from blocks rushing the passer, which should help him produce in that regard at the next level. Still a bit of a project, he could be a late day two steal playing in either 4-3 or 3-4 alignments as a big end.
94. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State
Reported Visit: Top-30 Official
On the smaller end for a box safety at 5-11, 194 pounds, Robinson plays much bigger than his weight class and brings a feisty, aggressive demeanor with him every time he takes the field. He can have some trouble corralling bigger running backs and wouldn't be classified as a thumper by any stretch, but he's a physical gamer with capable ball skills and positional versatility to play either safety spot or the slot. That versatility and potential special teams contributions could lead to an early day three selection.
98. Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri
Weighing in at 271 pounds at the Senior Bowl, McGuire has the size to thrive as a base defensive end in a 4-3 scheme and primarily was used in that capacity with the Tigers. Often winning with speed turned into power as a bull rusher and a stellar rip move, he has a refined counter game coming into the pros, but he hasn't exhibited the burst of some of his draft peers and may not have enough versatility to be a 3-4 outside linebacker with coverage responsibilities.
102. Nick Herbig, EDGE, Wisconsin
Reported Visit: Top-30 Official
Despite being undersized at 240 pounds, Herbig emerged as one of the nation's premier pass rushers thanks to an explosive first step and sneaky-good hand usage to work off of blocks, producing 20 sacks in his final two seasons. An instinctive player who understands the game and how to attack opponents, his lean frame may make it difficult for him to be more than a rush specialist at outside linebacker, but such a role could still be quite valuable for an early day three pick.
139. Karl Brooks, DT/DE, Bowling Green
One of the more underrated EDGE defenders in this class, as evidenced by the lack of a combine invite, Brooks stuffed the stat sheet in the MAC with 17.5 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in 2021 and 2022. While he's not the most explosive athlete, he has shocking quickness at 303 pounds and a motor that doesn't quit, allowing him to slip past blocks and consistently make plays in the backfield. Capable of playing inside and out with great technique, he has a chance to be a day three gem.
141. Moro Ojomo, DT/DE, Texas
Weighing under 290 pounds, Ojomo is a classic tweener whose position remains uncertain in the NFL. He may not have enough sand in his britches to play 3-tech defensive tackle in the league and while his motor always runs hot, his athleticism may not be quite good enough to play off the edge in a 4-3 scheme either. Still, he's a great football player going under the radar and offers value as a mid-day three rotational defensive lineman.
151. Jerrod Clark, DT, Coastal Carolina
Originally a tight end for the Chanticleers, Clark gained 90 pounds and slid to nose tackle, quickly developing into an efficient two-gapper whose athleticism shows up at 345 pounds splitting gaps. To succeed in the league, technical aspects of his game such as shoddy footwork and hand usage will need to be sharpened to hold up against NFL offensive linemen, but the upside is there to be an eventual starter.
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