'Best For Us': Jake Bobo, Jonathan Sutherland Stand Out Among Seahawks Undrafted Rookies
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RENTON, Wash. - During the heat of NFL offseason programs, head coaches such as Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks tend to be a bit more guarded about undrafted rookies than returning veterans or incoming draft picks.
What's behind the rationale for not wanting to share too much information on a third-string quarterback? Or a fourth-string safety battling for a special teams spot?
While star quarterback Geno Smith and receiver DK Metcalf will undoubtedly be on Seattle's opening day roster and high draft picks Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be expected to play major roles right away, such uncertainty does not exist for undrafted rookies. As a result, coaches prefer to keep details on undrafted signees who have impressed under wraps to avoid other teams from taking notice and trying to snag them after roster cuts in August.
Whether such tactics actually help the Seahawks and other teams retain more undrafted free agents on their practice squads remains up for debate.
In the case of Carroll, coming out of Seattle's three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, he volunteered safety Jonathan Sutherland and receiver Jake Bobo as two undrafted standouts who caught his eye. But as usual, in strategic coach-speak fashion, he did so without disclosing specifics on why the two players stood out to him and the rest of the coaching staff.
“We rarely talk about those guys this time of year, but Jonathan [Sutherland] did a really good job. I don't mind saying that," Carroll told reporters. "I thought he did an excellent job. He and Jake Bobo were probably the guys that did the best for us. They really stood out and so we're fortunate to get two, three, maybe four guys out of that group that might have a chance to compete to play, so that's a big deal.”
For those who have been in attendance at open OTA and minicamp sessions over the past month, Sutherland has been a bit of revelation, taking advantage of opportunities created by the absence of veteran Jamal Adams, who continues to rehab from surgery to repair a torn quad tendon. He has seen significant snaps working with the first-team defense, playing a similar role to the now-departed Ryan Neal as a nickel and dime sub-package defender.
Interestingly, while Sutherland isn't near as tall as Neal at 5-11, he plays a similar brand of football predicated on physicality, effort, and toughness. One of only two four-time captains in school history, he cut his teeth at Penn State as a special teams stalwart, including blocking a pair of punts against Idaho in a single game in 2019, while seeing limited action on defense in his first three seasons.
Last season, Sutherland transitioned full-time from safety to a "money" linebacker role, starting eight games and producing 38 tackles and a sack for the Nittany Lions. According to Pro Football Focus, he missed only four tackle attempts on the year, proving himself reliable getting ball carriers to the ground. Playing the majority of his snaps in the box defending tight ends and running backs, he also allowed only 8.2 yards per reception in coverage.
Once Adams returns, potentially as early as the start of training camp next month, Sutherland may be hard-pressed to earn a roster spot with the Seahawks in a crowded position group, especially after the team invested a sixth-round pick in Jerrick Reed II. But his similarities to Neal are notable and if he's able to shine as a tackler on defense and special teams when the pads come on, he could give Reed and Joey Blount a run for their money vying for a reserve role.
Putting up the best numbers of his college career in one season at UCLA, Jake Bobo compensates for athletic flaws with savvy route running and a high football IQ to find holes in the defense.
As for Bobo, his emergence as an early standout may be even more surprising given his athletic deficiencies. Despite producing 817 yards and seven touchdowns in his lone season at UCLA after transferring from Duke, he turned in a dreadful performance at his pro day workout, running a molasses slow 4.99 40-yard dash that clocked in slower than three offensive lineman at the NFL combine.
Combining his abysmal 40 time with poor agility testing, Bobo received a dismal 2.61 Relative Athletic Score, which ranked 203rd out of 310 receivers in the site's database for this year's draft class.
But speed isn't everything and Bobo did post a 36-inch vertical jump, showcasing good explosion and hops for a 6-4 receiver. Considering his size, he also ran a respectable 7.09 3-cone drill, exhibiting better change of direction skills than he did in the short shuttle, a trait that can be seen on his college film working the short to intermediate passing game.
A smart receiver who understands defenses, has a knack for finding openings in coverage, excels catching in traffic, and always seems to know where the sticks are, Bobo turned 44 of his 57 receptions for the Bruins last year into first downs. A go-to target for moving the chains, 77 percent of his receptions picked up a new set of downs. Even if he runs like a left guard, that's wild efficiency as a security blanket for the quarterback.
A big chunk of this damage came from the slot, as 40 of Bobo's 57 receptions came from working inside and 31 of those receptions resulted in a first down. Though he did have three drops, Pro Football Focus gave him a stellar 89.3 grade in the slot, which ranked seventh out of 201 qualified receivers.
Like Sutherland, Bobo finds himself in a deep, talented positional group where making the roster will be a tall task. The Seahawks invested their 20th overall pick in Smith-Njigba to pair with Metcalf and Lockett, while Dee Eskridge has enjoyed a strong offseason program and Dareke Young will return for his second season hoping to make a significant leap as well.
Typically, running a 4.99 40-yard dash would be a death sentence for any skill player hoping to make it in the NFL, let alone a wideout. But at the same time, there's always a place in the NFL for crafty possession receivers like Bobo who excel at moving the chains and utilize their size to wall off defenders to make difficult catches in the heart of the defense.
Assuming Bobo and Sutherland continue to perform well once the pads come on in August, neither should be counted out to sneak onto the roster, especially if they can carve out a role on special teams. But by not giving away too much intel and leading other teams to a smoking gun in June, Carroll will also hold out hope for stashing them on the practice squad for further development.
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