Seahawks Pro Day Notebook: Clemson and Texas

With NFL Scouting Combine testing cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the significance of pro days has increased dramatically in 2021. Once an event which people looked at skeptically, they are now of great importance. The concern regarding inflated and inaccurate numbers remains valid, but where else can you get the testing numbers of NFL Draft prospects? Nowhere. The months of March and April are going to be busy as each school showcases their eligible stars.

Over the next several weeks, Matty F. Brown and Corbin Smith will take a deep dive into testing numbers for prospects who may be on the Seahawks radar heading towards the 2021 NFL Draft. Continuing the series, the duo examines pro day results for two storied programs in Clemson and Texas.

Clemson

Clemson’s best draft prospect is so heralded that he hosted a private workout prior to the Tigers’ official pro day. Trevor Lawrence is the future number 1 overall pick and the quarterback is not of Seattle concern‐‐at least not yet.... Three players who worked out on Thursday are immediately interesting for the Seahawks.

Running back Travis Ettiene hit the scales at 215 pounds after being measured 5‐foot‐10 inches. That size is a big deal to a lot of NFL teams. Pro Football Focus’ Kevin Cole illustrated this point. While Ettienne’s matching features percentiles at 215 pounds place him in company like Marshawn Lynch, DeMarco Murray, and Dalvin Cook, the comparisons are less impressive if the weight dips below 210 pounds.

Ettienne’s quickest 40‐yard dash timed 4.41 seconds with an electric 1.56s 10‐yard split. The running back’s playing weight was rumored to be closer to the 200s than 220s, suggesting his game speed will be even faster. Ettienne’s explosive plays look like he is playing in a different galaxy to opposing defenders. He leapt 33 1/2 inches in the vertical and 10‐foot, 8 inches in the broad. Numbers attained, Ettienne chose to skip the short shuttle and 3 cone runs.

Parts of the Clemson Pro Day were broadcast on NFL Network. Ettienne impressed in important drills too.

"Does he have the ability to catch the ball and run routes, maybe like a Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara type?” asked analyst Bucky Books on NFL Now. “He's already a three-down running back, but how special could he be in the passing game? When you watched him today, he caught the ball pretty well‐‐a little more natural than I thought he looked on tape.”

Wide receiver Cornell Powell visually stole the show. He emerged this past year with a breakout season of 53 catches for 882 yards and seven touchdowns. At 6‐foot, Powell weighed 204 pounds and virtually all of it looked like pure muscle. His 16 reps on the bench press are clearly having effects.

What a draft sleeper looks like. @CornellPowell17 pic.twitter.com/ANutfCWbvL
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 11, 2021

Powell plays like a bigger receiver, an X. His 4.51 second 40‐yard‐dash time was fantastic for his game. A 36 1/2 inch vertical jump and 10‐foot, 8 inch broad jump is getting towards serious hops range. At the Senior Bowl, Powell established himself as a receiver who won with a blend of physicality, quickness and change of direction skills. His 4.23 second short shuttle and 6.93 second 3 cone hint at the agility part.

Powell is a top 100 pick receiver. His teammate, Amari Rodgers, has earned that distinction too. Rodgers’ was Lawrence’s favorite target. 2020 was Rodgers’ best season from a production standpoint, as he broke the 1,000 receiving yards mark. The son of former University of Tennessee and NFL quarterback Tee Martin caught 77 passes for seven touchdowns and 1,020 yards last season.

At 5‐foot‐9, Rodgers weighed 212 pounds. His physique has reminded some evaluators of 2019 second‐round pick Deebo Samuel. Rodgers put up 24 reps on the bench press, which is 97th percentile for a wide receiver. Rodgers’ run‐after‐catch threat and size saw him participate in running back drills for the assembled scouts.

Good to see WR Amari Rodgers willing to take reps in RB position drills. A smart NFL team will take advantage of his versatility. Strong, strong player. pic.twitter.com/URylxMDXCe
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 11, 2021

Rodgers was another Senior Bowl invite who impressed with his release plans, creation of fast advantageous leverage, and ability to separate versus press in one‐on‐ones. It proved he’s more than just a run‐after‐catch gadget. His 4.51 second 40‐yard‐dash, 4.36 second short shuttle and 7.12 second 3‐cone coupled with 33‐inch vertical and 10‐foot, 1 inch broad are numbers that Powell dwarfed. In Rodgers’ case, the tape shows more impressive movement skills. -Matty Brown

Texas

Though the Longhorns had an underwhelming 2020 campaign that ultimately led to the dismissal of coach Tom Herman, one of the nation's "blue blood" programs has no shortage of NFL talent entering this year's draft. Two players who excel in the trenches and enjoyed strong pro day workouts stand out as possible targets for the Seahawks to consider on draft weekend.

One of the fastest rising tackle prospects in a deep position group, Samuel Cosmi put on a show on Thursday. Measuring 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 300 pounds, he turned in elite 4.84 second 40-yard dash and repped out 225 pounds 36 times on bench press, exhibiting outstanding athleticism and power.

On the field, Cosmi's mobility and lateral quickness jump out as primary strengths in his game. He excels at getting to linebackers and safeties at the second level and wins at the line of scrimmage through body positioning rather than overpowering defenders off the snap, making him best suited for a zone-heavy scheme.

A beacon of durability, Cosmi started 34 out of 35 games played at Texas, seeing double digit starts at both tackle positions. This flexibility and his athletic toolbox will intrigue teams, but he will need to add a bit more weight to his frame and refine his technique substantially to play left tackle at the next level.

After releasing Carlos Dunlap, the Seahawks could be in the market for another twitchy edge rusher and Joseph Ossai could fit the bill. A true size/traits prospect, he weighed in at 256 pounds and promptly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds. He also displayed rare explosion for his position, posting a 41-inch vertical jump and 10 foot, 11 inch broad jump.

At the next level, Ossai could project as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme or could play LEO defensive end or SAM linebacker in Seattle's system. He never produced more than 5.5 sacks in a season at Texas and may need time to develop before he's ready for extensive playing time, but he made dramatic improvements as a run defender in 2020 and could be one of the highest upside rushers in this class. -Corbin Smith

Here is the full schedule of upcoming pro days:

Friday, March 12: Arkansas State, North Dakota State, Oklahoma

Monday, March 15: Army, Kent State, Middle Tennessee State, Vanderbilt

Tuesday, March 16: Georgia Tech, Temple

Wednesday, March 17: Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Pittsburgh, San Jose State

Thursday, March 18: Auburn, Buffalo, Central Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, Stanford, Troy, West Virginia

Friday, March 19: Memphis, Ohio, TCU

Monday, March 22: Air Force, Bowling Green, Colorado, Colorado State, Florida State, Iowa, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Toledo

Tuesday, March 23: Alabama, Central Michigan, Iowa State, Nebraska, Purdue

Wednesday, March 24: Michigan State, Mississippi State, South Carolina, USC, Virginia

Thursday, March 25: Georgia Southern, Liberty, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Texas, Penn State, San Diego State, Southern Methodist, Tennessee, Western Michigan

Friday, March 26: Boston College, BYU, Michigan, South Dakota State, Virginia Tech

Monday, March 29: Arizona State, Duke, Louisiana-Lafayette, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), North Carolina

Tuesday, March 30: Alabama, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Louisville, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Tulane, Washington

Wednesday, March 31: Boise State, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Notre Dame, Wake Forest

Thursday, April 1: Appalachian State, UCF, Minnesota, Charlotte, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, South Florida, Western Kentucky

Friday, April 2: Oregon, Tulsa

Wednesday, April 7: Texas Tech

Friday, April 9: UAB, Ball State, Houston, Rice

There are also private companies hosting combine‐style events. We've already seen the EXOS Combine on March 3 and the House of Athlete combine March 5.