Seahawks Draft Prospect Profile, C Ryan Kelly
By Dan Viens
With the NFL scouting combine underway in Indianapolis, we take a look at some possible Seattle Seahawks draft targets.
The NFL Draft is fast approaching and teams all around the NFL are working furiously to put together their draft boards. For the Seattle Seahawks, this is a crucial year for GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll. The last couple of drafts have produced more depth than superstars, but with their high-priced young core now causing annual salary cap constraints, they find themselves needing to hit on a couple starter-quality players this time around.
Let’s take a look at some players who may appear to be a fit in Seattle, regardless of round.
RYAN KELLY, C, Alabama
Overall this appears to be a good center class, and the Seahawks need one. The team improved up front after ending the Drew Nowak Experiment and subbing in Patrick Lewis last year, but Pete Carroll was non-committal when asked about Lewis after the season. The best young prospects Seattle has on it’s roster are more likely to be guards, so dipping into a solid pool of center prospects in the draft makes a lot of sense.
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Kelly, winner of the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center is 2015, is considered one of the top two at his position in this class (along with Notre Dame’s Nick Martin). He drew raves from the guys at NFL Network for his combine workouts. Let’s take a look at what makes him such a promising prospect.
SPECS:
- Height – 6’4″
- Weight – 311 lbs
- Arms – 33 5/8″
- 40 Yard Dash – 5.05
STRENGTHS:
Kelly is as well-rounded as you’ll find at the position. He’s more athletic than most centers, able to get to the second level. He’s strong enough to blow away a defender to open holes in the running game, and shows excellent hand placement and balance in pass protection. He’s known as an exceptionally smart player and leader in the locker room, and in his NFL.com profile they use the word “grit” to describe him. Pete Carroll’s favorite word!
WEAKNESSES:
He could stand to add some bulk to help him deal with some of the elite interior DL’s at the next level.
HOW HE WOULD FIT FOR THE SEAHAWKS:
Kelly looks a lot like Max Unger. Athletic and smart, and he appears to be NFL-ready after playing in so many big games at Alabama and blowing open big holes for Heisman winner Derrick Henry. Kelly is a guy who could step in and start from day one. The Seahawks would almost certainly have to use the 26th pick if they want him. He’s unlikely to last until the late 2nd round, even if Nick Martin is taken ahead of him.
Taking a center in the first round is never a sexy pick, but in the Seahawks case it may make a lot of sense. There are plenty of guard options among the list of pending free agents, and the team has Mark Glowinski ready to step in and start in 2016. The best tackles will be long gone by the 26th pick, and the next tier of outside linemen could last well into the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
Next: Full First Round Mock Draft
Seattle could do a lot worse than using their first round pick on a player who could step in and anchor the offensive line from the moment he steps on the practice field as a rookie. He’s that good of a prospect (maybe one of the safest picks in this draft), and the Seahawks need a quality center that badly.