Seahawks Draft Prospect Profile, OT Jason Spriggs
By Dan Viens
With the NFL Draft less than a month away, we take an up-close look at some prospects who might fit well with the Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL Draft is fast approaching and teams all around the NFL are working furiously to put together their draft boards. For the 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.
So let’s take a look at some players who may appear to be a fit in Seattle, regardless of round.
JASON SPRIGGS, OT, Indiana
SPECS:
- Height – 6’6″
- Weight – 305 lbs
- Arm Length – 34 1/8″
- 40 yard dash – 4.94
STRENGTHS:
That 40 time is not a misprint. Spriggs biggest asset is his athleticism. He’s extremely quick out of his stance and moves as well as any tackle in this class in getting to the second level. He started for four years at Indiana and his experience shows, with good hand technique as he retreats to shed off pass rushers.
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WEAKNESSES:
Doesn’t display the kind of power you might be looking for in a tackle, which may limit him to a team that strictly runs the zone blocking system.
HOW HE WOULD FIT FOR THE SEAHAWKS:
Did I mention zone blocking? Numerous scouting reports on Spriggs specifically pigeon-hole him as a “zone only” tackle. Thus the more I learn about him and watch him, the more he looks like a Seahawk lineman to me. Like Garry Gilliam, he’s a converted tight end. Gilliam was a pleasant surprise after he was thrown in to start at RT last year before the season opener, and now according to head coach Pete Carroll he’s first in line to man the left side. Pairing him with Spriggs would give the Seahawks a pair of young, uber-athletic tackles who excel in zone blocking and pass protection and could provide the team with long-term bookends. The potential downside, given Spriggs lack of core strength, is he TOO MUCH like Gilliam?
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Most mock drafts have him available when the Seahawks select at #26, but long gone by the time they come around again in round two. If they love Spriggs, they’ll have to use their first pick to get him.