Seahawks Draft Target: offensive tackle Germain Ifedi

Scouting report for offensive tackle Germain Ifedi out of Texas A&M: A fairly good player, but not a great fit for the Seattle Seahawks.

It is no secret that the Seattle Seahawks are desperately in need of help at offensive tackle. That is why most mock drafts have Seattle taking a tackle like Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi in the first round of the draft.

Unfortunately, this is likely a case of connecting dots that aren’t meant to be connected. While Ifedi fills a need, he isn’t the type of player the Seahawks have targeted in recent seasons. While certainly anything is possible when it comes to John Schneider drafts, I simply do not see this as a good fit.

The game tape

Here is Ifedi’s game tape against Alabama. He is playing RT here, and against some NFL-quality defensive ends. He does well overall, but the quality of the opponent allows his faults to be seen as well.

What I see

Ifedi looks like a premier offensive tackle should. He’s got the wide hips, broad shoulders, and long arms that make it really tough for pass rushers to get around. Throw in some solid athleticism, and you have a player that will be very enticing for NFL teams.

Turn on the tape though, and Ifedi is more of a mixed bag. He is far from being a technician, relying more on his physical gifts rather than technique to get the job done.

This is easiest to see with his footwork. When he keeps his base wide he can be extremely effective. Too often though he gets lazy and his feet get too close together. He ends up off balance, and bad things happen.

Ifedi plays with great strength; he has the ability to stop defenders with his punch. Too often though, he tends to just latch on lean on the defender, choosing not to use one of his greatest assets.

In a way, even his athleticism is misleading too. He’s quite athletic, with a SPARQ better than 75% of NFL offensive linemen. He’s also got a very slow short shuttle mixed in there, and that is a good indicator for offensive tackles in terms of pass protection.

That shows up against speed rushers. Ifedi often has to give up a lot of ground to cut off the angle to the QB. He simply isn’t quick enough to engage and direct properly. NFL defensive ends will make things very difficult for him.

Overall Impressions

Sadly, Ifedi reminds me far too much of James Carpenter to get excited about. When I see him mocked to Seattle in round 1, I just cringe. His footwork is poor, he’s lazy with his technique, and he is too much of a belly bender. That is simply a bad combination.

Whichever team drafts him will believe they can fix him with coaching. Athletically there is a lot to like, but he is a project. Ultimately, his slowish feet may mean that a move inside to guard is likely in his future.

Next: Draft Profile: OG Conner McGovern

I don’t think he’s worthy of a first round pick in any way. He should still be on the board when Seattle picks at the end of round two, but even that feels a bit too high. Overall, I give him a solid round 2-3 grade. Seeing him taken between picks 60-75 would not surprise me at all.