NFL Combine: Offensive linemen disappoint

We knew this class of offensive linemen was bad, but the NFL Combine results showed us just how awful this group of players really is.

I know you’ve heard this before, but this is a terrible year to need to draft an offensive lineman. The NFL Combine did absolutely nothing to change that perception.

According to Zach Whitman of 3 Sigma Athlete, there are only 5 linemen in this draft class who are above average athletes compared to their NFL peers. 2 of those 5 are just barely above average.

Of the 3 remaining, Garrett Bolles is old and Forrest Lamp has T-Rex arms. Only Nico Siragusa from San Diego State has all the measurables of a first round pick, but he doesn’t have the tape to match.

Many of the fringe prospects that the Seahawks would be interested in proved to be very disappointing athletically. Dan Feeney finished in the 29th percentile athletically. Chad Wheeler proved to be less athletic than 99 percent of NFL linemen. Here is Wheeler’s results as a spider graph:

Tacoma native Zach Banner, Wheeler’s USC teammate, also had a disappointing weekend. He came in at 253 pounds, which was about 8 pounds more than anyone wanted to see him at. He also was slow in his 10-yard split, three-cone and short shuttle; all measurements that correlate to success as an offensive tackle in pass protection.

The agility measurements weren’t all that surprising, but Banner was expected to do well in the power measurements. His bench press and jump measurements were just as bad as his agility numbers. Overall, Banner ended up in the 3rd percentile athletically compared to his NFL peers.

Hopefully this NFL Combine will finally put the “Cam Robinson to Seattle” stories to rest forever. Despite Robinson’s entirely unimpressive tape, he’s been a common player in Mock Drafts for the Seahawks to select. It is safe to say now that the Seahawks won’t be drafting Robinson.

The Seahawks love above average athletes. This is especially true on the offensive line. Robinson is anything but an elite athlete. His athletic profile has him in the 35th percentile. Combine that with the lack of quality in his game tape, and you have a guy who simply does not belong anywhere near the Seahawks.

Next: Seahawks need stellar offseason to keep window open

Overall, it was a bad combine for an already-bad offensive line class. The Seahawks won’t be getting the upgrades for the line they desperately need in the draft this year. Instead, they’ll be forced to look toward the costly option of finding players in free agency.