The NFL Combine is underway, and we’ve already seen three defensive standouts that should be climbing the Seahawks’ big board in preparation for the 2023 draft. Seattle needs help on the defensive line, both interior and edge. They’re in a great position to land two, and possibly all three.
It’s no secret that the Seahawks are looking for some fresh young talent along their defensive line. While there are plenty of free agents the Hawks may pursue, none of those players would be as inexpensive as someone playing on a rookie contract. With Seattle heading into the draft with two first-round picks, they have a great opportunity to load up the defensive front, just as they did last year with Charles Cross and Abe Lucas on the O-line.
With the recent news about Jalen Carter’s legal troubles, the entire draft is thrown into a bit of chaos. Personally, I wouldn’t draft the guy until day three – if then – but he was hardly the only top-line talent in this draft. It wasn’t very likely that Seattle was going to land Carter before the draft, and now they might not want him at all. But with their performances at the combine, the Seahawks may very well be able to draft all three.
Seahawks should have their eye on the fastest DT in the draft
Big Board riser No. 1: Calijah Kancey, DL, Pitt
I know, 12s, I know. “Who cares if your defensive tackle can burn the 40? If he needs to be fast, you’re in trouble already.” Well, back in 2014, Aaron Donald turned in the fastest verified time for a defensive tackle at 4.68. Nobody complains that his speed is wasted, right? Well, except us, because we’re tired of seeing him in Seattle’s backfield. That record is gone now, as Kancey turned in a record-setting 4.67 40 at the combine.
Not only is that a record for a DT, but it’s also a record for any player over 280 pounds. At 6’1″ and 281 pounds, Kancey has been tagged as undersized for the position. I get that, I truly do. On the NFL’s official site, his prospect grade is listed at 6.37. For context, the scale runs from 8.0 – the perfect prospect in every respect – down to 5.50. At 5.50, a player is considered to “priority undrafted free agent”. Below that and you have people who should only watch football professionally, not play it.
Here’s a fun thing about grading prospects; those grades aren’t exactly infallible. Do you know who else was considered undersized for the position? I know, you saw him coming from a mile away, 12s. NFL quarterbacks wish they could say the same. Aaron Donald was actually graded even lower as a prospect. I’m sure you don’t believe me, but check for yourself: the future seven-time All-Pro, the guy who’s been to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, was rated at 5.90, an “average backup or special teamer.” Yes, he was another undersized Pitt Panther.
As for Kancey, I’m not saying he’s the next Aaron Donald. but the similarities can’t be ignored. Who does this describe: “Short, scrappy, instinctive, highly productive defensive lineman who does not look the part”. Is that Kancey? Or does this describe him: “Undersized, one-gapping defensive tackle who is explosive and productive.” Yeah, basically the same guy, right? The first is from Donald’s analysis, and the second is for Kancey. In his final two seasons at Pitt, Kancey totaled 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for a loss. Donald registered 16.5 sacks and an eye-popping 47.0 tackles for a loss. As I said, I don’t expect Kancey to be the next Aaron Donald., but he definitely looks like he’ll be a force in the NFL.
Seahawks Big Board riser No. 2: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
You don’t win NCAA championships with one great player, and Georgia is no exception. Jalen Carter may be the standout of the Dawg’s defense, but Nolan Smith is the real deal. Playing defensive end in Athens, the 6’2″ 238 pound Smith projects as a speed demon on the edge in the NFL. He ran a blistering 4.39 40 in the combine. Combine that with his ridiculously fast 1.52-second 10-yard split and his 41.5″ vertical, and you have the definition of explosive ability.
The NFL grades him at 6.24, “eventually an average starter”. Compare that to his evaluation from Pro Football Focus, 83.8. Different scale, I know, but that’s .2 points higher than they graded Will Anderson, the defacto number one edge player in the draft. So why isn’t he the top selection for the position? As Mitch Kaiser wrote in his evaluation, he could improve his technique and depend less on his pure speed. Note that Mr. Kaiser wrote this before the combine. Even then, it was obvious that Smith had the speed to burn hapless players attempting to defend the edge.
Smith tore his right pectoral muscle versus Florida in week eight, but he’s already had the injury repaired and is expected to have no lingering effects. Despite missing the last seven games of his senior year, he still totaled 47 pressures in his final two seasons. That tally includes 30 hurries, eight QB hits, and nine sacks. Despite this stellar pass-rush performance, he may have been even better against the run.
He accounted for 15 tackles for a loss in those two years, and PFF assigned him run-defense grades of 90.6 and 82.4 for 2021 and 2022. Oh, and as a junior, his passer rating allowed was 68.8. Oh, and he missed four tackles. Not in one nightmarish game, not as a senior, but in his entire four-year collegiate career in the ultra-competitive SEC. Like Kancey, Nolan Smith is supposedly undersized for the NFL, but he is straight-up savage.
Seahawks Big Board riser No. 3: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
The Seahawks could do much worse than add rangy edge defender Derick Hall to their defense. While the Auburn Tiger didn’t display the same speed as Smith, he did post a 4.55 40 in the combine. Factor in his very respectable 1.589 10-yard split and his 10’9″ broad jump, and it’s clear that Hall has the burst to get to the quarterback. He certainly did that in college, totaling 90 QB pressures as a junior and senior. That comprised 53 QB hurries, 19 QB hits, and 18 sacks. He also had 24 tackles for a loss in those two years.
Rated at 6.37 by nfl.com, “will eventually be a plus starter”, I have to note that Hall was no slouch in coverage, either. As a junior, his passer rating allowed was 73.6, not too shabby for an edge defender. He posted a phenomenal rating of 53.2 as a senior. Could be those 34 1/2″ arms helped in coverage, too. And we know how much the Seahawks like length in their defenders. He would be an excellent complement to Smith (or, you know, Uchenna Nwosu), and would be a great value as he’s could be waiting for the Hawk’s phone call in the third round.
Yes, I know that some sites have pegged Hall to go early in the second round, or even at the end of the first. Pro Football Network posited this, lauding him for his combination of power, speed, and technique in the pass-rush game. They also note he has the excellent closing speed needed to close in on ballcarriers, and that his length can help him disrupt routes and running lanes. They also note that his tackling can be streaky – and we’ve seen enough of that in Seattle, thanks – and that he isn’t the best in play recognition.
I turned to the NFL Mock Draft Database for a look at the consensus picks. The smart folks who run this super sweet site compile the draft boards of 91 sites, from the NFL itself to Walter Football to ESPN and – well, practically everyone but me. As I said, these guys are smart. The consensus spot for Hall is 52, although he is projected as high as 26. Smith’s consensus projection is 28, although he has a peak of nine. Kansey is slotted at 32, with a peak of five.
That fifth spot happens to be the Seahawks’ pick, which is where CBS’s Chris Trapasso projects Kansey will land with their first pick. Seven out of 70 draft experts project Seattle to take Kansey with the 20th pick, and another sees him coming to the Hawks in round two. The experts love Smith in Seattle, as no less than 29 of 350 see the Hawks taking him with their second pick, and two taking him with their first. As for Hall, he was only rated by 63 experts, three of them seeing him as the Hawks second pick, and one as Seattle’s first. Yeah, that’s not happening.
Things get weird at the draft, as we all know. I mean, as 12s we know the joy of fifth-round picks turning into dominant performers, and the sorrow of completely wasted first-round picks, too. The Hawks have a lot to live up to after last year’s incredible draft, but they could certainly surpass that in 2023. These three players could all be major contributors to a new record-setting class.