New batch of visits/workouts to update you on. The Seahawks will work out/have recently worked out Michigan Guard Stephen Schilling. Schilling is a 6'4, 315 lb lineman from Bellevue, Washington so his visit will not count against the 30 visits allotted to each team.
Shilling has been a honorable mention All-Big 10 player for the Wolverines for the last two seasons. At the Combine, he ran a 5.18 40, benched 225 30 times, and recorded a 8-02 broad jump. He was named the teams Most Outstanding Lineman three times while at school. He is graded by some sources as a 3rd or 4th round prospect, and the mid-rounds are exactly where I can see the Hawks taking an interior lineman or two.
CBS Sports had this to say about him:
Pass blocking: Has an offensive tackle build and the pass-protection skill to play the position. Quick pass set and very good lateral movement for a guard. Stays balanced on the balls of his feet. Keeps his arms extended and will reset his hands multiple hands when one-on-one for a few seconds. Works hard to mirror, generally staying between the defender and quarterback even when giving up quickness. Helped his left tackle when free, giving a nice punch to prevent secondary rushes. Anchors against any college tackle, has active hands and does not give ground. Fair flexibility and recovery speed but tackles can beat him with strong hands or a quick first step.
Run blocking: Athletic but sturdy run blocker capable of playing in any system. Moves well on zone plays -- keeps his feet going and uses his hands and shoulders to shield defenders. Drives off the ball with authority, puts tackles on the ground when crashing down. Solid combo blocker, puts a strong hand on the tackle and moves easily to the second level. Very effective cut-blocker in space, gets low but lands the block and rolls to sustain from the ground. Uses strength to move tackles in short-yardage situation, even when giving up the low position to his height. Sometimes overextends and forgets to move his feet when engaged, ending up on the ground.
Pulling/trapping: Shows the feet to move behind the line and get into the hole on traps or move further down the line on pulls. Agile and flexible enough to get a strong hand on linebackers trying to dip inside of his block. Good enough to serve as a personal pass protector on planned rollouts to the right side. Lets up a bit when latched onto smaller defenders, and can be stacked and shed when not moving his feet. Punches when reaching a target, needs to sustain longer and finish the block to prevent his man from entering the fray.
Initial Quickness: Adequate off the snap in pass protection and fires off the ball to provide pop when drive blocking. Elite tackles out-quick him off the line, however, getting inside position in the gap and using strong hands.
Downfield: Outstanding downfield mobility, usually gives ballcarriers open space in which to run. Hustles from one side of the field to the other to push the pile. Takes out defensive backs and linebackers when he gets a strong cut-block, with follow-up effort to sustain. Will hesitate to take out safeties and dance in front of the defender, allowing them to get to the ball. Sometimes watches the ballcarrier if the play gets extended.
Intangibles: Durable, blue-collar worker and four-year starter on the line who became a team leader in 2010 because of his work ethic and experience. No character concerns.
This scouting report grades him pretty favorably - he may be a real option for the Hawks. I think the key things to take from here are that he's a good run blocker that excels in zone schemes, which is what the Seahawks will be looking for. Add him to your list of possible mid-round targets.
This visit comes a few weeks after the Hawks worked out with Lehigh OL Will Rackey, a 6'3, 309 lb interior lineman prospect familiar with running zone-blocking schemes. Rackey too is projected in the early middle rounds so you can see that the Hawks might be targeting that position for their 4th and 5th round selections. Rackey has gotten a lot of attention lately, so he might not make it that far. If the Hawks wanted him bad enough they may have to move into the 3rd round to get him.
In the later rounds, keep your eye on a couple of linemen the Hawks have either met with or hosted to the VMAC - first off, Seattle was one of two teams to attend Montana State's pro day, where they took a look at OL Michael Person. A little bit about the 6'5, 299 lb player, -projected to be a guard at the next level-, from his NFL Combine page:
Person is prospect from the FCS ranks with the intangibles, work-ethic and football smarts to become a backup offensive lineman. However, lacks the foot quickness and body control necessary to start or protect the blind side. While he did not allow a sack during his senior year and shows the ability to thwart the bull rush, should have problems dealing with speed rushers. Doesn't play with great pad level or blow defenders off the ball but does a good job getting into position as a run blocker. Consistently recognized for his leadership and effort in college. Person could hear his named called late on Day 3.
Strengths
Person has the mentality you look for. Capable of anchoring and holding up against the bull rush. Gets off the ball, establishes good initial position, and locks on when run blocking. Takes direct routes to targets at the second level. Has good football IQ and a lot of starting experience.Weaknesses
Lacks bulk for the NFL. Does not possess the athleticism to stick with edge rushers. Hat and hand placement need to improve. Leans and lunges on occasion. Doesn't get much movement off the ball when run blocking. Must adjust to a steep incline in competition level from the FCS level.
Another play the Hawks have shown interest in is West Virginia Wesleyan OL Shannon Breen. According to this article:
From mid January until early March, he worked out at the Competitive Edge Sports facility in Atlanta. He was one of about 40 to 50 players at the camp. Other players included highly regarded prospects like quarterback Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, offensive tackle Lee Ziemba of Auburn and defense tackle Muhammad Wilkerson of Temple.
"Most everyone there was from a bigger school and that raised my level of competition," Breen said.
He spent a good deal of his time working with former NFL offensive line coach Larry Beightol.
Breen was busy, working out five days a week, six hours a day. The 6-foot-4 Breen gained 15 pounds and now weighs 310. His 40-yard dash time dropped from 5.4 to 5.2. He also improved his strength on the bench press, going from 17 reps at 225 pounds to 25 reps.
Person and Breen are likely late round guys or free agents to keep your eyes on.