Is Germain Ifedi another James Carpenter?

Following the selection of Germain Ifedi by the Seattle Seahawks last night, many people were quick to make a connection between Ifedi and the last offensive lineman taken in the first round by the Seahawks, James Carpenter.  Depending who you talk to, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.  Carpenter, like Ifedi, was the first player taken by the Seahawks in a draft where offensive line was a huge area of need.  Both players came out of the talent-heavy SEC, something that Tom Cable admitted last night does go into the evaluation of offensive lineman in Seattle.  Carpenter was valued by the Seahawks for, among other things, his versatility - another thing Cable spoke about following last night's selection of Ifedi.

The similarities between Germain Ifedi and Carpenter are certainly easy to spot, but do they translate to the field and their physical tools?  Going off of the team's ideals for offensive line as outlined by Tom Cable in last year's Seahawks town hall, they may not.

Tom Cable listed three specific numbers they like their offensive lineman to hit.  They are as follows:

Ifedi cleared Seattle's ideals in both the vertical and broad jump, as while as posting one more rep on the bench press with two-inch longer arms, while Carpenter didn't hit any of the three targets.  That isn't to say Carpenter should have never been selected.  In fact, since Pete Carroll and John Schneider came to Seattle, just three lineman selected have hit on all three ideals: Jared Smith, Mark Glowinski and Kristjan Sokoli.

While Ifedi is coming into a situation similar to Carpenter, the two players have vast differences.  Ifedi tested much better, posting a pSPARQ score twelve points higher then Carpenter.  Carpenter played his Alabama career on the left side before switching to right tackle with Seattle.  The switch, combined with his torn ACL midway through his rookie year, set Carpenter behind the eight ball from the start.  Limited to just seven games in his return from a torn ACL, Carpenter was out of shape and never got a chance to restart his development on the right before being moved inside to left guard.

Germain Ifedi will come into Seattle as the plan at right tackle, after having played on the right side all three seasons in College Station.  He's got all the tools Seattle likes in an offensive lineman and is further along in his development as a right tackle then James Carpenter ever got a chance to be.  It's never a certainty with Seattle's offensive line projects, but after hearing Tom Cable describe Ifedi as an "ass-kicker" last night, I won't be the one to question him.