2020 Senior Bowl: 10 players to watch for the Seahawks in Mobile

Though there’s one game left to go in the NFL this season, draft season is already underway. The NFLPA Bowl and East-West Shrine Game took place last week, and this week Senior Bowl practices in Mobile have the spotlight. With the game on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at the players the Seahawks might be watching.

For this purpose, we’ve focused on five positions: Tackle, interior offensive line, wide receiver, tight end and EDGE. We’ll give a quick player summary and then share what those in attendance in Mobile have been saying and seeing this week.

Matt Peart (OT, Connecticut: 6064, 310 pounds, 35 1/8” arms)

Player Summary: A two-year starter at right tackle for UConn, Peart could come into Seattle and compete for a position that might be vacated by Germain Ifedi this spring. Peart has the size and length of a Mike Solari offensive tackle, but just as importantly moves incredibly well for his size. Some of Ifedi’s best moments in 2019 came when he moved to the second level and sealed out a defender to spring a big run, and Peart has the movement ability to do just that.

What They’re Saying:

Alex Taylor (OT, South Carolina State: 6084, 308 pounds, 36 1/8” arms)

Player Summary: Unsurprisingly, the 6’8” and-a-half Taylor was originally a collegiate basketball player, before switching over to football. He’s gifted with tremendous height and arm length, and it comes in a frame which isn’t too lean. Though Taylor is relatively new to football, he plays with tenacity up front—there are several instances in the South Carolina St. film available where he is finishing defenders to the ground. He would be a project for Solari and the Seahawks, but certainly has intriguing physical traits.

What They’re Saying:

Logan Stenberg (OG, Kentucky: 6061, 317 pounds, 33 1/8” arms)

Player Summary: Similar to Stenberg’s teammate a year ago Bunchy Stallings, Stenberg plays with an endearing edge to his game. He finishes his blocks constantly, and he is a much more complete prospect than Stallings was. More than capable in both phases, with strong athletic testing, Stenberg could land as a day two selection and takeover at left guard, should Mike Iupati depart after one season.

What They’re Saying:

John Simpson (OG, Clemson: 6044, 330 pounds, 33 3/4” arms)

Player Summary: Simpson reminded me quite a bit of Phil Haynes. Not only does he have considerable flexibility, having played on the left and right during his time with the Tigers, but he lands heavy strikes and drives defenders off the ball when run blocking. Like Stenberg, Simpson should end up landing in the back half of day two with a good pre-draft process.

What They’re Saying:

Antonio Gandy-Golden (WR, Liberty: 6035, 222 pounds)

Player Summary: Say what you will about Hugh Freeze, but the former Ole Miss head coach and current coach at Liberty sure knows wide receivers—as evidenced by Seattle’s own super rookie DK Metcalf. Gandy-Golden has great size and length, which translates into a superb catch radius. Gandy-Golden won’t test supremely well, but as long as he proves to be decently explosive, he could be an intriguing developmental selection for a Seahawks team that has developed that position well over the years and needs a possession receiver.

What They’re Saying:

Chase Claypool (WR, Notre Dame: 6043, 229 pounds)

Player Summary: Claypool is more polished than Gandy-Golden, and is my favorite wideout in Mobile along with Michael Pittman Jr., who will not play due to an injury. Claypool has excellent size, and has the arm length and hand size to be downright dominant at the catch point. With the Fighting Irish, Claypool was consistently on special teams and proved to be a tenacious blocker—two things that the Seahawks will be happy about. In the past couple seasons, Notre Dame wideouts have tested very well at the Scouting Combine, so I expect Claypool to be on Seattle’s radar all the way through the process.

What They’re Saying:

Adam Trautman (TE, Dayton: 6050, 251 pounds)

Player Summary: If Claypool is my favorite wideout at the Senior Bowl, Trautman is my favorite player period. I fell head over heels for Dallas Goedert in 2018, and watching Trautman is a similar experience as he dominated at a smaller school level. He brings Jacob Hollister’s fluidity after the catch but in a proper tight end’s frame. Trautman wasn’t asked to block much at Dayton, but he has the frame to do so. Like Goedert, he should be a day two selection.

Jared Pinkney (TE, Vanderbilt: 6040, 254 pounds)

Player Summary: Pinkney’s upside isn’t as high as Trautman as a receiver, but he is very polished in that area. He has a typical tight end frame, played in-line as a blocker often with Vandy, and is exactly the kind of tight end the Seahawks like. As long as he isn’t a disaster athletically—and nothing on film suggests he will be—he should be a day two pick.

What They’re Saying:

Jason Strowbridge (EDGE, North Carolina: 6042, 267 pounds, 32 7/8” arms)

Player Summary: Strowbridge is my favorite type of Senior Bowl participant: One who earned the call up to Mobile after performing well at the previous week’s Shrine Game. UNC did Strowbridge no favors ahead of his senior season, as he was shifted from outside to the interior. His production dropped from five sacks to 2.5, but he did display some positive traits which could lead teams to believe he could be a nickel rusher. In Seattle, he could be a rotational 5-tech.

What They’re Saying:

Darrell Taylor Jr. (EDGE, Tennessee: 6035, 259 pounds, 33” arms)

Player Summary: Over the course of the pre-draft process, I’m going to focus mainly on LEOs when looking at pass rushers. Taylor is just that: He has an awesome first step and should post a 10-yard split the Seahawks will love, and possesses the flexibility to turn the corner.

(There have been little to no practice updates on Taylor, unfortunately).

Wide receiver, tight end, pass rush and positions across the offensive line are all spots Seattle will undoubtedly be addressing this offseason, and these players fit the bill in terms of style and size. Last year, the 2019 Senior Bowl featured L.J. Collier, Gary Jennings, Marquise Blair and Demarcus Christmas. There’s a good chance several participants in this year’s game become Seahawks; the players above will be who to watch for.