How the Seahawks 2020 draft picks comp out

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books, and during the draft the Seattle Seahawks added eight new players. Just as in the past, the players the team has added share certain physical and athletic characteristics with players at their position on the team who have had success, either for the Seahawks or elsewhere.

Since it’s one of the quieter times of the offseason, here’s a look at how some physical and athletic comps for each of the eight players Seattle picked up in the draft. (Author’s note: As a reminder, the archaic height system the NFL utilizes uses four digits to encode height. The four digits are F-I-I-E, where the F is the height in feet, I-I is the inches component and E is the eighths of an inch. So, for example someone with a height of 6’2-1/8” would be listed as 6021, while Russell Wilson at 5’10-5/8” would be 5105.)

Jordyn Brooks, LB Texas Tech

Darrell Taylor, EDGE Tennessee

Taylor did not perform any of the athletic testing at the 2020 NFL Combine following an offseason surgery, meaning that the only metrics available for him are his height and weight. As such, the only thing available to compare Taylor to any past Seahawks is that height weight combo, which for Taylor was 6’3-5/8”, 267 pounds. Since I’ve got nothing better to do than rile up the masses to be yelled at in the comments that the majority of the following players are nothing like Taylor because of style of play, athleticism (for which I have clearly stated I did not filter) or any other reason, here’s a list of outside linebackers and defensive ends who measured either 6’3” or 6’4” while weighing between 262 and 272 pounds.

• Terrell Suggs: 6’3”, 262
• Brian Orakpo: 6’3”, 263
• Jabaal Sheard: 6’3”, 264
• Clelin Ferrell: 6’4”, 265
• Robert Quinn: 6’4”, 265
• Derrick Morgan: 6’3”, 266
• Frostee Rucker: 6’3”, 267
• Justin Smith: 6’4”, 267
• Ryan Kerrigan: 6’4”, 267
• Bradley Chubb: 6’4”, 269
• Justin Houston: 6’3”, 270
• Kyle Vanden Bosch: 6’4”, 270
• Frank Clark: 6’3”, 271
• Chris Long: 6’3”, 272
• Myles Garrett: 6’4”, 272
• Shawne Merriman: 6’4”, 272
• Aldon Smith: 6’4”, 272

Damien Lewis, G LSU

It’s never been a secret that offensive line coach Mike Solari prefers big monsters on the offensive line, but the simple fact is that Lewis and Phil Haynes, the only two offensive linemen on which the Seahawks have drafted the past two years are similar and show what fans can expect to look for at guard going forward.

Colby Parkinson TE Stanford

Parkinson is one for whom it is somewhat difficult to pin down a good comp. In some areas he’s similar to Tony Gonzalez (who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs while both John Schneider and Mike Solari worked for the Chiefs), while in others he’s a bit closer to Anthony McCoy.

DeeJay Dallas, RB Miami

While there is no doubt that Dallas and Chris Carson are different players, the similarities between their testing profiles shows up well on tape. While neither has the top end speed of a back like Rashaad Penny, both Carson and Dallas have a short area burst that gives them the ability to leave defenders grasping at air. Carson has clearly shown he can make defenders miss in the NFL, and it will certainly be worth watching whether Dallas can find success in the NFL against top level competition, rather than against future insurance salesmen.

Interestingly, neither Dallas nor Carson were workhorse backs during their last two years in college, and their production over their final two seasons were amusingly similar in their own right.

Those tables only include the final two years of production for each because Dallas had only 41 carries and four receptions his freshman year, while Carson was busy obliterating the Jayhawk Conference during his freshman and sophomore seasons (1,605 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry in 20 games).

Alton Robinson, DE Syracuse

Robinson could be looked at as either a heavier, quicker Chris Clemons or a slower version of Cliff Avril, take your pick.

Freddie Swain, WR Florida

Swain compares well to Golden Tate, who the Seahawks have been looking to replace since his departure in the spring of 2014.

Stephen Sullivan, TE LSU

Athletically, Sullivan looks like the team might be angling for a less expensive version of Jacob Hollister, on whom they spent their native 2020 seventh round pick.

And that wraps up the look at the physical and athletic profiles of the Seahawks draftees. As more undrafted free agents are officially added in the coming days and weeks, those comps can then be explored.