2022 NFL Draft: Scouting report on Seahawks third-round pick Abraham Lucas

With the 72nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected tackle Abraham Lucas out of Washington State. Tackle was a major need for Seattle coming into the draft and with the selection of Charles Cross in the first and now Lucas in the third the organization turned one of its biggest weaknesses into what has suddenly become of the more stable position groups on the roster.

Prospect: Abraham Lucas

Games watched: 2021 USC, Arizona State, Oregon, BYU

Measurables: 6 foot 6 - 315 pounds

Strengths

• Lucas’ best attribute is hand usage in the passing game. He does a great job of flashing his hands late by holding them back rather than showing them right off of the snap. This prevents defenders from being able to swipe or rip him and more often than not forces them up field with them over rushing the quarterback. He does a good job of readjusting them throughout the play to keep the defender in front of him.
• Able to utilize his plus play strength to move players out of the way in the running game to clear lanes. He has good bend in his knees which does allow him to fully tap into his play strength.
• Lucas does not have a soft shoulder as he is strong to both sides. He has a good, quick slide step out of his stance which allows him to contain the edge. He also has enough reactive athleticism, balance and strength in his hands to adjust to players going from outside to in.
• Has very good awareness as he is able to recognize late blitzers. He is able to easily come off a double when helping to his inside and slide out of it to divert the path of the blitzer.
• Lucas has very good balance and body control throughout the play. He very rarely ends up on the floor and is able to make and sustain blocks from multiple angles.
• Lucas was left on an island consistently, including when he faced the fifth overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, which will help his transition to the NFL.
• Very durable player who did not suffer any injuries in college and started in 42 consecutive games for Washington State.

Weaknesses

• Lucas did not receive many snaps in the running game, and it shows. When engaging with defenders in the running game he leans over too much to engage with them which results in some missed blocks. Whilst Lucas has good balance and play strength defenders are able to move him aside as a result of him leaning on them during running plays.
• Struggles to gain leverage in both the running and passing game and it most prevalently shows in the short yardage situations. He has good bend in his knees, but he plays with a high pad level in part because of his size which makes it difficult for him to get below the pads of defenders.
• Lucas’ struggles in setting his anchor comes against defenders with heavy hands who are able to make the first contact. If they strike him in the chest, it is difficult for him to set his anchor point which causes him to get driven back.
• Does not show any type of finish in his game in the passing or running situations. When he gets defenders on the ground, he moves onto the next player rather than getting on top of them to take them out of the play.
• Lucas does not offer any type of versatility, as he exclusively played right tackle at Washington State and is very unlikely to be able to move to the left side in the NFL.

Scheme fit

Lucas did not receive enough reps in the running game to call anything involved in it a particular strength. However, when Lucas was tasked with making blocks at the second level, he looked athletic and most importantly was able to sustain those blocks. As a result, it is easy to project him being at least an average run blocker in a zone running scheme.

Future outlook

Lucas is a safe but not sexy pick at 72; he does not possess a particularly high ceiling. However, he will walk in on day one and be a starter for this team. At his peak he projects to be a slightly below average to average starting tackle which for the 72nd overall pick at a premium positional which was a key area of need is perfectly fine value.