PFF identifies cornerback Julius Brents as ‘Day 2 fit’ for the Seahawks

One of the first things I did when I got this gig at Field Gulls was to get a subscription to Pro Football Focus, in part so that I could access the content behind their paywall and share the “highlights” of anything I found especially relevant or interesting.

The PFF pairing of the Seattle Seahawks and Julius Brents qualifies as both relevant and interesting.

And, not just because it would mean that John Schneider and Pete Carroll broke a regime-long streak of not selecting cornerbacks on Day One, in Round Two, or any higher than No. 90 overall.

It would also be relevant and interesting because, based on the comments I’ve seen here on Field Gulls (and elsewhere), there are a whole lot of 12s that would be THRILLED if the Seahawks were to select Kansas State’s Julius Brents.

Let’s see what PFF had to say about why they think the Seahawks should ‘swipe right’ on CB Julius Brents on Day 2 of the NFL Draft:

Whether it’s Tariq Woolen (6-foot-4 1/8), Brandon Browner (6-foot-4) or Richard Sherman (6-foot-3), the Seahawks’ type at cornerback looks like a wing guard in the NBA. No cornerback in this class fits that mold better than the nearly 6-foot-3 Brents. His 6-foot-10 wingspan is the longest of any cornerback since that measurement first started getting reported at the combine in 2018. That wingspan translated to four picks and three pass breakups last season in a career year at Kansas State. That would give the Seahawks one freaky duo on the outside.

On the surface of it, I like the idea of drafting Brents. I’m not 100% sold on him being a second-rounder though (even though he’s #70 on PFN’s Consensus Big Board and #70 isn’t too far from the end of Round 2).

Combine Measurements

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 198
• Arm: 34 inches
• Hand: 9-5/8 inches

Testing Results from NFL Combine:

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.53 seconds
• 10-Yard Split: 1.57 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 41.5 inches
• Broad Jump: 11 feet 6 inches
• 3-Cone Drill: 6.63 seconds
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.05 seconds
• Bench Press: N/A

Here’s his profile from The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner):

Brents spent three years learning under defensive coordinator Phil Parker at Iowa — he missed the 2019 season because of a knee injury — before transferring to Kansas State in 2021.

An extremely long and explosive defensive back, Brents has the ability to close ground in a hurry, and his length is a serious problem for receivers at the line of scrimmage. He is especially smooth in zone coverage (no surprise given his background with Parker). In press, Brents does most of his damage at the line. if a receiver gets a release clean, things can get more interesting, because Brents showed a tendency to get lost on deeper concepts.

Physically, though, he is a rare defensive back with speed, size, burst and length. He just needs to work on everything else.

What say the 12s; is a Woolen-Brents combo what you’d like to see in 2023?