Charles Brown, LT, USC

Sorry, I'm out of mildly clever but horrendously unfunny titles this time. I finally got a chance to finish up Charles Brown, the Left Tackle for the suddenly mortal USC Trojans. I first scouted Brown against Notre Dame, and came away extremely impressed. Then I got to catch Brown against Oregon, and while I still believe he is a first round pick, there are a few chinks in the armor.

Positive: Tall with long arms. Very good athlete for the position. Runs well in the open field. Plays with good leverage. Good lateral slide. I've scouted half a dozen tackles for this draft class and Brown is the only one who seems to have more than a passing familiarity with "punching" the DE in pass protection (something very, very few OTs do in college, but is extremely important in the NFL). Shows good awareness for the blitz and does a good job picking it up. Works his way well to the 2nd level and adjusts well on linebackers. Usually pretty good effort. Not a dominating run blocker, but uses the DE's momentum to run him out of the play.

Negative: What weight will he play in the NFL at? That's the biggest concern, if he's 285 he's a very small tackle. If he can get over 300, well, he's still small but it's not as big a problem. Struggles when DEs shoot inside, probably a strength issue there. Also has a bit of vulnerability to spin moves. Becomes a watcher sometimes (watcher is when a tackle makes initial contact, then watches as the play progresses around him), not a lot but it's something I wasn't happy to see. Made a few mental errors (noise at Oregon's famously loud Autzen stadium hurt him a bit, but USC gave up something like 8 false starts that game so it wasn't just him, and he wasn't the worst offender), but it's not a constant problem.

Fit: If Brown fits anywhere, it'll be at Seattle. He's best suited for a zone system as a left tackle. The biggest concern is if he's big enough for the NFL in any system - generally it's a bad thing when DEs like Mario Williams and Julius Peppers outweigh the LT, something that could happen to Brown.

Overall: I like Brown, but I want to see more. It seemed the more I saw him, the less I was impressed, but some of that could be due to the 2nd game being the beatdown USC suffered against Oregon. He's a lot more polished than given credit for, and every bit as athletic. More tape is needed, but right now Brown is solidly a first round grade and arguably the best tackle in this class for Seattle (I'll need to watch Russell Okung of Oklahoma State as a senior to be sure, right now Brown has the edge but I scouted Okung on 2008 tape).

Today's viewing

I've got four games in the schedule this weekend, with plenty of pro-prospects to keep an eye on. I'll have thoughts on all of these games on the blog by tomorrow. If there's anyone in particular you want me to keep an eye on let me know in the comments section or email rob@seahawksdraftblog.com

Tennessee @ Ole Miss
Jevan Snead has been the year's biggest disappointment. He's gone from outside bet to go first overall to almost certainly returning for his senior year. This could be a chance for Eric Berry to flash those play making skills against an erratic quarterback. I've been far from impressed by Berry so far, this is a chance to show at least some of the hype is justified.

Iowa @ Ohio State
Having struggled to get any footage of Bryan Bulaga in the first half of the season, this will now be the third successive week I'm watching his Hawkeye's. He's playing left tackle for Iowa, but I think he's a right tackle in the NFL - at least for the system Seattle uses. It'll be interesting to see how he performs in his team's biggest game of the year so far.

Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh
It's been a while since my last good look at Jimmy Clausen. This is a really tough game on the road, so a perfect opportunity to see if he justifies his place as potentially the first quarterback off the board in 2010. I want to see him throwing off the front foot and I need to make sure his low, side arm release doesn't lead to too many tipped passes.

Florida @ South Carolina
I've seen the Gators so much this year I almost feel like I can call their plays. It's pretty obvious now that Tim Tebow isn't going to change his game to cater for watching NFL scouts, his main focus is an undefeated season with Florida. He'll lead an all star-cast to Carolina and it's yet another chance to look at one of my favorite 2010 prospects - cornerback Joe Haden.

Anthony Davis not a good scheme fit

I've just watched the tape from last night's hammering of USF by Rutgers. I kept an eye on Anthony Davis (OT, Rutgers) a guy I hadn't had a chance to concentrate on yet. He's a junior prospect playing on a young, upcoming Scarlet Knight's team so there's every chance he'll stay for his senior year. He's got ideal size (6'6", 320lbs) and nice body definition. A bit of research painted a different picture however - apparently he's struggled with weight issues in the past, arriving as a freshman at a massive 363lbs. He was even sent to work with the second team at the start of pre-season this year for struggling to get to his target weight. Are those days in the past?

On film at least, he looks trim enough and every bit a NFL lineman. He could probably enter the NFL now and not be any worse than he would be with an extra year's seasoning, but he has to convince teams he can manage his weight to justify any kind of high pick. So with that in mind, how did he perform last night and is he a good fit for the Seattle Seahawks?

In a word, no. With Mike Solari coaching the offensive line, Seattle has very publicly incorporated a zone blocking scheme. One of the reasons I never thought the team would draft Eugene Monroe was that I felt he wasn't a good enough fit for this system. Davis reminded me of the same complaints I had with regard to Monroe.

He's ideally suited to a man blocking scheme. He never blocked off once, simply locking on to an opponent and blocking that man until the play was dead. No desire to get to the second level was ever witnessed and he never showed a nasty streak to blow his guy out of the way and instantly find someone else to block. One of the things I love about Charles Brown (OT, USC) is that he diagnoses plays so well, he knows when to block off and when to progress and tackle a linebacker. He's fight his man down and drive through his blocks. I saw none of that from Davis.

But (similar to Eugene Monroe) what Davis does, he does well. He was practically unbeatable in one-on-one combat. He did a good job dealing with two of the better pass rushers in college football - Jason Pierre-Paul and George Selvie. There will be teams who deploy man scheme who will find great value in a guy who blocks his man very well and keeps the blind side quiet. Other teams, like the Seahawks, will look elsewhere. Davis is neither agile nor flexible enough to adequately fill the teams needs in a ZBS, but he could easily become a top first round pick for somebody else if the weight problems are no more.

As an aside, I was again very impressed with the afore-mentioned Pierre-Paul. He's raw, but with massive potential. He could stand to get a bit stouter against the run and probably get a bit more upper body bulk. But he has a long wing span and in the two games I've seen him, he's actually tipped about four passes just throwing those long arms out there and getting something on the ball. Pierre-Paul owns a great spin move and he effortlessly glides into the backfield, showing tremendous speed and agility. He should be a first round pick.

McShay and Kiper talk 'risers'

Of course, we raved about Joe Haden (11th October) and Derrick Morgan (11th September) weeks ago...

Thursday mocks

Walter Cherepinsky published an updated mock draft this week. He gives the Seahawks Bruce Campbell (OT, Maryland) and Jahvid Best (RB, California). I'm yet to get a decent look at Cambpell, but Cherepinsky appears convinced he'll be a top pick in 2010. I would be surprised if Tim Ruskell passed on C.J. Spiller to draft Best, but clearly both fit the criteria Seattle is lacking on offense - home run hitter.

Draft Tek's sophisticated software has calculated a new mock draft. You'll notice I was asked to offer some thoughts on each pick - I should stress that I didn't choose the guys Seattle take I merely commented on what the computer predicted (it's based on team needs). The Seahawks take C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson) and Jimmy Clausen (QB, Notre Dame) - not a bad couple of picks in all honesty.

Chad Reuter updates his mock draft at CBS Sportsline. He has the Seahawks taking Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma State) and C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson). I still think Charles Brown (OT, USC) could be the top offensive lineman in the 2010 class, although Reuter leaves him out of his mock completely (although he has a guard from Idaho going #21 to Philly). I will also be pretty stunned if Jonathan Dwyer, Terrance Cody and Greg Hardy go in the first round.

If you missed it last week, don't forget to check out my first 2010 mock draft of the year.

New Banner!

Seahawks Draft Blog celebrates it's anniversary on December 1st, so I thought I'd give it an early birthday present by splashing out on a new banner. Many thanks to David Leng for the design, please visit his website to see more of his work. There's actually different variations and we'll alternate between them during the year. This one, as you may have noticed, incorporates Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska), Tim Tebow (QB, Florida) and Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma). Let me know what you think in the comments section below or email: rob@seahawksdraftblog.com

Wednesday morning links

Rob Rang thinks Athur Jones' (DT, Syracuse) lack of durability is a concern: "Jones is a versatile, talented defender that ordinarily would receive strong first round consideration. Considering the injuries and the relative depth along the defensive line, however, his status is much cloudier. Jones leaves Syracuse with 38.5 career tackles for loss -- the most by a defensive tackle in Orange history."

Matt McGuire still isn't a fan of Florida's Carlos Dunlap: "Dunlap is a big body. He is 6-6, 280, but it isn't the size of the dog; it's the size of the fight in the dog. It doesn't matter how big Dunlap is because he doesn't play that big when you watch the tape. Dunlap's draft stock is all over the map. He could go in the top 10, but he could also fall to the second round. Nothing would shock me."

Wes Bunting is worried for Tony Pike's draft stock: "If Pike ends up getting benched the rest of the season and sees another quarterback come in and lead his team to a successful postseason run, it could have a detrimental effect on his draft status in April."

Also from Bunting, a favorable review of Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward: "The more I watch Heyward, the more convinced I am that he has the ability to line up just about anywhere on an NFL defensive line. He showcases an impressive first step off the ball and does a great job keeping his base down and generating a powerful initial jolt on contact. On top of that, he’s a gifted athlete who showcases good body control and has the length to consistently shed blocks."

Derrick Morgan catching the eye

I've rated Derrick Morgan as one of the top prospects for 2010 since week two. A relentless pass rusher, the Georgia Tech defensive lineman is a great edge rusher who's sometimes unblockable. A prototype 4-3 end, I fully expect him to go in the top ten next year and he'll battle with Carlos Dunlap (Florida) to be the first player at his position to be drafted. In a stellar class on the defensive line, Morgan is right up there.

Having said that, he'd been flying a little under the radar over the last few weeks. I'd not seen anyone put him as high as I did in my first 2010 mock draft and I even saw people putting Greg Hardy ahead of him in some projections (that simply will not happen). It seems people are starting to realise just how good Morgan can be.

Kevin Wiedl, ESPN's Draft Blog
"Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan turned in an impressive performance in the Yellow Jackets' 30-27, overtime victory over Wake Forest, showing why many scouts rank the junior as a first-round lock.

Morgan did a great job anchoring and disrupting against the run, including a second-and-4 play on the first possession of overtime on which he blew up a lead block from Demon Deacons FB Mike Rinfrette, forced Josh Adams to chance direction and allowed his teammates to clean up the play for a 4-yard loss.

Morgan also victimized Rinfretti earlier in the game as a pass rusher, running through him on a third-down play late in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 24. Wake was driving in Georgia Tech territory for the potential game-winning score, but Morgan came off the edge and exploded through Rinfretti before getting to QB Riley Skinner, forcing a punt and keeping Tech alive.

Both plays showed the explosiveness Morgan has in his hips. He overwhelmed the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Rinfretti and made game-changing plays when his team needed them most. Morgan has the frame (6-4, 268) and power to be an effective 4-3 end, and though we haven't seen much of him dropping into coverage we don't doubt the he could do so as a 3-4 rush end.

Morgan has all the tools NFL teams look for and is shooting up draft boards. Given how well he is playing and that it's hard to see him getting out of the first round, chances are Morgan is headed to the next level after this season."

Draft chat: Chris Steuber on Hudson

As you may have seen, I had Rodney Hudson (G, Florida State) going to the Seahawks in my first 2010 mock draft of the year. Few prospects have impressed me as much as the Seminoles' lineman during the 2009 season and I think it's a little surprising he hasn't received more attention. I wanted to get a second opinion, so I contacted Chris Steuber from Scout.com recently to get his thoughts:

"Hudson is a very athletic guard and if he were to declare for the draft, he would be a late first, early second round draft pick."
- Chris Steuber

That at least confirmed my suspicions about where he could potentially go in the draft. When I scouted him earlier in the year, I felt like I was watching the perfect interior lineman for the Seahawks. During Tim Ruskell's tenure as GM, the team have drafted and signed more agile blockers who can operate in the zone blocking scheme. Some teams might be put off by Hudson's lack of size (290lbs) but the Seahawks would love his agility.

"Hudson is undersized, but possesses tremendous feet. He moves very well laterally and has the quickness to make an impact at the second level. At this time, he’s a better pass protector than he is a run blocker, but he’s improved his strength and will only get better."
- Chris Steuber

One of the things that really impressed me was Hudson's strength. Considering he isn't the biggest, I saw him driving guys back 4-5 yards to create running lanes. When Florida State ran a quarterback sneak, Christian Ponder placed himself behind Hudson and used him to get the first down. That same strength won't necessarily translate into the same kind of dominance in the NFL, but he certainly plays above his size.

But Steuber mentioned something I hadn't considered. Remember Branden Albert? A dominant, athletic guard for Virginia who ended up being projected as a left tackle in the NFL - leading to being selected 15th overall by Kansas City in 2008. Can Hudson make a similar transition?

"Hudson’s athleticism provides an NFL team with options; he could play OT if needed, but obviously his best position is at guard. If he were a little taller, he would be an OT prospect."- Chris Steuber

In fairness, there's a notable difference between Albert and Hudson. The former is 6'5" - owning the ideal frame to add bulk and adjust to play at left tackle. With Hudson only 6'2" and currently 290lbs, he hasn't got the same height advantage and he'd have to add around 15-20lbs to get anywhere near the weight Albert was at the '08 combine (309lbs). Still, I think it emphasises the kind of athleticism Hudson owns and that in part is testament to his value.

Obviously any discussion about Hudson has to accept that he's a junior and won't necessarily declare. Still, pretty much every mock I read has Bryan Bulaga (another junior lineman) pencilled in, so until I hear otherwise I see no reason to discount Hudson from the 2010 talk. If he does declare, he could be worth monitoring from a Seahawks perspective.