One need only look to last year to see why this is significant. Half of Seattle’s draft picks a year ago were from these conferences.
Two of Seattle’s picks, of course, were Michigan’s reigning Offensive and Defensive Linemen of the Year in Olu Oluwatimi and Mike Morris, respectively. The two undrafted rookies to make the roster last year – long snapper Chris Stoll and wide receiver Jake Bobo – were Big Ten and PAC-12 standouts at Penn State and UCLA, respectively.
This suggests the weaving of the Seahawks’ new coaching staff and its experienced scouting department really could be a hand-in-glove fit that could allow Seattle to hit the ground running at the Combine.
Of course, “running” is an operative word when discussing the NFL’s annual Workout Wonderland in Indianapolis.
As a well-known advocate for pure speed, Carroll could be counted on to be caught by NFL Network cameras excitedly chomping his favorite chewing gum when the fastest athletes were running their 40-yard dashes.
Macdonald’s track record also suggests a great respect for speed but his defenses in Baltimore and Michigan were even more characterized by brute power, aggression and savvy. Macdonald and his staff may, in fact, be just as excited for the bench press as they are for the 40-yard dash, the Combine’s marquee event.
In terms of positional groups Seattle is expected to focus on, one need not be a professional scout to recognize that inside linebacker, tight end and the interior of the offensive line are areas of focus.
First appeared on www.seahawks.com