Draft analyst’s take on Matt Elam, Cordarrelle Patterson
Mar 1, 2013, 1:05 PM | Updated: Apr 8, 2016, 10:51 am
By Brady Henderson
Passing along a few Seahawks-related thoughts from NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, who shared some of his takeaways from the scouting combine when he joined Brock Huard and Tom Wassell on Wednesday:
• Davis liked what he saw from Matt Elam, the big-hitting and playmaking safety from Florida whom Huard has identified as one player Seahawks fans should get to know.
 Draft analyst Charles Davis says height is his only concern with Florida safety Matt Elam, who is listed at 5-feet-10. (AP) |
“His footwork, I thought, was terrific. He looked like a guy who could go into the slot and cover some people,” Davis said. “To me, the only issue that Matt Elam has – because we know he’s a force tackling people – the only issue he has is the tape measure, what he measures in terms of height, and he’s a short guy. How will he cover those tight ends if they’re able to body him up?”
Elam is listed as 5-feet-10 and 208 pounds. For reference, Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas is the same height and six pounds lighter.
Davis projects Elam to be at worst a second-round pick but thinks he could go late in the first round. The Seahawks pick 25th, by the way.
• Tennessee’s Cordarrelle Patterson was the first name Davis mentioned when asked about some of the top wide receiver prospects who could be fits with the Seahawks.
“He has the full combination. I think he ran 4.42 officially at 216 pounds, about a 6-foot-3-inch guy. To me, that’s what Seattle is looking for. You’re looking for that guy that can stretch things for you, because I think the other [Seahawks] receivers can handle everything you have.”
Cal’s Keenan Allen was another, but Davis shares other draft analysts’ uncertainty about his speed. A knee injury kept Allen from working out at the combine, and he plans on waiting until his personal pro day in April to run a 40.
Allen, listed at 6-feet-2 and 206 pounds, has drawn comparisons to Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin.
“Anquan Boldin does not suggest speed; it suggests power, toughness, catching the football,” Davis said. “I’m not sure he’s the same type of a fit [with the Seahawks].”
• Davis has reservations about this year’s crop of pass rushers, saying that even the highest-rated prospect in his most eyes, Florida State’s Bjoern Werner, may not be good enough to consistently reach double digits in sacks.
This should be especially concerning from a Seahawks standpoint. Seattle needs help in that department, and it’s hard enough to find a pass rusher late in the first round who can make an immediate impact. That’s been the case even in drafts that have have been considered rich with pass rushers.
