SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Brock Huard’s 2018 NFL Draft preview: Washington DT Vita Vea

Apr 19, 2018, 12:01 PM | Updated: Apr 25, 2018, 9:30 pm

huskies, uw, vita vea...

Washington's Vita Vea was second among D-linemen in the bench press at the NFL Combine. (AP)

(AP)

Each day, Brock Huard is profiling a different draft prospect that he considers an early-round possibility for the Seahawks. His draft previews continue with Washington DT Vita Vea. The audio is embedded above.

Seahawks’ biggest question marks for 2018: Part 1 | Part 2

Position: DL
Height/weight: 6-4, 347
Class: Jr.
Hometown: Milpitas, CA

Scouting report: As noted in his NFL.com draft profile, Vea has a rare combination of size, strength and speed off the line of scrimmage. Vea is among the most talented defensive players in the history of Washington’s football program. In 2017, Vea was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, Second-Team All-America, and was the Morris Trophy Award-winner (given to the best lineman in the Pac-12). Vea finished his three-year career at UW with 99 combined tackles and 9.5 sacks.

Brock’s take: “I’ll answer it right away: I’m taking Vita Vea at 18. I think he is a cornerstone kind of guy. I think he plays in this league a long time. I think his talents are just incredibly unique. And unlike with many of these prospects, I think [Seattle fans] listening right now know Vita Vea inside and out. You’ve watched him grow and develop from a high school running back/D-lineman kind of quasi-weird unbelievable athlete into one of the most dominant forces in all of college football. There was great debate, obviously, with all that [Hercules] Mata’afa did at Washington State. But he was the Morris Trophy Award-winner. And there was no debate about that. Because you ask any offensive lineman in this league, and they did not want to block that guy. In fact, two guys didn’t want to block him; in the Apple Cup, one of the endearing images for any Husky fan are two Cougars trying to block the bull that is Vita Vea, and he’s pushing the pocket back right into the lap of Luke Falk, who would never ever get settled and Vita is a big reason why.

“How is he able to do that? Well, it helps when you’re nearly 6-5 and 347 pounds. It helps when you bench press 225 pounds 41 times at the combine with ease… it helps to dominate all of those things. It’s why Todd McShay has Vita [ranked] like I do: as a top-10 talent.

“I’m going to give you three last points on Vea, and why I take him at 18… one, there’s more [to come] in Vita Vea’s game. Number two, in this system he understands ball. This is not one of those systems that just lines up in a 4-3 and you play the spread every week. In the Pac-12 you’re going to play power football against Stanford, you are going to play the spread, you’ve played Alabama, you’ve played Penn State, and at every single turn the game has never been too big for him. And then lastly, and this is why you get drafted in the top-12, you just have a size, speed, and versatility component that’s truly unique. And that’s what I want to see in Seattle.”

How he’d fit: Defensive line remains one of Seattle’s biggest needs heading into the draft. The Seahawks signed ex-Vikings defensive tackles Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen; however, 33-year-old Johnson will play fewer snaps with the Seahawks than he did in Minnesota, and Stephen is coming off of a meniscus injury. Second-year player Naz Jones had a promising rookie campaign and is sure to build on that this year, but they could use some depth on the interior defensive line. While Vea is a good fit for Seattle, he’s unlikely to fall to them at No. 18 overall.

See more 2018 NFL Draft profiles:

Georgia RB Sony Michel
UTSA DE Marcus Davenport
Stanford S Justin Reid
Boston College DE Harold Landry
Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey
LSU RB Derrius Guice
UTEP G Will Hernandez

Brock and Salk podcast

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks Tremayne Anchrum Jr....

Brent Stecker

Seahawks add Tremayne Anchrum Jr to O-line in free agency

The Seattle Seahawks have made guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. their third signing to the offensive line in free agency.

3 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks Jerome Baker LB linebacker...

Brent Stecker

Huard: What Seahawks’ new LBs do better than Wagner, Brooks

The Seattle Seahawks have replaced Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner with Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker. Brock Huard compares the two different duos.

7 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks Pharaoh Brown...

Brent Stecker

GM Schneider believes Seahawks have ‘great fit’ in new TE combo

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider explains why he likes returning tight end Noah Fant and new signing Pharaoh Brown together.

19 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks George Fant...

Brent Stecker

What GM Schneider says plan is for Seahawks’ returning OL Fant

George Fant returns to the the Seattle Seahawks after four years as a starter for two other teams. So what's in store for him in 2024?

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft brock Bowers...

Brandon Gustafson

Analyst says Georgia TE Bowers ‘makes perfect sense’ for Seahawks

NFL Network's Bucky Brooks shares why he likes the idea of the Seattle Seahawks taking Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the NFL Draft.

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks Jerome Backer free agency...

Brandon Gustafson

Seahawks sign linebacker Jerome Baker to 1-year deal

The Seattle Seahawks have another new linebacker joining the mix in Jerome Baker, who spent the last six years with the Dolphins.

2 days ago

Brock Huard’s 2018 NFL Draft preview: Washington DT Vita Vea