BROCK AND SALK

Huard: The strength Seahawks rookie DT Cameron Young must play to

May 30, 2023, 12:50 PM

Seattle Seahawks Cameron Young...

Mississippi State DT Cameron Young during the NFL Combine on March 2, 2023. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Throughout the last week, Brock Huard of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk has been going through the biggest adjustments that the Seattle Seahawks rookies in 2023 will need to make as they transition from the college game to the NFL.

Video: A stat for Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith that surprises Bump

The latest player to get the spotlight from the FOX college football analyst and former NFL quarterback was defensive tackle Cameron Young, a fourth-round selection out of Mississippi State. But rather than focusing on an adjustment for Young, Huard took a different angle.

Instead, Huard said that Young will have to understand “you’ve got to play to your strengths.” And there’s one strength that the 6-foot-3, 304-pound Young has that you don’t see all that often.

“His strength is his long arms and his heavy hands,” Huard said. “I know some of this draft stuff we kind of mock and laugh at and scoff, like, ‘Oh, come on contact balance. Look at the bend, look at his speed and power.’ … We kind of make fun of some of that, but I’ll tell you what I think makes total sense – it’s almost like a crack of a bat. You can hear it and feel it, those guys that are heavy handed.”

Huard said that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and general manager John Schneider have all pointed to Young’s hands for a reason.

“When you hear Clint Hurtt say that and you hear Pete say that you hear John Schneider say that, what that means is he’s got 34 1/2 inch arms – long arms – and then he has just got these big anvils (for hands),” Huard said, “and when those things just hit you, you just kind of stop. He’s got them.”

To Huard, that means Young will need to keep things simple as he plays in the middle of the Seahawks’ 3-4 defensive front.

“He’s gonna have to play to his strengths, not try to do everything, not try to be everything, and they will equip him and teach him. It sounds like he’s a very fast learner in that way. Because he even said that, I think, in his first press conference after rookie minicamp: ‘Hey, I’m not stunting, I’m not twisting, I’m not doing all this stuff.’ No, you’re not. No, you’re using your long arms, your base, your leverage, and those anvils for hands, and you’re shocking people and you’re stopping them so the guys behind you can do their job.”

Listen to Huard’s full thoughts in the Blue 88 segment from Friday’s Brock and Salk, which is the last segment in the podcast below. Blue 88, where Huard answers three football questions, airs live daily at 7:45 a.m. during each edition of Brock and Salk.

More from Huard on Seattle Seahawks rookies

Seahawks’ seventh-round RB Kenny McIntosh could have big role
How offensive guard Anthony Bradford must improve
Three focuses for pass rusher Derick Hall to develop
Where wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has room to grow
Charbonnet has fewest tweaks to make of all Seahawks rookies
Three adjustments for top Seattle Seahawks pick Devon Witherspoon

Brock and Salk podcast

Brock and Salk

Seattle Mariners Mitch Haniger...

Mike Salk

Salk: Scars remain as Mariners return, but hope isn’t far away

As the Seattle Mariners return for 2024, Seattle Sports' Mike Salk writes about seasons, scars, frustration, hope and baseball.

7 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Payton Wilson...

Brandon Gustafson

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: ‘Twitched up’ LB fills a need

Next up in Brock Huard's Seattle Seahawks draft profiles is a very intriguing defender in North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson.

11 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks Sam Howell...

Brandon Gustafson

New Seahawks QB Sam Howell describes trade, his role and more

The Seattle Seahawks have a new QB in Sam Howell, and he joined Brock & Salk on Wednesday to describe the trade that sent him to the Hawks.

13 hours ago

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Getting to know new Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Howell

What do Seattle Seahawks fans need to know about new QB Sam Howell? What will he bring to the QB room and competition this season? He joined the Brock and Salk show toady to talk about what type of QB the Seahawks are getting. Can he be a piece that helps this team get back […]

15 hours ago

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Brock Huard’s NFL Draft Profile: Payton Wilson, LB – NC State

Today on Brock and Salk, Brock Huard looked at a potential fit for the Seattle Seahawks in the upcoming NFL Draft. Why does Brock think NC State LB Payton Wilson might be a defensive fit for the Seahawks? What else could he bring to the defense other than LB depth? Watch his breakdown of him […]

15 hours ago

Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez...

Brandon Gustafson

Passan: Mariners’ Rodríguez can take game to another level in 2024

The 2024 MLB season can be when we see "the absolute apex" of star Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez, ESPN's Jeff Passan said.

18 hours ago

Huard: The strength Seahawks rookie DT Cameron Young must play to