Seahawks rank 1st in NFL Draft in athleticism after 2 days

The picks made by the Seahawks through the first two days of the NFL Draft have received mixed reviews, which is nothing new for the team under general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll. But there’s one measurement that has Seattle ahead of every other team in the league.

Seahawks considered Taylor in 1st round, view him as top pass rusher

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Seahawks’ selections in the first three rounds have the highest average athleticism score.

Top 5 Draft Classes by Average Athleticism Score (through RD 3)

1. @Seahawks – 97
2. @Redskins 93
3. @nyjets – 92
4. @Ravens – 87
5. @Eagles – 85

*Excludes QB & OL | #NFLDraft

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2020

So what exactly does that mean? In a follow-up tweet, Next Gen Stats described the athleticism score as “representing the most important drills at the combine in a single metric that best predicts NFL success for each position.” Athleticism scores range from 50 to 99, and the average score of Seattle’s picks after two days is 97.

There’s a caveat to this, however. The Seahawks made three picks heading into Saturday’s final day of the draft – linebacker Jordyn Brooks (first round), defensive end Darrell Taylor (second round), and guard Damien Lewis (third round) – but the athleticism score that Next Gen Stats shared excludes offensive linemen and quarterbacks. That means only Brooks and Taylor are accounted for.

Still, it speaks to where the Seahawks’ emphasis is when it comes to improving their defense. In Brooks, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds at the combine, Seattle added a linebacker who Brock Huard called a “tackling machine,” Jake Heaps noted can can run sideline to sideline, and several experts have compared to Seahawks All-Pro Bobby Wagner.

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With Taylor, it’s a player whose athleticism jumped off the page more than his production going into the draft. Analyst Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com prospect profile of the 6-foot-4, 267-pound Taylor on NFL.com said he has “five-star traits, but three-star skill level at this point.”

And while Lewis didn’t factor into that 97 average score for Seattle, don’t think for a second he’s not a premier athlete. Just watch this video where he squats 600 pounds.

It’s that time!!! Back and better with a purpose 🤫 #600 #SpringBall pic.twitter.com/XwT7ZxcA0s

— Thereal_Damienlewis (@Damienlewis72) March 7, 2019

The Seahawks have four picks in the final four rounds of the draft Saturday. Will they be able to maintain their standing as the team with the most athletic draft class of 2020?

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Seahawks 2020 draft picks

• Round 1: Seahawks stay at 27th overall, take LB Jordyn Brooks
• Round 2: Seahawks trade up to get Tennessee DE Darrell Taylor
• Round 3: Seahawks look to O-line LSU G Damien Lewis

Follow @BrentStecker