BRADY HENDERSON

Draft analyst Dan Shonka on DL Jonathan Bullard, other first-round options for Seahawks

Apr 25, 2016, 2:27 PM | Updated: Oct 28, 2024, 1:08 pm

Dan Shonka described Jonathan Bullard as an excellent tackler who moves well for his size. (AP)...

Dan Shonka described Jonathan Bullard as an excellent tackler who moves well for his size. (AP)

(AP)

Dan Shonka of Ourlads.com joined “The John Clayton Show” Saturday for 21 minutes of draft talk. The Seahawks-related topics begin around the 14:30 mark – the audio is embedded above – and there were three items of interest to pass along:

• Shonka said Ourlads’ latest mock draft has the Seahawks using the 26th pick on Jonathan Bullard, a versatile defensive lineman from Florida. Shonka noted that Bullard can play any position along the defensive line, which he did during his four seasons at Florida while recording 12 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. Shonka described Bullard as an excellent tackler, a smart player and very mature. He also said Bullard moves well for his size. Listed at 6 foot 3 and 283 pounds, Bullard is roughly the same size as Michael Bennett, who plays both end and tackle along Seattle’s defensive line. “This guy, we think, is going to be really a great football player,” Shonka said. Bullard is among the prospects whom the Seahawks reportedly brought in for an official pre-draft visit.

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• If the Seahawks draft an offensive tackle in the first round, Shonka believes it should be someone other than Germain Ifedi of Texas A&M. Shonka listed his long arms and athletic ability as positives but described his technique as “really poor” and said he’ll be limited to right tackle in the NFL after showing he was incapable of playing on the left side in college. “Potential will get you killed,” Shonka said, “and this guy has never done it.” Shonka was asked about Ifedi and Jason Spriggs from Indiana as possibilities at No. 26. He said that would be “way too high” to draft Ifedi but that it would be a suitable spot for Spriggs. He called Spriggs a smart player and said Ourlads rated him as the most athletic offensive lineman among those who were tested at the scouting combine. “He’s got some things to learn, but he’s really got good feet and I would trust him more (than Ifedi),” Shonka said.

• Shonka said he would steer clear entirely of Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche, who is considered the most talented defensive lineman in this year’s draft but could fall to the second half of the first round – in which case he may be available to Seattle at No. 26 – due to off-the-field concerns. Nkemdiche was suspended for the Sugar Bowl after he was arrested for marijuana possession following a fall from a hotel-room window in December. Shonka believes his issues are more serious than they might appear. “Believe me, the public doesn’t know half of what’s behind this kid,” he said. Nkemdiche’s production was by no means stellar, and he even admitted that his effort was at times uneven. Shonka had another critique of his play, saying that he isn’t instinctive. “Here’s a guy that gets penetration, and if he sees the ball, he gets to it, but he has no feel. I always call it interior instincts; he doesn’t have any instincts,” Shonka said.

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