The Seattle Seahawks wheeled and dealed their way through the 2012 NFL Draft. They started the draft with 6 picks, including no pick in the 5th round. After trading down in the first and second round, they acquired their 4 extra draft picks and were primed to make a run at the later rounds.
As we all know, they have found great success in later rounds.
Last year, that success was evident in the 5th round as they chose Richard Sherman who went on to considerable success last season. Pete Carroll and John Schneider are hoping they find that same success with this year’s 4th rounder.
In the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Jaye Howard – DT – Florida.
My AssessmentJaye Howard is the equivalent to a human bulldozer. Although not the top DT prospect in the draft, he may be the strongest. His athleticism sneaks up on opponents and makes them change their path in a hurry.
Howard often takes on double teams from the offensive line and he beats them more often then not. He drives through blocks to get into the backfield and interrupt plays. When he hits a QB, he makes it hurt.
Legally.
Jay Howard is a great roadblock (Photo by Tim Darby.)
He has deceptive speed for a big guy and will pursue ball carriers on the edges of the field. He will also continue his chase until he is taken out of a play.
His strength allows him to move blockers out of his way with a variety of avoidance moves or just sheer strength in throwing players aside or knocking them to the ground.
Howard wraps up ball carriers well when he gets the chance. He has long arms and can trip people up or reach out and pull people in.
He does come with some drawbacks, too.
Howard’s size makes him vulnerable to going down hard when he is not trying to push through blockers. And it happens semi-frequently with him.
He also has a tendency to jump offsides a lot, whether it was called as a game penalty or not. He is anxious and antsy when anticipating snap counts and lets it affect his game.
Exactly like Paul McQuistan last season.
Howard played at Florida on a defense coordinated by Dan Quinn, who was the defensive line coach in Seattle during Pete Carroll’s first year as head coach.
Here’s a closer look at Jaye Howard College Stats2011: 65 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 passes defended
The Seahawks love depth on their lines given the recent rash of injuries that decimated both of the lines at times. Howard adds to that depth and adds yet another measure of competition to a pretty strong position.
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© Brandon Choate for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
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Post tags: 2012 NFL draft, Florida, Jaye Howard, John Schneider, Pete Carroll, Seahawks, Seahawks 2012 Draft Picks, seahawks 2012 nfl draft, Seahawks Blogs, Seahawks rookie minicamp, Seahawks rookies, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks Blog, University of Florida
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May 10, 2012
