As Seattle does not, as of this writing, possess a first-round pick, a few Seahawks draft prospects they select may end up being unknown to some people. Therefore, with the season coming to a close and Seattle being completely out of the playoff picture, it seems time to look towards the offseason and the hope that the new season brings by going over a few players that could be Seahawks draft prospects.
Seahawks Draft Prospects — Kingsley Enagbare
Name: Kingsley Enagbare, #1
Position: Edge Rusher
Height: 6-4 ft
Weight: 265 lbs
School: South Carolina Gamecocks
With over 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons, Enagbare had come into the season as a first-round lock, but following a less than average second half of the season, his draft stock has plummeted to an extent. This could end up being a blessing for the Seahawks, as they could take advantage of this and get a franchise edge rusher, even with their low pick.
The Seahawks need a new edge rusher because the team overall has only 29 sacks, the 8th fewest in the league. They also have the 6th lowest pressure percentage and have failed to get to the QB at all this year. Even the best Edge Rusher, Carlos Dunlap, has recorded a PFF grade of only 72.5.
Games Watched: Tennessee (2020), Tennessee (2021), Clemson (2021), Kentucky (2021)
Pros:
- He has a very effective bull rush move, allowing him to practically run through tackles to get to the ball carrier
- As a run defender, he sets the edge quite well and is quick to reach round blockers to make tackles
- There are not many better players than Enagbare at pursuing the ball-carrier and bringing them down
- He has a very high motor
- He is probably the best pure run-stopping edge rusher in the whole class
- He is the ideal size for a defensive end in the NFL
- He is very strong and has a fierce first impact on his bull rush
- He routinely pushes blockers into the backfield
- He has been touted as a good leader by coaches and teammates alike
Cons:
- He sometimes can take a long time to get to the QB, meaning he has a lot of coverage sacks on his film (sacks due to tight coverage by the secondary, rather than a win on the defensive line)
- He has had surgery on his hip and entered the year with a knee issue so could be injury-prone
- He is quite unidimensional and has issues when rushing against a lineman with good counters to a bull rush
- Following on from the last point, he doesn’t have a strong speed rush whatsoever
Projected role in the NFL: He is a perfect size and has all the tools to be an outside rusher in a 4-3 defense. He has not shown capabilities to play in coverage, so could also be a defensive end in a 3-4 if necessary. His best work will be done when playing as a 5-tech, but we have seen some production from him when working as a 3-tech.
Best team fit(s): As mentioned earlier, the Seahawks could use him on their roster. Due to his late first to early second-round value, teams like the Cardinals could be looking at him to rush the passer. The Jets could also be interested in him and could select him with their second-round pick.
Pro comparison: Kingsley Enagbare reminds me a lot of former Texas A&M edge rusher Michael Bennett. Just like Bennett, Enagbare has a powerful bull rush and is a strong contributor in the run game. Similarly, they both have some difficulties when forced to use their speed. Bennett found success when using power moves for the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning defense. Perhaps Enagbare could find the same success in the Emerald City?
Grading scale: 95+ Generational | 90-94, Early 1st Round | 85-90, Mid/Late 1st Round | 80-84, 2nd Round | 75-79, 3rd Round | 70-74, 4th Round | 65-69, 5/6th Round | 60-64 6/7th Round | <60, Undrafted Free Agents
Grade and Draft Value: 85/100 is my ranking of Kingsley Enagbare which places him at 6th in my Edge Rusher rankings, and puts him in my top 50 for my overall rankings. This means that I view him as a late 1st/early 2nd round player, which is exactly where the Seahawks are picking. I could see them taking him with their first pick, and then targeting their other needs later on.
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