One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. Rang’s opinions and evaluations are his own and do not reflect those of the Seahawks.
Longtime Seahawks fans may get a case of déjà vu when watching the tape of this year’s top NFL prospects.
That is because some of the top prospects this year boast athletic traits eerily similar to those offered by some of the greatest players in Seahawks history.
This is not to suggest that the college prospects listed below will go on to enjoy the same degree of success in the NFL that these Seahawks legends captured. Or, for that matter, that this year’s rookie crop can’t exceed what their Seahawk doppelgangers achieved. Every player is their own individual, of course. Player comparisons, fair or not, are among the most common requests in this business.
And when you are a life-long Seattle-area resident (born, like the Seahawks, in 1976) and have evaluated as many football players as I have over my 20+ years in the scouting business, certain iconic traits – such as Hall of Famer Walter Jones’ unbelievable blend of size and athleticism, Russell Wilson’s magical improvisation and Richard Sherman’s long arms and galloping strides – tend to stand out.
There are players in the 2022 draft class whose success at the college level is due to similar strengths.
Here is my Top 5 list of prospects whose tape brought back memories for me of Seahawks, dating back to the Kingdome.