After trading out of the second round, the Seattle Seahawks made it two linemen in a row with their selection of John Moffitt in the third round. Moffitt is a big, run-blocking interior lineman from Wisconsin and fits within the scheme the Seahawks want to run on offense. This is a finesse, pattycake lineman; He's all about about smash-mouth blocking. With the run deficiencies shown by the Seahawks recently, Moffitt should be a welcome sight.
Vitals
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 319 pounds
40-yard-dash: 5.51 seconds
Bench press: 23 repetitions at 225 pounds.
Bio
Moffitt's career at Wisconsin slowly built to a crescendo, from redshirt in 2006 to All-American in 2010, his senior year with the Badgers. He was a versatile interior lineman for the Badgers, starting 13 games at center in 2009 before starting at 13 games at guard in 2010. Along the way, he was named a Sports Illustrated Second Team All-American , AP First Team All-American and a consensus All-Big Ten player.
Scouting Report
From the first two picks in the 2011 NFL Draft, it's clear what the Seahawks want to do with their offense. Pete Carroll wants to be able to run the ball, and not in a finesse way, either. It's all about the smash-mouth, line-up and punch you in the mouth running game and Moffitt fits the bill. Moffitt is a blue-collar guy who John Schneider called "an ass kicker" while discussing the pick on Friday night.
Moffitt's clearly not the fleetest of foot -- as evidenced by his 40-yard-dash time -- but he performs surprisingly well with a quick burst. He can get to the second level and get out in front of the backs despite his large frame. Moffitt also has excellent balance, but his strength may be a concern. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in technique, though Moffitt will face a tough test at the next level against defensive linemen who are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before.
On tape, it's almost fascinating to watch Moffitt. There are times where his pad-level is too high, yet he doesn't seem to give ground. He absorbs contact, almost bending over backward, yet can keep the defender he's engaged with in a stalemate, or even push him backwards.
Moffit's instincts also stand out. I can't count the number of times I watched Moffitt effortlessly disengage his man to pick up a late rusher or quickly slide outside to chip a defensive end who beat the tackle.
I'd expect Moffitt to contribute right away, likely starting at guard this season. He should be a welcome sight for the Seahawks, who have struggled to find a combination that works on the offensive line. He may not be a world-beater, but Moffitt should be a solid contributor.
Video
Here is a fun matchup between Wisconsin and Iowa State. Cabe Carmini and Adrian Clayborn go at it on the outside while John Moffitt handles the inside. The line play in this game was truly fascinating.
For even more on the draft, head on over to Field Gulls. Check out the rest of our 2011 NFL Draft grades to get caught up on all the picks. For a look back on the draft that was, check out our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. We'll be getting to know each of the Seahawks draft picks in our 2011 NFL Draft results StoryStream.