Carl Davis, Iowa DT: Seahawks Draft Profile

If you have been following Emerald City Swagger throughout the off-season, you know how much I like Carl Davis.

The 6’5″ 315 pound DT from Iowa would also fill a need on the defensive line. As a whole, the line wasn’t as dominant in 2014 as they were in 2013 when they had a rotation at both DE and DT, and were able to keep everyone fresh.

After losing Red Bryant and Clinton McDonald, the Seahawks had some holes to fill, which they did somewhat effectively by bring in Kevin Williams. He, along with Jordan Hill and Tony McDaniel performed admirably alongside star Brandon Mebane for most of the regular season.

That is, until Mebane tore his hamstring, and Hill’s ankle and calf gave out on him. Which left Williams (34 years old), McDaniel (30 years old) and Will Tukuafu (our freakin’ fullback!) to play DT.

In short, yes, the Seahawks could definitely use a dash of youth and athleticism to their defensive front.

Carl Davis Draft Profile: Strengths

He has fantastic strength and explosiveness off the ball immediately putting interior linemen on their heels. Having that “punch” right off the snap is what stops offenses from doing what they want to do, and Davis is better at it than any other defensive lineman in the draft including Leonard Williams and Danny Shelton. Davis is almost always the first player off the line.

Jan 24, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad defensive tackle Carl Davis of Iowa (71) enters the field during player introductions before the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The North won, 34-13. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Unsurprisingly, he is good at throwing blockers off his frame with his upper body strength. However, he also has an effective spin, and a devastating swim move.

Davis disengages blockers with ease to pursues the ball carrier. He also gets impressive leverage for a 6’5″ player, and is able to hold his ground against double teams effectively.

He was a dominant force at the Senior Bowl, winning Player of the Week for all positions. Mike Mayock had this to say of Davis’ performance:

“On tape at Iowa, he flashed, here he did way more than that. He played every snap, he showed athleticism, an ability to push the pocket and get to the quarterback,” Mayock said Saturday. “He may have elevated himself right into the first round and that’s what [the Senior Bowl] is all about.”

Carl Davis Draft Profile: Weaknesses

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Davis doesn’t have great feet. On the off-chance that he does end up having to make a play out in space, he is not likely to make the play, and is likely to look pretty uncoordinated. This weakness is pretty easy to hide however simply by putting him over the center.

He also tends to slow down as the game wears on, but this is one of the easier problems to fix.

Carl Davis Draft Profile: A Good Fit In Seattle?

Most give him a late-first-early-second round grade, but to me, he is better than Malcolm Brown, Eddie Goldman or some of the other DT’s with first round grades. I would love to see him in Seahawk blue next year.

He looks like your prototypical one-technique DT, but then again, so did Red Bryant, who lined up at the five-tech in Seattle. So it would be interesting to see what Pete Carroll and Kris Williams would do with Davis.

With McDaniels’ and Williams’ careers winding down, and Mebane only one year from free agency, Carl Davis would get the chance to have an impact early in his career. And I think he would make the most of it.

Previous reports in the Seahawks Draft Profile series include:

Photo credit for all above pictures: USA Today Sports