The other guy from UCLA looks good.
The Seattle Seahawks have had some big hits from their undrafted classes. Here are three of the circuit’s most heralded signings.
From ESPN (Todd McShay), Cornerback Lance Boykin of coastal Carolina. Last year, he had two interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble. I admit I don’t know anything about him, but I’ve seen fans of multiple teams hoping their team would draft Boykin in the 7th round.
However, for a more informed analysis, here is Dane Brugler’s scouting report:
Lance Boykin grew up playing football with his older brother, Ridge, who was a defensive end at Campbell (2015-2021). He attended High Point Christian Academy, where he had 1,560 rushing yards on offense and 14 interceptions on defense. A two-star rookie “athlete,” Boykin played corner at Old Dominion for three years before deciding to transfer to Coastal Carolina due to coaching turnover. As a senior, he led the team in passes defended and interceptions. Boykin has long limbs and cleverly uses the length of his body to smother receivers in the press and get his hands on the football field. His confidence and route knowledge are strengths in his game, but his lower body burst doesn’t match his eyes and his tight transitions leave him in recovery mode. He’s a solid tackler in the running game. Overall, Boykin lacks the speed and contractions desired for the position, but he is long, physical and mentally strong — essential ingredients for an NFL press corner.
From PFF, Defensive Lineman Jonah Tavai of San Diego State.
The late, undrafted rounds are a good place to tackle production, and oh my, we’ve got some of that here.
From College Football News, Wide Receiver Jake Bobo out of UCLA. We heard about Bobo from head coach Chip Kelly. While giving an interview with Seattle Sports about Zach Charbonnet, he was very excited that the Hawks were able to get Bobo back, indicating that he was also one of the best practice players he’s ever had.
“Jake is awesome,” Kelly said. “Jake was Duke’s main receiver, then they changed coaches, so he put his name in the (transfer) portal. I have a great relationship with (former Duke head coach) David Cutcliffe and Cut told me he was probably second only to Peyton Manning in terms of coaching. It really got us excited.
When Bobo showed up, the impact was immediate for the Bruins.
“He automatically became the leader of our wide reception room and was our first receiver last year,” Kelly said. “I think he’s versatile. He can play both inside receiver and outside receiver. … He has enormous range in terms of being able to catch the ball away from his body. He’s a terrific road runner. I think it’s some kind of theft.
Bobo is a huge receiver at 6’5” and was quite productive in his only season at UCLA, with 57 catches for 817 yards and 7 touchdowns. His best year for receiving yards was at Duke in 2021, when he had 74 passes for 794 yards but just 1 touchdown.
There are definitely bench spots available this year, and hopefully Seattle can continue their successful history in that part of the game.
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