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Seahawks Draft Profile: Could Adetomiwa Adebawore Be Potential 1st-Round Target?

One of the most athletic defensive tackles to ever show out at the NFL combine, Adetomiwa Adebawore has been a rapid riser up draft boards after a solid career at Northwestern. Will his rare tools make him a top target for the Seattle Seahawks?

Corbin K. Smith

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With the 2023 NFL Draft set to kick off in Kansas City on Thursday, April 27, the Seattle Seahawks will have a chance to take another big step forward following a surprise playoff berth with four picks in the first 52 selections, including a top-five pick for the first time since 2009.

Over the next month leading up to draft weekend, the AllSeahawks.com writing staff will dish out in-depth profiles on numerous prospects who could be targets on Seattle's big board as the franchise aims to open a window for Super Bowl contention.

Continuing the series, the Seahawks have always been enamored by unique athletes under the leadership of general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll. With major needs along the defensive line, could freakishly athletic Northwestern standout Adetomiwa Adebawore be on their short list of first round options to replenish the trenches?

Background

Starring at North Kansas City High School as a First-Team All-State selection in football and state champion in shot put, Adebawore took his diverse talents to Northwestern and saw immediate action as a reserve during his true freshman season, starting four games while producing six tackles and a sack. By the 2021 season, he had vaulted into the Wildcats starting lineup full time seeing snaps at defensive end and defensive tackle, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten distinction with 36 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Finishing on a strong note in Evanston despite the team's dreadful 1-11 record, he posted a career-best five sacks and received another Honorable Mention All-Big Ten season. Invited to the Senior Bowl, he impressed in Mobile while playing multiple positions against top competition and then put on a show at the NFL combine, running a 4.49 40-yard dash at 282 pounds.

Strengths

A nightmare for opposing guards to stay in front of, Adebawore's ridiculous first step and acceleration at north of 280 pounds allows him to penetrate gaps in the interior like a hot knife cutting through butter. Often winning by immediately blowing by blockers or slipping past them with a violent rip move from 3-tech/4i-tech alignment, he bears down on quarterbacks in a hurry and forces them off their spot, leading to rushed throws and incompletions.

Away from capitalizing on his unique athleticism to win as a pass rusher when reduced inside, Adebawore also packs a mean punch, throwing destructive punches at the point of attack to knock blockers off balance and quickly collapse the pocket. Combining burst with power, he speeds up the clock for quarterbacks after they receive the snap and once he has closed in on them, he prioritizes attacking the football looking to create turnovers.

A stout run defender capable of setting the edge as well as holding his own when sliding inside, Adebawore exhibits remarkable play strength, capable of creating separation from blockers with his 33 7/8-inch arms to allow him to track down ball carriers and disengage. He frequently kept a shoulder free executing contain while managing to dispel blockers with just one arm, an indicator of his raw power.

Bringing the juice to the whistle every single play, Adebawore chases after runs in backside pursuit and stays after quarterbacks with a persistent rush effort, alertly putting his hands up to obstruct passing lanes when he isn't able to get home. With limited snaps in coverage, he has looked comfortable dropping back into zone responsibilities and may be able to handle those duties on zone blitz schemes.

Weaknesses

Though Adebawore has been gifted with rare athletic tools put on display in Indianapolis, he doesn't consistently play to those traits rushing head up on tackles or lined up off the edge. Even with his explosive first step, he rarely beats tackles upfield as a speed rusher and lacks the hip flexibility or ankle flexion to threaten quarterbacks bending around the corner, which contributed to a mediocre 14.3 percent win rate according to Pro Football Focus.

Regardless of where he lines up along the defensive front, Adebawore currently has a limited pass rushing palette at his discretion. When he fails to win early in the play with power or instant penetration, his rush often stalls out and he struggles to maintain active hands while attempting to discard the block. Tackles with length and good hand placement can bottle him up quickly due to a lack of developed secondary moves.

Throughout his collegiate career, while he regularly positions himself to make plays, Adebawore has never been a great finisher in regards to tackling, often failing to properly breakdown and get a clean wrap on quarterbacks and running backs. As a senior, per PFF, he missed 13 tackles and posted an ugly 25 percent miss rate, leaving far too many stops on the field.

Fit In Seattle

After a good, if unspectacular, four seasons at Northwestern and a dynamic performance at the combine, Adebawore stands out as one of this year's most fascinating curiosities entering the draft. In terms of upside, he has the physical tools and positional flexibility that NFL teams drool over and with proper coaching, the sky could be the limit for him. There's plenty of great film from him that suggests he could be dominant at the next level.

At the same time, any team that drafts Adebawore will have to make the decision under the premise they will be taking on a bit of a project whose build and skill set screams textbook tweener. From Seattle's perspective, the team has to reach a verdict on where he would be best suited in a 3-4 scheme, as he may not be twitchy enough to play outside linebacker and may be a few hamburgers short of playing regular snaps as a defensive tackle.

Already with a top-30 visit scheduled, the Seahawks clearly have Adebawore on the radar and the organization has always valued upper echelon athletes of his caliber to mold and develop in their system. Depending on how they view his fit within their scheme, given his rare traits and Senior Bowl pedigree, he could very well be in play for the team's second first round selection.

Previous Seahawks Draft Profiles

Jalen Carter | Tyree Wilson | Will Anderson Jr. | Anthony Richardson

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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