The Senior Bowl has treated the Seahawks extremely well since 2010, the first year that Executive VP/General Manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll started running the NFL show in the Pacific Northwest.
Key Seahawks contributors like quarterback Russell Wilson, cornerback Richard Sherman, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, defensive tackle Jordan Hill, and wide receiver Tyler Lockett all played in the college all-star game before Seattle selected them in each year's respective NFL Draft. Other players like tight ends Anthony McCoy and Jimmy Graham, 2015 practice squad cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste, as well as former Seahawks starting offensive linemen James Carpenter and John Moffitt also attended the Senior Bowl the year before entering the NFL.
The event, held the weekend before the Super Bowl each year in Mobile, Ala., features college football's top senior players and serves as an opportunity for NFL clubs to get an up-close-and-personal look at potential draft prospects.
Players arrived at the 2016 Senior Bowl earlier this week and have been participating in practice sessions, workouts, weigh ins, and meetings ahead of this weekend's Senior Bowl game, which is set for 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Jan. 30 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with live television coverage on NFL Network.
"This is a business trip for these college guys," said NFL Media’s LaVar Arrington, a former linebacker who earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors three times. "They are auditioning. It's the first of a numerous amount of things that they'll have to go through to prove that teams should invest in them."
2016 Senior Bowl
Date: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016
Time: 11:30 a.m. PT
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
Television: NFL Network
The North and South sides will hope to raise their draft stock as they work out in front of NFL representatives and various media outlets all week long.
"What's going to really be looked at and measured and gauged, how do they handle their business in the meeting room, how do they handle themselves outside of the activities that they're doing on the field and in the meeting room," Arrington added. "Is this a business trip to these guys, or are they out here hanging around, cutting up, doing different things.
"There are a lot of different things and pieces of information that these coaches and scout personnel people are going to be taking from these players, and the people who show that they can learn the playbook, they know how to get on the grease board, they know how to break down the film, you see them taking notes in the meeting rooms, those things are what they're going to look for and that's going to pay dividends to those guys that not only showed on the field as a showcase, but what they did behind the scenes."
According to NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang at SeahawkFootball.com, Schneider and his personnel staff are on site this week taking in all of the Senior Bowl happenings ahead of Saturday's game. If the big names mentioned above are any indication, there's potentially a prospect or two who will see the field this Saturday that could wind up making their NFL debut in Seahawks blue-and-green next season.
In case you missed it in Wednesday’s Round-Up, Rang listed eight 2016 Senior Bowl standouts that could be fits at positions of need for the Seahawks. Those eight players? Eastern Kentucky DE/OLB Noah Spence, Alabama DT Jarran Reed, Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins, Ohio State WR Braxton Miller, Indiana OL Jason Spriggs, Texas Tech OL Le'Raven Clark, Stanford OL Joshua Garnett, and LSU OL Vadal Alexander.
What the Seahawks do on draft day typically comes as a surprise to most, but if you're tuning into this Saturday's Senior Bowl, you may catch an early glimpse of some NFL talent that Schneider and Carroll will use to strengthen Seattle's roster.
From Russell Wilson to Richard Sherman, K.J. Wright, Tyler Lockett, and more, the Seahawks have plucked plenty of talent that has taken part in the Senior Bowl since GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll took over in 2010.
Jimmy Graham during practice for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Jimmy Graham of the South team during practice for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
South squad receiver Anthony McCoy of Southern California is pictured during Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala., Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Anthony Mccoy during practice for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Anthony Mccoy during practice for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
North squad defender Richard Sherman (7) of Stanford, reacts with teammate Mark Herzlich, rear, of Boston College in the first half of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis catches a pass in front of Stanford defensive back Richard Sherman during practice for the North team during the 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Alix Drawec)
South squad player K.J. Wright of Mississippi State is pictured the second half of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker (88) battles Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright (34) during the South squad's Senior Bowl NCAA college football practice in Mobile, Ala., Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Senior Bowl North Squad defensive lineman Jordan Hill of Penn State (97) leaves the field after the 2013 Senior Bowl College football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)
Senior Bowl North Squad defensive lineman Jordan Hill of Penn State (97) runs on to the field before the Senior Bowl College football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson during the Nouth practice for the 2012 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson during the Nouth practice for the 2012 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson during the Nouth practice for the 2012 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
North Squad quarterback Russell Wilson (16) of Wisconsin looks for a receiver in the first half of the Senior Bowl football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
North Squad quarterback Russell Wilson (16) of Wisconsin is pursued by South Squad defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie (94) of Texas A&M in the first half of the Senior Bowl football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
North Squad quarterback Russell Wilson (16) of Wisconsin is sacked by South Squad linebacker Nigel Bradham (13) of Florida State in the first half of the Senior Bowl football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
South wide receiver Mike Davis (1) of Texas is tackled by North defensive corner Stanley Jean-Baptiste (16) of Nebraska and safety Deone Bucannon (20) of Washington State after a pass reception by during the first quarter of the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)
North defensive corner Stanley Jean-Baptiste (16) of Nebraska runs on to the field before the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)
Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett (22) hauls in a pass during the South team practice for the 2015 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL on January 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) chases after Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett (22) during the South team practice for the 2015 Senior Bowl at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in Fairhope, AL on January 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett (22) hauls in a pass during the South team practice for the 2015 Senior Bowl at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in Fairhope, AL on January 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett (22) makes a catch during the South team practice for the 2015 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL on January 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett (22) is interviewed after the South team practice for the 2015 Senior Bowl at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL on January 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)
