Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Jonathan Baldwin Expected to Blaze at Combine

Wes Bunting tweeted this morning:
Hearing from sources that despite being 6-5, 230-pounds WR Jon Baldwin is expected to run in the high 4.3 range, WOW!
More "source" talk, sure. But if this happens, it's the kind of development that could shake the entire first round. One of the biggest knocks on Baldwin is that he lacks elite speed. I don't put a lot of stock in 40 times, as a receiver's game hinges far more on quickness and agility in their route-running rather than straight-line speed. But you know that teams won't ignore a 4.3 time on a 6-foot-5, 224-pound receiver. That kind of combination is just ungodly - Calvin Johnson jumps to mind.

Indeed, with the awesome tools framed against some concerns about route-running, Baldwin is starting to sound a bit like Megatron coming out of college, with consistency concerns knocking him down a few pegs. Bunting does say that Baldwin "lumbers a lot" downfield, and indeed he looks a little slow in and out of his breaks. If Baldwin develops better routes, however, and if he achieves that 4.3, he becomes more than just one of those receivers who gets by thanks to mismatches against smaller defenders. He becomes a potential #1 - possibly lifting himself out of reach of Seattle at #25.

We'll see. Wide receiver remains a need for the Seahawks, keeping this guy in the mix as a potential target for John Schneider.

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