Five players the Seahawks could have their eye on at the NFL Combine

After the NFL Combine was dominated Wednesday by news from press conferences held by various coaches and team execs, players begin to take center stage on Thursday as the first wave of players will talk to the media.

That’s a group that includes offensive linemen, and that’s a group that will be of particular interest to the Seahawks, who many figure could use their first-round pick (at No. 26 overall) on an OL, and almost certainly will at some point along the way if not with that initial selection.

Players will first begin testing on Friday, when the offensive linemen, running backs and specialists (all of whom will meet the media on Thursday) will be timed and run through other drills.

Here’s a look at five players the Seahawks figure to be paying close attention to here.

OL Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin: A first-team All-Big Ten left tackle last season, Ramczyk is among the best of what is not considered to be a great class of offensive tackles. Ramczyk has an intriguing story, have started his career at the Division-III level before ending up a standout with the Badgers. He won’t be able to participate in on-field drills at the Combine, however, after recently having hip surgery. Teams will obviously take a close look at his physicals in Indy. Ramczck checked in at 6-6 and 310 on Wednesday with an acceptable arm length of 33-3/4 inches.

OL Cam Robinson, Alabama: A two-time First-Team All-SEC pick at left tackle, Robinson declared early for the NFL draft. Some wonder, though, if he may not be a better fit at guard, and Seattle might not want to take a tackle in the first round to then convert to guard for a second straight year. That makes the agility drills vital for Robinson as scouts will want to assess if he has the quickness to play tackle in the NFL. Many draft analysts also say the interviews will be critical for Robinson here due to a past arrest when he was in a car with marijuana and a stolen handgun (charges were not pressed). Robinson measured 6-6, 322 on Wednesday with an arm length of 35-and-a-half inches that might convince some teams he can stay at tackle, even if a growing consensus seems to be that guard might make more sense.

OL Garett Bolles, Utah: Bolles was the All-Pac-12 left tackle in his only year at Utah before declaring for the draft. But due to delaying entry into college, he will be 25 by the time the 2017 season begins. He’s regarded as exceptionally athletic and seen as a good fit for teams that run primarily zone schemes, such as the Seahawks. Scouts will be looking to see if Bolles’ drill work at the Combine confirms the athleticism they have seen on tape. Bolles checked in at 6-5, 297 on Wednesday with a 34-inch arm length.

CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama: While Seattle has obvious offensive line needs that have most figuring Seattle will look that direction, a knee injury to DeShawn Shead in the playoff game to Atlanta also means cornerback looms as a priority for Seattle. This is regarded as an exceptionally good class of cornerbacks, with UW standout Sidney Jones among the top of the list and likely to be gone by the time pick 26 rolls around meaning Humphrey might be a more realistic pick for Seattle. Some draft analysts, though, have wondered if his production matched his potential at Alabama and what that could mean for his NFL career. His 6-1, 196-pound frame and style of play fits the Seattle mold well, though.

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: There is no shortage of running back options either in free agency (with Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles suddenly available) or in a draft considered especially deep. Other needs might loom larger for the Seahawks, though, and Seattle could well add the RB depth it wants in free agency prior to the draft. But if not, McCaffrey could prove an intriguing option with a varied skillset that could fill a lot of roles on both offense and special teams. He’ll have to answer questions at the Combine about his decision to skip Stanford’s bowl game, but it isn’t considered teams will ultimately downgrade him much for that. He could also offset any questions about whether he’s a legit first-rounder following a somewhat spotty final college year by how he tests. McCaffrey weighed in at 202 pounds on Wednesday, a little above the 197 he was typically listed last season.