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Zach Whitman, of Field Gulls, put up this interesting post that discusses player athleticism.  And in it he sez,

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While Frank Clark wasn’t selected until late in the second round, it wasn’t due to a lack of ability. He possesses a blend of length and athleticism that comes around in an EDGE prospect once every 4 or 5 years. Dating back to 1999, the list of EDGE players that fit into his athleticism and length zip code: Manny Lawson, Justin Houston, Michael Johnson, DeMarcus Ware and Mario Williams. Because of his well-documented criminal case, he never experienced the “Combine bump” typically seen for those who stand out in Indianapolis. Judging by history, it seems unlikely that his athletic profile would’ve fallen beyond the top half of the first round without significant off-field concerns.

Clark now finds himself in Seattle, an ideal fit for his skillset. Though the Seahawks utilize heavy rotation on the defensive line, the team has included him in their primary nickel rush group, a package in which he lines up at defensive tackle rather than defensive end. Playing the inside role in Seattle’s nickel package led to Clinton McDonald putting up 6.5 sacks during the 2013 season, and Clark will also have the added opportunity to play at end on base downs. He may not receive enough snaps to make a huge statistical impact early, but if injuries hit, he could have a prolific rookie season.

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His physical tools are that good?  1 player in 5 years?  In baseball over the last 15 years, that leaves us with Steven Strasburg, Josh Hamilton and Josh Beckett.  ...NFL edge rushers are not known for being mediocre specimens of human athletic performance.  So if Zach's statement be accurate, you're talking about the Jurassic World sea dino that rose up and put the chomp on the genetic hyper-TRex thingie.

With the #3 pick in the draft, Dr. D takes ... the Megalodon.  Let the 49er's grab the Pterodactyl from Australia.  Okay, game's at 7 pm.

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It occurred to Dr. D, watching the Raiders game, that if the 2015 NFL draft were held over again, that Clark would probably be the #3 pick overall.  Hey, at the NFL combine, they go off a few drills to move people from the 1st round to the 3rd and back again.  How does a Raider scrimmage compare to that in info quality?  Right now, Clark is looking like the Texans hoped Jadeveon Clowney would look.

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It was rare for me, but I slo-mo'ed all of Clark's snaps in the Raider game.  My 30,000-foot view:

1.  He's got an unusual "signature" move in which he goes --- > LEFT on a tackle or guard, gets his pads low, performs an uppercut "rip" move with his right hand and ... once he gets an angle, he just snowplow-tractors around in a completely unstoppable move.  He's got both explosion and, as a completely separate issue, he's got a low-gear drive power.  Best of all, the whole move only takes 1 or 2 seconds to complete.  As Carroll said, his moves are "sudden."

2.  Of course he can go to his RIGHT and wedge around the corner on a left tackle.  That's a stock move for a defensive end.  ... Point is, blockers cannot lean left or right on him.  And that's key.  In racquetball, for example, it is a big deal whether you have a forehand grip or backhand grip that matches your opponent's serve.

3.  His get-off was terrible, terrible, terrible.  One snap after another, after another, he was the very last guy off.  A few times he was still on one knee and they snapped it, and he's like "Huh?"  And then he stood up, put on the move, and blasted into the backfield.  ... room for growth, babe.

4.  When blocked on a run play, he plants the back feet, uses the long arms, reviews the action behind the tackle and then just buries the whole section of the field.

5.  When double-teamed, the move in (1) is very effective.  It's one thing to take up two blockers; it's another thing to beat them too.  :- )  Clark has sort of a wedge-through-alder-wood effect when he angles low and drives with his hips.

6.  All defensive linemen get stuffed at times -- blown backwards 5 yards on a run play, or held at the line of scrimmage on a pass play.  Most D-linemen, such as Marsh and Hill, have this happen 30% of the time.  (And it happened against the Raiders' backup-backups, who are good players.)  To Clark, it happened 1 time that I was able to discern.

I don't know anything about football, but ... do you have to know basketball to recognize Chris Paul after you see him play?

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Dr. D was going to write a post, "Whoa Nellie" about the idea that the Seahawks defensive line is dominant.  A couple weeks ago, I'd have said Sure, there are 7 good players here and that's great.  But it's a different thing to have Dan Hampton, Richard Dent and Steve McMichael lining up with each other.

Now, though, the Seahawks do look like they've got a dominant combo:  Clark and Bennett along with Avril and Bruce Irvin on the pass rush, and swap in Mebane etc. in running downs.  The front seven does indeed look scary.

It's one thing to have a vicious front 7, but then when you blitz with it too, you've got a 1985 Bears scenario.  All of a sudden you get back there before the QB can do anything but desperately flip a slant before he's creamed.  For that, you don't need Kam Chancellor.  Here's hoping that the Seahawks bring the heat.

BABVA,

Dr D