Huard: Don’t read too much into RB Derrick Henry visiting Seahawks

Alabama running back Derrick Henry is reportedly set to meet with Seahawks officials before the NFL draft. But Brock Huard warns against preemptively sizing up the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner as Marshawn Lynch’s heir apparent.

“Good luck trying to peg the meeting on anything,” Huard said. “Many times, teams and organizations will bring players in as kind of a red herring to other teams, because there’s been some smoke about Derrick Henry and the Seahawks.”

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NFL.com reported that Henry, Alabama’s career rushing leader, will be one of the Seahawks’ 30 official draft-prospect visits and that he’s also scheduled to meet with the Panthers and Cowboys.

Henry, who rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns for Alabama’s national championship team last season, is generally listed as the second-best running back in this year’s draft behind Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott. ESPN’s Todd McShay projected in his latest mock draft that the Seahawks will draft Henry with their second-round pick, which is No. 56 overall.

Henry told NFL.com that Lynch was among his favorite running backs to watch.

“I have my own path. (Lynch) did a great job, unbelievable job with the Seahawks,” Henry told NFL.com about the possibility of replacing Lynch. “But you know, I wanna have my own path and do my own thing.”

At 6 feet 3 and 247 pounds, Henry is a huge and punishing runner while still nimble enough to run a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash and post a 37-inch vertical jump at the scouting combine. It’s a size-athleticism combination the Seahawks covet.

“When you simply look at his physical stature and capabilities, man, he is uniquely gifted, which is right in the MO of what the Seahawks like to do,” Huard said. “But I’d be careful reading into it.”

Huard noted that pre-draft visits haven’t always been indicative of what the Seahawks will do in the draft.

“They have drafted guys they have not talked to once through the entire process and they have drafted guys they have brought in for visits, so that spectrum is wide open,” Huard said. “I wouldn’t draw any conclusions with the visit, but I think this is a chance to sit down and really try to see what makes this guy tick because physically he is in their wheelhouse.

“Does he have the love for the game? What makes him go? What’s some of his background? Whether it’s for this day in this draft or whether it’s years down the road, they love to learn about guys. Especially those as uniquely gifted as Derrick is.”