INDIANAPOLIS—At 8 a.m. sharp, Seahawks assistant director of scouting, Jason Barnes, was in line at the Starbucks in one of the lobbies of the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis, where he was casually conversing with another patron in line. Wearing a Seahawks royal blue throwback hoodie, sweatpants, tennis shoes and a matching throwback hat, Barnes approached the counter and ordered one of his usuals, an iced Americano with vanilla syrup. He needed caffeine to get him started on what would end up being a long day, filled with interviews, timing prospects' 40-yard dashes and more interviews to wrap up his evening.
Barnes, along with Seahawks area scout Todd Brunner, took the 20 minute or so walk through the tunnels that connect the JW Marriott and Indianapolis Convention Center to Lucas Oil Stadium, where formal interviews with prospects would be held.
Upon entering the interview suite at 8:34 a.m. inside of Lucas Oil Stadium, Barnes greeted everyone in the room, including Seahawks vice president of player acquisition Matt Berry, Seahawks offensive line coach John Benton, director of college scouting Aaron Hineline and vice president of player personnel Trent Kirchner. The room featured a white board, a camera and microphone, a table set up perpendicular to a set of three screens, and an array of snacks, drinks, breakfast food and fruit.
"They have those waffles again," someone in the room said as Barnes weighed the breakfast options that were displayed. He grabbed breakfast and quickly ate and chatted with everyone in the room before a series of interviews were set to start at 9 a.m.
More coaches started to trickle into the room, including assistant head coach Leslie Frazier and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. Head coach Mike Macdonald followed, and at 9 a.m. the first prospect slated for an interview with Seattle entered the room, shaking hands with everyone before sitting down to answer all the questions anyone in the room had for him.
Berry started off the interview and asked about the prospect's journey up to that point, including which sports they played in high school or why they transferred from one college to another. Benton took over and asked about the prospect's weight fluctuation throughout his college career and his injury history.
During the interview, Barnes sat towards the back of the room, taking notes on anything that stood out to him about the prospect.
"Just how the kid comes across, his personality," Barnes said is one aspect he's paying attention to. "How well he picks up what the coaches are trying to relay to them. If our coach is installing one of our plays, see how his recall is, after the fact. Listening for how quickly or well he runs off his recall of his plays from the season. And then just listening to, the personality, how confident they are, or if they're not confident. Trying to pick up on little certain cues. Of course, in some of those settings, you can't really get a true read on the kid all the way. But you can get some indicators."
He added, "In terms of the player, the traits are different for each position. And that's where your knowledge of football and knowing what the coaches want comes into play. So, you're going to have different traits for different positions. There's certain things at different positions where you just have to know, like, receivers: speed, quickness, hands, route running ability, athleticism. Offensive linemen: toughness, strength, power, enough athleticism, [their] mentality."
The many prospects that sat in the chair answering questions were not strangers for anyone sitting in the room. All the scouts and coaches have spent time evaluating the prospects' college film and learning as much as they can about each player before they even step foot in the interview room.
"Matt Berry, Aaron Hineline, Trent Kirchner, myself at times, all come together and look at the list of the guys that we want, because, in those pre-combine meetings, we've identified some players that will be a fit and really for us," Barnes said. "And I think we look at those guys, and [say] 'Okay, we need to get this person in front of the coaches, and we come up with a list, I want to say, is 45 guys."
Some of those pre-combine meetings were happening while the team was down in San Jose preparing for Super Bowl LX and some of them took place after the team beat the Patriots, 29-13.
"The day after the game, we flew to Seattle," Barnes said. "And were out there for maybe 10 days, just going over everything from the fall that we've done, so we have a good idea of these guys once we get here, get in front of them."
After the end of the season, despite being on a shorter timeline than usual, the scouts made sure to make the transition from the Super Bowl to the combine seamless for the coaches.
"[Once] everything is over, we give them a list of the guys that we're bringing in to these interviews," Barnes said. "We give them a list of those guys, and they'll have, in our system, a 'locker' of all their plays, whether you want to watch games, whether you want to watch cut-ups. Say it's a receiver; we have all their targets and carries. So, every ball that was thrown their way, everything is already in there, so we give the name to the coaches, they go and watch before they get here so they have a good idea of who that is. And then afterwards, because there's people that didn't come in that room that are also prospects, you can't cover everybody and only get a limited amount of guys, the coaches will go back, and they'll dive even more into the guys that were in here and the ones that didn't come. They have all the film and all the access to all of that. It just kind of flips once the season's over, they jump into the college side so we can collaborate and try to get this as right as we can."
This part of the NFL Scouting Combine is crucial for coaches whose focus all season was strictly on coaching.
"A lot of times for, especially for the coaches, this is their first initial time to get in front of these kids," Barnes said. "Us being out on the road, we're able to get in front of them a little bit. You know, we've had all-star games, so there's a few of them that we've already spent time with. So for the coaches, it's very important for them to get in front of these kids the first time. Figure out the kid's background, all those types of things. So, in terms of the football part, we've kind of already got a good feel on that. But the kid and everything is kind of a marathon that way."
At 9:12 a.m., Benton stood in front of the white board in the room and drew up a play for the offensive lineman, who was listening intently, explaining concepts and the language the Seahawks use in their offensive line room.
"Can I take notes?" the prospect asked as Benton was preparing to explain the play. The prospect scribbled notes and nodded his head as Benton used an Expo marker to write on the white board.
Before the 20-minute interview was over, the prospect would be asked to draw up that same play against a specific defensive front.
The interview is not only about recalling plays and feeling out their personalities though. There are core tenants the Seahawks, as a scouting staff, have decided would be important to look for. Fast, tough, smart, reliable; those were the guiding principles the scouts decided on and would use as a baseline for the types of players that would be fit to become a Seahawk. On this particular day, the staff had seven formal interviews scheduled, but over the course of the week, Barnes said they had about 35 scheduled with different prospects across different position groups.
"We all want the fast, tough, smart, and reliable guy," Barnes said.
At 9:39 a.m., the second prospect of the day drew up the play, very quickly, displaying an ability to recall the play fast and accurately.
"You did it too fast," someone in the room called out, and Macdonald joked with the prospect, "Now get the hell outta here."
The prospect grabbed his bookbag, notebook and shook everyone's hand on the way out of the suite.
The interviews for the position groups may be different in the questions that are asked of the prospects, or how coaches run those interviews, but the intent of finding fast, smart, tough, reliable players is consistent throughout all of them.
"From a learning standpoint, how they pick things up, and how quickly, it's kind of the same," Barnes said. "But you're going to have different personalities with different position groups, different things in terms of, trying to gauge how intense somebody is from one position to the other. They do vary. So there's things that are a little different, but from a learning personality, trying to see if they fit us in those areas is similar."
For Barnes, there's also an importance in these interviews on giving every prospect the same chance.
"I think that's kind of dangerous to try to read a book by its cover," he said. "I think everybody deserves a chance to sit down in this setting and go through some of those things that we do know, or that we are thinking beforehand, and just let it play out as it relates to all things combine."
By 10 a.m. the group was done with their first stretch of interviews. Everyone moved about the room, standing up, stretching, grabbing snacks and Barnes grabbed his second coffee of the day. He said his first one didn't have enough caffeine for him. Although they were through the first few hours of the day, Barnes still had a long day ahead of him, with two more interviews before the afternoon, prospect workouts during mid-day, where he would be down on the field timing drills and then more interviews to wrap up the evening before 11 p.m.
The next steps for the Seahawks scouting department, after all of the interviews, will be meeting back in Seattle to digest all the information they've gathered on prospects throughout the week. And then they will go back on the road to head to a handful of schools for their pro days.
"A lot of times with the pro day thing, there are times that you will have these (interviews), but the pro day is more free to see the athletic stuff on the field," Barnes said. "You know, [the combine], yes, we want to see the workout, but it's becoming more the norm where guys aren't going to work out. So, these interviews, with the coaches getting in front of these kids, and us too, because we haven't got our hands on everybody. So, it's very important for us, especially for how we build our team, to get to know the person. John (Schneider) really is big on that, getting to know the person. So, therefore, it translates. I think the combine is really important for that and the pro day is to confirm, negatively or positively, what we thought athletically on these kids."
After an hour intermission from interviews, the next offensive lineman up for an interview strolled into the room at 11 a.m., bookbag slung across his shoulder, to prepare for what would be a new experience for himself, but a rinse and repeat process for anyone who had been in the room since 9 a.m. The formula was straight forward; introduction, background, college career, weight and injury questions, installing a play, watching college film and breaking it down, and ending it with the offensive lineman drawing up the play. By 11:41 a.m. the interview crew had sat through five interviews.
After the final prospect left the room from their morning session, the interview crew set their pens, notebooks and laptops down, and from the end of the table, Macdonald shouted out, "Collective sigh of relief," marking the end of interviews for the first part of the day.
The NFL Combine gives the nation's best draft prospects an opportunity to showcase their talents ahead of the NFL Draft. Check out some of the best photos of current Seahawks players at the NFL Combine.
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III (32) runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III (32) participates in the broad jump at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III (32) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III (32) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Michigan State running back Kenny Walker III participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross jumps before he runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
FILE - Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. Charles Cross is a possible pick in the NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross (06) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas (30) runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas (30) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 4, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas (30) participates in the broad jump at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs a drill during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, February 22, 2015 in Indianapolis, IN. (AP Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams jumps before running the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Monday, March 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love runs a drill during the NFL football scouting combine, Monday, March 4, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Purdue offensive lineman Marcus Mbow, left, and North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel lifts weights at the NFL football scouting combine Monday, March 3, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan tight end AJ Barner runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori lifts weights at the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
South Carolina defensive back Nick Emmanwori participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Michigan tight end AJ Barner runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan tight end AJ Barner runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold runs a drill during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold participates in the broad jump during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold participates in the broad jump during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold (5) with the quarterbacks during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold looks on during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
USC quarterback Sam Darnold runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold is seen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp is seen in a drill at the 2017 NFL football scouting combine Saturday, March 4, 2017, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine Saturday, March 4, 2017, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
