Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The 49ers and Cardinals think they have improved their depth on the defensive line. The Rams had the same intentions, but injuries and Claude Wroten' suspension have bitten into the unit's depth.
Which brings us to the Seahawks. Their ability to find defensive tackles after the third round has helped offset less-fortunate picks made higher in the draft. Brandon Mebane, a third-round choice in 2007, and 2002 fifth-rounder Rocky Bernard have turned out better than injury-plagued 2004 first-round defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs. Could rookie fourth-rounder Red Bryant be next?
Bryant enjoyed a standout day at Seahawks camp this morning, Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes, quoting guard Mike Wahle this way: "Red made a bunch of plays today. He really showed up in practice and was consistently making plays on us."
Wahle saved his best material for describing what it's like to block Mebane, who is stout against the run: "I liken it to when Fred Flintstone needed the dinosaurs to lift the boulders in the quarry. He's a like a little boulder."
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
