Wanna get away?

Last year, I wrote a fairly massive post in the hours before the start of Day III covering all the good remaining players.  I thought about doing that again today, but then I looked over the remaining talent and was amazed by the sheer amount of it.  There are roughly 75-100 players that I consider at least arguably worth a 3rd round grade or better, and I expect many of them to remain when the draft is over.  Considering that Seattle has ten picks coming up, it makes for the most exciting Day III that I’ll ever experience in my lifetime, most likely.

Consider- this is already the best Seahawks roster in team history.  This is one of the deepest drafts many people have ever seen.  We have a front office that is considered to be the best in the league at nailing late round picks.  And we have an incredible ten picks to use in the late rounds.  The term “perfect storm” feels like an undersell.

When I returned to the blog back in January and talked about my excitement for this draft, I was essentially referring to today specifically.  I knew all the way back then that we’d have an unbelievably loaded late round draft this year, and it appeared Seattle would have a lot of picks too (though I wouldn’t have guessed we’d have this many).  Now is when the fun really begins.  Especially if you’ve done your homework.

If you’ve followed this blog the last few months, and if you read my recent draft visit series, you should be fairly well equipped for many of the names we’ll see later today. With that in mind, I’d just like to cover some basic things that I think might happen.  Having called the Christine Michael pick in round two, I’m on a bit of a roll, so might as well see how far I can push things.

John Schneider intimated in his Day II press conference that defensive tackle was the only true need for the team in this draft.  With the selection of Jordan Hill in round 3, that need is dealt with.  From here on out, all bets are off.  That being said, I expect Seattle to continue to target the weakest areas of the roster with a degree of preference.  On the whole though, I think Seattle will be on the hunt for the best athletes available, guys like TE Chris Gragg, T Luke Marquardt, WRs like Denard Robinson or Terrell Sinkfield (among many others), QB Matt Scott, FB/TE Kyle Juszczyk, FS Earl Wolff, SS Cooper Taylor, or CBs like Demetrius McCray, Tharold Simon, or Sanders Commings.

With that said, here are my thoughts on the positional breakdown for Day III.  Remember, this isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list- I’m sure there are plenty of players the Seahawks love that are either off my radar or won’t be mentioned here.

Tight End:

I think Seattle will look at this position, perhaps with their next couple picks.  Remember though, Seattle grades for athleticism first, and Seattle’s current #3 Tight End is a terrific athlete from South America.  Upgrading on his athleticism could be very tough, and even the best athletes of the bunch would only break even with Anthony McCoy.

The most likely candidates at tight end for Seattle are Chris Gragg, Nick Kasa, and Ryan Otten.  Otten visited with Seattle.  Kasa was linked to Seattle by Tony Pauline.  Chris Gragg is by far the most athletic tight end in the draft, though he has the build of a receiver.

Offensive Tackle:

There is some very impressive talent still on the board at tackle.

I’m a huge fan of Luke Marquardt and would have probably drafted him at #87 if the pick were mine to make.  He has Nate Solder type measurables, athleticism, and nastiness.  I don’t know if David Bahktiari fits Tom Cable profile well enough as he’s more of a finesse tackle, but he really impressed me on tape and I wouldn’t mind getting him anywhere in the draft.

David Quessenberry had better tape than I expected and has a lot of power.  I think he has fringe second round talent athletically.  He met with the Seahawks, too.  And then you have Jordan Mills, the Louisiana Tech left tackle that was rumored to draw heavy interest from Seattle back in February.

Interior lineman:

I’m not really expecting Seattle to add a guard, but Lemuel Jeanpierre is a free agent next season and prepping a cheap alternative at center could make some sense.  I don’t think Seattle would add an interior lineman under normal circumstances, but they do have ten picks to use.

Fullback:

I don’t think Seattle will bring in another classic running back, unless they feel he has fullback versatility (Kregg Lumpkin and Vai Taua were RB/FB hybrids last year).  Kyle Juszczyk is a player I am highly intrigued by.  A converted tight end moving to fullback, this Harvard grad has a little bit of Gronk to his game, beastmoding through tackles like it’s nothing.

He’s a unique player and a great athlete.  I have to imagine he’s at least on Seattle’s radar.  Oh that’s right, he is on their radar.  He had a team visit with the Seahawks.

Quarterback:

I’ve never seen a 4th round this loaded with quarterback talent before.  I don’t need to rehash the names, but I would keep an eye on Matt Scott and Tyler Wilson with one of those 5th round picks.  Matt Barkley would be something, though I feel for the guy and hope he lands somewhere with a real chance to start.

Wide Receiver:

As expected, an incredibly strong and deep receiver class remains loaded heading into Day III.  My favorite player, Ryan Swope, remains available, as does Rob’s, Quinton Patton.  There are seriously fifteen or so receivers I’d be excited to get.  It’s crazy.  And though I think Da’Rick Rogers is probably another Titus Young, everything else about him is very Seahawk-like.

I think Seattle will strongly favor receivers over 6’3″, namely Marquess Wilson, Mark Harrison, Marcus Davis, Rodney Smith, Tyrone Goard, Courtney Gardner, Greg Herd and the guy who I’ve probably jinxed into being a Seahawk by not talking about him…

Brandon Kaufman from Eastern Washington.  Not only is Kaufman basically a better version of Kris Durham, but he had 10 catches from 140 yards against the Huskies when he played them.  He was covered in that game by first round pick Desmond Trufant.

Cornerback:

Tharold Simon and Sanders Commings are still around.  I’m not totally shocked, but whoever gets them is getting incredible value at this stage.  Both are big corners that run well and have good tape.

Marc Anthony was a projected second rounder by a consensus of anonymous executives, yet still remains available, and he comes from the Pac-12.

Demetrius McCray has awful tape but awesome measurables- the kind of specific measurables John Schneider really goes for (long arms, etc).

Don’t forget about Brice Butler, the Richard Sherman type project with connections to Pete Carroll.  It should be interesting to see if Seattle drafts him or if they chance using their connections to get him in undrafted free agency.

And then there is my favorite late round corner- Micah Hyde.  I wouldn’t be shocked if Hyde somehow went undrafted, but he’s just a great football player.  In many ways, he’s a poor man’s Dee Milliner.

Safety:

Look for someone with speed.  Earl Wolff is still out there.  Fantastic athlete.  Ditto Shamarko Thomas.  Jakar Hamilton is a player I like a lot with one of those 7th rounders.  I like him more than the guys he competed with at Georgia:  Shawn Williams and Bacarri Rambo.  Duke Williams visited Seattle and has great speed to go with his big hitting ability.

Linebacker:

I’ve always been lukewarm on Khaseem Green’s tape.  I know that he had good stats, but he seemed to me to be more of a damage control linebacker than a playmaker.  I had a 4th round grade on him and felt confident he’d end up in the 4th round, and that was when I was assuming he’d run a forty time in the 4.5s.  He’s not fast on tape, but he also looked like he was holding back.  I don’t really care about his decent pro-day time, as players usually improve on those.  His combine time was in the 4.7s.  No thanks.  If Seattle does draft him, it means they don’t value speed as much as I thought.  I’d be a little surprised if they did.  I guess we’ll see.

Cornelius Washington, who isn’t even a true linebacker, is the only remaining linebacker to run a forty time under 4.7 seconds at the NFL Scouting combine.  Think about that.  This clearly wasn’t the year for Seattle to grab a linebacker with a significant investment.

Later on, much later on, I would make a case for Jayson Dimanche, Craig Wilkins, Michael Clay, John Lotulelei, Ty Powell and AJ Klein. I kind of hope they avoid Jelani Jenkins, especially after the forty he ran.  If Seattle doesn’t take Khaseem Green, I think there is a very decent chance they wait for undrafted free agency.  The speed at linebacker just isn’t there this year.

Defensive line:

If Seattle only had a few picks left, I wouldn’t really expect them to add more linemen on the defense.  But with ten picks to spend, you can probably assume that defensive line is still in play.  Some of my favorite remaining options include Stefan Charles, Armonty Bryant, Rufus Johnson, Abry Jones, Jesse Williams, Alex Okafor, Brandon Jenkins (a natural LEO), Quinton Dial, Montori Hughes, Joe Kruger, Lavar Edwards, and of course John Simon.

I’m not a fan of Devin Taylor, but I’m keeping an eye on him as he has athleticism that nearly rivals Ezekial Ansah or Margus Hunt.

I was going to include this in my other reaction post, but I was having extremely annoying HTML issues and decided I’d just start a new post. More after the jump. (more…)

Overall, I think Jordan Hill will be a John Moffitt type 3rd round pick. John Moffitt is not a star but he’s a perfectly adequate NFL starting guard in my view. The reason he’s struggled for playing time is because Seattle values upside (rightfully so), and that is an area where Moffitt lacks. I see Hill getting playing time and being a rock solid contributor, but never a star. That’s a good return for a 3rd round pick, though I felt Seattle could have done better with the options that were available at #87.

When push comes to shove, you just can’t beat an impact player.

It seems that’s what the Seahawks are hoping to get from their first two picks in the 2013 Draft — running back Christine Michael (Texas A&M) and Jordan Hill (DT, Penn State).

Although the selection of a running back that early will be a surprise to many, Michael completely fits the criteria for a Seahawks pick.

1. They want to emphasise the run as the main identity of the offense.

2. Ever since Marshawn Lynch signed his contract extension, I’m led to believe there’s been a feeling within the team that they need to find ways to extend his productivity. Lynch is such an important focal point with his punishing running style. The key here is to find someone who can spell Lynch (who does get banged up from time to time as you’d expect) without taking away any of the intensity he brings to the offense.

3. Pete Carroll regularly stock-piled 5-star running backs at USC. It’s no surprise they’ve started looking to add to their stable of backs. I don’t think the idea was ever been to just have one bell-cow and that’s it. Maybe other priorities took precedent the last two years, but they’re now in a position to start accumulating talent at the position.

4. Michael fits the team’s scheme and ideology perfectly. He’s a one-cut runner with superb balance. He gets up to top speed quickly, rarely goes down under first contact and has the potential to make big plays.

5. His best football is ahead of him. The Seahawks are not scared of a project. They aren’t afraid to take a player who’s suffered two serious injuries, fell out with his college coach and overslept at the combine, missing two team interviews. They’re constantly looking for what a player can become with the right guidance rather than what he isn’t. Michael could — could — be a star.

On Thursday I ranked Christine Michael as the 17th best player in the entire draft and the #1 running back. I appreciate my rankings are no more important than anyone else’s. However, we did spend a fair amount of time discussing the possibility he could come into play for this team in round two. And while there were needs elsewhere, this does make a lot of sense.

They didn’t just draft a #3 running back today. They drafted a guy who will ensure the team has a prolific runner on the field at all times. With the greatest respect to Robert Turbin, he doesn’t have the same level of upside or intensity as a runner. The big biceps look intimidating, but it’s power in the legs, vision and the ability to make a great cut that will lead you to success in this offense. Michael ticks all the boxes. Turbin still has a role, but he’s more likely to adopt the #3 position now. It’ll be a fun competition between the two this off-season.

Seattle was going to find it difficult to make a tangible improvement to the team without a round one pick this year. By taking Michael, they managed it anyway. There was a lot of talent at other positions on the board, however. It’ll be interesting to watch Arthur Brown’s career in Baltimore, given the Ravens traded with Seattle to get the Kansas State linebacker. They also passed on Travis Kelce, Larry Warford and Keenan Allen.

Jordan Hill is another player we focused on at various times this off-season. I actually went away from him when I saw reported interest in multiple big free agent defensive tackles. They were looking at 6-5+ guys who were all well over 300lbs. They eventually signed Tony McDaniel and I wondered if they’d look for even more size in the draft. The intrigue with Hill never disappeared, however. And I’m glad he’s a Seahawk.

You’re talking about a guy who played at around 290lbs last year at 6-1 and yet completely held his own against much bigger lineman. He’s a tough guy, a fighter. But don’t start thinking he’s purely physical. He has some moves. He has burst. And he can get into the backfield.

The best example of this was his performance against Wisconsin. He dominated, quite frankly, against the hulking group of 6-6 monsters the Badgers consistently field in the trenches. That’s when you start to believe that he can do this in the NFL.

He could be over-matched and we’ll only find out when he gets started in the pro’s. Again, he’s not a big guy. Yet he’s beaten the odds so far to become a major factor for Penn State and the way he led that defense in the face of adversity last year was admirable. You’ll want to root for him. And he’s the nearest thing Seattle has to a three-technique, even if he spent a lot of time at the one in college.

The Seahawks have ten picks tomorrow including one in round four and three in round five. Considering the talent still available and the success they’ve had in the later rounds so far, that’s an enticing prospect.

Elsewhere…

49ers hit a home run
They were always likely to have one of the best drafts due to the sheer number of picks they own, but credit to the Niners for their work so far. Eric Reid, Tank Carradine, Vance McDonald and Corey Lemonier is a formidable looking quartet. I think the Jets have had the best draft so far, followed by Baltimore. San Francisco is a close third. On McDonald — it makes you wonder if that would’ve been Seattle’s pick at #56. The Niners traded above the Seahawks, after all. I guess we’ll never know.

What’s going on with Barkley and Nassib?
I’m a big fan of Matt Barkley. Others like Ryan Nassib. I don’t think many expected they’d both last until round four. Need isn’t exactly strong at the position this year (a rarity) but it’s still surprising to see both players hang around this far. Neither should last long tomorrow. A fourth round salary is fantastic for a good backup and both players will have trade value in the future if they succeed in spot duty. Tyler Wilson is also yet to be drafted.

Other big names remain available
Here’s a collection of names who remain available: Quinton Patton, Jonathan Franklin, Khaseem Greene, John Simon, Sanders Commings, Ryan Swope, Marcus Lattimore, Jesse Williams, Stepfan Taylor, Baccari Rambo, Denard Robinson, Jordan Mills, Alex Okafor. When you get to this stage, you start to question why some of the big names are still on the board. Are there injury or character concerns for example? Did the media misjudge these players? Did we? It wouldn’t surprise me if we start to see smaller school prospects and a few obscure names leave the board before some of these players. Yet it’s a good example of the value that remains available going into day three.

Bills rolling the dice
No team is taking more chances it seems than Buffalo. They draft a quarterback with all the physical tools you’d ever want, but in college it seemed like he needed to know where he was going with the ball pre-snap and he never really improvised. They draft Kiko Alonso, a guy chosen to be an aggressive athlete on defense but who comes with his own question marks. They go for pure speed with Marquise Goodwin, but he didn’t look like a natural receiver on tape. You’ve got to love the Robert Woods pick, but overall they’ve gone for difference-making athleticism. If it works, it’ll be an exciting offense to watch. But there’s quite a lot of boom or bust here.

Ravens always get it done
The Matt Elam pick at the end of round one last night was terrific value. To get Arthur Brown today is incredible. They consistently make great picks within that organisation. It’s incredible, inspirational. The year that they finally move on from Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, they maybe just drafted their replacements for the next decade. Ozzie Newsome is a genius and that’s why they’re the Super Bowl Champions.

Seattle’s remaining picks:

Round four – #26
Round five – #5, #25, #32
Round six – #26, #31
Round seven – #14, #25, #35, #36

Best eight players on the board?

#1 Matt Barkley QB
#2 Khaseem Greene LB
#3 Quinton Patton WR
#4 John Simon DE
#5 Sanders Commings CB
#6 Ryan Swope WR
#7 Jesse Williams DT
#8 Baccari Rambo S

Some other names to keep an eye on: Nick Kasa (TE), Denard Robinson (RB), Luke Marquardt (T), Duke Williams (S), Stefan Charles (DT), Michael Williams (TE), Russell Shepard (WR/CB), B.J. Daniels (QB), Kyle Juszczyk (FB), David Quessenberry (T), Reid Fragel (T), David Bakhtiari (T), Jordan Mills (T), Xavier Nixon (T), Philip Thomas (S), Ryan Otten (TE),

The Seahawks have drafted Christine Michael, running back out of Texas A&M, with the #62 pick. They drafted Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill at #87.

Right, change of plan. Cover it Live have stopped running their free service. Who knew? It was only allowing 50 people into the room instead of the thousands we’ve had the last two years. I checked the cost and it’s not cheap. So I’m going to have to cancel that portion of the LIVE BLOG. Instead I’ll update the picks on here with commentary. Please use the comments section for reaction. Not ideal.

#33 Jacksonville Jaguars select Jonathan Cyprien (S, Florida International)
The Jaguars start things off with a functional safety. This is a pure Gus Bradley pick. And a smart one. Grade: B

Tennessee trades up to #34, San Francisco moves down to #40

#34 Tennessee Titans select Justin Hunter (WR, Tennessee)
The Titans move up to get a receiver for Jake Locker. Hunter is inconsistent with some upside. Can you rely on him? Grade: B-

#35 Philadelphia Eagles select Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford)
This is great value for the Eagles. Chip Kelly knows all about Ertz. Grade: A

**Contract news** Following on from the Packers re-signing Aaron Rodgers earlier today, reports are emerging that Cincinnati has agreed terms with tackle Andre Smith.

#36 Detroit Lions select Darius Slay (CB, Mississippi State)
They needed a corner and had the pick of the bunch. Slay is fast but much less physical than Johnthan Banks. I prefer Blidi Wreh-Wilson. Grade: C+

#37 Cincinnati Bengals select Gio Bernard (RB, North Carolina)
I like Bernard. They picked him over Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin. Grade: B-

San Diego trades up to #38, Arizona moves down to #45

#38 San Diego Chargers select Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame)
So Te’o finally leaves the board. San Diego trades up to get him, while only spending a 4th rounder to make the move. It’s a nice fit for their defense. Grade: B

#39 New York Jets select Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
There you go. The Jets are killing the draft. Dee Milliner, Sheldon Richardson and Geno Smith. Superb. Grade: A+

#40 San Francisco 49ers select Tank Carradine (DE, Florida State)
If he’s healthy, this is a dangerous pick. Very low gamble at #40. Adds another dimension to the pass rush for the Niners. They turned Alex Smith into a Tank. Grade: A

#41 Buffalo Bills select Robert Woods (WR, USC)
Great pick for the Bills. Woods is incredible value here. They needed to get a weapon for E.J. Manuel. Grade: A+

#42 Oakland Raiders select Menelik Watson (T, Florida State)
This guy is from England, so all power to him. But he was just announced as ‘Men Lick, Washington’. Grade: B-

#43 Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Johnthan Banks (CB, Mississippi State)
Do the Buccs realise they also have to field an offense, plus a defensive line? It’s all going on the secondary. Grade: C-

Players still available: Eddie Lacy, Arthur Brown, Keenan Allen, Margus Hunt, Matt Barkley, Jamar Taylor, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Terron Armstead, Khaseem Greene, Jesse Williams, Christine Michael.

#44 Carolina Panthers select Kawann Short (DT, Purdue)
Wow. They had a need at tackle, but they picked up Star Lotulelei yesterday. I always liked Short, but struggled to find a fit. His first NFL game? Vs Seattle. Grade: B-

#45 Arizona Cardinals select Kevin Minter (LB, LSU)
He’s not a pass rusher but this is a solid pick here. Ten more players to go before Seattle is on the clock. Grade: B-

#46 Buffalo Bills select Kiko Alonso (LB, Oregon)
I know some people love this guy, but I’m not sold here. For me there were better players available like Arthur Brown. Grade: D+

#47 Dallas Cowboys select Gavin Escobar (TE, San Diego State)
Solid pick-up for the Cowboys. They’re relying on Monte Kiffin to work with what he has. Grade: B+

Eight picks to go. Arthur Brown, Khaseem Greene, Sio Moore all still available if Seattle wants to go linebacker. Terron Armstead is still there. Jesse Williams is still there. Lot’s of talent for the #56 pick.

#48 Pittsburgh Steelers select Le’Veon Bell (RB, Michigan State)
Wow. Eddie Lacy’s terrible off-season is having a big impact. Bell is the first power back off the board. Grade: C

#49 New York Giants select Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State)
Big tackle with a sloppy build. Needs to get in better shape to max out his talent. Grade: C+

#50 Chicago Bears select Jon Bostic (LB, Florida)
Another shocker. I had Bostic as a sleeper for the Seahawks and I liked his upside. The shock is the other linebackers who remain on the board. Grade: C+

#51 Washington Redskins select David Amerson (CB, NC State)
Another player off the board I had no interest in for Seattle. Nice size/speed. Awful tape. Grade: D

#52 New England select Jamie Collins (LB, Southern Miss)
What was Kevin Faulk wearing? Good pass rusher but hit and miss tape. Grade: C+

#53 Cincinnati Bengals select Margus Hunt (DE, SMU)
Surprised they didn’t go linebacker here. I like the pick, they have a lot of pass rushing options. If they didn’t have a rank average quarterback they’d be a definite Super Bowl contender. Grade: B+

#54 Miami Dolphins select Jamar Taylor (CB, Boise State)
Good player who was late to the part in terms of hype. The Dolphins needed a corner badly. Grade: B+

San Francisco trades ABOVE THE SEAHAWKS, swaps picks with Green Bay!

In 2010, two teams moved ahead of Seattle to draft running backs. I remember at the time wondering if the Seahawks would’ve taken Ben Tate or Montario Hardesty had the Texans and Browns not moved up. Have the Niners moved above the Seahawks to specifically target a certain player?

#55 San Francisco selects Vance McDonald (TE, Rice)
So, were the Seahawks targeting McDonald? He’s an athletic, joker-stile tight end. But he did not look a natural catcher. The tape was bog standard. Grade: C

THE SEAHAWKS HAVE TRADED THE #55 PICK TO BALTIMORE!!
The Seahawks move the #56 to the Ravens for the #62 pick, the #165 pick (round five) and the #199 pick (round six).

#56 Baltimore Ravens select Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State)
The Seahawks pass up the chance to take Arthur Brown themselvs, and Baltimore makes another great pick. Every year. Ozzie Newsome. You are the king. Grade: A+

#57 Houston Texas select D.J. Swearinger (S, South Carolina)
Talented safety. Smart choice, emphasising the value late in the second. Grade: B+

Players still available: Eddie Lacy, Keenan Allen, Matt Barkley, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Terron Armstead, Khaseem Greene, Jesse Williams, Christine Michael.

#58 Denver Broncos select Montee Ball (RB, Wisconsin)
Love this pick. Underrated player. More of a playmaker than you think. Eddie Lacy is sinking big time. Grade: B

#59 New England select Aaron Dobson (WR, Marshall)
The third most productive receiver for Marshall in 2012. Grade: D

#60 Atlanta Falcons select Robert Alford (CB, SE Louisiana)
I think there are better corners available, but a lot of people like this guy. Two corners so far for the Falcons. Grade: C+

#61 Green Bay Packers select Eddie Lacy (RB, Alabama)
Great value for the Packers here. This is no gamble. Grade: A-

SEAHAWKS ARE ON THE CLOCK

#62 Seattle Seahawks select Christine Michael (RB, Texas A&M)
BOOM

(polls)

For the last couple of weeks we narrowed down the options at #56 and considered Quinton Patton, Khaseem Greene and Christine Michael as the three most likely players to target. As it turns out, all three were available. And the Seahawks drafted Michael.

Pete Carroll stock piled running backs at USC. This shouldn’t be a surprise. This will help keep Marshawn Lynch effective, it will maintain a relentless running game and provide some kick-return relief for Percy Harvin.

I’ll have more thoughts on the pick and the choice in round three later, but to get a player of this talent at #62 is another great job by this front office. An impact player.

There’s still some incredible value heading into round three. And with ten picks on day three, maybe the Seahawks do look to move up here?

ROUND THREE

#63 Kansas City select Travis Kelce (TE, Cincinnati)
Character concerns, but athletic and should have a quick impact in KC. Grade: B+

#64 Jacksonville select Dwayne Gratz (CB, Connecticut)
The Jaguars are rebuilding their secondary. I can’t believe Wreh-Wilson is still available. Grade B

#65 Detriot Lions select Larry Warford (G, Kentucky)
Fantastic value here. A home run pick. Grade: A

#66 Oakland Raiders select Sio Moore (LB, Connecticut)
I prefer Khaseem Greene. But I’m not in the Raiders war room. Grade: B-

#67 Philadelphia Eagles select Bennie Logan (DT, LSU)
I’m not a fan of Logan and I’m not sure how he fits into the 3-4. Grade: D

#68 Cleveland Browns select Leon McFadden (CB, San Diego State)
Apparently this is the 2013th draft. Who knew? Grade: C

#69 Arizona Cardinals select Tyrann Mathieu (CB, LSU)
So there we go. Good for him that Patrick Peterson is also in Arizona. He stayed with his family to get away from the trouble in Louisiana. Grade: C

#70 Tennessee Titans select Blidi Wreh-Wilson (CB, Connecticut)
Great pick. He fell. The Titans benefit. Grade: A-

#71 St. Louis Rams select T.J. McDonald (S, USC)
The Rams needed to get a safety. I like McDonald and he suffered last year playing in a defense that had no idea how to deal with speed. Grade: B-

Players still available: Keenan Allen, Matt Barkley, Terron Armstead, Khaseem Greene, Jesse Williams, Quinton Patton. I feel bad for Matt Barkley right now.

#72 New York Jets select Brian Winters (G, Kent State)
Great pick. There was talk he could go in the second. Again, kudos to the Jets. If they get Chris Ivory… Grade: A

#73 Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Mike Glennon (QB, NC State)
I can’t believe Matt Barkley is still available. A lot of others will be surprised Ryan Nassib is too. This puts Josh Freeman on notice. Grade: C

#74 Dallas Cowboys select Terrance Williams (WR, Baylor)
Pure body catcher. Not as fast as advertised. Suits the Dallas offense but needs to improve catching technique.

#75 New Orleans select Terron Armstead (T, Arkansas Pine-Bluff)
Great pick. They had a need at tackle. You can’t ignore his upside in this range. Grade: A

In case anyone cares, I had Christine Michael as the 17th best player in the draft and the #1 running back. You can see the full list here.

Here’s area scout Matt Berry discussing the Michael pick:

#76 San Diego Chargers select Keenan Allen (WR, California)
It was only a matter of time. They needed a receiver like this. Grade: B+

#77 Miami Dolphins select Dallas Thomas (G, Tennessee)
Great choice. Thomas is too good to go in this range, considering who went in the first two rounds. He can play tackle or guard. Grade: A

#78 Buffalo Bills select Marquise Goodwin (WR, Texas)
I’m a big Robert Woods guy, but I hate the other picks made by Buffalo. It’s like they’re taking this whole read-option thing too seriously. Grade: D

#79 Pittsburgh Steelers select Markus Wheaton (WR, Oregon State)
The Steelers and Ravens just ‘get it’. Awesome pick. Grade: A+

#80 Dallas Cowboys select J.J. Wilcox (S, Georgia Southern)
I’m surprised they left it this late to get a safety. Grade: C+

#81 New York Giants select Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M)
Expected him to go in round three. Worth the risk here. Grade: C

New Orleans trades up to #82, swapping picks with the Chicago Bears

#82 New Orleans select John Jenkins (DT, Georgia)
They’re switching to the 3-4. Credit to the Saints, they’re filling big needs. Grade: B

#83 New England select Logan Ryan (CB, Rutgers)
The best Patriots pick so far in my opinion. Grade: B

#84 Cincinnati Bengals select Shawn Williams (S, Georgia)
When you can get a safety as good as this in round three, it’s understandable why they waited. Grade: A-

#85 Washington Redskins select Jordan Reed (TE, Florida)
A nice get for the Skins here. Mobile and will constantly look for ways to get open when the QB is on the move. Grade: B

#86 Indianapolis Colts select Hugh Thornton (G, Illinois)
Nope, I don’t know anything about him either. Grade: C

SEAHAWKS ARE ON THE CLOCK

#87 Seattle Seahawks select Jordan Hill (DT, Penn State)
There’s your answer at defensive tackle. AND — a pure three technique. Loved him on tape and another guy we’ve talked about. Flashes some Geno Atkins.

#88 San Francisco 49ers select Corey Lemonier (DE, Auburn)
Hard to argue with this. Amazing value for the 49ers. Grade: A

#89 Houston Texas select Brennan Williams (T, North Carolina)
The value in this range is pretty stunning. Grade: A

#90 Denver Broncos select Kayvon Webster (CB, USF)
I’m stumped, not watched the guy. Grade: N/A

#91 New England Patriots select Duron Harmon (S, Rutgers)
I’m surprised Khaseem Greene is hanging around. Smart pick. Grade: B

#92 St. Louis Rams select Steadman Bailey (WR, West Virginia)
So Tavon Austin and Steadman Bailey are reunited in St. Louis. Now I’m scared. Grade: A+

#93 Miami Dolphins select Will Davis (CB, Utah State)
This guy did a great job against Quinton Patton, who remains on the board. Grade: B+

#94 Baltimore Ravens select Brandon Williams (DT, Missouri Southern)
Big body but hard to judge on the tape that was available. Grade: C

Jordan Hill speaks to the media after being picked by Seattle:

#95 Houston Texans select Sam Montgomery (DE, LSU)
About where he was expected to go. Character concerns killed his stock.

#96 Kansas City select Knile Davis (RB, Arkansas)
Loved his 2010 tape. Fumbles an issue. What’s the issue with Jonathan Franklin? Grade: B

#97 Tennessee Titans select Zaviar Gooden (LB, Missouri)
And that’s that. The end of day two. Grade: C-

Again, apologies for the lack of Cover it Live coverage. We’d done it for the last two years. Would’ve been great to do it again. But they want money. I’ll have a post on the blog shortly reviewing day two.

Is Christine Michael too dynamic to pass up?

This is going to be a pretty frustrating day for Seahawks fans. At least to start with.

While the first round of the draft offered marginal value in the top 15-20, the second round looks fairly deep. Not that my own ‘board’ is any kind of benchmark, but six of the top twenty players are still available. Thirteen of the top-32 are still hanging around.

On face value that looks great. The assumption is Seattle will get a pretty good player at #56. And you know what? They probably will. But the frustrating part will be checking off all the players that don’t make it to #56.

Some of the bigger names will fall early. That’s to be expected. It’s when you start getting into the late 40′s and more modest — albeit attractive — names start to disappear. It’s when the Green Bay Packers draft that guy you really wanted one pick before Seattle that the frustration will kick in. It’ll be a difficult watch right up until the #56 pick. And then they’ll make the choice and you’ll probably feel better about yourself. So at least there’s that.

Will they move up or down? I’m not so sure. Falling back into round three for the sake of an extra pick or two seems relatively unnecessary with ten picks already stashed. They’ve also shown a lack of interest in moving up in the past.

I’ve seen it suggested a few times that ten rookies won’t make the team this year, so why not move up? That’s all well and good, but it kind of misses the point. The object isn’t to narrow your options by making less picks and therefore gambling on fewer players. It’s to continue to breed competition. Seahawks fans need to be ready for more 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th round guys getting cut before they even face a snap. It’ll probably happen. But keeping your picks and spreading your net wide is also more likely to uncover the next Richard Sherman or Kam Chancellor.

So what happens in round two?

A lot of people expect a run on cornerbacks. It could start straight off the bat with Jacksonville at #33 and follow into San Francisco at #34, Philadelphia at #35 and Detroit at #36. They probably don’t all go corner, but supply meets demand here. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Jamar Taylor, Darius Slay, Johnthan Banks and maybe others could go quickly.

Nobody moved into the late first to take a quarterback, so it’ll be interesting to see where Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib and others fall. Again, Jacksonville at #33 and Philadelphia at #35 are possible landing spots. You can’t rule out the Jets taking a quarterback at #39. Tampa Bay are a wild card at #43 given their lack of enthusiasm over contract talks with Josh Freeman.

No running backs went in the first frame so will we see a little run there? Eddie Lacy, Jonathan Franklin and Christine Michael could leave the board within the top half of round two.

All of this could be good news for Seattle, at least initially, if it forces others down the board. But waiting to #56 is such a chore and that’s why it’ll be a frustrating day until they finally make a selection.

Teams to watch

San Francisco (#34)
Aside from the fact they’re a division rival, they could be looking at potential Seahawks targets. I thought the move up to get Eric Reid was thoroughly underwhelming. Seattle basically got the same player for a 5th round choice in 2010. They have a ton of picks coming up including one at #34. They could add a defensive lineman, pass rusher, corner or even Zach Ertz the tight end.

New York Giants (#49)
Having drafted Justin Pugh in round one, they’re almost certainly going defense here. That could be bad news for the Seahawks who pick seven places after the Giants. Any defensive lineman — including the tackles — is an option here. The linebackers Arthur Brown, Khaseem Greene and Sio Moore are all possibilities. The one saving grace is that New York can basically upgrade any area of their defense, so Seattle could still dodge a bullet.

Green Bay (#55)
I’m disturbed by Green Bay’s presence right in front of the Seahawks. If you’re hoping for a defensive lineman like Jesse Williams at #56, then it’s good news they took Datone Jones in round one yesterday. If you’re one of those people who has a crush on a playmaker like Christine Michael or Quinton Patton, you might spend Seattle’s time on the clock cursing your luck.

Prospects to watch

Keenan Allen (WR, California)
He had a nightmarish off-season that included a couple of injury setbacks, a forty yard dash in the 4.7′s and then reports surfaced claiming he’d failed a drugs test at the combine (Allen’s rep’s have denied it). I’ve never been crazy about Allen. DeAndre Hopkins — who rightly went in round one to Houston — is heavier and faster with a bigger wingspan and hands. The difference in height is an inch. Comparing the tape, Hopkins looks the better player. I appreciate the superior environment he had within Clemson’s offense, but I took that into account. Allen’s bark is greater than his bite. And yet there will come a point in round two where you have to consider pulling the trigger. How long does he last today?

Margus Hunt (DE, SMU)
He came into this draft as the guy with the most unique draft stock. If he’d gone in round one, you’d kind of understand it. You wouldn’t be shocked. And yet if he’s still there on day three, I equally won’t be surprised. He could go anywhere. When he’s come up against over-matched opponents he’s looked devastating, but I guess that’s to be expected. On other occasions, the tape doesn’t look quite so good. His inability to set an edge at the Senior Bowl was beyond ugly and he had no impact as a pass rusher during the game. However, there just aren’t that many guys with his athletic quality and upside. If he was approaching his 22nd birthday instead of his 26th, he probably finds a home in round one.

Ryan Nassib (QB, Syracuse)
His college coach at Syracuse clearly didn’t bang the table for his guy. Doug Marrone’s Bills were the only team to take a quarterback in round one — and they passed on Nassib for E.J. Manuel. Most people will accept that was a reach to fill a need. And Marrone was more willing to roll the dice with Manuel than his former protégé. That to me should set off alarm bells across the NFL. Reports during the week suggested Jacksonville would take him at #33 if he was still available. But in light of Buffalo’s decision, I’d be really second guessing myself today if I was thinking about drafting Nassib. I was never a big fan — I’d given him a mid-round grade. I’m fascinated to see what happens with this guy.

Options for the Seahawks at #56

Not much has changed after round one, all the usual suspects are still available. Linebacker remains a need and three candidates — Khaseem Greene, Arthur Brown and Sio Moore — are still on the board. I think Jesse Williams’ one-dimensional game and top heavy frame will put enough teams off that he could fall into range for the Seahawks. Skill players like Quinton Patton and Christine Michael are intriguing and worthy of consideration even if they don’t fill immediate needs. Will Terron Armstead drop into range and has he got the kind of upside this team looks for to be a possible long term addition to the offensive line? Will they consider a tight end, with several athletic ‘Joker’ types likely to be available at #56? Is Travis Kelce an option? Is there a surprise out there that few people expect?

Tyrann Mathieu ‘no-showed’ Seahawks

According to Jay Glazer, Mathieu didn’t show up for a scheduled meeting with the Seahawks. And thus, it seems we can finally stop talking about this guy.

Huddle Report Update

I was invited to enter my final mock draft into the Huddle Report’s annual rankings. For anyone who cares — and I suspect very few of you do — I finished 8th out of 114 entrants. Which makes me the king of the mocks, if seven others abdicate or contract syphilis.

Second round mock draft

#33 Jacksonville – Johnthan Banks (CB, Mississippi State)
#34 San Francisco – Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford)
#35 Philadelphia – Jamar Taylor (CB, Boise State)
#36 Detroit – Menelik Watson (T, Florida State)
#37 Cincinnati – Jonathan Cyprien (S, Florida International)
#38 Arizona – Tank Carradine (DE, Florida State)
#39 New York Jets – Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia)
#40 Tennessee – Blidi Wreh-Wilson (CB, Connecticut)
#41 Buffalo – Justin Hunter (WR, Tennessee)
#42 Oakland – Larry Warford (G, Kentucky)
#43 Tampa Bay – Matt Barkley (QB, USC)
#44 Carolina – Robert Woods (WR, USC)
#45 San Diego – Terron Armstead (T, Arkansas Pine-Bluff)
#46 Buffalo – Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State)
#47 Dallas – D.J. Swearinger (S, South Carolina)
#48 Pittsburgh – Eddie Lacy (RB, Alabama)
#49 New York Giants – Margus Hunt (DE, SMU)
#50 Chicago – Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame)
#51 Washington – Darius Slay (CB, Mississippi State)
#52 New England – Khaseem Greene (LB, Rutgers)
#53 Cincinnati – Jonathan Franklin (RB, UCLA)
#54 Kansas City (from Miami) – Kevin Minter (LB, LSU)
#55 Green Bay – Quinton Patton (WR, Louisiana Tech)
#56 Seattle – Jesse Williams (DT, Alabama)
#57 Houston – Sio Moore (LB, Connecticut)
#58 Denver – Christine Michael (RB, Texas A&M)
#59 New England – Keenan Allen (WR, California)
#60 Atlanta – Travis Kelce (TE, Cincinnati)
#61 San Francisco – Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State)
#62 Baltimore – Jamie Collins (LB, Southern Miss)

Seahawks third round pick: Denard Robinson (RB, Michigan)

The plan for today

I’ll be live blogging throughout rounds 2-3 via Cover it Live. I hope you’ll join us.

The Rams move up for future pain in the ass Tavon Austin

Yeah I know, I’m blatantly plagiarizing someone else’s brilliant idea from last year, but I thought this might be fun (also included: my thoughts on round one).

Everyone please say a quiet prayer for Rob’s server.  Okay then, here goes:

Be you warned, for here there be GIFS…

(more…)

Sheldon Richardson is one of the better value picks in round one

Best day one team – New York Jets

John Idzik appreciates the job he’s taken on. Yes, they could’ve splurged on offensive frills like a quarterback (Geno Smith) or a tight end (Tyler Eifert). Instead, they selected the two players I personally thought were the best in the draft. They simply had no choice but to trade Revis, cutting their loses. They couldn’t franchise him next year. They had no bargaining power. And yet they still got a first round pick out of Tampa Bay. It doesn’t matter how good Revis is, that wasn’t easy. Now they’ll swap in Milliner — a complete cornerback in my view — and add Richardson, who could be the next Darnell Dockett. They could still draft a quarterback at #39. They had a superb first day accumulating talent — the way a rebuild needs to be done.

Pick-by-pick thoughts

#1 Kansas City – Eric Fisher T
The Dolphins are unlikely to trade for Branden Albert after moving up in round one. So I’m not convinced this isn’t just a sideways step. However — surprisingly for a team picking first overall — they didn’t have a ton of needs.

#2 Jacksonville – Luke Joeckel T
The Jaguars now have expensive book-end tackles, but no pass rush, very little offensive threat and a porous secondary. There seems to be very little immediate improvement here.

#3 Miami – Dion Jordan DE
I like the aggressive move. They’re rock solid up the middle and now have two players capable of causing havoc off the edge. It’s a costly move, however. And they still need to rebuild their secondary and find a left tackle.

#4 Philadelphia – Lane Johnson T
Great fit for the Eagles and more of a need for Philly than Fisher and Joeckel were at #1 and #2. Pure technician with major athletic upside.

#5 Detroit – Ziggy Ansah DE
His lack of experience and polish could be masked playing alongside Suh and Fairley. However, how much better are the Lions for swapping Cliff Avril for Ansah?

#6 Cleveland – Barkevious Mingo DE
As a fan of Jabaal Sheard, I don’t get this. They clearly don’t like Sheard in the 3-4.

#7 Arizona – Jonathan Cooper G
Love the player but how much better are the Cardinals today for drafting a guard at #7?

#8 St. Louis – Tavon Austin WR
A bold move up the board. My fear with Austin is he’ll be a gimmick. However, it seems the game is evolving and shifting towards players like this.

#9 New York Jets – Dee Milliner CB
The first of two terrific picks for the Jets. Bravo.

#10 Tennessee – Chance Warmack G
They’ve placed an unusual amount of stock in the guard position this off-season.

#11 San Diego – D.J. Fluker T
Long arms, but struggles against speed.

#12 Oakland – D.J. Hayden CB
An eye-opener. Hayden has been rising. They did well to get back a second round pick from Miami.

#13 New York Jets – Sheldon Richardson DT
An inspired choice. John Idzik is off to a great start. If Jets fans don’t like these moves, they need to get a grip of reality.

#14 Carolina – Star Lotulelei DT
The obvious choice given their huge need at defensive tackle.

#15 New Orleans – Kenny Vaccaro S
They still need a pass rusher, but the Saints really couldn’t go wrong whatever defensive player they drafted.

#16 Buffalo – E.J. Manuel QB
A mind blowing pick. I just don’t understand the thought process. Two Florida State quarterbacks have gone #12 and #16 in the last two years. Are they using hypnosis at FSU?

#17 Pittsburgh – Jarvis Jones OLB
The perfect fit when it comes to scheme. Love it.

#18 San Francisco – Eric Reid S
I don’t get it personally. Reid is not the type of player I’d move up for. I think there were better options here.

#19 New York Giants – Justin Pugh G
They were always destined to draft for the trenches and clearly bought into Pugh’s character and versatility.

#20 Chicago – Kyle Long G
I think they probably would’ve liked Pugh, but this isn’t a bad consolation for the Bears and fills a huge hole.

#21 Cincinnati – Tyler Eifert TE
It looks good on paper, but they now have two highly drafted tight ends and an elite receiver, but only a rank average quarterback.

#22 Atlanta – Desmond Trufant CB
Good for him. The Falcons moved up to acquire a needed cornerback.

#23 Minnesota – Sharrif Floyd DT
Mental note – never let the media write a mock draft for you.

#24 Indianapolis – Bjoern Werner DE
The most bizarre pick of the first round. How does he fit into a 3-4? Will he add weight to fit at the five technique?

#25 Minnesota – Xavier Rhodes CB
I’m not a huge Rhodes fan but this makes sense.

#26 Green Bay – Datone Jones DE
Great pick for the Packers. They needed a defensive end with some speed and mobility. He could be a star at Lambeau.

#27 Houston – DeAndre Hopkins WR
Just a really solid get for the Texans. He will win them a game or two this year.

#28 Denver – Sylvester Williams DT
Nice player, very technically educated and understands his role. Sounds like he enjoys film study.

#29 Minnesota – Cordarrelle Patterson WR
They needed to do something after trading Percy Harvin. That offense needed a spark.

#30 St. Louis – Alec Ogletree LB
I’m a fan of the player, particularly his performance versus Ole Miss last year. However, the character concerns are very real.

#31 Dallas – Travis Frederick C
I know a Dallas fan and he told me months ago to pencil in a center for the Cowboys. If only I’d listened…

#32 Baltimore – Matt Elam S
I really like this guy and once against the Ravens make a really good pick.

What’s left?

The answer is plenty. Terron Armstead (T), Arthur Brown (LB), Khaseem Greene (LB), Jesse Williams (DT), Quinton Patton (WR), Christine Michael (RB), Eddie Lacy (RB), Matt Barkley (QB), Geno Smith (QB), Tank Carradine (DE), Margus Hunt (DE), Zach Ertz (TE)… to name a few. The Seahawks are going to get a good player at #56.