On Tuesday I raised a point ahead of this updated mock draft – what if the Seahawks don’t need to trade up for a quarterback? As we saw with Blaine Gabbert last April, teams have contrasting grades on certain players. In that instance Jacksonville aggressively pursued a player that Washington – who desperately needed a quarterback – just weren’t interested in. Despite having a big need at the position, the Redskins completely ignored the options available. Just because a team has a perceived need, it doesn’t mean they’ll just take the next player available in round one. Could this allow a quarterback to slip through the cracks? It’s something we can consider and discuss at the start of December and that’s why I’ve chosen to highlight this in my latest projection.
Scroll down for further analysis after the mock.
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#1 Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford) The Colts will need to make a decision on the future of Peyton Manning, but if they keep this pick then Luck will be the choice. |
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#2 Matt Kalil (OT, USC) The Rams need some offensive playmakers more than anything, but they’ll struggle to pass on a talent like Kalil who can anchor their line for years. |
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#3 Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma State) This is too high for Blackmon in my view, but the Vikings need a dynamic, alpha male type at receiver. You have to think they’d love Kalil. |
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#4 Jarvis Jones (LB, Georgia) He says he’ll return to Georgia, but getting a grade like this could change his mind. He’s a tremendous playmaker with 13.5 sacks this season. |
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#5 Matt Barkley (QB, USC) Elite potential and pro-ready, Barkley can start in week one for the Dolphins and end the post-Marino curse in Miami. |
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#6 Dwight Jones (WR, North Carolina) With Gene Smith extending his contract, he’ll be tasked with backing his judgement on Blaine Gabbert. That should include an offensive minded coach and a unique target like Jones. |
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#7 Jonathan Martin (OT, Stanford) Drafting a left tackle should be Arizona’s priority and although this is a reach, Martin is the clear #2 blind-side blocker after Kalil. |
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#8 Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama) The Skins need a quarterback, but Mike Shanahan showed last year he won’t just take anyone. Richardson is an elite talent and keep an eye on Ryan Tannehill later. |
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#9 Riley Reiff (OT, Iowa) More of a right tackle prospect than a blind side blocker. Kansas City needs better line play to compliment their playmakers. |
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#10 Quinton Coples (DE, North Carolina) He’s played better the last few weeks. Cleveland’s defense has a lot of young talent and Coples would provide a good compliment to Jabaal Sheard. |
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#11 Morris Claiborne (CB, LSU) Keeps making plays in a loaded LSU secondary. He’s not the finished article, but time spent at receiver is obvious given his ball skills. |
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#12 Luke Kuelchy (LB, Boston College) Tackling machine who would provide a solid, blue collar addition to Philly’s defense. |
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#13 Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor) He’s not an obvious fit for the two Mike’s – Shanahan & Holmgren. Seattle could benefit if that’s the case. |
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#14 Zach Brown (LB, North Carolina) Tampa Bay fans say linebacker is a big need. Why not have a player who’s been compared favorably to Lance Briggs? |
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#15 Whitney Mercilus (DE, Illinois) The Bills need a pass rusher. Mercilus also needs to play in space at his size, but will need to prove he can adapt to the 3-4. |
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#16 David DeCastro (OG, Stanford) There’s a degree of bandwagon jumping when it comes to DeCastro. That’s not to say it won’t help promote the Washington native into this kind of range. |
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#17 Kendall Wright (WR, Baylor) Explosive, under rated playmaker who looks a lot like Mike Wallace. Locker-to-Wright could be a combination for the ages. |
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#18 Mark Barron (S, Alabama) He’s having a great year and looks like the consistent force he perhaps hasn’t been prior to 2011. His stock is rising. |
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#19 Lamar Miller (RB, Miami) The Broncos are in a difficult position with ‘Tebow-Mania’, yet they need to add something on offense. John Fox had two first round running backs in Carolina. |
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#20 David Wilson (RB, Virginia Tech) The Browns need to find a playmaker, whether that’s at QB, RB or WR. Wilson has game breaking speed and finishes runs well for his size. |
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#21 Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama) Tall, physical cornerback who will appeal to Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Specialises in run support, coverage skills need work. |
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#22 Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama) Elite talent who only falls due to character concerns. AJ Green and Julio Jones had their worst games against Jenkins in 2010. |
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#23 Kevin Reddick (LB, North Carolina) Under rated linebacker, would be a nice compliment to Cincinnati’s defense. |
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#24 Peter Konz (C, Wisconsin) Stood out last year in a big-name Badgers offensive line. Could return for another year, but ready to have an impact as a pro. |
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#25 Mohamed Sanu (WR, Rutgers) The Bears need to add a big, consistent receiver to their offense. Sanu will surprise people with early production. |
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#26 Oday Aboushi (OT, Virginia) I’ve seen Virginia three times in the last two seasons and Aboushi looks like a future pro. Could he rise to this level? |
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#27 Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame) Perhaps it’s time to start thinking about inside linebackers in Baltimore? Te’o is the best left on the board here. |
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#28 Alameda Ta’amu (DT, Washington) Big nose tackle prospect. Houston switched to the 3-4 this year but could still use Ta’amu’s size up front to anchor their defensive line. |
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#29 Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame) He’s made a lot of mistakes off the field, but despite inconsistent quarterback play he’s maintained solid production. |
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#30 Nicolas Jean-Baptiste (DT, Baylor) He’s no Phil Taylor, but every time I’ve watched Baylor this year he’s been the one defensive player who looks to have some pro-potential. |
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#31 Kelechi Osemele (OG, Iowa State) Looks every bit a future NFL guard. Perhaps a little under rated and closer to David De Castro than most think. |
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#32 Devon Still (DT, Penn State) He’s having a good year, but looks like a five-technique convert to me and that could hamper his stock. |
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Why have you left out….?
There are several ‘big names’ not included in this week’s projection. While I do try to look at different possibilities with these mocks, I’m only judging things as I see them. I wanted to try and justify why some high profile prospects are missing.
Landry Jones (QB, Oklahoma) – I think he’s a completely unspectacular quarterback who will be found out at the next level. He’s not making pre-snap reads, he’ll live or die by the play call. He can’t improvise in the pocket and the modern NFL loves quarterbacks who can extend plays and think outside of the box. Jones is the complete opposite of that – a pocket passer with bad footwork who can’t go through 1-2-3 reads and fire. Mike Shanahan isn’t drafting this guy, Pete Carroll isn’t drafting this guy, Mike Holmgren isn’t drafting this guy. That leaves Miami, Kansas City and Denver. There are better options for the Dolphins and I’m not sure John Elway will be able to leave his front door if the Broncos draft a quarterback in round one. My gut feeling is Jones deserves a mid-round projection, but will end up in round two due to reputation.
Courtney Upshaw (DE/LB, Alabama) – Speed is great when you’re judging a pass rusher, but it’s also possibly the most over rated aspect. I love guys who find ways to get the job done, either with good hands and reach to disengage, or with a repertoire of moves to keep lineman thinking. If you’re doing the same edge rush every time, you’ll get found out. When you combine speed rush, violent hands and a repertoire, you’re onto a winner. I really liked Jabaal Sheard last year because he combined those aspects and played above a lack of elite size. He’s had a decent start to his career in Cleveland with 4.5 sacks so far as a rookie, but I loved that pick for the Browns. There are a lot of things I like about Upshaw particularly his hand use and ability to gain leverage and avoid blockers because he’s not an elite athlete. At 6-1 and around 270lbs, without eye catching speed, he’s going to need to rely on smarts and technique. But if Sheard with all his talents can’t find a home in round one, then I’m struggling to give Upshaw a better grade. He’s a solid football player, but not the type who usually goes in round one.
Vontaze Burfict (LB, Arizona State) – He’s falling a bit because he’s not had a spectacular season and teams will be wary of his temper and attitude. He’s unpredictable, on and off the field, and I’m not sure how he’ll be received in meetings. He doesn’t play a crucial position in terms of draft stock. There isn’t a team in the NFL who’s a middle linebacker away from a big tilt in the playoffs, so teams may well ask, “Do we want the hassle?” I had him in the 20’s last week, but time to look at the possibility he could be a round one casualty.
Alshon Jeffery (WR, South Carolina) – It’s all about separation in the NFL and unfortunately that’s where Jeffery struggles. He has a big frame, but he’s not getting away from anyone. Jonathan Baldwin had similar size but he was an athlete and ran well at the combine. For all his faults, he went in round one because there is that ‘special’ potential hidden away. He found ways to get open, he’d make spectacular downfield plays. Jeffery hasn’t got it. He’ll run a really average time at the combine, because that’s what the tape shows. He’s not exploding into his breaks, he’s not a really consistent receiver and he tends to run sloppy routes. What he does have is the big Mike Williams type frame, so you’re throwing at a big target. He’s been hurt by a bad quarterback situation at South Carolina this season, but this is a class full of better receivers than Alshon Jeffery.
Brandon Thompson (DT, Clemson) – When you watch Clemson, every now and again Brandon Thompson jumps off the screen and looks like a top-15 talent. You want to buy into his potential, particularly in a weak overall defensive tackle class. However, the flashes are hidden among a lot of average tape. He will have games where he’s just not effective against the run, getting pushed around by interior lineman. Plus, you just can’t get away from the fact that he has 4.5 sacks in a four year career – despite playing on the same team as Da’Quan Bowers, Andre Branch and others taking up double teams off the edge. He’s quite good at slipping blocks and getting into the backfield, but can you trust he’ll finish with that low level of production? For me, he looks like the kind of player who slips into the third round or the late second and you end up getting a solid pro. Maybe one day you wonder how he fell as far as he did? But that’s what happens.
How did you work a quarterback going to Seattle?
It’s not as ridiculous as it perhaps looks. Miami regrets passing on Matt Ryan, but Matt Barkley can make up for that. Mike Shanahan is very picky with his quarterbacks, as we saw when he passed on Blaine Gabbert last year. He isn’t just looking for an arm and athleticism to run numerous naked bootlegs, play actions and out-of-the-pocket deep passes. To some degree, I can see the Redskins buying into Robert Griffin III. However, I can also see Shanahan and Washington targeting Ryan Tannehill outside of round one, allowing them the chance to add a much needed offensive playmaker like Trent Richardson. Cleveland could be a home for Griffin III, but does he look like an ideal quarterback for the Holmgren visision?
We know the Seahawks have a different way of looking at the position to Shanahan, even if both teams are looking for similar functions (arm strength, athleticism, ability outside of the pocket). Seattle had Gabbert #1 on their board among quarterbacks according to our sources, but Washington clearly didn’t rate him. I’m guessing Shanahan would’ve loved to draft Jake Locker, but the Seahawks had him at #6 among quarterbacks behind second round picks like Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton.
If the Seahawks and Redskins are looking at different players in round one, there’s every chance they have opposing views on Griffin III too. In that situation, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility Griffin III could fall to the Seahawks.
Thanks for your draft blog! It’s all a guessing game at this point, and I would love it if we could get Griffin III. Some drafts have St. Louis drafting Trent Richardson. That kind of makes sense that they go for a playmaker instead of a tackle. This love affair with LTs is overdone in my opinion. You need 5 strong blockers up front, regardless of position.
Anyhow, I still think we will have a to fight with Cleveland and Washington for a QB. I could even make an arguement for a backup to Phillip Rivers…..
Any way you see RGIII going to Miami. He seems to have more flair and playmaking ability than Barkley. Would love getting RGIII. Still think the 3 (Luck/Barkley/RGIII) go top 6. We have to hope Manning gets a clear bill of health this year. Than either Miami/Washington would not need QB. If the qb’s are gone, any chance (if he falls) we take richardson?
Sure, I think there’s a pretty good chance Miami considers Griffin. However, I think they also want someone who can start quickly and make things happen – manage an offense early and make the most of the receivers they have. The line isn’t awful in Miami, they have Marshall, they could add another RB. There’s some scope for Barkley coming in there and doing well early in his career. Griffin sells more tickets for you, he has a higher ceiling, but he could struggle early on.
If the Bengals can add quality at corner and linebacker they will have a scarily good defense.
Does anyone think it’s more than a little coincidental that the two top-ten quarterbacks are protected by two top-ten left tackles? How do you assess a quarterback who doesn’t have to worry about his blind side vs. someone who does?
A fair point, Seth, but I think you have to break down the quarterbacks and judge how they cope vs pressure. Barkley at times this season has had to deal with quite a lot of pressure, and succeeded for the most part. Luck hasn’t looked anything like the player most project when he’s faced pressure since that USC game. But both excel in a lot of technical areas. We also have to remember that Ryan Tannehill plays behind one of the best offensive lines in college, and Landry Jones isn’t playing behind a bad line at Oklahoma. A left tackle alone also doesn’t make an offensive line, and a player might still have to deal with inside pressure for example. So there’s lot’s of things in play. It is hard though – Jake Locker played behind a terrible line at Washington, how would he perform behind the line at Stanford? We’ll never know.
Rob, not to downplay your draft, but you have 5 linebackers going in round1. 2010 had 2 go in rd1 and only one in 2011. Is LB depth that good this year?
Hey Rob, Just wanted to see if later in the year you might think about doing both rounds 1 and 2? If the Seahawks dont get their QB in round 1 what are your thoughts taking someone like Russell Wilson later in the draft? In my view he has all the needed tools to succeed minus the height. Accurate, Smart, Nice Arm, and Mobile. I personally still want Barkley in a Seahawks Uniform.
I would think a healthy Jackson is just as good a QB as the ceiling of RG III. I’d give up three first and seconds for Luck or Barkley.
Although I’m not all in with RG IIII, I do agree that Seattle must draft a QB. OR, they must win big. Fans will lose interest with the continued “build” mantra.
Interesting dilemma. I have literally rooted against Jackson this year, yet I can see him becoming a good starter. Regardless, next year’s decision will decide Carroll’s fate.
Go figure.
As a side note: I am in the camp that teams value draft picks way too much. How many 1st round picks from the last ten years are still with Seattle. Aside from the last two years, maybe Trufant? A starting QB is worth 4 bust-likely picks.
This looks like close to the dream scenario for the Hawks; the only better outcome would be having Barkley fall into their laps. But regarding the QB position, I don’t think you can sweat through the CLE and WAS picks ahead of you with fingers crossed and simply hope this happens. I think you HAVE to move ahead of them and be aggressive to get your guy.
If you draft bad, sure. But if you draft good, no way is one qb worth 3 1st rd picks. That is just crazy. You can do so much more with those picks. With another win, we might be drafting 15-20. And I still think jackson can play (although at times i wish he would throw the ball away or scramble out of pocket instead of standing there like a statue). If we draft 15-20, Dre Kirkpatrick or a pass rusher would be ideal.
No please no. If you hit on the QB, he is worth far far more than 3 firsts. Ask Green Bay or Indianapolis.
This may especially be true given Carroll and Schneider’s ability to find decent back-end talent on waivers and in later draft rounds that can compensate for the lost firsts.
Green Bay picked Aaron Rodgers late in the first round. They didn’t have to trade up for him. The other QBs picked in the first round were Alex Smith #1 and Jason Campbell right after Aaron Rodgers. Up until this season Alex Smith was considered a bust. Jason Campbell has played well but isn’t an elite QB.
I guess under the current draft, an Aaron Rodgers would go in the top five. I have to agree with the idea that we either trade up for a good QB or just not worry about it until later rounds where we get a backup to Tavaris.
If Barkley and RG III are off the board, or there is not a trade up possibility I would hope Seattle seriously considers trading down and picking up a big athletic wide receiver like a Michael Floyd or Mohamed Sanu. With Rice being injury prone and BMW disappearing this year we need someone to help out whoever our QB may be. I realize that we have had success in finding WR’s in the later rounds (and free agency) but a trade down to the 20-25 pick area would mean an extra 2nd round pick that could be used to add depth or a BPA scenario. Except for QB, I do not see a player that fits a real need for Seattle in the 12-18 range that we could not get in the with a trade down.
I do Norm. CB Claiborne. Playmaker at a position of somewhat need. However, I would say the same thing and still get CB Kirkpatrick or pass rusher. Outside of QB, our biggest needs are CB and pass rusher. Speed WR and RB would be next (unless we start getting more from forsett/washington
I would be happy with RG3 and this mock looks very solid from top to bottom for all teams. Great fits across the board.
With last nights victory we are all but assured to be picking in the 8-16 range, and with 2 of them against the Rams and Cards I guess it’ll be closer to 16 than 8. So if we really want Barkley it looks like its a trade scenario and Carolina is the best shot we have for that so I’m gonna be rooting for them to lose out and get the highest pick available. Probably gonna cost us a 1st round swap plus next years first though but I’m fine with that. Also lets hope Miami, Washington and Cleveland value Landry Jones highly to take one of them out of the mix!
I’d love a write-up on the LB and CB positions and what you think the current state of both are at the moment. A few weeks ago CB looked like a glaring need but both Browner and Sherman have really stepped it up. I’m still a bit skeptical though since the QB play they have faced hasn’t been top notch by any means and we aren’t gonna see them go up against a good passing Offense with the 4 teams we have left either. Still its great to see them both stepping their game up and Carroll last night on the post game show on NFL network specifically mentioned Browner and how he was playing poorly early on but has looked great recently and then said something along the lines of going with him next year (which means Trufant/ Thurmond are not gonna be starters or even around next season it sounds like.)
Like CB, this draft is pretty stacked at LB and that appears to be a position we can use some talent at as well. I’d assume we re-sign Heater and we have Wright and Hill but our depth is really lacking and we could honestly upgrade both OLB spots if necessary.
Ed, I agree that a CB would be a good choice as well but with Thurman returning from injury next season I still see a need for a play making WR as second on the list after a QB. Unless Tate can prove he belongs in the NFL over the next four weeks or BMW can turn his season around we must have a play maker at WR to at least give a defense a threat of a down field pass. A complimentary running back to Lynch would be a great move as well. If Lynch were to go down with an injury (see the Browns game) our running back situation is grim. I’m hopeful that we can make a move up to get Barkley or RGIII is available in the teens but if not, we have a lot of depth issues that could be addressed with a few more early round picks. It also seems to me that PC and Schneider have had more success in picking defensive free agents (Clemmons, McDonald, Browner) that fit their scheme then they have getting offence.
Rob, I remember you being very high on Bruce Irvin coming into this year, what made
Him fall/ is he not coming out for the draft? If he fell to round two, would he be a good Leo candidate?
Rob, I see you have the Rams taking Kalil, but do you think the Rams would take another OT since they have drafted Jason Smith and Roger Saffold in consecutive years and that would be 3 out of four years they have taken an OT with their first or second pick.
Kevin – Sure, it’s a good year for LB’s. It could be more than five too – I’ve left some guys out. It’s not a big position in terms of draft stock, but weaker areas on defense (eg – DT, DE) could push teams in that direction.
Clayton – I will do a round two mock earlier this term than I have in the past due to the extended research I’ve done. I could probably do a two round mock now, but it’s something I’ll save for the future. Russell Wilson reminds me of Seneca Wallace, but Wallace was a better athlete. I’m not convinced Wilson has a future in the NFL.
Charlie – unfortunately he hasn’t been used properly by WVU this season and it impacted his ability to produce in an every down role. They had him acting in a three man front which was ridiculous. It didn’t work, they scaled back his work and he’s back in form. The problem is, we haven’t seen enough evidence this season of an every down player who can dominate. Is he only ever going to be a role player or third down specialist? It limits his stock, possibly beyond the first 2-3 rounds. Shame, because he has a lot of talent and is worth a shot in Seattle.
John_S – I think they would for the right guy, and Kalil could anchor their line for years. Smith is a bust and could be tried inside at guard, he could become a Gallery type player in that sense. The interior is a big issue, so it could be a way of improving two positions with Saffold moving over to the right too. There are four elite talents in this draft IMO – Luck, Barkley, Kalil and Richardson. Unless they want to dump Steven Jackson (his deal is voidable) I think Kalil is a realistic BPA at a position of need type pick.
I think you can add Philadelphia to the list of teams who may draft a QB ahead of the Seahawks.
I’m not sure Don – they handed Vick a huge contract and certainly he’s not been the problem this year. Without all the crazy free agent additions, Philly would be top of the NFC East right now. It’s sucked the life out of that franchise and undermined what good young players they had. Swapping Vick for Robert Griffin isn’t even a sideways move.
Rob, I realize the Vikings need a #1 WR but I cannot see them passing on a tackle. If Kalil is gone then they will just have to “reach” for Martin. Reach is a curious term because when you look back on drafts and do a redraft, the pro bowl players are at the top. Martin has that ability. You have four tackles in the first round and two guards. I expect that number will be higher with Mike Adams and Cody Glenn possibly sneaking into the first round. It happens last year too. The tackles were not that good (on paper) yet they were snatched up in the first round along with a couple of guards. If the Vikings wait on a tackle then they will get what they pay for. And Blackmon will not be able to do anything if Ponder is running for his life. Tackle is the second most important position on the team. Also, I think the Vikings will be aggressive in free agency in an attempt to land a WR or two. That should suffice for a year.
Hey Mark,
I look at things slightly differently, because I think blocking and the threat of being burned for blitzing go hand in hand. While ever the Vikings lack a true #1 (Harvin is a playmaker, but also a role player) whoever is playing tackle will struggle. Blackmon has his faults, but he’s an alpha male type receiver that’s capable of taking an offense up a level. Jonathan Martin is a pretty standard tackle, so while I can see the Vikings trying to fill that LT need I won’t necessarily project it every week. I think we sometimes overvalue tackles as being capable of keeping a QB clean alone. A lot of the best offenses in the NFL rely on playmakers to keep a defense honest, taking pressure away from the line. At the same time, of course I appreciate the advantages that come with having a great left tackle – but there are very few great left tackles in the NFL. I disagree that Adams and Glenn will go in round one (both mid-rounders for me and Glenn will probably end up at guard) but there are 1-2 fringe players who can get into the mix or become early second round picks. It’s also a deep receiver class so I can see both arguments.
Hypothetically, what should Seattle do if 1st round QB just doesn’t present itself as a possibility?
You almost have to go for a lineman or someone at a premium position . But we’ve got our oline pretty much in place and there doesn’t look to be a dlineman or a pass rusher worth a mid -1st.
Poses a bit of a conundrum, I love Trent Richardson but a 1st round RB is a luxury for this team and I’d be more inclined to look at Lamichael James, Cyrus Gray or Doug Martin a little later as a counterpunch to Marshawn.
-Mo Claiborne : premium position, I’m really big on our CBs but I am really big on Claiborne too, you can’t have too many good CBs, I think as a pure CB prospect he is better than Pat Peterson.
– Kendall Wright : not a need, but guys like Mike Wallace and Torrey Smith that can take the top off of a defense a very valuable, another playmaker for the O, though I have a completely unfounded feeling that Seattle may be Deseans next home if he is allowed outright free agency
– Dwight Jones
– Packaged for Mario Williams: elite edge player that we need, contract doesn’t have much time left, Houston is having a tonne of success with the 3-4 without Mario in the lineup and he just isn’t a fit, he is an asset that Houston should get some return for seeing as Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed look like the future at OLB in Houston. Eventually Seattle will have some big contracts on the roster.
Rob, Thanks for the response and I do agree with your philosophy to a certain extent. I guess I do not see Blackmon as a Pro Bowl type WR in the NFL. He was handled pretty well by Leonard Johnson when they played Iowa State. He is not going to run in the low 4.4s so his deep speed is not there. He can get deep if he beats the jam which is his strength (although I did not see him do that vs Johnson). I could be wrong but I would take my chances on a “standard” left tackle. If Martin is only standard what does that say about the rest of the tackles? Martin is a pretty good run blocker and this is what the Vikings need most of all. They just gave AP 36 mil guaranteed and if they are smart they will want to get the most return on investment.
I do feel that Seattle is going to make a couple of wild moves to sign free agents this offseason. I think they will be moves to surprise all of us. Because of our certain needs, and lack of depth at certain positions in the draft, I think we will pursue free agents like Mario Williams, Cliff Avril, Robert Mathis, Anthony Spencer, and maybe even DeSean Jackson- if Pete thinks he can coach ’em up. Because people just seem to buy into what Pete Carroll is selling, he’s great at that. So I believe that will greatly effect our draft needs and moves. As for Morris Claiborne or Dre Kirkpatrick, I feel Seattle may believe that Morris Claiborne is too small to fit their scheme at CB, Kirkpatrick is more appropriately sized, but perhaps he will not be available when the Hawks are looking to get a corner. Look at some more obscure names like D’Anton Lynn, Donnie Fletcher, Stephon Gilmore, Xavier Rhodes, and especially Micah Hyde. These will be big mid-round players that can come in and make a Richard Sherman impact, without having to nab them too early. I think if we had more Sherman’s and Chancellor’s in the secondary, we’d all be very happy
Pass rush on the line is needed. That is the #1 defensive priority. It really doesn’t matter how great our secondary is if the QB has all day to look for receivers. I, like Jarhead, fully expect Seattle to go after guys in FA. It’s been a Paul Allen MO since he became owner. We’ve already seen good QB’s this year (Romo, Roethlisberger) tear us apart. We’ve seen mediocre Qb’s have good days against us (Alex Smith, Rex Grossman) because we just don’t have enough rush.
The 2005 Seahawks had a fairly average secondary, boosted by a stellar front 4. Defense was lights out.
My bet is that we switch 1st round picks with Carolina or Minny, giving up a 2nd rounder. Pick up RGIII or Barkley (though personally I think RGIII given the injuries to the OL), and then draft DE in the 3rd to get some better pass rush.
I can’t see how the Browns would be able to justify taking an RT in the top 10. Horrible value for that pick and while it is a big need, it’s not the teams biggest need nor the best player on the board. In fact, both picks are pretty awful.
The Browns are taking a defensive end in the top ten, not a right tackle.