Category: Scouting Report (Page 29 of 38)

Seattle’s greatest need is at the three technique. No doubt what so ever. It’s absolutely crucial for this team that they find a way to create interior pressure. As good as the teams defense has been this season, they’re really only scratching the surface. There’s a lot of untapped potential – for pressure, sacks and most importantly – turnovers. For this team to keep improving even after an 11-5 regular season, they have to upgrade the three technique position.

My vote is still to pursue Randy Starks in free agency. The Dolphins have been unusually lax given that Jeff Ireland’s job is supposedly secure. They haven’t initiated any contract talks with key players such as Starks or left tackle Jake Long.

Presumably Long will be the priority. They’re not averse to big contract extensions – Cameron Wake signed a $49m deal in May. It’ll probably take an even bigger contract to re-commit to a pre-CBA #1 overall pick. Even so, Miami’s offensive line is bad enough without needing to search for another left tackle. As we saw with Mario Williams last year though, the structure of the franchise tag is making it expensive to maintain top-players drafted under the former rookie-structure. If they sign Long, it’s hard to imagine they’d be in a strong position to retain other key free agents.

Starks had an impressive year including five sacks and an interception. He’s the kind of penetrative force needed in Seattle, but he also plays the run particularly well. It’s no coincidence the Seahawks had their toughest day running the ball against the Dolphins interior of Starks and Paul Soliai. A lot of younger three-technique’s struggle to make the transition to the pro’s because by nature they’re undersized. If you’re average guard or tackle is +300lbs, a three-technique usually giving up 10-15lbs. Without the kind of unnatural power a player like Ndamukong Suh had coming into the league, a young, undersized tackle can often get engulfed. It’s no surprise that guys like Geno Atkins and Darnell Dockett play with as much attitude as they do speed.

Starks is 305lbs and has no such issues. He’s big, strong, plays with tremendous pad level and has violent hands. He’ll stunt blockers at the line and win 1vs1 battles against the run. He also has a terrific bull rush and enough explosion off the line to penetrate into the backfield. Starks also has the benefit of experience and it shows – he understands blocking schemes and adapts during games to remain effective (he had no issues against Seattle’s ZBS). He’s almost ideal for the ‘4-3 under’ – not giving anything up against the run while being able to double up on the right side with Chris Clemons to collapse the pocket. He just turned 29 so a big contract seems unlikely. If Starks hits the market, a creative two or three-year deal would make a lot of sense. The Seahawks are unlikely to be his only suitor.

Henry Melton is another option and it’ll be interesting to see what happens in Chicago. Lovie Smith has been fired and that could lead to some schematic changes – although all of Chicago’s defensive talent is suited to an orthodox 4-3 system. If he hits the market he’ll likely command a hefty salary. The question is- how much of his production is manufactured playing with elite defensive talent? Teams constantly have to deal with Julius Peppers off the edge, has Melton benefited from that? Would he be able to replicate his success in a different environment to warrant a big outlay in terms of salary?

There aren’t many high-quality three-techniques in the league. Melton is one of the best, Atkins in Cincinnati is the clear #1. If the Seahawks want to solve this problem with a veteran presence, they’ll likely have to get the cheque book out.

Of course the one thing Atkins and Melton have in common is they’re both fourth round picks. Dockett was a third round pick. It’s a position that lends itself to mid-round value. As we’ve discussed on this blog several times this season, many of the first-round defensive tackles drafted in recent years haven’t lived up to expectations. The Seahawks have been prolific in their ability to find mid-round gems in the Carroll/Schneider era. They may feel confident enough to go down this route again. They took Jaye Howard in round four last year, perhaps believing he could bring similar value and fill this role. That move hasn’t worked out so far, but they could continue the search in the same kind of range in 2013. One name to keep an eye on is Kawann Short at Purdue. He mostly disappointed this year, blowing hot and cold and struggling to dominate games. However, he has the size and unnatural speed to feature in the role. His inconsistent play could lead to a fall – he might be available in the 2nd/3rd round range. Arizona State’s Will Sutton is another mid-round option after a productive 10-sack season. His lack of size and ability versus the run is a slight concern though.

Even so, I still maintain they’d be better off trying to add a Starks or Melton for security. The maximum effectiveness of the defense is at stake here. A legitimate interior pass rush would open up so many opportunities for the LEO (Chris Clemons/Bruce Irvin). It would allow the Seahawks to keep rushing four in base defense. It would create many more turnover opportunities for a talented group of linebackers and defensive backs. As good as Seattle’s defense has been this year, it could be even better. By quite some way, too.

There are other possible ways to improve the pass rush via the draft. Jason Jones is a free agent and it’s unclear whether he’ll be retained for 2013. If the Seahawks want a bigger defensive end who can be flexible while also playing inside on nickel and passing downs, Alex Okafor at Texas could be the answer. He dominated Oregon State at the Alamo Bowl (see tape above) recording 4.5 sacks. He’s about 6-4 and 270lbs but could probably get up to the 275-280lbs range. He’s too big for a LEO, but his upper body power and quick feet could make him ideal for the Jason Jones-role.

The biggest issue with Okafor is consistency. He had 8.5 sacks for Texas during the regular season but drifted in and out of games and struggled to make a lasting impact for a disappointing defense. A lot of big-name Texas prospects have flattered to deceive and prior to the bowl game, it appeared Okafor would go down that route as well. Tony Pauline recently graded him in the 3rd/4th round range, but his performance against the Beevers increases his chances of being a day two pick.

On a slightly different note, take the chance to watch Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins against LSU tonight in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. It appears he’ll be declaring for the draft and he’s a legitimate late first round option for any team looking to add a receiver:

Sources tell me tonight will be the final college game for DeAndre Hopkins/WR/Clemson as he will enter the draft….

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) December 31, 2012

Meanwhile USC receiver Robert Woods also confirmed he will be turning pro:

#USC WR Robert Woods said he will enter NFL draft.

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) December 31, 2012

Happy New Year everyone!

In my last mock draft, I had Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State) going to the Seahawks. He’s a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who will clock a time in the 4.4’s or 4.5’s at the combine. And I think he’s ideal for the teams WILL position.

This isn’t taking anything away from Malcolm Smith, who might be on his way to winning the gig on a permanent basis. He’s looked very accomplished in two starts so far and he also has 4.4 speed and great familiarity with the system. He’s one of the few ex-USC guys to be drafted by Pete Carroll and clearly they believe he has a future on the team. His touchdown on special teams against Arizona was just reward for his efforts spelling the injured Leroy Hill.

However, unless he keeps the job for the rest of the year and continues to shine (Hill could return against Buffalo), I think we have to look at this position as an area where the team might spend an early draft pick next April.

I’m not afraid to admit I’m still learning what Carroll’s team is trying to do on both sides of the ball. I’ve looked closer than ever before this year, because I didn’t like how we handled the draft last season. We spent a lot of time trying to piece a pass rusher into the existing defense – and we were right to focus on that position as it turns out. However, we were looking at turning a DE or rush LB into a SAM and moving K.J. Wright inside. And that was clearly never the idea. In hindsight it makes perfect sense that they actually looked to replace Raheem Brock. We were maybe distracted by the specialist nature of that role, yet there was a stand-out ‘specialist’ available in the 2012 draft. If we’d worked this out last season, we might’ve been able to spend more time on Bruce Irvin after pumping his tires at the start of the year.

I need to highlight and learn from mistakes to make this a better blog. That was a big one.

I’ve watched the defense and attempted to understand the 4-3 under concepts a little better this year. It’s why I think upgrading the three technique is a big priority. It’s why I think they can get better at the WILL too. Alan Branch ticks two of the boxes required for his role at the three – he eats space, he can take on interior lineman and he plays well against the run. However, he doesn’t offer much penetration or pass rush. Until the Seahawks get pressure inside at that position, their base defense will struggle to have an impact when they only rush four. Which is most of the time.

Greater pressure from the three technique and therefore an improved overall pass rush ultimately means you can keep the linebackers in playmaking positions and you’ll get more out of the LEO concept. Red Bryant’s role in the team is still underrated. The Seahawks need size at the five technique to compensate for doubling up on the opposite side. A lot of the time Bryant has to take on two blockers (right guard/tackle). The fact the Seahawks aren’t dominated on the right side when the opposition runs the ball is credit to Bryant. In fact, teams try and avoid him. Brandon Mebane plays over the center. This puts you in a position to orchestrate 1v1 match-ups for the three and the LEO. It should be very hard to defend on that side, but you need that interior push to collapse the pocket. That’s when the speed off the edge will hurt an offense. Finding someone to collapse the pocket should be a priority for this team. If Miami’s Randy Starks reaches free agency and the price is affordable, he would be ideal for this role.

The Seahawks have upgraded two of the three linebacker positions to the scheme Carroll wants to run. K.J. Wright helps set the edge as the SAM, keeps contain and he can drop. Bobby Wagner is already showing just how adept he is to reading situations, flowing to the football and making plays. It’s no surprise that as the season’s progressed, he’s started to make more impact plays.

Carroll inherited Leroy Hill and he’s done a good job in the last three years. It’s easy to forget he was #2 for sacks last season – a testament to the lack of pass rush given he wasn’t asked to do a lot of rushing. He’s a good enough athlete to manage the WILL in this scheme but he’s not quite as explosive these days. There have been a few times when he’s located the ball and been first to make a key play. Ultimately though, it’s an area where the Seahawks can get faster with greater impact.

This is where Brown comes into play.

The video above shows a game from 2011 when Kansas State beat Robert Griffin III’s Baylor in the Big-12. By now you’re aware of RGIII elusive nature and his athleticism. I’d recommend watching the video to see how Brown matches up.

Kansas State’s defense has some similarities to Seattle’s. They have a lot of 4-3 under looks with a front four, a SAM at the LOS and two inside linebackers. Brown is the heart of the defense and appears to make a lot of calls. Bobby Wagner has nailed the MIKE position with his play this year, but it wouldn’t be much of an ask to switch Brown to the WILL. He’s got the speed. He’s got the field IQ. And he reacts quickly to swarm to the ball carrier.

Seattle’s defense isn’t asking the MIKE or WILL to rush the passer. They aren’t asking much of the SAM in that sense either. They want to create pressure with four rushers more often than not. My theory is it’s part of Pete Carroll’s determination to create turnovers. Whenever you can press with just four lineman, you’re going to have success. You’ve got more guys in coverage and your linebackers can read the situation, whether it’s reaching for a tipped pass, undercutting a route, reading a quarterback’s eyes or blowing up a run.

As much as I like Alec Ogletree’s athleticism and upside, Brown may be an equally good fit for this scheme. As a pure roamer, he’s top-notch. He’s busier, reading a play every second of the way and using instinct. He cuts through traffic well, avoiding blocks and closing quickly. For a guy who’s only 6-0 and around 225-230lbs, he takes on blockers well against the run. And like Ogletree, he’s got that sheer speed to run from sideline-to-sideline to make a play.

The Seahawks have had issues in some games defending third down. Brown can sniff out underneath routes by tracking running backs, but he’s also very good at floating at the second level and then reacting. Seattle has taken Leroy Hill off the field on a lot of third downs to play nickel, but with Brown on the roster I’d be tempted to keep him in either in a base look or instead of K.J. Wright. He’d be that much of an asset.

He does have some issues. At his size he’ll get engulfed sometimes against bigger lineman. You have to expect that. But then the Seahawks aren’t asking their linebackers to get too involved at the LOS. Can he cover a big tight end? We’ll see about that. He can get overly aggressive and make slight errors (missed tackles, overshooting his angle). There are times when – like a lot of college defenders these days – he goes for the glancing blow rather than the wrap-up tackle. Apart from that, I don’t see much to complain about.

In fact the biggest concern I have has nothing to do with on-the-field tape. It’s his shy nature. His back-story is fairly interesting. He started his college career at Miami as a big-time recruit. All the top schools wanted him, including Pete Carroll, Ken Norton Jr and USC. Carroll apparently told a representative of the Brown family that he was the best linebacker “he’d seen in seven years.” Brown chose the ‘Canes, seemingly due to their reputation as Linebacker-U. It never worked out, he struggled on the field and was on the brink of being labelled a bust.

Yet most of all, it seems being away from his family was the hardest obstacle to manoeuvre. They’re a close unit. His parents lost their first child before the age of 2. Brown and his brother Bryce (now a starting running back in Philadelphia) were seen as ‘miracles’. So much so, the elder brother was named after his father. Arthur Brown Junior. That’s his full name. Yet it took until his senior year to raise the possibility of having ‘Jr’ added to his jersey at Kansas State.

Kellis Robinett quotes Brown discussing the matter…

That made me so happy,” Brown said. “I have always wanted to play with my full name on my jersey. It’s a great way to honor my father and my whole family. But, for whatever reason, I never asked. I was afraid they would say no. I guess I just feel at home here. It turned out to be a really simple thing.”

A family man. But unusually lacking in confidence for such a talented athlete.

Kevin Haskin suggests it also played a part in why he never settled in Miami…

The desire to be closer to home certainly factored into Brown’s transfer to K-State.

“Coming out of high school I really didn’t know the value of family and staying connected to your life support,’’ Brown said. “Just those two years away helped me develop an appreciation for my family.’’

Nobody will mark this down as a major negative in terms of his character. However, I am a little concerned that being so far away from his family could be an issue. Seattle is a long way away. Both he and brother Bryce transferred from colleges (Miami/Tennessee) to move ‘back home’ and join Kansas State. Being able to adapt, remain focused and perform to the best of your abilities is crucial. Will Brown get homesick? It’s not something we can get enough information on to call a negative. But it is something I’d be looking into as a member of a personal department.

Pete Carroll will already know a lot about this guy, an edge he’s been able to exploit with a few players coming into the league already. And he may already know just how much of an issue this is (or isn’t). But I wanted to note it nonetheless. Having played at Kansas State, there aren’t many places further away than Seattle.

Assuming this isn’t a problem, Brown could be a tremendous addition to this defense. Some teams will be put off by his size. Not a lot of other blogs or pundits are talking about him as a first or even a second round pick. Yet we know Pete Carroll doesn’t care much for what other people think. He liked this guy coming into the college ranks. He might be checking him out again in the off-season and he could be on this teams radar.

Brandon Coleman would give the 2013 draft class some star power

Yesterday I wrote a piece about Cordarrelle Patterson and why he’s such an enigma. It got me wondering – what would the Seahawks look for in a receiver? There are so many different types of wide-out eligible for the 2013 draft, so what could they look for?

Adding to the mystery is the variety with which Seattle has chosen wide-outs during the Carroll/Schneider era. They looked at big pass-catchers (Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson) while utilising Mike Williams (6-5) as a primary receiver in 2010. He was essentially replaced by Sidney Rice (6-4). On the other hand, they spent a second round pick on Golden Tate (5-10) and he’s since developed into an integral part of the offense. Doug Baldwin (5-10) has also featured heavily as a third-down target, while others such as Charly Martin (6-1), Jermaine Kears (6-2), Braylon Edwards (6-3), Terrell Owens (6-3) and Ben Obomanu (6-1) have seen time on the field.

They’ve also spent big on the tight end position, investing millions in Zach Miller while also bringing along USC-grown Anthony McCoy. Kellen Winslow essentially had a ‘trial’ during pre-season and Evan Moore has taken some snaps after replacing Winslow on the roster. Seattle likes to use 2TE sets and we could see more of that implemented into the offense going forward.

There’s a variety of shapes and sizes there, making it hard to pin-down what the Seahawks might look for if they want to draft another target for Russell Wilson. Clearly, to me at least, they need to add some depth. Why else were they playing around with T.O.? Why else were they looking at Winslow and keeping Braylon Edwards on the roster until this week? There’s room for at least one more legit target and it was one of the few need areas the front office were unable to solve during the 2012 off-season.

Fortunately, the 2013 class looks rich in depth if not elite talent. There’s no A.J. Green or Julio Jones, but there’s a lot of talent to be had in the late first or second round. Working out who might interest the Seahawks is the hard part, especially since this is a front office that likes to keep you guessing.

Let’s go through some of the options…

Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers)

Size: 6-6, 225lbs

Speed: Capable of running away from defenders. Certainly above average for his size

Notes: Coleman has Megatron-type potential and if he declares for the 2013 draft, he has as much chance as anyone to crack the top-ten. He could be a superstar at receiver.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson)

Size: 6-1, 200lbs

Speed: Not elite by any means and he won’t run away from defensive backs on a deep route. Still quicker than fast and very sharp getting into his breaks.

Notes: Hopkins isn’t a physically dominating player, but he’s one of the smoothest receivers you’ll ever meet. He runs routes effortlessly, understands the Clemson offense and is Mr. Consistent. Fantastic production in 2012.

Markus Wheaton (WR, Oregon State)

Size: 5-11, 185lbs

Speed: He beat DeAnthony Thomas in a 100m race this year. Wheaton’s speed is one of his greatest assets.

Notes: Despite lacking size he’s very competitive and willing to get involved as a blocker. He’s a consistent playmaker and a big YAC threat. Compares very well to Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace.

Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee)

Size: 6-3, 205lbs

Speed: He could run a 4.3 at the combine.

Notes: X-factor player who scores cheap points. He’ll be an instant threat as a kick returner. He’s also inconsistent and undercooked. Still, only Brandon Coleman has more upside.

Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford)

Size: 6-6, 252lbs

Speed: As you’d expect for a tight end.

Notes: I’ve seen some people suggest he’s not a great run blocker, something I can’t agree with. Ertz is the total package at tight end and can stay on the field for any play call.

Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia)

Size: 5-8, 173lbs

Speed: Maybe even quicker than Markus Wheaton. He shifts through the gears with ease.

Notes: Size will concern some people, but Austin’s speed will intrigue others. He’ll need a package of plays and he goes beyond conventional thinking – but he’s fun to watch and scores touchdowns.

Robert Woods (WR, USC)

Size: 6-1, 190lbs

Speed: He doesn’t have explosive speed, but he has other qualities that make up for it.

Notes: Woods has improved his consistency this year, he’s competitive and chirpy and can make big plays with the ball in his hands. He’s underrated due to a lack of size.

Keenan Allen (WR, California)

Size: 6-3, 206lbs

Speed: He ran in the 4.5’s and 4.6’s at high school and has since added 20lbs. This could be an issue.

Notes: Allen lacks balance and control, he’s also not a quick receiver. On the plus side, he has decent size and plays with real intensity.

Justin Hunter (WR, Tennessee)

Size: 6-4, 205lbs

Speed: It’s good enough.

Notes: He has a playing style and frame similar to A.J. Green. But yeah, he isn’t A.J. Green.

Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame)

Size: 6-6, 251lbs

Speed: What you’d expect from a tight end.

Notes: He’s not a great blocker. He’ll go in the same kind of range as John Carlson and Kyle Rudolph.

This is just a sample, you could throw other names into the mix too. I’m not crazy about Terrance Williams at Baylor as an early pick which is why I left him out.

From the group, I think you can make a case for all. The Seahawks have looked for size at receiver and seem to like players who can win jump balls. When they drafted Golden Tate they cited his ability to compete for the ball in the air despite his size, and we’ve seen evidence of that this season.

At the same time, this is a quick-hitting passing offense that likes to take shots on play action. Getting separation downfield will help those big plays come off more often. Tate and Sidney Rice are no slouches, but there’s no true burner on the team and that’s maybe something they’ll look for regardless of size.

I also think they’d like to run a lot more 2TE sets similar to what we see at Stanford in the PAC-12. Anthony McCoy keeps showing flashes of quality that make you want to believe he can step up and become more of a consistent feature. But the fact is, the Seahawks are still using Zach Miller mostly for blocking and they’re not getting a great deal of production from the #2. A guy like Zach Ertz – who blocks as well as Miller and is a similar threat as a receiver – could help that situation and open up the offense. If you can use a formation that makes it look like you’ll run more often then not, the play action game will really threaten.

I’ll give you my take.

I like Markus Wheaton, DeAndre Hopkins and Robert Woods. A lot. And I think they’d find a way to be productive for this offense. I also think there’s a chance this team would entertain any of the three. Wheaton has the speed, Hopkins the polish and Woods the connection with Pete Carroll. However, I think three players stand out more than any others here.

Brandon Coleman could be a star in this league. He has the size and reach to win jump balls and he’s destined to be a real threat in the red zone. How do you over throw a 6-6 receiver with his wingspan? He’s an exceptionally big target with surprising speed. Look for any highlights of this guy and you’ll see him running away from defensive backs. Click here to see his 85-yard touchdown run against Louisville. He’s a 4.5 runner at 6-6 with YAC potential and I think he can run deep routes. If he declares – and he’s not indicated either way what his intentions are – then I suspect he’ll be rated very highly. A lack of pure production at Rutgers could push him into Seattle’s path. Stranger things have happened. Demaryius Thomas would’ve been a much earlier pick had he not played in the triple-option at Georgia Tech.

Zach Ertz would really open up Seattle’s offense. You could book-end Ertz with Zach Miller, play two receivers and give a run-look on most downs. It’ll give linebackers nightmares wondering whether they need to plug gaps against Mashawn Lynch or get into coverage to monitor two productive tight ends. This would probably keep things honest for Russell Wilson while also buying him time in the pocket. And he’d also have two reliable check-down options on third down – something that was an issue when Doug Baldwin was injured. The Seahawks showed a lot of interest on Coby Fleener’s pro-day last off-season. For me, Ertz is a superior player.

Cordarrelle Patterson is a pure difference maker. There aren’t many guys at 6-3/6-4 with his run-away speed and playmaking quality. He can score cheap points, change momentum and keep defenses guessing. Sure, he’s raw and needs to iron out a few kinks. He also has explosive ability to make big plays. And as we’ve seen this year more than any other, the Seahawks want quick strikes in their passing game. They seem to want to get defenses committing to the run only to beat them down field on play action. They want guys who can work within a trick play or package to get things rolling. Patterson might be one or two years away from being a consistent player you can rely on, but any time he’s on the field – even in year one – he’s a threat to score. And the Seahawks are a good enough team these days to consider a luxury like that. They’ve also shown they aren’t afraid to draft former JUCO prospects in round one (James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin).

This isn’t me committing to these three or saying the others are unlikely. I could sit here and make a case for drafting any of these guys. And as I mentioned, I have first round grades on Wheaton, Hopkins and Woods. I’m not totally convinced the Seahawks will target receivers in the first round, given John Schneider’s Green Bay background where they consistently hit on players taken in the second round. Yet I’m also not convinced they’ll avoid the position ‘just because’. It’s a need. And if value meets need in round one, there’s every chance they’ll make a move here.

I’ve included a video below for anyone wanting to learn more about Brandon Coleman. I wrote a piece about his potential a few weeks ago (click here) but the video has some background on his high-school recruitment and character.

Cordarrelle Patterson is a real head scratcher. Let’s start with the positives…

Elite size (6-3) and speed (could run a 4.3). Patterson looks the part of a true difference maker. In his first and likely only year at Tennessee, he set the SEC single-season record for combined kick=off and punt return yards at 27.6 per-attempt. His kick-off return average of 28 yards per-attempt ranks second all-time in the SEC for a single-season. He set a new school record for all-purpose yards in a season with 1,858. His 154.8 all-purpose yards per game led the SEC and ranked in the top-20 in the nation.

Patterson scored ten total touchdowns in 2012. Five as a receiver, three as a runner and one each on punt and kick off returns. He also completed a 28-yard pass.

Not even Tavon Austin can match up to this guy as a pure X-Factor player. Put the ball in his hands and he has a chance to score. He runs reverses, he takes snaps in the backfield, he can run deep routes, he gets separation, he has a great wingspan. There aren’t any Cordarrelle Patterson’s in the NFL right now. He is unique.

Add all of this together and you start to think he’ll be a top-15 pick. Then we come onto the negatives…

He has a lot of great plays in the highlights video at the top of this piece. What the video doesn’t include are the careless plays he had this year… Such as the sure-fire touchdown he had against Georgia, dropped to the ground in a moment of madness. Perfectly thrown pass by Tyler Bray. Five yards of separation on a downfield route. Only green grass and a nice big end zone in front. Ball dropped by Patterson, points squandered.

Then there’s the pick-six against Akron, where he simply didn’t show any enthusiasm breaking into his route and allowed the defensive back to get leverage and break on the football. He gave up and lost out. The quarterback takes the statistical hit, but the responsibility was on the receiver.

Patterson started the year in good form acting as a receiver. In the first three games he totalled 239 yards and two touchdowns against NC State, Georgia State and Florida. Eventually defensive coordinators watched the tape and decided to get physical. Against bigger, more aggressive corners he struggled. In the next five games he failed to top 31 yards, averaging two catches a game and only one touchdown. It took a 219-yard performance against a woeful Troy defense to break this slump and he went on to end the season strongly.

There were games where he just looked disinterested and disjointed, like he was waiting for a chance rather than creating one. So while he looked great when asked to return a kick-off or feature in the backfield, these were manufactured carries. Was it too much to ask to see this big, 6-3 receiver with elite speed actually make things happen?

The final concern comes with his personality. It’s hard to measure these things based purely on interviews, but Patterson isn’t a great talker. Watch Markus Wheaton and DeAndre Hopkins speak and you’ll find players willing to talk routes and praise their team-mates. Patterson doesn’t really show any of that. He’s incredibly raw, nervous and comes across a little immature. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be the next great diva of the wide-receiver fraternity. It might mean he finds it difficult to grasp a pro-offense quickly and avoid mental mistakes in key games. It could mean the attention and financial reward that comes with the NFL will be a major culture shock.

This is the classic ‘sods law’ problem with Patterson. He has everything needed to be a sensational pro-talent who breaks records and enjoys a fine career. He also has everything required to become an epic bust. Teams will have to judge whether they trust explosive physical skills and massive upside to overcome some of the negatives. Can you put him next to a team leader – such as a driven quarterback who works harder than anyone else on the team (eg – Russell Wilson) – and expect to see a maturation? And are you prepared to be patient and live with the occasional glaring error for the sake of longer term success?

I don’t want to overplay the maturity issues too much. After all, this is a guy with only a years experience in college football as a JUCO transfer. He was essentially a freshman this year. He also doesn’t have any major character red flags or run-ins with the law. You could argue he just needs time to develop into a professional adult.

If a head coach is given Patterson to work with as a prospective first or second round pick, he’d have to take baby steps. Let him return kicks so you feel some immediate impact. Create a handful of designed packages to get the ball in his hands. Don’t ask him to run too many complex routes in year one and make sure he’s studying that playbook and working overtime with the quarterback whenever possible.

Manage this guy properly and you could end up with a superstar. He’s big, fast, elusive and scores cheap points. Harness that into a more consistent and rounded football player and you’ll look pretty smart drafting him early. Try and give him too much to do too soon and he’ll become a luxury. Cordarrelle Patterson is an exciting prospect. He’ll have a higher ceiling and a lower floor than probably any other offensive player eligible for 2013. The question is – are you prepared to take the risk?

In terms of his skill-set he could be an option for the Seahawks. The offense is based around the run, but utilises quick strikes in the passing game. Patterson’s height, speed and ability to score cheap points would be an ideal fit. Pete Carroll has shown his willingness to draft ex-JUCO players in round one (James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin). Yet as much as his physical qualities tick all the right boxes, the character makes me want to take a step back. Carroll wants driven, passionate players who almost play with a chip on their shoulder. Does Patterson want to be great? Or will he settle for whatever situation presents itself in the NFL? That could be the determining factor here. And I’m not totally convinced Patterson desperately wants to me the leagues next great receiver. I hope I’m wrong, because he could be very, very good.

The whole point of doing these mock drafts is to create discussion points. I’m not trying to project the draft in December. That would be ridiculous. Please remember this. Please.

– I watched some of Kansas City’s game against Carolina on Sunday. As daft as it sounds for a team currently on pace for the #1 pick, they aren’t terrible. Far from it in fact. The offensive line is competitive. They have some X-factor weapons on offense. They have some key players on defense. They just don’t have a quarterback. And while the 2013 group doesn’t contain an Andrew Luck, they can still find a legitimate starter for the foreseeable future. So if KC picks first overall, they just need to identify who they prefer from Matt Barkley, Geno Smith and Tyler Wilson. The AFC West is weak enough for a bounce back year in 2013 if they can upgrade at quarterback. This has been an underwhelming year for Barkley, but how much of that is on Lane Kiffin?

– Markus Wheaton and DeAndre Hopkins are both listed in round one this week. Why? Because they’re both worthy of round one grades. Simple. While a lot of people want to concentrate on Keenan Allen (not included in the first two rounds here) and Justin Hunter (second round projection) I think Wheaton and Hopkins are the two players most likely to succeed from this receiver class. The only receiver who goes higher is Brandon Coleman. He has a much higher ceiling, but he’s likely to need a redshirt year in the NFL to max out his potential. Coleman has much more upside, but isn’t quite as polished in only his second year of college football.

– I have the Seahawks taking Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown. Pete Carroll paid a lot of attention to Brown during his USC days and he’s a sound option to replace Leroy Hill at the WILL position. The Seahawks like to do things their own way and think outside of the box. Brown isn’t an obvious first round pick within the media, but he is a very good football player. He’s intense, he’s got a nose for the ball. He glides from sideline to sideline and he makes plays. He hasn’t shown a great deal of pass rush at Kansas State, but the Seahawks aren’t using the linebackers that much to blitz and are generally relying on a four man rush. You can see tape of Brown’s performance against Miami at the top of this piece.

– In round two Seattle gets Purdue’s Kawann Short. Although I believe finding a three-technique upgrade for Alan Branch is probably Seattle’s greatest need, I’m not totally convinced it’s a position they’ll target in round one. They may even go after Randy Starks or Sedrick Ellis in free agency. Likewise, I’m not totally convinced they’ll consider the receivers in round one either. Although I wanted to put Wheaton or Hopkins at #22, John Schneider is used to the Green Bay way of doing things. The Packers have enjoyed great success finding receivers in round two or beyond. Expect this team to go searching for value after the first round, just like they did with Golden Tate. And if Wheaton or Hopkins last that far, the Seahawks should run to the podium. The recent production by Golden Tate and Sidney Rice is also making this less of a priority.

Enjoy.

First round

	#1 Matt Barkley (QB, USC) The Chiefs need a quarterback. They don’t have a terrible roster. And even if the value isn’t quite there, just solve this issue indefinitely.

	#2 Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State) The Jaguars need a pass rusher and Werner could steadily move up the boards after a 13.5 sack season.

	#3 Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame) The Raiders need to start drafting good football players. This will be a long rebuild.

	#4 Luke Joeckel (T, Texas A&M) Philly’s offensive line is, well, ‘offensive’. This is the starting point for a new era.

	#5 Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri) The more I watch of Sheldon Richardson, the more I’m reminded of Darnell Dockett.

	#6 Jake Mathews (T, Texas A&M) Although he’s playing at right tackle for the Aggies, he’s good enough to move across and play the blind side.

	#7 Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M) He’s having a great year and looks the part of a NFL rusher. He has 12.5 sacks in the SEC. That isn’t easy.

	#8 Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama) The complete cornerback. Milliner is vastly underrated.

	#9 Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia) All the messing around at quarterback this year cannot happen again.

	#10 Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon) He could go even higher than this if he explodes at the combine.

	#11 Tyler Wilson (QB, Arkansas) He looks like the kind of quarterback Chan Gailey would like to draft. He could be the best quarterback to enter the league in 2013.

	#12 Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah) Plenty of upside but he’s let down by his consistency. Not a great pass rusher… yet.

	#13 Chance Warmack (G, Alabama) A top-10 level talent who dominates every week for the Crimson Tide.

	#14 Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers) Sensational receiver who could be the next Megatron.

	#15 Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford) Not just a dynamic pass catcher, he’s also a top-end run blocker.

	#16 Jonathan Cooper (G, North Carolina) He’s just as good as Chance Warmack, if not better. He won’t last too long.

	#17 Eric Fisher (T, Central Michigan) The Rams need a left tackle and Fisher looks the part.

	#18 Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU) Perhaps not quite as good as some people want you to believe, but he’ll be a terror lined up across from DeMarcus Ware.

	#19 Ezekiel Ansah (DE, BYU) Another player who could shoot up the board with a great combine.

	#20 Alec Ogeltree (LB, Georgia) This would be a complete steal. He could have more upside than anyone else in the draft.

	#21 Matt Elam (S, Florida) Top talent who lasts this long only due to a lack of need. Elam’s a true playmaker in the secondary.

	#22 Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State) Just a good football player. The Seahawks like to do things differently. Pete Carroll liked this guy during his USC/recruiting days.

	#23 Taylor Lewan (T, Michigan) The next best tackle and the Giants need to fill this position long term.

	#24 Jonathan Jenkins (DT, Georgia) The ideal building block for a team looking to implement a 3-4 defense.

	#25 Dallas Thomas (G, Tennessee) Although he’s playing guard at Tennessee, he has history at tackle and is good enough to move outside again.

	#26 Jesse Williams (DT, Alabama) His best position could be the five technique in a 3-4 defense.

	#27 John Simon (DE, Ohio State) Just a really solid, blue-collar pass rusher.

	#28 Jarvis Jones (DE, Georgia) Baltimore are good enough to take a chance on Jones, whose spinal stenosis issue will put off some teams.

	#29 Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina) Terrific pass rushing defensive tackle.

	#30 Markus Wheaton (WR, Oregon State) A smart team will draft this guy in round one. He’s the second coming of Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace.

	#31 DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson) Like Wheaton, just an incredibly underrated player.

	#32 Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia) When you have a roster like Atlanta’s, why not go for an X-factor playmaker?

Second round

#33 Jacksonville – Robert Woods (WR, USC)
#34 Kansas City – C.J. Mosley (LB, Alabama)
#35 Philadelphia – Barrett Jones (C, Alabama)
#36 Carolina – Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee)
#37 Cincinnati – Jonathan Banks (CB, Mississippi State)
#38 Tennessee – Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida)
#39 Arizona – Justin Pugh (T, Syracuse)
#40 Detroit – Bradley Roby (CB, Ohio State)
#41 San Diego – Oday Aboushi (T, Virginia)
#42 Miami – Brennan Williams (T, North Carolina)
#43 Buffalo – New York Jets – Aaron Murray (QB, Georgia)
#44 Buffalo – Khaseem Greene (LB, Rutgers)
#45 St. Louis – Kenny Vaccaro (S, Texas)
#46 Washington – Shawn Williams (S, Georgia)
#47 Dallas – Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State)
#48 Minnesota – Bennie Logan (DT, LSU)
#49 Tampa Bay – Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame)
#50 Cincinnati – Le’Veon Bell (RB, Michigan State)
#51 Seattle – Kawann Short (DT, Purdue)
#52 New York Giants – Gavin Escobar (TE, San Diego State)
#53 Pittsburgh – Stepfan Taylor (RB, Stanford)
#54 Miami – Corey Lemonier (DE, Alabama)
#55 Green Bay – Montee Ball (RB, Wisconsin)
#56 Chicago – D.J. Fluker (T, Alabama)
#57 Baltimore – Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State)
#58 Denver – Giovani Bernard (RB, North Carolina)
#59 San Francisco – Jordan Poyer (CB, Oregon State)
#60 New England – Alex Okafor (DE, Texas)
#61 Atlanta – Jonathan Franklin (RB, UCLA)
#62 Houston – Levine Toilolo (TE, Stanford)

Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton deserves a high grade

There are players out there that get a lot of hype. There are better players who fly under the radar. Markus Wheaton falls into the second category.

It’s not hard to work out why he doesn’t get much attention. ESPN lists him at 6-1 and 182lbs – but Scouts Inc has him down at just 5-11. He plays for a solid Oregon State programme that doesn’t generate many national headlines. He’s a senior receiver in an era where top wide outs are leaving for the NFL as redshirt sophomore’s. None of that blows you away. Put on the tape, and you instantly see why this guy deserves more hype.

I’m sure you’re all aware of De’Anthony Thomas at Oregon. Want to know who runs faster than De’Anthony Thomas? Markus Wheaton.

Back in May both players competed in the 100 metres race at the Oregon Twilight track and field meet. Washington’s Ryan Hamilton finished first with a time of 10.51 seconds. Wheaton was second in 10.58, with Thomas third at 10.65. Granted it was ‘Black Mamba’s’ debut race and Wheaton is a senior, but a wins a win.

The speed flashes up on tape – see the video above for Wheaton’s performance against Arizona State this year. Yet it’s not the pure speed that intrigues me the most. It’s the maturity, the understanding he shows running routes and his willingness to try and make blocks downfield. Receivers get a reputation for being the diva’s of football – and for the most part that reputation is justified. Wheaton is the anti-diva. He’s humble. He’s a team player. And he makes plays.

This year he registered 1323 total yards and 13 touchdowns. Against UCLA, Stanford and Oregon – his three toughest match-ups this year – he managed 24 catches, 348 yards and two touchdowns. The only team to shut him down this season? Washington. The Huskies gave up just two catches for 25 yards (NOTE – Wheaton left the game early after a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit). Wheaton is three yards away from being listed among the top-ten receivers for yardage in college football. Another underrated receiver – DeAndre Hopkins at Clemson – is ranked at #9.

Want a comparison for Wheaton? How about Mike Wallace at Pittsburgh. They share similar physical attributes, they’re both capable of getting downfield and making plays. If you don’t want to pay a ton of money on the open market (if Wallace makes free agency next March), then consider drafting Wheaton instead. They’re very similar players. Wallace was a third round pick in 2009 – but undoubtedly would be a top-32 selection in a re-draft. Wheaton deserves to have a late fist or early second round grade too.

So what does he do well?

The first thing that stands out is the speed. He can get downfield and make plays, but given he’s not the biggest receiver he’s better working across the middle and making YAC. See the play in the video above at 0:43 where he runs a crisp route inside, makes the grab in traffic and just sprints away from the defense for a touchdown. He’s going to score cheap points at the next level simply due to his ability working in space.

You can use Wheaton in trick plays – as noted by the end around at 0:12. He finds the cut back lane and exploits it – exploding through the space and breaking off a big gain. There’s no reason why you couldn’t use him on a jet sweep, wide receiver screen or crossing pattern to get the ball in his hands and exploit that X-factor ability.

Check out the big running play at 1:25. Who’s sprinting downfield to make sure the runner finds the end zone? Markus Wheaton. The touchdown at 2:36 flashes his understanding of the offense and the route he needs to run. He’s on the same page as the quarterback, selling the route to the cornerback and then checking to grab the back-shoulder throw. Textbook completion for a score. At 3:34 he would’ve had another touchdown with a better throw. Wheaton beats his guy for speed and gets downfield with three yards of separation. The quarterback leads him to the sideline and he catches it – but a throw in front of the receiver and it’s a simple score.

Someone is going to draft this guy in the late first round or early second round. I think he deserves to be a top-32 grade and he’s probably the best 2013 eligible receiver if Brandon Coleman chooses to stay at Rutgers. Like I said, Mike Wallace type ability here. While people still wonder if Keenan Allen or Justin Hunter will crack the first round, keep an eye on this guy. A smart team will draft him early.

Seattle’s plans at quarterback ‘blown up’ by Russell Wilson?

The Seahawks have their quarterback of the future and his name is Russell Wilson. Any doubt was permanently removed as he engineered two long touchdown drives in Soldier Field on Sunday.

It’s not easy being a rookie quarterback. You have to act like a veteran and attempt to lead the team. Yet the more experienced and wealthier players in the locker room look back at you and think, “Who is this guy?” The way you win round the team and show you belong? Games like Sunday.

It’s not even a year since John Schneider was pleading for patience. He insisted the team wouldn’t panic in their search for a capable starting quarterback. They would bide their time. I’m not convinced he believed Seattle would’ve solved this issue by the end of 2012. Here’s my theory. Make of it what you will.

I suspect the Seahawks intended to go big on the quarterback position in 2013. They decided early in the process that the first round of the 2012 draft would be used to get a pass rusher – another key need. With three quarterbacks expected to go in the top ten last April, this would be a difficult problem for the Seahawks to solve. They weren’t going to chase the situation. Not yet, anyway.

Still, they had to do something. Tarvaris Jackson struggled as the starter and at the very least needed some healthy competition. When free agency opened, Seattle’s initial enquiry went to Chad Henne and a visit was schedule. He went to Jacksonville first and decided that was the right move to make. He stayed in Florida after starting his NFL career in Miami. Seattle – without many alternative options – arranged a visit with Matt Flynn.

At the time Flynn’s market was ice-cold. Touted as a prize asset following his big performance in relief of Aaron Rodgers, nobody picked up the phone until the Seahawks made their move several days into free agency. The interest didn’t really create a market. Miami arranged a visit but appeared lukewarm in their pursuit. And that was it. Flynn signed for the Seahawks on a deal worth $10m guaranteed.

I believe Schneider convinced Pete Carroll that Flynn could upgrade the position and handle things for at least a year. He could manage the situation. He could help the team continue it’s upward trend until they were ready to find that one player who could truly ’tilt the field’.

While they were unlikely to grab that guy in the first round of the 2012 draft, it didn’t stop them adding to the competition later on. Schneider targeted Russell Wilson specifically and Carroll bought into the concept and saw past the conventional wisdom that screamed a 5-10 quarterback couldn’t work. Wilson became the third part of this equation. Had another team come in for the Wisconsin quarterback before Seattle’s third round pick, I think they would’ve still targeted the position in rounds three or four. Kirk Cousins seems like a probable alternative.

The Seahawks went into the summer with three possible starting quarterbacks on their roster plus Josh Portis. Yet at the back of their planning, I still think they expected to have to wait to solve this issue in 2013. It would take Flynn, Jackson or Wilson to really blow the doors off to change that. And against the odds, Wilson has done it.

It’s not hard to think about who the Seahawks may have targeted in the 2013 draft. Pete Carroll speaks about Matt Barkley in the same way he talks about Wilson. In his Monday press conference this week, he was asked whether he’d worked with any other quarterbacks who had shown similar qualities to his current rookie starter. His answer?

“Matt Barkley was a guy… I talk about him a lot… but he was a guy that impressed me that was very, very comfortable with the position. Let me leave that for now.”

Carroll went on to talk about Wilson’s influence so far, checking his work ethic, relationship with his team mates and performance. He made a final reference saying he wasn’t totally surprised with Wilson’s success because he’d seen it happen with Barkley at USC. And I sensed, somewhere in the, “Let me leave that for now” was a tinge of disappointment. The realisation that any chance of working with Barkley has gone. Not that he’s likely to complain about that any time soon. As he often states, Wilson is the real deal.

Hey – maybe I’m reading too much into it. That was my reaction, though. And it fed my hunch that Carroll was probably zoned in on getting ‘his guy’ because he’d probably need ‘his guy’ by year four.

The relatively unexpected success in finding a starting quarterback in round three has probably put this regime ahead of schedule. Any expectations they had of drafting Barkley (or any other quarterback in round one next April) has been swept aside. Instead of looking for what many would consider the final piece of the puzzle – he’s already on the roster. He’s twelve games into his pro-career. By next year, he won’t have the rookie learning curve. The front office can target another area of the team for improvement in the early rounds of the draft.

If this theory has even a semblance of legitimacy, it could be the best failed plan in the history of the Seattle Seahawks. The third round guy who was too short for the NFL has solved the teams greatest need.

There are two reasons why I think Sheldon Richardson could end up being Seattle’s ideal 2013 draft pick. Firstly, the team needs to find a way to create more pressure using its base defense. The second reason was all down to something Pete Carroll said in one of his press conferences last week.

Red Bryant was a major doubt for the Chicago Bears game due to injury. When asked who would replace Bryant at defensive end, Carroll answered Alan Branch. Greg Scruggs would fill in at three technique.

Bryant is 323lbs and Branch is listed at 325lbs. I found it pretty fascinating that Carroll was so determined to keep size at that position. He could’ve started Scruggs or Jason Jones at defensive end – with both seemingly capable of acting as a more orthodox five-technique. Instead he wanted to move an interior lineman to the outside at the expense of giving up 50lbs at tackle.

The role of Bryant has become pretty integral to this team. While some fans have questioned his impact this year, especially in light of the inconsistent pressure up front, there’s no doubt that Carroll intends to stick with this plan. He wants Bryant outside for a reason (we’ll come on to that in a moment). As a result, he’s also prepared to have a pretty unbalanced pass rush when using the base defense.

We discussed last week how important it was for Seattle to find more pressure within this scheme. Carroll and Gus Bradley are only rushing four most of the time. They aren’t blitzing all that much. It seems to me that they want to max out the potential for turnovers by playing tight against the run on early downs and putting teams into 3rd and long situations. And when they’re in third and long, they turn to speed. Bruce Irvin and Jason Jones join Chris Clemons for the ‘money down’. You can play nickel, you can create a situation where the chances of a turnover are increased. Quick pressure, force the mistake and have enough people in coverage to capitalise. It makes a lot of sense.

However – when teams are prepared to pass on early downs, quarterbacks are having a lot of time in the pocket. In the base defense, the line consists of Bryant, Branch, Clemons and Brandon Mebane. That’s a lot of size, but also a total reliance on Clemons for pressure. If you’re keeping Bryant in the line-up – and Pete Carroll is keeping Bryant in the line-up – the only place you can upgrade to create more pressure is defensive tackle.

The 4-3 under defense that Carroll is using lends a lot of weight to the philosophy created by Monte Kiffin. You shift the tackles away from the heart and strength of the offensive line, thus making it very difficult to double team the three-technique tackle. The nose tackle (Brandon Mebane) plays off the shoulder of the center. That, theoretically, creates a situation where the three technique and the LEO (Chris Clemons) are in 1vs1 situations with the left guard and left tackle. And that’s where the team is going to have success.

It does leave you light on one side of the line, which is why I think they like Red Bryant so much. He’s a space eater, he draws attention. And with the rest of the line favouring one side, there’s always the possibility you become easy to run against. Bryant takes away that advantage with his size. So while we can sit here and complain about a lack of pass-rush, Bryant is actually doing his job by simply stopping this team getting gashed consistently. He makes everything else tick. And his role will increase in importance the moment Seattle actually has a three technique who creates pressure.

Alan Branch isn’t a terrible defensive tackle. He’s just not a pass rusher. He’s playing 20-30lbs heavier than a prototypical three-technique and he doesn’t get a lot of penetration. Seattle should try and retain Branch as a useful rotational piece and a potential backup if Bryant or Mebane goes down. But really, he has to be upgraded on the base defense for this unit to maximise its potential. The Seahawks need a 290-300lbs three technique who won’t give up the run advantage they get with Branch, but can also take advantage of the scheme. As soon as you get someone collapsing the pocket inside, that’s when you’ll see the best of this defense.

Missouri’s Sheldon Richardson fits the bill to a tee.

I’ve seen him listed between 6-2 and 6-4 and anywhere between 290-295lbs. He has quite a solid, compact frame and ticks all of the boxes you’d look for from an interior rusher. He’s not a one trick pony and will mix up his speed and bull rushes. He has an explosive first step and he’s the most competitive defensive tackle I’ve seen since Ndamukong Suh. How many defensive tackles go for an interior pass rush, see the ball thrown to the sideline and then go after the receiver to try and make a play? Richardson is a tremendous athlete with an unmatched motor. He’s sparky, he wants to win and he gets in your face. That’ll rub some coaches and GM’s up the wrong way, but that’s exactly how you need to be to play this position.

Given the long list of positives, how is there any chance he falls anywhere close to Seattle’s pick? There are some perceived ‘downsides’. He’s pretty outspoken. He labelled Georgia’s style of play as ‘old man football’ in a press conference before the season opener. Georgia won handsomely. He talked trash about Alabama too, before Missouri were well beaten by the dominating Crimson Tide. Some GM’s won’t like that. It’s worth noting, Richardson backed up his words on both occasions. He played very well in both games. Perhaps he just needs a supporting cast good enough to back up his chatter?

There are other issues. He was suspended for a game this year for ‘unspecified reasons’, although Edward Aschoff at ESPN reported the following:

Sources close to the program told ESPN.com that Richardson was suspended because he missed a class multiple times and refused to go through the punishment given to him for missing the class.

He’s a former JUCO transfer and also missed spring practice and some of summer camp in 2011 while dealing with the NCAA on eligibility issues. Scouts INC also wrote the following in their report on Richardson: “Mental capacity and maturity level are being closely investigated by NFL scouts.”

Basically, Tim Ruskell probably wouldn’t draft this guy. Other active GM’s in this league might share that opinion. Richardson has the talent to be a top-ten pick, but could he drift into the teens or even the early 20’s due to character red flags? The depth at defensive tackle won’t work in his favor if concerns linger. Any team looking at the position in the top-20 will have multiple options. Even so, it’ll still be a big win for the Seahawks if he does make it to their pick, which appears likely to be in the second half of round one given the current 7-5 record.

And if you’re wondering just how well he fits a defense heavily influenced by Monte Kiffin, consider that he originally committed to USC in 2010. He failed to qualify at Missouri academically and spent two summers at the College of Sequoias in California. It’s during that time he decided to play for the Trojans. The reason? According to reports, he believed Kiffin’s guidance and the system at Southern Cal would best prepare him for the NFL. Eventually he reneged on that decision and chose Missouri. However, having played JUCO football in the state Pete Carroll coached and as a former 5-star recruit, he’s probably a player Seattle’s Head Coach has the inside track on. And if Carroll wants any further advice, I’m sure he’ll be on the phone to Monte Kiffin – who many are touting for a role with the Seahawks following his resignation at USC.

I’ve posted tape of Richardson versus Florida at the top of this piece. For three other games, click on this article and scroll to the bottom.

Check out the explosion off the snap at 2:10 in the video above. That’s elite anticipation and the kind of speed and burst the Seahawks are lacking at tackle. He’s into the backfield before his blocker – Chaz Green – has got out of his stance. Green, if you’re wondering, is a player considered by many to have future first round potential as an offensive tackle. Richardson hits the running back for a huge loss.

At the 2:50 mark, he blocks a field goal – getting a great push off the snap and sticking out an arm to deflect the kick. You can see a good example of his closing speed at 3:23, when he loops back around then initiates contact with a lineman and appears to be stopped. However, he disengages and still manages to hit the quarterback on a diving tackle to force an incomplete pass. Wondering how difficult Florida found it to stop Richardson in this game? Check out the ‘tackle’ by the interior lineman at 5:55 that drew a holding call. And if you want evidence of his work rate and willingness to look for the ball carrier, check his hussle at 6:53 to get the ball carrier down after two Missouri missed tackles.

Getting a player like Richardson in the line-up would enable the Seahawks to create more pressure on early downs, it’d help the LEO become more effective and the increased pass rush would likely increase the number of sacks and turnovers. This is by far the teams biggest need going into the off-season this year. Get a player like Richardson, and this team takes the next step on defense.

Of course, there are always alternatives. This is a deep class for defensive tackles as I mentioned. Plus I just have a hunch the Seahawks will monitor Randy Starks’ situation in Miami. The Dolphins might have to use the franchise tag on Jake Long, making it harder to keep Starks on the roster. He wouldn’t be cheap, but I can’t think of a more precious free agent signing for this team if he hits the market. Addressing this need pre-draft would allow the Seahawks to potentially concentrate on other areas such as linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver, tight end or the offensive line.

Brandon Coleman is 6-6 and runs away from defensive backs

The Seahawks passing game has come a long way in recent weeks. Russell Wilson looks increasingly comfortable, Sidney Rice and Golden Tate are making plays and the tight ends are getting more involved too. However, the team is still ranked 31st in the NFL for yards per game. Is that an issue?

In many ways, absolutely not. Pete Carroll’s vision for the offense is based around a strong running game and by nature the Seahawks are not going to be throwing as much as other teams. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson – however good he’s looked recently – is still a rookie. The team is unlikely to burden him with too much of a workload. He’s averaging 25 throws a game and that seems about right for this offense. They have a good thing going at the moment with Wilson – and more throws won’t necessarily mean even more success. It could just as easily have a detrimental effect.

The Chicago Bears, surprisingly, are the one team in the NFL averaging less receiving yards per game than the Seahawks. That’s a team with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. They also sport an 8-3 record. The teams averaging the most yardage are the Detroit Lions (4-7) the Dallas Cowboys (5-6) and the New Orleans Saints (5-7). The Oakland Raiders are ranked eighth in the league for passing yards. Do we need to continue? Clearly receiving yards per game is a pretty irrelevant statistic when it comes to winning games.

In order to become a contender, the Seahawks need to find consistency. They have a good defense, a good offense and they can make plays on special teams. When all three units come together (vs New England, Dallas, New York), the results have been very promising. Too often, however, an entire unit has struggled and undermined the efforts of the others. Against Arizona and St. Louis, the offense never really got going and Seattle lost two very winnable games. The defense had their turn against Detroit and Miami, playing poorly in two last second defeats.

We’re unlikely to see that consistency emerge this season. You can’t rule it out – the New York Giants found it late last year and made a 9-7 record into a Super Bowl-winning season. The chances are this is a team that will continue to grow, be a bit frustrating for another year or two and like Atlanta or Houston, eventually emerge into a formidable outfit. Let’s not forget Seattle sports one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, with first or second year pro’s at many key positions.

Within that year or two, they’re going to have the opportunity to keep adding talent. And this is where we come back to the receiver situation. We’ve established the Seahawks don’t necessarily need to significantly improve their passing yards per game average, but are they still lacking that game changing receiver?

Matt Schaub (#13) and Andy Dalton (#15) are safely in the middle of the pack for passing attempts among starting quarterbacks. Yet the players they’re throwing to most – Andre Johnson (#3) and A.J. Green (#5) – are ranked much higher for production. Remember Jay Cutler and that league worst passing offense in terms of production? Cutler ranks #26 in the league for attempts (one place above Russell Wilson at #27) and yet Brandon Marshall is #6 in the NFL for receiving yards. Josh Freeman is #19 for attempts, Vincent Jackson is #9 for yardage. Seattle’s most productive receiver – Sidney Rice – is currently ranked #54 in the league for yardage. Golden Tate is at #80. Both players are behind Brandon LaFell, Donny Avery, Jeremy Kerley and Nate Washington.

It’d be unfair to be overly critical of Rice or Tate as both are doing fine jobs for Seattle in recent weeks. They’ve both been responsible for key victories. But is this an offense that lacks that one dynamic target? Someone who can feature alongside Rice and Tate and at least register enough yardage to overtake Greg Olsen for production? Someone who can work their way into becoming one of the most threatening pass-catchers in the league? The Seahawks might not need a hugely productive passing game overall to win, but they may need a better #1 target for Wilson. Of the top 15 receivers in the NFL for production, 12 feature on teams with at least a 7-4 record.

There’s likely to be a good crop of receivers available in next years draft. Markus Wheaton, Robert Woods and DeAndre Hopkins are all underrated due to a lack of elite size. Cordarrelle Patterson is a home-run hitter with game changing abilities. There are other players, such as Justin Hunter, who failed to live up to expectations in college but maintain an attractive skill set. There are tight ends like Tyler Eifert and Gavin Escobar who will probably be available after the first round.

However, the two players I’d focus on when looking for a dynamic passing threat are two players we’ve discussed already on this blog – Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers) and Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford).

Coleman would be a work in progress and wouldn’t guarantee an early return if you draft him in round one. He plays like a redshirt freshman featuring in an offense that likes to run the ball as a priority. It’s easy to overvalue players based on college production – not every player is fortunate enough to feature in an extreme spread, air-raid offense. A.J. Green started three years at Georgia and never had a 1000 yard season. Justin Blackmon had 1782 yards in 2010 alone. In two years at Rutgers, Coleman has just 56 receptions for 1215 yards. More importantly though, he has 16 touchdowns – including ten this year.

He remains relatively inexperienced and he may hit a steep learning curve in the NFL. He’s going to have to learn to run a lot of different routes, he won’t be able to rely as much on pure size and reach (he’s 6-6 and 225lbs). However, Coleman is the most physically impressive receiver you’ll see not named Calvin Johnson.

You want to know what he’s capable of? If you missed Rutgers’ game against Louisville last night, check out this 85 yard touchdown on the Scarlet Knights’ first offense snap of the night. He makes a difficult grab between two defensive backs, turns up field and out-runs the defense. He’s sprinting away from cornerbacks at 6-6 and 225lbs. At that size he’s naturally going to be a threat in the red zone and you’re going to be able to ‘pull a Matt Stafford’ by throwing passes only Coleman has any chance of completing. Yet he has that extra dimension of being a tremendous open field runner and YAC specialist despite the height. He’s a rare specimen.

It’s not clear whether he intends to declare for the draft or not at this stage, but he is eligible and would clearly be the best receiver among the 2013 class. He’s a player whose best football will come in the NFL. He has the opportunity to be a superstar. For more information and game tape, see this piece I wrote on Coleman back in October.

Ertz is a very different player entirely. He has similar height (6-6, 252lbs) but would play tight end at the next level with a lot of blocking responsibility. While it might not seem like an obvious direction for a team looking for a difference making receiver, it’s worth noting how crucial the tight end position is becoming in the league. Of the top-40 receivers for yardage right now, six are tight ends. Everyone has seen the impact of Rob Gronkowski (6-6, 265lbs) and Jimmy Graham (6-7, 265lbs). The great thing about Ertz is he’s over 10lbs lighter and yet still run blocks better than both players did entering the league.

It’s rare to see such a strong blocking tight end playing with Ertz’s frame. Stanford are able to keep him at the line for any play call – run or pass – and it completely opens up their playbook. Ertz leads the Cardinal for receiving yards with 818 from 63 receptions – and yet he plays an equally crucial role blocking for the vastly underrated Stepfan Taylor (Seattle should be all over that guy, even if running back isn’t a need). Crucially in terms of his NFL stock, Ertz is capable of lining up as a pure receiver or in the slot. The entire NFL is looking for a tight end with Ertz’s skill set. He could be the next great, productive tight end in the league.

With Seattle running the ball as much as they do and trying to exploit the play action passing game, Ertz could become Russell Wilson’s best friend. And while it might not lead to the kind of partnership that dominates the highlight reels, there’s no reason why Ertz couldn’t come in and instantly become a productive pass catcher and blocker. He looks NFL ready, more so than another former Cardinal tight end Coby Fleener. The Seahawks essentially could use Ertz and Zach Miller in the same way Stanford uses Ertz and Levine Toilolo – providing a big boost to the running game and developing the play action game they like to utilise so much.

And as always – the most important thing is touchdowns rather than yardage. Like Coleman, Ertz excels in this area with 15 career scores.

Both players will have to declare for the draft to gain consideration for 2013. Both players may leave the board within the top-15 picks if they do turn pro. But if the Seahawks are looking for another dynamic receiving option, these two players will probably be near the top of the list. Along with the top defensive tackles (Sheldon Richardson, Star Lotulelei, Sylvester Williams) and the top linebackers (Alec Ogletree, C.J. Mosley) – the likes of Coleman and Ertz could be near the top of Seattle’s draft board next April.

Note – Sheldon Richardson turning pro

No surprises that Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson announced today he will enter the 2013 draft. He’s had a terrific year and only some lingering character concerns will keep him out of the top-15 picks. He’d be an ideal fit for the three-technique in Seattle and he’s one to focus on during the draft process. Expect a number of non-Bowl eligible prospects to announce their intentions now that we’re getting into December. And also keep an eye on the top underclassmen who are competing in the bowls. They’re always liable to reveal their intentions in post-game press conferences.

Below I’ve included Richardson’s tape vs Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia: