I’ll add a second round projection tomorrow and we’ll do one more seven-round mock before the draft. This time next week I’ll post a final mock draft to be sent to the Huddle Report for scoring.
#1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jameis Winston (QB, Florida State)
This feels like a done deal. The big question is whether the Buccs trade back into the first for a left tackle. It’ll only cost a later round pick to move back into day one. It seems like the logical thing to do. Winston has the weapons at receiver but he’ll need protecting.
#2 TRADE San Diego Chargers — Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon)
I had Cleveland trading into this spot last week so we’ll go with the Chargers today. Both teams seem to be in contention. San Diego is facing one more year with Philip Rivers before a possible divorce. If they like Mariota enough, this deal makes sense. The Titans get Rivers and the #17 pick. San Diego receives the #2 and possibly some extra compensation. Cleveland’s two first round picks are enticing — but the Titans would still be missing a quarterback. They’d surely prefer a deal that lands Rivers?
#3 Jacksonville Jaguars — Dante Fowler Jr (DE, Florida)
I still think there’s a chance they go Amari Cooper or Kevin White here. They drafted two receivers last year but neither looks like a true difference maker. The Jaguars had the #6 pass rushing team in the NFL in terms of production. Gus Bradley’s scheme has manufactured pressure. However, Fowler Jr is a fantastic player. You can line him up anywhere — D-end, inside, outside linebacker. He’s a true playmaker.
#4 Oakland Raiders — Leonard Williams (DE, USC)
It’d be a tough call between Amari Cooper and Williams. Some teams are going to have Williams as the unquestioned #1 prospect in the draft. Oakland signed Michael Crabtree recently to act as a safety net for Derek Carr. They can jump back into the first relatively easily and still land a receiver. They won’t find a player like Williams beyond this spot.
#5 TRADE Miami Dolphins — Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama)
With Cooper dropping to this spot the Dolphins, who are looking to make a splash, go up to get their guy. They traded away Mike Wallace and lost Charles Clay. They have to land a big-time receiver for Ryan Tannehill. They jump above the division rival Jets in a deal similar to the Sammy Watkins trade. They give Washington their 2016 first round pick.
#6 New York Jets — Todd Gurley (RB, Georgia)
The Jets have a loaded defense and Todd Bowles didn’t need any flashy outside rushers in Arizona. The key is having a good secondary to cover the back-end when blitzing. They have all the pieces to succeed. What they don’t have is a functioning offense. So what do they do here? They already traded for Brandon Marshall. Gurley is reportedly making fantastic progress as he recovers from a knee injury. He’s always been a top-10 talent.
#7 Chicago Bears — Kevin White (WR, West Virginia)
They could look at the edge rushers and Randy Gregory looks like a really nice fit at outside linebacker. However, they have a new need at receiver and Kevin White is sitting there. Someone is going to take White early. He won’t last long.
#8 Atlanta Falcons — Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson)
It’s all about the defense in Atlanta. They need to be tougher, they need to be more explosive. Beasley is a unique combination of fantastic athleticism and unreal college production. He’s strong for his size and only just getting started. He could be a major impact player in 2015.
#9 New York Giants — Bud Dupree (LB, Kentucky)
Although he’s better suited for the 3-4 teams at outside linebacker, Dupree could play the Bruce Irvin role in New York. He can line up at linebacker on early downs and move up to the LOS to rush the passer.
#10 St. Louis Rams — Brandon Scherff (T, Iowa)
The Rams could make the O-line their priority. Will they take a second lineman in round two? Would they even consider moving back into the first for the right player? It’s time for St. Louis to deliver and be a bit more aggressive.
#11 Minnesota Vikings — Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan State)
The Bengals drafted multiple first round corners for Mike Zimmer and the Vikings could use a similar approach. Waynes is a nice fit for the scheme — he’s physical, long and fast.
#12 Cleveland Browns — Devante Parker (WR, Louisville)
Cleveland’s offense looks like a sorry mess. Do they have any faith in Johnny Manziel? Can they really get anything out of Josh McCown? If they can’t trade up for Mariota, what is plan B? Surely they’d have to consider one of the receivers here?
#13 New Orleans Saints — Danny Shelton (DT, Washington)
Sean Payton says they need plug-in-and-play defenders. Shelton is tailor-made to slot right into a 3-4 scheme. New Orleans can’t really go wrong here — they have needs at nose tackle, outside linebacker and five-technique. They’ll have plenty of options.
#14 Washington Redskins — Byron Jones (CB, Connecticut)
Jones is an incredible athlete and the tape isn’t bad either. Don’t be shocked if a team falls in love and drafts him in the top-15.
#15 San Francisco 49ers — Arik Armstead (DT, Oregon)
There’s still a big question mark over whether Justin Smith will retire. Even if he continues, it’s probably only for one more year. The 49ers bolster the defensive line knowing they need to take a linebacker in round two.
#16 Houston Texans — Melvin Gordon (RB, Wisconsin)
Don’t be shocked if Gurley and Gordon both go in the top-20. They’re good enough. Houston can’t rely on Arian Foster these days and they quietly have a nicely rounded roster. While they continue to make do at quarterback they need to compensate elsewhere. Gordon can lead the way. Teams will love his workaholic attitude.
#17 Tennessee Titans — Breshad Perriman (WR, UCF)
Philip Rivers has always had big, fast targets in San Diego. The Titans met with Perriman recently and if they make a deal to add Rivers, they need to get him a genuine weapon.
#18 Kansas City Chiefs — D.J. Humphries (T, LSU)
The top four receivers are off the board so they look elsewhere. O-line is just as much of a need. Humphries is the best pure-left tackle prospect available and this allows Eric Fisher to focus on the right tackle spot.
#19 Cleveland Browns — Malcom Brown (DT, Texas)
After taking a receiver at #12 they know they need to enhance their defensive line. Brown is a terrific prospect who just makes plays. He’s tough enough to play the run and he’s an underrated pass rusher.
#20 Philadelphia Eagles — Nelson Agholor (WR, USC)
Jeremy Maclin’s replacement. Agholor is tough, gritty, incredibly athletic and polished. He was a genuine 5-star recruit and flew to the west coast because he wanted to compete against Marqise Lee and Robert Woods. That says everything you need to know. Teams will love him.
#21 Cincinnati Bengals — La’el Collins (T, LSU)
Whether they play him at right or left tackle, this is good value. Collins looked superb at the combine. Minimal body fit, great size, good athlete. He was a team captain at LSU.
#22 Pittsburgh Steelers — Kevin Johnson (CB, Wake Forest)
There’s a feeling Pittsburgh will go corner here. I personally prefer Jalen Collins and Marcus Peters — but Collins has a lingering injury issue and Peters has the character concerns. Pittsburgh has traditionally avoided character flags in round one over the last few years.
#23 Detroit Lions — Eddie Goldman (DT, Florida State)
Fantastic compliment to Haloti Ngata. Goldman was probably FSU’s best player in 2014. He’s immovable against the run and isn’t shy when it comes to splash plays. Goldman + Ngata isn’t Ndamukong Suh, but it gives the Lions a great chance to retain a very productive defense.
#24 Arizona Cardinals — Randy Gregory (LB, Nebraska)
There’s still every chance someone pulls the trigger in the top ten. It could be the Jets, the Bears or even the Falcons. If he falls, the Cardinals could end the slide.
#25 Carolina Panthers — Andrus Peat (T, Stanford)
They know their priority is to find a starting left tackle in this class. Peat is an odd shape and doesn’t look like a left tackle — but on tape he’s extremely accomplished and should be a long-term starter.
#26 TRADE St. Louis Rams — Cam Erving (C, Florida State)
The Ravens move down knowing they can fill their needs on day two. The Rams make an aggressive move to get back into the late first and select Cam Erving — a player unlikely to reach pick #41. The Rams give up a third rounder to make the deal.
#27 Dallas Cowboys — Marcus Peters (CB, Washington)
Any defensive pick has to be applauded really. They get Peters who provides the kind of physical edge they want to maintain going forward.
#28 Denver Broncos — Ereck Flowers (T, Miami)
This would be one of the best picks in the draft. Flowers is underrated because he has a quirky kick-slide and doesn’t look all that natural. He’s extremely effective however — and flashes the ability to drive people off the line in the running game.
#29 Indianapolis Colts — Benardrick McKinney (LB, Mississippi State)
There’s quite a bit of buzz around McKinney — who would slot into the inside linebacker position for the Colts. They could also target Landon Collins to play safety.
#30 TRADE Oakland Raiders — Phillip Dorsett (WR, Miami)
The Raiders wanted to sign Randall Cobb. Dorsett isn’t an identical comparison but they share similar traits (safe hands, extremely fast, know how to get open). The Packers probably want to move down before taking the top inside linebacker on their board. Reggie McKenzie knows enough people in Green Bay’s front office to make this happen for a modest outlay.
#31 New Orleans Saints — Shane Ray (DE, Missouri)
The issue for Shane Ray is I suspect many teams will like him — they just won’t love him. He’s undersized and had a disappointing workout at the Missouri pro-day. He might slip a little as teams address bigger needs and debate what his best fit is.
#32 New England Patriots — Eric Rowe (CB, Utah)
The Pats watched their two starting corners walk away in free agency. Rowe is big and athletic. They need to address this position early or risk missing out altogether.
Players dropping into round two
Landon Collins (S, Alabama)
He didn’t light up the combine as many expected. He played well in 2014 but is he a special talent? There’s not a lot of buzz here right now.
Jalen Collins (CB, LSU)
He sat out the LSU pro-day with a broken foot. That could be costly as he competes with the likes of Kevin Johnson, Marcus Peters and Eric Rowe to make it into the late first round. He’s extremely talented, though.
Eli Harold (DE, Virginia)
One of my personal favorite prospects in this class. He could easily be the pick for a team like Arizona (#24) or Baltimore (#26). He won’t last long in round two if he falls.
I think you are tapping into something. I do think that Rivers is going to be traded to the Titans and Whisenhunt and SD takes Mariota. Whis needs his guy to even have a chance to keep his job – and San Diego needs to retool. Since Rivers won’t renegotiate his deal, SD can’t lose him without getting something for him.
But here is my fun first round draft trade – a 3 way trade – Titans – Philly and SD – San Diego gets Sam Bradford, Titans get Rivers and the Chipper takes Mariota with the second pick. Of course, some other picks fly around with this – but Whis gets his guy Rivers, SD gets a young, talented QB – but not inexperienced, because they have some talent – and Chipper gets to run his offense.
Can you imagine san Diego taking Bradford and watching mariota as Bradford gets his knee or something else destroyed….
CC that 3 way trade makes a ton of sense for everyone but Philly would probably have to throw in next years #1 to SD .
I think you could be onto something !
I’m sure there are the point system on doing this – but it makes sense from my couch :o)
Well I’m just going to say it because it needs to be said – NYJ taking Gurley at 6 is an inspired and gutsy call. I caught the newsline that he’s expected to be ready for Week 1, and he is a top 10 pick when healthy. He’s also talented enough to take a lot of pressure off Smith (or Fitz?). They’re a little long in the tooth at some OL positions, but they can find good talent in the middle of the draft.
With Gurley, Gang Green looks pretty interesting.
I know I said DGB is the only player worth trading up for, but Eli Harold slipping to the 40s? Geez I dunno.
Amen to that. Eli Harold would definitely be worth moving up for.
Yep
Yeah, you can never have too many pass rushers….he’d have to hit the 50s though I’d think before the draft capital our FO would have to part with would make sense
Very interesting mock… This is probably the most realistic mock draft I’ve seen recently.
What JAC will do at #3 is key to shaping the 1st round.
AZ & STL fill their need(s) and get value at the same time. Ughh.
Although unlikely, I would be ecstatic to see Jalen Collins, Eli Harold, and DGB fall to our 2nd round sweet spot @ 50.
Rob – Was this mock done before or after the news of Greg Hardy’s suspension?
There’s also a good chance that Eli Harold would be the Cowboys’ pick at 27 since Hardy will be out for 10 games (if he doesn’t win the supposed appeal he’s filing)
I completed the mock just before the news broke. I won’t change the pick but you’re right — it certainly brings Harold into play at #27.
What the league should of done was force Hardy to pay back the money Carolina paid him last year instead.
Seeing how Jeremiah had Jalen Collins, and to a lesser degree Eli Harold sliding, it made me wonder whether the Hawks might target one of these players with at trade. We have been talking a lot about them trading up.
Corner could be a need, depending on how they view Simon, and I for one would be ecstatic if they drafted Jalen Collins.
Williams to OAK seems like such a nice fit. No doubt he could be their pick.
But I can’t shake the image of Amari Cooper in silver and black.
WR is OAK’s #1 need. DT isn’t even the #1 need on D; DE is a bigger hole to fill, although Williams can play the edge. IF JAX doesn’t take Fowler, it’d be hard for OAK to pass on him.
Oakland do trade back into round one for Philip Dorsett in this mock.
That would upset the Saints, I completely believe it would upset them. They may think of taking a DGB.
The trades are great, how come you have Shane Ray dropping so far? Also Landon Collins went to Alabama. Can’t wait for 9 days from now.
Thanks for the heads up on Collins. I’ve been mocking him to Pittsburgh for so long I guess I know imagine him as a Steeler 🙂
On Ray — I like him. I think a lot of teams will. But maybe they don’t ‘love’ him. He didn’t perform well at the Mizzou pro-day. You’re talking about a slightly smaller, gutsy pass rusher who lacks fantastic athleticism. What is his best position?
There’s usually one guy who drops a bit lower than expected. I think it could be Shane Ray.
I for one would love to see Ray featured in the Nick Reed role for Seattle.
Quasi iconic hero? Preseason wonder? Just joking!
STL invited 15 offensive prospects to their facility, 12 of which are OL, so I totally see them tapping OL twice early, even trading up to have 2 R1 OL picks. It’s a Les Snead tactic.
I’m just getting tired of seeing them add multiple R1 picks to their OL/DL.
Why if it keeps them from solving their QB issues in all about it
After losing Kenny Still and Jimmy Graham the New Orleans Saints have to give Brees someone to throw to. I see them taking the best receiver on the board which happens to be Dorial Green-Beckham. They need the big bodied receiver that Drew is used to. They can get a replacement for Kenny Still later in the draft.
I don’t expect any team to draft DGB in round one. I have the Saints taking a receiver in round two, but it’s not Green-Beckham. I think they’ll take Philip Dorsett if he’s there at #31.
The saints front office has made it clear that they intend to invest both 1st round picks into the defense. Plus, Colston isn’t far behind Stills and DGB is nothing like stills, or Jimmy Graham.
Wow! I haven’t seen that anywhere. Where did you see it? I would be shocked if a team announced prior to the draft how they intended to use their picks. That gives all of the other teams a real advantage in setting up their boards. Did they say who the picks would be? While it is no secret the Saints need to improve their defense, they have five picks in the first three rounds to do it with and nine picks total. Defense is not their only need.
I’m pretty certain the Saints have not shown their hand on what they intend to do with either pick in round one.
I’ll predict DGB to KC at 18.
Certainly possible, I suspect Kansas City is the only team willing to take him in the first round.
I predict if Dorsett is at 31 the Saints will take him’
We’ll find out in a week. I suspect it’s very unlikely.
Can it be next week already?
Aren’t the Saints rebuilding? Its not like Graham and Stills left as FA – they traded them.
From the Seahawks pre draft presser this afternoon.
Schneider: “(Having 11 picks) gives us a lot of flexibility.”
Flexibility = mobility?
They are going to trade up to get “their guy” – of course, whomever they draft will be “their guy” :o) I look forward to Saturday – up to 9 picks – if no trade on Friday night.
That’s how I read it Eric…
Mobility up and mobility down.
I would not be surprised to see a move up in the 2nd, and moving down in the 3rd to get a replacement on the 4th. I suspect with moving around in the draft they still leave with 10 plus players
I think they possible acquired that fourth from New Orleans as trade bait. “We’ll give up the #31 pick but we want a pick so we can move up in round two to get a guy we like”. There’s a big talent drop off at around #48-53. I think they could easily have deliberately acquired that fourth with the idea of moving up from #63.
Massage the board JS!
Rob,
I agree that SD is a reasonable destination for Mariota and also in Landon Collins fading into the second round. How about this for a column in the next week: Players that Seattle could trade for during the draft. Schneider has a history of doing this (LenDale White and a couple of others). And they still have some major holes on the roster. I think the most likely targets would be Evan Mathis and Manziel. I know the latter sounds crazy as a trade option, but I think he might make sense in Seattle. He needs a backup job this year to recover from his personal struggles (being presented as a savior of another franchise would be too stress-inducing IMHO). And he’s very close to Wilson’s scrambling style, so if he were to come on the field after injury, the playing style of the offense wouldn’t have to be changed (although the playbook would have to be dumbed down dramatically). If the Browns choose a QB in the first round, they will have too many players at the position. From a business perspective, the addition of Manziel would add pressure on Wilson to sign an agreeable contract in 2016. A late round pick and a reduced salary agreed to by Manziel might be worth it, assuming he really has stopped snorting.
I think a lack of cap room will make it hard to trade for a veteran. What they have left basically has to go to Wilson and Wagner when they sign extensions. I bet they’d also like to get J.R. Sweezy done too.
I like our pick the best so far. Jimmy Graham 6’7″ 265lbs + pick 112 great bargin to begin with.
DGB, Strong, Harold, Collins and Byron Jones falling to 2nd round? God, i hope you can see the future, because if SEA trade for any of those guys, i would be a Happy Man.
Byron Jones at #14 overall Therick.
Ian Rapoport reports that Greg Jennings will sign with MIA. He’s not Amari Cooper, but that does affect the equation a little, no?
Yep! New Orleans was counting on him to sign with them.
Possibly, although they needed more than one.
I had them looking at Parker (if available) in R1 or Sammy Coates in R2.
Pre Jennings I could see them spending the picks to move up for Cooper. Not sure it makes as much sense now.
I think Jennings is essentially finished as a player. While it certainly is something to consider, they’re surely not pinning their hopes on soon-to-be 32-year-old Greg Jennings to be the answer at receiver. They know they need a dynamic receiver as an absolute priority. They hoped it was going to be Mike Wallace. I still expect a big splash in round one. The Dolphins aren’t messing around this off-season.
Plus Jennings at his age is a slot guy. There’s still a need for an outside receiver to pair with Stills.
Schneider says offensive line is a definite need but “we won’t go hog wild to fix it.” Lots of options.
I read this as probably not an OL at 63.
Bailey is serviceable at guard. Wouldn’t be upset, or even that concerned if he started. Ideally he would stay at swing tackle, but its not the end of the world if he is pressed into starting duty.
Lewis and Jeanpierre are also serviceable at center. I’d want to replace them, but if we get a fourth/fifth round center to compete, I’d be happy.
WR is straight up bad. Baldwin should get regular targets. That’s it. Kearse is at best, to use a baseball term, a utility WR. Fourth guy who picks up targets when needed, and doesn’t kill the team. Except he doesn’t even do that. Norwood, while promising, is completely unproven. Richardson is hurt, and didn’t overwhelm. Matthews shows promise, but has had one good game. Lockette isn’t a productive WR.
I count Baldwin and maybe if you are optimistic Matthews and Norwood emerge as guys deserving of targets. One guy you can count on. I’m not comfortable with that.
I’m hoping the draft falls well enough for us that we don’t have to take OL as BPA at #63. If it’s an OL with some upside I would be happy (D. Smith? Tomlinson? Ogbuehi? Fisher?), but if we end up having to settle for just a guy at guard (Cann, Jackson, etc.) because all the other interesting guys have been taken, I’ll be a little disappointed.
I’m really hoping for a move up (or staying put, even better) for any position other than OL at #63. When I’ve run fake mocks on fanspeak using a “anything but OL at 63” guiding principle, it’s worked out fine. There always seem to be decent interior OL still available as you hit Round 4-5.
Aaron Levine tweeted: Schneider talked about “upsets” in draft – players higher up on #Seahawks draft board who are still there later than expected.
I read elsewhere that this draft is loaded with “hidden talent” – small school prospects, prospects who project to new positions, prospects with skills that fit a particular scheme really well.
The “hidden talent” in this draft is really interesting, especially on the defensive line and reciever. You could probably add RB to the hidden talent as well. Seems like lots of interesting small school backs.
Seattle always rates their prospects differently or higher than other teams. That’s why in rounds 2-3 I’m thinking we’ll see so called ‘reaches,’ but guys tons of potential, the swing for the fences, boom or bust types. mid rounds will be more rounded prospects, and the late rounds will be smaller school/athletic/raw, but crazy up side picks or projects.
This is just my line of thinking.
Hey V12, not that he’s a R2-R3 prospect, but I’ve developed a real liking for Lemar Durant.
Small school or not, he just looks like a football player. Certain skills/traits are not dependent upon high levels of competition. They’re present or not. Durant possesses a number of these innate skills that in my opinion, make him a more intriguing prospect than some of the other names bandied about on SDB lately. The fact that the only other team watching him is the BC Lions makes me think he’ll be available as a PUDFA.
I agree. Definetly a priority UDFA. A perfect fit for this team who’s always been an underdog anyways.
Chawk, Durant looks smooth, but he isn’t that explosive. I wouldn’t mind a 4.5-4.6 from a taller WR who plays above the rim, but Durant is just a normal sized WR. A “more athletic Norwood” may not add much to the offense.
He’s even slower than that – 4.66. BUT…his 10yd split is an impressive 1.56 and he plays much faster than his 40 time suggests. He’s not a straight down field threat. But he showed the short area burst to gain separation from his defender both before and after the catch. He also shows a shifty knack for gaining YAC, and fights for them with a style reminiscent of Money Lynch.
He’s a PUDFA. What more do you want from that kind of prospect?
They may not see him as a PUDFA. They have fallen in love with guys. The main issue for me is the type of WR he is. Doesn’t seem to add much to what they already have.
At the risk of being redundantly redundant, the prospect you discovered, Adrian Coxson impressed me as a WR with great talent and skills that will likely translate very well to the pro game. At 6’1″ 217ish, he is built like a RB, which shows up in the tackles he breaks and his ferocious run blocking. His 4.28, 4.33 speed is sudden and lethal. He demonstrates some good footwork in his routes and fakes that often spins the defender around. Despite playing at a small school, it’s easy for me to imagine that his talents and skills will be very effective in the NFL, particularly as a starting point with the sky as the limit!
Impressive film for those that might have missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVMS95q9gY
DAMN….
That guy blocks like a pit bull….and runs after the catch like a mini beast mode…
Interesting…
For me, Adrian’s back story is very inspiring and more than adequately explains why he wound up at a small school. He was very highly recruited out of high school and chose Florida from many major college options. But his father became ill. So he transferred to Maryland to be close to home. The NCAA made him sit out for a year. Then Maryland replaced their entire coaching staff. So he transferred to Stony Brook, where the emphasis is on the run game. He developed into a ferocious run blocker and chunk play specialist. His father recently died of complications from diabetes. But like RW, AC appears to be on a mission to fulfill his NFL dreams and make Dad proud! He has ridiculous talent, impressive skills and a lotta heart (grit), which ticks PCJS’s top 3 boxes!
He shows a very deceptive double move to get open deep. Very refined move for a young guy.
Not saying they’ll take Durant, but if a guy is 6’2, 225 lbs. for example like Durant, compared to say a guy that’s 6’4 and the same weight, is 2 inches that much of a difference maker? Just because a wideout is big, that’s not a guarantee for a roster spot either.
I just don’t think Settle or other teams for that matter look at receivers and think that 2 or 3 inches means the bigger receiver is going to be more productive or have a bigger impact.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t take a bigger receiver, but a guy who goes 6’2, 225 is still a big weapon. Every team would love to have that Sidney Rice type of guy, but outside of DGB, I just don’t see talented WRs like that this particular year.
Is it loaded with hidden talent – or is the hidden talent just getting more coverage?
Aaron Levine
Schneider says he plans on meeting with team psychologist next to address questions they might have about potential draftees.
DGB? Clark? Irving? All of them?
GM John Schneider: next move for #Seahawks (NFL-high 11 draft picks) is talking “w/ our sports psycologists” if targets mentally tough enuf
I think they’ll take a couple guys who have ‘character’ concerns.
Funchess?
Hopefully they have hired a new shrink since Percy Harvin passed the ink blotch test!
Funchess is less “character” concern type and more lack of desire to be a great player.
I had a suspicion that Seattle would like W virginia OG Mark Glowinski. I love this kid. I’d take him at no 94/3rd. Even better in the 4th.
CHAWK our mock drafts could be quite similar my man.
Really good (stark) analysis of Glowinski on a Steelers blog. BTW, JS said he and PC try to emulate the Steelers and Ravens when it comes to personnel decisions and drafting.
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/03/2015-nfl-draft-player-profiles-west-virginia-g-mark-glowinski/
In Rob’s last post I commented that I think SEA will target UNH TE Harold Spears on Day 3/UDFA as a 6th TE to bring into camp.
There was some discussion about whether SEA would want another “move” TE as opposed to an inline blocker type. Too many hybrid TE/WRs on the roster already.
I meant to point out that SEA already has a great blocking hybrid OT/TE on the roster in Gary Gilliam. Besides which I don’t see blocking as a necessity for their TE’s moving forward. Graham’s presence alone means no more stacked boxes, which means not as much need for that extra blocker on run plays. Better to have hybrid move TEs who are not just receiving threats, but also really effective downfield blockers.
I think the whole concept of SEA liking big blocking TEs based on Zach Miller isn’t really valid.
I like to really see Anthony McCoy make it as the next Zack Miller.
Dude can’t stay healthy… time for some insurance in the draft.
Sad but true. Really sad.
At least he has no Achilles left to snap…lol…maybe time for an acl
That’s just wrong.
On Miller, yeah, when he signed he had made multiple pro bowls for his receiving ability. But the targets never came.
Unfortunately, the injuries did.
Its not based on Zach Miller. It is based on wanting a well-rounded TE group. That give you options, and options are great.
Right now all our (healthy) TE have the same skill set. Move TEs with poor to average blocking. It’d be nice to have the option of using a “traditional” inline TE.
Second, its not that I’m saying we should draft a TE. I’m saying if we do target a TE, it should be a inline blocking type. Because he would have an easier path to playing time.
I get it. And I’m not arguing with your logic. It’s just that SEA went to within 1 play of wining their 2nd straight SB without a blocking TE. In fact, they did it with one of the thinnest TE rosters in the NFL.
Graham may be a TE, but we all know he’s going to be used more off the LOS. There are still many snaps available for Willson and a hopefully healthy McCoy, and another athletic TE, especially now that Graham will loosen up defenses and lessen the need for an extra in line blocker.
At any rate, I’m really going by who SEA has shown interest in at that position. Also, it’s kind of like the LB group – not really a position of need, but at the same time they probably don’t ignore it entirely (aka Day 3/UDFA prospect).
I’m not arguing with your logic either. We don’t need to add TE. I kind of think you are underrating Helfet – he looked good last year and would be fine as 3rd/4th TE. That gives us three move TE. Plus Allen, who we really like. What would that third athletic TE give us that Willson, Graham and Helfet don’t?
Nothing other than competition at the group. Based on a 90-man off season roster, they want 6 TEs in camp. They have 5 with the 4 regulars and Allen. That suggests they’ll bring in one more – but since it’s such a low priority I can’t imagine it being anything other than late, late Day 3/UDFA.
I agree, and if they felt Rashaun Allen was anything more than competition, camp body, ps member, whatever, then why sign Moeaki last year and re-sign McCoy?
There’s nothing wrong with bringing in competition at every spot really. I’m a huge fan of Jimmy, Luke, and Coop. But keeping a developmental TE on your team is smart. If Allen beats out an UDFA like Spears possibly, then great. You don’t lose anything by not having an UDFA make your team.
To me, the goal at TE is always guys who are good at both. Miller’s dynamism declined, but at his most valuable he was a very good blocker as well as a dynamic receiving target. Gronk is the best right now and many don’t realize how good of a blocker he is and how much value that adds.
There are a limited amount of Gronks though. To me you’ve got a good TE if they are good in one aspect and average in the other. Good blocker, average receiver or good receiver, average blocker. Right now we have a bunch of the second, and none of the first.
You can teach blocking, but not athleticism or the innate ability of having a basketball type of skill set on the football field.
I was about to comment above to this effect.
Not to overstate it, but if Graham is any indication, they like that bball power/small forward skill set – boxing out a defender in tight spaces like the low post, with the short area burst/jumping ability to go up and get the ball when it counts.
This mock looks as realistic as any I have seen with quality reasoning behind each pick. No wonder it has become one of the few “must” sites I now frequent daily.
The only spot where I disagree is the Rams trading back into the first round for Irving. They already have the fewest picks of every team in the NFL in this upcoming draft. I just don’t see them trading a pick or two and only having an entire draft of about 3-4 players.
See below (wish I could edit).
“Erving”
If they were a loaded and quality roster, I could see only having about 3-4 picks, but they are far from it.
Ok maybe it’s just the late afternoon espresso talking but let me float a couple of possible trade scenarios…
First scenario: I’m all in favor of trading up for DGB – keeping it simple (trading 63 + 112) most likely partner is DET at 54. They’re so pick-needy they might even take 63 + 130. Anyway, in Rob’s mock, if Harold were to somehow slip to that range, I’d add him to the short list of trade worthy prospects. My question is, would you make that trade up for Diggy Odighizuwa?
Second…SEA trades 63 + 95 to ATL for 42 and draft DGB. Then SEA trades 130 + 167 to MIN for 110. At this point they have (Graham), DGB and the following picks:
R4 – 110, 112, 134
R5 – 170
R6 – 181, 209
R7 – 248
One possible way to go – draft either both OL like Glowinski/Gibson at 110/112 or OL/DL like Glowinski/Clark, Tray Walker at 134, Irving at 170…
Meant to be a separate post but would like to know what you think bobbyk
I’m coming around on the idea of going up to get DGB if he falls far enough if our regime feels his extensive troubles in his past are just that – a thing of the past. Still, I am of the mind that you don’t trade picks. I’ve said before, but they are going to draft guys like EJ Wilson, Chris Harper, etc. They aren’t afraid to cut rookies who aren’t good enough just because they drafted them in the mid-rounds. By not trading picks, it gives you more chances to hit the jackpot, too (Sherm, Kam, etc.).
On St. Louis — I think they have enough defensive talent to be a real threat. I think we’d all agree there. And any issues in the secondary are slightly negated by the brilliance up front.
On offense they now have a quarterback they feel a bit more comfortable with. They’ve drafted WR’s and RB’s. The big issue is the O-line. I could see an aggressive move to solve that problem in day one, especially with two relatively safe picks like Scherff and Erving. It might leave them a little light on picks — but the Rams with a better O-line next year and Foles instead of a scrub QB is a very intriguing team.
Fair point.
The Rams will definetly be much better with Foles. I believe they will be are new arch nemesis instead of the that mining for gold team.
Foles was great for 2 years (roughly), but was a joke last year. Throwing INTs like Santa throwing out presents to all the kids (DBs) Christmas morning. I think the move to get rid of Bradford and grab some free picks in exchange was brilliant, but Foles is a 1 year dude.
I don’t think Foles is very good either but they really don’t have any other choices with the lack of QB talent in the draft either.
They have always kind of been our arch nemesis. The 49ers were just the sexy rivalry currently. But the RAms have always been the toughest out for us since 2003. They have our number for some reason. I have never feared the 49ers. But I always get nervous when we play the Rams
Good points, but I’d add that moving up for Erving would be more likely if they gained a pick or 2 dropping down from 10. As “safe” as Scherff is, he might be a guard and therefore not the best value that high. I don’t know if I would ever be that comfortable with so few picks and with the nature of the OL class, that would be a way to recoup some.
Yes, STL improved on paper and in no way do I overlook them. They’ve been our nemesis and match up well against us. I just don’t see them being as much as a threat as AZ to take the division this season.
Foles was a solid pickup but he still has to learn an entirely new offense, is coming back from injury, and build chemistry with this team. They will be a legitimate NFCW contender next season if they continue their current trend of building in the trenches and getting a #1 receiver.
True, though Foles does have potential because he has succeeded before. No body but us is Russel Wilson and Hawk Family! Believing in one another and their Love for each other, is what truly gives our team and us Fans strength! We all know why other team’s fans are so mean towards is. Because they are either envious or jealous. We have such a wonderous team! I Love you all !!! Praise Carroll !
I would love the Bucs to trade the #1 to the Chargers, for 2 #1s and a #3 next year.
Then the Titans would trade with Eagles in some wacky trade involving players and picks….
Chargers grab Winston and Eagles draft Mariota
That would be OUTSTANDING
Curtis Crabtree @Curtis_Crabtree
Schneider said they see Ahtyba Rubin playing both end and tackle potentially for them. Said they felt “real blessed” to get him.
I think this pretty much means no DL early.
Schneider playing another Jedi mine trick on the NFL……
“These are not the Defensive Linemen we are looking for (at)…” *waves hand*
Help me Charlie Unikanobi you’re my only hope…
There is always a master and an apprentice.. no more and no less, two there will be
I Love Star Wars and the Seahawks Charlie. I might just change my name to Cragie Pegasus so we can be Jedi companions. Which reminds me that Chris Conley made an awesome film for a school project at Georgia. Definitely shows his ambition which I feel Pete Carroll connects with.
https://youtu.be/lRp3Y_Kg73U
I’m glad you said that, because it was perfect!
Fiddle fumbles. I was meaning to respond to the obi-wan-Kenobi respone. Rob, you are Russell Wilson running with the ball good at writing good American Football articles about our beloved Seahawks!
Three of their top DL (McDaniel, Mebane, Ruben) are soon-to-be free agents and getting long in the tooth, too. Better pass on DL so we can go into 2016 without any young talent to replace them. lol
I love it! I’d be so stoked if we bust a move and grab a 1st round DL talent that somehow fell into our “range.” Another great way to upgrade the team is by replacing expensive, old guys with cheap, young studs!
I still don’t imagine they’d pass on superior talent if that’s how things lay out.
Taking Damarious Randall with #63 would strike me as a major reach. He is undersized, has a lot of technique to work on. Even if they are considering him at corner, he looks like a reach.
“Mayock says Damarious Randall will be the first safety taken, has no question he’s the best in bad safety class.”
–RosterWatch
DE Darius Allen got a workout. I wonder why. He is only 6-3, very undersized. Some pass rush, but doesn’t seem to have a quick first step.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG88kdJupyU
If he’s ‘only’ 6’3, why is that a surprise? All the LEOS have been 6’3.
It shouldn’t matter if we on this blog like a guy, but rather if Seattle presumably does. Why focus on what a guy can’t do? IMO Seattle is obviously looking for unique traits, even if it’s only one thing, versatility, and prospects loaded with potential.
“Mayock says Damarious Randall will be the first safety taken, has no question he’s the best in bad safety class.”
–RosterWatch
In case you did not see it, the visits and workout list has been updated.
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2015/4/22/8468519/nfl-draft-2015-seahawks-visits-tracker-update
Thanks for the sharp eye. Information is POWER
Handy rating and projected rounds are also included. I’m very confident that Seattle is bringing in guys that play DL, that they think might slip into UDRFA….. not necessarily to draft late.
The names mentioned for offensive lineman should not be a surprise to anyone on this blog.
I could easily see Seattle trying to acquire the majority of these guys.
Christian Ringo DL was another VMAC visitor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryk0aZI5lNk
I don’t see a penetrator. In fact, he gets stood up for most of this clip. Squatty, slow, undersized. Yet some scouts consider him to be worth a lot of attention.
I read somewhere (wish I could recall so provide the credit) that Seattle begins camp with at least 12 WRs on the roster, something like as many as 17 one year. Right now, only 8, the lowest (as a percentage of targeted bodies) for any position. If that logic follows, that means they expect to add at least 4 more WRs to the roster. This could include free agents or cap casualties (per JS’s comments today when discussing the o-line) but that could also be the draft and UDFA.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t surprise me if Seattle drafted 3 WRs and signed at least 1 UDFA. Further, that could be one early (2-3 round, or trading up); one in the middle rounds, and one late rounder.
Early round possibilities – DGB/Lockett
Mid-round – Conley, McBride (really liked the analysis done on him), Bell, Montgomery
Late round – Smelter, a host of others
Now that Conley has visited, I think he is squarely on Seattle’s draft radar, and if they fall in love with his potential, I can see them trading back into the 3rd round and taking him with their first pick.
JS made it clear that he can never have too many picks. He also said they may really want a guy, and willing perhaps to trade up to get him (DGB?).
Regardless, I think we will see the position emphasized in the draft, one way or another.
If there is no hard limit on the number of UDFAs, there are many sleeper prospects I’d like to see signed, some more intriguing than names in the first seven rounds.
WR should be a vigorous open competition this time around. Let everyone earn their roster spots.
There is a limit – the 90 men limit.
I agree with you Hawk since 77 and enjoy the way you write. I got into the Hawks after the “87” Supper Bowl when Doug Williams and the Red Washington team(Saying out of respect for others) beat John Elway and well you know. My first vivid memory was a hawks game on radio while up in the mountains between Wenatchee and Ellensburg. Christian Okoye “The Nigerian Nightmare” as he was called ran through us as silken cloth that day. It upset me as a 12 year old and know we have Our LOB! Times are Grand!
Thanks for the good word. Much appreciated! 🙂
How about……
Bears trade up from #7, swap with the Bucs at #1 and give them the #1 pick from next year + Cutler + some other group of picks (4th or something).
Bears grab Winston and a clean slate.
Bucs have starting QB ready to go can take another project QB later in the draft…. 3rd round lets say. Then if Cutler or project QB do not work out… they have 2 prime picks in 2016.
Cap implications are unclear, but this might have some legs if the Bears pursue it.
Charlie,
Do you think that Lovie Smith would actually do something that may help Chicago? Don’t you feel there may still be bad blood there after Chicago gave him walking papers?
No. He needs to turn that dumpster-fire around… Cutler has at least produced and worked with him previously. It would be a better risk than mortgaging everything on Winston.
You acquire some great draft picks … turning the Bucs around no later than next regular season.. due to some quality talent coming into the team. They need quality and quantity of picks. I do not see Winston being the difference maker and he could set the franchise back 3-4 years if he doesn’t pan out.
Which comes first, the quarterback or the team? Most teams only get one shot at the #1 pick. St. Louis lingered in the top 5 for 3 years but never picked a QB after Bradford. Now they have a great team and Nick Foles? Or is the rack more like the Redskins with a good QB wasted on an average team and poor coaching?
Unless you have a brilliant third round QB pick like Wilson, you should take your chances and grab a good QB. If you don’t like Winston then pick Mariota.
Upon learning some new information about visits (above), plus cross checking the current estimates on rounds that players might be picked… I’ve developed a few new picks in various rounds.
The second round pick might surprise some on here, but it would be a current “perfect fit” round and value for the pick. DGB and Funchess were originally ranked within a few picks of each other in mid 1st round, now both have slipped. No trade up and get equally graded guy. The rest are normal suspects:
2nd Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan (stock has taken a big hit lately, VALUE PICK!!!)
3rd Davis Tull, OLB, Tennessee-Chattanooga (SPARQ star and needed depth at LB)
4th (1) Mark Glowinski, OG, West Virginia (SPARQ, I’m trusting the gut that SEA goes SPARQy)
4th (2) Kenny Bell, WR/KR, Nebraska (Golden Tate 2.0)
4th (3) Darryl Roberts, CB, Marshall (KR) (Plays the slot CB spot from day 1, good in tight spaces)
5th (1) Laurence Gibsen, OT, Virginia Tech (OG) (SPARQ, I’m trusting the gut that SEA goes SPARQy)
5th (2) Kristian Sokoli, DT, Buffalo (OL?) (The OL thing is a smoke screen, SEA likes him anyways)
6th (1) Justin Cox, CB, Mississippi State (Long and prototypical CB SEA likes later in the draft)
6th (2) Corey Grant, RB, Auburn (KR) (SPARQ + speed to burn… 4.28 40… UNIQUE)
6th (3) Nick Easton, C, Harvard (Another SPARQ small school star. If I trust Cable, he makes this pick)
7th Akeem King, SS, San Jose State (FS/CB/ST) (Visited Seattle, SPARQ warrior…. needed depth at S)
That would be a fantastic draft.
I completely agree about Sokoli. And even if he fails at DT then you have a developmental/project type of OG. But I quite like him at the 3-tech, RDE type of role. Highly versatile.
I like this bit am not a fan of funchess. And 2nd round to ne is the round he was always going to get drafted in.
He’s got size and he’s a big mike Williams clone but whereas BMW got hefty Funchess visibly gives up when his team gets down (see : Michigan vs. Michigan state) is a lazy blocker, and is the reason I started my one man FA club for Eric Rowe (see Funchess vs. Utah) where he has a,size,advantage on everyone nut the advantage is physics defense.
Literally every other pick you have I like and even where they are slotted just not him.
Not really a fan of Funchess. He’s a less athletic Jalen Strong. Not really a fan of Strong.
Not picking on you Charlie, but the LB corps is the least lacking position group on the team. Why spend a R3 on a back up LB? Also, have you watched any of Tull’s game tape? He’s almost as frustrating to watch as Danielle Hunter.Tull may be a Combine champ but that’s about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSWkozmJefM
Some follow up on Funchess.
From Bob McGinn Milwaukee JS:
“‘He certainly can do the tight end stuff but he doesn’t want to block,’ one scout said. ‘Antonio Gates is like his (relative) and they had a big discussion about where you get paid more. He doesn’t play as big as he should all the time and he’s not great about catching balls in the middle.'”
I guess you could make the same comment about Graham after his holdout, but at least he’d proven himself on the field. Funchess isn’t even a pro yet and he’s already more worried about how he can make more money than he is just playing football. Not very Seahawky.
Hate the first two. Like he rest, but the first two would be incredibly disappointing.
Quick thought on the RB situation and this class of backs, going into next year the seahawks will have lynch, turbo, cmike, demetrius bronson, and spencer ware strung throughout the roster and practice squads respectively. With 5 RB spots filled do you guys think the hawks brass believes they have they’re next bell cow amongst them? Does this lead to the drafting of a smaller school back in later rounds/ potentially udfa to develope? Or with contract situations developing with cmike and turbo next year do they go big early and try for a RB and the 2nd or 3rd round?
As always rob love the mock draft and the work is sound as usual. Sorry for the off topic question, just wanting to spark some new thoughts with so little time before the draft. Can’t wait for next year. Go hawks!
Maybe it’s just me, but I like S. Carolina HB Mike Davis say in the 4th round. He could sit and learn the ropes or be brought along slowly. He’s only a jr anyways.
Boise St HB Jay Ajayi is another good one.
But yeah, I could see them taking a running back in the mid rounds this year. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a small school guy.
Spencer Ware is actually signed to the Chiefs.
I think PC likes the RB by committee from his time with LenDale White and a Reggie Bush. Marshawn is an anomaly now a days where he’s a true bell cow. I could see a situation where maybe they draft Ameer Abdullah and pair him with Turbo and maybe CMike. That gives you 3 completely different backs and it keeps them all fresh throughout the year.
Yeah, I could absolutely see Abdullah as well. I think this is C-mike’s last chance to show us/prove he can be the change of pace back.
I actually think that Abdullah’s toughness is highly underrated. He runs like a Seahawk back. Him and Mike Davis. Abdullah is also a ‘weight room war daddy.’ And there may not be a guy with a more highly regarded character/leadership/fantastic teammate qualities than Abdulllah and Ty Montgomery.
The issue with RB is whether you are talking about Lynch’s feature back heir apparent, or just a change of pacer complementary back.
For the heir apparent, it would have to be a complete package of size, power and speed. Mike Davis fails, in my opnion. He is a high “tip toes” runner, no moves, poor pad level. There are dozens of backs better than he is. Much prefer TJ Yeldon, Jay Ajayi, Matt Jones, David Johnson, etc. etc—but is this the time to get the heir apparent feature back?
For change of pacer, Abdullah is a good choice. He is not, in my view, a feature. Undersized scat back. Appealing because he also offers return ability. Is Abdullah worth a rd. 2. You could move down the draft board for Corey Grant or Akeem Hunt and get something comparable.
CMike is not a change of pacer. He is supposed to be an heir apparent.
I just don’t know if RB should be a day one or day two priority, with so many other more pressing needs.
Love the last quote from Scheider on this article:
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-gm-john-schneider-talks-draft-wilson-bennett-and-more/
Basically says he can never have enough picks and they will move wherever they can to get their guys…
Hey CHAWK, you may have already posed his numbers, but what are Fort Hays St WR Ed Williams pro day numbers and SPARQ score?
Haven’t found that info yet…but there is game film to study.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1614463/ed-williams
Rob , I been going thru 7 mock drafts and your favorite player Rob Crisp is never in any of them. Did everyone forget about this guy or what.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/rob-crisp?id=2552664
This site has him as a 3 or 4th round pick. With what I’ve seen could he actually become a UDFA like Bailey or just a steal in the late rounds? Could this guy actually fall to pick 209 or 214 and become the sleeper we have to take? It kindia looks like it could happen.
I would happily take him as early as the 4th if he checks out medically. Fantastic prospect.
Does anyone know what his injury is?
I know he missed nearly an entire season because of concussion. I think he also broke his tailbone.
Shane Ray needs surgery and could be out up to 5 months. He may drop out of the 1st round. If he’s there in the beginning of the 2nd round I think you sacrifice your assets to get a potential top 15 pick. They said he didn’t have the greatest pro day but it seems like his injury hampered his performance.
http://twitter.com/ArifHasanNFL/status/591252363555504129
Interesting stuff. Too bad for Ray, but maybe a gift for us. Still I’d be surprised if Ray fell past #40. A package of #63, 112, 167 just might get us up high enough to take him…I’d be cool with that.
I would be ok with that as well. The opportunity to draft a DE who could turn out to be an elite pass rusher is worth giving up the picks.
We have already seen in the mock drafts Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Cedric Ogbuehi both take big drops. Ray could be in for a similar fate. It is tough enough to make a 53 man roster when you are healthy. Teams love to stockpile talent on the PUP list. Anthony McCoy has made a nice living there. Ray could be in for a substantial fall if his medical reports indicate he is out for the season. Using a first or second round premium pick on a guy that will not play is difficult to do. High picks are expected to start immediately. The Seahawks could afford it. Not many teams can.
“Ray could be in for a substantial fall if his medical reports indicate he is out for the season.”
All we have to go on is Ray is out for maybe 5 months, putting him back in late September. He’d be on the PUP list and brought back by mid season at the latest. Ogbuehi and Ifo are likely out for the year-same as Paul Richardson and Jeremy Lane-with late season ACL tears. A lot of media types are saying Ogbuehi is going to go early-mid round 2. He plays a premium position, LT, like Ray does as a pass rusher. Just don’t think Ray falls past the pass rushing needy teams at the top of round 2. It would be cool if we had a legit shot at trading up for him though!
Is it Ray’s big toe that’s the issue? I’ve been following ESPN’s Draft Academy, which Ray is a focus on. In the combine medical checks the doctors tweaked Ray’s big toe leading to him not being able to perform. Understandably Ray was devastated and said that he should of done what Todd Gurley did, and not let the doctors touch his toe.
I love Shane Ray personally. The only guys worth trading up for, at least to me, are Shane Ray, DGB, and Eli Harold.
Oops. And ‘Diggy’ Odighizuwa.
3 tremendous LEO prospects – Harold, Ray and Diggy
If Shane Ray falls, and his injury is something that is not career threatening and does not diminish him, then absolutely take him if he is in range. He fills a need, addresses a problem that will be a big problem next year. The Hawks are a team that could afford to red shirt him.
Ray is disputing the report.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000487717/article/rapoport-missouri-edge-rusher-shane-ray-doesnt-need-surgery?campaign=Twitter_nfl_cfb
Going off of this mock, and by the JS quote “We’re not picking until 63 right now, so that’s a lot of people to see come off your board”, there’s a few players I’d be willing to trade up for:
WR DGB-top 15 talent,like his,isn’t available in the mid second very often.
DT Jordan Phillips-There’s simply not many human beings his size that move that well. Could be a major pocket pushing force that we could really use.
CB Jalen Collins- Rob likes him more than I do, but I can’t deny his high ceiling at CB. He checks all the boxes-except experience. Very intriguing prospect.
One more week! Well 8 days for us Hawks fans, but I’ll be watching day 1 regardless.
Rob,
Post draft interviews the GMS talk about how “We didn’t want to leave the draft without…” or “We would have been really disappointed to miss out on….”
Could you give your thoughts (or a post maybe?) about 3 or 4 guys that you will be disappointed if the Hawks miss out on? Maybe predict who you think the JS would be disappointed to miss out on?
Thanks
I can honestly say I’m not hopeful on any player. I’ll be indifferent whoever they take. I will consider doing a piece on who they might want to come away with. Might incorporate it into my final seven round mock.
I talk earlier with you earlier about Rob Crisp. OL to me is more important. We need 2 guys and man I’ve been looking everywhere for them Jasperse Chris C from Marshall UDFA to a Jake Rodgers T from Eastern Washington. I think Cable would love a Mitch Morse at 95 make him the center. Hroniss Grasu will be gone before 95 and Mitch is the next option. For LG spot I’m torn Daryl Williams who may not be here or a Jarvis Harrison at LG. You have Williams Mr. clean and mean and Harrison the dancing bear. Where do you think a Jarvis Harrison will be?
Last year that was KPL for me. This year, there are a lot of guys that seem like good fits, but the only one that I keep getting that nagging feeling about whenever I think of alternative players is Tre McBride.
I got 4. Ty Montgomery, Mark Glowinski, Josh Shirley, and De’Vante Bausby.
Love Glowinski, because he can be your LG this year and possibly the LT of the future if they don’t keep Okung. Tremendously versatile.
Volume, I have the same four guys high on my list. My question on Bausby is where he should be taken, within 7 rds or UDFA.
I think Bausby is a guy that can play outside and nickel. I could see them spending a late 5th on him. TE Luke Willson and Jimmy Staten are 2 examples of guys that had 7th round/UDFA grades, but Seattle views guys differently.
If any of you can see a consistent philosophy in Tom Cable’s OL draft picks, please let me know. At most other positions, we can look at the sparq ratings and identify the “Seahawky” players. But look at Cable’s OL draft picks: Carpenter, Moffitt, Sweezy and Britt. What do they have in common???
Carp and Moffitt are the classic maulers, Sweezy is the undersized (by 20 lbs) but super sparq-athletic zone blocker. Britt is a prototype RT, big and nasty, powerful in the run game, a click slow in pass pro (thus far). How in the world do we project what we know are bound to be at least 2 or 3 OL draft picks?
Ali Marpet is a Sweezy clone, so will he be the choice in R2? Or will it be AJ Cann, Laken Tomlinson, or Tre Jackson… plug and play OGs who are Carpenter clones? What about Sambrailo… he is not a sparq athlete, but is very versatile, could potentially play any position from C to OG to even LT (in a year or two), so his versatility is a plus, as is his competitive fire, but he frankly looks nothing like Britt, Carpenter or Sweezy.
At C, a zone-blocking light on his feet guy like Grasu or Dismukes, or more of an anchor like Unger in BJ Finney?
Gonna be fascinating….
Power conferences seems to be a trend…
Size is a plus but not at the expense of mobility…
Versatility is a key whether it be, OT to OG, OG to C, or DT to OG…
Sparq does not over rule whatever down side they saw Bitonio?
He has picked a couple of guys with wrestling backgrounds…
Just throwing out some general thoughts
Maybe Cable’s criteria over the last four years has changed. Seems like he is favoring speed and mobility now. Also likes wrestling background, probably because they are tough and have some ability to hand fight.
On that I think Carroll and Schneider overruled Cable selecting Bitonio. They made up their minds that they wanted Richardson and that was that. Bintonio became the best Rookie in the NFL (don’t give me that Bridgewater or Mack baloney) and we got a Guy. I still think we could have had Bitonio, Richardson AND Britt. At the expense of the some of the picks used for Staten, Scott, Pinkins, or maybe even Pierre-Louis. Wouldn’t THAT have been nice.
I got
95 Mitch Morse C/G He becomes the future center its a perfect Cable move and guy.
130 Jarvis Harrison LG/LT The Dancing Bear. Cable will know how to get him to fulfill his potentional.
167 Rob Crisp T He a steal like Rob says.
181 Greg Mancz all OL positions A very versatile guy like McQuinston.
I got 4th- Morse and Daryl Williams, then Gibson in the 6th
Just where I am sitting at now
I like Daryl Williams myself as a LG. He’s Carpenter but his mental makeup seems is better. He also hasn’t had the injuries that Carpenter had early. Put him at LG I really believe he would be a monster.
I think you could see a Mitch Morse for Center, he’s just a cable guy and a possible reach at 63 but if he’s your guy Seattle would take him. They did it with Britt.
Jarvis Harrison has great potential and I think Cable can bring it out.
Yup… Okung-Williams-Morse/Mason/Lewis-Sweezey-Britt That could be serviceable
Even knowing that the Seahawks are likely to go OL in R2 or R3, there are at least 3 wildly different directions they can go, depending on Cable’s thinking:
– if aiming for a potential starting LT of the future, the two guys that possibly could be developed are Ty Sambrailo and Donovan Smith, neither is even close to a sure thing as a LT (in the event the cap forces them to turn Okung loose after this season). Sambrailo, at least, is a potential help at any of the 3 OL positions, giving him great value, but again, he has both athletic and strength limitations.
– if aiming for a plug and play center, Grasu would be the guy, in Cable’s zone scheme, and would be the only C who would warrant a R2 or R3 selection. Any of the other guys, Dismukes, Mason, Finney, et al, can be had R4.
– if going for a plug and play brute at LG, you are looking at Cann, Tomlinson or Jackson in R2. Marpet is the wild card, he is versatile, and could play LG or C, and might even be a consideration at LT in the future, though unlikely. Marpet is also the very ideal of the Sweezy sparq guy.
….so, trying to get inside Cable’s brain is essential to project our draft for OL, and good luck with that!
Let’s be honest though. Sweezy was a shot in the dark. That was a “Oh what the hell, let Bald Bull have the 7th round pick”. None of us thought Sweezy would amount to anything and we found a solid RG in the most unconventional means possible. I think Britt, Moffitt, Carpenter and Garrett Scott are more like what Cable was looking for. The G’s and T’s seem similar to one another. And Britt seems a lot like Okung. Long, not necessarily Man Mountains are decent sized. Carp and Moffitt were also very similar. Big and bulky, road graters with avg to below avg technique. Sweezy was a winning scratch ticket
I found JS’ comments about the O line interesting. It’s a need but they won’t go crazy trying to fill it. Losing Carpenter is addition by subtraction IMO. I also think at this point Unger will always at least be playing hurt i not injured or periods at a time. Lewis wasn’t much of a downgrade from him and Lewis also played against much tougher defenses than Unger did last year.
The worst case scenario entering next season is Lewis starting at center and Bailey starting at LG and that wouldn’t be a terrible thing.
I also think at this point Unger will always at least be playing hurt if not injured for periods at a time. *
Just reading an article about whether Philly would trade up for Mariota. One interesting point they made, that Philly hasn’t done well with their first round picks. Over last 15 years their first round picks have drawn 5 franchise players. They have picked 3 times in the top 10. Most notable was the #2 pick Donovan McNabb, QB in 1999. Other top 10 picks include Corey Simon, DT in 2000, and Lane Johnson, OT in 2013. Last year they picked Marcus Smith DE in the #26 spot.
So the thing I find interesting about this, is that they only had 5 franchise players out of 15 first round picks. It seems like the odds of getting that franchise player are in the top 10 or 15. After that it might not make much difference whether you are in the lower end of the first or the second round.
My further thoughts: Tennessee would be a fool not to take Mariota. They will never get that high a pick again, plus the stars are aligned with two QBs that are considered top picks. They need to take Mariota and fill in around him and their other young QB. If it turns out they are both great QBs, they can always trade one.
Another point made in the article. Generally it is thought that Washington lost in the trade for RG III with St. Louis. They gave three first round picks and a second round pick for the #2 spot in the draft. But if you look at the records of the two teams since then, they are roungly the same. Plus Washington made the playoffs in its first year with RGIII. Then he got hurt and things went downhill. So even though three first rounders seems crazy, getting a great QB is worth that cost. Because unless you are picking in the top 10-15, your chances of finding a franchise player are only 33%.
Rivers could possibly add as much as 4 wins to the Titans by himself, if they think they are a 5/6/7 win team this year that could push them over to the playoffs. He’s a known commodity versus a risky QB prospect. I know he’s getting up there in age but it’s not like he depends on arm strength. I think he could play for a while longer. The Titans could really win with either trading for Rivers or keeping the pick, they are in a great spot.
On the flip side Mariota will be much cheaper then Rivers. Rivers will probably get 17 million/year. So you could have Mariota and two good free agents for the same amount. I doubt that Mariota will be significantly worse then Rivers, and usually young players recover from physical play faster then older players.
Getting 5 “franchise” guys out of 15 1st rounds isn’t bad at all, especially considering that most were not at the top of the round. The issue is the number number that failed to be solid starter material.
As for Tennessee, what they need is to be right in their assessments at QB and make sure they get good value from #2.. As much as it would hurt to see Mariota succeed elsewhere, getting above average QB play from another could be a better path to winning. There’s been enough surefire #1 QBs to bust hard to slow your roll on the QB tunnel-vision, at least enough to compare a guy to more than the other QBs in his draft class. The money isn’t as much of a detriment as it was for awhile, but they also have enough other issues to be a tough situation for a young QB who needs time and his career could bust by being the right guy at the wrong time.and place.
Thursday distant DGB draft thunder…
“I’m told the Seattle Seahawks would love to grab Dorial Green-Beckham if he’s available at the 63rd selection but they expect the receiver to be off the board during the initial fifteen picks of round two.”
–Tony Pauline
“A first round grade at 63? That would be uncommon.” –John Schneider
“‘He’s [DGB} not the freak athlete like Calvin Johnson,’ one scout said. ‘He’s longer than Demaryius Thomas. Huge threat in the red zone. Oklahoma had to hold him out of some drills because he was just dominating practices. He was (abusing) their starters, It wasn’t even close.'” –Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel quoting an NFL scout.
“Bottom Rd 2 is hard- when you go “Need” you get BRITT, when you go “BPA” you get C-MIKE (and I actually like both guys- but just sayin)” –Davis Hsu
Just spoken to Tony Pauline. Audio of the conversation on the blog later.
Looking forward to that
The news that Shane Ray may drop because of a possible surgery raises an interesting dilemma at the top.
If his injury is not serious—not a long term problem—the Hawks are one team that can afford to red shirt him. Once back, he would be a pass rusher of the future, a key cog to the D. With Irvin coming up for negotiation next year, and the “Michael Bennett Problem”, pass rush depth is critical.
Randy Gregory will drop, too, but not as far. Same dynamic with him.
But the top is also where the Hawks should look for DGB.
So it is a matter of prioritizing. What do you think?
I don’t really like Shane Ray anyways, though it would be hard to pass him at 63. I have a feeling he’s still a 1st round pick though.
SEA could use a great LEO prospect. But it’s a hard argument that such a player, even if worth the trade up, could make enough of an impact this year to actually win more games.
A true potential #1 WR like DGB, on the other hand? One or two key down field/red zone catches might very well be the deciding factor in any game.
Also Shane Ray may not be as injured as was first reported. I suspect any team really interested in drafting him has done enough homework to be aware of any such concerns. The “news” that broke today isn’t likely to change any team’s draft board; it’s really just media fodder to fill dead space before the draft.
Chawk, I’m not so sure about that. Pass rush is impact. If the Hawks had had a couple of more legit pass rushers, they would have dominated Green Bay and won the SB vs. NE. If a Shane Ray were on the roster when Avril went out, what a difference that would have made. You can never have enough pass rushers. Schofield is gone, Irvin is up next year, Bennett may be an issue.
So Ray, if they have a shot at him or Eli Harold is more impactful than, for instance, Damarious Randall or a RB.
WR, OL or pass rush. Tough one. I continue to question how easily they could land DGB. Short of him, there just aren’t any one man field flipping WRs after something like pick #50. Then you just have to take a couple of developmental guys with the right skill sets later.
Fair enough.
However JS/PC have never taken a DL higher than R3 (Hill in 2013). Otherwise, R4-R5 is where they’ve focused – 2012 Jaye Howard (R4); 2013 Jesse Williams (R5); 2014 Cassius Marsh (R4) & Jimmy Staten (R5).
They have taken a WR in R2 twice – 2010 – Tate (R2); 2014 PRich (R2).
BTW I don’t advocate SEA taking Randall at 63.
They did take Irving in mid round one, he was supposed to be a pass rusher.
My thoughts on who ever you pick as a pass rusher from the end. He will be lighter and faster then the tackles he faces. He needs to be tough and determined, have a high energy motor, be ready to jump back on his feet and pursue, a good tackler. Basically you need someone who is so tough that they never quit no matter how many times they are stopped. Clay Matthews with Green Bay is my ideal as a pass rusher.
Good point Alaska. I think of Irvin as an OLB, but they did draft him as a LEO.
Steele – If Shane Ray or DGB drop, it will be a hard decision either way but a good one to have with 11 picks in our pocket (and possibly 11 picks next year w/ comps). I’d even include Eli Harold, Jalen Collins and Cameron Erving to the drop list too.
To answer your question: For this draft, my priority would be DLine. There is limited depth in this year’s draft pool of DL/Edge prospects, it would be difficult to find similar talent in later rounds compared to WR and OL. The one caveat – I believe there is no DGB-like player in this year’s draft.
JS sounded confident on how the 1st round is gonna go. The 2nd round, not so much. I believe there are a couple sweet spots in the 2nd round that PC/JS are planning to attack, if the player(s) they covet is there.
Sweet spot #1: Picks 36-42 (Potential targets: S. Ray, E. Harold, C. Erving)
Sweet spot #2: Picks 48-54 (Potential targets: DGB, J. Collins)
My question: Would you trade into the 2nd round twice and get 2 players you want in the 2nd round if they’re available?
Kuya, I agree with your potential sweet spot targets except for Jalen Collins. I think there are better corners, Collins doesn’t have many starts and looks stiff.
As for trading into rd 2 twice, I think Rob discussed this before. It gets pretty complicated.
It could be done but we want to trade into the high round 2. It would take our round 2, 3, and all three 4th round picks to get two high round 2 picks.
Just read Terry Poole met with SEA (among 3 others – PHI, ARI, HOU).
First time I’ve seen him connected with the Hawks.
Poole is a logical option. I think his mobility as a tackle is poor, but as a guard, I could see him being a solid player.
There was a report before the combine by Tony Pauline that Seattle was looking at Ty Sambrailo and Terry Poole.
Tony Pauline said SEA had interest there during the college season.
Sorry I meant pre-draft visit wise.
Poole as a low round value at guard would be ideal.
What does everyone think of John Miller from Louisville?
If the dream scenario or landing DGB or Perriman doesn’t work out, I wonder if we wouldn’t just take Chris Conley in a similar range?
The more I with his film, the more confident I am in him being something special. That said my heart is still with my first two (reasonable) choices.
Misfit, Perriman should be gone in rd. 1 (I don’t like him, he reminds me too much of Tim Brown). Conley should be available in rd. 4, possibly as early as rd. 3, so he is not similar range. We have discussed Conley extensively. Some of us think he has #1 potential, some of us question that. I am more of the former. I think with some good coaching on route running and some strength work, some of his rough edges will be resolved. Athletically, I think he is game breaking.
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t take a virtual Hall Of Fame receiver at 63 (Tim Brown).
I watched Tim Brown very closely, never liked him. High effort player, productive, but slow, tight hipped, awkward. He played “old” before he was old. Would I want him on a team? Sure, as a #2 WR.
I think it’ll be a major upset if Conley goes on day two.
I’m not saying necessarily take Conley at 63, but perhaps after a minor trade-back. Many have him pegged round 3-4 and his talent, despite limited college production, May be worth gambling on for a number of teams. How long could you wait and still land him, I wonder?
That said, there are many options, but even guys like McBride, Smelter, Lewis, and Lockette just don’t get me as excited as far as solving what I see as the main issue: adding a special receiver with size to pair with Graham. Smelter would be nice later, but he needs time. We are in a Super Bowl window. Go for it. Make it happen and trade up.
Personally I wouldn’t take him until round five.
I think he is a round 4 type of guy. Despite our woes with Lockette and Kearse, there is no guarantee that Conley can replace them. So if you are feeling generous, our end of the 3 round pick works fine too.
I think that the issue in our situation becomes, who CAN you get excited about? Anyone worth their salt would probably already have been selected. Even Golden Tate, who is a 2nd round receiver took 2 years to develop and is now the 2nd best receiver on his team. We are searching for gold amongst the silt and there is a strong possibility that it boils down to luck and planning. I think at this point, we should be hoping for someone who does one thing REALLY well- you won’t find anyone who does it all, or just a good football player. A starter. There are some players there who fit that bill who can contribute immediately. But we should all hope for our FO to be patient and not out think the draft
The OL guys from Florida are intriguing to me. Chaz Green and Max Garcia, who both played for a bad team against good competition might have that grit aspect.
Max isn’t my highest rated center, but he and Shaq Mason would be guys I like if Grasu is gone early. I’m still trying to figure out Gallick and Finney – could they start? Grasu is the only guy I could see being able to start beside Erving.
Paul Silvi @paulsilvi · Apr 22
Schneider: having a rookie start at center is viable option, especially w Cable coaching.
Max Garcia is my favorite C prospect in this draft. Has experience at every position, tremendoua leader, flat out nasty, big time personality on and off th field. If he doesn’t work out at C move him over to LG or at the least he gives you a fantastic backup at every spot on the interior.
Agreed about Garcia, but there is tremendous depth at center this year. There is at least one guy I like at each round, and several rounds there are a couple of guys. Factor in several intriguing position switch candidates, and this is a great class. It will interesting to see how many centers get drafted.
I’m no scout, but I like Chris Jasperse of Marshall. And I love that Greg Mancz won the league MVP. I’d love to see him signed as an UDFA and put on the PUP for a year, while he recovers and adds NFL strength. As 12 says about Garcia, at a minimum, Mancz would give you a smart, versatile backup with super high character.
Greg Mancz will not be a UDFA and as far as his injury will not be ready for OTAs but will be ready for camp. I took him at pick 170. If he doesn’t start he a great backup who played all the positions. Jasperse is a UDFA. Any college kid you get that plays on the line always needs a year in a Pro strength program. The farther down they are draft the more conditioning many of them need.
I don’t like him he say reminds me of Tim Brown, like that’s a bad thing. Tim Brown would be the 2nd best WR ever in Seattle next to Largent.
Why the RB’s so high?
Particularly Gurley, with his injuries.
I think back to McGahee, as the last excellent back drafted under similar conditions…and then others are Lattimore (4th round).
But with two years of no backs being taken in R.1, and teams like the Steelers and the Packers fine with later round picks… You see where I’m going..
Love to hear why you see 2 this time around.