I was bored on my day off and decided to do some research on previous drafts for the Hawks. Hoping it might get some discussions going. I came across a top 10 worst 1st round draft picks list by bleacher report and they were as followed:
10. Aaron Curry (A bit premature considering hes only 2 years in but when Clay Mathews went 26th overall…you gotta think what could have been…)
9. Lawrence Jackson (Definately never lived up to his potential)
8. Chris McIntosh (Don’t know much about him other than his injury)
7. Jeramy Stevens (Way to many off the field issues)
6. Lamar King (From a small school, never materialized)
5. Koren Robinson (Jeramy Stevens 2.0)
4. Brian Bosworth (The richest rookie contract at the time, only lasting 3 seasons)
3. Dan McGwire (Only started 5 games in 4 years)
2. Steve August (Still scratching my head on who this is. haha)
1. Rick Mirer (Where to begin…oh how the 90’s sure sucked)
Personally I think Kelly Jennings belongs on this list…but thats my personal dislike for his CB skills
That led me to think…who are the best Seahawks that have been drafted in the first round since 2000…and here are some of the names I came up with:
Shaun Alexander (2000) arguably the best RB in franchise history
Steve Huchinson (2001) Oh how we miss him still…
Marcus Trufant (2003) Say what you want about his skills now, but Trufant has been a great cornerstone of the defense for 8 years now.
Earl Thomas (2010) If his rookie campaign is anything like the rest of his career in Seattle, I gotta love this pick
So out of the last 10 years, I would argue that only 3-4 players seem like they were hits rather than misses. Not great odds…but what I also don’t like, is that the 2 times the Hawks took a franchise QB, they ended up with Mcgwire and Mirer. I actually don’t know if they have ever drafted a “successful” QB.
Anyways…hopefully some people will have some perspective on this…I know its a difficult talk about the Hawks when so much is uncertain and theres only so many times I can listen to mcShay and Kiper argue about who they think is the best prospect…
PatrickH
I don’t think Rick Mirer should be the No. 1 worst pick. He did play okay in his rookie season and made us hopeful for a while, and in the end the Hawks was able to trade him away for a 1st round pick, which, if I remember correctly, was then used to trade up to get Walter Jones. Also, despite his faults, Jeremy Stevens was an important contributor during the superbowl run.
ChavaC
No love for Okung?
I think Tubbs could have made that list if he stayed healthy. Tubbs/Bane… that could have been so sweet.
Kelly
Oh I think Okung is a fine player and he definately still could be a great player…but in his rookie season I felt his injuries did not allow him to play like the 1st round pick in which he was chosen as. Thats why I did not put him on my short list.
Also…I think its difficult to measure his impact compared to Thomas’s rookie campaign because of the positions they play. We say Thomas had a great year because he had 5 INT’s and showed alot of promise in a pretty crappy defensive…and I suppose when healthy, we can say Okung kept some of the best DE’s like Julius Peppers off of the QB all game long, but in long run OT’s kind of have a hard time getting noticed.
Sure we all loved Walter Jones and his incredible ability to pancake his persuing DE’s but to me he mostly is known because of his freakish size and strength, his 9 pro-bowl selections and his 4 all pro selections.
On a different note, If people are truly down on Aaron Curry after his 2 mediocre seasons, what are they gonna say about Okung if he goes out and has a “decent” but not great year. Again…I think it has to do with the positions they play. You can measure the success of the LB position ALOT easier then you can a OT.
Matt
I would say the nature of LT allows for average play. Of course, by using a #6 pick, we’d like an all-pro, but the fact of the matter is if he does his job without being a super star, it’s still owrth the pick because LTs are hard to find.
Of course I would love for him to be nationally recognized as an elite LT, but if he is steady for 8-10 yars, that’s hard to complain about.
Curry plays a far easier position and one that is much easier to transition into and he has been terrible. I hated the pick at the time specifically for the idea that a top 5 pick at LB is really a wasted pick, unless he’s Patrick Willis or an all pro.
And this is my fear about everybody crying out for an RT in round 1. Bad teams cann ill afford to spend picks on non premium positions. When you have a chance to address a position very difficult to address, even if you aren’t at the “have to draft that position” stage, it’s wise to take it while you can. We’ve seen first hand what a franchise can become when you simply put off drafting certain positions because you don’t “need” it right this second.
Kelly
In the late 1990’s the more notable Hawks that were drafted were: Shawn Springs(1997) Walter Jones (1997) Joey Galloway (1995) Sam Adams (1994) Cortez Kennedy (1990). So I suppose theres 5 names there that I would say were hits. Seems like 30-50% of the time we get a good to great player in the first round.
ChavaC
I don’t know that I agree with Kiper. I can see more teams trading up because the financial obligation isn’t there, but at the same time I can see teams holding on the pick because they can afford to roll the dice on a QB or DE without it crippling them for years. You can essentially draft a QB and cut him 2 years later if he pulls a J-Russ and try it all over again now.
Matt
I can see what you are saying, but the opposite argument can also be, that if you don’t have a QB, you will have a bad team. I get the fear of drafting a QB high, but at the same time, you cannot win a super bowl without a good QB. And your chances of finding a franchise QB are significantly higher in round 1 than any other round. If it didn’t work that way, nobody would draft a QB in the 1st round ever.
I would say swinging and missing on a QB in the first round is the same as what has happened to the Seahawks. Swinging and missing on a LB (Curry), DE (Jackson), CB (Jennings). It really doesn’t matter what position. If you consistently miss on 1st round picks, you won’t have much talent on your team. It really doesn’t matter what position we are talking about. And the fact of the matter is, you don’t become a good team by playing it safe in round 1 (that is unless you have a big time QB already in place).
It should be clear by now that if you don’t have top notch QB play, you won’t win a super bowl. Outside of the Ravens with Dilfer, every team that has won the super bowl has done so behind great QB play.
Matt
Whoops…misread what you wrote. Haha, sorry. And I agree with you about teams being more willing to roll the dice. Haha sorry man!
Kelly
Alright new topic…Prospects with the biggest upside that the Seahawks could potentially get…these are prospects in the 20-30 range.
Mallett, Locker, Smith, Taylor ect…
Matt
Agree with those along with…
Wilkerson, Jonathan Baldwin, Liuget (although he is rising) and Justin Houston (physical specimen).
I really like Wilkerson. Think his versatility and upside is one of the best on the D-line in this class. I’m intrigued by Justin Houston. He’s a physical beast and has had good production. His stiffness scares me, but you can’t teach human beings to move like that. Tough call, but no matter what we do at 25, I’d like us to target a difference maker. Enough of these safe, low ceiling picks.
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Hey Rob,
I was bored on my day off and decided to do some research on previous drafts for the Hawks. Hoping it might get some discussions going. I came across a top 10 worst 1st round draft picks list by bleacher report and they were as followed:
10. Aaron Curry (A bit premature considering hes only 2 years in but when Clay Mathews went 26th overall…you gotta think what could have been…)
9. Lawrence Jackson (Definately never lived up to his potential)
8. Chris McIntosh (Don’t know much about him other than his injury)
7. Jeramy Stevens (Way to many off the field issues)
6. Lamar King (From a small school, never materialized)
5. Koren Robinson (Jeramy Stevens 2.0)
4. Brian Bosworth (The richest rookie contract at the time, only lasting 3 seasons)
3. Dan McGwire (Only started 5 games in 4 years)
2. Steve August (Still scratching my head on who this is. haha)
1. Rick Mirer (Where to begin…oh how the 90’s sure sucked)
Personally I think Kelly Jennings belongs on this list…but thats my personal dislike for his CB skills
That led me to think…who are the best Seahawks that have been drafted in the first round since 2000…and here are some of the names I came up with:
Shaun Alexander (2000) arguably the best RB in franchise history
Steve Huchinson (2001) Oh how we miss him still…
Marcus Trufant (2003) Say what you want about his skills now, but Trufant has been a great cornerstone of the defense for 8 years now.
Earl Thomas (2010) If his rookie campaign is anything like the rest of his career in Seattle, I gotta love this pick
So out of the last 10 years, I would argue that only 3-4 players seem like they were hits rather than misses. Not great odds…but what I also don’t like, is that the 2 times the Hawks took a franchise QB, they ended up with Mcgwire and Mirer. I actually don’t know if they have ever drafted a “successful” QB.
Anyways…hopefully some people will have some perspective on this…I know its a difficult talk about the Hawks when so much is uncertain and theres only so many times I can listen to mcShay and Kiper argue about who they think is the best prospect…
I don’t think Rick Mirer should be the No. 1 worst pick. He did play okay in his rookie season and made us hopeful for a while, and in the end the Hawks was able to trade him away for a 1st round pick, which, if I remember correctly, was then used to trade up to get Walter Jones. Also, despite his faults, Jeremy Stevens was an important contributor during the superbowl run.
No love for Okung?
I think Tubbs could have made that list if he stayed healthy. Tubbs/Bane… that could have been so sweet.
Oh I think Okung is a fine player and he definately still could be a great player…but in his rookie season I felt his injuries did not allow him to play like the 1st round pick in which he was chosen as. Thats why I did not put him on my short list.
Also…I think its difficult to measure his impact compared to Thomas’s rookie campaign because of the positions they play. We say Thomas had a great year because he had 5 INT’s and showed alot of promise in a pretty crappy defensive…and I suppose when healthy, we can say Okung kept some of the best DE’s like Julius Peppers off of the QB all game long, but in long run OT’s kind of have a hard time getting noticed.
Sure we all loved Walter Jones and his incredible ability to pancake his persuing DE’s but to me he mostly is known because of his freakish size and strength, his 9 pro-bowl selections and his 4 all pro selections.
On a different note, If people are truly down on Aaron Curry after his 2 mediocre seasons, what are they gonna say about Okung if he goes out and has a “decent” but not great year. Again…I think it has to do with the positions they play. You can measure the success of the LB position ALOT easier then you can a OT.
I would say the nature of LT allows for average play. Of course, by using a #6 pick, we’d like an all-pro, but the fact of the matter is if he does his job without being a super star, it’s still owrth the pick because LTs are hard to find.
Of course I would love for him to be nationally recognized as an elite LT, but if he is steady for 8-10 yars, that’s hard to complain about.
Curry plays a far easier position and one that is much easier to transition into and he has been terrible. I hated the pick at the time specifically for the idea that a top 5 pick at LB is really a wasted pick, unless he’s Patrick Willis or an all pro.
And this is my fear about everybody crying out for an RT in round 1. Bad teams cann ill afford to spend picks on non premium positions. When you have a chance to address a position very difficult to address, even if you aren’t at the “have to draft that position” stage, it’s wise to take it while you can. We’ve seen first hand what a franchise can become when you simply put off drafting certain positions because you don’t “need” it right this second.
In the late 1990’s the more notable Hawks that were drafted were: Shawn Springs(1997) Walter Jones (1997) Joey Galloway (1995) Sam Adams (1994) Cortez Kennedy (1990). So I suppose theres 5 names there that I would say were hits. Seems like 30-50% of the time we get a good to great player in the first round.
I don’t know that I agree with Kiper. I can see more teams trading up because the financial obligation isn’t there, but at the same time I can see teams holding on the pick because they can afford to roll the dice on a QB or DE without it crippling them for years. You can essentially draft a QB and cut him 2 years later if he pulls a J-Russ and try it all over again now.
I can see what you are saying, but the opposite argument can also be, that if you don’t have a QB, you will have a bad team. I get the fear of drafting a QB high, but at the same time, you cannot win a super bowl without a good QB. And your chances of finding a franchise QB are significantly higher in round 1 than any other round. If it didn’t work that way, nobody would draft a QB in the 1st round ever.
I would say swinging and missing on a QB in the first round is the same as what has happened to the Seahawks. Swinging and missing on a LB (Curry), DE (Jackson), CB (Jennings). It really doesn’t matter what position. If you consistently miss on 1st round picks, you won’t have much talent on your team. It really doesn’t matter what position we are talking about. And the fact of the matter is, you don’t become a good team by playing it safe in round 1 (that is unless you have a big time QB already in place).
It should be clear by now that if you don’t have top notch QB play, you won’t win a super bowl. Outside of the Ravens with Dilfer, every team that has won the super bowl has done so behind great QB play.
Whoops…misread what you wrote. Haha, sorry. And I agree with you about teams being more willing to roll the dice. Haha sorry man!
Alright new topic…Prospects with the biggest upside that the Seahawks could potentially get…these are prospects in the 20-30 range.
Mallett, Locker, Smith, Taylor ect…
Agree with those along with…
Wilkerson, Jonathan Baldwin, Liuget (although he is rising) and Justin Houston (physical specimen).
I really like Wilkerson. Think his versatility and upside is one of the best on the D-line in this class. I’m intrigued by Justin Houston. He’s a physical beast and has had good production. His stiffness scares me, but you can’t teach human beings to move like that. Tough call, but no matter what we do at 25, I’d like us to target a difference maker. Enough of these safe, low ceiling picks.