The Carolina Panthers are starting Michael Oher at left tackle — a free agent cut by the Tennessee Titans last February. His cap hit for this season is $2.4m.
At right tackle they’re starting Mike Remmers — an undrafted free agent from 2012. He’s 26-years-old and already on his sixth NFL team. He was snatched from the Rams practise squad. His cap hit for this season is $585,000.
Cam Newton is generally well protected. The Panthers gave up 33 sacks during the regular season — the same number as the much vaunted Dallas Cowboys O-line and 13 fewer than the Seahawks.
Carolina are built to win in the trenches and they’re doing it without first round offensive tackles. The Seahawks have to consider a similar path.
Ryan Kalil (center) and Trai Turner (right guard) are Carolina’s two best offensive linemen. Kalil is a pillar of consistency, the unquestioned leader up front. Turner is the ultra-talented, physical guard playing next to him.
This is the strength of the unit.
The Seahawks might attempt to emulate the Panthers by producing a consistently performing O-line built in the same way.
A lot of teams don’t even rush the edge against Russell Wilson. They play contain knowing if they create interior pressure Wilson will scramble straight into the waiting arms of a defensive end. Keeping the pocket clean from the inside is crucial and could be the priority going forward.
Seattle can deal with speed. Tom Cable recently told the local media only one edge rusher in the entire NFL can beat Garry Gilliam with speed. They aren’t built to defend the Kawann Short’s and Aaron Donald’s they end up facing annually. That’s a problem.
This mock draft is based around this thought process. Find a long term solution at center to avoid the kind of mistakes that dogged the start of the 2015 season. Provide toughness, grit and athleticism to the guard positions and develop partnerships that can grow together over the next 4-5 years.
They can find a tackle — just as Carolina did with Oher and Remmers. If they have to plug in a Phil Loadholt in free agency — so be it. If they have to take on a major project like La’Raven Clark in rounds 3-4 — so be it. If they have to lean on a Fahn Cooper drafted even later — so be it.
This projection is all about the interior O-line and finding a solution to Seattle’s biggest off-season priority — improved play in the trenches.
Round one
#1 Tennessee — Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
They already have two top-11 picks on their offensive line (Taylor Lewan, Chance Warmack). They have Marcus Mariota and Dorial Green-Beckham to build around. It’s time to add a defensive focal point.
#2 Cleveland — Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
Teams will believe they can win with Lynch. He’s big, mobile, accurate and led a Memphis team to a winning season against the odds. A poor man’s Cam Newton.
#3 San Diego — Laremy Tunsil (T, Ole Miss)
He missed most of the 2015 season but played well against Texas A&M’s explosive pass-rusher Myles Garrett.
#4 Dallas — Carson Wentz (QB, North Dakota State)
The Cowboys take the opportunity to draft Wentz after working with him at the Senior Bowl. The heir apparent to Tony Romo.
#5 Jacksonville — DeForest Buckner (DE, Oregon)
The Jags welcome back Dante Fowler in 2016 and pair him with their answer to Michael Bennett. Buckner is a disruptive force that can line up inside and out.
#6 Baltimore — Eli Apple (CB, Ohio State)
Length, speed and smarts. NFL teams will view Apple as an ideal corner prospect to develop. He keeps everything in front and doesn’t get beat deep.
**TRADE** #7 Philadelphia — Jared Goff (QB, California)
The Niners give Colin Kaepernick another shot and trade with the Eagles. Philly turns the page on the Chip Kelly era by giving Doug Pederson his own QB.
#8 Miami — Mackensie Alexander (CB, Clemson)
The Dolphins need to improve their secondary. Alexander is a fiery competitor who loves to talk. He plays above his listed size.
#9 Tampa Bay — Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Ole Miss)
He’ll need to convince teams about his character, but there’s no denying his talent. The Buccs lack a dynamic compliment to Gerald McCoy.
#10 New York Giants — Myles Jack (LB, UCLA)
A superb athlete, Jack can play any linebacker position. The Giants need to improve their second level defense.
#11 Chicago — Jaylon Smith (LB, Notre Dame)
He drops a bit due to injury but not too far. Smith is an exceptional player and someone you can truly build around on defense. He could be the top talent in the draft.
#12 New Orleans — Noah Spence (DE, Eastern Kentucky)
He had a fantastic Senior Bowl and probably did enough to warrant a grade in this range. There isn’t another player like Spence in this class.
**TRADE** #13 San Francisco — Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
After moving down six spots, the Niners bring in a new tackle. With Anthony Davis retired and Alex Boone likely departing — they need to repair that O-line.
#14 Oakland — Jaylen Ramsey (CB, Florida State)
He’s a tweener. Does he have the hips and quicks to match up with elite suddenness? Or is he a permanent safety?
#15 Los Angeles — Darron Lee (LB, Ohio State)
The Rams disappoint their fans by failing to land a quarterback. They do add one of the best players in the draft — Lee is a 4.4 runner with great instinct.
#16 Detroit — Ronnie Stanley (T, Notre Dame)
He’s overrated but admittedly there is some pass-pro upside. Someone will take a shot. He doesn’t get to the second level or play with an edge.
#17 Atlanta — Sheldon Rankins (DT, Louisville)
Their defense is still pretty powder puff. Rankins was a winner in Mobile and fills a big hole for the Falcons.
#18 Indianapolis — Jack Conklin (T, Michigan State)
Just a hard-nosed, blue-collar tough guy who fought his way into this range as a walk-on at MSU. Not an amazing athlete — but someone teams will love.
#19 Buffalo — Leonard Floyd (OLB, Georgia)
A tall, thin linebacker suited to the 3-4. He could easily be another Aaron Maybin. The Bills do need to find players that fit the Rex Ryan scheme.
#20 New York Jets — Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio State)
He could be a superstar in New York. Chris Ivory is a free agent and went off the boil in 2015 after a good start.
#21 Washington — Jarran Reed (DT, Alabama)
Scot McCloughan wanted to make Washington tough in the trenches. His first pick in 2015 was a big, hard-nosed, athletic guard. His first pick in 2016 is a big, hard-nosed, run-stuffing D-liner.
#22 Houston — Will Fuller (WR, Notre Dame)
Fuller is a dynamite playmaker. Picking this late limits their ability to get at the QB’s. Whoever starts at QB might as well throw to Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins.
#23 Minnesota — Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
Maybe Coleman won’t rise into the top-10 where he belongs? He’s still an awesome lineman. He should go much earlier than this.
#24 Cincinnati — Corey Coleman (WR, Baylor)
He just makes fantastic plays. He’s a better athlete than people realise. He’d make a terrific compliment to A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert.
#25 Pittsburgh — Kyler Fackrell (LB, Utah State)
The Steelers are always willing to draft an outside linebacker in round one. Jarvis Jones has been a disappointment.
#26 Seattle — Nick Martin (C, Notre Dame)
The best offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl. He matches Seattle’s desire for toughness in the trenches. He’s wildly underrated and not too far behind his brother Zack. He’s going to be a top-40 pick.
#27 Green Bay — Andrew Billings (DT, Baylor)
Country strong, big defensive tackle that can play the nose and do some pass-rushing. Could switch between NT and DE in Green Bay’s scheme.
#28 Kansas City — Vernon Butler (DT, Louisiana Tech)
The Chiefs might lose Jaye Howard in free agency and can plug Butler straight in as a 3-4 DE. Length, power, size and athleticism.
#29 Denver — Jason Spriggs (T, Indiana)
Tall, athletic offensive tackles generally go early. Spriggs is a bit of a project. The Broncos might need to replace Ryan Clady.
#30 Arizona — Cody Whitehair (T, Kansas State)
He will move inside to guard or center. In this scenario, the Cardinals draft him to be their long term answer at center.
#31 Carolina — Laquon Treadwell (WR, Ole Miss)
With reports of a possible 4.6-4.7 in the forty yard dash, Treadwell drops a bit. He’ll still be a productive and consistent receiver at the next level.
Round two
#32 Cleveland — Braxton Miller (WR, Ohio State)
A dynamic weapon to compliment Josh Gordon and Gary Barnidge.
#33 Tennessee — Reggie Ragland (LB, Alabama)
Tough inside linebacker — ideal for their 3-4 defense.
#34 Dallas — Derrick Henry (RB, Alabama)
Doesn’t it seem inevitable? He’s a good fit for their scheme.
#35 San Diego — A’Shawn Robinson (DT, Alabama)
Overrated defensive tackle who switches to DE in San Diego’s 3-4.
#36 Baltimore — Darian Thompson (S, Boise State)
They need to upgrade at safety and Thompson stood out at the Senior Bowl.
#37 San Francisco — Kevin Dodd (DE, Clemson)
His get-off isn’t good enough but he knows how to get to the QB.
#38 Miami — Shaq Lawson (DE, Clemson)
More of a power end and not quite as quick-twitch as Dodd.
#39 Jacksonville — Vernon Hargreaves (CB, Florida)
Overrated corner with poor tackling form. Athletic but needs coaching up.
#40 New York Giants — Adolphus Washington (DT, Ohio State)
Dynamic interior rusher. Washington is streaky and needs to be more consistent.
#41 Chicago — Kendall Fuller (CB, Virginia Tech)
Hampered by an injury, Fuller could drop into the first half of round two.
#42 Tampa Bay — William Jackson (CB, Houston)
With excellent length and ball skills, Jackson could be a big riser.
#43 Los Angeles — Michael Thomas (WR, Ohio State)
A big target with surprising agility. He could go earlier.
#44 Oakland — Su’a Cravens (S, USC)
They need to rebuild their secondary. Cravens is a versatile defender.
#45 Los Angeles — Germain Ifedi (T, Texas A&M)
Capable of playing tackle or guard, the hulking Ifedi has a ton of upside.
#46 Detroit — Vonn Bell (S, Ohio State)
Another good value safety pick in round two and a need for the Lions.
#47 New Orleans — Kenny Clark (DT, UCLA)
The Saints need a disruptive nose tackle.
#48 Indianapolis — Jonathan Bullard (DT, Florida)
His get-off is superb but is he special enough to go earlier?
#49 Buffalo — Jihad Ward (DT, Illinois)
Long, physical defensive lineman that can play end for Rex Ryan.
#50 Atlanta — Miles Killebrew (S, Southern Utah)
The Falcons can try and mould him into a big-hitting safety/linebacker hybrid.
#51 New York Jets — Nick Vannett (TE, Ohio State)
Arguably the best all-round TE in the class. The Jets keep adding weapons.
#52 Houston — Christian Hackenburg (QB, Penn State)
Bill O’Brien takes a chance on his former protégé.
#53 Washington — Jordan Jenkins (LB, Georgia)
Jenkins had a nice week in Mobile and works into Washington’s pass rush rotation.
#54 Minnesota — De’Runnya Wilson (WR, Mississippi State)
A safety net target for Teddy Bridgewater, Wilson is similar to Kelvin Benjamin.
#55 Cincinnati — Eric Striker (LB, Oklahoma)
The Bengals like these tough, athletic linebackers. Striker is a playmaker.
#56 Seattle — Deion Jones (LB, LSU)
Ultra-fast prospect with speed to burn. The type of LB the Seahawks covet.
#57 Green Bay — Tyler Boyd (WR, Pittsburgh)
He’s too good to last this long. It’d be an absolute steal for the Packers.
#58 Pittsburgh — Zack Sanchez (CB, Oklahoma)
They need to do something about that secondary. Sanchez is a ball-hawk.
#59 Kansas City — Xavien Howard (CB, Baylor)
What a talent. He’d make a great partner for Marcus Peters. One to watch.
#60 New England — Sterling Shephard (WR, Oklahoma)
Mr. Consistent and could be a production machine for the Patriots.
#61 Arizona — Kamalei Correa (DE, Boise State)
Athletic edge rusher ideally suited to OLB in the 3-4.
#62 Denver — Charles Tapper (DE, Oklahoma)
Capable of playing end or tackle, Tapper is a productive and polished pass-rusher.
#63 Carolina — Emmanuel Ogbah (DE, Oklahoma State)
A little bit raw and maybe a little overrated. This is a nice spot for him.
Seahawks picks
R1 — Nick Martin (C, Notre Dame)
An instant starter who provides consistency, power and technique.
R2 — Deion Jones (LB, LSU)
Elite speed and range at the WILL or SAM.
R3 — Paul Perkins (RB, UCLA)
An ideal compliment to Thomas Rawls.
R3 — Joe Dahl (G, Washington State)
Looked at home at right guard next to Nick Martin in Mobile.
R4 — Sebastien Tretola (G, Arkansas)
Massive left guard with plus mobility for his enormous size.
R5 — James Bradberry (CB, Samford)
Tall, long corner project as per usual in round five.
R6 — Travis Feeney (LB, Washington)
Instant special teams value.
R7 — Marquez North (WR, Tennessee)
Former four-star recruit with all the tools.
R7 — Ronald Blair III (DE, Appalachian State)
Versatile pass rusher. Lives in the backfield.
Do you see the Hawks moving Wright back to SAM in this and plugging Jones in on the other side?
I really like this draft. That would be a very solid interior for years to come.
They can pretty much play Jones anywhere.
I think Jones is going to be a big riser after the combine. If he is there in Rd #2 I agree JS will be running to make that pick. An LB group of Wright, Wags and Jones could cover a whole lot of ground.
Fast, undersized, high character (captain despite being first time starter as a senior), solid tackler, instinctive. Debo Jones reminds me a lot of Thomas Davis. Luke Keuchly is great, but we already have BWags. We have an opening at Will or Sam and we need this younger Thomas Davis clone. This mock is great and it would be an ideal draft, minus DT. We need a big ugly for the DL.
If the Hawks got Martin, Dahl and Tretola it would be an awesome draft just those three players. Then you throw in Players like Perkins and Deon Jones(although the Seahawks have a history of NOT doing well with players name Deon). WIth Hawks could REBUILD their entire roster with these guys.
I get the feeling SEATTLE is going to have an AWESOME off season.
What about Kam moving to LB filling the roll of Irving? McCray played decently in Kam’s absence.
They want extreme speed at LB and physical size at SS. I highly doubt they move Kam.
Interesting Mock Rob a lot of the picks make a ton of sense.
One thing that stood out was the quality still there in the early / middle of Rd #2.
If Coleman, Apple, Spence and Rankins (my 4 favorite Hawks prospects) are gone by 26 I would love JS to try and trade back to the early 2nd and pick up a 3rd or 4th round pick. If they did they could likely still get Martin.
I think they’ll struggle to get a third round pick for dropping into the early second. They might not get much at all to make that move.
I think Martin will be a lot more coveted than people think too. Might not be able to move down and get him to be honest.
If Coleman and Martin are on the board who do you take?
Both top-20 talents in this class IMO so happy with either.
I think if Coleman is there I have to take the Tackle and then take a G/C like Glasgow in the 3rd with one of our picks. Love Martin and agree with your scouting report completely but if you can get an elite tackle at 26 I think you run to the podium. For me the harder choice is if Spence or Rankins are still there as pass rushers are equally as hard to find.
Agreed, even if your preference happens to lean slightly toward Martin. The chance of a possibly elite LT being available near the end of round 1 is uncommon, whereas every draft the best centers are typically available in the late 1/2/3 range.
You talked about the fact that tackle may not be as big of a need, and that’s totally reasonable. However, tackles aren’t just about pass protection. Someone needs to set the edge in the running game and be physical. Send a message, if you will. Walter had that. Hutch did as well. Even Brenno had that. Gilliam and… Whomever probably won’t have that. We still need some physicality outside as well. Martin was not impressive to me in some games and in others he was better. My initial impression of him was “he’s no Zack”. However, the senior bowl performance displayed his upside. I don’t know. I think I take the tackle and see if I can get an interior player in round two.
Who sets the edge for Carolina? Mike Remmers or Kalil/Turner inside?
I think there’s going to be some options in FA to acquire tackle help. I think they may very well go the FA route anyways to help shore things up.
Like Rob, I’d be happy with either.
Although with the number of decent OC prospects this year, a team could get greedy if they wanted to.
If it’s Coleman/Martin, I’d prefer Coleman and an alternative to Martin. OT is just too hard to acquire. In essence, we’ve been looking for OTs since Pete first walked into the office. The first pick was Okung. Then we’ve been drafting and seeking that second OT every single year since 2010.
That’s how elusive that OT has been. Figure how many draft picks we’ve burned trying to get that 2nd guy:
Carpenter (25)
Bowie (242)
Britt (65)
Scott (199)
Poole (130)
And it’s funny that the two that did work out we signed off a PS and was a UDFA. It’s really hard to find that special sauce kind of player that can succeed on that edge. If I think Coleman is one of those kinds of guys — gotta run to the podium for that.
Nick Martin could be underrated. And could be worthy of an R1 pick. But consider where the top OG/OC players were picked recently:
2015
5 – Scherff
19 – Erving
28 – Tomlinson
49 – Morse
61 – Marpet
2014
16 – Martin
33 – Su’a-Filo
35 – Bitonio
43 – Richburg
64 – Britt
2013
7 – Cooper
10 – Warmack
19 – Pugh
20 – Long
31 – Frederick
65 – Warford
2012
24 – DeCastro
27 – Zeitler
40 – Silatolu
41 – Glenn
55 – Konz
60 – Osemele
The pattern is pretty clear. There is a definite sweet spot with multiple hits on pro bowl caliber interior linemen between 20 and 60. Every year the last three seasons. If you go OT this year, there should be multiple Nick Martins in almost every class in the next few years.
In fact, the relative value and hit rate for these types of interior OL players is really quite high. Very few busts in this group.
Solid work.
Nice analysis. Also this year seems pretty deep again so we should be able to find good value with our picks
I see the drop off right around 40 not 60. Marpet is the exception not the rule.We would have to be round 1 to get a pro bowl level interior lineman that is known since the hawks will draft in the 50+ range for the foreseeable future.
A 4th rounder would be about the going rate for a trade back, it’s what they got from Minnesota.
Some of us here, I think sdcoug in particular have said it a couple of times. Build your line like New Orleans. Stronger inside, RW can deal with edge pressure but not up the middle pressure.
Yup, good memory. Fully believe this is the route
Well at the very least, getting strong up the middle counters our biggest liability against our nastiest competition (LA and CAR).
I would love that draft if it plays out that way. If Shon Coleman falls just 3 more spots though I think the Hawks have to take a swing even though I would definitely agree the interior line needs the most help. I would be surprised though if they take two guards even if Sweezy leaves. I think they could take one and still have a completely rebuilt line with Glowinski (who looked very promising in his one start) at right. That being said I would still love to see this draft as you can never have enough quality interior lineman in this division.
I would also love this draft: sensible, scratches all the itches, gets players who are recognizable and performing well. But because this is a Seahawks draft, those are all reasons why I know it will never happen like this.
I think the best scenario for me is to sign a big dude that can play LG like Loadholt. Then take one of Coleman or Martin in Rd 1 and go from there.
I’m just so glad the rams are poorly coach because the keep picking up amazing talent.
It’s nice they don’t have a quarterback either.
I think they will do whatever it takes to get Lynch, Goff or Wentz this year. If you don’t have a QB you can’t win the NFC with Sea (Russ), Car (Cam), GB (Rodgers).
Yep, making their defense even more fearsome won’t mean much if they still can’t get a franchise QB.
I actually can see the “Hollywood” Rams lining up RGIII at QB next year.
That wouldn’t be a bad gamble. RGIII was special his rookie year so maybe a change of scenery to a team with a strong running game and defense will help him regain his ability and confidence. And unless the Rams want to trade up, this might be the only way they’ll land a potential franchise QB this year.
What about AJ MaCarron?
They have two 2nd rounders after they gained one for Bradford.
They sure will need to shoot for the stars at the qb position but can they coach RG3 up and still focus around Gurley?
The irony of the Rams getting/having RGIII would almost be too much to ponder.
Rob, Lets just say both Coleman and Martin are there at #26… who would you take for the Hawks if you were Schneider.
I also like how you took Fakrell just before #26 so he’d be gone when most Steeler fans (granted, they aren’t the GMs) will probably go crazy if they don’t go with a DB in round one.
I’d be so happy with Tretola as one of our picks. I think he’s gone by the time we make our third round picks though.
People always harp about continuity on the line and then always put a fifth year guy, next to a 10th year guy, who is next to a second year player, who is next to an 8th year player, who is next to a rookie. I’ve always wondered why teams don’t try to do what the Hawks tried doing a number of years ago when they took Carp to play RT and Moffitt to play RG. Go get two young guys to play side by side for a long time. Granted, they didn’t know one would not care and the other would be a bust in terms of a first rounder (but considered to be a good pick if he’d been a sixth rounder). Still, I’d love nothing more than to see something like Martin/Tretola or Coleman/Kirkland or some combination of two (good) players who can come in and be good right off the bat and play together for a long time.
I’d be perfectly comfortable with either Coleman or Martin. Both top-20 talents in this class IMO.
You’re Schneider. You have to make the pick. You can’t have both because the other will be long gone by the time you pick again. 🙂
I am certainly not Rob but I think if Coleman is there I have to take the Tackle and then take a G/C like Glasgow in the 3rd with one of our picks. Love Martin and agree with your scouting report completely but if you can get an elite tackle at 26 I think you run to the podium. For me the harder choice is if Spence or Rankins are still there as pass rushers are equally as hard to find.
I’m not Rob either but tackle is a much bigger need right now and rarer to find talent for.
To me this would be the perfect scenario to go with Need.
I will answer one day Bobby but not today 🙂
Coleman got to take the Tackle, especially since he looks as he could play either side., or be moved to guard
I love both Coleman and Martin, but if you put a gun to my head and said I had to risk my life by saying which one will play in the most Pro Bowls… I’d say Martin is “safer” to be great at his position, even if Coleman plays a “more important” position.
I hope we have that choice to make. Spence, Coleman, or Martin would have me giddy if we get either of those three.
Agree. Martin is the safer pick
“got to take the Tackle”
Possibly — but as noted at the start of this article, the Panthers have done the total opposite and created an ideal O-line. They have Oher on $2.4m at left tackle and a guy they plucked off the Rams practise squad at RT. The quality of that line is at C and RG.
Yeah…it reminds me a bit of the moneyball philosophy – find whats being undervalued and buy cheap ….interior line and RB is undervalued in the league (added benefit is that you then save cap space on what is traditionally one of the more expensive positions, offensive tackle). I like this as a strategy for our specific QB and as a way to manipulate the market to save cap room.
Hawks would do well to echo saints line from brees better years they had probowl guards and fungible tackles interior line is more important than tackles for Russell he can outrun most edge guys but you got pressure up the middle hes got nowhere to go. The teams that gave our online fits were the ones who could get pressure up the middle rams/panthers good guard play and center play almost more important with Russell than tackles.
I’d love to know Rob’s thinking, but for me I’d go with Martin. Not an easy decision, but this is a team with near term super bowl aspirations and the biggest weakness on the team was interior o-line. With Okung’s injury, I’d explore a one year contract to buy some time to answer the LT position, while shoring up the interior. Longer term, Wilson seems to handle the outside pressure better than inside, so I would bet on the interior while looking develop another tackle. If there was a big talent gap between Coleman and martin, that would change the equation, but if all things are relatively equal, I’d take the position that best helps you win the super bowl next year.
How would you feel about taking Coleman and then waiting until the early second. If Martin is their at pick 35-40 you figure out a package that includes next years first rounder (#32!) and perhaps this years 4 or 5 and get him as well. I would give up next years first if I thought a top 20 talent was available at pick 35.
You take your LT of the future and thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to be drafting in the top 10 to do it. As much as this board now likes Martin, there are other accomplished centers available to be drafted.
Then Wilson gets hurt and we win 5 games next year and lose a real draft pick. No chance stay in the here and now with out mortgaging the future
So your assumption is that if we take a top Tackle at 26, we can’t also add a good center and or guard later?
How exactly is that mortgaging the future? And how is that any different from selecting a DT, WR, or LB in the first?…by your logic any non-center/guard pick at 26 is not staying in the here and now? Not buying it man …
While Coleman may be more talented and have more ‘value’ at 26, I see Martin improving the entire line with his calls and adjustments. I take Martin.
You take the tackle. Every, Single. Time. If a Patrick Lewis can play center passably, then a young ‘center of the future’ isn’t the ‘special talent’ you use for your first round pick, unless he is so incredibly talented and special . . . but then that player probably isn’t a center to begin with; he’s probably a tackle. Or a nasty strong guard.
Tackle is simply a different and much more rarefied position; whereas centers can be found ‘cheaper’. Cheaper in terms of a FA signing. And cheaper in terms of draft position and capital.
I even agree that the Seahawks need to build the O line from the inside out. But first round center over a pass rusher, OT, or player (WR, LB, DT) with special type speed or athletic gifts is not the way to get there. And given the front office’s propensity to either trade for or select only a ‘special talent’ type player with their first round pick and they will have FA options, an existing placeholder I Lweis, and a player of the future midway through development . . . I just don’t find it plausible that first pick goes that way. The plan for that spot is already in progress.
SeventiesHawksFan — re-read the bit at the top of this piece about the Panthers O-line. Center and right guard is the heart and soul of their O-line. The tackle spots are both fill-ins. It’s conventional thinking that the tackles have to be all that — and we know Seattle’s attitude towards conventional thinking.
I am not familiar enough with Carolina’s acquisition history to make that assumption. It’s entirely possible that they have tried and failed (like us) repeatedly to get quality OT talent but got instant returns on interior guys.
I can’t say that it’s by design or the byproduct of unconventional philosophy.
Certainly though I think the results themselves is curious. How their OL came about may be immaterial. The lesson of the OL is that you can form a wildly productive unit by having replacement level OTs, yet pro bowl quality interior guys.
I noted above how readily available high quality interior linemen are in the 20-60 overall range. Finding top talent and building a similar OL to Carolina could be done almost in a single draft.
Sometimes it’s not worth fishing for talent in an exhausted pool. Pick up bait and find a little used honey spot. We’ve seen this before with Pete’s introduction to tall/lengthy corners. It’s called market efficiency. You get the pick of the cream of the crop if you target and build your OL in a different way.
Thanks Rob for the picks! You give a man an opportunity of hope, thinking, there just might be a chance. Maybe, he just might be there. I say this because I agree with most of your picks for OTs except @ 23.
Kalil is locked in @ LT & TJ was their 4th selection @ RT last year. There guard play was a detriment to their OL. I had them going with Whitehair who is rated higher on most boards than Coleman.
That being said, there just might be a chance! You don’t have to answer that question between Coleman and Martin. We know how you feel about both. Well, I’ll chip in my $0.02. Coleman @ 26 for the Hawks and I’m loving it! Thank you Rob. This man’s dream may just become a reality.
The thinking with Minnesota — Coleman could play guard if they wanted. Very easily. He could also upgrade either tackle because Kalil has struggled and Clemmings was a major liability. Clemmings might move inside.
It’s a possibility they go with Coleman. But, I think Coleman is a better OT than LG and Whitehair is a better LG than OT. There’s also a learning curve for 1st yr starters on the edge that Clemmings went through. He’ll be better next year.
They are in need of a WR. Most boards have them picking Treadwell or Doctson, both bigger receivers than the rookie & Wallace.
We’ll see. But, I think there just might a strong chance that he’s there @ 26. The statement about being tougher & not being push around agrees with picking Coleman-Hargrave-Allen in the 1st 3Rds. As you said, Coleman could also go inside if Britt doesn’t come around after his 1st yr @ RT. At any case, those 3 make them stronger up front. Dahl @ 98?
I’d be surprised if Jack Allen goes as early as R3.
I think Coleman is the riskier pick at #26. He has work to do to become “great”, where as Martin is a more finished product and you can see how he fits into the OL. He would/should be a sizable upgrade at what is present at that position currently.
Coleman is a two to three year project to get to his best playing days, where I can see Martin being ready to go/better than anyone on the roster from week #1 and only getting better as time progresses.
One reason to not draft 3 interior lineman is that if they were all successful, they’d all be up for renewal at the same time. Another reason is, didn’t we draft 3 interior lineman in last year’s draft? We already writing them off?
Other than that, I’d be happy with this draft.
Well, they cut one of the guys they drafted last year (Poole) and only re-signed him to a futures contract. Sokoli is still a massive project. It’s not so much writing anyone off as providing competition.
I would point out that Poole was on the practice squad the entire year and got put on the practice squad injured reserve when he got hurt. To put him on that list rather than just drop him seems to say they still like him quite a bit. That’s not to say that they won’t look to upgrade, but I think they’re going to give him a decent shot at making the roster.
5 years is 5 years – it’ll sort itself out. On the one hand though, it would be great to have this injection of talent on the line, and all playing together for the next 5 years, on the other hand, it’s hard not to be frustrated that we have to make 3 more picks on the O-line after the draft capital we’ve spent already. Still, this is a championship team in a championship window, and this would shore up the weakest unit on the team.
Another way to look at it is that if they draft Martin at #26, they will have him under team control for 5 years. Whoever they draft, like Tretola, after the first round will only be under team control for 4 years. Of course, they could choose not to pick up the option on Martin (like they did with Bruce Irvin), but if he becomes a Pro Bowl center… they certainly would pick-up that option.
Rob, do tou have an opinion on darly worley from wvu. I know he had a suspension and the blemishes on his record. But I suspect he might fit our hawk archetype for dbs and from what I could find he is a playmaker.
Interested in ur thoughts.
Not a player I’ve focused on yet, Badjujus. I will check him out.
“Worley did record six picks in 2015”
heres some info from rotoworld
Coming into the year, TFY Draft Insider’s Tony Pauline graded the 6-foot-1, 199-pound Worley as an “early third” round pick. Pauline wrote that the 6-foot-1, 199-pound junior “offers the size and ball skills to be a starter at the next level.” His interception against Texas Tech on Saturday was his third of the season. He also recorded seven tackles in the game to give him 28 for the 2015 campaign. With solid measurables, he could push himself toward a possible Day 2 selection in the 2016 NFL Draft (assuming he decides to declare).
Seems like he is being overlooked and if he buys in he screams seahawk corner to me.
Watching how much fun the hawks players had at the pro bowl yesterday left me with a good vibe about this off season. It was great to see those guys back to having fun. Love Bennet he needs his own TV show.
Also I remember after the Hawks lost to Atl and Pete coming out saying they needed more of pass rush. That off season Bennet, Avril. This off season he said a consistent OL. When they say they are going to fix something they do. I think we are going to see a vastly improved OL in 2016.
Am I the only one who wants us to take a look at Braxton Miller at the end of Round 1, and save the rest of the OL/DL picks for after? 2, 3, 3, 4?
If the Seahawks are really about drafting sudden, explosive athletes in the high rounds because there aren’t many later, then Braxton Miller should be at the top of the attainable list. The only reason he’s not the #1 WR in this draft is because he’s only been playing WR for a season – he’s probably one of the best athletes in the draft, and he’s getting better with every snap.
The Seahawks are going to be too good to ever land a Julio Jones or an A.J. Green in the draft – those WRs always go too early… but what if you could make one yourselves? If you could tailor make an elite caliber WR to play with Russell Wilson’s tendencies and habits, to always know when to go into the scramble drill – why not take the chance?
We’ve already seen this offense with two WRs with talent (Baldwin and Lockett), why not add a potential game breaker, if we can mold him correctly?
Would you rather have a Miller, or someone like Michael Thomas or Josh Doctson. And why? Personally, I still feel like we should go after either an O line or an edge/LB but I want to hear some thoughts.
I think Josh Doctson is underrated. His ability to make contested catches is the best in the draft. The only question is going to be his speed and ability to gain separation.
DeAndre Hopkins went at the end of the first round and Antonio Brown was a 6th round pick. You could make an argument that they are the best two WRs in the NFL heading into next season and neither of them were the early first round WRs like Green and Julio.
But both Julio and AJ were exactly as advertised when they hit the NFL.
I completely agree he has that Hopkins Robinson quality to his game
Big fan of Doctson. Best hands in the draft. Been seeing him in the late first round in some mock drafts. Not sure he’s underrated, but definitely is getting overlooked on here. Think a lot of this is due to his wrist injury keeping him out the last few games and Senior Bowl. Plus it’s harder to judge a WR coming from the spread-not running the full route tree. Really wanted to see how he stacked up athletically next to Miller and Carroo.
How does everyone feel about Will Fuller? I’ve seen him on some Seahawks mock drafts. Fun to watch, big playmaker, gritty type receiver. I’d say O-line definitely more of a priority though.
I just don’t see the need to spend our 1st rounder on a WR. Even if we pass a bit more this season than in ’15 (no guarantees if Rawls is healthy all season rushing 5+ YPC) we are still not a high volume passing team. Even if we don’t re-sign Kearse we are one of the best teams at finding UDFA WR talent…Kasen Williams and Kevin Smith are both potential doubles, triples or home runs at the WR position having gotten them undrafted. That would lock up WR1 (Doug), WR2 (Tyler), WR3 (Paul), WR4 (Kevin, WR5 (Kasen) and WR6 can be a competition between the UDFA WR’s we get after this years draft, the WR we most likely draft this year, and the WR’s we got signed to futures deals (along with potentially Ricardo Lockette). And don’t forget with Jimmy, Luke and potentially Coffman on the roster that can free up Jimmy to split out wide more, I liked his blocking before he got hurt but he is a receiving TE.
We have a insanely strong need for O-line talent, a strong need for DT talent, a very strong need for a LB and potentially a DE, not to mention a continuous need for secondary talent (specifically CB).
During our hot streak the Hawks proved with good O-line play, Russ, Doug and Tyler we can historically great. We don’t NEED (and shouldn’t) to spend a 1st (and even 2nd) rounder on a WR.
Not to mention this WR draft class is deep with talent and we can get a quality player in the 3rd or 4th round that has the potential to make an his rookie year. With CFB being so much about the passing game there are a lot of talented WR’s to choose from every year. Not so much with O-linemen.
What it really comes down to is this: If we are sitting in the 1st round and Miller is available but so is Coleman and Martin, are you REALLY going to pass up drafting a top tier OT or C for a WR? For our offense? When we arguably have two WR1’s and a elite receiving TE on our roster already?
What about our 2? Rob had sterling Shepard still on the board. Can you imagine the speed we would have? Think steelers offense but with our defense. I feel like we can find a serviceable lb in the later rounds
But what is more important to you? Having a servicable LB starting on our defense and another highly talented WR on our offense OR having a star LB starting on our defense and a 3rd/4th round pick WR on our offense?
Remember: We don’t throw the ball a lot. We already have arguably two WR1’s (Tyler, Doug) along with a really talented WR2/3 (PRich) assuming he can stay healthy, and an elite pass catching TE assuming he can come back at some point in 2016. Now again also factor in the potential for Kasen or Kevin (or both) to be quality starters on the level of Kearse’s play if not better.
To me it is more important to keep the defense highly talented and playing Seahawk football (top 3 in all defensive categories with the aim of being #1 in every category) than it is to add a star WR. We have two star WR’s with another potential star assuming he can stay healthy (P-Rich) and we have a star receiving TE.
And look at where we got our star receivers…Jimmy in a trade, Doug in UDFA, Tyler in the 3rd round….Josh Brown went in the 3rd round, Martavis Bryant went in the 4th, Terrance Williams went in the 3rd, Markus Wheaton went in the 3rd, Keenan Allen went in the 3rd…
If you ask me to pick between elite 1st-2nd round WR talent (say Allen Robinson type) and elite O-line talent I will pick O-line. Russ showed what he can do with pass pro, Doug & Tyler during his historic hot streak (2H of season). Give him that pass pro but for all 16 games and he will prove he doesn’t need another receiving weapon, he will slaughter defenses with Doug, Tyler, Luke, Jimmy, Rawls, Paul, Kasen, Kevin, etc.
I wouldn’t put kasen or smith in the same category. There’s a difference in burst that some guys have. P rich is fast, but he just doesn’t look quick out there. Some guys are so quick they can create separation. Look at the difference someone like Lockett made. Also, shepherd could be a return man to spell Lockett or even replace him at either punt or kick return. He could be our 3/4 wr and starting punt returner to start the year.
Also, I worry about Deion jones’ size as a lb. can a 220 lb linebacker last a whole season and take on nfl lineman? Can he take down the big bens and cams of the league? We got kj in the 4th and he was more than serviceable, Malcolm smith in the 7th and he was adequate if not good, Navarro bowman was third. I’m just saying lbs can be found in mid rounds. Wrs can too, but I think quick twitch guys are starting to become the new trend in the nfl.
Play making isn’t all about speed. Yeah Paul doesn’t look quick but he is a proven college ++ speed burner. He runs good routes and has good hands, he can win the contested catch, the 50/50 ball, etc. Kease is as average athletically as you can be and he can put up 685 yards with 5 TD’s and in the post season make huge plays. Imagine if Kevin or Kasen or both are upgrades over that.
Being obsessed with WR’s is a mistake to me. It is clear to me that replacing talent on the O-line is key #1, and that on the list of things we must do WR isn’t up on there. We could lose Kearse and not draft a WR and most likely be fine as long as our O-line has been upgraded. I don’t recommend not drafting a WR at all but we could be fine. For all we know the FO knows that Kasen, Kevin and a ’16 UDFA WR are gonna ball out and shock us.
I agree oline depth is important. We need 1 starter and the rest as depth for the future. (I don’t believe you can start more than 1 rookie lineman). If kearse walks we have a lot less in the cupboard. We can’t overvalue kasen or smith who have done nothing in the nfl. To me they are totally wild cards that would be nice if one of them turned out, but you can’t expect them to. P rich is just a little too injury prone at this point. Also, I don’t remember him being a great route runner in college, just a burner. So who are we left with? We have Baldwin under contract for one more year (which I hope we extend) and Lockett. We aren’t going to strike gold on every udfa like Baldwin and kearse so you have to draft someone. Antonio brown, Julian Edelman , Emmanuel sanders are becoming the new norm in the nfl so it’s not crazy to draft one. Rob has Shepard going 3 picks later to New England so it doesn’t seem that far off for us.
That being said, if we resign kearse and extend Baldwin then I would agree with you on the above. Free agency will be a huge determinant of whether we draft for need or luxury. It would be nice to sign a Mack and then you can play a Martin at guard or sit a lineman not quite ready to start in the season opener. What if we by chance resign Irvin? Also is kpl done? Or can he or pinkens start and we draft depth?
I disagree that LB is a high priority, even if Irvin splits. We have 2 pro-bowl caliber LBs who are every down players. Chances are, the SAM we draft (if we draft one) will be for base personnel only and will be subbed out for a nickel back in 3-4 WR sets (and given the direction the NFL is going, this is becoming more and more base). There are some teams we are going to be playing (new 49ers) where nickel will probably be the standard package for the entire game, which makes the SAM a part-time player. Irvin avoids being part-time because he moves up to edge rusher in passing situations but unless the LB we draft can do that, I just don’t think using a 2nd is capturing value.
Good points, but look what Wilson did in the pro bowl with those receivers. If we can get one of those guys with a first (even if it’s a project a year out), PCJS shouldn’t hesitate. I’m all for winning in the trenches and all, but we need easier points. King brings up some valid points here. It’s all about who’s available I guess. Good to talk about, not that it’ll do much good everybody knows they’ll just trade back again.
He did that in the pro bowl because there was minimal pass rush coming at him. It doesn’t matter if your WR corp is Dez, Julio, Brown, Lockett, Doug and Calvin Johnson, if your O-line is a swiss cheese and pass rushers are whooping their ass then the result won’t be pretty.
On the flip side give Russ 4 seconds consistently in the pocket and he can shred defenses with a handful of average WR’s and one good one.
Yeah you guys are probably right, heaven forbid somebody else have their own opinion. It’s all about perspective I guess. I don’t know who Braxton Miller is, nor do I understand his ceiling. I do know Carroll went out of his way to name both Sokoli and Glowinski in his end of season presser. That may or may not work out for them, and I do hope they bring in some competition to push some of these guys. I really don’t think they will go center in round 1. If they have an option in round 1 to either draft a pro bowl center or a pro bowl tackle, I would hope they choose tackle. But in Robs scenario here it does make sense.
The only way the Seahawks take a WR in the first round is if one of two things happen:
1 – they take care of their o-line needs in free agency
2 – the guys they target in the draft can be had later (like waiting until the 3rd for Wilson)
As expressed many times below, what the passing attack needs is more protection for Wilson, period. If that need gets addressed, and they can make a luxury pick in the first, then like in times past (Harvin, Graham) they might take a transcendent talent in the first.
But they better fix the o-line…
“Am I the only one who wants us to take a look at Braxton Miller at the end of Round 1”
Just about yes.
When Russell had time and protection, was the existing production from our WRs acceptable?
When Russell didn’t have time and protection, was it because he was standing around waiting for receivers to get open. Or was it more jailbreak?
For me to endorse Miller, I’d have to think that the entire WR and TE group was pretty trashy and that the inability for all of them to get open forced Wilson to hold the ball longer than a line ‘SHOULD’ protect. Personally, I don’t think that to be remotely true. Wilson was so often moved from his spot pretty much immediately upon reaching his drop.
Additionally, I’m not sure I’m wanting to reduce the number of targets to Baldwin/Lockett and Graham in order to make Miller productive. I like the distribution of targets just fine. I don’t want Lockett being a #4 option. Kearse is really quite a decent #4 option for us.
I absolutely do not want to have to invent special package plays to feature Miller like we did Harvin. So if we were to acquire Miller, I’m thinking he gets maybe 2-3 targets a game. Not worth the first round pick IMO.
Braxton Miller might be the best athlete in this class.
Urban Meyer used him like he did Percy Harvin. Didn’t we trade a 1st for a guy just like Braxton Miller when we still had Sidney Rice and Golden Tate?
There’s room and a spot on this offense for a talent and weapon like Braxton Miller.
Not that I’m expecting them to use their 1st on him, but it would be an incedibly ‘Seahawky’ kind of thing to do.
Ifr we’ve learned anything from Tate, Harvin and Lockett, let’s acquire WR talent that has special talent AND already is highly skilled at running the entire route tree with brilliant deception!
Rob, is this mock based off of letting both Okung and Sweezy go in FA? I love this mock but it has me worrying about the Tackle position. Based off of you mentioning Loadholt, I would assume Gilliam moves left while Loadholt mans the right side? I’m worried on depth because after those 2, Bailey is the only other lineman whose proven to handle outside (No more Britt please). And if they don’t sign Loadholt, then who starts opposite of Gilliam? Is there a chance that Poole is the answer for RT?
That being said, the depth in the middle would be outstanding! I can imagine a battle for L Guard between Tretola and Britt (possibly Poole?), a battle for center (although Martin would probably win) between Martin, Lewis, and Sokoli, and then a battle for R Guard between Glowinski and Dahl. That’s just amazing, young talent right there.
In the end, I would probably be hoping for a O line along the lines of
Gilliam/Tretola/Martin/Glowinski/?????
I’m just wondering what you plan for the other tackle position.
Also which round do you have Fahn Cooper slotted in?
As terrible as I think Britt is, the worst case scenario would be Gilliam at LT and Britt at RT. After all, Britt did start there for almost the entire 2014 season. He couldn’t be any worse there as a third year guy as he was as a rookie. I think he missed, what, one game in ’14? We could probably live with Britt at RT if the interior were VASTLY improved, as Rob mentioned.
I think u forget how terrible britt was at rt. the only place britt needs to go, is the bench.
I haven’t forgotten. He was bad and, like you, I hope he doesn’t start at LG or RT to start the season. I’m just realistic enough to know that we can’t add more than our two picks in the first two rounds and that we can’t sign a bunch of free agent stars. At some point, improvement and all, we are going to have to have a spot or two that is less than ideal. If we draft Fackrell/Tretola in the first two rounds and can’t get a Loadholt in FA… then it is possible we’re going to end up with a crappy RT.
Just say NO to Britt. I really don’t know why they didn’t bench him when they switched Nowak out for Lewis.
“Rob, is this mock based off of letting both Okung and Sweezy go in FA? I love this mock but it has me worrying about the Tackle position.”
Yes they both depart in this projection. As for worrying about the tackles, I would recommend re-reading the intro again about Carolina. The point of this mock is to emulate the Panthers, who are starting Michael Oher on $2.4m at left tackle and a right tackle on his sixth team plucked off the Rams practise squad. The strength of their O-line is C and RG and it performed very well in 2015.
Rob is right. The tackles don’t have to be big name or high price. They just have to be good. The question is if such tackles are on the Seahawks roster, and on the shopping list.
I feel you are correct Rob, the interior is of massive importance.
Russell can move around and avoid the outside rush, but when he gets sacked, it usually is someone right up into his face. I would go Martin over Coleman. I’d definitely like that big LG too…
I like the addition of Perkins and North…Keep flooding the ranks.
It almost feels like a given they let Okung walk. He has NEVER played a full season. Even at a discount like John Clayton said of $4million, I’d move on. You drafted 3 OL again…Probably the right path with Glowinski, Sokoli (maybe), Gilliam/Bailey/Patrick, I feel we let Sweezy walk too…
Time to start fresh and build a long term dominant MEAN OL!
Gilliam/Tretola/Martin/Glowinski or Dahl/ Who would be our RT Rob?
I don’t see a RB before the 5th but if they did I would go after Collins or Dixon before Perkins. I know you love Rob but I just don’t see the value in him over other positions.
If we got Coleman at #26 and Martin was still on the board starting Day #2 what would it take to move up to say #35 to take Martin?
We have a comp pick in Rd #3. Do you think our 2nd and 3rd would let you move from 56 to the early 30’s?
Can you imagine coming out of this draft with both Coleman and Martin! Our OL would be set for the next 5 years along with Gilliam and Glowinski.
We would still have a 3rd and 4th rounder to go DT / LB.
I have wondered something similar. If they could move into the second round and pick up an extra second round pick next year. Then they could possibly try to trade their #32 pick in the first round next year to get an early pick in the second round. Then they’d still have an extra second next year and not having that first rounder wouldn’t feel so bad. Might be something to consider if they believe this draft is well stocked (where they mentioned something like they only had 16 or so first round grades on players last year).
That’d mean they could have:
#2
#2
#2
2017
No first round
#2
#2 (extra second)
Maybe they’d be able to get Coleman/Martin with their first two 2nd rounders? Unlikely, but they could get two good players. Maybe Martin/Whitehair or Fackrell/Fuller and then Tretola or Kirkland late in the second (unless they think they could get one of those massive guards in the third round).
Lots of scenarios to think about playing out…
I would be thrilled if the Hawks landed the 1st and 2nd round picks. My only change would be to trade the top 3rd pick and something else for another mid 2nd rd pick. Get two 2 rd picks and use one of them for …….Tyler Boyd! Keep Dahl with the 3rd comp pick.
The way RW was slinging it to the taller WR’s in the Pro Bowl, Boyd would make an immediate impact.
Marquez North WR I tried looking up and only saw 2014 highlights, no 2015. Did he take a year off?
Love it. Young, versatile oline to grow together for the next 5 years anchored by a 1st round pick at the pivot. I’m assuming savvy, veteran DT signings to shore up the other side of the line
Yep — in this mock they dipped into the veteran FA market to bolster the D-line.
There would be great celebration if this was Seattle’s draft. Well thought out, Rob.
Love everything about that draft. I’d take or give Perkins though. I’m comfortable with keeping Rawls and Michael.
I’m okay with is only as long as Rawls promises to play in every game and not get hurt.
His ankle didn’t suffer ligament damage, and Huard said it shouldn’t have long-term implications. My hope is that he will play the whole season with aplomb and contend for the rushing title.
That is a fair concern. In our enthusiasm for Rawls we should not overlook that he has already missed more starts due to injury in his career than Marshawn did in his entire Seattle career before this year.
I think if we build it like this, meaning interior first. You would have to get a veteran at left guard. If its Loadholt or Gilliam at right tackle, and Glowinski at right guard and Nick Martin at center and either draft pick or Gilliam at left tackle that leaves you with alot of youth.
True. But if it’s good youth, I think it would be fine. Cable really hasn’t had good players to work with though. I think he’d be great with good players. I think he’d take them to a whole new level (and perhaps set himself up for another head coaching gig).
I get that but alot of youth has growing pains which you saw what happened the first half this year. We don’t want to go through that again. If you had Loadholt for example at right tackle and a veteran at left guard the experience would be spread out. If the veteran you sign at left guard signs a 4 year deal they have the same continuity as a draft pick.
Yeah. I see what you’re saying, but our youth of this past year, imo, is a perfect example of “bad youth” consisting of young and bad players (Britt, Nowak, Sweezy). I think Glowinski is going to be so much better than Sweezy ever was and the same can be said for Martin over Nowak and a guy like Tretola over Britt. I don’t mind the youth if it’s good.
Yeah, there really isn’t a wrong way to look at it. I guess the wsy i look at is if you had a vet at right tackle and left guard that means all the other three youthful players have an experienced one at either side. Glowinski to his right, Martin to his left and Gilliam to his right. Either way its a good discussion.
I agree with Greg that you’ll have growing pains with youth. Even good youth has growing pains. Look at okungs or ungers rookie seasons. They were both inconsistent and up and down. And even good youth on other teams have up and down rookie seasons. You might get a couple of rookie oline starters league wide that put together a really solid and complete season. For us to have 2-3 rookie starters is banking on us really hitting the lottery. I’m sure they’d be good in year 2-3 but we are also in win now mode so we need some stop gap vets. would you want 2-3 rookies facing Aaron Donald and Kawann short?
I hope they bring back Okung on a modest 1-year deal with Bailey to back him up. Gilliam gets another year to develop at right tackle and we can focus on the interior in 2016. Too much change is counterproductive.
Agreed Steve. Keeping Okung around makes a lot of sense, as his market value has to be at an all time low-coming off of shoulder surgery. Going into 2016 with 3-4 new starters on the OL could very well yield the same train wreck that we witnessed at the start of 2015. That slow start cost us any chance of winning the division and home field advantage.
In this projection your interior would be Tretola-Martin-Dahl with Glowinski and Poole competing for time. Veteran right tackle addition (Loadholt?).
That is 5 new starters on O-line, Rob. That won’t work.
It’s four new faces. Gilliam remains. The Seahawks face those inevitable changes anyway with Okung and Sweezy both FA’s, Britt needing to be replaced and the likelihood they will add a center.
I don’t see the issue. The objective should be to put together a group that can play together for the next 4-5 years — not keep the old group together for the sake of it.
I don’t see an issue replacing bad players with new players who are actually good.
The issue is that offensive line play is more than just talent. It takes communication and continuity. Experience is important to player development.
When was the last time an NFL team won a championship with five players in new positions on the offensive line? Or even made the playoffs. The type of drastic change you are proposing could very well cost the entire 2016 season while a bunch of young, largely unproven guys figure out how to play together; or if they can even play at all.
I would also suggest that the type of drastic change you are proposing for 2016 is unnecessary.
Seattle set franchise records for offense and had the 4th best offense in the NFL in 2015 with the Okung, Britt, Lewis, Sweezy and Gilliam.
There is clearly room for improvement on the offensive line. And Seattle may end up with 5 new starters eventually. But that change is much more likely to be successful if it is assimilated over a period of 2 years or more.
Perhaps — but I could counter by saying change is inevitable anyway and if you stick with that group you propose and they struggle (as they did in fairness vs STL & CAR) you’ve just delayed putting a group together that can be a huge upgrade that can develop a chemistry over the next five years.
No way Rob no next 5 years, not with the Suberbowl swinging right in front of us right now like a T Bone steak. The way this season ended has us on the right trajectory for next year and that should be what we build for.
I’m not opposed to having Loadholdt/Tretola at LG or Glo/Dahl at RG, a f.a. or midrounder at RT is fine and I’m not against trying Gilliam on the blindside and I’m even warming up to Martin at Center, where I don’t think there’s a need, because you want your linemen to be better than the other team’s.
But I don’t think it would be wise to do all of these things at the same time. Novak alone cost us half a season last year. And there are other areas that need attention.
Great point you made in the beginning with a udfa at right and Oher at 2.4m. 2.4 and he’s about to start his 20th game in a row, udfa and he’s not getting destroyed and the fact is few teams pick their right tackles in the top of the draft. Larry Cable take note there are guys who can do it later on you don’t have to start over with every guy you pick.
There is that question again about which approach: is this team contending for a SB right now, or do they put that aside to build a nucleus, regardless of immediate winning?
This mock leans strongly towards the latter. I am not against the idea of a lot of youth and depth on o-line, and if they can play (are not green conversion projects, but guys who know their positions already), three new faces as potential starters is not a disaster, if they have chemistry. Then you have a great o-line for the long term.
You can do it all at once, if you don’t have confidence in what they have right now. I don’t.
That is a bold statement buddy. but I’m not gonna call you reckless. But throw away next season so we can take our best shot at building a good OL for LATER???
If I were an NFL odds maker, the Seahawks would probably be the favorite for next year. Based on what we know now. I have a great feeling about this season and I know John’s already working on it.
Change is being forced upon them. The chances are Okung and Sweezy aren’t coming back. Sticking by Lewis and Britt for the sake of consistency when you’re changing three positions anyway — what’s the difference? They need to put together a good O-line, even if it’s a new O-line. And if they build the line in the draft, they can have consistency for the next few years.
Change is inevitable. I am saying that too much change, too soon jeopardizes the 2016 season. If Seattle was a 2-14 team in full-on rebuilding mode with no hope of making the playoffs, then the “blow it all up and start over” approach might make more sense.
I would prefer to leave our tackles alone for another year and improve the pass blocking on the interior of the line.
Your pick of Martin makes sense to me because I see Martin as a clear upgrade over Lewis in pass blocking. Dahl is also an accomplished pass blocker so I really like that pick as well. My concern was whether he could run block but he seemed to answer that questions positively last week.
Britt at left guard was the worst pass-blocker on the team in 2015. I have lost confidence in his ability to become a quality NFL starter. I would like to see Britt replaced with someone who can pass block. That is the most immediate need in my opinion. Coleman at 26 would fill that need perfectly and he could also move to tackle in 2017. But, you can fill a need at G without using a 1st-round pick as you pointed out.
Next year we work on the tackles. I don’t think another year of Okung/Bailey at LT and Gilliam at RT puts the long-term future of the franchise at risk.
“I would also suggest that the type of drastic change you are proposing for 2016 is unnecessary.” Steve
We are on the same page viewing our OL Steve. Does adding 4 new starters, with 3 being rookies, improve our OL in 2016? I don’t think it does, regardless of the quality of those 4 players. Continuity along the OL is being ignored, and it absolutely should not be.
Cable has said how poorly OLinemen are being trained at the NCAA level. It takes some time for players to learn our ZBS and proper technique. Throwing 3 rookies, talented as they are, into the starting lineup is a recipe for disaster.
“Throwing 3 rookies, talented as they are, into the starting lineup is a recipe for disaster.”
But what is the alternative? Stick by players like Britt that have underperformed for the sake of either consistency or experience?
Don’t we also have a 5th round comp pick for Carp?
No, they traded their 5th for Kelcie McCray so the only 5th they have now is the comp pick.
which looks like a great trade to me.
Hey Rob,
I’m warming up to the Martin RD1 scenario. Maybe I’m just still smarting from the Chris Spencer pick.
Deion Jones – do you think he’s an upgrade at LB over Irvin? Setting aside the DE stuff.
Paul Perkins – do you have Kenneth Dixon going before Perkins in this mock or is he still on the board?
I would lean toward Dixon out of the two as well. He adds something to the offense in the passing game they have not been able to replicate regularly. A true dual threat RB.
Jones would be a better version of KPL in my opinion. Very different player to Irvin.
Personally I would put Perkins ahead of Dixon. That’s just a personal preference.
Okay I got some questions:
1) Nick Martin, a Center with our first pick. Obviously I wouldn’t dislike this. But Pete says we got a solid Center in Lewis and are 1 year away from athletic freak monster Sokoli being ready to play Center. Arguably our best interior linemen is Lewis, and yet we spend a 1st on a Center? What about Sokoli? Would they just see him as a longer term project that becomes our backup Center? Would they move him to Guard?
2) Not fully pertaining to his post but in a previous post you said you’d love the duo of Martin/Dahl (with Dahl at RG). But Glowinski looks like he could be a talented starter at RG, and if we draft Dahl and he wins the job, we can’t move Glow to LG right? You said we like REALLY big guys there (315-325lbs)…
3) So I guess overall I see Center as our best interior spot right now (with Lewis starting in ’16 then Sokoli from ’17 on) and RG our second best interior line spot (with Glow putting really good play on film against AZ). And yet the weakest spot on the line IMO is LG (Britt), with no one behind Britt that impresses me. So unless we draft 3 O-linemen (LG, RG, C) that all happen to become starters, what happens at LG?
4) So is Deion Jones a pure replacement for Irvin? AKA can he pass rush on 3rd down? Or is he a pure Linebacker? If he is just a Linebacker does that mean on 3rd down he comes out of the game and a DE goes in?
5) KJ Wright had his best year at WILL Linebacker in ’15, you mention in the comments that Jones can play any Linebacker spot, wouldn’t it be ideal to keep KJ where he is at (and thriving) and plug Jones in at SAM?
Point number one is why I firmly believe we aren’t drafting a center with our first pick. The succession plan is already in place and proceeding right along. We’ll sign a FA on a two year deal if they don’t have confidence in Lewis next year. But I find it rather unlikely that we will use our first round pick to arrive at the preferred outcome one year sooner.
I believe tackle or pass rusher will be our first pick. Center is like first down DT for us. We find those cheap in FA and with later round picks.
1. I don’t recall Pete Carroll saying anything like that about Lewis. He said they wanted to keep Sokoli at center instead of changing his position and keep working with him. He said he didn’t get a chance to really develop in 2015 and needs another year to challenge for starting time. He didn’t say he would be ready in a year to be the starter and there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll ever amount to anything. The Seahawks were a mess at center to start the 2015 season and I highly doubt they’re going to let a project 6th round DL convert impact their plans to address the interior O-line.
2. Glowinski has played one game and we don’t really know anything about him. I don’t think it would be a problem at all to draft Dahl, let them both compete for the right guard spot and may the best man win. They want competition up front not players gifted starting roles. They need depth.
3. There’s a very good chance we see three new starters at LG, C and RG in 2015. They’re going to be aggressive here. If you look at my seven-round projection they draft Sebastien Tretola to compete for a start at LG.
4. Jones is more of a KPL linebacker. An upgrade over KPL.
5. They can do either.
Thanks for the reply Rob.
1. This is what Pete said in his End of Season Presser:
Patrick Lewis did a nice job, a solid job all throughout. His comfort with the spot helped us. Didn’t need him to be the best center in the NFL just needed him to be a solid guy, he contributed to it and became a very good part of it. Pete is really excited about what Sokoli can do. He is a transition guy. Decided to not force the issue with him and make him play, he needs a whole nother year to get through his. He is an exceptional athlete. Want to see him play Center, see how he does there as he grows through it, see how much ground he can make up. If he winds up playing Center we’ll have one of the really good athletes at Center, he is fast, quick and athletic. The transition is more than just sticking him out there, we did that with Sweezy and that was hard on him.
2. I don’t disagree at all, I don’t only go off of the one game but the review Pete gave of him, being excited with what he saw and calling him a technician and such. But it is totally true that we can’t put all our eggs in that one basket and what the team loves is competition, and having two good RG’s battling it out can’t be anything but good for our team.
3. Hey as long as LG is upgraded I am happy with that, I am not a Britt hater but he just isn’t a NFL starter to me. Oh interesting I hadn’t seen that you keep your Mock updated like that, I have just been referencing your 7 round mock article (one where you use tony paulines grades).
4. Ohhh okay, so in 3rd down pass rushing situations a DE would come in. I’m good with that.
5. Thanks.
I really like your 7 round mock, i think all Hawk fans would stand and cheer if that happened (would address O-line in a huge way). I notice no OT’s being taken at all, is your assumption that we re-sign Okung so our starting OT’s are on the roster already? The only negative to your mock (and I know you aren’t sold on him) is I am really high on Dixon, love the player. But Perkins could be awesome too.
I like Martin a lot – your mock would be wonderful if it works out.
Rob, Lewis can be a back up at center, but could he play G?
I believe, don’t quote me on this, that both Patrick Lewis and Lem can play Guard (as well as Center). Lewis moved from guard to center following his college sophomore season. But at 6’1 310lbs he would be significantly under sized at LG and undersized at RG.
I hope we acquire LG talent so Britt can be benched (where he would then become a RT/OG backup) and I like the idea of retaining Bailey for one more year (plays both OG and OT positions). So I don’t think Lewis playing Guard would happen unless it was a triple emergency situation where multiple Guards have gone down with injuries.
Lewis doesn’t fit either size ideal for Seattle at LG or RG. He’s a center for the Seahawks.
I’d be happy with Coleman and Glasgow in Rd. 1 and 3, respectively
I like that scenario as well Ben.
One thing worth mentioning that Rob mentioned early in this post was Michael Oher. Plenty of people think he was signed for just this past year in Carolina. He could easily find himself on the market again this off-season and I would have no problem with him playing LT (or RT) for the Seahawks in ’16. His cap hit goes up quite a bit so letting him go would save some money, which they are going to need to do with some of the guys they’ve already signed and guys like Norman who are going to get the big bucks this off-season. There are going to be some veteran options, that’s for sure.
Oher had “it with the Ravens, then lost “it”… then found “it” again with the Panthers. I’m not sure the Panthers will let him walk, but I’m also not sure how much I would be willing to spend on him.
Rob,
In your mock, Austin Johnson, DJ Reader, Sheldon Day, Anthony Zettel, Adam Gostis, Maliek Collins, Joel Heath and Javon Hargrave are all still avaliable after the second. Do you think backup running back is really a greater need than defensive tackle?
A lot of those players I’d have going in the early third round. In this scenario I am projecting the Seahawks to bolster their D-line in the free agent market (as they’ve often done).
This would be a pretty awesome draft for the Seahawks, I have to admit. The offensive line gets addressed with a massive injection of talent at multiple positions, just like Carroll alluded to. The defense is reloaded with yet another talented playmaker. The Seattle Secondary brain trust gets its latest 5th round project to tamper with.
I really like that you mocked three offensive linemen, Rob. It’s exactly the approach I want the Seahawks to take. Don’t try and be smart about it, be conventional for once. We need interior offensive linemen, so just draft some. I think Jones and Perkins would be really smart picks. Both sides of the ball get potentially vital playmakers at overlooked positions (OLB and third down back).
Overall, I loved reading this. I do have questions about the hypothetical roster after this hypothetical draft.
– I know Schneider is a near master at finding effective defensive linemen in free agency, but it would still be concerning to see him forgo adding to the position through the draft entirely. That sort of approach is what created the offensive line of last season. I’m on the opinion that both lines need an injection of youth for the long term. Obviously, in this mock, the value falls on the offensive side. I’m good with signing free agents, our own or outsiders. I just generally dislike relying on the free agent market for anything, ever.
– Jones is primarily an off-the-ball linebacker. If he starts at the SAM/WILL, who takes Irvin’s role as a third down pass rusher? It’s probably not that big of an issue but still a question mark needing an answer. I guess if Marsh and Clark continue to improve they would take most of the strain. A dark horse scenario could be Ryan Robinson. People were pretty high on him before his injury on the preseason. He’s under contract for another year.
– So we’ve got a brace of new interior offensive line talent, but what about edge protection? Gilliam should start again. He’s athletic and hard working, and improved as the season progressed. Past him, the cupboard is pretty bare as far as tackles go. I don’t like the Seahawks being in the position where veteran free agency is the best option. Personally, I like Andre Smith as an option. Like Rubin, he’s unusually completed his second contract. With two young tackles waiting in the wings in Cincinnati (Fisher, Ogbuehi), he’s probably going to leave for pastures new.
– This is my smallest concern but it’s something that sticks in my head. I think we need a real blocking tight end. Jimmy Graham, even healthy, is not a blocking tight end and shouldn’t be forced to be one. Luke Willson is reasonably effective but is also a better option in the passing game, in my opinion. Tukuafu is flat awesome as a lead blocker but not exactly versatile. I’m pretty sure the running game will be great next season regardless but it would be cool to add another wrinkle. I miss you Zach Miller.
Agree with you whole heartedly about using a Y tight end and I think that was one of our problems last year on offense, we needed that one guy who’s always there especially on 3d down and the rz and Graham could’ve been that guy but the coaches had their mind set on hammering him into that square hole and they wouldn’t give up on it.
Hopefully he learned enough about blocking that he can do a decent job of it FOR A MOVE TE, but even more hopefully I’d like to see him running decoy routes on more runs. Not lined up on JJ Watt or etc. only Bevel would keep doing that so many times.
I think it’s time to build our offense around the talent instead of molding the talent around the scheme. We need to run 2 TE sets and motion Jimmie to the outside on pass downs that will give us the est chance at winning no doubt about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the mock. But I have a few question:
Is it really realistic to expect James Bradberry to last until round five? Tretola to round 4? Dahl, Tretola and Martin together would solidify the interior for years, while back ups such as Glowinski and Poole provide it with great depth and camp competition. We should move on from Britt, Lewis and Sweezy. Loadholt would be a great addition.
Since no defensive tackles were drafted, I assume Mebane and Rubin are resigned. Prehaps Jesse Williams contributes and Jordan Hill steps up his game?
I like Deion Jones a lot but I think Cassius Marsh should also get a shot at linebacker. Blair can replace him as a rotational end?
A line of:
Gilliam-Tretola-Martin-Dahl-Loadholt would be amazing. Really it’s ideal in every way. You can’t beat the edges with speed and you can’t abuse the middle like you use to. The battle between Britt, Poole and Tretola would be a great one for left guard. The battle between Glowinski and Dahl would be fun as well.
Then throw in a backup line of:
Bailey-Poole-Sokoli-Glowinski-Britt
Really this would be great camp competition, as any back up could out do the projected starter for the starting job (besides Gilliam and Martin).
Perkins is the perfect compliment to Rawls. Blair might be able to find a niche but Bradberry doesn’t make the team most likely.
Where has North’s production been?
I think out of this draft Martin, Dahl, Jones, Tretola, Perkins, Feeney and Blair make the team. North and Bradberry miss the cut. That is still a great turnout. Maybe pursue a qb in the seventh instead of a wide out? Vernon Adams would be interesting.
Roster:
QB: Russell Wilson/Tarvaris Jackson
RB: Thomas Rawls/Christine Michael/Pual Perkins/Will Tukuafu
OL: Gary Gilliam/Sebastian Tretola/Nick Martin/Joe Dahl/Phil Loadholt/Alvin Bailey/Terry Poole/Kristjan Sokoli/Mark Glowinski/Justin Britt
TE: Jimmy Graham/Luke Willson/Chase Coffman
WR: Doug Baldwin/Tyler Lockett/Paul Richardson/Kevin Smith/Kasen Williams
Defense
DE: Michael Bennet/Cliff Avril/Frank Clark/Ronald Blair/Cassius Marsh
DT: Brandon Mebane/Ahtyba Rubin/Jordan Hill/Jesse Williams
LB: KJ Wright/Bobby Wagner/Deion Jones/Brock Coyle/Eric Pinkins/Kevin Pierre-Louis/Travis Feeney
S: Kam Chancellor/Earl Thomas/Deshawn Shead/Kelcie McCray
CB: Richard Sherman/Tharold Simon/ Tye Smith/Mohammed Seisey/Jeremy Lane/Marcus Burley
Now that’s a roster. It’s got an incredibly deep and young group of offensive linemen, virtually injury proof up and down the line. The wide receiving core led by Doug and Tyler is young and inexperienced but I can’t help but get excited about a healthy Paul and the rising Kasen Williams and Kevin Smith.
The tight end group has great receivers and blockers. The running backs are all electric and exciting.
Tukuafu scored two touchdowns last year.
The defense looks experienced but at the same time rejuvenated with young potential stars such as Deion Jones, Frank Clark, Ronald Blair and Jordan Hill. The run stop should be elite and hopefully Blair, Jones and maybe Feeney improve the pass rush.
Go Hawks.
That looks like a potentially ‘scary good’ roster that could win and beat anyone they play in every way imaginable. Wow.
I agree we need more line depth, but can we really start 2-3 lineman as rookies? That sounds even more disastrous than this year. Most teams start maybe 1 rookie and ease them in with help from vets.
Only thing I don’t know if I trust really is Prich’s ability to stay on the field. He has the potential but he is also missing a bunch of reps with the team.
If 9 rookies make this team, that would be a historic draft.
“Is it really realistic to expect James Bradberry to last until round five? Tretola to round 4?”
I’ve seen Bradberry and Tretola graded in this range. I was comfortable keeping Tretola in that range. If it isn’t Bradberry we can just put a different corner in round five with +32 inch arms and length.
Mebane and Rubin re-signed with veteran DL players added in FA. I would be stunned if they put Cassius Marsh at linebacker. They clearly want sensational athletes — see KPL. Jones would be an upgrade over KPL.
This is my one quibble with the mock draft – I’m not convinced that they go for their usual late round CB with length, since they already made that pick (grabbing Seisay). I keep forgetting that they’ve already “drafted” a 5th round safety (McCray) and a 6th round Corner (Seisay). They also kept Tye for a developmental year. It just seems like they have a big pile of CBs that have been “in their system” already for a year of development. I am kinda thinking they may just trust that development time and the UDFA market rather than use another draft pick. If they do draft a CB it’s probably because no one in the pile has separated themselves at this point.
I know this is early, but the Lions might go WR in 1st round….. with the likely retirement of Megatron. Will Fuller is the guy I would watch when they pick…. Cory Coleman could be an option, since he has speed which they lack in the WR group. Stafford can spin the ball, he would be a nice fit in their offense imo.
I’m not digging the Jets pick of Elliot. I understand the rational, but I’m not sure they will go that direction. They could possibly use another CB and / or safety at that pick. I would not rule out LB or possibly WR as well.
Indy is the place where I think Elliot will land, just makes too much sense to me. Load-up on OL 2nd and 3rd round….. shore up the defense with a few FA acquisitions. They only have maybe 1 more year until they need a major overhaul on defense, due to age.
I hope they do, pushes another lineman down to pick 26.
Do you think we go a 2nd year without a DT?
Even if it’s a late round one?
Blair III would work inside.
I can see them using the FA market on the D-line.
I find it hard to squeeze a RB, TE and DE into the draft, not quite enough picks. I also assume 3 OL will be chosen in the 7 rounds. Let’s also assume most of the likely FA on the team are goners.
Round 1 (1) NICK MARTIN, C
I’ll go with the building the OL from the inside out. Martin is the hot name right now.
Round 2 (1) KYLER FACKRELL, OLB or MILES KILLEBREW, SS/OLB
Some type of dynamic defensive player, either DE, OLB or Hybrid here….. the 2 top names
Round 3 (2) CHRISTIAN WESTERMAN LG/C / PHAROH COOPER, WR
Both are very solid players and I can see making the team and having an immediate impact.
Round 4 (1) LUTHER MADDY, DT
Need some DT love in the draft right? or go TE here….
Round 5 (1) FAHN COOPER, OT or ISAAC SEUMALO, C/RG
Cooper is a love of Rob’s…. and I love Seumalo from 2 years back…. OL feels right in round 5
Round 6 (1) JAMES BRADBERRY, CB
This guy has length and speed. A bit raw and will get knocked for smaller school, but everything Seattle loves in CBs.. and a bargain in 6th round
Round 7 (2) DREW KASER, P / JABARI HUNT-DAYS, ILB
I think a change at Punter is coming, due to cap reasons. The LB had some issues which need to be resolved, but he was thought of as a 3rd or 4th round guy a year or so ago…. before the “issues”
If Lewis is the “best interior lineman”, then yes we are in big trouble. I liked when they traded Unger because Lewis played well as a backup. And why they didn’t stick with him at the start of this year is still a mystery. But he is undersized, (and remember the issues he had in the shotgun). A real tough-nose, smart center who can be the leader of this line is a rock solid choice!
Unger was pretty terrible with snaps in the shotgun, too.
Yes, but doesn’t that validate the point.
I would do cartwheels if that was the Hawks draft. Colemen would be the prize at #26 but I’ve watched some Nick Martin and he is no consolation prize. I’d like your thoughts on the RB. I really like Perkins but on Jared’s constant references to Kenneth Dixon I have fallen for him. Do you think there would be a choice between those two in the 3rd? If so who would you choose and why? Dixon seems like the superior third down back but Perkins seems to be more physical.
This is the part of the offseason when I get antsy. At this point, every high draft pick looks like a future all pro, and 2d and 3d rounders seem like definite upgrades. But, accidents happen. A player puts up a couple of good game tapes, and then hits good numbers at the combine, and then, when the whistle blows, does not have the chops. Granted, our scouting staff and front office seem to have most of this in hand, but then we look at some of our recent choices.
Our forelookers/casters/predictors/magicians have a great record at assessing the late rounds but seem to lose focus on the early rounds. Is that a tendency to look at the late rounds as the money rounds, assuming the early rounds will take care of themselves, and need less attention?
It seems to me that the problem has more to do with NOT letting the early rounds take care of themselves and treated them like the 6th and 7th where you won’t find gems unless you’re taking guys nobody’s heard of.
Although last year we broke that pattern. Hopefully this new approach continues.
Very hard to argue against Nick Martin at 26, but for me, really tough to pass on Vernon Butler.
LB in R2 is pretty likely spot if Irvin leaves.
Love the idea of Paul Perkins.
Like Dahl and Tretola, I guess I’m in with those that think 3 picks for interior OL is a bit much, but it’s not like they can’t use depth for competition.
Like Freeney and Blair. I still think it’s likely go DT at some point, though, but who knows, maybe the get younger and more athletic in FA. In this mock scenario Rankins goes to Atlanta, and the Chiefs draft to replace Jaye Howard, the big boy has to find a fat second contract somewhere. Maybe John Schneider does a grand sales job with an even grander apology for cutting Howard in the first place, and brings him back to the PNW.
It sounds a bit much but then again the line IS is our glaring weakness and all the other positions really do look ok to me.
Bud Light used to have this commercial a year or 2 ago, “it’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” That’s how I’d feel about spending that much of our best picks on interior linemen.
Philosophically, I think Rob makes a lot of sense putting the emphasis on the interior OL. Teams that gave Seattle mountains of fits did it with a strong inside rush. In this scenario Seattle doesn’t retain Sweezy, and Britt didn’t exactly get a ringing endorsement from Carroll at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see what they think of Glow in the offseason. I get the vibe they really like him. Because of that, I lean more towards finding a LG a bigger priority. But if they think Dahl is that special, it makes a lot of sense. The thing I like about Dahl is that he could also provide LT insurance if Gilliam falters. I think they need that kind of insurance either through the draft or FA.
I wrote a guest article for this blog a while back about a psychological effect known as the “confidence bias” and how it affects the way NFL teams draft and how fans and analysts tend to evaluate a draft immediately after it is finished.
There is another psychological effect known as “the recency bias” that may be affecting the way many fans and analysts are evaluating Seattle’s offensive line needs in preparation for the draft. Simply stated, the recency bias is a tendency for people to focus on the most recent events when evaluating or judging performance rather than looking at the entire evaluation period.
There are a lot of negative comments being written about the Seahawks’ offensive line play after the latest Carolina loss. Consideration of the recency bias means that the poor blocking in the disappointing Carolina loss should not completely negate our evaluation of the line over the season.
Or put another way, we should remember that the Seahawks set franchise records for offensive production last year with their current line of Okung, Britt, Lewis, Sweezy and Gilliam.
I am not suggesting that there isn’t room for improvement on the offensive line. But, I think if you objectively analyze the line play over the course of the season, several questions come up:
1. How many new starters are needed? Line play clearly needs to improve next season but how much of that improvement will come from the growth of younger players already on the roster? Many fans have suggested 5 new starters for next year. But, such drastic and immediate change seems unnecessary and actually counter-productive. Remember how poor the line played at the start of last year when they were assimilating 3 new starters.
2. What kind of new players? Run blocking wasn’t the problem in 2015 and the offense seems to be evolving from a run-first offense built around Beast Mode to a more balanced attack built around Russell Wilson. So, we should consider whether Seattle continues to evaluate offensive linemen the same as they have in the past. Cable clearly has prioritized tough athletes who can run-block first that he can coach up on pass blocking. The pass-blocking development clearly has not progressed as well as hoped.
If you think that the offense is going to start passing more, or if you just think that the investment in a franchise quarterback needs to be protected more, the focus on improved line play has to begin with better pass blocking.
The two most experienced offensive linemen for Seattle are both unrestricted free agents. If they leave, the other question we should consider with respect to potential replacements is whether a rookie or a free agent veteran is more likely to provide improvement in 2016. Where will the leadership come from if the line gets younger?
3. How will this affect the draft? That is probably the key question for this blog. Many people seem to have already reached the conclusion that Seattle needs to draft an offensive lineman in the first round. But, Seattle has other needs too. If the draft is deeper at OL and a great linebacker or receiver or pass rusher is available at #26, that could be the right pick.
Very interesting points, Steve.
I like what’s pointed out in the last part of 2, especially. Here’s where I think there is a good chance Seattle might make a bit of a splash in FA if Sweezy or Okung are not resigned, or both. I think getting at least one quality veteran or even two is key. Starting 2 rookies on a line that consists of Gilliam, Britt, Glowinski, Lewis throw in future contracts of Poole and Nowak, and I think that’s kind of a recipe for starting back at square one breaking in unproven talent, and taking the lumps. There needs to be some stabilizing presence.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately on some comments I heard Mike Holmgren make some years back on the radio when he was reflecting on his tenure as HC/GM of the Hawks. He mentioned how in the early years he spent high draft capital on the offense, and spent FA dollars on veteran talent on the defense with the likes of John Randle and Levon Kirkland. He felt it took longer to get things going offensively, and if he could do it again, he would have done it the other way around.
I think there is a strong chance PC/JS might look to do that this year, especially for the OL, and “getting it figured out.” That’s not to say they don’t take OL high if there is a player there they really like that lands to them, just mitigates the need.
With the cap space available, these are things they should strongly weigh. Is it worth resigning Okung to a short contract if he’s not going to be healthy to start practicing until June, or is there another veteran on the market who can come in and blend into OTA’s right away? Is Gilliam legitimately a starting quality LT? Is Glowinski a starter they see at RG, or is it important to bring Sweezy back? Are players like Brandon Brooks, or Kelechi Osemele young talented veterans who would make immediate impacts on the line and can be fixtures for the next few years?
Holy crap, run blocking wasn’t the issue last year? Were you watching the games :-p
Seattle had one of the top producing run games in the NFL last season. UDFA Thomas Rawls and waiver pickup Christine Michael performed at above-league-average behind that line.
You really have to account for Russ Wilson’s 550 yds being a part of that, most of which were the ‘run for your life’ variety last year
Nice post, and I agree with the basic point: improve, not rebuild.
However, the two losses from the Rams and the Panthers can be attributed primarily to the weakness of the interior line, the one that set records in other contests.
So the point remains: the o-line needs to be improved.
To start with, I think maintaining this year’s baseline should be a priority. That means retaining Okung and Sweezy. Even if ultimately they don’t start.
Next priority is to take advantage of free agency. Where can competition/improvement be added? Hawkblogger has a couple of posts on potential targets.
Finally, the draft. By the time the Seahawks pick, they might not find it necessary to invest top picks at the position. Perhaps the players they favor can be had deeper in the draft. Alternatively, they really like Martin, say, and take him at their first opportunity.
Bottom line for me: the only thing keeping Seattle out of the SB this year was the play of the o-line, all year. Assuming they have a starting RCB on the roster (their other early-season weakness) the overarching need is better protection for Wilson. Every other piece is already there.
I agree with you. In a whole season perspective it wasnt as bad as it could have been.
But either way The fact is.
Against GOOD DEFENSES our line didnt hold up every time. RAMS GB CAR CIN RAMS CARDS EVERY LOSS was to a good defense. Even the LIONS made britt look like a 200 lbs noob
Britt needs to be fighting to be on the team. MAybe he takes the step forward, but I dont see it without a high level of competition. And currently Our oline has 0 competition.
How much farther down from Jones do you think Garnett will be?
If possible, id pass on Perkins, pass on Dahl. Look for Josh Garnett and Malcolm Mitchell.
I’d take veteran rb. 2017 is stupid deep in RB, and I want a veteran with cmike and Rawls.
Obviously Garnett makes the tretola pick superfluous as well.
Malcolm Mitchell 5.11,4.4speed,almost 33inch arms and 10 3/8 inch hands with huge upside would love him on Seahawks at some point great 3rd down back. PER NFL He’s not putting up huge numbers like Big 12 receivers because of the Bulldogs’ offense, but scouts see Mitchell’s sure hands and toughness over the middle, making him a reliable No. 2 or 3 option for a pro offense
Food for thought, Steve. I am not a big fan of expecting a lot from rookies, and usually expect year 2 or 3 to be the coming out year for most of them. We cannot ignore the performance of our team, despite the short comings. We were among the best teams in the NFL in both offense and defense. We likely need less than other teams in providing improvement. Not that I am against improvement! That said, I like the idea of Martin at #26.
D. Jones reminds me a lot of another great undersized Former Seahawk LB…Rufus Porter
Debo reminds me of Thomas Davis, undersized, fast, sure tackler and instinctive.
I don’t see it. Rufus was at his best going forward and rushing the passer, too. I don’t see that as the strength of D. Jones. He wasn’t as good in space as Jones supposedly is.
I’ve been shouting about needing improvement on the inside rather than the outside. That’s why it’s ok if/when Okung leaves. Wilson can avoid the outside rush, but has problems with the inside rush. Like the Martin pick, but would prefer DT or DE in 2nd.
Is there a LG in the 1st and pair with Allen (C) in the 3rd?
Can’t see a LG the Seahawks would like that early. Third round far too early for Jack Allen IMO.
Yeah, Allen is the “Sweezy” of the C position. Tough, nasty, inconsistent blocker.
Rob, you mentioned Coleman being able move inside to guard for Minn. Out of curiosity, couldn’t he do the same for seattle if need be? He may not fit that LG bulk perfectly, but he is a large, aggressive man. Now you have a future LT/RT, or he can handle LG in the short-term if the draft doesn’t align for a Tratola later on.
I think he would be a fine LG in any scheme.
Is Baylor DT Andrew Billngs really only 19 years old?
Yup, he has a whole lotta time on his side.
God I didnt realize how young he was. I want him so bad rd 1 now.
It’s gonna be very intetesting this year in relation to the SPARQ database and scores.
For the first time, Zach Whitman is going to incorporte age into it.
Rob, I love this mock because it went far outside the box we usually constrict ourselves to when evaluating what the FO will do in the draft. I find that box slightly too firm for an FO that drafted only 6 times so far and did it at very different circumstances (from rebuilding a 4-12 team to maintaining SB champions).
I also believe that the Center position is more impotent to a solid OL than given credit for. A good Center helps the players around him excel and gives his QB an extra second or two to look beyond cover options.
I also like us looking at players and how they play the game rather than their SPARQness.
However, as much as i like it, i see quite a lot of questions raised by it:
1. Rookie offensive linemen usually suffer abuse during their first year facing top NFL talent. Anybody believing that Martin/Dhal/Tretola will fair any better against Donald or Short in their first year is in for a rude awakening.
2. A brad new offensive line with 3 rookies in the middle, a LT new to his position and a new player at RT sounds like repeating the 2015 growing pains and then some.
3. Pete practically said that they are going to address the pass rush in the draft. I was told here that we should listen to such statements because the Seahawks usually do what they say they will do.
4. I was told here more then once that the Seahawks will not draft low value positions like G/C high in the draft.
5. Do we really need to bring in two Guards with our top 5 picks when we are most likely resigning Sweezy the bully and having Glow and possibly Sokoli being groomed for it.
6. Replacing Okung demands an extra Tackle. Other than possibly Landholt, even a RT will have a major cap hit. Add to it both DTs and most of the cap space is gone.
7. Lockett’s first year showed me everything that P-Rich wasn’t. This draft will not leave a budget to keep Kearse and if Kearse is gone we need to restock our WR ranks.
Every draft solves some issues and creates questions elsewhere. This one is interesting in it’s approach by may have gone too far for comfort.
3. If a pass rusher isn’t there, do they just take one for the sake of it? He could’ve meant a number of things by that.
4. They probably won’t ever take a pure guard in round one. As for C, they woulda pulled the trigger on Ali Marpet or Mitch Morse last year in all likelihood.
The combine numbers will determine alot .
EranUngar, you may be right about what JSPC will do realistically. I hope they don’t, and do something like what Rob has proposed.
In terms of similar growing pains to 2015, I think something like Martin-Dahl-Tretola would have far less growing pains, because they are not conversion projects that are green at the position. They are more plug and play.
If indeed the Hawks don’t bother with o-line until the late rounds or UDFA again, wouldn’t that result in even more chaos? You would then have lesser talent again. And another iffy wait for last season’s conversion projects to learn their positions, again.
I also have questions about the pass rush with this mock, which I refer to below.
Dear Steele,
Do we have any reason right now to believe that Dahl and Tretola, picked on the 3rd and 4th round, are any better than Glow was when we picked in the 4th last year?
Glow is now a year of NFL training ahead of those guys. Sweezy, the team bully will most likely be resigned and the Team thinks he is better than Glow. Do we need two rookie guards to maybe replace Britt? A run stuffing DT saves us 3-4M of cap space if we pick one instead of either guard.
I do not advise building the OL exclusively from late rounders and UDFA even if the only player we want to stay in this line (Gilliam) happens to be one. (Lewis, the other “ok” player is one as well…)
What i do believe is that this line has shown improvement over the year and we run the 4th ranked offense in the NFL behind it. We should strive to start next year with at least 3 of those guys playing and only one rookie or two. We need to transition slowly because rookie linemen rarly fare well during their first year. Right now, everything looks like a major improvement over what we have but when they take the field against NFL completion we may find out they are far from it.
Read what Rob was writing regarding CAR. Their line is almost the same line they had last year and last year it was barely functional. Continuity, familiarity, chemistry and actual NFL experience count more than we give it credit.
I love the concept of picking a great NFL Center. I said it already. I’m not sure that with a functioning Lewis and Sokoli groomed behind him it is our greatest priority.
I still think that if Coleman is there we take him at 26 and save the FA RT cost. I’d love to add a LG in the 3rd. He can compete with Britt and win if he is better. I’d leave Glow/Sweezy to compete for RG. If needed, I’ll use the money saved on RT/LT to bring a veteran C/G.
If we keep the model of run stuffing cheap DTs, I’d like one on the 3rd/4th round and save the cost of one of those guys.
And, unless we keep Kearse, WR is more important than RB3. Rawls was UDFA, find your RB3 later and get a WR in the 3rd.
Regarding guys like Sokoli and Glow, I am not comfortable relying on them next season. Gilliam showed flashes, but he is also a project. Drafting a couple of established college linemen—more talented than anybody on the roster now— is no more risky than hoping the conversion projects amount to anything. At the very least, you have competition and serious depth.
Okung and Sweezy. Have we ever been fully confident with either of them (for many reasons) over the course of a season?
Betting on what they already have runs the risk of repeating same old inconsistency.
1. I think that could be true of whoever would replace Sweezy, but Dahl (or someone else good) replacing Britt? Nah, I am not a Britt hater but I am a realistic and a college OG who has some really good tape, even against really good (round 1) college pass rushers…I just automatically assume they will do better than Britt would against Donald and others. Then again in regards to Sweez, I feel like Glow put on a performance that rivals Sweezy’s if it wasn’t better all together when he played. Hard to judge based on one game but Pete kept raving how Glow is a technician, fantastic technique, something great to have especially in pass pro, especially with Cable coaching up run blocking more than pass pro technique it seems.
2. Eh, SOOOO many fans say this but I think it is 70% over-exaggerated. Why? Because our O-line wasn’t awful just because they were young and some new to their positions. If we upgrade our O-line like people are hoping it will be filled with really talented young O-linemen who have years of college experience playing on the offensive line. Our ’15 disaster started off in the preseason, where we were not locking down a final front 5 until two weeks before our first game….where with 2 weeks of preseason left Britt was moved to LG, where Gilliam (former TE) was now the starting RT, where a college DT with minimal O-line experience is our Center…that is a clusterf*ck beyond “new O-linemen on the line.” There is also talk that Britt was hurt (left arm) for the first half of the season and once his arm got better (left arm compression sleeve not worn) he started playing better. If we create a new O-line I imagine the group will get sorted out quick and they will have a month plus worth of preseason time to work as a group as the starting front 5 and all 4 preseason games together.
3. This is a 2 round mock, for all we know we will “address pass rush” with our first 3rd round pick…is “address pass rush” to you limited to the first 2 rounds?
4. Interesting…well my take on this post isn’t that this is what Rob thinks WILL happen, but what COULD happen if their mindset was to strengthen our interior O-line like the Panthers did, Rob goes into detail on how the interior of our O-line is uniquely more important that our Tackles due to pass rushing against Russell Wilson coming from the interior as edge rushers tend to try to contain him.
5. Most likely re-signing Sweezy? I think our drafting of Glowinski in the 4th round should clue people in on the fate of Sweezy. Glow (again a 4th round pick, not a 6th or 7th) was drafted last year, he can only play RG, our starting RG had 1 year left on his deal, and that RG (Glow) played in a game and put up a really good performance that had Coach Carroll raving in the post game press conference. Sweezy might be a bully and mauler like Cable likes but he is a liability in pass pro and I personally didn’t see any development from him this season over last season. He might not be that expensive but I say let him walk and start Glow. Oh and Coach Carroll clearly said Sokoli is being groomed for the Center job and that he needs one more year of development before he can start.
6. Huh?
7. P-Rich isn’t the same as Lockett even though they are both fast. Tyler right out of the gate was an elite route runner and seem to almost have the entire playbook right away. Paul seemed like the most classic rookie WR that slowly came on and towards the end of the season started to really warm up. I don’t see any reason to compare Paul to Tyler, they are very different. Paul needs to stay healthy but with his speed, hands, route running and other positive abilities I feel like he would be a very talented receiver to be added to our corp.
Do we need to add WR talent? Yup, a draft pick (i like a 3rd or 4th rounder) and some ’16 UDFA WR talent and hopefully at least one guy on the PS/Futures contract balls out in camp and above all else I hope both Kevin and Kasen are legit, ball out and earn WR4 and WR5. However to me our offense is all about the O-line, we have Doug, we have Tyler, we have Luke, we have Rawls, hopefully we get back Jimmy during the season…what our offense needs is for the QB to have consistent time in the pocket to make his reads and throw the ball. We don’t need the next hot WR in the 1st or 2nd round to shred defenses on offense.
Russell with 3-4 seconds consistently of pass pro with Doug, Tyler, Paul?, Luke, Jimmy?, Rawls, Kasen & Kevin will shred defenses. Russell with 2 seconds of pass pro with Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Allen Robinson, Gronk, and Dez Bryant will be extremely disappointing. What you saw at the Pro Bowl wasn’t Russ with elite receivers, it was Russ with time to let routes develop and throw the ball on time from the pocket.
We are NOT at risk of being the ’15 Packers, where our QB will have time to throw but will be looking around at a bunch of scrub WR’s that can get any separation. We have the 2nd best slot WR in the NFL, we have one of the best young WR’s in the NFL, we have one of the fastest WR’s in the NFL (Paul), we have an elite pass catching TE, we have a really athletic and fast TE (Luke), we have one of the best rushing QB’s in the NFL, and we have the best young RB in the NFL (Rawls) who we will feed the rock to 250-300 times next season.
Dude, you need to chill and let people have their opinions. There should not be so much contention on this site over mock drafts. It’s good to have passion, but don’t demean somebody else, or their opinions.
“Dude, you need to chill and let people have their opinions. ”
Says the dude trying to tell me to not express my opinions? Lol ironic.
I am/was chill, I was just responding to his post. Just because my post is long doesn’t mean i am not “chill.” He had points, I agreed with some and disagreed with some and gave my reasons, it is called a conversation or debate at the very worst. Don’t feel the need to PC this discussion, this is a COMMENTS section, for us to comment, reply to each other, debate, discuss, conversate just like we would in person. Just because I am not agreeing doesn’t make me unchill or contentious or demeaning.
I’ve been reading this blog for years, love it. I even read all of the comments. Debate is good, conversation is good. I think he’s talking about the way you talk. You do have a tendency to talk down to people Nathan. Look at your response, it’s plain. I’m not picking sides, I love a good debate about anything football, especially the Hawks. Just stating what I see. Either way, lets get past it and talk football please.
As far as this mock is concerned. I like it, I don’t really care what kind of potential a 6th round prospect has at Center. If we can get somebody to come in on day 1 that can have solidify the middle, do it! I say let Sneezy walk, and yeah draft another RG early. Let’s open it up and may the best man win. Always Compete right? Britt either has to figure it out, or he has to go. I hope they do spend 3 or 4 picks on the O line. It’s their biggest weakness. Even if it causes more growing pains next year, idc, it’s like Sherman says “I think people get confused sometimes and think our quarterback is 38.”
Rob, I like a lot of this mock. Martin-Dahl-Tretola would have potential to be a great o line.
However, there are names we have discussed at length and like a lot that are passed up in this version.
I wonder, for instance, if Jason Spriggs, Cody Whitehair or Ifedi would be a consideration in the Nick Martin slot. Missing out on Jihad Ward, Vern Butler would be unfortunate.
I am not thrilled about Deion Jones in rd. 2. In that spot, I would rather see them position for Jordan Jenkins, Eric Striker or Charles Tapper instead there, even if it means moving around. Given the possibility of losing Irvin, I don’t like the idea of not landing a good edge pass rusher in a similar mode for the entire draft. Ronald Blair isn’t really that kind of pass rusher.
I would project Frank Clark to pick up some of the Irvin slack.
I do not see the 49ers trading out of their slot. Chip Kelly will want to make a splash for a lot of reasons with his first big move. Jared Goff would earn him major applause and love from local Bay Area fans. I am not at all sure if he will give Kaepernick another try. Unlike going for Goff, a Kaep redux would antagonize their fans. It would be a Chip Kelly kind of thing to do. As opposed to what would make everyone happy.
They seem to be thoroughly positioning themselves to go with Kaepernick. All the noise is suggesting that is what they’ll do.
Love this draft, but it does seem extremely OL-heavy. My only real concern is the lack of pass-rush, though, as Rob has said there simply may not be any impact options outside the first round. Very happy with Martin and Jones 1-2, and Tretola and/or Dahl would be fantastic competition.
Shillique Calhoun is a first rounder IMO, he looks and plays just like Frank Clark. Maybe they picked up a trick or two from each other being rivals and their team’s best pass rusher haha
Calhoun is a R2-3 pick for me. An utterly frustrating prospect to watch.
I’ve wondered a lot about Calhoun. A great highlight reel and consistently high projections. But Rob is unimpressed.
Rob do you have any info on Rashard Robinson CB 6-2 185 4.38 forty out of LSU he is moving up on a lot of mock drafts some have him in top 100. seams seahawkiey if his arm length matches his height??
I do not — I’ll check him out.
I posted about him a while back. One to watch but very late round. Started as a freshman with 1st game vs Mike Evans; Was LSUs shutdown corner opposite T White until suspended indefinitely in 14. Not football since. Slight build, lack of experience, character concerns mean he will drop. Highly doubt he is sub 4.4
Flat out speed isn’t the thing to watch, but his 3 cone and agility will be worth keeping track of.. might be a regional combine invite.
New Orleans did the same thing for Brees (built the line inside-out) to a) give their shorter QB easier access to throwing lanes and b) allow him to step up in the pocket since he doesn’t have the athleticism of a Wilson/Cam/etc. to bail out and be successful.
The Senior Bowl is over and reading these types of well thought out mocks with analysis are exciting, but much like the polls in presidential races need to take a deep breath and state, not so fast my friends… There is an sequence forthcoming of events that will mold exactly how teams rate their draft board compared to draft needs.
The combine in Indianapolis will provide even more fodder for the media and pundits to offer who is moving up or moving down draft boards under current market conditions…
Then Free agency opens up in March and the gold rush begins with certain teams as players and other (like Seattle) assessing how much damage will be afflicted in losses to current roster, along with
Possible players resigning with team…
The most important moves will be who is cut, traded or released along with veterans who restructure contracts to create salary cap room… Once established, the Seahawks will be able to work on building team that returns to Super Bowl (3 of 4 years) and win their second Super Bowl…
The time is now, the window is now, for current core to prosper…
by time draft becomes reality, Seattle will have answers needed to fortify their draft board with missing pieces to build depth, competition, and growth in areas of need.
Who will resign? Who will leave? What areas of roster need upgraded? Etc.
One absolute is certain, the Seahawks have 4 of first 100 picks… It would be most beneficial hitting on those selections with players of substance and contributors, no misses…
That is main focused needing addressing in 2016 draft. Make sure to find players who contribute and hopefully 3 of the 4 will turn out like 2012 draft of Irvin, Wagner, and Wilson. Okay, two possible hall of famers may be too much, yet three solid starters of four selections would keep the train on track towards ultimate goal of playing in Super Bowl 51.
There are players who will provide enough up close and personal workouts that will move up into Top 100… I was one of the few who shared Frank Clark as possible Seahawk and right now there is another defensive player that fits their football team that will be revealed after combine
Focus not on the polls of who they should take, but remain patient on the process and after further review and time, have superb idea of exactly what is needed to return to Super Bowl 51.
Look at their schedule for next year and what is needed to finish 13-3 or 12-4 to regain home field advantage. Expect a huge move that will provide an area of strength depth to compensate for funds or picks that rebuilds depth in current areas needing upgrades…
And finally, expect veterans seeking the gold that are cap causalities to look towards northwest.
This is critical year with window open NOW to strike…
I believe the Hawks could trade back to top of round two and with draft capital trade back into round three, giving them 5 of first 100 picks. This draft should be about quality.
For me it all depends on if shon coleman makes it to our 26 pick.
If he doesnt im all for trading back to get 5 picks or more in the top 100.
We have 17 players that have a chance to leave our team this year. We need a depth and youth RELOAD if we want to continue success, or we will fall like the 49ers did and all SB losers before them. The history book is not kind to the losers of a SB.
excellent analysis. The interior of the line can be, in theory (and all drafts are theory) completely rebuilt in a single draft, and it’s their biggest weakness. Russell can handle an edge rusher now and again. But consistently blown blocking up front destroys and game plan.
The goal next season needs to be win the west and try to avoid road playoff games. To do so, you need to probably split with ARZ and hopefully sweep LA. (man, that’s weird to say that)
When you go back and watch the STL games and pretty much any game where the offense struggled, it was due to incredible pressure up the middle. Rarely could you point at end pressure as being a real issue. In games against teams with sub-par interior DL play, the offense thrived.
They can’t hope to neutralize the likes of Aaron Donald, but they should make efforts to slow that interior pressure down. If they can do that, they should be able to get at least one home game in the playoffs.
I like any draft/FA Plan that is designed to solidify the interior of the OL.
Exactly. The NFL is a game of matchups, is the old saw. Right now, the Seahawks have brutal matchup problems with teams in their own division because of very inconsistent (or consistently weak) interior O line play. Getting 2 guards and a Center in the first 4 or 5 picks makes a ton of sense to me. Though I do like Glowinski at guard, upping the level of competition there via young talent is a sound strategy to this couch coach. And, as Rob states, getting them in the same draft and letting them mature and season together for 4 years makes a ton of sense.
Rob,
Do you really think Tretola will still be avaliable in the fourth round? How about targeting a running back in the fourth (such as Jordan Howard), and making sure we grab Tretola in the third?
The thought of Dahl becoming a seahawk is an awesome one to me.
Also, where is Kennth Dixon (RB, Louisana Tech) projected to be taken? When I watch his tape he looks like second-third rounder.
I think there’s every chance Tretola is there in R4. Pure guard, doesn’t fit every scheme, a t-Rex. But sure, you could flip the RB and LG picks.
Qs on the mock:
Love Dahl but how does he fit wrt Glow?
Aren’t Tretolas arms like only 31″, really think Hawks bite?
Projection is a bit light on D players, esp bullies
Dream scenario:
How much will Osemele command? How about Boone 6’8 300! Maybe 1 of these for LG is the answer and both can backup at T in a pinch.
Then draft Coleman (who can play either RT or LT) followed by Martin in 2nd or more likely R Kelly in 2/3 thereafter.
Gilliam Boone/Osemele Kelly Glow Coleman….. A relatively cheap but defo non-cheerful OL
2nd for DL (Tapper or Ogbah at 61/62 yes pls), other 3rd for LB
Do feel maybe the Hawks go for a different type of pass rusher this year, less a LEO / pure speed guy(cause there aren’t any) but rather a 5, elephant, power guy
Someone who either has the ability or the upside to develop as an inside rusher is what I suspect. Either a pure 3 tech or someone who as the ability to slide inside. With DL being as deep as it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spent a couple picks here.
Rankins, austin Johnson or sheldon day could be possible
Is Baltimore really going to let Osemele walk? I’m unsure of their cap situation but that would be pretty back breaking for them. I’m thinking he will command in the $9-10 million a year range, which will be outside Seattle’s budget.
Depends if they believe he is their long term solution at LT. He played LG for the bulk of his career and was moved to LT towards the end of last season as a tryout. They spent big on their RG last off season and I think the common belief is that if he isn’t a fit for LT, then he’ll be gone since the team won’t likely spend big on both RG and LG.
They signed Yanda an Monroe to long term contracts plus traded for Zuttah. Osemele is seen by many as a potential pro bowl guard but a mediocre tackle. Top 2 guards make the range u are projecting; all others are 6m apy
Boone was 2x a Pro Bowl alternate and he’s only coming off his first contract
If Osemele hits the market, he will most likely get top dollar, 26 years old, the ability to play LG/LT, and probably still has upside. Yeah, probably outside Seattle’s budget unless they don’t retain a hand full of their own FAs.
There are potentially other young FA who could upgrade and might be cheaper, though. Kelvin Beachum, Mitchell Schwartz, Brandon Brooks, and Jeff Allen are all 26 years old.
Under this mock scenario, adding Beachum and Schwartz makes a lot of sense. Schwartz is a legit RT, Beachum is an undersized but experienced starting LT coming off an injury, may not command top dollar, can also play guard, who would upgrade Alvin Bailey, and provide better insurance if Gilliam is not ready to become a starting LT. The Gilliam shift to LT is still a scenario that frankly has me more than a bit nervous, and I think adding a vet there to compete is very wise.
Dahl competes with Glow. Nothing wrong with a healthy competition and I think it’s something they’ll covet.
It’s a fair question on Tretola. They like size but they also like length.
D-line would come in FA.
Their need for better pass rush ranks right up there w/ stabilizing the O-line. If Spence falls to 20-ish, what would it cost to move up?
I agree, which is insane considering the roster includes Bennett, Avril, Irvin, and Clark. Yet still, the pass rush was completely invisible at times. Is an interior pass rush so incredibly important to a defense? It might be. I’m afraid we will have to end up relying on Jordan Hill again next year.
We can’t be trading picks, imo, when there is going to be a quality player at #26 and we need the later picks, too. Is it really that important to trade up for Spence when we could take Fackrell and keep our picks, or trade up for Coleman when we could have Martin and all our picks?
I should clarify, I agreed with the better pass rush needed but not necessarily trading up for Spence. Letting Irvin go and replacing him with Spence puts us back at square one. Lots of quality edge rushers but a clean interior pocket that the QB can just step up into.
A better interior pass rush is very important. It was the weakness of this D all season. Upgrading Mebane/Rubin/Hill to something more like 2013 is what I hope they have the budget to do.
I think improving it is possible, but upgrading to 2013 levels is unlikely. That line had McDonald who was a quality pass rusher and a freakishly good Mebane who was 3rd in QB pressures of all DT’s. Mebane isn’t that guy anymore and Hill was a huge disappointment this year.
Who is available in free agency that can improve the interior pass rush? Maybe Jaye Howard? He had 5.5 sacks as a 3-4 DE. He could probably help as a 4-3 DT. Nick Fairley is a FA but he only had half a sack in over 400 snaps this season.
Adding a guy like Spence would eliminate any need for Bennett to line up at end in pass rushing situations. That would, by itself, improve the pass rush from the interior (having more snaps out of Bennett inside in pass rush situations).
That was the case this year, Irvin and Avril were edge rushers in passing situations and Bennett lined up inside. The pass rush still was very inconsistent.
Probably a third if he’s in the 20’s. Can’t see him lasting that long.
Rob, I am unclear about what we gave up (draft picks) for Seisay and McCray. The Seahawks site says and undisclosed 2016 draft pick about the Seisay trade, and I did not find details about McCray. Does this effect your picks? Are we sure about what picks we still have?
The Seahawks traded their 5th round pick for McCray and I’m pretty sure it was their 6th round pick for Seisay.
Yes, and I’m not speaking for Rob but it looks like he’s projecting 3rd, 5th and 6th round comp picks for Maxwell, Carpenter and Malcolm Smith respectively as seems to be the general consensus around the internet.
Also the 7th the Hawks got from Dallas in the C Michael trade.
McCray was a 5th. Seisay a 6th.
I do like the idea of rebuilding the interior of the line with high to mid round draft picks. The Seahawks have to start somewhere, and the interior is a great place since both guards could be easily upgraded.
On the offensive tackle situation, Rob’s idea that the Seahawks can find cheap tackles like the Panthers did is interesting. However: are the Seahawks scouts actually able to evaluate tackles? They do a wonderful job evaluating defensive players. And have had many hits and misses in the offense. I am not sure that they are capable of finding good tackles for cheap.
On the other hand maybe picking Gilliam is the start of a new trend. Or maybe they learned a lesson from losing Breno for a paltry 4 million/year.
Maybe there is hope – most especially if they hire scouts who are good at picking tackles.
Oher and Remmers (their tackles) are actually pretty bad. Cam forces edge defenders to play contain in the same way that Wilson does.
Rob, I see you don’t anticipate any interior D Line draft picks. If the Seahawks wanted to look at a D Line pick with one of their 3rd round picks instead of a RB, who are a couple of “Seahawky” players that would fall into that range. Thanks in advance. Love the site and I have recently found your podcasts in the iTunes store. Keep up the great work!
In the third round you might be in range for Sheldon Day (although I think he’s better used as a DE/DT hybrid rather than a pure DT). There is some depth to the position early but then it drops off quickly. I like the idea of Ronald Blair III switching to the three technique. I think he’s a genuine sleeper. Very disruptive.
I would love to get Austin Johnson in the second or third, he would replace one of the free agent DTs, and we would still have 2 DTs that demand double teams or else they wreck the play
Sheldon Day reminds me of Pernell McPhee.
Good comp. I’m also looking at Day as this year’s Frank Clark in that Clark was a collegiate DE who might end up being better inside, and Day is a collegiate DT who may end up being better at DE.
I wonder if Day could play LEO, especially with Bennett/Clark at 3T.
Perhaps — but Graham Glasgow bullied Johnson at the Senior Bowl and it left a bad impression.
Rob: I like your picks. But I would be SHOCKED if Sebastian Tretola was still on the board when the Hawks pick in the 4th round.
Tony Pauline has him graded in the 5th round: http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?paged=2
With Bruce Irvin leaving the Hawks are going to NEED to add a pass rusher. Either in free agency or the draft. Something tells me the Hawks are going to sniff around in free agency. If they don’t add a pass rusher in free agency then the Hawks will have to use an early pick in the draft on a pass rusher.
YOU CANNOT NEVER HAVE ENOUGH GUYS GETTING AFTER THE QUARTERBACK!!!
Why? You can add rotational pass rushers in the mid rounds.
The third round is a sweet spot for guys like that.
They need someone to come in and add depth, not replace Bennett, Avril, Clark, and even Marsh.
Agree to a point. But you have to remember Avril and Bennett are not getting any younger. PLus when you throw in the fact that the Hawks are losing Irvin there is a NEED at the Pass Rusher position. Just look at what Denver’s pass rushers did to Tom Brady. Especially INTERIOR pass rushers.
Yes: Tony Pauline has him ranked as a fifth round prospect but I am willing to bet that Tretola is LONG GONE before the 5th round. From what I read he was one of the better offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl.
BTW: Most of the premier pass rushers in the draft go early. The only reason Clarke fell late in the 2nd round was because of the off the field situation.
I’m looking, but not finding Loadholt listed as a FA anywhere??
We are assuming the Vikings cut him as a cap casualty.
oh ok. Thanks.
He isn’t a FA yet but is an expected cap casualty in Minnesota.
Pretty much every team that has won a Super Bowl has done it in spite of some weakness. We knew our line was the weak link in ’13 and won in spite of it.
We aren’t going to be stacked at every position. At the here and now, we know for a fact that left guard is a black hole and, as Pete said, we could use some pass rush help, too.
Unlike 2013, that unit had reason for more optimism than we do now. That team still had Okung and Unger under contract for a few years and Carpenter was a high pick under contract too. There was more optimism with Sweezy because he was just a rookie. We actually thought he had the potential to be good. And then they let Breno go but drafted Britt in the second round. Even though the line was a weak link, there was reason for optimism.
As we enter this off-season, there is much less reason for optimism with the pieces we have moving forward and under contract. They aren’t going to stand pat, that’s for sure. That is comforting even if we may all not agree on the way to go about it. Personally, I don’t care what they do, whether it’s drafting Coleman, Whitehair, or Martin in the first round (or an OL if a pass rusher is used at #26). Just get someone who is actually good and go from there.
This is my opinion also because as is known now the o-line struggled mightily against good d-lines, to the point of fault. The FO really needs to land an o-line prospect who has familiarity with the position early in this draft. I don’t think that this is something controversial, but I’m willing to listen to reason.
Looking at the free agent lists, how about Nick Fairley instead of Mebane or Rubin? Younger, disruptive, lower cap hit than Mebane (in 2015).
Alan Branch might be a cap casualty for the Patriots, who are probably going to keep Akiem Hicks. Branch is 31, but he had one of his best seasons.
Fairley’s stats were pretty poor. Half a sack on 422 snaps. Maybe there were using him differently?
Rob I really like Martin a lot and I agree 100% the #1 priority has to be to rebuild the line from the inside out.
That being said I really don’t like the idea of taking a Center in the 1st round and 3 interior lineman with our top 5 picks.
I would much rather spend the early picks on premium positions with huge upside athletes. In Rd #1 Coleman, Spence, Apple or Rankins if any are available would be examples of elite athletes at premiums positions. This seems much more the Hawks style.
For the OL I would prefer to build with a combination of youth and vets instead of all Vets. I think had we had any cap space last year we would have signed Mathis and Wisnewski as there was definite interest. Looking back if we had found a way the start of the year and OL would likely have been a whole lot better.
I really hope the go the following route in free agency with the OL
#1 Evan Mathis (LG)-Was the top rated OL in run blocking again this year. He is older but very athletic and would be a huge upgrade to Britt to say the least. The Broncos may try to get him back but he could likely be had for a 3 year /12 mil deal. Soy $4 mil APY against cap
#2 Wisnewski (C/G)- He had another solid year. Very durable and never misses a game. Can play Center or Guard and is still pretty young. We could likely get him for 3 yrs /10 mil or $3 mil APY against the cap
#3 Loadholt (RT) -If he get cut by the Vikings would be a good pick up as a swing guy who could play RT if needed or move inside where he would likely be better. He would basically be an insurance policy. We could likely get him on a 1yr 2 mil prove it deal.
So for about 8-9 mil in cap space we could get 3 solid Vet oline guys to sure up the middle of the line while guys like Sokoli etc. develop.
This would let us focus on high upside dynamic athletes in Rds 1-3 of the draft. If we can get Coleman in the 1st round then all the better. The a guy like Glasgow with the 3rd round comp or a swing guy like Haeg in the 4th
2016 OL in this scenario
LT Gilliam
RT Coleman or Loadholt
LG Mathis
C Wisneski
RG Glowinski
Backups Sokoli, Lewis,Britt, Bailey, Rookie Glasgow or Haeg
I think it would be solid, deep group with a nice combination of youth and experience.
Three free agents might be a stretch. We also need to sign at least one and possibly two DT’s. But I really like your thinking here. If we can get one or two of those FA’s that really places a lot less stress on our draft.
Agreed 3 might be a stretch but if you got Wisnewski and Mathis for a cap hit of around $7 mil it would remove most of the concerns about the middle of the line from Day #1 next year as they are proven guys.
Some people will say that ship has sailed because they never signed them last year. I think the opposite completely. This front office has never been afraid to admit a mistake and they obviously like both players.
I think they would have signed one or both I they had the cap room last year. Those two took only one year deals, which could mean they kept open the possibility that we’d pick them up this year when we have the cap room for it. And our FO had last season to assess the guys we already have. If we just sign Rubin plus two of those three in free agency plus our RFA and ERFA’s, then I’d say free agency is a complete success this offseason. And if we can fit in Mebane or an equivalent replacement as well, then even better. Our draft would then have SO much more flexibility to select at least one ‘special athlete’ and possibly two at a pass rusher, LB or tackle if any of those are available. As well as leave room to get a couple O linemen, RB, DT, and DB in the later rounds.
Agree completely.
Solid mock draft. Would love to have Martin and Dahl playing side by side for years to come.
HOWEVER, I have one bone to pick. Vernon Hargreaves. 1) How did he fall out of the first round? 2) How do you have the Hawks passing up on him?
To me, the guy screams #1 corner in the NFL. Very athletic, with a nose for the ball. Yes his junior tape wasn’t nearly as good as his freshman and sophomore years, but dude can play. Would love for him to be the newest member of the LOB.
I am not a big Hargreaves fan because he is so inconsistent. I don’t see him as a CB the Hawks would like because of that but he definitely has big upside and I would be shocked if he was not a 1st rounder.
For me the best CB in the draft is Eli Apple and the best all round DB is Ramsey. Both have pro bowl potential IMO.
I am also a fan of Mackensie Alexander (Clemson) Has that sticks-to-you-like-glue kind of coverage ability. Also has good length. But I feel that he, Apple, and Hargreaves will be gone before #26.
But, when watching the tape from Hargreabes career, you could see a difference this last year compared to the first two. Perhaps he was saving his body for the NFL? To me that could explain the inconsistency. Awesome athlete, ball HAWK, can play man/press/zone, does need to improve his tackling, but the Hawks coaching staff can take care of that.
Jason Cole of B/R spoke to Packers veteran OLB Julius Peppers who said that he plans to play another year, even if Green Bay were to move on this offseason.
Cole mentions that Peppers’ $7 million base salary is fairly reasonable, given that he’s coming off of a 10.5 sack season. Beyond that, Green Bay has over $20 million in cap space, so it’s not as though they’re in a position that will require them to shed salary.
Peppers is currently tied for 9th all time in sacks and could be in position to solidify his resume for the Hall of Fame.
According to Cole, several players from a top contender in the NFC were recruiting Peppers to join their team next year if the Packers were to release him.
Peppers, 36, will be in the final year of his three-year, $26 million contract that included a $7.5 million signing bonus. He’ll make a base salary of $7 million in 2016.
In 2015, Peppers appeared in all 16 games for the Packers and totaled 36 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles for the Packers. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 32 outside linebacker out of 53 qualifying players.
Article doesn’t say specifically, but I’m assuming this ‘recruiting’ was taking place the pro bowl.
Wonder which team this ‘top NFC contender’ could’ve been.
Something tells me that it’s the Panthers.
The team that aren’t at the pro bowl?
ARI
Zona makes more sense than Carolina.
SE MO WR Paul McRoberts is tantalizing. The perfect kind of receiver to add on day 3. I don’t think he’s as fast as Braxton Miller, but I do think he’s every bit the athlete.
Just a raw, high upside, freakish (2 sport) athlete, with good size, length, and character.
He had a very nice week in Mobile. Didn’t get a Combine invite though.
Under the radar type of guy.. perfect.
That’s alright. Keep outta the public eye.
He’s gonna kill his pro day.
players who could be taken on the second half of day two:
Kentrell Brothers (LB), Shilique Calhoun (DE), Josh Doctson (WR), Scooby Wright (LB), Austin Johnson (DT), Ryan Kelly (C), Hunter Henry (TE), DJ Reader (DT), Will Redmond (CB), Sheldon Day (DT), Travin Dural (WR), Davontae Booker (RB), Pual Perkins (RB), Jalen Mills (CB), Alex Collins (RB), Connor Cook (QB), Gunner Kiel (QB), Anthony Zettel (DT), Carl Nassib (DE), Maliek Collins (DT), Hassan Ridgeway (DT), CJ Procise (RB), Graham Glasgow (G), Max Tuerk (C), Joe Dahl (G), Jayron Kearse (S), Cyrus Jones (CB), Shawn Oakman, (DE), Bronson Kuafusi (DE), Josh Garnett (G), Javon Hargrave (DT), John Theus (OT), Chris Jones (DT), Vadal Alexander (G), Pharoh Cooper (WR), Eddie Jackson (S/CB), Tony Conner (S/CB), Sebastian Tretola (G), Cole Toner (G), Chris Westerman (G), Luther Maddy (DT), Connor McGovern (G), Joshua Perry (LB), Joe Dahl (G), Adam Gostis (DT), Leonte Caroo (WR), Jack Allen (C), Evan Boehm (C), James Bradberry (CB), Joe Heag (OT), Eric Murray (CB), Kenneth Dixon (RB), Devon Cajuste (WR), Dominique Alexander (LB), Brandon Shell (OT), Avery Young (G), Artie Burnes (CB)
Am I missing anyone? Is there anyone who shouldn’t be on the list at all?
I like this pick of Nick Martin C Notre Dame
Deon Jones OLB LSU I love the idea.
In round 3 I just don’t see Paul Perkins lasting this long. I also don’t think Sebastien Tretola G Arkansas will be around in the 4th Since I think I need to grab him at this pick.
In round 3 comp I looking at Javon Hargrove DT South Carolinia St.
In round 4 Kelvin Taylor RB Florida
In round 5 James Bradberry will not be here. He will go much soonerin the middle 4th. Still looking here.
In round 6 Joe Dahl G Washington ST. or Conner McGovern G Mizzoui 1 of these guys will be here but either one will do.
In round 7 Travis Feeney OLB Washington I think we could find here.
In round 7 that Thomas Rawls guy. Still looking.
Brandon Browner is out of NOLA! Hawks should sign him!