The Seahawks pre-draft press conferences are usually quite frustrating. They’re an exercise in trying to say nothing.
Today’s took things to a whole new level.
The plan was clear. Blame the media for the Russell Wilson saga and keep repeating that they didn’t say anything until today because it was essentially a non-story.
The problem is, that doesn’t make any sense.
If this was a non-story — say so.
This could’ve been nipped in the bud immediately. There was no need to have any drama, or prolong this as long as they did.
What benefit was there in keeping quiet, watching this grow and fester and dominate the news agenda?
Furthermore, the suggestion that this was a mere media creation is simply false. In fact it’s so false it insulted everyone’s intelligence to keep repeating it.
Wilson’s agent literally went on the record and sent a list of four trade suitors to Adam Schefter, the NFL’s #1 insider.
Thank goodness for Joe Fann — the journalist who finally, some 25 minutes into the press conference, put that point to Seattle’s top-brass.
This is the Pete Carroll show — and the off-field stuff long ago started to resemble the actual games.
Hectic, haywire, kind of taped together as they go along, confusing and exciting in equal measure, it’s not always clear what the plan is and the conclusion at the end could be absolutely anything.
And for all the positive chatter and attempts to deflect today, I think the following is a fair opinion to hold — this roster doesn’t look good enough to win a Championship and the ‘non-story’ will be back next year if the 2021 season ends in more of the same.
Trey Wingo & Tony Pauline
Thank you to PFN for inviting me to be part of today’s pre-draft press conference. Here are my questions about the Seahawks, including discussing the Wilson saga which apparently was a non-story…
Final 2021 mock draft
This is my final projection to be submitted for Huddle Report scoring.
I tend not to include too many trades in a final mock because you increase your chances of being wrong. You’re not only slotting players, you’re creating deals too.
Nevertheless, I think a couple of moves are likely.
#1 Jacksonville — Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
#2 New York Jets — Zach Wilson (QB, BYU)
#3 San Francisco — Mac Jones (QB, Alabama)
#4 Atlanta — Kyle Pitts (TE, Florida)
#5 Cincinnati — JaMarr Chase (WR, LSU)
#6 Miami — Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama)
#7 LA Chargers (v/DET) — Penei Sewell (T, Oregon)
#8 New England (v/CAR) — Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
#9 Denver — Rashawn Slater (G, Northwestern)
#10 Dallas — Patrick Surtain (CB, Alabama)
#11 New York Giants — Micah Parsons (LB, Penn State)
#12 Philadelphia — Jaycee Horn (CB, South Carolina)
#13 Detroit (v/LAC) — DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
#14 Minnesota — Alijah Vera-Tucker (G, USC)
#15 Carolina (v/NE) — Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
#16 Arizona — Zaven Collins (LB, Tulsa)
#17 Las Vegas — Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB, Notre Dame)
#18 Miami — Jaelen Phillips (DE, Miami)
#19 Washington — Christian Darrisaw (T, Virginia Tech)
#20 Chicago — Elijah Moore (WR, Ole Miss)
#21 Indianapolis — Kwity Paye (DE, Michigan)
#22 Tennessee — Jamin Davis (LB, Kentucky)
#23 New York Jets — Teven Jenkins (T, Oklahoma State)
#24 Pittsburgh — Najee Harris (RB, Alabama)
#25 Jacksonville — Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson)
#26 Cleveland — Christian Barmore (DT, Alabama)
#27 Baltimore — Jayson Oweh (DE, Penn State)
#28 New Orleans — Greg Newsome (CB, Northwestern)
#29 Green Bay — Creed Humphrey (C, Oklahoma)
#30 Buffalo — Joe Tryon (DE, Washington)
#31 Baltimore — Landon Dickerson (C, Alabama)
#32 Tampa Bay — Azeez Ojulari (DE, Georgia)
Mock draft competition
A year ago, community member DC set up a mock draft competition. He’s doing the same this year. Here’s his message with advice on how you can enter…
Welcome to the 2nd Annual SDB Mock Draft Competition!!!
It’s time to assemble your official 2021 mock draft entries for submission on this thread prior to 5pm Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday.
NickATL was the winner in 2020 & his life has been a breeze ever since.
Other than a couple of minor tweaks the setup is the same as last year.
The skinny…
Pick 12 players that you think Seattle will draft. They can be in any round, at any pick & you can use the same pick multiple times.
The goal is to get the most ‘hits’.
For tie breaking purposes, please format your picks by overall pick number (56, 129, 250, etc.)
You can go here for a visual of who holds each pick in the draft. If you feel the need to explain your mock please do so below your entry so that I can score it without working too hard.
How to WIN?
1. Whoever gets the highest number of correct players drafted by the Seahawks with their 12 picks shall be crowned the winner!
2. In the event of a tie, whoever has their correct players selected closest to their actual overall draft number is the winner. (Ex; Blogger A guessed 101 & the actual slot was 150 for a difference of 49. Blogger B guessed 194 & the actual slot was 184 for a difference of 10. Blogger B wins.)
3. After your 12 selections write the number of picks that you believe the Seahawks will actually make. 3, 5, 7? Whatever. This will serve as the next tie breaker.
4. If none of the above have sorted things out then it will go to a coin toss.
Let the competition begin!
Here is my sham of an entry for 2021,
80 Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC 111 Drew Dalman, C, Stanford 111 Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina 129 Keith Taylor, CB, Washington 129 Shaun Wade, S, Ohio State 133 Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn 188 Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State 188 Tre McKitty, TE, Georgia 218 Joshua Kaindoh, EDGE, Florida State 218 Israel Mukuamu, S, South Carolina 229 K.J. Britt, LB, Auburn 250 Chris Evans, RB, Michigan
7 Total picks
Enjoy! –DC–
Good luck to everyone taking part.
Tomorrow I will provide an open thread, thoughts on each pick and a live stream discussing the first frame. From Friday we’ll have detailed analysis on all of Seattle’s picks.
If you have enjoyed the draft coverage this year, please consider supporting the website via Patreon (click the tab below)…
Maximizing the Seahawks defensive potential – a switch to the 4-2-5
We know the Seahawks are at a crossroads right now.
They have a beleaguered starting quarterback, are staring down the barrel of paying a player that might not fit their defense and have very little in the way of resources to address a number of needs.
The last 2 years, Rob and many of us in community kept saying they needed to get help on the D-line. And what happened? A hail mary trade for Clowney and a horrible start to the year defensively until we were bailed out again by the Carlos Dunlap trade.
Until they make moves, we can’t assume the Seahawks are going to do anything. We have to look at the roster as it stands and see what the vision could be. Today, I’ll focus on the defense and look at a change that was proposed a few years back.
In 2017, this blog’s esteemed proprietor wrote a couple of pieces discussing how the future of the Seahawk defense could be the 4-2-5.
I think that time is now.
What’s the scheme?
A 4-2-5 is a scheme with four linemen, two linebackers and five DBs.
Instead of rewriting blog posts through my amateur eyes in an attempt to tell you how the scheme works, I’m just going to steal a bunch of information from Rob’s posts.
From Rob’s April 2017 piece, here are the key intentions of the 4-2-5 as described by TCU’s Gary Patterson and a quote from Rob to tie it all together:
— Provide a simple scheme that promotes execution and athleticism
— Take away an opponents run game
— Establish an eight-man front
— Find a way to counter-punch while playing ‘bend-but-don’t-break’
— Out-hit the opponent, create takeaways and eliminate big plays
— Find ways to blitz using your DB’s
“Patterson writes about the 4-2-5 like he’s just finished watching the Seahawks defense”
“There’s a defensive scheme based around the concept, as explained by John Turney:
“Buffalo was a 4-2-5 defense that showed a Cover-3 look with a post safety (or middle-of-the-field safety).”
“Nickel defense was the same personnel, but it was a 4-2-5 defense that showed a Cover-2 look, with the safeties near the hashes.”
“It’s unclear how prepared the Seahawks are to adopt this type of formation. By now we know what they are — a defense focusing on execution.
That said, the Buffalo defense isn’t straying too much from Seattle’s current scheme. As Thurney notes, it’s a single-high safety cover-3 concept. The only difference is instead of a SAM you’re fielding a nickel. This DB still has some of the responsibilities of the SAM (defend the run, cover the TE) but you’re giving up some size to have a better athlete on the field.
This wouldn’t be a great departure for the Seahawks considering how often they fielded two linebackers and a nickel corner (Jeremy Lane) in 2016.
While they might prefer to simply acquire a really good SAM — if that player isn’t available, this seems like an alternative.”
Would the Seahawks really consider this?
Pete likes to have his SAM on the field in base formation and we saw just how intense that could be in 2019 when the Seahawks were in base defense 68 percent of the time.
But we have seen years where the Seahawks used a ton of nickel. In 2016, Jeremy Lane played 71.39% of snaps, third most from a CB behind Sherman and Shead.
In 2018, Ken Norton Jr’s first year as DC, Justin Coleman played 67.81% of the defensive snaps. Lano Hill played 32.29% and was occasionally used as a big nickel.
2018 is also the year where Wright was injured and only played five games. If we look at all three of these seasons, we see the potential for flexibility. Pete will play base or nickel at varying rates depending on who he believes gives them the best possibility for success. In 2016, that was Jeremy Lane. In 2018, that was Justin Coleman. In 2019, that was Mychal Kendricks.
Last year we saw another evolution in that adaptation in the form of a 33.5% blitz rate. Pete prefers to get pressure rushing four and dropping seven into coverage. Yet last year the Seahawkws didn’t have the personnel to get pressure rushing four, so he and Ken Norton Jr. blitzed like crazy with Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner, and KJ Wright.
I’m not saying that a 30%+ blitz rate is the ideal end-state but it shows some flexibility to do what it takes based on who you’re putting on the field.
So why switch to 4-2-5 now?
For the same reason we played base defense 68% of the time in 2019 and blitzed 33.5% of the time last year – personnel.
So how does Seattle’s current roster stack up for the 4-2-5?
Defensive Line
“A strong, big-bodied, traditional nose tackle who can clog up the middle of the offensive line.”
“Defensive ends and linebackers who are smaller in size but quick on their feet to cause problems in blocking”
The defensive line is the weakest argument for the 4-2-5. Defensive ends are often hybrid outside linebacker types, ala Bruce Irvin, and should be able to create pressure with a quick first step and good speed.
That being said, the key thing is to be able to create pressure. Carlos Dunlap was able to create 16 pressures in eight games. Kerry Hyder Jr. created 32 as Nick Bosa’s replacement. Regardless of what scheme they run, the Seahawks will be counting on them for significant contributions in addition to needing growth (or at the very least, not regression) from Alton Robinson, Darrell Taylor, LJ Collier and Rasheem Green.
As far as the nose tackle, or 1-tech in the current scheme, both Al Woods and Bryan Mone fit that like a glove. Poona Ford could spend some time at nose as necessary, though I’m expecting he’ll be the primary 3-tech in base formations.
Linebackers
“The Mike is probably the one player on the field in this alignment that needs to play with a little hesitation, reading an offense quickly first and then picking up his responsibilities based off what he sees, rather than just rushing straight to the line to plug a hole.”
“The Sam is one of the most versatile players on the field in a 4-2-5 alignment, as he is tasked with putting pressure on the quarterback, making stops in the run game, and covering receivers as well”
Right now, on this roster, the Seahawks don’t have a proper SAM linebacker to fit Pete’s standard scheme. Brooks is likely penciled in as the starting WILL.
Neither Barton or BKK project as a SAM in a 4-3 under scheme. With limited cap space and limited draft capital, it’d be difficult to find an impactful player to play the Bruce Irvin role in this defense.
What the Seahawks do have is an ideal linebacking core to handle the 4-2-5.
Bobby Wagner has been anchoring the MIKE position for years and this scheme asks him to do what he does best. Read the defense, flow to the ball and be solid in coverage. That’s what we want from Bobby Wagner. We don’t want a repeat 100 blitz season.
Jordyn Brooks is a great fit at the 4-2-5 SAM especially on early downs. He’s got terrific athleticism, showed a knack for flowing to the ball and had some flashes in pass coverage. While the position calls for blitzing versatility, I wouldn’t expect a ton of blitzing from Brooks in this position. I’d expect extra pressure to come primarily from other places on the field.
Which brings me to the DBs.
Defensive backs
“The most important attribute in the secondary is speed and coverage ability.”
“The free safety and strong safety have similar assignments to defenses in other more “base” alignments. However, they are used to either blitz more often or provide run support near the line of scrimmage, or when a cornerback blitzes, they have to compensate with more coverage responsibilities.”
If you think about this 4-2-5 argument as a multi course meal: The defensive line is an amuse bouche, the linebackers are an appetizer and the DBs are the main. (Don’t worry, there’s dessert).
Combining descriptions from Gary Patterson and Football Advantage, the 4-2-5 is looking for speedy DBs that can afford to be undersized, that you can also use to bring pressure.
In that sentence, we’ve just described 5 DBs on the Seahawks roster: Jamal Adams, Ugo Amadi, Damarious Randall, Marquise Blair, and DJ Reed.
At this point we’ve seen Jamal Adams blitz more times a game than anyone else in the PCJS regime, so we’ve got that covered. Amadi has already shown some propensity to be able to blitz (22 times in 2020). Damarious Randall had a nice season in Cleveland in 2019, getting 2.5 sacks on only 19 blitz attempts, and has played nickel before. The jury is still out on Blair but we know they feel comfortable starting him at nickel. Reed wasn’t asked to blitz much last year (nine times, one pressure) but with his great quickness and awareness, even at 5-9, he’s a perfect fit as a 4-2-5 CB and is all but guaranteed to get the starting nod at one of the outside positions.
If you look back at the Buffalo Cover-3 diagram you can find a DB to fit every position. Jamal Adams stays at SS but gets to live near the LOS. Quandre Diggs still slots in as the single high FS — a position where he’s done very well in since coming to Seattle. Reed takes one of the outside corner spots. Competition at the nickel between Amadi, Randall, and Blair. Competition at the final outside spot between Witherspoon, Flowers, Desir, and Randall (if not Amadi and Blair as well).
Switch to a Cover 2? Jamal essentially moves to the WILL role and the Nickel moves back to the 2nd high safety. Who on our roster has experience in nickel and safety? Right, the same 3 names we have in competition for nickel role.
So at a high level, we have quick, versatile, read and react DBs playing downhill and competition to determine the best player at a couple of the starting positions. I could almost hear the echoes of excited gum chewing as I was typing that sentence.
We don’t know what the rest of the offseason will bring. We could see Russell Wilson traded, we could see Jamal Adams traded, we could see contracts restructured to bring in another key piece, we could see the Seahawks pick 3 players in a draft and call it a day.
But if the season were to start tomorrow, I’d really hope that the first snap of the season, we see the defense line up in a 4-2-5.
The best reason to switch to a 4-2-5 (Dessert)
Seattle’s area code is 206 (pronounced 20sickness, shout out Blue Scholars) but the eastside 12s dial 4-2-5 to start their phone calls. Defensive calls could all be shout outs to Seattle’s eastside brethren and sistren across the bridges. Imagine game day where you hear Bobby screaming out “REDMOND REDMOND REDMOND” “KIRKLAND KIRKLAND KIRKLAND” “QUAH QUAH”
Run out of towns for calls? No worries – just start using Kirkland brand products from our lovely local Costco, “MARCONA ALMOND! MARCONA ALMOND!”
If that’s not enough of a reason to switch schemes, I don’t know what is.
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We’re a week away from the draft and things couldn’t be quieter.
The Russell Wilson saga has gone into hibernation, with both parties seemingly prepared to kick the can down the road for now.
And there’s no news on anything to do with Jamal Adams and his contract.
Many people are quick to tell you the Seahawks don’t extend contracts before the draft. It’s certainly true that the vast majority of their deals are done later in the year.
This is different though because of the sheer scale of the trade. And I think it warrants a conversation.
When the Seahawks traded for Adams, they must’ve had an inkling on what he would cost down the road?
Even if serious talks were shelved, you surely don’t make that deal without some confidence that eventually you’d come to an agreement.
That means one of two things. Either you’re prepared to pay whatever it takes (as we saw with the Texans/Tunsil and Rams/Ramsey) or you know that a fair negotiation is plausible.
Either way, you’d think a pathway to an extension is within reach.
Yet so far the two parties have not agreed terms.
What exactly is the reason for not getting this done and out of the way as quickly as possible? If the Seahawks are minded to build around Jamal Adams for the long haul, what possible reason could there be for delaying an extension?
After all, they did just extend Tyler Lockett. That was doubly important because it also created cap space this year. There’s unlikely to be any cap relief created by a new deal with Adams. Yet they gave Lockett a $17.25m a year deal — in the ballpark for what Adams will be looking for.
Presumably a similar extension for Adams wouldn’t require a painstaking, far longer process — especially given they’ve had months to consider these negotiations as a presumed off-season priority.
So they’ve had plenty of time to consider his worth, they already spent a fortune to acquire him and they’ve seen what he’s about on and off the field.
What’s the hold up then?
The only other time the Seahawks made a big splash on a player coming to the end of his deal was Percy Harvin. He was awarded a huge new contract immediately upon signing.
I’d argue the price of the trade — two firsts and a third — dictates a greater sense of urgency with Adams than even Harvin.
The last thing you want is a difficult negotiation with a player and team clashing over money, possibly developing into a fractious situation.
Yet the longer this goes on, the longer that becomes a possibility.
I don’t see much chance of Adams happily going along with his $9.8m salary this year and no long term security — especially off the back of off-season surgery and an injury hit 2020. He’s one serious injury away from significantly damaging his leverage in negotiations with Seattle or anyone else.
The new CBA makes a holdout tricky to execute — but that’s not the thing to worry about. It’s a possible growing resentment that will blossom without an agreement.
That’s what happened in New York, after all.
Here’s where I think the problem lies.
Brock Huard on his 710 ESPN podcast this week reiterated Seattle’s desire to get a deal done with Adams, with seemingly no consideration to trade him away.
Huard is reasonably connected. He noted the price of the highest paid safety is Justin Simmons’ $15.25m a year. He suggested the Seahawks would be willing to beat that and were using Simmons’ contract as the basis for their negotiation.
That set alarm bells off for me.
The Seahawks are well within their rights to try and use the market to their advantage. Simmons’ new contract provides a starting point for talks. On top of that, Seattle can argue that Adams can only expect to earn about $13,215,000 on the franchise tag next year. So they are protected for at least two seasons with club control.
Yet Adams is likely to be in a totally different place in these talks.
After all, when the Texans traded away multiple first round picks for Tunsil, they had to pay him $6m more than the next highest paid left tackle. Ramsey’s contract with the Rams is $3.2m higher than the next highest paid cornerback.
When you trade away first rounders for players on expiring contracts, you lose leverage.
Adams can easily point to the Tunsil and Ramsey deals and say they are the precedent, not Justin Simmons. He can demand $3-6m more than the next highest paid safety. He can try and argue he’s a player without a defined position.
He might even demand to top Ramsey’s $20m salary to become the highest paid defensive back.
Plus — Adams can argue they just paid their #2 receiver $17.2m a year and the starting middle linebacker is on $18m a year.
Either way, offering $16m and thinking he’ll settle seems fanciful at best.
I appreciate that Huard’s assessment, alongside my own interpretation of the situation, isn’t gospel and it’s possible the Seahawks are willing to go way beyond $16m. I do think his explanation of a team very keen to get a deal done and make him the highest paid safety is also a potential nod to why this isn’t done.
I don’t think Adams views himself as a safety or the Simmons contract as relevant.
I think he’s going to ask for $18-20m — and I’m not convinced the Seahawks will stretch to that. Otherwise this is probably already done.
Thus, you end up in a possible scenario where both parties wait to see who blinks first. A stalemate.
It’s indicative of why you really need an oven-ready contract extension when you make these big trades. Now, the Seahawks face the prospect of a staring contest with Adams having invested so much in him.
Maybe I’m wrong and a deal will be announced in the coming days? It’s possible.
I fear though that this won’t be the case and we’ll see a protracted situation where the conclusion is either the Seahawks wildly overpaying or an agitated Jamal Adams.
My opinion on what the Seahawks should do still hasn’t changed. Yet it seems they might be in a contradicting position of wanting Adams badly but not badly enough to sort things out to avoid potential issues down the line.
Next week I will publish my final mock draft for Huddle Report scoring.
Time for one final test-run.
As usual — list form below, then notes on each pick to follow…
First round
#1 Jacksonville — Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
#2 New York Jets — Zach Wilson (QB, BYU)
#3 San Francisco (v/MIA, HOU) — Mac Jones (QB, Alabama)
#4 Atlanta — Kyle Pitts (TE, Florida)
#5 Cincinnati — Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
#6 Miami (v/PHI) — Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama)
#7 Detroit — Penei Sewell (T, Oregon)
#8 Arizona (v/CAR) — Jaycee Horn (CB, South Carolina)
#9 Denver — Micah Parsons (LB, Penn State)
#10 Dallas — Patrick Surtain II (CB, Alabama)
#11 New York Giants — Rashawn Slater (G, Northwestern)
#12 Philadelphia (v/SF, MIA) — DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
#13 LA Chargers — Christian Darrisaw (T, Virginia Tech)
#14 Minnesota — Jaelen Phillips (DE, Miami)
#15 New England — Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
#16 Washington (v/CAR, ARI) — Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
#17 Las Vegas — Alijah Vera-Tucker (G, USC)
#18 Miami — Azeez Ojulari (DE, Georgia)
#19 Carolina (v/WAS) — Teven Jenkins (T, Oklahoma State)
#20 Chicago — Elijah Moore (WR, Ole Miss)
#21 Indianapolis — Kwity Paye (DE, Michigan)
#22 Tennessee — Zaven Collins (LB, Tulsa)
#23 New York Jets (v/SEA) — Kelvin Joseph (CB, Kentucky)
#24 Pittsburgh — Najee Harris (RB, Alabama)
#25 Jacksonville (v/LAR) — Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson)
#26 Cleveland — Christian Barmore (DT, Alabama)
#27 Baltimore — Jayson Oweh (DE, Penn State)
#28 New Orleans — Jamin Davis (LB, Kentucky)
#29 Green Bay — Greg Newsome (CB, Northwestern)
#30 Buffalo — Joe Tryon (DE, Washington)
#31 Miami (v/KC) — Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB, Notre Dame)
#32 Tampa Bay — Levi Onwuzurike (DT, Washington)
Second round
#33 Jacksonville — Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State)
#34 New York Jets — Creed Humphrey (C, Oklahoma)
#35 Atlanta — Trevon Moehrig (S, TCU)
#36 Kansas City (v/MIA, HOU) — Spencer Brown (T, Northern Iowa)
#37 Philadelphia — Quinn Meinerz (G/C, UWW)
#38 Cincinnati — Alex Leatherwood (G/T, Alabama)
#39 Carolina — Kadarius Toney (WR, Florida)
#40 Denver — Kellen Mond (QB, Texas A&M)
#41 Detroit — Dyami Brown (WR, North Carolina)
#42 New York Giants — Javonte Williams (RB, North Carolina)
#43 San Francisco — Benjamin St. Juste (CB, Minnesota)
#44 Dallas — Milton Williams (DE/DT, LA Tech)
#45 Jacksonville (v/MIN) — Elijah Molden (S, Washington)
#46 New England — Baron Browning (LB, Ohio State)
#47 LA Chargers — Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech)
#48 Las Vegas — Terrace Marshall Jr (WR, LSU)
#49 Carolina (v/ARI) — Robert Rochell (CB, Central Arkansas)
#50 Miami — Asante Samuel Jr (CB, Florida State)
#51 Washington — Pete Werner (LB, Ohio State)
#52 Chicago — Eric Stokes (CB, Georgia)
#53 Tennessee — Rashod Bateman (WR, Minnesota)
#54 Indianapolis — Sam Cosmi (T, Texas)
#55 Pittsburgh — Dillon Radunz (T, North Dakota State)
#56 Green Bay (v/SEA) — D’Wayne Eskridge (WR, Western Michigan)
#57 LA Rams — Landon Dickerson (C, Alabama)
#58 Baltimore — Josh Myers (C, Ohio State)
#59 Cleveland — Rondale Moore (WR, Purdue)
#60 New Orleans — Bobby Brown (DT, Texas A&M)
#61 Buffalo — Aaron Robinson (CB, UCF)
#62 Seattle (v/GB) — D’Ante Smith (T, ECU)
#63 Kansas City — Gregory Rousseau (DE, Miami)
#64 Tampa Bay — Davis Mills (QB, Stanford)
A thought on every pick…
First round
#1 Jacksonville — Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson)
It’s been a foregone conclusion for two years that Lawrence would be the #1 pick in this draft.
#2 New York Jets — Zach Wilson (QB, BYU)
A highly talented quarterback who will provide the Jets with in-structure competence and the occasional flash of brilliance.
#3 San Francisco (v/MIA, HOU) — Mac Jones (QB, Alabama)
Simply put, Kyle Shanahan wants someone who can execute his offense at a high level and stay on-script. The player most equipped to do that is Mac Jones.
#4 Atlanta — Kyle Pitts (TE, Florida)
Matt Ryan’s contract dictates he isn’t going anywhere for two years so you might as well give him Pitts to throw to.
#5 Cincinnati — Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
Joe Burrow dominated college football with Chase. You can get O-line help in round two.
#6 Miami (v/PHI) — Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama)
I still think this is a spot where Miami could surprise people and take a corner.
#7 Detroit — Penei Sewell (T, Oregon)
The Lions could trade down because they have a lot of needs but it also makes sense to stay put and select Sewell here.
#8 Arizona (v/CAR) — Jaycee Horn (CB, South Carolina)
There’s a bit of buzz around the Cardinals moving up. If they do, it could easily be for one of the top corners in the draft.
#9 Denver — Micah Parsons (LB, Penn State)
I’m just not convinced they’ll be sold on a quarterback here. They might trade down.
#10 Dallas — Patrick Surtain II (CB, Alabama)
Cornerback is a need and this is the trendy pick for Dallas.
#11 New York Giants — Rashawn Slater (G, Northwestern)
Dave Gettleman likes to draft linemen. I’m not completely sold on Slater here. I prefer others.
#12 Philadelphia (v/SF, MIA) — DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
A lot of people are dismissing his lack of size but it will be a concern for some teams and it could lead to a slight fall.
#13 LA Chargers — Christian Darrisaw (T, Virginia Tech)
I’m not a huge fan of Darrisaw but they need someone capable of playing left tackle.
#14 Minnesota — Jaelen Phillips (DE, Miami)
Sensational pass rushing talent who deserves to go in the top-15 if he clears the health checks.
#15 New England — Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State)
The internet is very willing to overlook some of Fields’ obvious flaws. He has many positives too — but it’s not that unrealistic he lasts.
#16 Washington (v/CAR, ARI) — Trey Lance (QB, North Dakota State)
I think there’s a strong chance Fields and Lance both stick around long enough for Washington and Chicago to think about a move up.
#17 Las Vegas — Alijah Vera-Tucker (G, USC)
He is a class act. Explosive, consistent. Unflappable.
#18 Miami — Azeez Ojulari (DE, Georgia)
A fantastic player who could go higher.
#19 Carolina (v/WAS) — Teven Jenkins (T, Oklahoma State)
After trading down twice, Scott Fitterer takes an explosive, physical offensive lineman. For all the talk of the Panthers trading for Sam Darnold because the other QB’s won’t last to #8 — I don’t think that was it at all. The Darnold trade is a shot to nothing and they keep the door open for Deshaun Watson, if possible, next year. That’s what they want. Not a rookie.
#20 Chicago — Elijah Moore (WR, Ole Miss)
He’s just so dynamic, he has to go early.
#21 Indianapolis — Kwity Paye (DE, Michigan)
He has the physical profile but his tape is distinctly average.
#22 Tennessee — Zaven Collins (LB, Tulsa)
He’s 270lbs so he’ll need to go to a creative scheme. This feels like a good fit.
#23 New York Jets (v/SEA) — Kelvin Joseph (CB, Kentucky)
They might trade down first but a cornerback and a center could be options with New York’s second pick.
#24 Pittsburgh — Najee Harris (RB, Alabama)
It feels like the Steelers are readying to make this move.
#25 Jacksonville (v/LAR) — Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson)
If you want Trevor Lawrence to succeed — give him plenty of ammunition.
#26 Cleveland — Christian Barmore (DT, Alabama)
I don’t think Barmore is worth a pick this high. Yet a weak defensive tackle class could benefit him.
#27 Baltimore — Jayson Oweh (DE, Penn State)
They have lost their pass rushers and need to make a move.
#28 New Orleans — Jamin Davis (LB, Kentucky)
Highly explosive linebacker who can start quickly for New Orleans
#29 Green Bay — Greg Newsome (CB, Northwestern)
I’m not sold on him quite this early but there’s plenty of buzz around Newsome.
#30 Buffalo — Joe Tryon (DE, Washington)
Plenty of teams need pass rush so we could see a run in the late first.
#31 Miami (v/KC) — Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB, Notre Dame)
I really like him but he’s 221lbs. He’s well suited as a hybrid safety/linebacker in Miami’s defense.
#32 Tampa Bay — Levi Onwuzurike (DT, Washington)
Why not add an interior pass rusher?
Second round
#33 Jacksonville — Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State)
They just appointed his college TE coach and this is even more help for Trevor Lawrence.
#34 New York Jets — Creed Humphrey (C, Oklahoma)
They like athletic, explosive offensive linemen. Humphrey ticks their boxes.
#35 Atlanta — Trevon Moehrig (S, TCU)
They need safety help after losing Keanu Neal.
#36 Kansas City (v/MIA, HOU) — Spencer Brown (T, Northern Iowa)
The Chiefs love to draft special athletes and coach them up. Brown needs a lot of work but he also feels like a fit.
#37 Philadelphia — Quinn Meinerz (G/C, UWW)
A nod to the future. Meinerz deserves to go this early.
#38 Cincinnati — Alex Leatherwood (G/T, Alabama)
This feels like a Bengals pick.
#39 Carolina — Kadarius Toney (WR, Florida)
Why not add another weapon to the offense?
#40 Denver — Kellen Mond (QB, Texas A&M)
For me he’s the third best quarterback in this draft.
#41 Detroit — Dyami Brown (WR, North Carolina)
Extremely talented downfield threat who would fill a huge need.
#42 New York Giants — Javonte Williams (RB, North Carolina)
The top pass rushers are gone. It’s not a need but the talent is too good to pass. He’d create quite a duo with Saquon Barkley.
#43 San Francisco — Benjamin St. Juste (CB, Minnesota)
St. Juste is highly intelligent, physically impressive and he’s their type of player.
#44 Dallas — Milton Williams (DE/DT, LA Tech)
Incredible athlete who can move across the D-line.
#45 Jacksonville (v/MIN) — Elijah Molden (S, Washington)
Nobody gets after it like Molden. He could be the next Tyrann Mathieu.
#46 New England — Baron Browning (LB, Ohio State)
Browning would be a good fit in their scheme.
#47 LA Chargers — Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech)
The injury has to be a turn-off for teams, especially given how long it’s taken him to get it sorted.
#48 Las Vegas — Terrace Marshall Jr (WR, LSU)
Not the biggest need but the top pass rushers are gone.
#49 Carolina (v/ARI) Robert Rochell (CB, Central Arkansas)
The Panthers get this pick for trading down from #8 to #16. Rochell has everything physically and just needs some technical fine tuning.
#50 Miami — Asante Samuel Jr (CB, Florida State)
According to reports, the Dolphins want to draft another cornerback early.
#51 Washington — Pete Werner (LB, Ohio State)
Werner’s always around the ball and he had a terrific pro-day workout.
#52 Chicago — Eric Stokes (CB, Georgia)
A very consistent, talented corner to fill a big need for the Bears.
#53 Tennessee — Rashod Bateman (WR, Minnesota)
Is he special enough to go earlier than this? I don’t think so.
#54 Indianapolis — Sam Cosmi (T, Texas)
The Colts love traits and Cosmi is highly explosive.
#55 Pittsburgh — Dillon Radunz (T, North Dakota State)
Radunz might be best suited to guard but he has a Steeler mentality and might get a shot to play left tackle.
#56 Green Bay (v/SEA) — D’Wayne Eskridge (WR, Western Michigan)
The Packers trade up to get ahead of New Orleans and select a player with game-breaking ability.
#57 LA Rams — Landon Dickerson (C, Alabama)
He’s a first round pick without the injury history — but that is clearly a big concern.
#58 Baltimore — Josh Myers (C, Ohio State)
I think he could still go in the top-50.
#59 Cleveland — Rondale Moore (WR, Purdue)
Is he more than a gadget player operating mostly from the slot?
#60 New Orleans — Bobby Brown (DT, Texas A&M)
There aren’t many players with a physical profile as impressive as Brown’s.
#61 Buffalo — Aaron Robinson (CB, UCF)
An incredibly quick, sudden corner who flies to the ball.
#62 Seattle (v/GB) — D’Ante Smith (T, ECU)
The Seahawks love length at tackle and Smith has +35 inch arms. He excelled at the Senior Bowl. I think this draft, such as it is for Seattle, will be about forward planning.
#63 Kansas City — Gregory Rousseau (DE, Miami)
His agility testing and length is intriguing but he has so much to learn.
#64 Tampa Bay — Davis Mills (QB, Stanford)
Why not plan ahead here?
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This week I was invited onto the Seahawkers podcast with Brandan Schulze to discuss the draft. Our conversation is being published in two parts, starting with the offense.
Check it out below:
I also wanted to share some thoughts/predictions today…
— Keep an eye on Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade for the Seahawks. Although he had a challenging 2020 season, he’s still the same player who was garnering first round talk a year ago. He’s a former five-star recruit, he’s 6-1 and 195lbs and he has 33.5 inch arms. These are traits the Seahawks usually show interest in. When you’re limited on picks and a player with his pedigree drops, it’s an opportunity to capitalise. Wade is someone nobody really talks about from a Seahawks perspective but just keep him on your radar. If you had a high grade on him last year and you’re willing to take into account the weirdness of the BIG-10 season, some teams might have him higher on their board than you think. And if you’re a team with three picks going in and trying to find some value, he’s one to watch.
— On the topic of cornerbacks, I think there’s a reasonable chance Benjamin St. Juste and Robert Rochell will go earlier than many are projecting. The other players I think are being projected too low are the Texas A&M trio Bobby Brown (see below), Buddy Johnson and Kellen Mond, North Carolina’s Dyami Brown, Georgia’s Ben Cleveland and East Carolina’s D’Ante Smith.
— For all the talk of this being a bad defensive tackle class (it is) — you’ll struggle to find a more exciting physical profile than Texas A&M’s Bobby Brown. His upside and potential is through the roof. He’s a very exciting prospect.
— It’s a trendy pick to put Rashawn Slater in the top-10 and I’ve jumped on the bandwagon a bit after his explosive pro-day by slotting him at #11. Don’t be surprised though if Alijah Vera-Tucker — who is a better player for me — goes before Slater. It’s not totally out of the question Slater drops a bit. He lacks the length to play tackle and players like AVT and Teven Jenkins just have a bit more attitude about them. The best way to describe Vera-Tucker is this — ‘class act’.
— I still think, as of today, it’s Mac Jones at #3 to San Francisco, Kyle Pitts to Atlanta at #4, Ja’Marr Chase at #5 to Cincy and then Miami could be a wildcard. Everyone assumes a receiver — which is plausible. I just still think someone, potentially, is going to surprise everyone by taking one of the top-two cornerbacks early. And per Tony Pauline, the Dolphins are eyeing a high pick at corner.
— Here are a few names with a lot of talent who could be available on day three with high upside and draft/develop potential — Joshua Kaindoh (DE), Chris Evans (RB), Tamorrion Terry (WR), Ta’Quon Graham (DT), Noah Gray (TE). They’re all boom or bust but later in the draft the risk is minimal.
— Israel Mukuamu just looks like a future Seahawk.
— Seattle’s inactivity at receiver is intriguing. Having lost David Moore, Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon — it’s a pure numbers game at this point. Even if they really rate Freddie Swain, they need more. It could easily be a tell towards what they’ll do with their top pick (whenever that happens). You could make the same argument about SAM linebacker but I suspect the Seahawks are focused on bringing back K.J. Wright and just need to let the process play out. With a loaded receiver class it wouldn’t be a surprise if they focused on the position and drafted a receiver between rounds 2-4.
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The collective anguish that’ll be expressed by fans and media in Seattle could take on a physical form, rising through the floorboards like something from a Hellraiser sequel, if the Seahawks draft a quarterback early.
A lot of people found the Russell Wilson off-season saga challenging. Many got very defensive about it all — constantly trying to downplay everything, suggesting it was just some absurd media creation.
Yet it was real. It was very real.
This would be an explosive new chapter in the saga.
Yet the only difference between now and the moment Adam Schefter tweeted Wilson’s four preferred trade suitors, is those four options have come off the table.
There’s been no public dismissal of the supposed distance growing between quarterback and team. Michael Silver recently compared the whole thing to an episode of Seinfield, when George Costanza resigned from his job then turned up at the office on Monday acting like nothing had happened.
It seems like, more than anything, a trade simply wasn’t viable this year and both parties have accepted that and are just going to press on.
After all, what choice do they have?
But I think we all know that there’s a reasonable chance this will resurface in nine months time. No amount of ‘Go Hawks’ or ‘everything’s fine’ (what we’ll predictably hear from all concerned in the coming months) will change that.
If that’s the case, the Seahawks have to consider drafting a quarterback early in this draft — if the right player is available.
I know what the reaction to that suggestion will be. Many Seahawks fans will roll their eyes. They’ll hate the thought. They’ll think it’ll drive a divide between Wilson and the team. They’ll see it as provocative and undermining.
If you’re one of those people, take a step back and consider the following:
1. If there’s a chance you part ways with Wilson next year, as many have reported is a possibility, why wouldn’t you put yourself in a greater position of strength by having a fallback option on the roster, rather than facing the situation you had this year with no clear alternative solution at quarterback?
2. Given Wilson sent a list of trade suitors to Adam Schefter, why should he then react with surprise or displeasure if the team looks after its own interests by drafting an alternative in preparation for a potential future trade?
3. When the Packers used their top pick on a quarterback a year ago, it motivated Aaron Rodgers to have a MVP winning season and they reached the NFC Championship game.
I think Wilson has some extremely valid concerns about this team. If what has been reported by people close to his camp is accurate — the issues regarding the extent of Pete Carroll’s control, the style of the offense, the performance of the defense, the personnel decision making and the ownership flux all deserve serious attention.
I applaud Wilson for raising these issues. I think he’s one of the few people capable of initiating change. And some things need to change in Seattle in order to improve on a record of one playoff win in four seasons.
Yet we know there’s a reasonable chance this change won’t happen. Carroll isn’t going anywhere. Neither is his philosophy. Ownership isn’t close to changing either.
This might mean a divorce in 12 months — short of a major coming together and/or a successful 2021 season.
Therefore, the Seahawks are almost duty bound to think about the future. If they aren’t willing to do what Wilson wants to the extent there could be a parting, then they have to plan accordingly.
Drafting a quarterback this year won’t guarantee a long term replacement but at least you have ‘one in the chamber’ as John Schneider might put it. You have someone you can evaluate internally and integrate into your system and culture.
The 2022 quarterback class looks horrible at the moment. It’s probably the main reason we might see five quarterbacks drafted in the top-10 later this month.
Plus you won’t necessarily have a Matt Stafford, Carson Wentz or Sam Darnold to take a punt on next year.
Drafting someone now gives you an option. And sure — it creates drama. I’m inclined to say if the Seahawks can stoically navigate through what’s happened over the last couple of months, they’ll be able manage this too.
We’ve reached a point where we can’t say with any real certainty that Wilson will finish his career in Seattle. Therefore whether it happens next year, 2023 or 2024 — it’s time to start drafting quarterbacks. It’s time to start thinking about the future.
The worst case scenario is you get a cheap backup you can develop.
So how do you justify it this year with only three picks?
Personally I don’t think the Seahawks have assembled a roster that is primed for a deep playoff run. Yet I don’t think a rookie drafted in the #56-75 range and some day three selections are going to be the difference there either.
What they have done is fill holes. And while some areas remain somewhat unaddressed — options are available in the veteran market.
I think there’s a reasonable chance they’ll use their draft picks to plan ahead anyway, just at other positions. Offensive tackle and cornerback for example. Picks for the future.
A rookie center or receiver might be able to contribute quickly but that’s no given. I’m not sure why anyone would look at a draft where you start with three picks and think this is going to be a class potentially laden with impact for the Seahawks.
And look — if you made me put money on which position they select first, I wouldn’t lump on a quarterback. I just want to present the case for why it could happen and explain why I think it makes some sense.
I think one of the main reasons why it won’t happen is because the top quarterbacks will be gone. I think it’s highly possible Kellen Mond and Davis Mills will be off the board at #56 — the two players many project to be available in that range.
Mond is a four-year starter in the SEC. He shone at the Senior Bowl. He led Texas A&M to a terrific 2020 season with their only defeat coming against Alabama. He showed consistent progress throughout his college career. He has a great arm and throws well under pressure.
Yes he’s a bit robotic and he doesn’t make the most of his athleticism by loosening up and showing improv and creativity.
(I get the sense playing within structure might be a bit more important in the Shane Waldron offense)
For me he’s a terrific talent with much of what you look for in a draftable quarterback. He has the arm, the accuracy, the character, the progression over a number of years playing at the highest level of college football, he can throw with anticipation and under duress. There are ‘wow’ throws on tape.
I’m stunned at how little hype Mond has compared to some of the other quarterbacks in this draft.
Mills is a different story. He had 11 college starts and it showed. His decision making was poor at times and I just don’t think he ever found a consistent rhythm at Stanford. He was streaky. Yet he also has all of the tools you want, he has shown he can throw with anticipation and timing and with more experience there’s no reason why he couldn’t have been a very high pick.
If either player is at #56 I think they should be considered.
Let’s be right here — the Seahawks are not forced to cater for Wilson’s wants and needs and if he decides he wants a trade, only then start preparing for what’s next.
By opening the door to a possible future outside of Seattle, Wilson has forced their hand. They have to consider alternatives starting with this draft class.
I have one final thought on this. I accept the following is purely speculative and just me thinking out loud.
I found the reporting on Chicago’s trade interest insightful. The report was that John Schneider and Ryan Pace had talked. Then they met in North Dakota around Trey Lance’s pro-day. An offer was made, which Schneider presented to Pete Carroll. Then Carroll rejected it.
You can interpret this in different ways. My interpretation is Schneider wouldn’t present an offer to Carroll he had no interest in. And if he presented it while advising Carroll to reject it, I think the story would’ve been reported differently.
I wonder if Schneider is sick of dealing with Mark Rodgers and all the drama and perhaps was willing to just move on. I think Carroll, as is his nature, is more inclined to try and work through the situation.
It’s only a thought — but what if Carroll and Schneider have settled on persevering for another year under the proviso the GM gets to make some contingency plans? Especially if there’s a quarterback he really likes in this class?
And if he was willing to take the #20 pick from Chicago — does that indicate that he does have his eye on someone who isn’t among the field of QB’s expected to go in the top-10?
Pure speculation but an interesting talking point, don’t you think?
When I complete my final mock draft for Huddle Report scoring, I probably won’t have a quarterback paired with Seattle at #56. I think they’ll trade down and take an offensive lineman or a receiver with their top pick. I also think Kellen Mond and Davis Mills will both be long gone when they finally make a selection.
If they did draft a quarterback though, I think some perspective would be wise rather than the howling, shouting explosion we’ll likely witness.
If you missed the interview with leading draft insider Tony Pauline, check it out below (and subscribe to the YouTube channel):
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DL: Will the front office finally change its offseason mode of operation for addressing the defensive line?
They have definitely broken the pattern they have established the last two off seasons, that’s for sure.
Cutting Carlos Dunlap in order to save cap room with the idea of re-signing him was a bit of a high-wire act.
Dunlap had a major positive effect on the pass rush after arriving and messing with that after two poor seasons on the defensive line could have been real trouble.
The move worked out this time, as they were able to get him back in the fold and accomplish their objective of having more cap room.
The Seahawks spent a good chunk of the previous summer and camp telling the press that their young players would fill big, important roles on the defensive line. Obviously that was unrealistic and the defense paid the price. It would appear they have learned from that miscalculation and are attempting to pad the defensive end position with depth this offseason.
The challenge, of course, is they have let go their second best pass rusher (Jarran Reed) and have made no moves to replace his production. That deficiency needs to be addressed before Week One if they are to reach a standard of getting pass rush with their front four.
Right now, the truth is, who on the defensive line other than Dunlap deserves attention? Who keeps quarterbacks up at night? Who needs to be schemed and planned for by offensive coordinators?
Put another way, this line is Dunlap and a bunch of guys. Can they be more than the sum of their parts?
Unless they get a big leap in effectiveness from Robinson, Poona, Green and Collier, they have not improved all that much from 2020. And despite the common narrative that the Seahawks went from outhouse to penthouse in the second half of the season in pass rush — and the presumption that all woes are in the past — they have merely moved from the bottom of the league to the middle-bottom.
DL: What will they do at the 5-tech position?
In February I wrote:
What do the Seahawks do at this position? Do they bank on these two players for the third year in a row? Or do they commit more resources there?
Will the Seahawks make an investment in the draft or free agency?
The team made a small investment at the position, signing Kerry Hyder to a very modest two-year contract. Hyder has the body type and run defending skills that fit the role very well.
Hyder has had a Benson Mayowa-like career, playing for multiple teams and has been able to sandwich two relatively productive seasons around many that were far less so. He had a good season playing with Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw. With Seattle’s serious lack of talent on the interior, can Hyder be as effective as he was in San Francisco? That remains to be seen. The good news is the Seahawks bought low on him.
While he appears to be an attractive addition, it not only underscores the lack of development of their two young players at the position, it continues the trend of papering over the cracks on the roster with good but not great players to “just get by.”
Even with a small commitment, he appears set to take a good chunk of the snaps at 5-tech, unless Green or Collier come out of nowhere to force themselves further into the conversation.
The team appeared deep if not talented at the position. At least that was the outlook immediately after signing Hyder.
But plans change quickly.
With Jarran Reed being cut, this likely will force either Green or Collier inside more frequently. So the team has lightly strengthened one spot (signing Hyder at 5-tech) and weakened another (cutting Reed at 3-tech).
DL: What does the future hold for Carlos Dunlap and Jarran Reed?
I was wrong in my review. Cutting both players after witnessing them providing nearly the only defensive line pass rush seemed unfathomable. Yet that is exactly what happened.
Dunlap was brought back on a much more affordable contract.
Reed however, is gone.
The team re-signed Poona Ford to an extension and will likely slide him over to take a good number of Reed’s snaps.
Al Woods was brought in to assist on both interior spots. But calling him a “replacement for Reed” is a mischaracterization. Woods has collected 5.5 sacks in his ten year NFL career. Reed got that many in half a season in 2020.
DL: How much can they count on Darrell Taylor in 2021?
It would appear that the Seahawks are preparing for Taylor to not have a key role on the defense in 2021. Signing Benson Mayowa early in free agency, moving quickly to bring Carlos Dunlap back and then adding Aldon Smith may indicate they are not expecting much from Taylor.
I repeat what I wrote in the offseason review: Do not get sucked in by positive reports and even Pete Carroll saying very positive things about Taylor at the draft, over the summer, or even in training camp.
Let’s see him take the field Week One. Then we can move forward.
DB: Do they need to completely revamp the outside cornerback spot?
This is under ‘questions addressed’ only because they have players to line up if Week One were today. Akhello Witherspoon and either D.J. Reed or Tre Flowers will line up outside.
Cornerback is still a work in progress though.
It is possible Witherspoon can be 2021’s version of Brandon Shell — a starter who had been benched by his former team and then allowed to leave in free agency, who makes good for the Seahawks on a middling contract.
It is possible that D.J. Reed can play a full season on the outside and use that feisty attitude and those elite feet to really make a difference on defense.
It is possible Tre Flowers can settle his mind and find the confidence he needs to play a full season of good football.
It is possible Damarious Randall can tap into the talent that made him a first round pick and be a Reed-like gem unearthed by John Schneider in 2021.
Would you bet the house on all those things happening?
No, me neither.
This is where comparing 2020 and 2021’s group of corners may prove a bit of a trap for fans.
This group has just as much of a chance to be as good as last year’s. 2020 was a train wreck of a season for cornerbacks in Seattle.
Shaquill Griffin was a 64 rated corner by PFF.
Tre Flowers mixed bouts of decent play with injuries and ineffectiveness.
Quinton Dunbar is playing in Detroit for $137,000 guaranteed this year. The Seahawks, in desperate need of cornerbacks, decided that price was too rich after getting a front row seat to his play and health in 2020.
Just by stepping on the field — Reed, Witherspoon, Randall and Flowers should equal or better last year’s group.
But it is not enough. The defense needs more.
Particularly if the team is going to continue blitzing their strong safety ten times per game.
A workable prospect from the draft would be a great start. So would a veteran who has a history in Seattle and would not cost a fortune…
Stay tuned.
Questions the Seahawks Have Yet to Address
DL: How will the team attack the passer in 2021? LB: What will the linebackers’ role in this defense be in 2021?
This remains to be seen. The defensive line as currently constructed is in a spot where we have to see that they can consistently pressure without blitzing 35% of the time to really grasp that it can be done.
Dunlap has to do what he did last year – make everyone around him better. Can he do it without 2020 sidekick Jarran Reed?
Kerry Hyder will have to stop being a journeyman and put together a second consecutive good season – something he has not yet managed to do. It is time to put all those years of sleeping on couches and studying playbooks to good use and put down some roots in Seattle. Can he?
Alton Robinson will have to take a big step in the right direction. Being able to spell Dunlap and Mayowa and do more than occasionally pop would go a long way.
Can Bryan Mone parlay about 200 snaps in 2020 into about 400-450 snaps in 2021 and maintain his quality of play? Can he turn some of that surprising quickness into pressure more frequently?
Can Ken Norton Jr and Clint Hurtt find some creativity with the front four to keep offenses guessing?
A good number of those questions need to be answered in the affirmative.
Otherwise, buckle up. We are going to see the linebackers and safeties blitzing far too frequently and Russell Wilson and the offense straining to keep ahead on the scoreboard again.
LB: Do they move on from Bobby Wagner? LB: Do they bring K.J. Wright back?
No movement here on either front.
Wagner has not had his contract restructured nor has there been any talk about a cut, trade, or extension. You can probably interpret the lack of action any way you like.
All the challenges remain though.
His salary is too high.
We have very likely seen his best years already.
He is an asset that can be traded for draft capital the Seahawks sorely need.
And yet the fact remains he is their best player on defense. The lingering feeling that Pete Carroll either cannot or will not depart from Wagner is present and will not go away. Just like K.J. last year, a big cap hit may not be enough to persuade him to move on.
K.J. has indeed found a less than enthusiastic free agent market, even after having a terrific season. He has said he will not give the Seahawks a discount. The fact is, though – the Seahawks can certainly use him at SAM and WILL. But only if the price is right.
The timing on this one will be critical. If the Seahawks want him back, John Schneider is going to have to discern when Wright’s desire to get something locked down for 2021 will be at its peak.
Act too quickly and the price might be too high. Wait too long and Wright could go cold and sign with any other team, feeling the appreciation is no longer there in Seattle.
DB: Are the Seahawks really going to shape their defense as well as their salary cap around Jamal Adams?
In February I wrote:
Absent a Russell Wilson trade, what they do with Jamal Adams could determine the entire direction this team takes this offseason, from how they deploy the players they already have on the roster, to who they draft, to what free agent decisions they make, to how much cap money they have available in the next 3-4 seasons.
It demands the team’s attention. Right now.
Just like Wagner, we have heard nothing on Jamal Adams.
It is possible the Russell Wilson drama has provided a bit of a smokescreen – diverting the media pressure away from topics like Adams and Wagner.
But as I wrote, this is a huge decision for the Seahawks.
Trade Adams, recoup some draft capital and get to work on drafting some key positions and build depth in other places.
Or extend him and pray to the heavens above that Adams stays healthy, improves in the other areas of his game and that you can hit on some lottery tickets in the UDFA market.
DB: What do the Seahawks do with Marquise Blair?
This is another issue that will not be settled until training camp and pre-season.
The Seahawks started out having Blair at safety in his rookie season. He got snaps in both positions with mixed results.
After acquiring Jamal Adams, the Seahawks decided they’d like to try him at nickel corner and they seemed thrilled with the results. His work in training camp got Pete Carroll very excited. He then got hurt and Ugo Amadi filled his spot and played effectively.
The thought has occurred to some that given their lack of depth at outside cornerback, that perhaps the Seahawks should try Blair out there.
He has length — which is a plus — but his skillset is better suited to playing inside, where his ability to deliver hits and discern the play developing in front of him and react are what made him so valuable in the first place.
Furthermore, it would be the third season in a row the Seahawks would have tried him out at a different position. They would be taking a real risk in a critical season for his development, particularly one with Blair coming off a major injury.
But we have all learned the past two seasons that nothing is off the table when it comes to the defensive backfield.
****
Thoughts on the draft
Unfortunately the defense is much like the offense – plagued with players soon out of contract and lacking in long-term building blocks:
DE — Dunlap, Mayowa and Hyder are signed to two-year contracts. Collier and Robinson have a long way to go. The book is closing quickly on Green. Taylor may never play a NFL down.
DT — Poona Ford is the only inside linemen contracted for 2022.
LB — Wagner’s cap hit in 2022 is $20 million. Barton and Burr-Kurven have not been trusted to play on defense for any length of time. Brooks is coming along nicely, though.
S — Adams and Diggs are free agents in 2022.
CB –- Everybody is a free agent in 2022.
It is safe to say the Seahawks can punt on drafting a safety or a linebacker in 2021 (although again, all bets are off when projecting this front office’s priorities).
For every other position on defense, it is all hands on deck.
A cornerback project would be extremely useful.
You can never have enough pass rushers.
Inside pass rushers? The rarest gem of them all. The Seahawks have been chasing a good one of those for years. And the best one they have developed in the PCJS era, they just let walk out the door.
Even if the Seahawks had 5-7 picks, they would still not have enough to cover all of their needs. With only three at this time, well, you must do the best you can with what you have.
You know the best way to eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
If you just make good picks and find players who can contribute to the team on a rookie contract — that can go a very long way towards building a successful roster.
If you missed the interview with leading draft insider Tony Pauline, check it out below (and subscribe to the YouTube channel):
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