Zach Miller scored his first touchdown for the Seahawks in a losing effort

The Seahawks can be a frustrating team to watch. Unbeaten at home, they’ve flirted with winning all of their road games too. It’s that little tease that makes it so hard to take. This one was particularly difficult given it was the defense – not the offense – that was most culpable.

In the past it was a strong defense being held back by a stuttering offense. Yet here was Russell Wilson, leading the team and making big plays. Sidney Rice and Zach Miller both scored touchdowns, Golden Tate bounced back after a tough outing in San Francisco. Marshawn Lynch broke off a huge scoring run. The Seahawks scored 24 points – more than enough on the road to get a victory. And here was the defense, unable to get off the field on third down. Detroit converted 12/16 on third down, including the usual issue with 3rd and long rearing it’s ugly head again. Matt Stafford did a good job sensing and avoiding pressure, but he wasn’t completely tested. Richard Sherman backed up his talk (again) and Earl Thomas made a key second half interception but it wasn’t to be.

So what’s the issue? The team’s pass rush blows hot and cold too often. Are they relying too much on pressure from the front four? Can that be excused given their investment on the defensive line and the teams schematic desire to rely on pressure up front. After all, it’s helping the linebackers to make plays and the secondary continues to get rave reviews. It’s a pretty obvious thing to do to call for more exotic blitz packages, but when you see Tampa Bay battering Minnesota (Seattle’s next opponents) with lots of pressure, why not indulge that thought? After all, if you’re going to be burned on 3rd and long rushing four, why not get a safety or corner blitzing anyway?

I’m not convinced it’s an issue that can be solved via personnel, although this does strengthen the case to consider drafting Alec Ogletree. He’ll add an extra dimension to the pass rush from the linebacker position, while having enough athleticism to adjust and cover if needed. Jason Jones was a big miss among the interior and not having Jaye Howard as a replacement was also key. It’s a strong class for pass rushing defensive tackles if Seattle can’t agree an extension with Jones. The Seahawks can perform better and they need to tweak the scheme a little to execute on third down, but there isn’t an abundance of draft options that will solve this problem immediately.

There are positives though. As mentioned, the offense looks better. With every passing week Russell Wilson looks more and more like a quarterback of the future. That’s all you can expect from a rookie – progress. With two homes games on the horizon against Minnesota and New York, they have a shot to be 6-4. That would certainly be progress too – and really the Seahawks as an entity are a bit like a third round rookie themselves. There’s no time-scale on the rebuild and continuing to improve each year has to be acceptable considering where the roster was at the end of the 2010 season. So the sky is not falling this week, as disappointing as the 28-24 defeat was.

One final point on Seattle, Peter King has brought up the idea of a Dwayne Bowe trade again: “If I were Seattle GM John Schneider, I’d call Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, and ask if there’s any way he’d dump Dwayne Bowe for a fourth-round pick. And if he would, which I doubt, I’d be a buyer. You might say that Bowe could be a free agent after the season, and why would the Seahawks spend a fourth- on a guy they could lose after the season? Simple. They’d franchise him if they couldn’t reach a long-term deal, and that would give Seattle one season of a quality receiver (plus one-half of a shaky season this year, depending how quickly he could pick up at least some of the Seahawks offense) for, say, the 115th player in the draft. I’d do it.”

Bowe has at least 2-3 excellent seasons left at his peak, he’s good in the red zone and we saw in 2010 how effective he can be. If you can work a deal for anything less than a first, I’d do it too. The trade deadline has been moved to Thursday. We’ll see what happens.

I was in London yesterday to work on the Rams vs Patriots game. First of all, how did Seattle lose to this St. Louis team? 45-7 it finished. And the Rams will need those four first round picks they’ve got coming over the next two years. I had a chance to head into the Patriots locker room after the game and rather than join the scrum to speak to Rob Gronkowski or Wes Welker, I went over to speak to Ryan Mallett. He made his NFL debut in the game albeit in garbage time, but I felt obliged to go and talk to a guy we discussed a lot on this blog over the years. “It was pretty special, we don’t get to play over here every year. It was my first time and I get to do it in England so it was pretty fun.”

Mallett suffered a bit of a draft fall in 2011. It wasn’t totally unexpected and I remember hearing that only the Raiders were likely to take him in round two. New England was a good spot for him and not just because of Tom Brady’s presence. “It’s been good, I’ve learned a lot and I just try to get better every day and keep working so that’s what I’m focusing on.You pick up a lot of stuff just by watching, just by listening.”

Say what you want about Bobby Petrino in light of his departure from Arkansas this year – and it’s put that team in a real hole – but he’s a fascinating offensive mind. He’s not the easiest coach to work under and he expects a lot, but you know you’ll draft one of his quarterbacks and get a player who understands a lot of pro terminology with valid experience making multiple reads. Mallett impressed a lot of people just by barking out a timeless hard count on Jon Gruden’s QB camp pre-draft and his white board work was extremely detailed. “There’s similarities and differences (between the NFL and the Petrino offense) but playing for them (Arkansas/Petrino)… it definitely helped me prepare for this level of football.”

I suspect Petrino will be back possibly as early as next year and as long as you can accept Petrino the man, you’re getting a quality coach. The situation at Arkansas doesn’t change though and it’s a mess. They lost again this week, moving to 3-5. At the end of last year this was a team with serious ambitions of winning the SEC – and not unrealistic ambitions either. A 52-0 mauling by Alabama in September sums up how much has changed since – that was a game circled as the Razorbacks chance to make a statement. They were destroyed. Mallett has sympathy for his former teammates, in particular quarterback Tyler Wilson. “I know it’s tough. They had high expectations and there just not living up to it. I’m behind them, I’m praying for them to get it turned around. He’s a great player. He’s going to learn a little bit at this level about different things he can do to become a better player but he’s a really good player.”

Wilson could still prove to be a first round pick in 2013 and shouldn’t last deep into the second. The more I watch Dallas’ struggles and knowing Jerry Jones’ background, I wonder if he’ll be the next big hope for the Cowboys?

Jarvis Jones enjoys playing Florida

Georgia defense, Matt Elam impressive

Jarvis Jones missed a couple of games for Georgia recently but his return couldn’t have been any more timely. Jones recorded 13 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two separate fumble recoveries in a performance which confirms his position as the top prospect in the country. A supreme athlete, Jones was a terror off the edge all day. One criticism has been his lack of big games against ranked opponents, but he dominated the Gators for the second year running. In two games against Florida, Jones has seven sacks. They’ll be glad to see the back of him.

Yet this wasn’t all about one guy. Georgia’s 17-9 win was a total defensive effort. Linebacker Alec Ogletree is almost as talented as Jones and was again all over the field. He’s got the athleticism to match-up well in coverage plus the speed to react and sprint to the quarterback as a pass rusher. Not many players have his range or nose for the ball and only off-field concerns will move him out of the top-15. Most people in Seattle want a receiver or another offensive player next April – but be prepared to pine for this guy too. Ogletree is a sensational prospect. He’d be a terror in Seattle’s scheme with his ability to go from 0-60 in a second, his untapped pass rushing potential and ability in coverage.

Jonathan Jenkins is an incredibly impressive nose tackle. He has the huge size of a +330lbs lineman but the athleticism of a guy playing 30lbs lighter. He moves so well – even lining up at defensive end for some snaps. Any team looking for a cornerstone pick on a 3-4 defense (this screams Indianapolis) should consider drafting Jenkins. He’s a better prospect than Dontari Poe who went #11 overall this year. Bacarri Rambo had a pick and a sack and like Ogletree – may provide great value due to off-field problems. Safety Shawn Williams called his team ‘soft’ after three poor games for the unit – he led the charge in the secondary with what can only be described as a ‘legal clothesline’. On fourth down early in the game, Williams shed his block, sprinted from the centre field-to-right and made an aggressive tackle to force a turnover on downs. It was a tremendous play.

On the other side, Matt Elam had another great game and justified his place as a potential top-20 pick. He had two impressive tipped passes and showed great strength early in the game to disengage from a block to force a tackle at the LOS. Aaron Murray gifted him an interception and he was always around the ball. Everything Florida did well on defense seemed to have Elam at the heart of things. He’s going to be a high pick.

Defense won the day, and so many players in the game will go on to play on Sunday’s. Jones could be the #1 pick next year.

Marcus Lattimore suffers another heartbreaking injury

Anyone watching the Tennessee vs South Carolina game will understand how upsetting an experience it was. Some NFL pro’s get chance after chance after chance. Some of them don’t deserve that honour, but they keep getting opportunities. It’s used, abused and taken for granted by plenty. Then there’s a guy like Marcus Lattimore. Intelligent, well spoken, a leader and a damn good running back. And after today, we have to hope he’ll get just one chance to play in the NFL.

Lattimore suffered a horrific injury, catching his leg between a defender and the turf. For some reason the TV crews kept showing replay after replay of the incident, but it wasn’t pleasant. At first it looked like a clean leg break, but then concerns moved towards a potentially devastating knee injury. Having endured a serious left leg injury last year, to come back and injury your right leg will be incredibly upsetting for Marcus and his family. The one saving grace is he’s the kind of guy that can come back form this. He probably won’t be a high pick in the future (just a year ago he seemed to be a top-15 shoe-in). But he’s got the character to fight back, maybe even at the end of next season. Playing football again may be the first or last thing on his mind tonight. Every football fan will stand shoulder to shoulder with Lattimore as he faces this latest challenge.

In terms of the game, Justin Hunter was again mediocre. He failed to catch a jump ball at the death leading to a game ending interception. He dropped two passes. He also made a couple of nice, athletic grabs and ended with eight catches for 90 yards. Even so, no touchdowns again and Zach Rogers ended up being Tyler Bray’s most reliable target. I said it yesterday and stand by it – the guy isn’t ready. He isn’t the kind of player some want you to believe. He needs to return next year – with Bray – and work on a big season. Cordarrelle Patterson was also unable to make his usual big play this week – catching just three passes for 26 yards and rushing three times for 21 yards. When you’re not hitting home runs, you have to find a way to contribute. This is the big issue with Patterson – if he can’t return a kick or break out a big run, are you getting enough from him as a pure receiver?

A final note on this one – Dallas Thomas had an incredible game blocking Jadeveon Clowney. He’s another great interior lineman (who can play tackle) to go along with Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper.

Other notes

– Rutgers had a disappointing loss to Kent State, but Brandon Coleman had five catches for 51 yards including this score.

– Matt Barkley and USC suffered their second loss of the year, falling at Arizona 39-36. I saw snippets of the game and Barkley unusually lacked poise, made two sloppy interceptions and just isn’t playing at the same level he was at the end of 2011. He’s still the #1 quarterback in a mediocre 2013 class, but it’s a game like this that makes me question where he’ll actually fall next April. He ended 31/49 for 493 yards and two touchdowns. I’ll watch this game in full on Tuesday.

– North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard might be the most underrated draft prospect in CFB right now. Every week he makes stunning plays. Some of them are pretty unique – like his fumble return for a TD last weekend. Today it was a game winning punt return for 74 yards against NC State with seconds remaining. He also had 135 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, plus a further 95 receiving yards. He could be a first or second round pick.

– Speaking of underrated players, it’s time to start taking A.J. McCarron at Alabama seriously. We’ve talked about him a lot on this blog and the guy can play. And don’t doubt his physical tools – as evidenced on this play. He had ‘Bama rolling again at the time of writing – they lead Mississippi State 21-0. He’s still yet to throw an interception this year.

Watching a game or a prospect today? Let us know about it in the comments section.

Cordarrelle Patterson is a home run hitter. Can he be a consistent NFL receiver?

Tennessee receivers in focus

It amazes me that people still rank Tennessee’s Justin Hunter as the best receiver in the 2013 class (for me, it’s Rutgers Brandon Coleman or USC’s Robert Woods). Let’s look at the evidence – this is a guy playing in a pass friendly offense. He has a quarterback that can be erratic at times but does throw a sweet, catchable football. So where’s the production? We’ve seen sloppy dropped passes, an inability to have an impact in big games and just general mediocrity all year. Hunter has two good performances – against Georgia State and Akron. That’s it. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in any of the other five games he’s played this year against the likes of Alabama, Georgia or Florida.

It’s OK to talk about potential, but let’s see some real evidence as to why this guy remains a lot of people’s #1 receiver. He’s not a great downfield playmaker. He has a similar frame to A.J. Green but doesn’t run anywhere near the same kind of crisp routes. Green was a fighter – he gave as good as he got in the SEC. Hunter doesn’t have that same physical nature and without great speed and separation, he’s going to need to do a bit of fighting at the next level. The serious knee injury from 2011 can only be an excuse for so long. If he’s not making a big impression in this offense in college, is he really going to step in and be a productive receiver in the NFL? I’m not convinced.

Cordarrelle Patterson on the other hand has had an impact, but really only as a home run hitter. He’s not a consistent target and at times quarterback Tyler Bray has been visibly frustrated with the JUCO transfer. Patterson had a glaring drop against Georgia which rubbed out a big touchdown and was largely responsible for an ugly pick six against Akron. In his last four games he has seven catches – so he’s averaging less than two per game. Despite all of that… put the ball in his hands at any point in the game and he’s a threat to score.

No other 2013 eligible prospect has Patterson’s playmaking quality. He might not be making a ton of catches, but he is making touchdowns. Kick returns, reverses, rushes from the backfield – he does it all. I’m not sure how the NFL will view this guy. Some scouts will get excited about his playmaking quality and coaches will salivate over finding ways to get him the ball. Some will wonder if he just needs time to mature and pro-level coaching to reach his potential. Others will see Patterson as a gimmick – a nice luxury or project so long as you don’t need to spend a high pick.

He’s going to perform well at the combine. He’s a brilliant athlete with elite size and physical tools. If you can manufacture a role for this guy, he could be a star. But can he be coached into that role? Does he want success badly enough and how will he respond to fame and fortune? The best receivers in the league right now don’t get by on just talent alone. You have to work at this. You need to want this. Does Patterson fall into that category? Or is he going to be another diva wide out or a Devin Hester-type with all the incredible physical tools and ability in space but no defined role on offense?

The guy intrigues me in so many ways, not all positive. Every fan wants a player like this on their roster who is capable of scoring a touchdown any time they’re on the field. But fans also want consistency and reliability. They want to know if the quarterback throws the ball downfield, you’re going to catch it. Coaches and GM’s are no different. The video below shows what Patterson is capable of, but he needs to finish the season as a more rounded, consistent receiver. No more one or two catch games, please. But keep up the big plays.

Please, not another right tackle

Regular visitors to the blog will know I’m not a big fan of drafting right tackles early. In fact, I hate the idea. Conventional, cliched thinking in the NFL is ‘it all starts up front’. I hate that statement. There are plenty of ways to win in the NFL and it’s not just down to how well your offensive line performs. Super Bowl winners over the last few years have had passable, mediocre or even downright awful offensive lines. Having a great offensive line is just one of the ways to to earn success. Arizona went to a Super Bowl with lousy line play but they had an elite receiver catching passes from a veteran quarterback. Other teams play great defense and run the ball. Many rely on a great quarterback. There are many ways to skin a cat, as they say.

However, the ‘starts up front’ talk often falls into the draft. A lot of fans – not just in Seattle – pine for endless draft picks on the offensive line. For some teams this has worked (see: San Francisco) because they drafted well. For others, it hasn’t worked out quite so well. The Seahawks are currently starting two first round picks and a second round pick on their line. If John Moffitt returns to the right guard position, you can add a third round pick to that too. Eventually, you have to back the guys you have and strive for consistency. As a quartet Okung, Carpenter, Unger and Moffitt (or J.R. Sweezy) deserve time to gel.

Breno Giacomini isn’t everybody’s favourite player due to penalties, but he’s probably playing on par with most right tackles in the league. It’s a position of real concern for just about every team. As Mike Shanahan said in pre-season: “Everybody says we don’t have a good right tackle. I say show me who does?”

The best athletes are playing defense and it’s going to become more and more of a problem for the NFL. How do you find a guy who’s athletic and strong enough to block Jason Pierre-Paul? Or DeMarcus Ware? Or J.J. Watt? That player doesn’t exist. The guys who can just about do it play left tackle. The rest? They get bumped over to the right. And the guys who can play left tackle usually end up in the top ten of a draft. It’s getting even more of an issue with teams attacking from both ends. A lot of right tackles need constant tight end help or a double team block from the guard. It’s getting so hard for right tackles coping against the leagues elite pass rushers.

The Seahawks tried to draft a right tackle in round one. They went out and drafted Alabama’s blind side blocker in James Carpenter – a guy who enjoyed a sensational 2010 season and looked every bit a future franchise left tackle. He struggled on the right and has now been moved inside. There’s a lesson to be learned there as to just how difficult the right tackle position is becoming.

So what’s the solution? Consistency. It always comes back to that. Identify five guys and let them play. David Diehl, lineman for the Giants, explains: “People forget playing together for a long period of time is what makes you the best as possible. Now with someone getting hurt, or free agency, you don’t see a group together very long. When we had our best years here, it was when the five of us played together during that one long stretch. That’s what you have to have to have an effective offensive line. You have to have a lot of game experience together because there is so much continuity, fitting next to each other, being on the same page, being able to communicate when you can’t hear because of the noise.”

Short of drafting a Matt Kalil type and playing him at right tackle, the Seahawks best bet is surely to trust their guys? Give them the time Diehl talks about? The line play hasn’t been amazing in pass protection this year, but it’s improving. The difference between great line play and pretty good is not a new right tackle. Stick by the guys and keep building weapons on the offense for Russell Wilson.

This is a draft blog and we won’t ignore the position because of my own personal view, as strongly opposed to drafting a right tackle as I am. Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel at Texas A&M are two of the better prospects at the tackle position. See below for tape on their performance against LSU last week.

Weekend notes

Games on the schedule this week: Cincinnati at Louisville, Tennessee at South Carolina, Georgia vs Florida, Notre Dame at Oklahoma and USC at Arizona. I’m particularly looking forward to watching Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for the first time, while also focusing on the defensive talent in Georgia/Florida, the USC offense against Arizona and just the pure intrigue of the match-up in Notre Dame/Oklahoma. I’ll put an open thread on the blog tomorrow so if you’re watching a game or prospect, tell us about it.

Georgia's Alec Ogletree could be a first round option for Seattle

It’s hard to project these things in October, but most people assume the Seahawks will draft for the offense in 2013. It’s not exactly a stretch to think that way, given how well the defense has played and the need to build around Russell Wilson. Chris Steuber reported last week that the Seahawks had a scout at Rutgers, probably taking a look at receiver Brandon Coleman. He also reported yesterday that Seattle would also have representation at the Clemson vs Wake Forest game tonight:

I’m told scouts from CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, HOU, MIA, NO, NYG, NYJ, PHI, SD, SEA & TEN will attend #Clemson, #WakeForest game on Thursday. #NFL

— Chris Steuber (@ChrisSteuber) October 24, 2012

This is of course a game featuring DeAndre Hopkins, one of the leading receivers in college football this year. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if the front office was spending a lot of time checking the 2013 wide out class.

Yet the strength of the 2013 class appears to be leaning strongly towards the defense. I posted an updated top 50 watch list yesterday. Overall it was a pretty even list with 27 total defensive prospects and 23 for the offense – but 14 of the top 20 were defensive players.

If the Seahawks do go defense again a linebacker could be on their list of priorities. It seems unlikely they’d go early on the pass rush again considering the production of Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin, not to mention Clemons’ recent contract extension. The secondary is strong and deep, although you can never have too many good corners. Defensive tackle could be a need if Jason Jones and Alan Branch aren’t re-signed, but that’s to be determined. The other position that could be looked at is the WILL, currently occupied by Leroy Hill.

Is it a huge need? Not really, in fact you could probably classify it as a luxury. Hill has the misfortune of simply not being a.) young and b.) K.J. Wright or Bobby Wagner. The Seahawks have two of the best young linebackers in the league and naturally it’s easy to wonder if they’ll go for the hat trick. Last time Seattle had so much invested in the position they were paying Hill, Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry over $100m in salary and we all know how that worked out. This is different though – a young, hungry group who are yet to get anywhere close to the kind of money earned by the former trio.

Replacing Hill isn’t the difference between Seattle going to the Super Bowl again or settling for mediocrity. In fact, the Seahawks could settle on Hill for a year or two more or simply find a similar replacement in free agency. No team has an all-pro at every position, but as one of the less storied members of the defense it’s easy for fans to point the finger and look for improvement. Lets not forget that Hill was the teams second most productive pass rusher last year with four sacks.

Therein lies the issue though – the Seahawks would probably like more production in terms of pressure from the WILL position. Hill hasn’t ever matched his excellent rookie campaign in terms of sacks. Finding a player who can aid Clemons and Irvin while also offering enough athleticism in coverage would be cause for first round investment. As you’ll see below, those types of players are pretty rare.

Alec Ogletree at Georgia is the most likely to fit into that role – unless the team gets all quirky and thinks Oregon’s Dion Jordan is athletic enough to play 4-3 linebacker (he’s 6-7). Ogletree is a former safety with the kind of build and athleticism that would make for a justified first round investment. He’s taller than Hill (6-3 vs 6-1) and bigger (235lbs vs 225lbs) but he’s maintained most of the safety speed and gets around the field in coverage. In the video below (second from the top) you’ll see how he lines up in all kinds of different looks and does a pretty good job bringing pressure off the edge and through the middle, while keeping the speed to drop when required and help out at the second level.

As a prospect he has so much untapped potential as a pass rusher, it makes him an exciting prospect to look at and imagine in this already loaded defense. There are some concerns too – the multiple team suspensions and lack of off-field discipline completely contrast Ogletree’s on-field demeanour. He’ll have to prove to teams he’s maturing and won’t be a liability with a nice contract in his pocket. He’s also liable to have one or two bad plays per game and needs to remain focused at all times. Apart from that, he has tremendous potential.

The other prospect who could potentially play the role is C.J. Mosley at Alabama. He’s similarly quick off the edge and finds ways to make an impact. He’s athletic, he can cover. He also comes without the off-field baggage. None of the other prospects get close to Ogletree or Mosley’s upside as a potential WILL. Manti Te’o should play inside linebacker and I’m tempted to say Arthur Brown should too. The Seahawks could theoretically move Bobby Wagner across – he’s athletic enough to do the job – but he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level inside so why would you move things around if you can avoid it? Brown – described by Pete Carroll as the best linebacker he’d seen in seven years during a recruiting visit – is closer to Hill physically. However, he always looks his best leading the defense from a central position and he hasn’t flashed a tremendous amount of pass rush quality.

Either way it’s a good group overall and it’ll provide Seattle with some options if they want to consider drafting a linebacker next April.

Just one of the elite quarterback's Seattle's beaten this year

Just a thought. What if the passing game simply needs time?

Russell Wilson spent most of training camp splitting reps and competing for the starting job. It’s not the ideal situation to create chemistry with your receivers or get a complete feel for the offense. I don’t have an issue with the competition and think the right man won the gig, but the lack of a complete off-season is probably having some impact in Wilson’s first season.

There’s no reason why he won’t gradually start to build that rapport, in fact I think we’ve already started to see evidence of it. Look how well he’s started to find Doug Baldwin on third down as a good example here. He’s working out the strengths and weaknesses of each receiver and he’s making more plays as a consequence. Who’s to say that with further game time and an off-season where he’s the unquestioned starter, that relationship couldn’t develop even further?

Most people gave the additions of Sidney Rice and Zach Miller a thumbs up. Golden Tate has shown flashes, aside from Thursday’s horror show. Baldwin is making a promising start to his career even if injuries have hampered his second year so far. It’s unlikely Rice and Miller will survive on their current contracts for 2013, but it’s not impossible for both to remain on the roster. It’s a group that could use at least one solid addition in free agency or the draft, probably two. But it’s not a hopeless group without potential.

The running game is working extremely well and Marshawn Lynch is undoubtedly one of the top five running backs in the league. The run blocking is also performing well so far, certainly it’s been superior to the pass protection (which in fairness, has improved a lot in the last three games). The Seahawks really only have one major flaw right now – and that’s the passing game.

It’s very easy to sit here and say the front office must go big to improve the skill positions. It’s much harder to be patient and trust the investment made in several key players. The Seahawks haven’t ignored the passing game – quite the opposite in fact. The entire offense has seen a big injection of cash and draft stock, it’s just a shame that the results haven’t matched the outlay so far. Maybe it’ll just take time?

The flashes of quality that we have seen (the Patriots game, for example) are cause for such optimism. The big test will be to see whether gradual improvement continues. It’s hard to be too critical when the team faces a defense like San Francisco’s on the road on a short week. Even then mere execution was the issue, not a lack of talent. There are several winnable home games in the second half of the schedule and that’s where we’ll learn how good this offense can be with the current personnel.

It may be that the offense does keep improving and that would put Seattle in an ideal drafting scenario. They don’t want to be handcuffed to need in a way they perhaps have been since 2010. If the top three players available in round one next April are defensive players, I’m sure they’d like to keep improving a unit which is earning elite status. I imagine the front office would welcome the opportunity to draft a ‘luxury’ pick like another linebacker, a defensive tackle or even another corner because the offense has stepped up in a big way this year. If we don’t see big improvements as the season continues, we’ll probably end up concentrating on receivers, offensive lineman and maybe even quarterbacks.

The point of this piece is really to remind us all that it’s October. A lot can change between now and April and while most assume – myself included – that drafting a receiver or tight end will be the priority. It’s hard to move away from that, but things can change quickly.

Three defensive prospects the Seahawks might show interest in:

Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia) – athletic linebacker and former safety. Incredible range to make plays and owns untapped potential as a pass rusher. Plays inside for the Bulldogs but could move to the WILL in Seattle.

Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State) – ‘heart of the defense’ type of player who loves the game of football. During recruiting at USC, Pete Carroll once referred to this guy as the best linebacker he’d scouted in seven years.

Jonathan Banks (CB, Mississippi State) – Tall, physical corner very much in the mould of Seattle’s current tandem. He’s also a playmaker who forces turnovers.

Getting to grips with Dion Jordan

There aren’t many 6-7 pass rushers with the athletic talent of Dion Jordan. I’ve never seen a guy like this before. Usually at that height the movement skills aren’t there, they stick to the defensive line and they carry a lot more weight than 240lbs. Jordan’s size is more traditional for a pass-catching tight end – the position he was expected to play coming out of high school. Yet here he is, seven games into his senior season and with five sacks already.

It still amazes me how much he’s in coverage for a guy that big. I doubt it’s something he’ll do that much in the NFL, but it will reassure scouts that want to use him as a 3-4 OLB. The big issue I had coming into the year was really that the most interesting thing about Jordan was the height and athleticism. It’s great being that big and being able to run fast, but you’ve got to show you can rush the passer against some of the weaker opponents on Oregon’s powder puff early schedule. The sack at 0:22 in the video below is what we need to see and Jordan has really polished up his technique as a senior. He’s starting to use his athleticism in a positive way – he’s less of a gimmick these days and looks like he belongs out there.

His all-round pressure against Arizona State last week was impressive and in an era where Chandler Jones gets talked into the first round (with a decent start to his NFL career), there’s no doubt in my mind that Jordan will end up being a top-15 pick. He has limitless potential and in the right scheme (imagine him across from DeMarcus Ware in Dallas) he could be a star for the future. Jordan and Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore are developing into the two premier pass rushers in the 2013 eligible draft class.

A.J. McCarron had another big day for Alabama

Two weeks ago West Virginia were National Championship contenders and Geno Smith favourite for the Heisman. Nobody predicted what happened next.

Kansas State pounded the Mountaineers 55-14 on Saturday, following up last week’s similar beat down at Texas Tech. Smith threw his first two interceptions of the year against the Wildcats in a difficult display. He went 21/32 for 143 yards and just one touchdown. He received very little in terms of pass protection or help from a miserable defense, but this was a second consecutive struggle for the quarterback.

Here’s the thing – people got carried away during the good times for Smith. He came flying out of the blocks and the temptation is always to crown a guy too early. He’s not a gimmick quarterback, his mechanics are solid if not perfect and he’s athletic. It’s very easy to look at the package and project ‘high NFL draft pick’. Smith’s always been a likely top-two round projection, but suddenly he was pencilled in as the #1 overall talent. Not so fast.

For what it’s worth I think Smith will be a first round pick, depending on how many teams are actually motivated to draft a quarterback in round one. The need is shortening and players such as Matt Barkley and Tyler Wilson could leave the board first, impacting on Smith’s stock. He’s still a good quarterback with a lot of the tools to make it at the next level. Even so, he’s not the #1 overall pick and we’ve seen the fragile nature of the WVU team the last two weeks. They can’t play defense, and this puts so much pressure on the offense to make quick scores. They use an extreme spread just like the one we discussed with Brandon Weeden/Oklahoma State last year. If you can bring pressure with four and flood underneath, then it makes life very difficult for a quarterback who will take a lot of 5-7 step drops from the shotgun and he’ll likely start to force things with the fast ball. Just like Weeden, Smith is going to need time to adjust to a more basic pro-style offense. He has a lot of the physical tools needed to manage that transition, but as Weeden is finding out it’s an extremely difficult obstacle to overcome.

On a positive note, Tavon Austin enhanced his blossoming reputation as a potential first round pick with a sensational 100 yard kick off return for a score. He also added WVU’s other touchdown on a 5 yard pass. He’s explosive with elite speed and will interest teams as a big-time playmaker. He should be a top-40 choice in April.

While the Mountaineers were struggling, USC were coasting to victory over Colorado. Matt Barkley set more records as he posted 19/20 passing for 298 yards and six touchdowns. Robert Woods also had a big day with eight catches for 132 yards and four touchdowns. The Trojans had a superb second half to last season culminating in Barkley proving a lot of his doubters wrong to enter the Heisman race. It appears USC are well set for another similar run with some big games coming up over the next few weeks. Even so, there’s no getting away from how poorly Colorado performed in the 50-6 defeat. Woods’ first score – a 39 yarder – included some of the worst tackling you’ll ever see. A strong gust of wind probably would’ve nudged Woods out of bounds, yet two defensive players couldn’t manage it.

It was a bit of an anti-climax for Brandon Coleman after the big send up on the blog this week. Seattle had scouts at the Rutgers vs Temple game (won by the Knights 35-10) yet Coleman managed just two catches for 17 yards. Really, it was one catch for 17 yards as the other reception failed to register any gain. This isn’t necessarily bad news if you’re the type of person, like me, that would like to see the 6-6 receiver in Seattle should he declare for the NFL. Nothing helps your stock like mass production (see: Geno Smith). Demaryius Thomas had all the physical tools you’d wish to see from a receiver, but lasted into the second half of round one seemingly due to modest production in the triple-option offense at Georgia Tech. He had one or two catch games to go along with the six catch-133 yard games. For Coleman to stick around into the kind of range the Seahawks will select next April, a few games like Saturday’s are welcome.

A month ago I wrote a piece arguing that Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron deserved greater attention. He’s a better player than ‘Bama’s more recent quarterbacks and has a future at the next level. He’s not a great, physical passer who will make explosive plays – but he’s intelligent, reads the field well and can execute. He doesn’t turn the ball over – he’s yet to throw an interception this year. The worst case scenario is he’ll become a solid backup quarterback for many years in the NFL, but I suspect he will get opportunities to start. Against Tennessee he threw 17/22 for 306 yards and four touchdowns. In seven games he has 16 touchdowns, no picks, 1476 yards and leads the NCAA for QB rating (183.6). Underrated player.

C.J. Mosley also had another fine game and looks like a top-25 draft pick. He made an easy interception in the first half and on the very next drive blew up a screen to force a punt. He’s an extreme playmaker at the linebacker position with three sacks and two interceptions already this year. He can cover, he can rush. Another word on Alabama – they’re reloading even in a year where they appear destined to win another national title. Freshmen T.J. Yeldon (RB) and Amari Cooper (WR) look NFL ready even now and are likely to become future stars not just in college, but at the next level too.

As for Tennessee, it was another let-down game for Justin Hunter. He had a big drop at the end of the first half which would’ve given the Vols a chance to get back into the game. He didn’t catch a ball until there was 2:36 left in the third quarter, at which point Alabama had settled into a commanding position. He ended up with four catches for 70 yards in garbage time, but he showed no evidence that he’s a top draft prospect. Clearly the serious knee injury last year has impacted his college performance, along with the rampant inconsistency of the Tennessee offense. He could still make a success of things in the NFL, but it’s likely to be as a second day pick rather than the top-15 selection some anticipated.

Cordarrelle Patterson had only one catch for 25 yards and continues to show both rawness as a receiver (poor routes, doesn’t fight for the ball) and extreme playmaking potential (huge kick off returns). I’ll say it again – he’s a home run hitter. The best of the 2013 eligible players in that regard. But you’ll be pulling your hair out watching him play receiver. The team that drafts this guy will do so hoping he can make one or two big plays most weeks and I’m not sure he’ll ever be more than that. Yet the fact he has so much playmaking quality is enticing, I’m just not sure I trust him to be consistent.

Jonathan Banks (CB, Mississippi State) is a cornerback who fits in Seattle’s scheme. He had another interception against Mid-Tennessee State (plus a 46 yard return) and two further pass break-ups. Corner isn’t a huge need for Seattle, but Banks is a clear first round pick.

Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M) continued his fine season with another sack and big performance against LSU. He leads the NCAA with 9.5 sacks – one of the main reasons I had him down as a top-ten pick in my latest mock draft.

Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State) had his first two sacks since week three of the season. The Seminoles handled Miami 33-20 and Werner is up to eight sacks for the year.

Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State) is one of the best linebackers in college football and it might be worth keeping a close eye on this guy. As noted by a few people on Twitter over the weekend, there’s an interesting exert on Brown’s wikipedia page: “Pete Carroll said that Brown was the best linebacker that he has seen in seven years.” There’s no confirming or denying this and it is just wikipedia, but we know how Carroll remembers guys he recruited. The likes of Bruce Irvin and Richard Sherman were both players Carroll failed to bring to USC but have since been drafted by the Seahawks. Brown is a solid round two projection at this point and could make it a hat-trick for Carroll if he’s on the board when the team picks.

A lot of people are talking about Ezekiel Ansah (DE, BYU) – a 6-6, 270lbs pass rusher with extreme athleticism. He only has three sacks for the year, two coming against Utah State (see tape below) but the potential is clear to see. He could be moving into first round contention and may even crack the top-15 if he tests well at the combine.