— This could be the most unpredictable draft in a long time. The players going at #8-10 might have a similar grade as the players going in the 20’s. You’ll get a prospect at #15 arguably with a similar grade to the player at #40. Relatively minor aspects will act as tie-breakers. Names largely associated with round two could easily go a lot earlier than people expect.
— A good example is Evan Engram. He ran the same forty time (4.42) as Adoree’ Jackson despite weighing 48lbs heavier. He’s a reliable catcher with a great attitude. He’s explosive, a willing blocker and a better athlete than Jordan Reed. Players like this don’t often get out of the first round. He’s tipped to go in the 30’s but it shouldn’t be a surprise if a team like Tennessee decides to make him a top-20 pick.
— Where the first cornerback falls could be important. If it’s at #5 to Tennessee, we might see an early rush on the position. This could impact the Seahawks because if they don’t take one with their first pick, the really good options might be gone by #58. Alternatively, the overall depth at corner could mean teams wait until round two — leaving the Seahawks with a chance to draft one of the top five at the position.
— The order in which the cornerbacks leave the board is also open to debate. Marshon Lattimore is expected to go first but it could easily be Marlon Humphrey. Kevin King is understandably moving up but so is Gareon Conley. A team could become enamoured with Adoree’ Jackson’s playmaking qualities. And the likes of Tre’Davious White, Quincy Wilson and Cordrea Tankersley are good enough to go earlier than a lot of people are projecting.
— Obi Melifonwu, when asked recently who he’s based his game on, said confidently he is unique and that there isn’t anyone like him. When you think about it, he’s right. Physically there isn’t anyone like him.
— The second round will be a fun one for Seahawks fans. Having added O-liners and linebackers in free agency, there’s a degree of flexibility for Seattle (assuming they draft a needed defensive back in round one). It’s entirely possible they’ll address a stated need (DB, OL, LB) at #58. Yet the options at receiver and tight end could be equally enticing.
— The depth at tight end possibly pushes that position into round three or even day three for Seattle. Yet if they wanted to add a receiver, it’s not improbable they could be looking at one of Zay Jones, Chris Godwin or JuJu Smith-Schuster being there at #58. It’s not Seattle’s greatest need and it’s entirely possible they don’t go in that direction. Yet it could be a situation where — if the top DB’s, LB’s and OL’s are off the board at #58 — they see some long term value.
— I didn’t include a D-line pick in my seven-round mock draft because it’s hard to find a likely target. This class is rich in bigger, athletic nose tackles that will be available on day three. It’s light on interior pass rushers and top heavy on EDGE rushers.
— For example, DeMarcus Walker at Florida State has received good reviews for his pro-day performance. Yet his workout, including a 31.5 inch vertical, 9-7 broad and 21 reps on the bench, only provided a 2.96 TEF score. It’s not terrible but there were over 30 players at the combine that tested over 3.00.
— That’s not to say there aren’t D-liners they will like. It’s generally an explosive group. Dalvin Tomlinson at Alabama would possibly be a fit — but is another Jarran Reed type likely in the first two rounds? Are you willing to snub the DB’s, LB’s, TE’s, WR’s and other rich positions to take a Carlos Watkins or Eddie Vanderdoes before the end of day two? Will the likes of T.J. Watt, Tyus Bowser and Jordan Willis go too early? And at what point are you comfortable considering a player like Tarell Basham or Daeshon Hall?
— Sometimes you just feel momentum really building with a prospect and they end up going a lot earlier than people originally thought. That could easily happen to Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech.
— It’s really unlikely the Seahawks trade Richard Sherman. If they did, however, here’s something to remember. Pete Carroll isn’t just Seattle’s Head Coach and VP of football operations. He’s the best secondary coach in the NFL. And if they had to plug a rookie or two into the line-up in 2017, they’d probably be ‘just fine’ (as Carroll might say). It’ll probably be a moot point though because even if teams are interested in Sherman, the strong cornerback draft impacts value and the Seahawks aren’t going to give him away.
— Keep an eye on Texas Tech FB/TE Tyler Scalzi. John Schneider was at the Texas Tech pro-day today where Scalzi recorded a 36 inch vertical, a 10-6 broad and managed 37 reps on the bench. He also ran a 4.69. Impressive. He was part of his High School wrestling team for all four years. He was also a walk-on at Texas Tech. He has the grit and the profile.
— Whoever Seattle takes with their first pick, they’ll be a really dynamic and unique athlete in some shape or form. That’s why the likes of Kevin King, Obi Melifonwu and Adoree’ Jackson make sense (as do a handful of others). The Seahawks shoot for greatness, backing the coaches to bring it out. This is still the staff that turned one of the NFL’s worst rosters in 2010 into one of the best in the space of two years — without lots of top-10 picks. Their formula does work. There are just more teams trying to copy them these days, taking away some of the options.
— Greater depth and competition, plus a playmaker or two, might not sound overly exciting to fans. It’s important to remember how close this team has come to being in the NFC Championship the last two years despite a laundry list of issues, injuries, distractions and drama. This is the draft class to achieve greater depth. It’s loaded in rounds 1-3, where the Seahawks have five picks. And while they might not hit five home runs, they should be able to find competitors and contributors — plus a sparky playmaker at the top.
Brilliant stuff Rob, it’s almost hard to keep up with you this time of year
Insightful as ever
— .. John Schneider was at the Texas Tech pro-day today.. ~ Rob
I want to add that their QB might be in play in round 3. Patrick Mahomes. He is not a finished product and will probably be 1-2 years away from being a quality QB…. but I heard an analogy to another QB of Packers yore…. a gun slinger like Brett Favre. So, I would not be totally shocked if Seattle goes QB with a 3rd round pick…… not an obvious need, but since JS comes from the Packers organization….. you can’t have enough good QBs on the roster.
It’s a good thought, but with the number of qb-needy teams setting up private workouts with Mahomes, I can’t imagine he’d be there in the third
If we’re gonna take Mahomes it’s gonna have to be at #26 ( if he even makes it that far). I think he could be a great and very cheap qb for us. Wether or not we take him depends on what kind of value we can get for Wilson.
Am I having a stroke? Why are you/we talking about what we could get for Wilson, for a less athletic, less accurate, worse TD to INT ratio version of Colin Kaepernick? (mahomes) This has got to be some sort of April Fools day post.
Somebody needs to put down the controller and turn off the Madden.
Go outside, get some fresh air, and realize THAT’S CRAY-CRAY.
Mahomes will probably go in the first round, possibly in the top-20.
Sounds like the floor for Mahomes is the second. Highly unlikely he would even last until the Hawks second round pick.
I bet Js is just thinking “hey if I show up at to watch this QB it will increase his value and someone will take him in rd 1 giving us more choices @ 26…”
Of they want to replace our yearly injured TE/FB guy.
John Schneider was in high school when Favre was drafted…by the Falcons. I know people reference the Green bay way of always drafting a QB every year, but they really don’t. plus there’s tons of dudes that they draft who are garbage compared to Brunell, Hasselbeck, etc….
I just find it hard to believe that seattle would sip on drafting impact 3rd rounders for a backup who may not even be that good. Let alone ever play.
*skip* not “sip,”
Hot take:
Seahawks double dip on tight ends in the first two rounds.
1. Evan Engram
2. Bucky Hodges
Major playmaking potential, you can line Engram and Hodges up as receivers and have Graham as the inline tight end. Unstoppable.
Pick up DBs in the third:
3. Rasul Douglas
3. Shaquill Griffen
3. Montae Nicholson
In the late rounds, grab another linebacker and a defensive tackle.
I’m beginning to think that Seattle goes with 2 safety selections a CB, and then one of these smaller school CBs as a priority UDFA.
Without wanting to pour cold water on the hot take — there are so many debates about how they use Jimmy Graham, the idea of taking two TE’s with your first two picks positively fills me with dread.
They might take a TE in round two or three, or possibly later. Two TE’s with the first two picks would be bizarre.
Plus, with JG, Willson & Vannett on the roster for at least ’17, it’s hard to see them go TE early. Especially considering in ’16 they generally only kept two TE’s active on game days.
Douglas wasn’t as fast as I thought he would be, so it will be interesting to see which round he lands in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him drop to the 5th.
He ran a 4.59 at 6′-2″ 209lbs, in comparison Richard Sherman ran a 4.56 at 6′-3″ 195lbs.
Other teams are copying Seattle now and targeting big CB’s. I would be very surprised if he lasts until the 5th round.
You’re right about his 40 yard time being comparable to Sherman’s, Bill, but he is not as explosive as Sherman:
Sherman: vert= 38 in., broad= 125 in., 3 cone= 6.82 sec. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/richard-sherman?id=2495507
Douglas: vert= 33.5 in., broad= 120 in., 3 cone= 6.97 sec. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/rasul-douglas?id=2558168
Sherman was also drafted in the 5th round, so it’s not unreasonable in suggesting the possibility of Douglas being drafted in a similar range.
Hodges is athletic but isn’t a route runner at all from what I’ve learned. Basically just caught lobs. While that may be overstated a bit, I think his draft position will outweigh his value. Developmental athlete, for sure.
Whoever they select at TE needs to be the best blocking TE in the draft (if still available.) The O-Line needs all the help it can get.
I ain’t counting out that H-back from Texas Tech because dude is SPARQ’D up, but I’m curious about this dude.
http://redraiders.com/filed-online/2016-10-01/place-call-home-pipkins-endured-it-all-finding-his-place-red-raiders
I think it’s probable there was more than one player at that pro-day they like. Can’t imagine JS attending just to watch one guy and check out Mahomes.
Maybe there is a WRTE they like…. such as Devin Lauderdale or perhaps the guy they really wanted to get a feel for would be FB/TE (jack of all trades) Tyler Scalzi (6’4″ 250). I don’t know much about him, but a write up stated that… “Throughout the years at Tech, he was utilized in a variety of ways. Be it defensively at linebacker, offensively at Tight-End, Fullback, H-Back, or on special teams, where he played all cores.” This feels Seahawky.
Jameson Knox.
Konz
Agreed. That’s one reason why I brought Pipkins up.
Recently, somebody asked about the differential offered at each position. After looking at the depth chart, I had to agree with the FO on RCB as the first priority. OL and LB have had some attention, so the differential is lower than it was at the end of the season. So what is left? What do we need long term?
I come up with Fullback, or H-back. I have mentioned this before, but when you look at highlights of Rawls from 2015 it seems his best runs included a fullback. This site has note talked a lot about the fullback position, but I bet we see somebody drafted who can make a big difference in 2017.
has “not” talked
I always dreamed of having a player that could fill the role of long snapper while also playing roles on offense or defense. Scalzi did some longsnapping work at his pro day. If he could long-snap + be a fullback/tight end for us, that saves a roster spot & gives us extreme versatility. We’d just need to make sure we have a decent emergency replacement at LS.
I know it’s one of those things where it’s easier said than done. But I’m surprised I haven’t seen even one team try this.
Until he has a middle crossing pattern and gets a hit/concussion or he dislocates a couple fingers making a tackle.
I agree with you, but you’d have to have two guys on roster who could do it in case the first one goes down to injury. It’s probably easier just to have a single specialist and a true emergency backup.
Bevell should study Engram’s tape for ideas on how to use a TE in the Red Zone! Good looking prospect!
Wilson is deeply ordinary in the Red Zone. He’s every bit as much to blame as Bevell.
Agreed. But Jimmy’s production in the Red Zone is deeply disturbing.
interesting point
can’t disagree
watched a reply of the “play” from SB 49 the other day, and that pass was thrown too far in front of the receiver
I would bet his red zone stats are much lower than his overall stats, and not top 5 qb material (not going “all Prisco” on him though)
only starting year 6, so let’s see how the next few years play out and if he improves in that area
Great post Rob.
TE seems ripe for an early surprise. Vannett is most likely going to be an in-line blocker primarily. Luke next year is probably gone. Jimmy Graham may get an extension, but he’ll be older.
I also thought it was interesting that earlier this offseason Pete mentioned that Vannett was going to be “a big part of their plan.” Call me skeptical. I wonder if this was to throw off the scent.
Seattle has shown they don’t necessarily need to spend top draft capital to get great DBs. Although picking a TE earlier would be going against the grain, so would picking a CB or S.
Anyways, like you said, this draft could go in so many ways. Unlike last year, where we really knew they were going to be focusing on OL.
Fascinating times!
Yeah I could see Hodges in the second if he is there. He’s a jimmy clone physically.
The only TE I could see them taking at 26 is Njoku (assuming Howard is long gone by then).
However, I could see them trading up from 58 to the 30’s (or down from 26 to the same range) for Engram. Engram is the Obi Melifonwu of offense this draft. A movable chess piece that’s extremely difficult to defend. He’s really two players in one – a TE and a WR. And he’s a red zone target to boot.
I like Engram, but like you prefer Njoku as a potential premier 3-down TE. He could work in line while Graham plays more joker.
I can’t see them using 26 for any TE. Jimmy is more of a threat than any of this current class, which is not a knock on them but JG is very special. Engram, and Hodges to a lesser extent, have almost his athleticism, body control and good hands, but not his size, route running and incredible knack for contested catches. JG can also block, but I want that to be only occasionally. Engram is not really big enough, or weighty enough to be that inline help occasionally. I could see drafting Hodges in the 4th (trade back?) to take Luke’s spot eventually. I’m hoping Vannett is more the inline TE with occasional catches, at least according to JS/PC comments last draft. We need to free JG up more in the passing game.
I have always liked Engram, but used as a WR like Tampa Bay uses Mike Evans. He has the speed, height, hands, and the muscle to hang onto the ball and take a hit. He would compliment the smaller quick WR the Hawks have. He will be gone by #58 though, but I would like it if the Hawks somehow grabbed him.
In my opinion just how they should use Jimmy. He is a WR in a TE body. Valuable either way, but, in my opinion more so as a WR. Engram looks great, but he is much like Graham, and we don’t need to replace him yet.
+1
not sure why they don’t use JG more out wide. How many Cb’s can match up with his size?
him and DB and Lockett should be a nightmare for defenses
I think Engram would be a great plan to replace Jimmy’s role (in 2018). I’m not predicting a trade or anything, nor am I suggesting it. But, if they bring in Engram they can let both Jimmy and Luke walk next year and save a ton of cap space and hopefully get back a 3rd round comp pick for Jimmy. Engram really was an exceptional playmaker at Ole Miss, as an Alabama fan he was the scariest player on a team that had our number.
I would add Budda Baker to the list of DBs I’d be excited as hell to get at #26 (Obi, King, Jackson). He can cover the slot, play single high (ET insurance) and is a great blitzer. I believe Seattle will ultimately take Obi who seems most likely to solve our TE coverage problems. All 4 players offer something quite unique.
Another thing that would help solve our TE coverage problem is a better pass rush that would keep the TE back to help block.
That’s our 2nd pick, Daeshon Hall’s job!
Rob, any chance of an “official” SDB mock draft competition this year? The winner can be the Swami for 12 months. Being that Seattle moves up, down & sideways in drafts it might make sense to just list 10 players you think they will draft, regardless of round and that would account for possible trades. The person with the highest number of hits gets the crown. As a tiebreaker you add 3 names of UDFAs. If it’s still a tie… well then you get to share the title.
Predictpick.nfl.com
Group: Seahawksdraftblog
Pwd: robisking
(I think that’s it)
robisking isnt working
its Robisking capital R
Hey DC — I notice you’ve been sent the NFL.com predict the pick link. A few of the community members have entered a mock on that site.
With 26 participants, the SDB league is the most popular private league on there! Go SDB! Rob is king!
Sorry about the Millers, Rob.
Any chance we could update the player photos at the top to change out Manziel for some Seahawk draft picks in their college kits please?
That request was made to my designed a month ago and he hasn’t done it yet. I will get onto him.
Cheers Rob, you’re the best.
First time watching Evan Engram, Looks like a 6’3″ OBJ, Great smooth hands, and sneaky smooth quickness.
Great points about the d-line class this year. It seems certain at this point that whoever remains out of King, Obi, and Adoree’ would likely be the pick. It’d be amazing if all 3 were there what the Hawks would do at that point, assuming both bolles and lamp are gone
As the edge class is top heavy, is there a defensive end that might fall into range and have value that could be an option at 26 ?
Rob, I would hate to lose you but you’re so good at this you should being dissecting more teams. Of course you’d have to work 24 hours a day but other than that it’s a great idea right? I live in Virginia right now and these people would kill for your analysis on the Skins. (That’s actually pretty easy, fire the owner.) I just think you’re good enough and original enough to go national. I certainly would keep reading.
Rob Sando or Mike Staton
Rob is every bit as good as sando if not better.
I think Sando is a reporter and Rob is an analyst. Rob would be great as the analyst in the John Clayton/Rob Stanton Show. Kinda like Mr. Sherman and Peabody. Nobody has more contacts than Clayton but he doesn’t do the gritty analysis Rob does.
I still keep circling back to Josh Jones as a S, maybe even Buffalo type if we miss or pass on Melifonwu.
“NC State S Josh Jones visited the Ravens, according to Ian Rapoport.
The ravens added Tony Jefferson and Brandon Carr to their secondary, but Jones might be a long term plan for the aging Eric Weddle. Jones was used all over the field for the Wolfpack, and some teams might view him as a corner. At 6-foot-1 and 220 lbs, he has 32-plus inch arms”
Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline passes along that NC State DB Josh Jones “looked terrific” during drills on pro day.
Pauline is sky-high on Jones as one of the sleeper corners in the draft, writing earlier in March that “it wouldn’t be crazy for some team to take him late in the first round.” One team that would fit that bill of an intrigued late-round player would be the Patriots, whom Pauline notes “met extensively” with Jones the night before his pro day. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder also met with the Chargers
“An NFL personnel executives predicted that NC State DB Josh Jones could be a surprise first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
“For some reason Jones didn’t get much attention during the season, but he has first-round ability,” he said. “I think he’ll definitely go in the top 40 picks and it wouldn’t be crazy for some team to take him late in the first round.”
The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder enjoyed one of the best all-around performances by a defensive back at the NFL Combine. He notched a:
4.41-second 40-yard dash, a vertical jump of 37.5 inches, a broad jump of 132 inches and a strong 20 reps on the bench.
!!!
I’m a big fan of jones. I know others are down on him but his secondary was not great and I felt like (one man’s opinion) that he was sort of lacking in assignment correctness on some games. All in all I’m stoked on him.
by his “secondary,” I meant the team as a whole
I just picked up Dane Brugler’s 2017 draft guide and without undermining his work by dumping info here, are there numbers for any prospects that people want?
Yesterday we were poking around for Demarcus Walker’s 10-yard split and it is listed here at 1.69sec.
I’d like the real numbers for Justin Evans though I think it’ll be slower than expected. I’d personally like to the 3 cone and splits of Jarrad Davis if possible?
Justin Evans
10-yard: 1.61
40-yard: 4.57
Vertical jump: 41.5
Broad jump: 10’09”
Bench press: 14
Jarrad Davis
10-yard: 1.54
40-yard: 4.58
Short shuttle: 4.29
Three cone: 7.30
Vertical jump: 38.5
Broad jump: 10’09”
Bench press: 23
Thanks sir! I just looked at Wagner’s pro day numbers vs. davis. I know I know. It’s Jackson, or Obi, or King, or maybe Bolles…..and I know Seattle just signed a bunch of cast off dudes for a camp battle. But if we’re honest with ourselves, those are some pretty damn good numbers for Davis’ pro day.
Wow, that split from Jarrad Davis if true…
First round all day every day.
I know Pete Carroll has spent a consider amount of time talking about Seattle and the nickel defence but if Davis is there at #26 you have to think we would be tempted. Ray Lewis 2.0 is someone you find a way to get onto the field.
it seems like you would almost have to select him and work it out in the scheme somehow.
His exceptional athleticism makes it easy: K.J. plays SLB when all three are on the field, Davis spells both K.J. and Bobby occasionally in Nickel and they only play nickel when they have to. In a zone, Davis is potentially just as good as a big nickel back. Further, if they’re just going to send Bobby or the nickel back on a blitz, then that’s another snap that Davis can play. I think you can have Davis on the field for over 60% of the snaps if he’s on the roster because he is such a unique athlete.
Marcus Maye and Joey Ivie please! 🙂
Marcus Maye
Height: 5116
Weight: 210 lbs
Arm: 32 1/2
Hand: 09 1/8
Wingspan: 77 1/4
10-yard: 1.56
40-yard: 4.50
Short shuttle: 4.25
Three cone: 7.10
Vertical jump: 33.5
Broad jump: 9’10”
Joey Ivie
Height: 6030
Weight: 300 lbs
Arm: 32 1/2
Hand: 09 5/8
Wingspan: 77
10-yard: 1.85
40-yard: 5.10
Short shuttle: 4.70
Three cone: 8.05
Vertical jump: 29
Broad jump: 8’09”
Bench press: 26
Someone on NFL Network (can’t remember who) said Patrick Mahomes IS going in the first round.
I believe that Mahomes has jumped ahead of Kitzer .that Notre Dame quarterback combine looked horrible his footwork was not good he is in my opinion a project I could see him falling to late round one or early round two.if the seahawks trade out of round of round one I would not be surprised especially if the corners they like are gone
A name to keep in mind in the later rounds is Jahad Thomas. Fantastic in space always has a move to make his man miss
Keeping or trading pick #26 would of course depend on which of their guys are still available as that pick approaches. I can see them staying put there.
What’s more intriguing is what they might do with their day two picks. If the opportunity presents itself, I can see them trading pick #58 and one of their third-round comp picks to move up quite a few spots in the second round. I can also see them exchanging one of those third-round picks (comp or other) for a 4th plus a 5th/6th.
Having a mid 4th and mid 5th could let them grab a developmental QB who’d fit their system (Joshua Dobbs?), another run-stuffing DT, a developmental CB, a powerful and flexible OL (Jermaine Eluemunor is a badass), and so on. So many options there.
Hey, OCDavid, thanks for your reply in the last thread. I just saw it (link)and wanted to comment on your last suggestion, because I agree it’s an important one:
Slight proviso: I’d use the words ‘compete with” instead of “over”!
This is exactly something I wanted to portray and I’m glad you caught on to it. I know PC’s mantra is “always compete”, but at what point in the draft can you be looking at reasonably clear upgrades and at what point does it just become competition? Both have value, but I think in the first two rounds we need to go for the clearest upgrades. (no prospect is ever a guarantee, of course, I just mean probability is higher in early rounds)
I value your input, but I can make no sense to your post. I didn’t find what you were referring to. Not complaining, but could you be more clear?
Just want to be sure I am not missing a nugget.
Sure. Here’s the link to my comment: https://seahawksdraftblog.com/seahawks-seven-round-mock-draft-3#comment-320978
I was trying to take a step back from the combine/pro day hype on specific prospects, and reminding us that JS has said that they grade prospects against their own roster, not on how other teams might value those prospects.
In that light, I was asking which combination of picks would represent the clearest upgrade to our current roster at specific positions. For example, is Adoree Jackson a bigger upgrade over Jeremy Lane than Forrest Lamp would be over Mark Glowinski? Are both of those bigger upgrades than Kevin King might be over Desir or Shead at RCB? (This is where OCDavid’s suggestion came in.)
Of course, not only do we have to look at which would be a bigger improvement in R1, but also how that sets us up for the each round following that. Eventually, you come to a point where you are drafting guys of a similar level to Glowinski and Lane, which means they will be competing with them for a job and providing cheap roster turnover down the road more than representing a clear upgrade at the position. (that competition is also healthy and necessary)
Really, it’s what Rob and everyone have been doing here anyway in mock draft scenarios and pointing out different combinations of players you might be able to get, I just wanted to spell it out in a different way that I thought might help us as we are often torn between several prospects we really like in the early rounds.
It’s a great way to put it, Sea Mode – I check out a lot of the national mocks and was definitely getting caught up in the hype rather than looking at upgrade values. I’d love to know if the front office gives every current player a mark out of 10 or 100 or something else, and then if that’s broken down into weighted categories, and then how they can possibly replicate that for 100s of college players each year… I guess that’s why they earn the big bucks!
Del tre, really nice comparison of King/Douglas/Witherspoon at the dying end of yesterday’s thread: https://seahawksdraftblog.com/seahawks-seven-round-mock-draft-3#comment-321162
I ventured a reply too.
I’m glad you kept that thread alive Sea Mode. I’ve really cooled off on Douglas since his lackluster combine performance, and I agree with Del tre’s opinion that we could see Rasul last into the 5th. I’m not convinced that a team would gamble on a CB early, rounds 1-3, who is not a stellar athlete.
Thanks Sea Mode! I worked hard on that post and I’m a big fan of all 3 corners.
In response to your comment:
Those are all fair points but when i watch King i don’t see him move with much freakier athleticism than i see from Witherspoon. In fact Witherspoon usually looks more fluid in space. Personally I’d rather teach a guy to tackle than to press and cover. But once again King is the most well rounded and according to his numbers has higher potential than both. I think almost everything can be taught but the harder things to learn are coverage ability and ball skills. Thats the one big knock on Witherspoon for me, I’m not sure that ball skills can be taught so much and i feel his strength won’t be turnovers but coverage. He is excellent at batting the ball away but the only times i saw him get beat were when he was going for the ball. I think ground Hawk put it perfectly, teams aren’t going to gamble on a corner who isn’t a stellar athlete. If we walked away with any of the 3 I’m sure all 3 would at least be moderately successful. If we can get him to figure out how to press he could be an all star. He just has such good instincts. To me the better option would be to take Witherspoon and Douglas. Let then battle it out and have actual CB depth again.
Dion Jordan waived by the Dolphins. Man, the 2013 draft was absolute terrible.
One of those guys who you almost want the Seahawks to chase in case *they* can unlock his potential, but between the PEDs, weed, and apparent lack of love for the game it’s unlikely. Bet the Pats pick him up.
And if the Pats pick him up you know he’ll be a stud…
Wouldn’t mind taking a flyer on him and bribing him into camp. If anyone can get potential out of him it is our coaches and our environment. Mike B and the other guys wouldn’t let him slack, and if he did he would be gone.
I revert back to a quote that means so much: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. Its why the draft can be such a crap shoot. Guys with all the talent in the world can get the feeling of “arriving” and aren’t focused on “staying”.
Jordan is prime example of that. His BIGGEST issue is the substance abuse (more substance than PEDs and not just weed). He was handed a bunch of money, wasn’t taught how to act like a man and has squandered his talent. It would take a tremendous effort from multiple people to change his mind. Do we have the coaches/players to help him? Sure… But I don’t think its something that could be ironed out in training camp, the kid needs a LIFE coach. That all being said NE would be a great place for him
Belated CONGRATS on your 4-month old!
Yeah, a coke habit in Miami is rarely going to end well. Doubt he’s the first or the last in the NFL mind.
I always hear about the Pats getting players they’re going to turn into studs but I can’t think of examples especially recently. Jonathan Cooper, barkevous Mingo, Shea McClellan, even Jabal Shead didn’t do all that great there. But everyone said the same thing about them. Great coaches over there and the best coach ever but they aren’t gods.
Big Smooth,
NE just has a very no non-sense FO/coaching staff. The names you listed are not the best examples. The guys you listed were bad fits (scheme), not necessarily malcontents.People like Michael Floyd were given shots and it was no risk.
FWIW… Sheard rack up 13 sacks in 2 seasons with NE and just got a 3-yr/$25.5M deal for it.
I don’t know if everyone already saw this, but yesterday Pete said that they’re looking for pass rushers in this draft on Inside the Huddle with John Clayton. http://www.espn.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=19047690. Pick 26 looking more likely to be pass rush now.
While I agree we need pass rush, you have to be careful this time of year. Lots of smoke. Plus from what I recall, didn’t he say “we always are looking for more pass rush”? Doesn’t scream to me that we are locked in on pass rush round 1. If the right guy falls, could be a possibility.
He said “we’re always looking to upgrade pass rush, this is a good draft to find guys that can help us”. To me that says if a good pass rusher is available, then don’t be surprised if we pick him because it is one of our main priorities.
Not really, not at #26.
They might well draft a pass rusher but it’s hard to imagine who their guy would be a #26.
Yeah, there are pass rushers with potential throughout.
Who are we upgrading? There’s few real interior rushers in this draft. The edges will be available throughout.
Daeshon Hall probably the most likely option for us right now.
Not sure where he goes. I have a second round grade on him
“Lenny Sloth” lmfao xD
You already imagined the guy’s for me in previous articles. TJ Watt or Tyus Bowser.
That’s quite rich for either player.
Hope they go that high and push others down
Rob just wrote that a player at #15 could be graded similar to a player at #40, and if TJ Watt and Tyus Bowser are top 40 players, then it doesn’t seem that high.
Yeah thats a little gratuitous imo
15 you might get John Ross…
What pass rush ability has Watt shown? He looks like a third-round player on tape, getting a huge bump because of his name, lack of experience, and insane measurables.
Didn’t he have double digit sacks? He might need more development but seems like it would be hard to fall into that many sacks as a matter of luck.
Further, Watt has a pro bowl athletic and production profile. Not saying he would be the best pick for the Hawks, but warrants a top 30 selection still.
https://draftcobern.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/2017-nfl-draft-analytics-profile-t-j-watt/
Did he? I’ll eat my words then. Back to the tape for me, see what I missed.
Yeah I just went and checked to make sure I wasn’t off base. 11.5 sacks last year.
Name, experience level and insane measurables are all legitimate reasons to get bumped up. The pass rush ability he’s shown thus far is what allows him to be an option late in the first instead of in the top 10.
After reading Rob’s awesome articles, listening to PC/JS, and watching teams pick us apart with short passes (especially in the slot) I think we MUST draft a dynamic slot/buffalo.
If Obi is there I think he is the pick over pretty much anyone else. He is a freak with all of the measurables and short area quickness. He can come in day 1 and help as a slot/buffalo. Then long term can either be a cb of the future or potentially replace ET or Kam.
If Obi isn’t there I still think we need to grab another dynamic slot guy in this order: Adoree, Budda, or Peppers. If 2-3 are still there at 26 I could see us doing a slight trade back.
IMO I believe that PC/JS know that a dynamic slot/buffalo is what can put our defense over the top. With all our other stud players it would give O-coordinators fits. No longer would we have an Achilles heel. I think it would all of a sudden give our d-line more time to get home and we could start getting back to causing more TO’s. I honestly don’t think this is a stretch if we get the right guy.
While I love King (he is a freak), we just generally don’t start rookies right away with the learning curve. I think our cb2 is already on our roster (Desir, Lane, Thorpe). But I still wouldn’t be surprised if we drafted 1-2 corners in rounds 2/3 since, like Rob has been saying, there will be a big drop off in talent after round 3.
P.S. Rob how are you liking fatherhood? I just wrote this while feeding my 4 month old haha. Being a father is a game changer, nothing like it!
I completely agree that Obi/Adoree would be my pick at #26. If both are available, trading down a few picks (I’m thinking a trade with PIT @30) would do us little harm. In the Super Bowl vs NE, losing Lane and having to go with Simon covering the likes of Edelman MURDERED us. I think the drafting of a Slot/Buffalo negates our big need for a LB early.
I think Desir/Thorpe wins the #2 spot. Having too many good CBs isn’t a bad issue to have. With all the injuries we’ve had in the secondary, it wouldn’t hurt to have guys lined up.
I love that fatherhood is something that can be brought up here. Fatherhood is an AMAZING thing. My wife and I just found out we’re expecting our #4!!!
Congrats HOUSE!! I never thought I would like fatherhood as much as I do. Best day of my life was when he came into this world (our super bowl victory was a close second haha). You only need 1 more for your own basketball team 😉
Thanks man! That Super Bowl victory was definitely EPIC!
I think we’re done with #4. I guess I’ll have to still play basketball with them… lol
Lol congrats guys.
Hopefully progeny is down the road for me a ways!
I can barely remember to feed myself most times
I completely agree. Assuming we want to hold on to Kam, Earl, and Sherman for at least two years, we need to improve our ability to take away the middle of the field. Obi is the perfect mismatch there.
If we traded Sherman, we’d likely need to grab both Obi and King, in addition to probably 58 on a corner.
Looking at this draft, I think multiple DBs go off the board early for us. We”ll see who starts the CB run in rd 1. I believe our FA additions to OL/LB (as Rob stated) keep us from HAVING to draft those positions early unless we are enamored with a player we can’t pass up. Not having to “reach” for the 3-4 OL or 4-6 LB in rd 1 just for the sake of drafting that position is smart.
The Mahomes talk is an interesting thought. I personally think he’s going in the 1st and could see teams possibly trading up to get him. I have a feeling PIT (30) & CLE (33). could be potential trade targets if he’s on the board with KC (27) being linked to drafting a QB.
Here’s my latest and greatest 7 round mock. Quibble and disagree at your own risk! 🙂
Went a different direction with this mock based on the latest information and results (haul) from free agency. I’m no longer looking for an off ball linebacker at all. I’m also pretty convinced Pete will use a day 2 pick on a pass rusher of some sort. The defensive backfield is an obvious consideration.
26: R1P26
CB KEVIN KING
WASHINGTON
– This is an obvious pick here should King last, and even if he doesn’t there will be name corners to choose from. Kevin King would, in my opinion, kill two birds with one stone. He’s an immediate starter at outside corner opposite Sherman, but he can also be our ‘big nickel’ or heck even a regular nickel. He’s a freak tall guy with the shifts to handle the slot. That’s no small consideration.
58: R2P26
EDGE JORDAN WILLIS
KANSAS STATE
There will be plenty of debate as to whether or not Willis lasts this far, but I’m fairly confident he will. The problem with Willis for a lot of teams that won’t be (as big) a problem for the Seahawks is that he’s not an every down player, at least not yet. Willis profiles very nicely as a starter at DE but for now he is too unrefined to be considered, but as a ‘3rd down’ specialist he’ll do just fine. Seattle needs a speed element off the edge to compliment Cliff Avril.
90: R3P26
G NICO SIRAGUSA
SAN DIEGO STATE
He fits the profile nicely and outside of Isaac Asiata one of the few names worth drafting at OL at this point in the draft.
102: R3P38
S MONTAE NICHOLSON
MICHIGAN STATE
Hmmmm… I think Nicholson is Obi Melifonwu light. He’s another speed/size combo who’s overly aggressive and lacks refinement. We can work with this. Put another few pounds on his frame and make him a SS. Could be a Kam Chancellor hedge.
106: R3P42
WR CHRIS GODWIN
PENN STATE
I like Godwin a lot and doubt he’s here but this WR isn’t great so you never know. I’d like to change his name to ‘Chris Redlinewin’ because that’s what he does. Seattle needs receivers who are match-up problems size wise to help in the redzone. Godwin takes Jermaine Kearse’s role in 2017 and his roster spot in 2018.
210: R6P26
DL STEVIE TU’IKOLOVATU
USC
Seattle needs young depth at the 1-tech.
226: R7P8
K ZANE GONZALEZ
ARIZONA STATE
I don’t actually think Seattle will draft a kicker but it’s round 7 and I was getting bored.
This mock didn’t involved any trades but I would like to see us use a 3rd rounder to slide back and pick up a 5th rounder. I would target a TE like Iowa’s George Kittle in that case.
That’s super early for Willis and super late for Godwin
Give me Daeshon Hall in the second after Melifonwu in the first and yoy cam just close the book on this draft
I haven’t studied Daeshon Hall. Does he have the burst to get upfield and widen the tackle? That’s what I’m looking for is basically a guy who makes Tackles piss their pants
Disagree on Willis, obviously. This isn’t a workout warrior we are talking about here. His measureables alone are intriguing. That he has several years of production to go with it makes his rise likely.
Schneider has deep connects at that school so he would know
I just prefer Hall’s athletic profile and local background. Plus he’s already visited the vmac.
They seem to like the unsungs from big teams. Kevin Norwood types
From an analytics perspective, Willis has a multiple pro bowl profile. Agree he would be a great pickup in the second round. If he makes it that far.
https://draftcobern.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/2017-nfl-draft-analytics-profile-jordan-willis/
With Pete Carroll talking with John Clayton yesterday and saying that there is a number of pass rushers they like in this draft, and that they want to grab one, I think Willis makes sense.
C-Dog. Now you are talking my language. I am ALWAYS looking for pass rushers. I see Pete Carroll is looking for an interior pass rusher. I say this is good news. Tom Brady hates interior pass rushers. He doesn’t like pass rushers in his face. If you are to beat Tom Brady you have to have an interior pass rush. In addition to the edge rushers.
Yep. Need to make sure Marsh never sees the field on 3rd and long. Need pass rushers on money downs who can actually rush the passer. Not some who can play at a low level with others who can rush.
AMEN, Get Marsh and all the other JAGS (LB backups) off our team. Rather have Willis/walker and some Biegel/Javancy Jones
Phillips & Hall have/had meetings
Plus one for Phillips
Love it. If Rivers is there at one of those picks where Willis is, I’d prefer him. King and Godwin would be a coup by itself.
Found some video of Tyler Scalzi long snapping. I’ve always dreamed of the LS being able to bring something else to the table. Let’s just say I’m intrigued.
+1
JS risked shead over like 500k, you know he would love to have a FB/TE/LS on a rookie deal cut taht nolan frese guy.
Transcribed this interesting tidbit from PC on Clayton show yesterday. Pile more hints onto the 4-2-5 and a good reminder that, as much as we like focusing on the athletic testing this time of year, grit and overcoming adversity are still #1:
Clayton: Bradley McDougald was kind of a bonus find. How high on the board was he on your free agency list?
Carroll: He was one of the top-rated guys as a starting player, so we were thrilled to get that done.
He’s gonna bring that chip on his shoulder like our guys have. He’s got that background, he’s got that mentality, he’s had to fight for everything along the way. He’s moved some very good players out of their positions in the past and not backed down from those kinds of challenges, and that’s why he’s here. He’s such an aggressive player that fits our style, that maybe we can do some things with our packaging that we can play with three safeties at the same time. We’ve looked at that over the years, we’ve done that at times. So it will just be great to see how the competition plays itself out.
Clayton: Was that one of the considerations last year when you brought Brandon Browner in, kind of that three safety experiment?
Carroll: Yes, it certainly was. It was that. To play Brandon at safety so he could have a position to back us up as well as utilize him in coverage. Nearing the end of his career, he had shown some ability to do that. Unfortunately, when you’re trying to find guys in those positions, they also have to be really avid special teams players too, and so the whole mix of it didn’t quite work out. But we loved that shot and it was a unique thought of how we were going to do it, and we continue to be open to those kinds of thoughts.
In my opinion if Obi Melifonwu is still on the board. I am running to the commissioner to turn in my card. But I just don’t think Melifonwu will still be hanging around when the Seahawks are on the clock. Melifonwu is just to good. He is a RARE athlete. He is a 6’4 safety. He is a “Freak ” of an athlete. Good instincts. Excellent closing skills. Daniel Jeremiah also said he was surprised how good he was in coverage. A guy like Melifonwu comes along about once every 10 years.
Clayton: How good do you feel right now about the whole defense, as far as where it is. There may be some more additions and all of that, but how good do you feel?
Carroll: I think the question mark right now is because of Deshawn Shead going down, we’re going to miss him maybe at the start of the season. He’s going to try to make it back and surprise us. Jeremy Lane would be the next guy up at corner. So that’s a spot we have to look for guys to emerge; that competition will be wide open. Nieko Thorpe, DeAndre Elliot, Pierre Desir will get great shots just to show what they can do. That’s an important spot for us to look at.
The linebacking spot. We haven’t signed back our outside backer spot yet. We’ll see how that goes, we’ll see how that fits. Mike Morgan has been there for a while and we’ve really liked Mike, he’s been a great Seahawk and we’ll see how that works out. He’s still out there in free agency. And the new guys coming in, we’ll have to figure out how they can factor in to that spot. So those are the two spots that we’re interested in.
We’re always looking to upgrade pass rush. Always. It’s a good draft for some guys that could help us. We’ll see how that works out. But I think the defense is in a really good position to only have really two starting spots that are still in question, with Jeremy being able to start. I think we’re ready to go right back at it and have a good group again.
Even though Morgan is a free agent, how crazy is it that he’s had a 6 year career with the season based almost exclusively on his special teams play. I mean, that just shows how dedicated the Seahawks are to Special Teams. And also, how many players in the NFL play with a team for 6+ years. I hope Morgan comes back for a 7th. He will provide serious competition at the SAM spot. I was just reminded of the CAR game last year where he picked off the first pass of the game, when Cam was benched for the first series and Derek Anderson threw on the first play. D’OH!!
Absolutely right about special teams. PC highlighted as well in the interview how important it is to them. Said all of the LBs they signed were told that when they visited.
I’m almost done with Rob, and this website. Every year, rob checks out a potential stud that no ones talking about. Then a month later, everyone’s talking about him! As always, brilliant work! 🙂
Select OL notes from PC, in bullet form:
– We’re about competing. We have a little bit more experience at that position… and we may not be done yet at that position.
– “Getting Joeckel gives us a guy that we know can play LT, that’s been there and done that. He’s equipped, I’ve watched every play he’s ever pass protected.”
– “What Joeckel’s going to do, is he’s going to force Fant to really have to go. If we were able to sit Fant for a while where he could continue to grow as opposed to just thrown into the fire like he was last year, that will help him. We have really high hopes for George.”
– If Fant could play at a level that could make Joeckel play LG, that would be great for our football team.
– Rees is in the mix too at LG. He’s a guy we drafted to start… [cuts off Clayton to add] and can play LT.
– Glowinski’s home was at the right side. That may happen to allow us… [pauses] to compete with Aboushi.
– “We really pictured Germain Ifedi being the RT of the future. That’s what we thought. And so, this may be the time that we can get that done. We’ve just been so young in the past couple years, this is a chance for us to grow and I’m really excited about it.
Like the video breakdown of Peppers on fieldgullstgat Kenny A posted. Talks about Peppers playing out of position last year.
What’s everyone’s take on him? I wonder if he’d be a better option in the slot than Adoree. He’s bigger, longer & tougher vs better vs the run…
Such an interesting player. Undersized, but so dynamic around the LOS. I’d be seriously excited if he fell to us.
+1 for the breakdown.
Betting against him is betting against his pride as a football player and that’s not something I’m usually prepared to do
Last but not least (left out stuff about special teams, vet LBs), PC on Boykin:
“We’ll see, we’ll see what happens here, we have some information to get through, there’s plenty of time to figure this out. Early indications are that we’ll give him an opportunity to be back with us. We’ll see what happens though. And we’re always looking, John, we’re always looking and we’ll see what happens.”
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play/_/id/19047690
I like Kevin King and Obi Melifonwu and would happily have both of them on the Seahawks however I don’t seeeither of them as first round talents on tape.
Comparing them to some of the other corners in the draft I think it would be much better value to pick up Shaquill Griffin sometime in the 2nd/3rd.
If arm length, BJ, VJ, BP and VJ are still the most important attributes when drafting a CB then he would be just as good as Obi Melifonwu and Kevin King if not better.
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2014/4/17/5615666/nfl-draft-2014-sparq-profiling-part-8-cornerback/in/4125461
He has the most experience as a corner and wouldn’t be expected to start in the same way a 1st round pick would be. This allows there to still be legitimate competition instead of just assuming he would start.
That first round pick could then be traded instead of likely having to take Obi or King at 26.
PC also spoke at the NFL Annual Meetings on Wed. Really more generic stuff. The only real info to be gleaned was when someone asked him if McDougald could also be in consideration at corner. PC’s answer was simply a big fat: “no”.
http://www.seahawks.com/news/2017/03/31/why-seahawks-coach-pete-carroll-so-optimistic-about-his-team%E2%80%99s-future
does that take Obi out of 1st round consideration then?
Have to think they are paying McDougald $2 mil to play as a big nickel, rather than emergency back up
makes me thing they are leaning CB with their first pick, Shead injury, Lane had disappointing year and while I don’t think they are trading Sherm, it seems he is on notice from Pete and John
We paid Jeron Johnson $1.5M a few years back to play backup/3rd S in Amoeba packages. McDougald isn’t going to be in the CB competition, but I don’t think Obi is yanked off the board.
One injury, holdout or anything else changes the game DRASTICALLY for us. Loading up QUALITY depth is never a bad problem to have. McDougald is on a 1-yr deal and could yield a 2019 comp pick if he bails next year. That being said, I am excited to see what McDougald can do and hopefully he makes an impact