NFL mock draft: Updated 29th December

#1 Tennessee Titans — Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
The Titans have a good, young left tackle and spent a high second round pick on Dorial Green-Beckham. They have some support for Marcus Mariota and should appoint an open-minded, creative Head Coach (the newly-available Chip Kelly anyone?). Taking Bosa gives them a defensive cornerstone.

#2 Cleveland Browns — Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
It seems inevitable that the Browns will part ways with Johnny Manziel creating another gaping hole at quarterback. You can win with Lynch. He’s big, athletic and accurate — a poor mans Cam Newton.

#3 San Diego Chargers — Laremy Tunsil (T, Ole Miss)
The #1 priority has to be to protect an ageing Philip Rivers. The Chargers’ O-line lacks talent. Tunsil addresses a big need at left tackle. He missed most of the 2015 season but played well against Texas A&M’s explosive Myles Garrett.

#4 Dallas Cowboys — Jaylon Smith (LB, Notre Dame)
The Cowboys are better than their record suggests and have the luxury of taking possibly the best overall prospect in the draft. Jaylon Smith is incredibly athletic and instinctive and could be an instant star in the NFL.

#5 San Francisco 49ers — Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU)
They’re going through a major transition and just don’t have enough talent. Throwing a rookie quarterback into the mix is a recipe for disaster. This looks like a three or four year rebuild. If the Niners want character — White was given the coveted #18 jersey at LSU. He’s also an excellent kick returner.

#6 Jacksonville Jaguars — DeForest Buckner (DE, Oregon)
The Jags are getting closer. There’s plenty of offensive power on the roster. They’ll get Dante Fowler back in 2016 — why not add a compliment in the versatile Buckner? He quietly accumulated 9.5 sacks this season.

#7 Miami Dolphins — Eli Apple (CB, Ohio State)
Apple doesn’t get beat over the top. He’ll give up some receptions underneath and people overreact. He doesn’t give up big plays, he can be a physical tackler and he has the deep speed to mirror perfectly.

#8 Baltimore Ravens — Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
They’ve given up on Eugene Monroe. Coleman was the best tackle in college football in 2015. He will turn 25 in 2016 and that could put some teams off. He battled cancer before returning to football. A born winner who plays with intensity and grit every snap.

#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Cam Sutton (CB, Tennessee)
A fluid, natural athlete who could be one of the stars of the combine. Sutton has the potential to be an explosive playmaker at the cornerback position. He jumps off the screen when you watch the Vols.

#10 New York Giants — Myles Jack (LB, UCLA)
The Giants need some defensive stalwarts to build around. Jack is recovering from a knee injury but should be ready for the start of the 2016 season. He played running back in college too. He’s rangy and explosive.

#11 New Orleans Saints — Jared Goff (QB, California)
The Saints have been gradually rebuilding for a year or so. Sean Payton appears to be nearing the end. Drew Brees’ cap hit is $30m and they can save $20m by parting ways. Unless they come to some sort of agreement here — it could be time for the ultimate fresh start. New coach, new quarterback.

#12 Philadelphia Eagles — Tim Williams (DE, Alabama)
They aren’t getting enough edge rush. Tim Williams is one of the most underrated players in college football and could easily declare after the playoffs. He reminds me a little of Bruce Irvin, who also went in this range. Williams mentioned today he won’t declare — but we’ll wait until the deadline passes to completely rule him out.

#13 Detroit Lions — Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
It’d be very tempting to go defense here — but the Lions have to do a better job protecting their talented quarterback. Decker could fill in at either tackle spot or guard.

#14 Chicago Bears — Darron Lee (LB, Ohio State)
I love watching Lee play. He’s a sparky playmaker with range. He’s not the same type of unreal athlete as Ryan Shazier but he’s a more instinctive linebacker and would be a great fit for the Bears.

#15 Indianapolis Colts — Jack Conklin (T, Michigan State)
Andrew Luck was battered and bruised every week until the inevitable injury. Conklin would provide an ideal bookend for Anthony Castonzo.

#16 Buffalo Bills — Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Ole Miss)
There’s just too much going on with Nkemdiche — coupled with an underwhelming college career that promised much more. He won’t fall too far because he’s an incredible talent. Someone daring will take a punt. In this case — it’s Rex Ryan.

#17 Oakland Raiders — Jaylen Ramsey (CB, Florida State)
I’m not quite as sold on Ramsey as some others. He’s a bit of a tweener. There are good and bad plays on tape. The Raiders will need to bolster their secondary as an off-season priority.

#18 St. Louis Rams — Laquon Treadwell (WR, Ole Miss)
The receivers in general drop a bit here — but this is where the rush begins. With the top two quarterbacks off the board, the Rams try to upgrade their passing game with Treadwell.

#19 Atlanta Falcons — Corey Coleman (WR, Baylor)
The Falcons can rely on Julio Jones — but imagine pairing him with Coleman? Even Matt Ryan can settle down with that duo. Dan Quinn might prefer to improve his defense in free agency (Bruce Irvin anyone?).

#20 Pittsburgh Steelers — Ronnie Stanley (T, Notre Dame)
I’m not a fan of Stanley and think he’s massively overrated. Pittsburgh have a way of doing things. That has generally meant using early picks on linebackers and the O-line over the last few years.

#21 Washington — Michael Thomas (WR, Ohio State)
He deserves more credit and could go earlier than this. His double-move to score a TD against Kendall Fuller in week one was a thing of beauty. He could be a big riser. Tall, fast, wins 1v1 and he’s able to get downfield.

#22 Houston Texans — Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio State)
They desperately need a quarterback but qualifying for the playoffs and picking as late as this makes it difficult. Will Bill O’Brien take a punt on Christian Hackenburg in the middle rounds? Elliott is explosive and brilliant — he deserves to go in round one.

#23 Seattle Seahawks — Will Fuller (WR, Notre Dame)
Since 2011 the Seahawks have consistently taken unique athletes early (Irvin, Wagner, Harvin via trade, Michael, Richardson, Graham via trade, Clark, Lockett). It’d be a departure from their established approach to do anything different here. Fuller is sudden, technically gifted and has a fantastic demeanour. A true pro.

#24 New York Jets — Leonard Floyd (OLB, Georgia)
Floyd is a nice athlete but he hasn’t been productive or disruptive enough to warrant some of the praise he gets. He’s a developmental project with upside. He’d fit nicely as an OLB in the 3-4.

#25 Kansas City Chiefs — Kendall Fuller (CB, Virginia Tech)
He’d go earlier without the injury. He might take some time to recover. The Chiefs are good enough to wait — and imagine fielding Fuller in the slot or opposite Marcus Peters? Scary.

#26 Minnesota Vikings — De’Runnya Wilson (WR, Mississippi State)
They’re not getting a lot out of their receivers other than Stefon Diggs. Wilson is a big target similar to Kelvin Benjamin. Maybe Teddy Bridgewater needs a safety net like this?

#27 Green Bay Packers — Adolphus Washington (DE, Ohio State)
Another year — another Packers defense that looks a bit soft and struggles to impact games. Washington is disruptive and plays with an edge — but he’s streaky and dips in and out. He lurches from impactful to anonymous.

#28 Cincinnati Bengals — Mackensive Alexander (CB, Clemson)
Pacman Jones won’t go on forever and Dre Kirkpatrick has been a predictable disappointment. Alexander could go earlier than this and would provide some value here.

#29 Denver Broncos — Carson Wentz (QB, North Dakota State)
They don’t seem entirely sold on Brock Osweiler. Maybe it’s best to keep him another year and let him compete with a guy like Wentz? He’s tall, strong and mobile enough to run Gary Kubiak’s relentless bootlegs.

#30 Arizona Cardinals — Germain Ifedi (T, Texas A&M)
They might stop drafting O-liners early after selecting the disappointing Jonathan Cooper and D.J. Humphries. Or maybe they keep trying? Ifedi is a mountain of a man with minimal body fat.

#31 Carolina Panthers — Tyler Boyd (WR, Pittsburgh)
I’m desperate to fit Boyd into the top-25. What a player. The heart and soul of the Pitt Panthers. Just a brilliant receiver who knows how to get open. If he tests well at the combine — watch out. He will fly up the board.

Seahawks projection — picks R1-3

Round one — Will Fuller (WR, Notre Dame)

The Seahawks like difference makers early in the draft with unique athletic qualities. Fuller ticks that box better than anyone else available in this projection. Jermaine Kearse is due to enter free agency, Doug Baldwin has one more year left on his contract and Paul Richardson has so far been unable to stay healthy.

Round two — Eric Striker (LB, Oklahoma)
When the Seahawks chose not to take up the fifth year on Bruce Irvin’s contract — despite having the cap room to comfortably keep him — it was a sign that they’re willing to let him test the market. If he moves on they’ll need a replacement. Striker is a dynamic, athletic and productive linebacker who can rush the passer.

Round three — Adam Bisnowaty (T, Pittsburgh)
He wears #69 and has the same body shape as Evan Mathis. He’s also a former four-star recruit who played basketball and crucially wrestled in high school and college (paging Tom Cable). Mathis went in round three — Bisnowaty could go in the same range.

Round three (compensatory pick) — Paul Perkins (RB, UCLA)
The Seahawks landed a star in Thomas Rawls but will likely need to find a #2 in the draft. Perkins breaks ankles with his cut-back ability and doesn’t go down after contact. He has the potential to be a terrific pass-catching third down back.

The Seahawks have previously targeted rounds 3-5 for the defensive tackle position and rounds 5-6 for cornerbacks. That’s the range I am projecting for those two positions here. I believe in trends (why wouldn’t you?) and the Seahawks have looked at receiver (first round via trade, rounds 2-3) linebacker (rounds 1-2) tackle (rounds 1-2) and running back (rounds two and four) early in the past.

196 Comments

  1. Trevor

    Rob if we came away with those 4 guys in the first 3 rounds and re-sign Okung it would be a solid off season for sure. Throw in Mack at Center and another championship caliber team.

    • Rob Staton

      If I was to extend this projection to free agency — I would possibly suggest Okung moves on, Gilliam goes to left tackle and they add a veteran center (possibly Mack). I think Irvin moves on, with Sweezy, Lane, Mebane, Rubin and possibly Kearse remaining. Even if Kearse stays — I wouldn’t be shocked to see Fuller added. Richardson’s absence has been big. Can you rely on him to be healthy?

      Alternatively they keep Okung, let Sweezy walk and have Bisnowaty as the swing tackle competing with Glowinski to start at right guard.

      • Trevor

        I think Sweezy is far more replaceable than Okung. If the funds allocated to him are the difference in resigning Okung I think you have to let him walk.

        I am anxious to see what Glowinski and Sokkoli do next training camp with a year under their belt with Cable. They obviously think highly of them both to keep them on roster despite not playing.

        • CHawk Talker Eric

          Glow was a R4 pick and a healthy active back up all season. He even played a few snaps in relief of Sweezy.

          The bigger story is Sokoli. He’s a mere R6 pick who’s been a healthy inactive every game this year. Clearly they didn’t want to risk him in the waiver wire.

          • AlaskaHawk

            I’m of the opinion that Seahawks should pay Okung and draft a good left tackle. They can always use the left tackle for other positions, and if Okung gets injured they have a decent backup.

            • Rob Staton

              “and draft a good left tackle”

              Again, it’s easier said than done. A good left tackle is going early in any draft.

              • AlaskaHawk

                The same could be said about wide receivers who fit the Fitzgerald or Megatron mold. Too bad there aren’t any at the Seahawks spot. Or are there?

                • Rob Staton

                  Not necessarily. You can generally find athletic, sudden wide receivers in the late first or second round. Round two can be a hot bed for good receivers. Top quality left tackles usually go in the top ten.

          • lil'stink

            The decision to put Sokoli on the 53 was always a head scratcher to me. They seem to have no intention of playing him, and I can’t imagine another team would have plucked him off our PS. I guess I’ll take that as a positive sign that the team thinks they have something in him.

            • matt

              Hiding Sokoli on the active roster is definitely a positive sign. Cable is training, this athletic freak, to compete for a starting job in the near future at C-G. At worst he replaces Lem next season, being able to backup multiple positions.

    • Eric

      Why would they go for an undersized receiver? Why not stock up on tackle/guard with the first two picks? Sweeney is garbage and not worth the money, Okung is only worth backup money. Why draft a 6′ receiver in the first when they have plenty and they usually wait until the third or fourth?

  2. Ed

    I had a similar wish list a few articles past. Although I think I had Prosise as the RB and Day (DT) instead of Bisnowaty.

    That would be an ideal draft. Athletes with football savvy. Would really like to keep Irvin and still go Striker or Killebrew.

  3. AlaskaHawk

    Pretty good start to the draft. Hopefully the Seahawks will get some production out of all four players you named.

  4. CHawk Talker Eric

    Today Tim Williams stated his intention to return to Alabama next year. Good move for him. His stock will soar with more snaps in 2016.

    • Volume12

      Probably was in his best interest.

      I actually kind of like the fact that Georgia’s Leonard Floyd played some inside ‘backer. To me, it says he can be more than a one trick pony at first.

      • matt

        Floyd has scheme versatility, being able to play multiple positions is to be valued. He shows an array of moves coming off the edge, with varying success, has great length and is very athletic. Concerns are his lack of natural instincts in space/coverage and he would need to gain 10-20lbs to play in our system-replacing Irvin. If we are looking for players that mirror Irvin’s skillset Floyd fits the bill. I don’t think that Floyd is worth the first round pick it would take to get him though, with such a deep LB class in this draft we could get a starting quality LB in rounds 2-5. With KJ being able to play either Will or Sam we don’t have to pigeon hole for a Irvin type clone.

        • Volume12

          Irvin isn’t a LB just like Seattle doesn’t use a big 5 tech and they don’t use a LEO anymore either.

  5. CC

    Is Fuller a good blocker as well? I struggle with the idea of drafting a WR in the first round – since I feel OL is our biggest need.

    I like Bis and that would be a good pick, but I would also look at Spriggs from Indiana – former TE if we are drafting toward the end of the first. Then maybe Docston drops and you can grab him in the 2nd.

    Then pick up a DT in there somewhere.

    • Rob Staton

      “Is Fuller a good blocker as well? I struggle with the idea of drafting a WR in the first round – since I feel OL is our biggest need.”

      Is Paul Richardson? That’s not what Fuller’s role would be.

      A lot of people will want them to go OL at all costs but it’s not always possible when you’re picking late in the first. I also suspect there’s a reason why they’ve deviated from going OL early after 2010-2011 and taken this different approach.

      • CC

        I realize it may be tough to go OL in the first if we draft 28-32 but if it is earlier, OL for me is the priority.

        • Rob Staton

          Who is likely to be available between 21-28 that won’t be there between 28-32 though?

          • Volume12

            All of ND’s WR’s block well. And P-Rich is a good run blocker.

            • CharlieTheUnicorn

              I think of Fuller as a Golden Tate clone…. and if he is productive like Tate.. you draft em, no question.

              • Volume12

                Yeah- I don’t see Golden Tate. Having said that, I’d pull the trigger on Will Fuller instantly.

                There’s someone on this ND team that Seattle likes. IDK if he’s eligible at all, but ND OT Mike McGlinchey was one of the best RT’s I saw all year long.

                • red

                  Tate got about 20lbs on fuller.

                • onrsry

                  Let’s just draft all ND players that are eligible, C Nick Martin, DT Sheldon Day, WR Will Fuller and RB Prosise. I think that would be possible with our first 4 picks.

                  • CHawk Talker Eric

                    We could do a lot worse.

                • Attyla the Hawk

                  I’ve posted this elsewhere, but I do think that WIll Fuller is one of just a handful of prospects that I see as having special quality.

                  Fuller can and does block extremely well. You can queue up any ND tape and you’ll see him out there sustaining blocks on the edge runs admirably.

                  Fuller is technically a very good receiver. I actually like his WR skills better than I did Tyler Lockett coming out last year. Lockett’s small hands and lack of catch radius did come into play at times. And we’ve seen a little bit of that this year. That’s just a physical shortcoming that will likely always persist.

                  Also it’s worth mentioning that there are many instances where the proper technique to catching a ball involves catching it into your body. High pointing is an easy to identify skill, but also a situationally improper way to catch a ball. Having that ability is a plus. But not knowing how/when to let the ball get to your body is a bigger minus. Where you see guys suffer, is waiting on the ball. Which is different than body catching. Lockett lets balls get into his frame largely because he does have incredibly small hands and short arms. But he compensates for this shortcoming by route precision and working his way back to the ball. As well as getting up in the air to create a higher catch point.

                  Fuller runs naturally crisp routes. He gets off the ball very quickly and doesn’t shake and dance needlessly. Able to quickly fight off and through contact at the line. Gets open with ridiculous consistency. Demonstrates plus quickness and burst from cuts. From tape I’d expect him to have good NFL speed (sub 4.5) which should be more than adequate.

                  I do think that being on the same team as Baldwin and Lockett would provide elements to his game that would elevate his skills. Lockett is incredibly good with his hips — able to use them naturally to turn CBs around and away from where he wants to go. Fuller uses precise cuts and proper angles to get separation. Add some guile with the use of his hips to his skill set and I think you have the makings of a real special NFL talent.

                  I also may be in the minority, but I do see Sheldon Day as a terrific prospect. He has a lot to work on — but I see a lot of natural ability that you simply can’t coach. He is extremely athletic and pursues excellently. His burst off the line is impressive and if you watch him, I’m pretty confident that his ability to be the first off the snap will become quickly apparent. He also displays above average leverage and presents a tough blocking assignment with both quickness and pad level.

                  He doesn’t have great size. And he doesn’t particularly anchor great. Definitely plays bigger than his 285 listed weight. But he doesn’t show a strong ability to take on a double team block. If you’re looking for a penetrating/one gap DT then Day has a lot of ability to work with. Improved technique with his hands should allow him to leverage his quick explosion off the ball to create distress in one on one battles at the next level. He’s more of a Clinton McDonald type than a Brandon Mebane type.

                  • Volume12

                    Day is so hit and miss for me. I like the flashes and get the appeal, but is he consistent enough?

                    Looks to be about 6’0, 278-280 lbs. And I’m not convinced he has the arm length requirements for a Seattle D-lineman.

                    I think he’ll have a hard time moving bigger, stronger O-lineman.

                  • Attyla the Hawk

                    No he’s not consistent enough. He’s not a day 1 kind of guy. There are weaknesses to his game. I would not put him in Kenny Clark’s class.

                    He is a shorter guy. So he doesn’t have length. But he does play with good leverage and worms his way into gaps well. He flashes good strength and technique enough that it’s apparent that he has the ability to work on the interior. You can see where he fails to do so and gets swallowed up even in one on one matchups.

                    When you’re looking at R2/R3 guys you have to assume there are warts to them. It’s more about seeing potential and whether or not you can develop them in order to be more consistent and reach their potential. Of the 2nd tier prospects, I like Day the most because you can see flashes of that ceiling that would have high impact for us.

                    And in particular, I’m looking at our scheme and what we want from a situational interior rusher. Day isn’t a base 3 tech type guy. But I can see him flourish in a one gap/penetrating defense where he is tasked with attacking and owning one gap. He has superior quickness off the ball. He can slash in a gap and present a tough blocking assignment. He has the ability to get even with a lineman in a gap consistently. It’s more about using skills to beat a tenuous block and work free to apply pressure.

                    If we’re talking about moving an offensive lineman — yeah that’s not Day. He won’t walk an offensive lineman into a QBs lap. Day needs to have complementary pieces on the defensive front.

                    Day has warts. Size, length and injury history among them. He’s really more like a mid R3 kind of prospect. But for what Seattle needs, he does present an appealing prospect in a narrow respect. It happens to be an aspect that Seattle needs.

                  • CHawk Talker Eric

                    Arm length isn’t as crucial for an interior DLer. Both Donald and Atkins have arms shorter than 33″.

                    Day isn’t the same prospect as Donald, but he’s similar to Atkins, who was a R4 pick. I suspect Day has similar draft value.

                    Regardless, he’s not a fit for 3-4 defenses so that excludes about half the teams.

  6. CHawk Talker Eric

    I’d be pretty satisfied if the top half of SEA’s draft looks like this.

    I still struggle choosing between Perkins and Prosise. They’re both good at the same things yet do it in different ways. I keep leaning towards Prosise, mostly because of his size and speed advantage. But Perkins is unlike any player SEA currently have.

    I don’t know if you have Prosise going earlier in this mock, or if you just prefer Perkins.

    • Rob Staton

      I like both but prefer Perkins.

  7. kevin mullen

    Fuller had a lot of production but a lot of those plays were over the top of the coverages, not sure what his 40 time is but he’s gonna have to get behind the safeties to do his damage. Saw a lot of body catches in that video, not much in high point. I don’t know Rob, would probably be pretty disappointed with this pick in the first round. Also, isn’t he coming back for his senior season?

    • Rob Staton

      He applied to the draft committee for a grade so it’s undecided right now. We’ll see. In terms of high pointing — I don’t think we saw a tremendous amount of that from Paul Richardson either — but there’s a very clear high-pointed touchdown catch in this video at 2:03. This, for me, is about even more dynamism to the offense if they went in a direction like this. There are at least a couple of clips here where he gets behind the safety (eg #14 vs Virginia, #7 late in the video) and there are some very clean hands catches. Lot of suddenness that Seattle likes — and the ability to adjust to the ball. He creates separation downfield and makes it look easy.

    • Michael (CLT)

      Fuller struggles to catch the ball. Other than that, I am all in.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        “Fuller struggles to catch the ball. Other than that, I am all in.”

        Not saying I don’t believe this. I just didn’t see this aspect. Do you have some games where you felt this to be evident?

  8. cha

    Eagles just fired Chip Kelly and his personnel guy.

    Tennessee anyone?

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      After this season, no one should be surprised by this news. Talk about a dumpsterfire in Eagles land.

    • Rob Staton

      Looks like it could be happening. Makes sense.

    • KD

      Wow. It almost seems too perfect, doesn’t it?

      • red

        Wonder if there will be a fire sale, John need to see what Jason Kelce cost would be.

        • Miles

          Does this increase chances that Maxwell could be released? If a coach comes in with a certain defensive style, he could decide Maxwell is not worth the cash.

  9. CharlieTheUnicorn

    I have a very hard time believing Seattle will take OL in the first round.
    I could see them taking almost every other position group, besides OL in fact. Yes, we view the OL as a big need, but Seattle will look at skill positions or DL/LB way before OL in the 2016 draft.

    • Volume12

      I gotta agree. You can fill needs in the 1st three rounds.

      An O-lineman ain’t there in round 1 or round 2, move on, address another need, and come back and get value.

      • AlaskaHawk

        But that is how Seahawks got into the position they are in now, not making offensive line a priority in last three years. The same could be said for the interior of the defensive line. In either case it is hard for people to imagine drafting higher then the third round. At least defensively they found some free agents like Avril. Seems like things will stay the same next year unless PC hits on some of the mid-late round development players. Sweezy turned out fine, they are due to hit on another player.

        • Volume12

          Don’t force a pick. Trust your draft board.

          Taking an O-lineman just for the sake of selecting one in the 1st round solves what?

          • DC

            Forcing a pick on the OL gets you Justin Britt as your starting RT.

            There are so many interesting guys that may be available when we pick this year. It’s so much more fun going into the draft with a first rounder (even if we ultimately trade out of that pick).

            Any chance that New England pulls off some b.s. and gets their 1st rounder reinstated?

            Anyone seen Louisville DT Sheldon Rankins play this year and have any feeling on him?

        • Rob Staton

          It’s very easy to say they should’ve done more in the draft on the OL. They only spent a second rounder on Britt in 2014. They previously spent two first rounders and a third rounder on the OL too. It’s had more draft stock than any other position group in the team. Seattle hasn’t neglected the OL in the draft. They’ve forced picks there and got guys that didn’t stick. They can’t do that again for the sake of it.

          • Attyla the Hawk

            This can’t be stressed enough.

            We can’t force the pick just for the sake of it. We’ve not done well going this route. It is a classic case of fighting the draft board.

          • AlaskaHawk

            The problem is you are remembering the draft from 2010- 2011. One thing fantasy football taught me is to not expect the same performance. All players age. All drafts sort themselves out – some succeed and some aren’t on the team anymore. Investing in the line 5 years ago does not equal performance now.

            Also I don’t think Britt is an example of drafting early, he is an example of what happens when you don’t draft in the first round and then reach in the bottom of the second because you think he is the last one at that level left. Maybe more important is the question of what PC uses to evaluate these players. Because lately there have been some really weird moves on the offensive line like using Nowak as a center.

            • Minnesotan

              Given that the three-draft window includes both of the team’s star@#$ing trades, is it possible to conclude from the expenditure of early draft capital over that span that the team prioritizied *any* position whatsoever, other than pass-catcher? The plot just doesn’t have enough data points to discern signal from noise.

              I do think your correspondents are being a bit unfair conflating “prioritizing the position” with “reaching on a player”. I wonder when we hear about the team’s lists of guys they can’t leave the draft without, guys who they’re going to build the draft strategy around like they supposedly did with RW in the 3rd in 2012 — how often an OL other than a late-round SPARQ demon project is on that list. It’s obvious that in the 2014 draft, Bitonio was not one of those guys — allegedly they wanted Easley with that pick. Passing Bitonio — then taking Britt in a panic/reactive posture — and being forced to do so because we shipped the 3rd round pick away for PFH … that also would not fit my definition of prioritizing.

              But we have to be a bit cautious about overfitting a story. They just made a dog’s breakfast of 2014, that’s it — it’s not self-evidently about the line as such. And then, if Britt didn’t make you avert your eyes … or James Carpenter had been 5% better and been extended … or they’d landed Trent Williams instead of Okung with that first pick of the regime — or John Moffitt wasn’t so very sigh … if any *one* of those things held true, the performance of this counterfactual line might have generated a conventional wisdom that the team had taken admirable care to build a solid foundation of line play for its dynamic young offense by allocating the big uglies a steady diet of premium picks, and that accordingly it would be no surprise to see them target another lineman in the first or second round this year to keep the pipeline running. Sliding doors and flapping butterflies and all that.

            • Rob Staton

              I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking at the 2010-2011 drafts. Those players were still on the roster until last year (Okung, Carpenter). Only Moffitt had gone. They then spent a second rounder on Britt in 2014. They made a big commitment to going OL early and have gone big on that area more than any position. And in fairness Alaska you’ve been making these points for a few years now on this blog. This isn’t a point (avoiding OL) that you’re only bringing to the table in 2015.

              The Seahawks haven’t had a top-15 pick since 2012 and it’s very difficult to find great offensive linemen in the late first. I liked Joel Bitonio as much as anyone and that to me was an error — but it also indicates a shift in approach that we have to consider and to an extent embrace. They want to go with speed, athleticism and difference making qualities early in the draft. That’s who they are. And they have gone that way after not having a great deal of success going OL early in the first few drafts PCJS had.

              And while we’ve all criticised the line this year — the Rams game vs Aaron Donald apart the line has improved. I wouldn’t expect them to force picks and just go OL for the sake of it in 2016. That is the point essentially. Yourself and others say, “just take an OL in rounds 1-2” but you don’t offer names. They can’t afford to make more mistakes on the OL.

    • Teej

      Even ahead of quarterback? Hehe. No, I’m with you on the O-line. The Seahawks are going to go for a difference maker – someone who will help them “get over the hump” per say, and an offensive lineman most likely won’t. Look at least year’s draft for first round offensive linemen drafted after pick #20: Cedric Ogbuehi, who has played all of four games this year; DJ Humphries, who has been a healthy scratch all year long; and Laken Tomlinson, who has been part of an abysmal line in Detroit. There were none taken in 2014, and Travis Frederick was the only one taken in 2013 – and even he was considered somewhat of a reach when he was drafted (though he has obviously proven that he wasn’t).

    • Eric

      WR is not a position of need. OL LB & DL. I’d put those as my top 3 before WR.

      • Rob Staton

        On the WR need — it could be more of a need than we think. Kearse is a FA and Baldwin’s contract expires after 2016. Richardson hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Yes there are bigger needs, of course. But we have to consider need and value. If there’s a very good, athletic, sudden WR available in the late first who could be a fantastic pick — are you going to pass to force a need on a weaker player elsewhere? Especially when the value at OL, LB or DL is pretty good in R2-4.

  10. Josh

    I was watching the UW bowl game and couldn’t help but notice the WR from USM. Watching Thomas lay I could have sworn he was 6’4. I looked him up and he’s listed at 6’1 200. Any thoughts on him Rob? I would love to be able to snag him if he’s available in rd 3 or so.

    • Michael (CLT)

      Loved that guy as well. I know nothing not have looked up anything on him. Impressive game.

      • DC

        I wasn’t watching but both of my brothers were raving about Thomas and their QB.

    • Attyla the Hawk

      Yeah, I remember hearing about him about mid season as a strong sleeper candidate. Not sure why it took so long for the hype train to make a stop for him.

      I remember thinking he’d be a real quality day 3 prospect. That bowl game was really an eye opener. His UDFA grades that still persist on some sites seems really really low. If he is 6’1, he plays way bigger than that.

      UW’s secondary is a quality college level unit. And he made them look incredibly average.

      • Josh

        Yeah I was watching that game and the TD in particular where he caught it and just exploded by the Safety was very impressive. A real good display of his athleticism. I wouldn’t mind picking him as high as the 3rd rd Comp.

  11. Volume12

    I might be in the minority again, but I do like Michigan St’s Shilique Calhoun.

    Love his ability to string pass rush moves together, his ‘dip & rip’ is on point, can convert power to speed. Not sure if he’s a great athlete, and I’m not necessarily advocating him as a 1st round pick either, but he’s got a Tyler Lockett like personality and is one of the guys that won’t wow ya, but will be a solid player for a long time at the next level, and IMO is still growing talent wise and physically.

    • drewjov11

      You’re not alone. He’s got some natural ability to disrupt and offense. He’s not perfect, but he’s got a special ability that can be utilized very nicely.

  12. Javiosullivan

    Thanks Rob!

    – Round one: Kenny Clark (DT, UCLA)
    If he is available in pick 23 no doubt. Top 15 talent.
    – Round two: Joe Dahl (T, Washington State)
    One of the best tackle in the draft. Very underrated. Good LT in Washington State, possible good LG. I want.
    – Round three: Max Tuerk (C, USC)
    Seattle needs a center. Likely go down by knee injury but Max in 3rd is a steal.
    – Round three compensatory: Paul Perkins (RB, UCLA)
    Same as Rob. We have Rawls but will need another good RB.
    – Round four: Mike Thomas (WR, Southern Miss)
    Do not confuse with Michael Thomas Ohio State. Mike Thomas is underrated, good size, good moves, good hands.

    • onrsry

      That would be a great draft in my opinion. But if they don’t resign Irvin they probably will go LB in the first 3 rounds.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        This draft looks really deep in the top 100 in RBs and LBs. Have to think we dip into that pool.

        I’m thinking that this year’s DT class is actually pretty deep in that range too. Not a lot of headliners. But seems deep in the 20-100 overall range.

        I would be surprised if we took two OL prospects in the top 4 rounds. One I could see if we’re looking at OT. But I would expect us to either elevate from within next year if we feel our development guys are ready, or to sign guys to give them another year. Whether thats signing our own guys or placeholders. We’ve not been shy about shipping off talent that we don’t think will work. The fact we’ve held onto both Sokoli and Glowinski I see as evidence that we like them internally better than we do as outsiders.

        It’s a good class to not spend two early picks on OL. I think all of these are indications we won’t go that route.

  13. Therick05

    I think that we shoud keep Okung, Irvin, Chancellor and Rubin. Let Lynch, Kearse, Mebane, Sweezy and Lewis go. With their replacement being Rawls (Michael and a 3rd round pick too) for Lynch, PRich and Kevin Smith for Kearse, 3rd round pick and Free Agency for Mebane, Glowinski for Sweezy and a 1st round pick for Lewis at C (a OL who can play C and OT would be perfect here). I think our biggest need is at CB, Shead and Lane will stay IMO, but they aren’t the future at the position, so they will need to use a 2nd rounder on a Cornerback.

    The OL in 2016 would look like this- Okung-Britt-1st round pick-Glowinski-Gilliam.
    RBs- Rawls, Michael and a 3rd round pick (Kenneth Dixon anyone?)
    WRs-Doug (who gets a extension), Lockett, Smith, Prich and a 4th rounder
    TE-Jimmy and Luke
    CBs-Sherm, Lane, Simon, Shead, 2nd round pick, Smith
    DL-Rubin, Hill, 3rd round pick, Free agent, Clark.

    I think this team would make the Super Bowl for the 4th straight year lol.

    • Therick05

      Rob, who are your favorite guys at DT, C, CB and WR who will be there when SEA is in the clock?

      Also, what you think about Kenny Clark?

      • Rob Staton

        In round one? I’m not crazy at all about this DT class. I just don’t see special interior pass rushers. It’s basically a cluster of guys who play the run well — but that’s so difficult to translate and project to the next level against superior offensive schemes and linemen. Kenny Clark to me is a perfect example of a guy who is a very solid college run stuffer. But I don’t see the kind of special qualities that scream top-tier interior D-lineman.

        For me it’s the easiest position to scout when you find a good player. Aaron Donald just jumped off the screen. It was blatantly obvious how talented he was. Ditto Sheldon Richardson who I had as the best prospect in the 2013 draft and felt he should’ve gone top five.

        I wrote this piece three years ago endorsing Kawann Short for the Seahawks in the first round (2013): https://seahawksdraftblog.com/kawann-short-is-more-than-good-enough-for-seattle

        Short has eleven sacks this season. And again, when you watched the college tape you saw a fantastic interior pass rusher. And it was obvious — as noted in the article.

        I thought Missouri’s Harold Brantley would end up being a fantastic first round interior pass rusher but sadly he was in a car accident and missed the entire season. He is returning to Mizzou and is one to monitor for the 2017 draft.

        I don’t see it with A’Shawn Robinson, Kenny Clark, Andrew Billings, Adolphus Washington, Jarran Reed etc. Washington shows in flashes only. Billings is OK. Robinson, Clark and Reed are run stuffers. I would never endorse a run stuffer in round one because you can find those guys anywhere. I can’t imagine the Seahawks ever taking a run stuffer in round one.

        My favourite DT based on upside potential is probably Vernon Butler at Louisiana Tech. My favourite corner for the Seahawks is Tre’Davious White, Eli Apple or Cam Sutton but I think all will be gone. I’m not crazy about drafting a center because I think the last thing this team needs at the position is more learning curve after this season. At receiver I’m a big fan of Will Fuller and Tyler Boyd but there are several others too.

        • CHawk Talker Eric

          What do you think of Mackensie Alexander? Does he belong in that group?

          IIRC he had a nice game vs Fuller, among others.

        • C-Dog

          I think also, when a college DT shows clear strength as a pass rusher, they typically go pretty high, unless there might be concerns of character, or size. If the Hawks do what we want to every year, the likelihood of them being in position to land that can’t miss player is pretty tough. There are ones that slip through the cracks though, Geno Atkins, Jurrell Casey and Mike Daniels where all 3rd and 4th rounders, size was probably the issue with each of them. Darrell Docket was a 2d round pick, and I think there where concerns of character.

          With short, fast and strong likely being the new vogue, Billings gets probably gets elevated. Maybe Washington slips well into round 2 because of his solicitation charge, and decides to prove the world wrong. Maybe there is a diamond in the rough waiting to be had later on.

          Butler is getting a lot of positive traction lately. Almost want to say that if Seattle went relatively high on a DT it would be someone who has all the physical traits to mold from but hasn’t necessarily put it together yet (a la Frank Clark).

          Watching some of the bowl games this weekend, I was somewhat impressed by Luther Maddy from Virginia Tech. I thought he showed a really good motor, had a nasty injury last year, but I think is a high character guy who could fit in a rotation. Size, and injury history will probably hinder his draft stock. Someone to think about in mid to late rounds.

          Watching UCLA vs Nebraska, while Kenny Clark got a sack and had some decent tackles inside, it seemed to me that Maliek Collins actually harassed more. Haven’t been really high on Collins while staring at the stats, but the flashes made me wonder if there isn’t something to some of the hype around him.

          • Volume12

            Love Vernon Butler and Luther Maddy myself.

            Butler is such a big time presence on the interior. Watching him, you can almost fell that presence.

            Tre’Davious White wears the acclamed #18 jersey for LSU. Well, V-tech has the ‘lunch pail’ they give to guys to take home and only 2 have ever brought it home. Darryl Tapp and Luther Maddy.

            • C-Dog

              I would most definitely be happy with either.

              Butler probably has the greater physical upside, plays with a lot of emotion, I’ve read some talk that he might even crack into R1, given the rarity of his size speed/power and intangibilities.

              Something tells me Maddy might have that heart of a lion to go along with the short speedy frame, and has just enough strength inside that could give guards fits in a rotation. Before is big injury he was showing solid production as a pass rusher, so there is a track record through college. He looked really good against Tulsa. The way TY McGill flashed in the preseason, I was a bit shocked he didn’t make the 53. Maddy is probably a stronger version of McGill. If they skip out on DT for the first 3 rounds, but grab Maddy in 4 or 5, I can definitely see something there to get a little excited about.

          • Volume12

            BTW, I still don’t think Frank Clark is or ever will be a DT. Can he rush from the inside? Sure. But, his strength is going to be he fact that he can disrupt thngs from 2 spots. He’s a young Michael Bennett. It took Bennett, like most rookies, about 3 years to reach their potential.

            • C-Dog

              Yeah, I have to agree with that, especially at this point. After the Vikes game, he’s gotten more washed out inside, washing away a lot of my hopes. He’s got some size and speed to do some interesting things inside, but it doesn’t look like he has the strength, definitely not the savvy yet to fight through top level guards and centers at this point, like a Mike B can. Also, I think the mere simple fact he wears #55 the Seahawks think of him as an End.

              I think Carroll wants a fast player who can play inside other than Bennett, and that’s what they are hoping for from Clark. I think they might still search that out in the draft, because it’s also got to be about strength. That’s where we might want to pay attention to the Maddy’s and such. Butler of sure.

              I think it was Rob Staten who said it best early in the pre-season, Clark is kind of a hybrid of both Bennett and Avril. I think that’s pretty accurate. I’m still high on his potential, just think it going to be more from the End stop.

            • CHawk Talker Eric

              Exactly why I like Hassan Ridgeway towards the end of Day 3. He’s not Malcom Brown. But he had a great season next to Brown last year, and he started this year injured which limited his production. I’d like to see him work next to Bennett in ‘Bane’s spot.

            • AlaskaHawk

              With his weight and speed, Clark is an ideal defensive end. But with Seahawks not being able to generate pressure in the middle, he is worth a try as a temporary measure. At least he has enough speed to keep after the QB. I’m expecting him to move back to the end next year.

    • Eric

      They won’t keep Michael. I doubt they keep Irvin – they could use that money other places, they have guys who can play his position well. He’s just going to cost too much and doesn’t have the value or attitude. They’ll add to their WR, but not R1, they tried that once and it backfired.

  14. Volume12

    Next year looks like there could be some special 3-techs. NC’s Naz Jones, Michigan St’s Malik McDowell, Oklahoma’s Charles Walker, Florida’s Caleb Brantley, Godcheaux at LSU, and Cal has one too.

    • Attyla the Hawk

      Can never have too many of these guys.

  15. Volume12

    Ya’ll seen Junior Seau’s nephew Ian play? Has a real O’Brien Schofield kind of vibe and skill set.

    • Rik

      I saw him play against Colorado State last night in the Arizona Bowl. He’s got good speed on the edge, very disruptive. WR Hollywood Higgins did well for CSU. And there was some dynamic power running on both sides.

  16. red

    In late first I kind of like Shaq Lawson if he comes out or maybe Bullard from Florida. With Jordan Hill always out could use some more pass rush especially if Irvin leaves as well can never have enough pass rush keep Bennett and Avril fresh.

    • C-Dog

      I like Bullard as well. I think a lot of folks see him as a run stuffing 5 tech, but I think of him as someone who could pass rush at the 3 tech as he did that a ton for the Gators. I kind of suspect Dan Quinn’s Falcons to be his next home though. DQ coached him college.

  17. Ely

    I would think TE would be high on their list. With Graham’s injury being a huge question mark and lack of depth behind Two LL’s who are the TE’s to look at in this draft? Both blocking and move?

    • Rob Staton

      It’s not a great class to be honest. Blocking TE’s don’t really exist in college either — you’ve got to do a lot of digging to find one. It wouldn’t surprise me if they add a veteran on a cheap deal and put them with Willson, Helfet and then eventually Graham when he returns.

      • Michael M.

        What do the Seahawks see in Cooper Helfet? I don’t get it. He doesn’t appear to do anything well. Can’t block and has terribly inconsistent hands. I find it hard to believe that this spot couldn’t be upgraded rather easily.

        • cha

          Helfet is a FA after this year. Wouldn’t shock me if they didn’t bring him back.

          • red

            Might bring him back for vet minimum.

      • troy

        Rob what about TE-David Morgan? Small school guy but he’s a beast, really solid blocker from what I noticed. Thoughts?

        • Volume12

          Tyler Higbee from Western Kentucky is the best blocking TE I’ve personally seen. He’s bigger, faster, and more complete than David Morgan is.

          • Miles

            Steven Scheu is a 6’5″ TE from Vanderbilt who is a solid blocker according to nfldraftscout.com. He is slow but seems to have good hands and reminds me a lot of Zach Miller on first viewing. Projected 6th to 7th round pick. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1877990/steven-scheu

  18. C-Dog

    I’ve been thinking about this all day. Not entirely related to Rob’s mock draft here, but he did bring up free agency in the Trevor comment, and the possibility of what they might do, and how it would impact the draft.

    So, here’s my thought; Of the two worst offensive performances this year, the one in Dallas, and then what happened last Sunday against the Rams, both games the Seahawks were without Russell Okung. These are the only games he missed this year. It’s also interesting that in those games they chose Alvin Bailey to start at LT and for Gilliam to remain at RT. Now maybe it’s just that they felt Bailey wouldn’t be able to handle RT, and LT is where he’s more comfortable, but it is curious that with all the suggestion of Gilliam being able to potentially convert to LT, that they didn’t use those games to utilize his athletic potential there. It could simply be that they felt he wouldn’t be ready, and didn’t want to disrupt his growth at RT, but that fact remains that these were to two worst outings offensively, and the loss of Okung likely had a great impact.

    In fact, Carroll said on the Monday presser that the loss of Okung was an impact. In paraphrasing Coach’s words, he’s their most veteran player, he helps settle and give confidence to the younger guys. In a nutshell, he’s a good LT that they are familiar with. I think there could be a greater chance now, after the season is done, when they self scout, they will choose to make it a priority to keep Okung around a few more years.

    I think it’s very possible the fans don’t see the value in Okung as much as perhaps the players and the coaches do. All the speculation on letting Okung walk and flip Gilliam to the left seems to have come from Danny O’Neil, who is obviously pretty close to the team, but he hasn’t been a hundred percent on all his prognostications. All the love tom Cable has for Sweezy, they drafted Glowinski in R4 to be a RG. I think that says something. They have their next athletic DT convert to OL in Sokoli.

    This is a solid mock up of what the Hawks might do this Spring, given the team’s past trends.

    Add another dynamic weapon for Russ. Add a pass rushing LB, and another Tom Cable type lineman. Add another talented young RB to split time and relieve Rawls.

    If they can add another young DT to the roster with 3 tech ability and pass rush potential, I would jump for joy. At any rate, adding depth there is a must.

    I just think, if I were a betting man, Okung is going to be on the roster in 2016.

    • Rob Staton

      I suspect given it’s Gilliam’s first year as a starter (and first full year as proper offensive lineman) — they didn’t want to overburden him too much by switching his position. And that makes sense. Let him spend the year learning to be a pro at one position.

      • C-Dog

        Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. It still seems off to me that they would have him spend a full year learning one position to switch him to a new position the following year to learn that, and that one being the position that protects RW3’s blindside. But, again, I am fully aware this organization does a few things that run counter to some of the things I would deem pretty logical.

        I do find it interesting, though, that in the two games where the offense has struggled the most this year were the two games minus Okung.

        If you didn’t check out Ray Roberts on Justin and G today, he gave some pretty solid insight as a former NFL LT on why he thought Seattle played so poorly against the Rams. When you are a young line, and clearly faced with better athletes in front of you who are beating you to the punch with speed and power and moves, your trust can waver quickly and you try to do too much, and that gets you into further trouble. This is where I think if we had Okung in the game, it would have very likely settled things just with his presence impacting the youngsters. It still would have been a dog fight, but I think we would have won.

        Minus the Rams fumble return for the TD, the score would have been 17 to 16 Seattle. Bad snaps, missed blocks, false starts might not have occurred as much. While the Rams probably would have continued to harass, we very well could be talking about a 23 to 17 victory, given them all kinds of accolades about how tough and pesky they are, but also chuckling to ourselves that they are still the Rams.

        But I’m also thinking we got a clear new cold war brewing with the Rams now. Our chances of inflicting them with a our own version of Aaron Donald and company is going to be pretty steep. What we can do, and what I think is probably the most sensible thing to do, is abandon somewhat the Tom Cable mid to later round experiments, and keep building up the O line with proven vets and high round talent. Keeping Okung, or signing Mack, and doing both is a great way to start. Drafting Biswowaty to add to competition at RG or RT makes a world of sense. Keeping Okung, and drafting Decker (or other OT) in round 1 if he’s there makes a world of sense, too.

        • Eric

          Dude, Okung is hurt, A LOT. Plus, the line left guys unblocked to try and block the second level before making sure the first line of defense was blocked. But Okung is not worth the money as often as he’s hurt and how many penalties he gives up. Start fresh, they can do better.

    • sdcoug

      Yet the Rams D-line has destroyed us many other times with Okung playing. Just seems like an easy excuse to me. As much as Rob seems to disagree with this, I still believe we are incredibly unwilling or slow to adjust our game plan when we face the Rams and cards

      • C-Dog

        That’s true, but until last Sunday, we’ve always been able to hold them off at home, and that is what we were all banking on. I think if we would have had him out there, it’s pretty reasonable to think we would have probably gotten another tough win over the Rams.

        • Volume12

          Jeff Fisher is highly overrated. Been a HC for how long now, and has only 6 winnng seasons?

          Love this analogy I saw. ‘Jeff Fisher doesn’t want to win the race, he wants to injure every other driver in it.’

          • CharlieTheUnicorn

            So (to us a NASCAR analogy) is he the Tony Stewart of coaches, without the championships? Just dirty dirty dirty. His DC is not much better.

  19. Adam B

    I like the players projected, I just have a hard time believing the Seahawks would leave the OL unaddressed for so long in the draft given that you also have them losing Okung…

    Certainly Tackle is a difficult enough position (and recent history has clearly illustrated this) that not even early First round talents make the transition to the pros very well, but relying on someone like Gilliam to shift over to an even more difficult position on the line, while filling the resulting hole at RT with another mid-round “Guard/Swing” type played just seems like a good way to repeat in 2016 the instability issues we’ve suffered through this year.

    With the noted potential absences of Paul Richardson and Bruce Irvin being potential issues, I can understand this mock, but consider it in this light; Would the addition of Paul Richardson, or the subtraction of Bruce Irvin have tangibly changed the Seahawks fate this year, AS MUCH as a more reliable/talented player on the OL would?

    In other words, can the Seahawks afford to overlook a potentially B grade patch at the OL in order to get a A- replacement at a less obviously flawed grouping?

  20. rowdy

    I don’t think striker will last to the end of the second but fuller should. 99% sure the Hawks trade down instead of take a wr in the first, something js just doesn’t do. And Harvin being the closest to a 1st round wr is a big negative lol. Personally I take fuller the cb before fuller the wr.

    • Ross

      I agree with these points completely.

  21. Ed

    Wilson can avoid the outside rush, but can’t from the inside. Let Okung and Sweezy go. Add Boone and Mack and your inside rush problems are as fixed as they could get. That allows Rob draft above, which would provide some fantastic playmakera on both sides.

  22. CHawk Talker Eric

    I keep saying Arden Key will be something special.

    • matt

      Key is a potential top 10 pick. No doubt.

  23. CharlieTheUnicorn

    LSU RB Fournette is helping his 2017 draft stock tonight vs Texas Tech.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      Patrick Mahomes QB for the Red Raiders has been fun to watch. Looks a bit like Wilson the way he extends plays by eluding pressure. That one goal line INT he threw was really a fantastic play by White to knock the ball in the air.

      Unfortunately for TT, they just can’t handle the LSU rush.

      • drewjov11

        If Mahomes makes some strides he could be a top pick next season, that is, if he even chooses to play football. He’s a talented baseball player as well. I remember his dad as a pitcher for he twins and other teams in the 90’s. But the kid has all the tools to be a star.

  24. Jon

    I would guess we keep Okung, Irvin, Rubin and/or Mebane, Lane and Ryan. We let Sweezy, Kearse (unless the price is minimal), and Lynch walk. There are many more but these are generally the big ones. I do not consider rfa as free agents so Shead, Lewis and others are not considered but most will stay.
    Paul Richardson being injured is a shame. His ability on the field once harvin left was great last year. On the WR conversation, I think Baldwin gets his third contract this year. And with that I think we still draft WR in the top rounds.

    OL we need another T/G (Dahl) and C (Martin) in the draft.

    • Volume12

      Seriously doubt that Nick Martin has the athleticism for a ZBS. He ain’t his brother.

      • CharlieTheUnicorn

        I think he will get over drafted because of his brother. I’m kind of hoping Seattle passes on this guy.

        • Volume12

          Me too. Him and Max Tuerk.

    • red

      Shead UFA not RFA.

      • red

        RFA for 2016 seahawks

        C. Michael
        A. Bailey
        P. Lewis
        D. Coleman
        N Moody
        C. Helfet

        ERFA for 2016

        M Burley
        S Terell
        J Williams
        M Seisay
        E Pickins
        A J Francis

      • Jon

        Actually he is ERFA. He has been around a long time but on the practice squad. OTC has the info.

        • Jon

          I think OTC is wrong. It depends on how a season is accrued. 2013 Shead was called up for 5 games plus playoffs (you need six for an accrued season). either way he is still RFA.

        • red

          http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/seattle-seahawks/

          http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/deshawn-shead/

          I believe Shead was EFRA for 2015. His contract this year is 660K which is tender for ERFA. He is UFA 2016.

          • red

            He is ERFA for 2015 UFA 2016. 660K is erfa tender which is his contract this year. UFA 2016.

            • Jon

              Nope. A player does not move from ERFA to UFA. ERFA is less than three years of service, of which Shead had 2 when he was an ERFA in the 2015 offseason. Their is no possible way that a player can go from ERFA to UFA in a single season. These things are bases on accrued seasons and a player can’t be unrestricted until they have four years.

              • red

                Ricardo Lockett ERFA 2015 and is listed as UFA as well. Look at spotrac website.

              • onrsry

                Yes he can’t go UFA from ERFA. He will be RFA and will probably get 2nd round tender like Kearse did last offseason.

  25. mishima

    Just don’t draft Jason Spriggs and we’re good.

  26. Donald

    I like the idea of drafting a play maker WR in the 1st rd, but I would like to see Tyler Boyd instead of Fuller. He seems to have it all, the height, speed, catching with his hands, high points the ball over the CB.

    Rob, why did you choose Fuller over Boyd?

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      All three guys I mention here are either late 1st or 2nd round picks most likely.

      Boyd: COMPARES TO: Nelson Agholor, Eagles – Agholor has a little more twitch and Boyd is more detailed, but there are similarities on film between the two wide receivers. There are some character concerns as well according to CBS Sports.

      Fuller: (Has not declared for the 2016 draft) COMPARES TO: Devin Smith, Jets – The most striking feature is his speed element to his game. Expected to be in the high 4.3s or low 4.4s in the combine. Productive for the Irish for multiple years.

      Cooper: COMPARES TO: Golden Tate, Lions – Cooper reminds of the Lions’ all-purpose standout physically, using a combination of agility, ball-skills and toughness to make plays as a runner, receiver and returner.

      I’m leaning towards Cooper myself, but there is plenty of time to find the right fit for Seattle. 🙂

      • Volume12

        Boyd looks like strictly a slot guy to my eye. Agholor has been a huge disappointment, save for 1 game.

        Fuller is much more of a complete receiver than Devin Smith was.

        Cooper is probably the most like Tate. For sure.

        • CharlieTheUnicorn

          I just read a report comparing Cooper to GB WR Cobb….. also exciting fit in my opinion.

          • Volume12

            Skill set wise, yeah I get that. But, physically Coop is the most like Tate.

            And while Boyd looks best served to work outaa the slot, that makes him unique IMO. With that length and size, he’d be damn exciting.

  27. Volume12

    UCLA RB Paul Perkins, Arizona WR Cayleb Jones, and Texas DT Hassan Ridgeway are declaring for the draft.

    Auburn’s Shon Coleman is undecided? Huge mistake IMO. He’s 24 already, what more does he have to prove?

    • Mike B.

      Yeah, I hope Coleman declares–he should discount the apparent ignorance about his draft stock and enter. Enough smart folks out there (including a handful of writers like Rob, and certainly several NFL scouts) are aware of his ability, so no way he’d last past the 2nd round.

      Ridgeway has only 2 years as a starter, but his size and ability are so great that it makes sense for him to declare. And I wouldn’t mind seeing Perkins in a Seahawks uniform next year.

  28. Mike B.

    The most difficult part of predicting what the Seahawks will do in the 2016 draft has to do with their first pick. Because of who’s likely (un)available in the later 1st round, I can see them trading back–maybe with a team drafting in the mid 2nd (a la 2014). So many good prospects will be available in the mid 2nd-4th range.

    I see them taking 9-10 of these guys (number depends on trading picks), in the following approximate order:
    1st: (if they do end up keeping their native pick): Tyler Boyd (WR, Pitt)
    2nd (if they trade back to mid 2nd): Sterling Shepard (WR, Oklahoma)
    2nd/3rd: Kyler Fackrell (LB/EDGE, Utah State)
    3rd: Jordan Howard (RB, Indiana)
    3rd: Vernon Butler (DT, LA Tech)
    3rd: Adam Bisnowaty (OT, Pitt)
    4th: Antonio Longino (LB/EDGE, Arizona State)
    4th: Austin Blythe (C, Iowa)
    4th: Artie Burns (CB, Miami)
    5th: Deiondre Hall (CB/DB, Northern Iowa)
    5th: Forrest Lamp (OT, Western Kentucky)
    5th: Taywan Taylor (WR, Western Kentucky)
    6th: Michael Caputo (SS, Wisconsin)
    6th: David Morgan II (TE, UT San Antonio)
    7th: Nick VanHoose (CB, Northwestern)
    7th: DeAndre Washington (RB, Texas Tech)

  29. Nathan

    Is a trade up in the first out of the question?

    Think about it, if okung wants money, they palce a deal worth 8 mil in front of him, if he wants more, they let him walk and take the comp pick, but use the 3rd rounder to move forward in the 1st.

    • Rob Staton

      Possibly, but a third rounder won’t take you that far up the board. It might be costly unless they lose in the wildcard.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      Moving up 10 spots from the low 20’s to the low teens would cost a R2 pick.

      Moving down from the low 20’s to the upper R2 would gain a R3 pick.

  30. EranUngar

    It has been a while since i felt the dire need to get a WR first. With the transformation we have seen with RW lately, I think that this offense is heading for true balance and the passing game is about to become as scary as our running game. For it to happen RW needs OL consistency & continuity and the best receiving weapons they can get. That top pick should indeed be a guy that can step in and made a difference as WR2 outside allowing Baldwin and Locket to play slot/redline. With Luke and a healthy JFG we should be dangerously prolific.

    The above draft answers that need and indicates by omission that at least 4 of the 5 on OL stay for 2016.

    Striker and Bisnowaty cover the other 2 areas of concern so they work great for me.

    The two other positions of need will be handled in FA (DT) and by resigning all current members and adding depth late(CB/DB).

    Sounds like a solid plan.

    • EranUngar

      And a blocking TE on a vet contract in FA would be really nice.

  31. Trevor

    I actually think the only 2 certain things this off season are

    1)Marshawn has played his last season as a Hawk and will a)retire or b)get released and sign with Oak or get traded to Oak for a late round pick.

    2) The Hawks resign Okung. He is vital to the OL, plays a premium position, he loves Sea and has local business investments and he let go his agent. He was PC/JS first ever draft pick and Okung will be out LT in 2016.

    • 12thManderson

      I’m not sure retaining Okung is a sure fire thing. I think it’ll really depend on Bruce’s price tag. I feel like Bruce and Sweezy are priorities 1A & 1B. Bruce being continuity with our LB’s and versatility. There aren’t many (if any) comps to Bruce in the draft to replace him. I believe KPL could do it at LB but that speed off the edge is something that we simply don’t have outside of Cliff. As far as Sweezy, cheaper price tag, lack of injury history, and the doubt of HIGH end talent at Center and RT, he’s the veteran stalwart on the right side. With Okung representing himself, I believe his price tag will be higher than we are going to value him, being how majority of our team have been late round picks, working on minimum rookie contracts. As to where Okung got #6 money and is used to that and probably looking for alot more.

      • Trevor

        If they thought Bruce was a priority they would have signed his option and not test the FA market. Irvin is gone IMO. Can’t have that much $ tied up in 3 LBs and Wright / Wags have gotten paid.

        • matt

          Completely agree with Trevor.

        • 12thManderson

          Why would they sign a 7 million dollar tender? They didn’t have too nor did they have the money to cover it.

  32. Ross

    I’d like to see a CB drafted in round 2, 3, or 4. I really like Jackson III from Houston. I agree with Fuller in R1.

  33. RealRhino2

    I’m fully on board with Fuller in R1. I like the whole first four rounds, Rob, though I might swap out Striker for a bigger body on the DL. In your mind, anybody like Spence or the guy from Maryland who should be available at this spot that you like? Or a DT?

    I’ve been saying for a while that a big receiver is wasted on us, and honestly, I think that maybe ANY receiver is wasted on us because we already have guys who get open all the time (IOW, I don’t think that’s the problem). BUT, Fuller has such easy speed it’s exciting to think that maybe the solution to Russ getting pressure is a five-step drop and go routes over the top to make the defense back off a little and keep an extra safety back. You watch Fuller’s tape and he’s blowing by potential first-round DBs with ease.

    And despite our terrible OL display vs. St. Louis, I’m thinking we don’t need great on the OL, we just need average or slightly above.

    • Rob Staton

      Vernon Butler might be my favourite DT for the second round scenario. I think they will wait, though, until R4-5.

  34. Trevor

    Rob do you think JS would consider trading a 1st rounder for Joe Thomas and let Okung walk? I thnik I would prefer Okung and the 1st Rounder but the Hawks have shown they will trade that pick.

    • Phil

      Trevor – If the Seahawks could get a proven, veteran LT like Thomas in exchange for their first-round pick, I would think they would be ecstatic. As Rob has pointed out in the past, lots of first-round LTs have been miserable failures. Why not eliminate much of the risk by exchanging your pick for a guy with a proven record — assuming you have the cap room to pay him?

    • Rob Staton

      I would say unlikely because he turns 32 in 2016. That’s a high price for a guy on the back end of his career. But they’re not afraid to make a big move.

  35. Trevor

    Paxton Lynch is not helping his draft stock today at all. I think teams will view Goff as the safer pick.

    • Attyla the Hawk

      I don’t think the bowl game matters.

      The reality is, either pick is going to have to get significantly better. The difference between draft day and end of year one can be more significant than day one as a freshman to end of Senior year. The amount of information to absorb is like drinking from a fire hose.

      It’s not about where each prospect starts when you’re looking at guys that aren’t obvious day 1 prospects. It’s about how well they absorb coaching going forward.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      I dunno. It’s just one game, for Goff on the plus side as much as Lynch on the down.

      And then there’s the disparity between the Air Force and Auburn defenses. Goff made some right pretty throws yesterday vs a non-existent Falcons pass rush.

      • Volume12

        The best QB in this class is ND St’s Carson Wentz.

        • CharlieTheUnicorn

          Wentz might need a year or two to become a fully operational NFL QB… if pressed into service week #1 year #1….. it will be a disaster. Dallas might be a good fit in all honesty.

          • Miles

            Is Wentz healthy enough for camp or will he start on PUP? I suppose it could impact his draft stock if he can’t get his feet wet in August.

  36. nichansen01

    All of the signs point to Okung staying in Seattle. The line is sunk without him, as evidenced by William Hayes unusual dominance. Irvin is a goner, he’ll be a hot commodity coveted by Atlanta and Jacksonville, and the two teams will likely have a bidding war over him.
    Lynch is a goner. Rawls, Wilsons success passing and his injuries and attitude problems make is nonsensical for him to remain.
    Sweezy and Kearse are up in the air to me. If the front office has its eyes set on a wide out in the first round, it doesn’t make much sense to throw money at Kearse. But he could be resigned in the cheap and he’s from the area, giving him incentive to stay. Sweezy was a seventh round pick, resigning him wouldn’t be hard and it would provide consistency to the group. If it came down to choosing between these two, I would keep Sweezy (who’s getting better every year) and let Kearse go, (Who could enjoy a breakout year in another team a la Bryan Walters and Golden Tate).

    I wouldn’t mind letting both Sweezy and Kearse go if it meant retaining Mebane and Rubin. Both are free agents. Our defensive tackle depth is paper thin behind them, Hill being constantly injured.

    Fred Jackson will likely retire after this season.

    Shead is RFA, he will be easy to resign. Burley and Lane are also easy resigns.

    Do they bring in any additional free agents? Alex Boone? Alex Mack? Prehaps.

    Let’s say we draft Fuller, Striker, Bisnowaty and Perkins.

    Kearse is gone, (Fuller), Irvin is gone (Striker) Sweezy? Is gone (Bisnowaty) Lynch and Jackson are gone (Perkins)

    I’m not considering Kam, Michael Bennet and potentially Jimmy Graham in this equation.

    My question is:

    Do we have enough cap space to resign:
    Russel Okung, Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin, Deshawn Shead, Jeremy Lane, Marcus Burley, and Jon Ryan

    And Sign:
    Alex Mack (Browns)

    If it entails releasing:
    Marshawn Lynch, Alvin Bailey (doesn’t like being here)

    And not resigning:
    Jermaine Kearse, JR Sweezy, Fred Jackson, Patrick Lewis and Bruce Irvin

    In this scenario, the 53 looks like:

    QB: Russel Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson
    RB: Thomas Rawls, Pual Perkins, Christine Michael, Derrick Coleman
    WR: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Will Fuller, Pual Richardson, Kevin Smith, Kasen Williams
    TE: Jimmy Graham, Luke Willson, Chase Coffman
    OL: Russel Okung, Justin Britt, Alex Mack, Mark Glowinski, Gary Gilliam, Adam Binowaty, Lemuel Jean-Pierre, Kristajan Sokoli, Terry Poole

    DE: Michael Bennet, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark, Cassius Marsh, Demarcus Dobbs
    DT: Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin, Jordan Hill, AJ Francis
    LB: KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner, Eric Striker, Eric Pinkins, Kevin Pierre Louis, Brock Coyle
    CB: Richard Sherman, Tharold Simon, Deshawn Shead, Jeremy Lane, Tye Smith, Marcus Burley
    S:Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Kelcie Mccray, Steven Terrell

    I would be optimistic about this roster heading into 2016. Lots of continuity (which isn’t a bad thing), with some interior changes to the offensive line and guys coming back from injury ( Simon and Richardson).
    The interior D-line in this scenario has been entirely retained from 2015. I don’t know if this is a good thing though, but I don’t know if we will find any difference makers at tackle past the fourth round.
    Rob has Billing and Robinson slipping out of the first. Reed, Jones and Day and likely second rounders. I am not sure where Vernon Butler stands.

    The play of Rubin and Mebane has bee great against the run but they haven’t gotten the ‘push up the middle’ we have talked about. Their are some nifty free agents… But Maybe Seattle waits until after 2016 (a season in which I suspect Wilson puts up career highs in passing yards and touchdowns) to invest early in a game changing defensive tackle.

    • cha

      I believe Shead is a UFA not and RFA, Coleman needs to be signed or tendered, and Tarvaris or equivalent backup QB would need to be signed as well.

      • Jon

        Shead is RFA. This is his third accrued season.

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        Lewis is also a RFA in 2016. I like the idea of signing Mack, but there’s no need to let Lewis get away. SEA needs quality depth, especially behind a 30 yo center.

    • vrtkolman

      When has the line ever looked good against that Rams? And that’s with Okung too. Hayes was dominating Gilliam not Bailey.

    • Trevor

      Sounds like a plan to me. I really like most of your ideas.

  37. vrtkolman

    I’m hoping the Rams and/or 49ers spend their first round pick on a QB, none of the QB’s in this class are all that good really.

  38. MikeB'hamster

    Realizing that this is the Seahawks Draft Blog, I fear we may be overlooking the fact that post season trades and free agency provide a pre-draft strategic opportunity to acquire proven, experienced, top level players by NEED, which is something which is virtually impossible to do in the draft, where, when your turn comes along, picking the best available player usually makes the most sense. Always keeping in mind the constraints imposed by salary cap management, then signing UFA players in the following key positions would significantly alter tactical draft planning for 2016.
    Candidates: All available/UFA.
    Center; Alex Mack, CLE, 30. Steven Wisniewski, JAC,26. Patrick Lewis, SEA, 24. Lem J’Pierre, SEA, 28.
    Tackle: Russell Okung, SEA, 28.Andre Smith, DEN, 28. Joe Barksdale, SD, 26.
    Guard: Alex Boone, SF, 28. JR Sweezy, SEA, 27.
    Defensive Tackle: Haloti Nagata, DET, 31. Brandon Mebane, SEA, 30. Nick Fairly, STL, 27. Ahtyba Rubin, SEA, 29. Tony McDaniel, TB, 30.
    Consider what it would mean if these four positions, all of which represent dire need, we’re upgraded in terms of both proven talent and depth. THEN, what freedom would be afforded to go after skill positions in the draft?
    I would be grateful to hear comments regarding both the trajectory, and the targets of this notion.

    • cha

      Mebane will an interesting case. The Hawks asked him to take a pay cut this summer and he refused, but they kept him. So what will they do this offseason with him? I’d be nice for both sides to get a deal done sooner rather than later. As for other DL depth, the Hawks have traditionally found some good mix-n-match pieces in the secondary FA market, after the draft but before training camp.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      Are you considering only OL/DL?

      If not, I’d add the WR group to key positions in flux for SEA with Baldwin and Kearse entering FA.

      • cha

        Baldwin is a FA next year. But likely a good idea to extend him this year if it can work out.

    • Phil

      MikeB — I like the “trajectory” of your notion. Where the Seahawks can identify a specific need, and when there are veterans who can fill that need (based upon a demonstrable body of past performance), then using trades (both players and draft picks) and free agents to fill those needs seems like a logical thing to do. And, JS seems to like the notion too. Think of where the Seahawks would be without guys like Lynch, Avril, and Bennett, and Graham, too.

      • MikeB'hamster

        Thanks Phil, you said it better than I….

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      John Clayton brought up an interesting point, a few days ago, about FA additions to teams in 2015…. only 1 guy, OG Iupati in AZ made the pro bowl, almost every other guy didn’t live up to the money they were given as FAs.

      If they are adding a guy, do it via trade, not FA.

      • Rob Staton

        And the counter to that is… Revis and Browner pushed NE over the line last year…

      • Nathan

        Michael Crabtree and Brandon Marshall worked out OK.

      • cha

        Revis made the Pro Bowl after signing with the Jets too.

  39. MikeB'hamster

    I only noted OL/DL because they comprise the most urgent need, which can be better addressed by free agency, than by the draft.

  40. MikeB'hamster

    Also, limitation of funds due to salary cap are better directed to buying the quality players who dwell in less expensive position groups in free agency, while spending relatively less on skilled positions in the draft, at least for the first several years…

  41. Volume12

    The only FA’s that have ever worked out for Seattle are on the D-line.

    Would it be nice to add Mack? Yeah, but if he’s the top C in FA how much is he going to cost? Evan Mathis has not been very good at all for Denver. Giacomini was cheap and under the radar. The big money FA’s on the O-line, I’m hoping they pass on.

  42. Volume12

    2 DT’s that are under the radar and to keep an eye on:

    Maryland’s Quinton Jefferson-6’3, 290 lbs., and his arms are insanely long. Goes hard every snap, can line up at DE as well.

    Indiana’s Darius Latham- 6’5, 300-305 lbs., former BBall player, and I’ve heard he’s a freaky type of athlete.

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      Latham is a guy to keep a close eye on during the combine/pre draft process. He might be exactly what the DR ordered for some youth on the DL in 2016. Later in the draft, could be a huge bargain/value pick.

  43. MikeB'hamster

    V12….Might you possibly construct a scenario involving the center position, considering that Patrick Lewis, and Lemon J’Pierre are both UFA’s. This would seem to indicate a bad situation ultimately becoming worse. Perhaps Stefan Wisniewski? Drafting a potentially decent center seems improbable….

    • Volume12

      I think Lewis stays.

      If the price is right for a veteran FA at C, I could see them going that route, but I have my doubts about that.

      And, I think they’ll draft a C in the later rounds to backup Lewis. And draft an OT in the 1st three rounds to backup Okung and Gilliam.

      If Okung leaves, then move Gilliam to LT, draft a RT, and sign a C in FA.

      But, they should try and keep as much of this O-line together as possible.

      LT-Okung/rookie
      LG- Britt/Poole and Sokoli
      C- Lewis/rookie and Sokoli
      RG- Sweezy or Glo/Sokoli
      RT- Gilliam/rookie

      • Volume12

        And if they don’t add a FA at say C, I’d look for them to add a LG-RT type of player in FA. Someone with the versatility to play 2-3 spots on the line.

        • Miles

          I don’t think Poole is going to make it guys. He was probably our worst O-Lineman in preseason and that is saying something.

  44. MikeB'hamster

    Russell Wilson is getting hammered, bruised, and battered. He is now limping back to the huddle! 13 qb hits by STL. There is little or nothing that can be done to upgrade the OL from now to the end of the season, but somehow, the Hawks must, without fail, take the necessary steps to create a line which will keep RW upright and healthy. For if he goes down with injury, then the lights go out in Seattle. Seriously. This problem does not seem to have a solution in the draft….so whence?

    • Volume12

      Not having a TE in the game to help Gilliam really hurt them schematically.

      And a hybrid FB would be huge for this team. An H-back if you will. Their almost using Fred Jackson in this role.

      • onrsry

        I have been thinking this recently,a proper H-Back would be great, we know how they using Tukuafu, except the receiving part he has been used like a H-back,in some degree. A good one to replace Fred Jackson would be really great.I think it’s an important part of our offense.We know how hard it is to be without Luke Willson as a blocker there, if Tukuafu couldn’t play same problem would occur.

      • onrsry

        Vol12, are there any FA guys that could be used like an H-back, that you know about? Maybe someone accustomed to that role with his old team?

        • Attyla the Hawk

          Maybe not FA guy, but I do think that if you’re looking at a buy low kind of trade candidate, I would keep the name CJ Fiedorowicz in mind.

          His career has sputtered since being a high 3rd round pick. His best attributes is his all around game. An above average inline blocker is probably where he compares best amongst the NFL TE spectrum.

          Houston sees him as a serious upside guy. But he’s failed to emerge this year. I’m guessing a lot of that is due to the QB situation down there where they have had 4 different starting QBs this season. His production frankly looks pretty similar to Luke Willson this year as a pass catcher. Although unlike Willson, CJ’s catch rate is second on the team — completing 75% of the targets his way.

          In college, he wasn’t a special TE. But he was a good all around TE that I thought would be a good mirror for Zach Miller. Houston is in a spot where I’m not sure if he’d be available or not. They billed him as a ‘Gronk-lite’ player and he’s not fulfilled that promise. I’m doubtful he would emerge there or even here.

          But for what we’d want — namely a quality blocking TE who can threaten in the pass game — he still looks like a perfect get for us. Not a player that we have to force feed targets to. But undoubtedly would be the best blocking TE on our roster the moment he steps foot in the locker room.

        • Volume12

          Would love former Udub Huskie Marcel Reese, one of the most unique players in the NFL.

          But, I’m kind of with Attyla. It’ll either be a bargain bin FA or a 7th round draft choice, of they so choose. Remember the Kiero Small selection? This is one of the few remainng teams in the league that use a FB/H-back.

          There are some good options in the draft. Your 6th and 7th round picks are like throwing pasta at rhe wall. You hope they stick, but if not, no big deal.

    • AlaskaHawk

      And it won’t be any better when they face Arizona’s multiple blitzes. Seems like they send 6-7 guys sometimes. The problem is that even if the QB gets the ball off fast the defense will still take a shot at the QB. And unless the refs start calling them….

      Personally I thought Wilsons slide with two St Louis defenders landing on him, one helmet first, was a travesty. No flag though.

  45. Ed

    Hawks need to fix the inside pass protection. Britt is the only player without expiring contract. Have him and Glowinski battle for one guard spot, let Okung and Sweezy go. Hawks sign Mack and Boone.

    Gilliam/Britt/Mack/Boone/Bisnowaty

    It’s the best case scenario. The middle pass pro gets dramatically improved (where Wilson has problems with the rush) and get young outside (where Wilson can avoid the rush).

    That allows the 1st and 2nd to be used for playmakers, like Rob draft had.

    1st Fuller (WR)
    2nd Striker (LB)
    3rd Bisnowaty
    3rd Perkins

  46. MikeB'hamster

    V12, I agree that Lewis should stay, but more appropriately as a backup. Alex Mack seems a good option, but as you imply, may be too expensive, so maybe Wisniewski? I worry about the injury-prone Okung, but think we should try to keep him, while at least looking at Andre Smith, and J. Barkdale. Same with guard, take a look at Alex Boone, making Sweezy/Britt the utility guy instead of Alvin Bailey.
    At DT, the loss of Tony McDaniel has been often lamented. Perhaps rightly so. Having seen Earthquake McGoon, er…Aaron Donald, create utter destruction and wreak total havoc on the Hawks offense, I’d even look at Ngata….
    I expect there will be some significant roster changes for 2016, and some real upgrades and improvements are possible. Pretty exciting!

    • Volume12

      Pass on Andre Smith and Barksdale. Boone wouldn’t be bad.

      I wouldn’t expect significant changes though.

      • MikeB'hamster

        V12… what is your evaluation on FA tackles A.Smith, and J.Barkdale? The reason it may be necessary to look at them is that Okung, as a FA, may get a better offer somewhere else and leave, or even if signed, likely will continue his confirmed history of unreliability due to injuries. Gilliam has been less than average at RT, and would be at least questionable as a new starting left tackle. The Hawks will be challenged by draft position and other needs to do more than throw a dart at the board, and that won’the be much of an option under the circumstances to upgrade their weakest position grouping, the OL. It seems that due diligence alone would require looking at proven FA tackles, so in that sense, who do you think might be potential candidates?
        With specific attention to the OL, it may be the case that the universal concern over the under performance, along with a new appreciation of the underestimated importance of the OL will likely result in a determined effort to upgrade that unit. And that recognition will lead to seeking improvement from the source that will produce the best, most cetain, and immediate results….trades and free agency. * your proposal on the hybrid FB/ HB is good, outside the box thinking.

        • Volume12

          I don’t like any FA OT’s. Andre Smith is fat and not athletic enough for a ZBS, and Barksdale is aveage at best with no upside and doesn’t fit TC’s specs.

          No, you don’t draft an OT in round one just to satisfy a fan base. Who has been a good pick in the late 20’s these past few years on the O-line?

          • MikeB'hamster

            There are 50+ FA tackles in 2016. Your standards are high.

            • Volume12

              Are my standards high or reasonable?

              I looked at the .list and it’s very underwhelming.

              50 guys. Figure that 10 will be re-signed, 10 are old and on the downsie of their career, 10 aren’t starting LT’s, 10 aren’t even LT’s, 10 are overrated or not any good, and a couple are more Guards than Tackle’s. That leaves what, 7-8 names? And with the lack of O-line talent across the entire league, those guys are going to get masively overpaid.

              I like Mike Adams, is he more of a RT though? I like Kelechi Osemele, but he’s more of a LG. And I like Donald Stephenson, but again, he’s more of a RT.

              None of those options are more appealing than Garry Gilliam IMO.

              Ya just don’t find LT’s easily, and very rarely, if ever, do you find one in FA.

              Seattle also just doesn’t seem to sign FA’s on the O-line. Giacomini was the only one that worked out, and he was a ‘bargain bin’ type. If they lose Okung, there’s plenty of good RT’s in this year’s draft.

              • MikeB'hamster

                Thanks, good comprehensive review….

  47. MJ

    I like Perkins but think he can be had later than Round 3, mainly bc I don’t think he’s a feature back. That’s a steep price for a 3rd down guy with no special trait (albeit a very good player). I’d much rather go with Kenneth Dixon, who I think has the ability to be a starter in this league. Not to mention, he has a 3rd down skill set as well. I think he and Perkins are listed at the same/similar size, but Dixon looks more “sturdy”. Dixon probably can be had slightly later, as well.

    Would be happy with this draft. I really do think WR will happen with one of the top 2 picks we have. I think the likelihood of Kearse leaving is higher because (mainly) I think the Seahawks want a cheaper, younger, long term option getting prominent snaps over a guy like Kearse, who despite some big moments, leaves a lot to be desired. I think he disappears far too often. Someone like Fuller on the same field as Graham, Lockett, and Baldwin (with Rawls) is a potential nightmare for opposing defenses. Especially if the OL continues to grow despite last weeks hiccup.

    Great work Rob.

  48. Pauld

    Half this team is made up of 7th round picks/free agents. We have seen that the Hawks are happy to deal 1st round draft picks and there are rumors that Cleveland would move Joe Thomas. With all the comp picks, many of our draftees will be cut anyway. Thomas was an absolute monster in the game a CLink. More cap flexibility and a clear upgrade at LT – while unlikely, I would not be surprised if that went down.

    I hope the conjecture is correct about Sokeli and he is being groomed for a real opportunity to play. The next game and playoffs will play a big factor in determining what direction they are going to go on the Oline. Do they think Lewis is an intergral piece. What about Britt?

    It will be interesting to see how the rest of the league values some of our free agents. I think we will value Kearse and Sweezy the highest given how well they play in our system. When Irwin put a silly hit on a sliding quarterback, my first thought was how many other knucklehead mistakes he makes that our coaches notice and I don’t. Pete had high expectations for him but rarely singles him out for praise. Not entirely sure there will be a bidding war for his services.

    I think they would love another receiver like Fuller. I still think they are holding out on Richardson who they think can be a difference maker. I bet they feel about him like they did about Walter Thurmon. His injuries are all related and he just needs to fully heal up. With a healthy….cough…Graham back, a receiving corps with Baldwin, Kearse and Lockett will be a strength regardless.

    Depending on how they handle free agency, they may have very few holes to fill and can simply take the whoever they want in each round of the draft – quite the luxury.

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