Updated mock draft (two rounds): 3rd April

#1 Blake Bortles (QB, UCF)
He’s elusive for a 4.93 runner. He extends plays. Bortles is a very creative quarterback. Houston’s offense is set up for a big rebound year if they find a solution here.
TRADE #2 Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina)
Doesn’t it just seem inevitable? The Falcons move up for Clowney. The Rams are happy to deal down.
#3 Johnny Manziel (QB, Texas A&M)
The ultra competitive Manziel fits Gus Bradley’s approach perfectly. The Jaguars need someone who can come in and elevate this team. Manziel can be that guy.
#4 Greg Robinson (T, Auburn)
Just take the best player on the board. Robinson would dominate at right tackle or guard. Make the offensive line your identity and run the ball.
#5 Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson)
The best receiver prospect to enter the league since A.J. Green and Julio Jones. You can build around a talent like this.
TRADE #6 Khalil Mack (OLB, Buffalo)
When’s the last time a Jeff Fisher team spent a high pick on the offensive line? Mack can play linebacker and create a terrifying triple-threat attack rushing the passer.
#7 Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M)
Josh McCown had Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey last year. If they’ve signed McCown to start, give him Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans this year.
#8 Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh)
He won countless awards in college, had major production and lit up the combine. Mike Zimmer might see Geno Atkins in Donald.
#9 Jake Matthews (T, Texas A&M)
This would be good value for the Bills, who can start Matthews at right tackle.
#10 Marqise Lee (WR, USC)
Matt Stafford throwing to Megatron, Golden Tate and Marqise Lee. That’s how you kick start this team. Get a cornerback in round two.
#11 Taylor Lewan (T, Michigan)
Some believe he’s a bit of a phony tough guy. Others really like him. It’s worth a shot here.
#12 Kelvin Benjamin (WR, Florida State)
Finding a big target for Eli Manning has to be a priority. Benjamin oozes potential, even with those inconsistent hands.
#13 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S, Alabama)
They need to keep adding talent to their secondary. This would make a lot of sense here.
#14 Calvin Pryor (S, Louisville)
They’ve added Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen up front, now they need to improve the secondary. A bit of a reach.
#15 Odell Beckham Jr (WR, LSU)
Receiver is now a big need for the Steelers. They need someone who can come in and have a quick impact. Out of all the WR’s in this class, Beckham Jr is best served to hit the ground running.
#16 Anthony Barr (DE, UCLA)
I wouldn’t draft Barr this early, but the Cowboys are stuck without moving up or down. After bringing in Henry Melton, they need an edge rusher. They have no alternative.
#17 Joel Bitonio (T, Nevada)
While the rest of the league sleeps on this guy, a smart team like Baltimore will add a legit top-20 prospect.
#18 Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina)
The Jets need to add a receiver or a tight end here. If Ebron lasts this long, he’s an option. They should keep adding weapons on offense.
#19 Zack Martin (G, Notre Dame)
An absolutely superb tackle in college, but expected to move to guard in the NFL. Could play left guard next to Brandon Albert.
#20 Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota)
They don’t have a lot of remaining needs — apart from finding a long term answer at quarterback. Even so, Hageman is a value pick at this point. They can add a developmental QB later.
#21 Ryan Shazier (LB Ohio State)
Green Bay’s defense is too slow, too sluggish and doesn’t have enough playmakers. A linebacker like Shazier can help take this unit away from total mediocrity.
#22 Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State)
A physical corner who plays with an edge. Good blitzer. Philly wants tough football players on defense and this fills a big need.
#23 Donte Moncrief (WR, Ole Miss)
He’s a big time athlete with good size. Kansas City needs a sparky receiver like this. His best football will come in the NFL.
#24 C.J. Mosley (LB, Alabama)
Linebacker and cornerback are the big needs here. Although they need to do their homework on Teddy Bridgewater. Do you really want to pay Andy Dalton?
#25 Louis Nix (DT, Notre Dame)
They need to bring in a nose tackle. Nix isn’t Dontari Poe or B.J. Raji in terms of athleticism, but he can hold the point and absorb blockers.
#26 Brandin Cooks (WR, Oregon State)
I think they’ll be happy to wait until round two for a quarterback. They have the #35 pick. We always expect teams to move up for a QB and it never happens.
#27 Morgan Moses (T, Virginia)
New Orleans can’t afford to mess around at left tackle any more. Moses deserves a chance to start on the blind side.
#28 Brandon Thomas (T, Clemson)
I’m not sure how Carolina has allowed a situation to occur where they’re suddenly desperate at receiver and the offensive line.
#29 Martavis Bryant (WR, Clemson)
He has a little Randy Moss to his game. Bryant would provide an explosive X-factor to the Pats offense.
#30 Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State)
Nearly benched last season and overrated after a great combine. The Niners can afford to take a chance on this gambler with their dominant front seven.
#31 Chris Borland (LB, Wisconsin)
Denver needs a tone setter. A leader. A guy who flies around. This would be a smart move. You want this guy on your team.
#32 Cody Latimer (WR, Indiana)
Competes for the ball in the air, runs in the 4.4’s, possesses strong hands and run blocks superbly.

Round two

#33 Houston Texans — Bradley Roby (CB, Ohio State)
#34 Washington Redskins — Jimmie Ward (S, Northern Illinois)
#35 Cleveland Browns — Derek Carr (QB, Fresno State)
#36 Oakland Raiders — Stephon Tuitt (DE, Notre Dame)
#37 Atlanta Falcons — Jace Amaro (TE, Texas Tech)
#38 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Timmy Jernigan (DT, Florida State)
#39 Jacksonville Jaguars — Jarvis Landry (WR, LSU)
#40 Minnesota Vikings — Zach Mettenberger (QB, LSU)
#41 Buffalo Bills — Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers)
#42 Tennessee Titans — Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Louisville)
#43 New York Giants — Kony Ealy (DE, Missouri)
#44 St. Louis Rams — Xavier Su’a-Filo (G, UCLA)
#45 Detroit Lions — Kyle Fuller (CB, Virginia Tech)
#46 Pittsburgh Steelers — Jason Verrett (CB, TCU)
#47 Dallas Cowboys — Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Boise State)
#48 Baltimore Ravens — Marcus Smith (OLB, Louisville)
#49 New York Jets — Davante Adams (WR, Fresno State)
#50 Miami Dolphins — Ja’Wuan James (T, Tennessee)
#51 Chicago Bears — Stanley Jean-Baptiste (CB, Nebraska)
#52 Arizona Cardinals — Antonio Richardson (T, Tennessee)
#53 Green Bay Packers — Allen Robinson (WR, Penn State)
#54 Philadelphia Eagles — Dee Ford (DE, Auburn)
#55 Cincinnati Bengals — Marcus Roberson (CB, Florida)
#56 San Francisco 49ers — Bruce Ellington (WR, South Carolina)
#57 San Diego Chargers — Jeremiah Attaochu (OLB, Georgia Tech)
#58 New Orleans Saints — Jordan Matthews (WR, Vanderbilt)
#59 Indianapolis Colts — Deone Bucannon (S, Washington State)
#60 Carolina Panthers — Cyrus Kouandjio (T, Alabama)
#61 San Francisco 49ers — Marcus Martin (C, USC)
#62 New England Patriots — Troy Niklas (TE, Notre Dame)
#63 Denver Broncos — Gabe Jackson (G, Mississippi State)
#64 Seattle Seahawks — Brent Urban (DT, Virginia)

— I’ve included one trade this week. I think it’s almost inevitable we’ll see a deal between St. Louis and Atlanta. Thomas Dimitroff and Les Snead are close. Not just in a football sense — they both have ridiculous hair. The Falcons go up to add Clowney, the Rams fall back and play the percentages. One thing worth noting — Jeff Fisher never invested a great deal of draft stock in his offensive line during the Tennessee days. Don’t be shocked if he goes in a different direction here. They’re already paying big money to Jake Long and Roger Saffold.

— I have nine receivers going in the first round. Not a single one is a reach in my opinion. Nine offensive linemen went in the first round last year — this really isn’t any different. It’s a fantastic group of receivers. Simple as that.

— Cody Latimer is this weeks #32. He’s a freakish athlete with basketball skills, he’s a terrific run blocker and he competes for the ball in the air. If you want to take shots downfield he’s got the 4.4 speed to run by defensive backs and the strong hands to win contested passes.

— Any team that gets Brent Urban late in the second round needs to get the champagne out. If the injury issues this off-season lead to a fall, it’ll be a crying shame. A smart team will capitalise.

— Joel Bitonio goes at #17 to Baltimore. He’s a legit top-20 player for me and the Ravens always seem to draft the players I bang on about (Courtney Upshaw, Jimmy Smith, Arthur Brown). Joking aside,  check out this interview with Bitonio for an insight into the man. Athletic bloodlines, incredible combine, excellent tape, flawless character. He’s everything you want in a first round pick. It’ll be nice if he lasts until #32.

— I didn’t deliberately avoid the offensive line for Seattle. What we see here is a very real scenario — a handful of options leave the board before #32 (Bitonio, Moses, Thomas) and the same thing happens at #64 (James, Richardson). You can’t fight the board — and it could mean an OL-heavy end to the draft as Tom Cable goes through his late-round list.

78 Comments

  1. chris b

    rob,

    if for some reason moncrief, bryant and benjamin were sitting at 32 and you were the gm of the seahawks which one would you take? btw good job on the mock as usual.

    • Rob Staton

      I would rank those three in this order — Benjamin, Moncrief, Bryant.

  2. dave crockett

    Glad to see a Bruce Ellington sighting there in the 2nd round. He reminds me so much of Golden Tate in terms of a WR in a RB’s body. He’s not quite as slippery as Tate, but he’s faster. He may be a guy that three years from now people are saying, “I wonder why nobody was talking about that guy?”
    ***
    Although I’ve been all about Latimer since the Indiana/Mizzou game early in the non-conference season, I’m curious about him over Brandon Coleman? I’d love to hear your thinking on that selection.
    ***
    What are your thoughts on some later round gems and UDFAs that may pique Seattle’s interest?

    • Rob Staton

      I would grade Latimer and Coleman very similarly. I think both are great options for Seattle at #32 — two potential ‘shocks’ that really shouldn’t shock anyone.

      However, I’ve talked so much about Brandon Coleman over the last two years I’m cautious of turning into Tim Burton with Coleman becoming my Helena Bonham Carter. I don’t want to put my eggs in one basket. And if he does end up going to #32, I’m sure this community will recognise the attention we gave him without needing to mock him to the Seahawks most weeks.

      • dave crockett

        I had to look Tim and Helena up. I don’t get out much. 🙂
        ***
        Fair enough on Coleman/Latimer.
        ***
        It will be VERY interesting to see if Seattle draws interest from someone trying to get back into round 1. Perhaps Oakland feels like it needs to leapfrog Cleveland to get its pick of the “other” QBs. Seattle has done deals with that front office, which just happens to be in survival mode.

        • Rob Staton

          I don’t expect any team to trade for Seattle’s pick for a QB. It’s the last pick of the day and there’s really no reason not to make the same call to New England at #29 (for example). Plus every year we talk about teams trading back into round one for a QB. I don’t think it’s happened for seven years.

          There’s a clear reason IMO why none of the Super Bowl winners have dealt the #32 pick since they turned round one into day one. It’s not just a coincidence. Teams do their dealing before the last pick of the day. And the only shot Seattle has of moving down IMO is if they’re willing to do it for something ridiculous like swapping fourth round picks. Losing an extra year on the contract is not worth swapping fourth rounders IMO (you get an option for the 5th year of a contract with all first round picks).

          • Don

            The reason Super Bowl winners don’t trade out of the #32 pick is because the team needs to replace their talent since most of the good players leave for free agency. They need all of the good players they can get.

            • Rob Staton

              I’m not sure a move down a few spots would have a big impact there in terms of rebuilding. I genuinely believe it’s just a case of teams knowing they’ll have an evening to take stock right after pick #32, and those who do want to move up make those aggressive moves (as we saw last year and in previous recent drafts) in the 25-30 range.

              By the time Seattle’s on the clock I fully expect any deals to get back into the first will be already concluded. And when presented by a token gesture trade (should one materialise) Seattle will probably prefer the option for a 5th year on the contract.

              • SHawn

                I had forgotten about the fifth year option for 1st round picks. I think that alone should be worth a decent pick in return.

                However, other teams, at least the good ones, will also factor the fifth year option into the trade equation. Perhaps thats what makes 32 enticing enough to make a move for.

                Although I do agree that if a team is wanting to trade into the first, the Seahawks will not likely be the first call they make.

          • Richard

            What about Cleveland, they have 2 each 1sts, 3rds and 4ths? If they need one each elite marquee QB-RB-WR. They can probably pull off 2 out of 3 in the 1st round but not all 3. If we traded the #1-32, #4-132 and Turbin for #2-35, #3-83 and # 4-127 or #5-145. After #1-26 and till #2-35 can impact their shot at that 3rd elite marquee player. They might play Carolina or Frisco against it, but it could happen.

            • Rob Staton

              I don’t see why it would happen. If there’s someone Cleveland ‘has to have’ at QB they’ll take them at #26. They won’t get cute. And if they’re happy to wait it’s almost certainly because they’re willing to wait until #35.

              It also makes no sense for Seattle to drop three spots. Cleveland aren’t exactly going to be offering a kings ransom to get ahead of Houston (who just picked a QB at #1) and Washington (RGIII). So for the sake of losing the option on a 5th year of the contract, the deal has almost no appeal to the Seahawks.

  3. Craig

    If this is how it plays out, Seattle will be trading back. Someone is going to trade up to take a QB. I was in love with Bitonio, but I hate Latimer at #32. IF you want a freak with basketball skills, I would much rather take ASJ at 32.

    • Rob Staton

      See my answer in response to Dave’s post. I don’t see any way Seattle trades the #32 pick unless they flat out just don’t value the advantage of a fifth year option on a cheap contract — which would be far too ridiculous for this front office.

      There’s much more to Latimer’s game than mere basketball skills. If you missed it earlier in the week: https://seahawksdraftblog.com/indianas-cody-latimer-another-receiver-to-watch-out-for

  4. Unitas77

    Rob what do you think of Shaquille Thompson wr out of ucla maybe Pete has a connection? Lots of good wr but haven’t heard much about him.

    • Rob Staton

      Not had a chance to watch him yet. He’s on my list.

    • Craig

      I think you mean Shaq Evans? Shaq Thompson is a LB at UW.

      • Unitas77

        Yeah Shaquille Evans, what about Texas de Jackson jeffcoat as a Leo? Candidate

  5. Burner

    I’d almost be tempted to take Bridgewater at #32 if he dropped that far.

    Surely he can’t drop to #42?

    • Rob Staton

      Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Ryan Nassib, Tyler Wilson…

      And I’d see very little benefit in drafting Bridgewater. Not unless we want a first round backup QB for the next five years before he leaves in free agency.

      • Burner

        He’s better than then the 4 of them. I don’t quite understand how the draftniks have relegated him from being a cast iron top 5 pick to now being a second rounder.

        How has he suddenly got so bad?

        Whoever picks him up in the second is getting an absolute steal.

        • Kyle N

          It’s not about how Bridgewater suddenly got so bad, but more of that fact that he was never top 5 good. Once people really started drilling down into him there just iisnt a lot there. Physically he’s a smaller QB with a smaller frame than a guy like RW. He also isn’t that quick so he’s definitely more of a stay in the pocket passer. Arm strength isn’t there and his accuracy is good, but people still way overstate it (especially because accuracy doesn’t mean squat in the NFL unless you can also put some zip on it). I agree with Rob. Teddy looks like a backup.

        • Rob Staton

          To be fair he was always a limited physical player whose big thing was accuracy. When you get to the pro-day and he’s throwing it all over the place — alarm bells set off. I just don’t think he was ever as good as advertised.

      • jeff

        You draft him with the full intent to deal him…This forces a team that wants him to deal with you when maybe they wouldn’t when they thought you’d pass him up and he’d keep dropping.

        That would be the justification for taking Teddy, hold a small over night auction for him.

        • Rob Staton

          He’s gone through the entire first round and now teams are going to start a bidding war?

          No team in their right mind would ever do this. You don’t risk being stuck with a first round backup QB for the next 4-5 years for the sake of getting cute over a possible trade.

  6. Don

    Great Mock as usual, I always look forward to it.

    You are so right about Houston having a big rebound year. They really underacheived last year with poor QB play. Now with a QB and the talent they have AND the easiest schedule they will rebound like KC did last year.

  7. James

    The bombshell at #32 will be, if Pete and John are not confident they can re-sign Avril after this year, then the biggest need by far will be Leo. If that is the case, someone like Attaochu at #32 will flip everyone out, from Mel Kiper to the 12th man. Re the O line…. if you can find a talent like Michael Bowie in R7, why bother spending a R1 pick? The one position they have never been able to acquire in 4+ years is SE, so that is indeed the clear indication, especially with the talent level at that position this year. But, someone counter me about the Leo, if John’s chessboard does not show Avril on the team in 2015?

    • Rob Staton

      Bruce Irvin pick aside, I’m not sure they really feel like they need to go after pass rushers early unless the talent is too good to pass. They’ve found productive veteran pass rushers. Attaochu isn’t as good as some of the WR/OL options in round one. This isn’t a great year to go chasing defensive linemen.

    • James

      If a Leo, PC & JS could wait until R2. No obvious talent at #32, Ealy not the ideal Leo (too big), and Shazier probably too small (237 lbs, but 4.37!). At R2, one of Attaochu, Demarcus Lawrence, Dee Ford, Cassius Marsh and Marcus Smith might still be there at #64, if Pete sees Leo attributes in them.

    • Geoff U

      Might not be a bad draft for Leo’s, there’s some good potential there. The one’s who stand out to me (and are in our draft range) are Trent Murphy, Jackson Jeffcoat, and Kareem Martin.

      • Jim Q

        “”Trent Murphy, DE, COMPARES TO: Jared Allen????””
        I’ve been researching the potential LEO types in the upcoming draft and I came across Trent Murphy, he seems to be very Seahawky in that he has a very high motor, tenacity, TOUGHNESS and is very versatile. Based just on his pro day 40 time (4.72-4.75), he may not initially look much like a LEO, but he could probably handle that job very, very well.-IMO. Also, A former steer wrestler with 40 consecutive starts as a pass rusher with “”a knack for making big plays””, sounds good to me. Huge hands + good hops!

        Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford, 6-5, 252, 33-7/8″ARMS, 11-1/8″ HANDS, 4.86/40, (now 4.72-4.75 at pro day) 1.63-10yd, 19-reps, 35-1/2″ VERTICAL, 118″ broad jump, 6.78 3-cone, 4.20-20yd shuttle. **Currently #44 overall at cbssports.com**.
        2011: 40-TKLS, 10-TFL, 6.5-sacks
        2012: 56-TKLS, 18-TFL, 10-sacks
        2013: 62-TKLS, 23.5 TFL, 15-sacks. (Anyone else notice the annual improvements?)

        “”Instinctive defender. Locates the ball & is a high-motor player. Functional Flexibility ……..Plays with a degree of toughness and physicality that every coach will appreciate…… A former steer-wrestler and plays with this mentality””. http://mockdraftable.com/player/4560/
        http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1665100/trent-murphy

        • oz

          I would rather see the Hawks take Murphy over Urban in the second round. I think Murphy is a major sleeper in this draft. In fact they may have to move up to get him. If Avril leaves they will need someone to play on that side of the line. There are more options for the LEO spot in next year’s draft.

          • Rob Staton

            Carroll has said Avril is switching to right end.

            • oz

              Sorry Rob, I meant Gardner whom I like a lot. More-so than Murphy.

    • AlaskaHawk

      One trait that a LEO needs to be successful is tougness. You have a small fast person that will be going against a strong offensive player and giving up 50-75 pounds. If you could imagine a wrestling match between a middleweight and a heavyweight. The LEO is faster but will get smacked around and driven into the ground a lot. A good game for them would be 3-5 hurries and a sack. To accomplish that they will be pushed around and perhaps bent backwards and pile driven into the ground 20+ times. And they need to have a relentless motor until the play is over.

      It just takes a lot of toughness to do that job. I’ve said it before, you got to find a junk yard dog to fill that position.

  8. cplus

    Lattimer is gaining alot of steam recently. Matt Waldman listed him as his 4th best WR in this class. Wow

    • Kip Earlywine

      He’s very similar to Michael Floyd, who went mid-1st. Latimer actually be a bit of a minor steal at #32 IMO.

  9. Stuart

    Bonus day, a 2 round mock draft, exciting and always Rob, thank you.

    If the first two rounds looked like this, I would be very happy. The more critical eye could poke at it with a bunch of yeah buts…

    This is the first draft I can remember where it hurt more seeing all the talent come off the board in round 2. The talent level this season is simple amazing.

    Rob, thank you for mixing it up. It broadens our perspective of all the differing possibilities.

  10. Carl

    If the draft fell this way, I’d be very happy getting two “seahawky” additions to the team.

  11. chandler

    Hi Rob,

    have been reading this site for years now. For no particular reason, today is the day I decide to comment.
    You are awesome for the work you do. Between you, FieldGulls, and HawkBlogger, we fans have a wealth of information available to us. And the community of commenters you all have set up–such a pleasure to read! Comments can be almost as informative as the posts, sometimes.

    Anyway, it’s very rude of you to build me up so much about many of these prospects, then present a mock draft which places these prospects with other teams. I want Bitonio! I want Kyle Fuller! Jimmy Ward! Donte Moncrief!

    Looking forward to the draft happening, so I can stop focusing on prospects which end up with other teams, and instead focus on our guys.

    Thank you for the work you do, and I am already looking forward to whatever your next post is.

  12. Colin

    Earl is getting extended 😀

    • Colin

      Correction, Pete Carroll is being extended. 😀

      • Rob Staton

        Excellent news.

  13. CC

    Sentrel Henderson took a powder during his pro day – it is such a waste. He obviously has skills, but too much pot will ruin him.

  14. Michael (CLT)

    Ah… not a fan of this one. But I appreciate the change up. I’ve watched Urban and I just don’t see what you see. I will be surprised if he gets drafted. This feels like fighting the board.

    • Ben2

      I wouldn’t be too stoked if we got these 2 guys w/1 and 2 either….seems like a reach at WR and an injury prone tall guy w/not enough sand in his shorts. Jesse Williams dropped to rd5 due to injury concerns. Why Urban so high? In Robs scenario (which is brutal because it’s almost like he took all the guys we’ve been talkin about and moved them out of Seattles reach…..hmmmmm) I’d probably go Tuitt in Rd 1 and best pass rusher, OL or WR left at 64….who was left at 64 in Robs scenario, maybe Kareem Martin?Was CJ Fiedorowicz still on the board? I’d take him over Urban.

      • Rob Staton

        Williams dropped due to chronic knee problems. Urban’s recent injury issues are foot related. He will recover. And Seattle has looked for length and strength at DT — Urban really isn’t that much different to Tony McDaniel. He has limitless upside. He could be JJ Watt-lite. I’d argue he’s on a different level completely to Martin and Fiedorowicz. As for reaching on Latimer — I suspect the only reason people will say that is because we haven’t been talking about him for months as a first rounder. His talent level is legit for R1.

        • Miles

          On Urban, I would just say that once we re-signed McDaniel, the Hawks were not going to take Urban in my mind. That’s because of the reason you said Rob, he’s a lot like Tony McDaniel. So is Hageman for that matter. I think the only way the Hawks draft a DT early is if they find a potential replacement for Clinton McDonald, who can penetrate the interior O-Line in passing situations. Obviously Aaron Donald is ideal here but far from likely… 🙁

          • Rob Staton

            I think Jordan Hill will get the McDonald role. With McDaniel replacing Bryant (Carroll’s taken) there currently isn’t anyone to replace McDaniel inside. For me this fills a big hole.

    • Rob Staton

      If there’s one thing I’ll never do in a mock — it’s fight the board.

      • SHawn

        Stay thirsty my friends.

  15. Christon

    Great mock Rob. I would be very happy with that haul. Latimer checks all the boxes for me – one of the best blocking receivers in this class, can beat corners deep, catches the ball well in traffic, has sure hands, high points the ball, etc. The only knock on him that I have heard is that he isn’t very shifty – which isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for being good. I would argue that he had a much lower floor than Martavis Bryant who has only had one good year in school.

  16. Mattk

    No running backs in the top two rounds is a big surprise. Is the RB class that bad? I haven’t watched much tape on the position, but damn! Good thing the Seahawks’ big need is WR and not at halfback.

    • Rob Staton

      I think it is that bad. But if I’d got a third round projection, you’d see three — maybe four — going in that round.

    • Miles

      Am I the only one who would be pretty stoked if the Seahawks nabbed Bishop Sankey? Maybe in Round 1 but at the back end of Round 2 I just think he would be a big big upgrade over Turbin. And he’d compete to be the future starter after Marshawn leaves.

      • Mattk

        I’d be very disappointed if we drafted Sankey in the 2nd round, and I really like Sankey too. It’s just not a big enough need. We still have Cmike and Ware on the roster who we’ve barely seen, but has looked great in limited snaps.

  17. shams

    Didn’t Kelvin Benjamin show up to his pro day a little paunchy? Hard to see him going at 12 after that.

    • Rob Staton

      He looked fine to me.

      • Colin

        Does Benjamin weighing 240 give you any concern for the potential of putting on bad weight if he’s not just a workaholic? 240 just seems real sketchy for a WR.

        • Rob Staton

          I think it’s ideal for the type of receiver he is. I have no concern there personally.

          • Michael (CLT)

            Mike Williams is his upside.

  18. Nolan

    Mcshay hyping up lattmire on twitter this morning.

    • Michael (CLT)

      Latamire is the dangerous late draft spike. If Latamire is first round material, then Janis is 2 round material. I see little difference in Latamire and Mathews games. I sense smokescreen. Overreaction.

  19. EranUngar

    Rob, I think i found a problem with your draft methodology. You scout players, fall in love with them and then when you mock the draft you give those players to other teams picking ahead of us.

    I have an idea –

    Every week you should pick the 5 leading mock drafts out there, Lang, Mcshay etc. Use them to predict the first 31 picks and draft our guy at 32. That would be working like JS on draft day. It’s unfair for you to predict what other teams do and give up all your loved ones to them.

    • EranUngar

      You wont have to fight your own board. You won’t have to predict the needs of 31 other teams…

      Just pick the best guy FOR US.

    • EranUngar

      And…you could share with us who were the guys available per each mock you were considering etc.

      And we’ll have a few options to cheer for based on the different mocks that led to them….

    • Rob Staton

      I watch the players, formulate opinions and then try to do the best mock I can.

      If some of the players I rate highly are available later on — fantastic. I hope we draft them. I hope I did overestimate their stock in terms of the NFL. But at least if they then succeed people can see the range I was projecting them.

      • AlaskaHawk

        I like your independent approach Rob. We all know that each team has their own board. Lets see how close you are! I can’t wait for the draft – it seems farther away this year!

        • Rob Staton

          I’d like to add here — I’d rather be totally wrong trying to be right for the Seahawks instead of just rolling through the same names the national guys go through. Seattle doesn’t work conventionally and I’d like to think we try and work outside of the box too.

          • EranUngar

            I think you missed my point.

            I love your view of the players and i value your view more then anyone else.

            I thought that instead of mocking the whole draft we’ll actually try to play draft. Take any public mock and use it to simulate the picks for other teams so that we are actually not involved in the picks the other teams made and just have to sit and decide who we would pick assuming the 1st round went that way.

            By predicting the whole 1st. round yourself – once you value a player higher you are obliged to mock him higher and send him to another team even when others fail to see it and he could be there for us.

            • Robert

              I would be interested to see Rob put the top prospects on a value ordered list like PCJS do. We would probably exclude QB. Would Evans be our top choice? Donald over Hageman? Right on down the line for the top 40 or so prospects. We could then argue and customize the order and plug into anyone’s mock by seeing who the highest remaining available player is.
              That would be fun, but I am not requesting such an under taking. That would require a lot of time and work. And I am already blown away by all the awesome content that Rob somehow generates!

            • Rob Staton

              Ah right, I see your point now.

              Interesting idea. If you want to choose a mock (McShay’s?) I’ll do a piece on this next week.

      • Michael Terry

        I think the OP was being wry.

  20. bigDhawk

    I actually love the Latimer pick for us at 32. I’ve been tooting his horn for quite a while now. The BB skills are all the rage right now for TEs and he’s got a big enough frame to make that whole BB TE mismatch translate to WR. Love the juxtaposition of his silky smooth route running and fierce physical run blocking. What makes this pick so reasonable is almost all the other players we have been talking about at 32 are off the board at this point, Tuitt being the only notable exception but he is hurt and Landry, though I like him, is a bit of a reach.

    I also like the brutal honesty of this mock that has all the other players we have been talking about at 64 off the board as well. The thing that scares me about Urban is he has absurdly long levers, especially in his legs, that just have perma-sprain written all over them. I think he will be a Sean Lee-type that is a serviceable play-maker for five games a year then hurt the rest. If we want DL at 64, how about any one of:

    Deandre Coleman
    Ego Ferguson
    DaQuan Jones
    Zak Kerr
    Caraun Reid
    Kelcy Quarles?

    Heck, how about Will Sutton? And if we want to go OL, how about my boy Billy Turner here at 64? We could even go CB with Bashaud Breeland.

  21. James

    Rob, I appreciate that you identified Latimer from his on-field/on-tape game speed. Due to foot surgery, he did not run at the combine, so people did not have a measurable on his speed. Since you began to highlight him, Latimer ran at his pro day last week, and according to the Indianapolis Star, he jumped 39″ vertical, and ran a machine-timed 40 at 4.38! Hand times confirmed that he ran at least 4.39. You might have nailed this one, Rob. I believe Pete and John felt burned by Chris Harper’s lack of speed, so I think they will shy away from a SE unless he is legit 4.4, so Latimer fits the bill.

    • Mattk

      I think Robs on track With Latimer, but to be fair, he didn’t highlight him till after his Pro Day. There’s been a few poster hyping him before then that deserve that credit.

  22. Ray bones

    Interesting mock rob. I was wondering when you’d get around to Brent urban. I remember all the hype surrounding Marcus Hunt last year, but the red flags, ie lack of football background and relative old age for an nfl rookie gave me pause inspite of the freakish seahawky package. Urban for me has all of the same drool factor without the baggage. This guy was Taylor made for the tony mc role!! As far as #32 is concerned I totally buy into your assertion that there are 9-10 first round talents available at WR. NOT EVERY TEAM WILL DRAFT WELL!! So I’m convinced that we will have our pick of the 6-8 best ones! Also believe that Bitonio could be available if there IS a run on receivers! Either way the rich will get richer!! And with PC locked up now it’s only the beginning!!

  23. RJ

    Nice mock Rob! When I saw Bitonio to the Ravens I had the same idea. You seem very intune with Ozzie Newsome. Maybe he reads your blog. Or maybe your styles match up or the Ravens and Seahawks both like the same type of players on D which makes sense since they both kinda go for the 3-4 types. Anyways, great minds think alike!

  24. jake

    As much as I would like to believe Lattimer would fall to us. I think 49ers will one-up us and snatch him from us. Why because its a Jim Harbaresque thing to do? And also blocking WRs are exactly what Kaepernick needs. Everyone saw what he did in the open field against the Hawks. I just hope Schnedier and Carroll have another ace up their sleeves.

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