This is the second of three blogs about what the Seahawks should do in first two rounds of the NFL Draft. Like I previously stated, the main holes that the Seahawks have is at the offensive line, cornerback, defensive line, and quarterback. The Seahawks did have a losing season and have many more holes than those four positions, but these are the areas which I feel they need to address as soon as possible. Also, if somehow a great prospect drops to the Seahawks picks, I would say go for the solid talent. With so many holes on a team, drafting a player who is more of a luxury than a need can still be a good thing. Anyway, let’s take a quick look at some players who the Seahawks might target. I will only be naming a handful of players because there are so many players out there. But here is my list:
Offensive Line:
Offensive line is the biggest weakness on the Seahawks. They just don’t protect the quarterback or help push the run as much as they should. They had one of the worst lines in the NFL. Even more, Sean Locklear and Chris Spencer are free agents. These are just five of the possible selections. Here are a few college prospects who should be targeted:
· Nate Solder, OT, Colorado – 6’9 - 315
o Considered the top OT in this draft and will most likely not be available at pick #25.
· Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College -6’7 - 308 pounds
o A big lineman who is still filling out his body frame. He would be solid at a right offensive tackle in the pros. He is both good at pass protection and run blocking.
· Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin -6’7 - 327
o Carimi’s knock is that he lacks good footwork and lateral agility to be a solid left tackle. Carimi has solid size and strength and is good at run-blocking. He projects as a great right offensive tackle if a team wants to use him there.
· Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida -6’5 – 327
o Does anybody remember how good the Seahawks were in 2005? Matt Hasselbeck had over 3,400 passing yards and a 24-9 Touchdown-interception ratio. Shaun Alexander also has 1880 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Yeah a large part of that success was having Steve Hutchinson and Walter Jones making an unstoppable wall on the left side. Now I am not saying that Russell Okung and Mike Pouncey would be that good, but if they were a fraction of that good, the Seahawks would still have one of the better lines in the league.
· Tyron Smith, OT, Southern California- 6’5 – 280
o Smith played right tackle in college and was a monster. People might think he is undersized at 6’5, but he is extremely fast and even more powerful. He is one of the fastest linemen in this draft. He would also be an instant upgrade of both the run and pass game.
Cornerback:
I feel that Seattle’s secondary is their second largest hole on the team. Kelly Jennings is a free agent, Lawyer Milloy is a member of AARP, and Marcus Trufant only had one good year and is not a true #1 shutdown corner. The one bright side is Earl Thomas (and he deserved to play in the Pro Bowl). But since we did use a first round pick on a safety this year, I think it is more important to address the cornerback position. There are also a lot of talented safeties in the later rounds. It’s also safe to say that both Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara are not available since they are both an elite prospect.
· Brandon Harris, CB, Miami – 5’11 – 195
o Brandon Harris has been considered a middle teens draft pick, but with two elite corners already in front of him and the cornerback position being more of a luxury than a need for most teams, he gets bumped back. Though Harris does not have the height advantage that many scouts want, he does have a very quick first step and amazing overall speed. By the end of his junior year, quarterbacks were scared to throw the ball his direction.
· Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado – 6’1 – 210
o Smith is a guy who is climbing up all NFL scout’s big board. He is a large corner at 6’2, but is also fast. He has been known to run a 4.4 40-yard dash. For someone with his size and speed is a rare thing. He is considered a late first/early second round pick.
· Aaron Williams, CB, Texas – 6’1 – 192
o Williams is known for his size and his big hits. In three years, he has cause five fumbles, which is saying something for a cornerback. He is also known for being very athletic and has the skills to cover anybody pretty effectively. Also, Earl Thomas and Williams played together at Texas, so they already have great experience working together.
· Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia – 6’2 – 200
o Dowling would have been a lock first round pick in the draft last year. He went back to school to play his senior year and up fracturing his ankle. He only played three games last year. He is one player who has a lot to prove during the combine. He is a player who will be a mid to late second round pick.
Defensive Line:
This draft is extremely deep with talent on the defensive line. I will skip the first several draft prospects because there is no chance in hell that they would be available when the Seahawks draft a player. And since this draft is sooo deep with talent on the defensive line, I will only be naming a few players projected to be available when the Seahawks select their players.
· Allen Bailey, DE, Miami – 6’4 -288
o Bailey has potential to play either tackle or end. He recorded 11.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks… he is a beast. All NFL scouts drool over his potential because he ceiling is huge. He still has to develop and put on some muscle, but he could be a force in the NFL.
· Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State – 6’1 -311
o Paea is an interesting player. He just started playing football. He only played one year in high school, so he is very inexperienced. In 2009, Paea had 5.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. His 2010 was not as successful as 2009, but he was double teamed the majority of the time. In 2010 Paea only had 3 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Paea is also known for his quickness and athleticism. He has great moves and often beats the offensive line. The only problem he faces is his size- at 6’1; many teams could be turned off. Paea could be drafted anywhere from middle of the first round, to middle of the second.
· J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin – 6’6 – 292
o Watt’s is a player who can play either the 3-4 or the 4-3. He has a huge body frame at 6’6. He is also a work horse. He prides himself on being explosive and athletic. He will always be competing throughout the whole game.
· Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina – 6’3 – 305
o Austin is hard to project. He is a solid run stopper and can put pressure on the QB. I have seen him being drafted in the early first round to the late first round. His size, strength, and versatility are his best weapons. The only thing that is hurting his draft value is that he was suspended and then kicked off the team for an NCAA violation. Whether an NFL team is willing to look past that will determine whether he will be available for the Seahawks on draft day.
Quarterback:
Matt Hasselbeck is old and the Seahawks need to find a replacement for him soon. Matt had a mediocre season at best, but was brilliant in the playoffs. His excellent stats in the playoffs probably secured him a roster spot on next year’s team. But even with that, there is no long term answer in place. I am also going to assume that Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton are already off the board.
· Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas – 6’6 – 238
o Mallett is a huge player with a rocket for an arm. He can make any and every throw a coach could ever ask for. Scouts have also said that he easily has the best arm in the draft (and that was before Andrew Luck decided to return to school). The problem with Mallett, he is extremely slow and lacks strong leadership attributes. He could very well be a solid quarterback in the big league.
· Jake Locker, QB, Washington – 6’3 – 230
o Talk about someone wanting a ‘do-over’ in life. Last year Locker was project as an EASY top 3 draft pick. Now there is a chance that he won’t be selected in the first round. (So he lost about $50 million dollars) Locker has all the physical assets of being a solid quarterback, and he has a very high ceiling, but he still has not put it together. He is fast and makes great running plays, and has slightly above average arm strength. But his completion percentage is god awful. He would be a project for any team, but has the potential to get a great QB in the NFL.
· Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada – 6’6 – 225
o Kaepernick is an interesting prospect. He has great size at 6’6 and is actually a very good runner for his size. (Last year he threw for over 3000 yards and rushed over 1000 yards) The main problem with Kaepernick is that he doesn’t have a strong arm or is very accurate. His combine will say a lot about where he is selected, but will most likely be a second round pick.
· Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State – 6’3 – 227
o Ponder is considered the most complete quarterback in the draft now that Andrew Luck went back to college. He does not have any stand out qualities like the others listed above, but he is good in all aspects for a professional quarterback. His largest problem is he is injury prone. He has yet to play a full season. And with that, things only get worse. The NFL is longer and the players hit harder. Depending on his combine, Ponder will be a second to third round pick.
So there you go; my list of players the Seahawks will likely target in this upcoming draft. These all could easily change due to many reasons- the NFL Combine, trades, and free agent pickups, just to name a few. For my last installment of this blog topic, I will discuss my thoughts on what the Seahawks should actually do with their first two picks, so stick around.
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