This is the last installment of my sports blog regarding who the Seattle Seahawks should select in this upcoming NFL Draft. Just to recap, I said the largest holes in the team were their offensive line, secondary, defensive line, and quarterback. Personally, the two largest holes which I think should be filled are the offensive line and the secondary. Seattle had one of the worst starting offensive lines in the league last year. And to make matters worse, both Sean Locklear and Chris Spencer are free agents. Chris Spencer is one of the worst starting centers, so an upgrade would be needed. Sean Locklear is actually pretty good in pass protection, only allowing five sacks all year (including playoffs), but is below average in rushing plays. Locklear is also very injury prone. We need someone who is young and talented to help revamp this line. As for Seattle’s secondary, they were considered one of the worst in the NFL as well. Clearly you can see the trend. My strategy, as simple as it is, is to fix the biggest problems on the team first. For my projections, I tried my hardest to find players who will be available at that pick and which of those players would be best of the Seahawks. So with that, here are my selections for the first and second round of the NFL Draft for the Seattle Seahawks:
First Round: Pick #25:
The Seattle Seahawks will select Jimmy Smith, cornerback, out of Colorado. Smith has been climbing up the Mock Drafts, and for good reason. He is a big cornerback, 6’2 and 210 pounds, and can also run a 4.4, 40 yard dash. Someone with that size and speed is very rare. His stats might not be as impressive as you might think, but that is a good thing. Smith blanketed his opponents and the quarterback never threw his way. Smith has a very high ceiling and can end up being a great starting corner in the NFL. He is often compared to Antonio Cromartie of the New York Jets because of his height, weight, and athletic skill set, but is also considered a safer pick with less bust potential. He would work perfectly alongside Marcus Trufant until Smith was ready to take over as the #1 corner. 
Second Round: Pick #57:
The Seattle Seahawks will select Marcus Cannon, Offensive Tackle, from TCU. Cannon is a big lineman, at 6’6 and 350 pounds. Cannon would step in immediately at Right Tackle to help secure a weak offensive line. Cannon has experience playing both right and left tackle, so if Russell Okung get injured and misses a game or two, Cannon can step in at the blind side. Another interesting fact, Cannon never allowed a sack during the 2009 season. Cannon has massive size and superb strength. He also is very agile for his size, making him a great run blocker. He would be an amazing upgrade on our roaster.
The reasons why I choose these two players:
Some of you are probably questioning my reasons for selecting a corner in the first round and a right tackle in the second. Question all you want, I am always open for criticism or a debate. The first argument I will most likely hear is why the Seahawks didn’t select a quarterback. It is true, the Seahawks need an upgrade. At this very moment, Charlie Whitehurst is our starting QB (scary). But I strongly believe that we will resign Matt Hasselbeck for one or two more seasons. Secondly, I do not think the quarterbacks who will still be around when the Seahawks draft will transition very well in the NFL. I could be wrong, and I am not claiming to be an NFL scout, but from what I have read, the remaining QB’s have serious issues. And third, and most important reason, look at the quarterbacks who will be in the draft next year. You have Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, and Landry Jones. All three of those quarterbacks are projected to be drafted in the top 10 and are considered better than any quarterback in this year’s draft. That is a whole lot of greatness knocking at the door. Also, since the Seahawks advanced to the playoffs, they will automatically be given a harder schedule next year. This will cause another losing season. BUT, if you look at the players I recommended we draft this year, you will see that none of them are instant playmakers. Both will need a year to settle in and learn what it is like to play in the NFL. By the 2012 season, the Seahawks will have a pretty good offensive line, and a pretty good secondary. A solid QB could jump right in and make the team his.
Another argument might be why we ignored upgrading the defensive life. This draft is very deep with extremely talented defensive linemen, BUT our D-Line is actually not that bad. I believe that during the fourth or fifth week, the Seahawks actually had the second best run defensive in the NFL. But that injury bug made a stop in Seattle, and it hit hard. At the beginning of the 2010 NFL Season, the defensive line was built around Red Bryant, a huge (6’4, 323 pound) defensive end. He would require a double team, freeing up our other linemen and linebackers to plug the holes. It worked perfectly until he had season ending surgery in week seven. Next season, the D-Line will have its main guy back, and they will continue to stuff the running game from the other team.
One last point people could question about my Seahawks mock draft is why a cornerback in the first round and not an offensive linemen. The first reason, I think Jimmy Smith will transition into a great cornerback. His type of talent would not be available in the second round. Secondly, I believe that the first round should be reserved for left tackle, and we drafted one last year. Not to say it’s a bad thing to have too many first round talented offensive linemen, but it is a good thing to spread out draft picks to both sides of the ball. Most of the offensive tackles selected in the first round will be forced to transition towards the left side of the ball, because that position is more valuable. It’s the same with quarterbacks; many NFL teams will reach too early for a offensive tackle (whether he is better on the right side or left). I just feel that it was better to address the secondary with the first round, and still get a solid right tackle in the second round.
Well there you have it, my ideal picks for the first and second round of this upcoming NFL Draft. Please feel free to give feedback or question my choices. Also note, it was extremely depressing doing all this research and seeing the level of talent available if the Seahawks missed out on the playoffs.
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