Draft Grades

[RiverDog]

With the draft coming up, I thought that this article might be interesting to you folks....

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/here-s-why ... 46227.html

[NorthHawk]

We've had a couple of excellent drafts the last 5 years and the others were productive as well.
Why Schneider hasn't been the Executive of the Year is a mystery - his best year was 2012 where he came in 3rd in voting.

[RiverDog]

Why Schneider hasn't been the Executive of the Year is a mystery - his best year was 2012 where he came in 3rd in voting.

Just a little bit better than the Cowboy's GM, wouldn't you say?

[obiken]

Some drafts you can tell, most you cannot.

[Zorn76]

The RW pick alone made 2012 draft a success, obviously, though nobody knew it at the the time - except Distant_Relative:)

That 2012 team is also my all time favorite Seahawks squad. To see the growth and contributions that were made, especially RW and his leadership (not to mention record setting rookie stats), was something else to witness. And the fight they showed in Atlanta after being demolished in the 1st half in the divisional round, set the stage for what we were to see the following (SB winning) season.

We've been blessed with a very good F.O. Some late round picks have payed HUGE dividends, along with players who amounted to being walk on FA's since they went undrafted.

Big draft coming up. They all are, but the timing of this one is especially interesting, since we are still very much a SB calibre team. I have faith that the major holes we're facing will be dealt with in satisfactory fashion. No guarantees, but Pete & John have earned the benefit of the doubt to this point.

[obiken]

Kiper knew. He describes RW to a teeth, except for his height. Can you imagine Luck with our offense? Squish, bang, goo!

[HumanCockroach]

Wait, what? Isn't Kiper the guy that John Gruden seemed like he was going to blows with over Wilson? Pretty sure it was, and if he is who I think Gruden was fighting with, he wasn't close to complementary of not only the pick, but Wilson as well...

http://thebiglead.com/2012/04/27/russel ... ly-smiles/

Sure you don't mean Mayock? I seem to remember him saying if Wilson was 2" taller he could be a top five pick ( or something to that effect)..

[RiverDog]

The RW pick alone made 2012 draft a success, obviously, though nobody knew it at the the time - except Distant_Relative:)

That 2012 team is also my all time favorite Seahawks squad. To see the growth and contributions that were made, especially RW and his leadership (not to mention record setting rookie stats), was something else to witness. And the fight they showed in Atlanta after being demolished in the 1st half in the divisional round, set the stage for what we were to see the following (SB winning) season.

We've been blessed with a very good F.O. Some late round picks have payed HUGE dividends, along with players who amounted to being walk on FA's since they went undrafted.

Big draft coming up. They all are, but the timing of this one is especially interesting, since we are still very much a SB calibre team. I have faith that the major holes we're facing will be dealt with in satisfactory fashion. No guarantees, but Pete & John have earned the benefit of the doubt to this point.

Agreed about the 2012 team being a favorite. I felt that we were without a doubt the best team in the conference by the end of the season. That home win against the Niners where we absolutely crushed them was one of my all time favorite regular season games.

[monkey]

You know what slays me about the "experts" and their reactions to past Seahawks drafts, is that they *still* haven't learned what the Seahawks look for in a player, still haven't figured out that the Seahawks draft only for how a player will fit the Seahawks system and NOT for draft value, and they *still* haven't figured out that if you want to project who the Seahawks will take, you need to actually know a little something about the current composition of the team.
Kiper's most recent mock for example, *still* has the Seahawks taking a cornerback in the first. Eli Apple. Now to Kiper's credit, he finally at least is getting the idea that Seattle likes taller corners with long arms. Apple is a very good college corner, with a very high ceiling, but 1. he will not be there when we pick, and 2. we just re-signed Lane, and CB is anything but a need, and 3. we will not be taking a cornerback in the first round. We never take a cornerback in the first, precisely because the Seahawks are the best in the league at identifying later round corners who will fit their system, and give them BIG TIME value. Taking a CB in the first would completely defeat the purpose, would undermine the whole point of it. Why doesn't Kiper know that by now? Simple. He's an idiot who doesn't pay attention. He gets paid to do a certain thing that fans want to see (for some reason) but that thing is not good for actually projecting where players will be taken in real life, which is why Kiper is wrong so often. He just doesn't realize that if Apple is the BPA when we draft at 26 (not going to be there but if for some reason he is) then the Seahawks will just trade down and accumulate more picks.

It's certainly not just Kiper though, NONE of the so called experts really get what the Seahawks look for in players.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com projects Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed to the Seahawks:
"They lost Brandon Mebane, so they could use a good inside player. They say they like their offensive line, so let's believe them."
Prisco is the biggest moron of all time, but to his credit, at least he too is looking at the right area. WRONG player again though.

Chris Burke of SI.com has the Seahawks taking Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander in the first round:
"A slide for Alexander caused mainly by Jackson’s upward move. Both Alexander and Ohio State’s Eli Apple would fit what Seattle wants in a cornerback, namely, a physical player who can hold his own one-on-one and doesn’t mind stepping up on running backs. Alexander could pattern his game after Richard Sherman, first-hand."
Just plain wrong, everywhere.

Charley Casserly of NFL.com has them going with Nkemdiche in the first:
"Fills major need. Best value pick in the draft if he stays out of trouble."
Now here's an example of completely misunderstanding what the Seahawks have done in the past. They see the Seahawks sign a guy with a "troubled past" like Frank Clark, and they assume it means they are willing o take gambles on "bad guys". What they do not understand is WHY the Seahawks took Clark to begin with.
1. Clark is the perfect type of ahtlete for the Seahawks D-Line because of his off the charts athleticism, his unique combination of speed/strength and his ability to move inside on third downs.
2. Clark is the type of player who is SUPER competitive all the time, he wants to WIN, and he's a team guy. That, for John and Pete, is what offsets the risk of taking a guy with one lone off field incident.
Nkemdiche fits NONE of that second part, he's lazy, not a constant competitor, nor a team first guy (threw his own guy under the bus when asked to explain his off field trouble) doesn't take responsibility for his troubles. Though he's definitely athletic enough to look the part, EVERYTHING else is not.
Mark my words, this guy will slide BIG time in the draft, and the Seahawks will NOT take him regardless. All these morons projecting him to the Seahawks are coming from a combination of them not understanding the Seahawks strategy, not understanding the Seahawks needs. not understanding the Seahawks team philosophy, and from their own anti Seahawks bias.

Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus projects Michigan defensive end Shilique Calhoun to the Seahawks:
"Seattle rarely turns down top pass rushing options and with Bruce Irvin moving on to the Oakland Raiders, they re-load with Calhoun, who posted the nation’s best pass rushing grade in 2014 and second-best mark last season. He has his struggles in the run game, but they can ease him into the mix as a pass-rush specialist."
Closer. Getting warmer.

Will Brinson of CBSSports.com goes with Ohio State outside linebacker Darron Lee:
"Speedy linebacker looks like the sort of jack-knife weapon the Seahawks could deploy all over the field and comes at a nice value later in the first round."
Now see THIS pick, in spite of not being the need the media thinks it is, would make some sense. This could possibly happen, the player is the right kind of player, he's "Seahawksy" for sure, but here's the problem with him.
He would fit better playing the role that is currently being expertly played by KJ Wright. He would not fit anywhere as well taking over the role that Irvin played. Not saying he couldn't do it...just saying the fit isn't quite as natural. Pete drafts guys who have a unique quality, and who fit what we do. This guy would be a no brainer pick if we didn't have KJ Wright already under contract, but...

Guys who really would fit, who really could be round one targets for us?
Sheldon Rankins (90% chance won't be there, but if he falls for some reason, the Seahawks will scream like little girls at a Justin Bieber concert, and run to the podium to take him).
Jason Spriggs. Super athletic, projects beautifully as a LT, the only question is if they are happy with Gilliam at LT, then why take him? You COULD move him to RT, but that just doesn't seem like the best fit for Spriggs. Spriggs is going to be a good LT for someone, someday, though he definitely needs seasoning. He's far from mistake free.
Jonathan Bullard. A more likely D-line pick, may realistically fall, checks all the boxes.
Germain Ifedi. Just like Spriggs, is FAR from a mistake free player, he needs to be coached up for sure. Having said that, I do believe he could start day one at RT, and either guard position, and upgrade those spots. He's so athletic, he actually lost weight and GAINED mobility. I could definitely see him anchoring our RT spot for many years down the road, just have to wonder if RT is a position they would spend a first round pick on? I could see them possibly trading down if the see other players who can fill the need later (which I do actually. Quite a few in fact).
Shon Coleman. Because he didn't test, I'm just not sure what the Seahawks know about him athletically. If it turns out that he fits athletically, then I could see him being the pic, (with the same caveat as anyone drafted to play RT. Would we rather trade down than spend a first on a RT? I don't know the answer to that, and would guess it depends on the player.)

There are actually SO MANY players in this draft who we would love to have in the earlier part of the second round. Guys like Willie Henry, Ronald Blair, Keanu Neal (very Seahawks, good looking safety who could replace Kam Chancellor down the road), Braxton Miller, Bronson Kaufusi, Charles Tapper, Noah Spence, Conner McGovern (?). (He is being projected by most sources as a third rounder, and sometimes even fourth which I don't see at all personally, but if there's no one jumping out at the Seahawks in round two, it's very possible they could take him as his athleticism is outstanding, and they may not be willing to take the chance on missing him.) Kyler Fackrell, Devontae Booker, Kenneth Dixon (if there are any lingering concerns about Rawls injury, or his ability to carry the load), A'shawn Robinson (IMO overrated, but still good and may be someone the Seahawks like though I personally don't) Javon Hargrave (sleeper?) and Darron Lee (who I already mentioned).

Some of those guys may also be available in the late second or with either of our two third rounders.
There are a metric ton of REALLY good options with our two third round picks who I haven't got time to list here.

The point is, ignore the mocks and the "experts", they just don't understand the Seahawks. They also don't like the Seahawks. Their bias, their unwillingness to analyze the Seahawks roster accurately, and their lack of understanding of Seahawks philosophy (compete, always win etc...) and their lack of understanding of what Seattle looks for in players, (unique talents, ultra athletic etc...) makes virtually all of their mocks, completely pointless.

Personally, my guess is the Seahawks will take Germain Ifedi, because he will likely be the BPA who also fits their needs and what they look for in an athlete, and because guys they would otherwise take on the D-Line either just won't be there or will be projected to still be available later.

[NorthHawk]

The problem with the people who do the mocks is they make generic rankings of players and then assign them to a team that needs that position.
So we get their mocks that are way off because of the reasons Monkey suggests. Other than perhaps the top 5 players in any draft, the mocks are all wrong.

To be fair, they don't have the time to really understand what each team looks for from a measureables PoV and their history of the types of players every FO does. This would require them to be passionate about every team, and I doubt they really care that much even if they are paid to do that work.
This causes their mocks to quickly go astray and become sometimes laughably wrong and by that I mean missing player selections by rounds and not simply slots.

[RiverDog]

2. Clark is the type of player who is SUPER competitive all the time, he wants to WIN, and he's a team guy. That, for John and Pete, is what offsets the risk of taking a guy with one lone off field incident.
Nkemdiche fits NONE of that second part, he's lazy, not a constant competitor, nor a team first guy (threw his own guy under the bus when asked to explain his off field trouble) doesn't take responsibility for his troubles.

Let's not blow too much smoke up Pete and JS's arse. After all, if that were their guiding principle, no way in hell would they have ever traded for Percy Harvin.

[HumanCockroach]

You certainly could add a couple players to that list as well. Micheal comes immediately to mind. Sometimes I do think they believe the strong locker room will instill that in a selfish player.