We are a little over two months away from the 2021 NFL draft, but it is never too early to start thinking about the NFL draft and who the Seahawks may want to add by way of college. Seattle only has three guaranteed picks at the moment, but they may potentially have a fourth in the form of a seventh rounder, but that is dependent on some of the conditions made from the Carlos Dunlap trade.
The NFL draft will be held in Cleveland this year, starting on April 29th and lasting through May 1st.
Let us just say that the Seahawks only have those three picks. They have a second rounder, a fourth rounder, and a fifth rounder. It is crucial that Seattle is able to maximize their potential with these picks because at least at this point (Late February), these three picks are much less than the normal bounty of picks that general manager John Schneider likes to have heading into the draft. Currently, we do not know what the Hawks will do when free agency comes around, but if Russell Wilsons comments are any indication and hopefully the front office is listening, the franchise will target some offensive linemen by way of Joe Thuney, Corey Linsley, or Brandon Scherff. Adding a LG and C would really solidify this line and make it a star group. Another reason that Seattle cannot afford to miss on these picks is the current lack of cap space that they have, which is estimated to only be $4,311,504 according to Spotrac.com estimations. Extending some contracts could alleviate some of the issues of this years cap situation, but we have not seen that happen yet.
Packers Center Corey Linsley, who is currently a free agent
The positions that Seattle needs to focus on:
Interior offensive line targets
Ben Cleveland, Guard, Georgia.
Cleveland is large guard, standing at 6 foot 5, weighing 332 pounds and has proven his skills, earning first team All-SEC honors last year. He is a mauler that uses his heavy hands to knock defenders off their feet and move them away from the ball. He is a prospect that could learn quickly under offensive line coach Mike Solari.
Robert Hainsey, Guard, Notre Dame
Hainsey was a right guard in his time with the fighting Irish of Notre Dame, but Seattle would be able to move him inside here as a developmental case. He is athletic, but to make this move inside he would need to gain some weight which would hinder some of his athletic ability. He is 6 foot 4, 295 pounds. He is a smart player and should be able to adapt quickly to the NFL. What will determine Hainsey's success in the league will be his strength on the interior part of the offensive line.
Quinn Meinerz, Center, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Meinerz was somebody who came into the senior bowl with low draft stock and little hype to his name as a D-III player, but he quickly shocked everyone there and his stock since then has sky rocketed similar to GameStops earlier this year. Listed at 6 foot 3, Meinerz is able to dominate defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage and he has toughness. He uses leverage well, and if you have played football, you know that low man always wins. His run blocking will translate to the NFL level well. In pass protection, he is good at being patient and reacting swiftly like a big cat. He has quick and strong hands, and is able to anchor himself. The large question that looms with the Wisconsin-Whitewater prospect would be how good was his competition, and how will it translate to the NFL?
Outside cornerback targets
Trill Williams, Cornerback, Syracuse
With Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar as free agents, Seattle will need to at least bring in one outside corner to make sure, even if they sign one or both of those aforementioned corners, that they have competition and depth at the corner position. Williams fits the size mold for Pete Carroll at corner, standing at 6 foot 1, 200 pounds. He has shown the ability to make plays on the ball, scoring three defensive touchdowns in his career with the Syracuse Orange, and has even helped in the run game registering 93 tackles. He does have some technical flaws, and was listed at slot corner (but was ranked as Pro Football Focus' second highest graded slot corner in college football before he opted out of last season), but he is the type of prospect that Pete Carroll likes and I am sure that he is the type of player they would love to develop.
Aaron Robinson, Cornerback, UCF
With this pick, Seattle would add another UCF Golden Knight (Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin are UCF alum) that showed consistency with his three years at UCF. Standing at 5 foot 11 and a half, Robinson may only have one interception in his collegiate career, but over his 12 game season in 2019, he had 49 tackles, 9 pass deflections, and a forced fumble. In 2020, he played in nine games and put up a stat line of 41 tackles, 6 pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He shows consistency, and that is something the Seahawks defensive backs did not show last year.
Rachad Wildgoose Jr., Cornerback, Wisconsin
What a name huh? Wildgoose Jr. has stats to go with that impressive name, putting up 13 pass deflections over the last two years and showing leadership on the defensive side of the ball. He stands at 5 foot 11, and would not be labeled as an excellent athlete, but his nice footwork and consistency are what would prove to be an upside that would help him in his development in Seattle's secondary.
Syracuse cornerback Trill Williams
With that being said, outside of interior offensive line and cornerback help, the team may need to look more into pass rush once again this offseason. Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin were nice nostalgia pieces and did contribute, but investing in some younger pass rush help to help the secondary never hurts, and as noted with the Seahawks super bowl teams of 2013 and 2014, defensive line depth is a huge factor in the NFL of today with high power passing offenses. Another area that the team may need to address, is running back. As tired as I am of talking about Seattle looking for a consistently healthy solution at running back, with the potential departure of Chris Carson, we may be looking at that situation again. It is not a secret that Seattle has had trouble really finding the legitimate successor to Marshawn Lynch, but for the most part Chris Carson has been that piece. Carson has made it known that he believes he has earned a big payday. Realistically, that should not happen with Seattle. His injury history is a big factor in that, because when healthy there is no issue with Carson's game. He has proven valuable in the pass game in addition to his bruising running. But, we may not see him back next year. So, do not be surprised if Seattle targets a back in the draft. There are some interesting names in free agency, but the younger ones will more than likely get good money from other teams. With Rashaad Penny's reliability also currently in doubt, the Seahawks may look to college for a running back of the future.
Chris Carson may look to cash in this offseason
This is just the first look at the Seahawks draft, and there will be more developments as free agency rolls around and as we learn more about the draft process for Seattle. Check back on the podcast and the blog posts to keep yourself up to date!
Comentarios