NFL Draft 2011: Jake Locker Should Hope to Fall to the Seattle Seahawks
If Jake Locker had declared for the NFL Draft after the 2009-2010 season, he most likely would have been selected first overall by the St. Louis Rams.
Instead, Locker came back to Washington for his senior season and watched his draft stock decline.
He's no longer expected to be the top pick—that honor is reserved for Andrew Luck—and he may even slip out of the top 10.
Locker, though, should hope he falls even further, all the way down to the Seattle Seahawks, who currently hold the 21st pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Here's why.
Lowered Expectations
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Being drafted near the top always means that the expectations are ridiculous. So many have failed to live up to them. Just look at JaMarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf.
If Locker is drafted near the beginning of the 2011 NFL Draft, he will have to deal with those same inevitable expectations.
However, if he drops down a little bit, like to the Seahawks in the twenties, then he'll have that burden lifted from his shoulders.
Let's be honest here—who wants the extra pressure?
Does He Really Need All the Extra Money?
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The one true disadvantage of falling from the beginning of the first round to the latter portions of the same round is the dramatic monetary decrease.
But come on—Locker is going to be a multimillionaire by the end of his NFL career no matter where he ends up.
Does he really need all the extra money?
Chance to Develop
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Jake Locker struggles to throw the ball like an NFL quarterback should be able to.
He only completed 55.4 percent of his passes during his senior year at Washington. The 2010 season was recently capped off by a 19-7 win over Nebraska, but Locker completed just five of his 16 passes.
Clearly, he has work to do on his throwing before he's ready to start in the NFL.
Being drafted by Seattle would give him the opportunity to sit behind Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Hasselbeck (assuming he re-signs in free agency) while he develops. The two current Seahawks quarterbacks are already much more established than he is and the chance to develop will do nothing but make him more successful when he gets his chance.
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Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck is an experienced quarterback who was very successful in his prime.
The 12-year pro led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl appearance and has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times in his career.
When you're looking for mentors at the quarterback position, it's tough to find a better one in the league than Matt Hasselbeck. While he will be a free agent after the season is over, he's been with Seattle long enough that it's hard to envision him anywhere else.
Jake Locker would be able to learn quite a bit from him.
Chance to Play in 2012
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After the last two slides have been about Locker's chance to develop and learn from Matt Hasselbeck and the other Seahawks quarterbacks, it's important to note that he would indeed have a chance to eventually play.
Hasselbeck is not like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. He's nearing the end of his career and Charlie Whitehurst does not look like the permanent answer.
Locker would sit on the bench for 2011, but he'd have his opportunity in 2012.
Pete Carroll
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Playing for Pete Carroll would be a great opportunity for Locker.
Carroll is known to be aggressive and anything but conservative on offense. On the sidelines, he's also full of energy, enthusiasm and support for his players.
Plus there's the fact that Carroll already knows Locker from the time they both spent in the Pac-10.
Playoff Team!
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When you're a top prospect, you generally go to a team that is far from making the playoffs, but the Seahawks, rather inexplicably, did the exact opposite this year.
Despite the 7-9 record, Seattle somehow advanced to the NFL's postseason and looks like it could do the same next year.
Coming in and experiencing the thrill of immediately contending for the playoffs would do wonders for Locker. It would motivate him to want to make it there each and every year of his career and give him a taste of something that most players have to simply smell from afar during their first season.
NFC West
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Playing in the NFC West has to be a dream come true.
In no other division do you get to play the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams twice a year each.
Locker would have a chance to win easy games week after week. Well, easier than others at least.
For a young quarterback, it would be a great confidence booster to get to play in a weak division.
Chance to Feel Slighted
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One of my favorite players in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, wears No. 32 as his jersey number to remind himself that all 32 teams in the NFL passed on drafting him in the first round.
Players can use things like that as motivation to work harder and get better so they can rub it in the other teams' faces when they're better than expected.
A similar situation could present itself to Jake Locker. If the 20 non-playoff teams all pass on him, he could use that as added motivation in his quest to become the best.
Staying at Home
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Finally, if Locker was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, he'd get to stay home, where the fans all love him.
Locker went to the University of Washington, which is conveniently located in the same city as the Seattle Seahawks. He's already a hometown hero and would continue to be if the Seahawks selected him.
Everyone wants to be loved and Locker would have a head start on that process.
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