NFL Draft 2011: Weighing the Seattle Seahawks' First-Round Options
The NFL Scouting Combine kicks into gear again this year on Thursday. This is the annual showcase for the nation's top college prospects.
They will be poked, prodded, measured and asked strange questions by NFL scouts, general managers and team doctors. The stands in Lucas Oil Stadium will be filled with NFL personnel but you can watch along with them on television.
The Seattle Seahawks will have their top brass there as well. But who are they looking at?
With a number of pressing needs to fill there are four or five different positions the Seahawks might use their first pick to fulfill.
Sitting with the 25th pick in the first round, they will have to wait patiently as the teams ahead of them get the first shot at these prospects.
Will they go for a quarterback of the future (is that guy even in the draft?), will they shore up their weak defensive backfield, or will they add some much-needed beef to their offensive line?
Don't bother trying to gain any inside dope by reading what Pete Carroll has to say. NFL coaches and general managers talk a lot before the draft but you can't trust what they say.
They are not going to let the teams picking around them know what they might be up to.
So let's take a look at each position the Seahawks might be looking at and see what options they most likely will have when the 25th pick rolls around.
These guys are the guys you might want to pay closer attention to this weekend.
Quarterback
1 of 5
The quarterback is obviously the glamor position in the NFL. When a team nabs one in the first round, the fans are usually fired up.
Along with that pick come high expectations and a long, painful history of first-round busts.
Will Seattle roll the dice and grab a QB at 25?
There are compelling reasons they might. Matt Hasselbeck is aging and nearing the end of the road and Seattle needs to find its next quarterback.
There may be some veterans available but they either aren't exciting (Carson Palmer) or will cost too much (Kevin Kolb). So Seattle may look to the draft.
Looking at all the various scouting reports and mock drafts (and there are a lot out there) it looks like Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton will be long gone by the time Seattle picks.
So here are the guys who should still be on the board:
Jake Locker, Washington, 6'3" 225: Locker obviously has strong local ties to Seattle and would excite many Seahawks fans. He is big, a tremendous runner and athlete and has a strong arm. He is also a hard worker and displays leadership skills.
He has struggled with accuracy and decision making. He will have to improve on these to make it in the NFL.
Christian Ponder, Florida State, 6'3" 227: Ponder's stock rose a bit with a decent Senior Bowl, he is a very accurate passer, but lacks a big arm, which could pose problems in the NFL.
He is a good athlete who is mobile but might be a bit of a reach in the first round.
Colin Kaepernick, Nevada, 6'4" 225: Kaepernick has the size to be an NFL quarterback. He is mobile and is a dangerous runner. He played in the pistol offense in college and will have to adjust to NFL offense.
His accuracy has been spotty and he is a quarterback who is a project with some interesting potential.
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, 6'6" 238: Mallett has good size and has drawn some comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. He has a big arm, but is slow and has struggled with his accuracy, although he did improve in this area last year.
Mallett seems to have seen his stock drop recently and there are whispers about his attitude and lack of work ethic. This may be a red flag.
Who would you take if you were Seattle?
Offensive Lineman
2 of 5
The Seahawks offensive line the past few years has been...offensive. They have struggled with the run and have helped run up Matt Hasselbeck's physical therapy bills.
They solidified their important left tackle position in last year's draft by picking Russell Okung in the first round. Okung struggled with injuries but bounced back to look like a great anchor to the line.
He needs help.
The Seahawks have pieces to a great running game with some versatile backs, but they have nobody to block for them. Drafting a lineman, while not sexy, is always a solid move.
The draft this year is a bit thin on interior linemen, where Seattle really needs help, but here are the guys most likely to still be on the board at 25.
Mike Pouncey, Florida, 6'4" 310: Pouncey can play both guard and center which makes him pretty versatile. He's a quick, athletic and strong player who is known to play with a nasty streak.
He might be just the "dirt bag" the Seahawks need to complement Okung, and if he is on the board at 25 he might be the odds-on favorite to be the next Seahawk.
Nate Solder, Colorado, 6'8" 318: Solder's stock has risen due to a strong performance at the Senior Bowl. The Big 12 Lineman of the Year is a solid run blocker, good pass blocker and a smart player.
He is a bit slender for his height and may need to bulk up a bit. Solder is a tackle only, which might make the Seahawks pass on him in the first round.
Derek Sherrod, Mississippi, 6'6" 300: Another candidate to play tackle, Sherrod is a good athlete who is quick and agile and a good pass blocker. He is not known to have a mean streak in him and can get overpowered on run plays.
Anthony Castonzo, Boston College, 6'7" 295: Castonzo is a bit undersized for the NFL, but makes up for it with tremendous technique and leverage. He will need to couple that with more size and strength to be an impact player in the NFL.
Who would you pick?
Cornerback
3 of 5
To put it simply, the Seahawks cornerbacks were a nightmare last season. They only mustered three interceptions and were often found trailing wide-open receivers.
Marcus Trufant has struggled to stay healthy and does not appear to be an elite corner any longer. Kelly Jennings has been average at best but lacks the size to match up with the modern NFL receiver.
Seattle may look to pick up a corner to beef up their backfield.
The top two rated corners in this year's draft, Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamra, most likely will be off the board by the time Seattle is called at the podium. So barring any trades, here are the most likely corners the Seahawks will be looking at.
Jimmy Smith, Colorado, 6'2" 210: Smith is a big corner which appears to fit in with what Coach Carroll wants to see on defense. He has impressive speed, is aggressive and has flourished in man-to-man coverage.
He did struggle in a matchup with A.J. Green this year, but Smith would be a great fit for Seattle.
Brandon Harris, Miami, 5'11" 195: Brandon Harris is quick, possesses blazing speed and won't get outrun by anyone in the league. He is strong in man-to-man coverage and is willing to come up and play the run.
Some scouts say he may struggle playing in zone coverage, however, and he will need to improve in that aspect.
Aaron Williams, Texas, 6'1" 195: Will Seattle have a Longhorn connection in 2011? Williams might match up well with Earl Thomas; he is a good zone player, tremendous blitzer and a ball hawk.
Several scouts have worried about his struggles with press coverage and he may get beat off the ball by big, strong NFL receivers.
Who should the Seahawks consider?
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Wide Receiver
4 of 5
With the emergence of Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu, Seattle has some pieces in place at wideout. They could still use a speed demon to stretch the field and open up the middle for Williams.
It was hoped that Deon Butler could be that guy, but so far he has not been consistent and is coming off of a serious leg injury which raises more questions.
Drafting a wideout in the first round often leads to frustration and busts...see Koren Robinson for an example. However, that doesn't mean that Seattle won't look for their deep threat at 25.
A.J. Green from Georgia is the top rated wide receiver in this year's draft and it appears that he will be selected pretty high and not available to Seattle.
Here are the most likely candidates to still be around at 25:
Julio Jones, Alabama, 6'4" 211: Jones is a tall, athletic and strong playmaker who has played on the biggest stages and in a pro-style offense. He is a great run-after-catch guy and has good speed.
He has struggled with drops at Alabama and while he has great speed, most scouting reports note that it takes him several strides to get to full speed. Is he the downfield threat Seattle needs?
Torrey Smith, Maryland, 6'1" 205: Torrey Smith is a burner, plain and simple. He has tremendous speed, gets good separation, has good hands and can return kicks. This might be an asset to Seattle if they don't re-sign Leon Washington.
Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh, 6'5" 230: Baldwin is a huge receiver in the Mike Williams mold. Like Williams he has good hands and can run after catch.
However, he will not stretch the field and there are some questions about his effort on every play.
Will Seattle catch one of these guys in the first round?
Defensive End
5 of 5
Seattle was able to put up some good sack totals last year with the emergence of Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock. Despite the sacks, they did struggle at times to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Too often, guys set up camp in the pocket and picked apart the beleaguered Seattle secondary.
Brock is getting up there in age and is a free agent who has said he'd like to return. Even with his return, the Seahawks may want to pick up a younger end to add depth and take over for Brock as he gets older.
The draft this year isn't very deep at the defensive end position, and here are the guys likely to be around when Seattle picks.
Cameron Jordan, California, 6'4" 284: Jordan is a big, strong player who, despite his size, has some skills in the pass rush and is much more than a bull-rusher. He is stout against the run, as well.
Some scouts have rated him lower since he isn't an elite pass-rusher or run stopper, and merely above average at both. With this in mind, plus his size, he could be a candidate to fill the role of the Leo for Seattle.
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue, 6'4" 263: Kerrigan lacks the size that Jordan has but is a high-motor guy, much like Patrick Kearney was for Seattle.
His detractors point out that he is not a polished pass rusher and at times can be over-aggressive. He might be a reach in the first round.
Should Seattle shore up its defensive end position?
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
