Seahawks' Top Needs, Best Fits in 2014 NFL Draft

A day removed from Seattle's impressive Super Bowl domination, the Seahawks' offseason has officially begun.

As such, the 2014 NFL draft process can begin in earnest, with the world champions forced to make tough decisions about who they can re-sign, who needs to be replaced in the draft and where they most need to stockpile talent to develop.

The combination of general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll has resulted in surprising and, more importantly, enviably successful drafts for the team over the past few seasons, a trend they surely would like to continue following the franchise's first ever Super Bowl victory.

Schneider and Carroll have established a reputation as a duo willing to challenge long-practiced strategies on building an NFL franchise. They take chances on unheralded prospects, give rookies significant minutes and prize risk-taking over adhering to the conventions of personnel evaluation.

In a league filled with front offices devoid of creative thinkers and risk-takers, the Seahawks offer a fresh take on team building. 

It is thanks to this innovation and brassiness that the Seahawks hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, but the team's roster is not without its weaknesses.

With that in mind, here are six positions the Seahawks will most likely be focusing on in the upcoming 2014 NFL draft. Each positional analysis will propose ideal early-round prospects and late-round sleepers the team should be targeting.

Guard

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The most glaring weakness on an otherwise highly regarded Seahawks roster is the interior of its offensive line.

While the entire line struggled, the interior was consistently outmatched in a division rife with stout defensive fronts. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the offensive line ranked 20th as a unit in pass-blocking, while they came in at 24th in run-blocking (with a paltry cumulative score of -56.1).

Starting center Max Unger and tackles Breno Giacomini and Russell Okung (who was injured for half of the season) received negligibly subpar grades from PFF.

More promising was seventh-round pick Michael Bowie, a midseason replacement starter who turned in a promising rookie campaign that saw him become the only Seahawks lineman to grade out positively, particularly as a run-blocker, where he ranked ninth among all tackles who played at least 25 percent of their team's snaps.

The play by starting guards James Carpenter and J.R. Sweezy, however, was the real downfall of the line in 2013. PFF ranked the pair No. 36 (Sweezy) and No. 42 (Carpenter), respectively, among the 50 NFL guards who played at least 60 percent of their teams' snaps. In fact, they are the only two guards in the bottom 20 who graded out positively in pass-blocking, further proof of how disproportionately abysmal their run-blocking was this season. 

Xavier Su'a-Filo is a strong and quick guard from UCLA, who could immediately step in and make an impact. He would fit well within the Seahawks' zone-blocking scheme, in that he's strong enough to anchor against bull rushes but fast and athletic enough to move along the line. He displays solid technique, and with the right coaching, his ceiling is Pro Bowl-caliber play. The Seahawks could land him at the end of the first round. 

If the Seahawks decide to address another position at the end of the first round, Furman guard Dakota Dozier would be another solid pick, potentially in the third round. A small-school player, Dozier has surprising athleticism for his size and the kind of untapped potential that could be realized in an environment like Seattle. 

Wide Receiver

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While Seattle's receiving corps is one of the more underrated units in the NFL, one type of player they lack is a legitimate number one receiver.

Doug Baldwin is an ideal slot receiver, speedy in his routes and shifty after the catch. Golden Tate is a dynamic playmaker with strong hands who runs with a real ferocity, but he projects better in the long term as a possession receiver who can break big plays over the middle. Percy Harvin could be a future number one receiver in Seattle, but his injury history is extensive and he works best as a complement to a big-bodied X receiver. 

Sidney Rice was brought in to be the kind of receiver they are lacking, but injuries and underwhelming play have made him a potential cap casualty this offseason (though more likely next year). Jermaine Kearse came on extremely strong this year, making big play after big play. However, like Harvin, he makes more sense as a Y receiver, a speedster who can stretch the field on vertical routes. 

If Kelvin Benjamin is available at the bottom of the first, the Seahawks may find him too good to pass on. However, in the likely event that he is off the board, a player like Clemson's Martavis Bryant could be an option at the bottom of the second. He is incredibly raw and runs the risk of flaming out early like Stephen Hill seems en route to do.

The Seahawks can afford to be patient, though, and at 6'4", 200 pounds, Bryant may be worth waiting on. A one-year college starter, Bryant could sit for a year or two behind the incumbent Rice, while offering a strong red-zone presence in the meantime. His ceiling is off the charts, but his risk is high as well. 

A late-round sleeper the Seahawks may consider is Brandon Coleman out of Rutgers. A receiver with terrific size (6'5", 220 lbs), Coleman has a reputation for underperforming and not living up to his potential. He is entering the draft after a down 2013 in which his stock flatlined.

A good combine could push him up boards, but as of now he is looking like a fourth- or fifth-round pick. The Seahawks system motivates players, and if Coleman goes to Seattle late, he could wind up producing like an early-round talent.

Tight End

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Though tight end may not be the biggest need for the Seahawks, it could provide the most bang for their buck as far as the draft goes.

Luke Willson had a promising rookie campaign, though he doesn't project as much more than a competent number two tight end. Zach Miller also turned in a solid season, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking 10th among tight ends who played at least 25 percent of their teams' snaps. However, while his run-blocking is solid (ranking fourth), Miller is ranked 55 out of 64 eligible tight ends as a pass-blocker. 

Miller's selling point is that he is solid, dependable. He isn't exceptional at any one thing, but apart from his pass-blocking difficulties, he is a stable presence in the offense. Keeping in mind that the Seahawks are world champions and that they can view many of these pick as luxuries, one potential fit would be a more athletic tight end who poses a greater downfield threat.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins would be a very rewarding luxury pick if the Seahawks nabbed him at the end of the first round. A hometown boy (born in Fox Island, WA and attended the University of Washington), Carroll and Schneider are surely familiar with his incredible athleticism and agility (he even played basketball during his freshman year).

Some off-the-field issues have hampered his draft stock a little, but he could step in immediately as a hyper-athletic security blanket for Russell Wilson. 

A potential sleeper the Seahawks might be interested in is former Oregon Ducks' tight end Colt Lyerla. Coming to the draft with some considerable baggage, Lyerla also offers likely the highest upside comparable to his projected draft position. Admittedly, he will have a lot to account for after leaving the Oregon program midseason and being arrested for cocaine possession, but the Seahawks aren't shy on drafting players with troubled pasts (Bruce Irvin, Tharold Simon).

Considering the issues with substance abuse the franchise faced this year in the indefinite suspension of Brandon Browner, the Seahawks may be less inclined to go this route, but if they can get Lyerla in the seventh round or even as an undrafted free agent (as he is currently projected), they may find the risk worth it.

Offensive Tackle

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As already stated, the interior of the offensive line is the true problem area on the Seahawks' offense.

However, with Breno Giacomini's contract expiring and Paul McQuistan turning in disastrous work as Okung's fill-in for much of the year, the tackle spot could likewise be addressed early in the draft. Okung and Bowie look to be the likely starters at tackle in 2014, but a player with the ability to play on either side of the line may be appealing to a Seahawks coaching staff that showed a lot of latitude in determining playing time in 2013. 

If Notre Dame's Zack Martin manages to fall to the end of the first round, it would be a dream scenario for the Seahawks. While many have projected Martin to move inside to guard at the NFL level, he demonstrated to scouts at the Senior Bowl that he can hang on the outside against big-time competitors.

If the Seahawks can get him in the first, he could immediately start at left guard, with the potential to develop into a left tackle down the line (similar to what the Chicago Bears' have planned for Kyle Long).

If Martin is off the board, the Seahawks could consider Tennessee's Antonio Richardson in either the first or the second round (depending on his workouts). Richardson is a big-bodied tackle who excels against the run and can play on either the left or right side of the line. In the short term, one potential scenario could see Richardson play on the right side which would allow the Seahawks to move Michael Bowie to guard, where he played well in 2013.

A developmental prospect the Seahawks could get in the late rounds is Cornelius Lucas, a 6'8", 330-pound tackle with upside to spare. Lucas, who played at Kansas State, struggled with inconsistency throughout his collegiate career, specifically with his footwork and pad level. However, he is a far better athlete than most players his size, has the ability to get to the second level and should fit Seattle's zone-blocking scheme.

He may be worth spending a sixth- or seventh-round pick on.

Defensive End

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Seattle's defensive line is in a state of flux entering the offseason. The interior of the line looks set, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel and Clinton McDonald third, 15th and 27th, respectively, among 69 defensive tackles playing at least 25 percent of their team's snaps. There's also Jordan Hill and Jesse Williams, two promising developmental defensive tackles.

The defensive end position, on the other hand, might be in need of an upgrade. Despite boasting the fifth- (Michael Bennett), 13th- (Cliff Avril) and 15th-ranked (Red Bryant) defensive ends among the 52 DEs graded by PFF, the future is uncertain for this group.

Michael Bennett is a free agent this offseason, and he may be looking to cash in on a contract bigger than what the Seahawks can afford. Bryant had a bounce-back year after playing miserably in 2012, but part of his improved play may have been the result of greater depth that confined Bryant's snaps to situations in which he could excel. Midway through a career marked by inconsistency, Bryant has not given anyone confidence that he will produce at the same level next year.

Cliff Avril is locked in for another year, which is great news for 'Hawks fans. Not so great, however, was the performance of pass-rush specialist Chris Clemons, who ranked 42nd out of the aforementioned 52 defensive ends. Bouncing back from knee injuries is never easy for aging players, but Clemons' drop-off this year was substantial from a 2012 season in which PFF had him as the 11th-ranked defensive end.

There is hope that Clemons can return to form in 2014, especially after he turned in his two best games of the year in the conference championship and Super Bowl. Still, the Seahawks are more likely to target a 5-technique end to complement Bryant as a run-stuffer.

The Seahawks' base defense uses one defensive end with the size suitable for a 3-4 scheme. Bryant and Bennett filled that role this year, but a player like Notre Dame's Stephon Tuitt could be someone they target at the end of the first round in the draft. Tuitt is a big, agile defensive end topping out at 312 pounds. He has the ideal frame to step in and develop as a 3-4 run-stuffing end while still being able provide some pressure on the quarterback.

A late-round steal could be Deandre Coleman out of the University of California. Like Tuitt, he is a 300-plus defensive end ideally suited to the 5-technique. Unlike Tuitt, his best asset is his run defense. He possesses good athleticism and speed for his size and sets the edge well against the run.

Coleman makes a lot of sense as a Seahawks draft pick—an underrated prospect picked to fill a scheme-specific role on an already-superb defense. 

Cornerback

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Suggesting the Seahawks need cornerback help might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but let's consider Seattle's current situation.

It seems very unlikely that Brandon Browner will be back with the Seahawks next year after his suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have made it clear that getting an extension for Earl Thomas is being prioritized over extending Richard Sherman.

It seems incredibly unlikely that they won't re-sign both before next offseason, but it has to be considered.

Byron Maxwell is a free agent in 2015, and if he keeps up the level of play he displayed this year in 2014, he could be in for a hefty payday himself next offseason. Meanwhile, Walter Thurmond is a free agent this offseason. For the Seahawks to keep the Legion of Boom intact, it requires players like Maxwell and Jeremy Lane to be able to step in on a moment's notice for a player like Browner and get the job done.

For that to happen, there has to be depth and young developing players at the position. 

Much as been made about the height of a pair of cornerback prospects in the upcoming draft. Both Utah's Keith McGill and Nebraska's Stanley Jean-Baptiste stand 6'3" and weigh 215 pounds. Jean-Baptiste, in particular, has been drawing comparisons to Richard Sherman. However, Pierre Desir may end up being a more natural fit with the Seahawks. Desir played for Division II Lindenwood but has been impressing against higher-level competition at both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.

Desir plays more physicality than either McGill or Jean-Baptiste, wrapping up nicely on tackles and going up with strength for jump balls. While the other two prospects play more press-man coverage and lack his top-end speed, the 6'2", 206-pound Desir is better suited for the kind of zone coverages the Seahawks run. He possesses fluid hips, exceptional awareness and solid acceleration to go along with his considerable size.

A late-round prospect the Seahawks may target is Purdue's Ricardo Allen. If the Seahawks let Thurmond walk, they could look to Allen as a potential replacement at nickel corner. Allen plays fast and strong, just the way Seattle coaches its secondary to play, and exhibits a swagger that would befit the Seahawks' uniform. Allen potentially will be available in the fifth round.

The Seahawks could also embrace the luxury of their draft picks and take a chance on Aaron Colvin. The Oklahoma cornerback suffered a devastating injury at the Senior Bowl, tearing his ACL and sending his draft stock into a tailspin.

Before the injury, Colvin had a chance to go as high as the second round. Now he will likely drop until at least the bottom of the fourth, more likely the fifth or sixth. The Seahawks, more than perhaps any other team, could afford to take this chance.