Seattle Seahawks 2015 Draft: Aggregating Report Card Grades from Around the Web

The 2015 NFL draft has come and gone. Like every other team in the league, the Seattle Seahawks approached the draft process with a unique approach.

Seattle didn't possess a first-round selection because it traded away the 31st overall pick in order to acquire New Orleans Saints star tight end Jimmy Graham. The trade also resulted in the loss of starting center Max Unger.

This left center as a need, along with a need at wide receiver and depth in the secondary and on the offensive line.

The Seahawks began the draft with 11 selections, but wound up trading three picks away to move up and secure former Kansas State wideout Tyler Lockett at the top of Round 3. The team also added pass-rusher Frank Clark in Round 2. Day 3 netted three offensive line prospects, a cornerback, a safety and another developmental pass-rusher. 

So how well did the Seahawks' draft strategy work? Realistically, it's far too early to tell.

However, that hardly prevents analysts from immediately grading each team's draft haul. In order to get an idea of just how Seattle fared in the 2015 draft, let's take a look at some opinions from around the web along with our take.

Sports Illustrated

Doug Farrar: B-

Doug Farrar of SI.com believes that the Seahawks had a solid overall draft, though he is down on the selection of troubled pass-rusher Frank Clark in Round 2.

"

Pete Carroll and John Schneider have built up a lot of equity with great pick after great pick since they took over the Seahawks organization in 2010, but they tested a lot of that faith with the second-round selection of Michigan edge-rusher Frank Clark, a third- to fourth-round prospect in the minds of many before you throw in the domestic violence issue that got him kicked off the Wolverines last November. Clark had better be special on the field and perfect off it, because Carroll and Schneider are taking a huge risk here.

"

I agree that the selection of Clark was a major reach, even without the character issues. The pick should have been spent on a position of greater need and on a much safer player. A prospect of Clark's caliber could have been found in Round 3 or 4.

Farrar also wrote: "The move to trade up for Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett in the third round was better-received, and for good reason. He's an outstanding return man and the kind of speedster who can take the top off a defense—just what Seattle needs."

I love the selection of Lockett and I believe it was Seattle's best move of the entire draft. I still feel like Farrar's grade is a bit high, considering the Seahawks failed to address the offensive line until Day 3.

CBSSports.com

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Pete Prisco: B-

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com seems a lot higher on Seattle's draft, then most. At least on the surface. He definitely appears much higher on the Clark selection, writing, "Second-round defensive end Frank Clark had some off-field issues, but he can flat-out play. Clark is a perfect addition to the Seattle front."

Prisco also didn't seem to mind the Seahawks waiting until Day 3 for an offensive lineman, even though he called it the team's most questionable move.

"

Questionable move: Waiting until the fourth round to pick an offensive lineman. They did draft a couple later, so it's nitpicking. 

They didn't have a first-round pick, trading it away for Jimmy Graham, which I think is a good move. Then John Schneider got two good football players with his first two picks in Clark and Tyler Lockett.

"

I'm just not as high on the selection of Clark as Prisco here. I also think waiting for a guard/center prospect was a mistake, and I find it a bit odd that Prisco gives Seattle's draft the same grade as someone who seriously questions the drafting of Clark in Round 2. I do agree that the trade for Graham was a good predraft move.

Rotoworld

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Evan Silva: B-

Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com also likes what the Seahawks did during the draft, though he admits that the Graham trade plays a role in his grade.

"

The Seahawks' grade includes the pre-draft acquisition of Jimmy Graham, while keeping in mind that the move cost No. 31 and stud C Max Unger. Seattle was obviously in absolute love with Lockett, sending fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-rounders to the Redskins in order to land the dynamic slot receiver/return man. 

"

Silva also seems to have mixed views on the selection of Clark. Though he admits there are concerns, he really seems to believe in Clark's upside.

"

While Clark's off-field history is worrisome, he offers difference-making talent as a 4-3 end. Underrated throughout the pre-draft phase, Glowinski could become a year-one starter at guard or center. Poole, Gwacham, Sokoli, and Murphy are athleticism-based projections. 

"

I think Silva is pretty spot on here with his assessment of Seattle's later picks. These are guys drafted on athletic potential and guys who won't be expected to contribute right away, which is fine for Seattle.

If you're including the Graham trade in the grading and see Glowinski as a starting center, I actually feel a B- is a tad low.

ESPN

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Mel Kiper: A-

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is very high on Seattle 2015 draft class. A lot of his high grade, though, comes from the Graham trade.

He wrote: "Let’s start with this question: Will there be any rookie in the NFL next year who figures to be better than Jimmy Graham? In a health vacuum, I’d say no. Every guy drafted this week has the hope of being a star; Jimmy Graham IS a star." 

Kiper also seems to take Clark's character concerns off the table for his evaluation, writing, "I have to trust Seattle has vetted Frank Clark‘s off-field problems and feels comfortable bringing him in. Assuming he’s OK there, the value is pretty fair, and they could use the pass-rushing help."

I agree with Kiper that Clark can help from a football standpoint. However, arrests for home invasion and domestic violence are a big red flag. I actually mocked Clark to the Seahawks after Round 1, but I saw him as a fourth-round value:

"

Overall, the combination of adding Graham and Lockett, plus the attempt to improve things with some new competitors to win jobs along the offensive line makes this draft a pretty good one for the Seahawks, who seem to always have a developmental plan for their picks.  

"

The additions of Graham and Lockett are huge for the Seattle offense. I certainly cannot argue that. I also like the idea of bringing in developmental athletes in the later rounds. I just have a hard time throwing out Clark's risks and agreeing he was the right pick over a starting center.

NFL.com

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

Bryan Fischer: C-

NFL.com writer Bryan Fischer wasn't very impressed with Seattle's approach to the draft. Though he praised the move for Lockett, Fischer really believed the selection of Clark was a major reach, writing, "Frank Clark had a ton of character concerns entering the draft, and getting him in the second round was a massive reach. The team managed an average Day 2 grade, however, because the selection of Lockett was a home run."

Fischer really didn't seem to like the selections made by Seattle on Day 3. Though one of the three guard/center prospects may step up and take the starting job, this group was mostly filled with developmental guys the team may not have room for:

"

Moving up to get Lockett was a big win. Otherwise, the team's braintrust reached on almost all of its picks as the Seahawks look to restock the back end of the roster. There are a lot of athletes in this class, and maybe some will pan out, but they're betting a lot on coaching up raw talent.

"

I'm fine with the Seahawks gambling on athletic guys with upside in the later rounds, because only one or two of them have a realistic shot of finding a home on this championship-caliber roster anyway. Where I agree with Fischer is his assessment of the Clark pick.

It feels like Clark would have been a reach even without his character concerns, and the Seahawks would have been better off grabbing a surefire starter at center there.

Final Grades

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Outlet	Grade
Sports Illustrated	B-
CBSSports.com	B-
Rotoworld	B-
ESPN	A-
NFL.com	C-
Bleacher Report	C-

My own views on Seattle's draft seems to fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I don't feel it was the best choice to pass on a receiver or center to draft a risky pick in Clark, though I absolutely love the selection of Lockett.

I did not include the Jimmy Graham trade in my draft grade, so it falls lower than most. With Graham, I would give Seattle a solid B. Without him, I feel like the Seahawks were just below average. They began the draft with 11 selections and should have came away with more than they did. 

Adding a more polished center like Oregon's Hroniss Grasu or a top-tier guard like South Carolina's A.J. Cann would have made more sense than grabbing Clark at the end of Round 2.

The team also could have just taken Lockett at that spot and grabbed an edge-rusher like Oklahoma's Geneo Grissom at the end of Round 3 without sacrificing picks in a trade. This is assuming another team was even interested in grabbing Clark before Seattle's next pick, anyway.

Of course, Clark may turn out to be a stud with no issues whatsoever, proving me wrong. However, it really feels like the second day of the draft could have been handled in a more efficient manner.

Overall, it seems that everyone views Seattle's draft as just OK without Graham and pretty darn good with him. The good news for Seattle is that this wasn't exactly a team that needed a lot of help in the first place.