Is it a big reach?

[HawksSoc]

https://youtu.be/eM4xLIZybeM

I'm excited, PFF adores him.

 

[AROS]

I think this kid is going to be a surprise for most fans. Watching the post-pick presser with John and Pete you could plainly see their true excitement for the kid. Not contrived, as in "Well we had better come up with something to explain this pick" but a sincere explanation that this was the one they wanted all along. John said in no uncertain terms that they were going to select him at the 18 spot and when they made the trade with Green Bay they were stoked to get him at 27.

He also went as far as to say that for the first time in his career, a team called him AFTER their pick to see if they could grab him away from them. That's amazing. The rumor is Cleveland who many are saying were hoping to pick him at the 33 spot (or whatever spot was imminent in the 2nd).

I think he is precisely the 3-down back they covet. Has excellent hands, can be DEADLY as a returner and has that bruising north-south style with deceptive speed they haven't had since #24. His only knock I've heard is that he needs to work on his blocking but that is something they can work on as he goes along, not something he needs to showcase out of the gate.

Just remember...Just because he isn't the player YOU think they should have picked in the first round doesn't mean he won't prove to be first round material in his career. Give the kid a chance. I'm personally excited to see what he can do for us.

As draft expert Rob Rang - who I greatly admire - said tonight to paraphrase, just wait 12's, once you see what he can do right away your fears will be alleviated.

 

[Northwest Seahawk]

I don't like the pick, but hope I'm wrong and they're right.

Other than Barkley there wasn't a RB decidedly better than Penny and he checks all the boxes.

 

[hawknation2018]

I don't like the pick, but hope I'm wrong and they're right.

Other than Barkley there wasn't a RB decidedly better than Penny and he checks all the boxes.

Nah, there were several. To name one, Derrius Guice is decidedly better. He's on a near-Todd Gurley level and would have been a steal if they could have traded down into the 2nd round.

I think Sony Michel and Ronald Jones are also better. And then there are a host of guys who are at or near Penny's level: Nick Chubb, Royce Freeman, Kerryon Johnson, Ito Smith, etc.

It's just that deep of a draft year, and there's nothing that special about Penny, in my eyes at least. Bad footwork, upright runner, high cut with skinny lower body, poor pass protector; I wouldn't say he checked EVERY box. When supply is high and demand is low for RBs, they could waited to draft one.

Now they have a seemingly average RB, and not a great RT (Connor Williams), DE (Harold Landry or Rasheem Green), CB (Josh Jackson), TE (Dallas Goedert), G (Will Hernandez), or DT (Maurice Hurst). Better prospects at positions of greater need that are not as deep in this draft. JMO.

 

[hawknation2018]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/realtimwilliams/status/989714038157262848[/tweet]

Cool moment for Penny and his family.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I think this kid is going to be a surprise for most fans. Watching the post-pick presser with John and Pete you could plainly see their true excitement for the kid. Not contrived, as in "Well we had better come up with something to explain this pick" but a sincere explanation that this was the one they wanted all along. John said in no uncertain terms that they were going to select him at the 18 spot and when they made the trade with Green Bay they were stoked to get him at 27.

He also went as far as to say that for the first time in his career, a team called him AFTER their pick to see if they could grab him away from them. That's amazing. The rumor is Cleveland who many are saying were hoping to pick him at the 33 spot (or whatever spot was imminent in the 2nd).

I think he is precisely the 3-down back they covet. Has excellent hands, can be DEADLY as a returner and has that bruising north-south style with deceptive speed they haven't had since #24. His only knock I've heard is that he needs to work on his blocking but that is something they can work on as he goes along, not something he needs to showcase out of the gate.

Just remember...Just because he isn't the player YOU think they should have picked in the first round doesn't mean he won't prove to be first round material in his career. Give the kid a chance. I'm personally excited to see what he can do for us.

As draft expert Rob Rang - who I greatly admire - said tonight to paraphrase, just wait 12's, once you see what he can do right away your fears will be alleviated.

I don't think many think he is going to be a bust. I feel as if most of the angst directed towards Penny is due to the position, and lack of perceived value. I don't think those criticisms are wrong either, especially considering the elephant in the room: Our offensive line durability, and overall play. I do not think Solari is going to fix these guys overnight. Penny plays a position that is heavily codependent on said offensive line to execute.

Good player, questionable circumstances under which the pick was made. Especially considering the drop off in offensive line talent after Hernandez is pretty steep while the RB position was fairly deep this draft. I can understand why Pete did what he did, I just think he is taking the wrong approach to establishing a dominate running game -- the cart before the pony syndrome if you will.

 

[KiwiHawk]

I don't think many think he is going to be a bust. I feel as if most of the angst directed towards Penny is due to the position, and lack of perceived value. I don't think those criticisms are wrong either, especially considering the elephant in the room: Our offensive line durability, and overall play. I do not think Solari is going to fix these guys overnight. Penny plays a position that is heavily codependent on said offensive line to execute.

Good player, questionable circumstances under which the pick was made. Especially considering the drop off in offensive line talent after Hernandez is pretty steep while the RB position was fairly deep this draft. I can understand why Pete did what he did, I just think he is taking the wrong approach to establishing a dominate running game -- the cart before the pony syndrome if you will.

On the other hand, Penny was first in YPC when first contact was made at or before the line of scrimmage, so he's possibly the least dependent on OL efficacy in this year's draft class.

 

[endzorn]

All you guys calling him a third down running back should be aware that this kid blocks about as well as Shaun Alexander. If he’s on the field on third down teams are going to blitz because he DOES NOT block.

I’ll be forever grateful to Schneider for helping deliver a Championship, but since 2013 he has done almost nothing in the draft and this pick looks like they haven’t learned a single lesson.

 

[seabowl]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/dannyoneil/status/989719276859805696[/tweet]

I thought you can only trade a guy one year after being drafted.

I don't believe for a second that someone called to trade for fim. This is John's way of making the pick look good. CYA

 

[devilhawk88]

So when we are talking about him running against better talent do we mean teams like Stanford and Arizona State, teams people here gauge how good the Huskies are, against? Because he put something like 175 yds on Stanford and 200 plus on ASU. Just saying.
Oh and what conference did that Bobby Wagner guy come out of? He seems ok.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

This is a great pick....does 3 things...

A)Plays absorbed....Penny and Carson can play all 3 downs...this takes pressure off Russ

B)Play action....like it or not, a 1st round pick signals to opponents we are moving forward with the run and that frees up passing lanes.

C) Pressure off the defense....more 1st downs means less time on field....means more control of trmpo of the game.

I think Prosise is a camp cut ....or moves to WR...

 

[hawknation2018]

So when we are talking about him running against better talent do we mean teams like Stanford and Arizona State, teams people here gauge how good the Huskies are, against? Because he put something like 175 yds on Stanford and 200 plus on ASU. Just saying.
Oh and what conference did that Bobby Wagner guy come out of? He seems ok.

Except, Stanford and ASU weren't good against the run last year. They were ranked in the middle of the Pac-12 (Stanford was 7th, allowing 169 yards per game, & ASU was 8th, allowing 175 yards per game). Stanford allowed 4.59 yards per carry (80th nationally). ASU allowed 4.89 yards per carry (96th nationally).

Boise State and Fresno State were the only good teams Penny faced against the run.

 

[GeekHawk]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/dannyoneil/status/989719276859805696[/tweet]

I thought you can only trade a guy one year after being drafted.

I don't believe for a second that someone called to trade for fim. This is John's way of making the pick look good. CYA

You think John Schneider just makes shit up, and then straight-up lies? I think people who think that so easily about others with no evidence speak volumes about themselves, TBH.

 

[MO Hawk]

O’Neil: The Seahawks shouldn’t draft a RB in 1st round — nobody should

http://sports.mynorthwest.com/444676/on ... dy-should/

 

[hawknation2018]

Rushing defense stats for Rashaad Penny's opponents in 2017:

UC Davis - FCS team, ranked 109th in rushing yards allowed per game (out of 123 FCS teams)
Arizona State - 96th in rushing yards allowed per carry, 78th in rushing yards allowed per game
Stanford - 80th in per carry, 68th in per game
Air Force - 130th in per carry (dead last in FBS), 118th in per game
Northern Illinois - 5th in per carry, 16th in per game
UNLV - 120th in per carry, 123rd in per game
Boise State - 15th in per carry, 17th in per game
Fresno State - 17th in per carry, 11th in per game
Hawai'i - 113th in per carry, 111th in per game
San Jose State - 118th in per carry, 129th in per game (2nd worst in FBS)
Nevada - 74th in per carry, 110th in per game
New Mexico - 85th in per carry, 65th in per game
Army - 116th in per carry, 75th in per game

So I have to correct my initial statement to say that Penny faced THREE good teams against the run: Northern Illinois, Boise State, and Fresno State.

How did he perform in these games? It's a mixed bag.
Northern Illinois - 25 carries for 107 yards (4.3 YPC), 0 TDs
Boise State - 21 carries for 53 yards (2.5 YPC), 1 TD
Fresno State - 15 carries for 69 yards (4.6 YPC), 0 TDs
Combined - 61 carries for 229 yards (3.7 YPC), 1 TD

 

[TwistedHusky]

The hard thing with small school guys is evaluating them on the field against the big schools.

Because their supporting cast is often not as strong as the big school teams. So the opportunities are less.

One thing though, I have found that a really good measuring stick is the Senior Bowl. Not the practices, we hear stuff all the time about the practices and guys that do tremendously well don't always do incredibly well in the NFL.

When you put those guys on a team with other players that are also solid, against some of the best competition in the nation - sometimes guys shine or flash greatness. There were certain guys that just looked better or did amazing things there - and sure enough, did it in the NFL. I remember being wowed by Jason Taylor or Curtis Martin as examples.
In fact, (though observations on what is 'great' or 'amazing' are subjective), I only remember it failing once - a WR from Wyoming that went to Detroit and did nothing. I was sure he was going to be incredible, he wasn't.

So I expect really big things from Hernandez and Davenport. And yes, Hernandez was available but...we have some rough luck with high OL picks lately. But Penny shined and I expect he is going to be fantastic.

No he isn't a great blocker but maybe if we have the RB in the flat to catch the pass if the QB is in trouble....we won't need a blocker. (Or get a #@*#$()@#*$@(#$@ fullback!!!) More importantly, we won't be asking Russ to take 17 step drops to hurl up long bombs while we keep everyone in to block. Because even when it works I hate it, fools gold.

We needed a RB. I am not at all sold on Carson as a primary RB threat. We got what looks to be a good one that can also be a receiving threat. I wanted either Penny or Michel, or if we missed on them....Ballage. We got one we needed.

 

[JumpmanXhawk]

Great player, I've always thought he could be the best back in the draft. I just wanted him in the later but obviously we dont have the picks to wait till later so they drafted their guy with the one and only shot they could've.
But I've been on the Penny train and hoped his stock would stay low

 

[hawknation2018]

No he isn't a great blocker but maybe if we have the RB in the flat to catch the pass if the QB is in trouble....we won't need a blocker. (Or get a #@*#$()@#*$@(#$@ fullback!!!)

Carroll actually mentioned a fullback again during his post-first round press conference. He said Penny knows how to run behind a fullback, as an example of something the Seahawks will do.

BTW, good post.

 

[mistaowen]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PFF_Louie/status/989851319539298304[/tweet]

 

[hawkfan68]

It could have been worse. If Cable was here, the Seahawks may have chosen Kolton Miller, T, UCLA. That distinction now thankfully goes to the Raiders. I'm glad the Seahawks rid themselves of the Cable problem and this draft looks better already because of it.