Needs for 2016 draft

[Hawks46]

Not sexy but i'd like to see them put some early draft picks towards the o'line, rather then waiting tip the 3rd day of the draft.

Right now in order i'd go:

Center
Tackle (gonna be tough to keep Okung)
RB (although hopefully Lynch will stick around one more year since 2017 is STACKED with RB's)
CB
S
WR (I like the future of both Lockett and Richardson but still searching for a stud big WR)

What do you think?

I get what you're saying in terms of needs, but the draft order is not right here. I theorize it would look like:

1. Tackle. If we need to replace Okung, typically you're going to have to spend a first round pick. Problem is, usually 1st round talent is gone by pick 15 for Tackles, so now you're looking at another tier of talent in the top of the 2nd round. Hawks could trade back, or go:

CB. We need a good CB. I know Pete has had success with later round picks, but we need a guy that can produce right away, and a 1st round CB could likely do that.

2. DT. We need interior pass rush and Jordan Hill can't do it from the sidelines. If we don't get the CB or Tackle we want, we could go 3T DT later in the 1st. This could honestly chance the complexion of our defense. Interior pass rush is highly valued and we're not going to get good value out of the 4th round. Hell, we drafted Hill in the 2nd round and if he could stay healthy, he'd show that value in what he's flashed so far.

3. WR. If we want a decent larger WR, we're going to have to spend some draft capital on him. Taller WR's are en vogue right now and teams snap them up early. Guys like Breshad Perriman go in the 1st round and they have questionable hands and/or route running. If your guy is over 6'3" and fast, he'll go high based on measurables.

Or Safety. I firmly believe that if we want a guy good enough to spell Kam or Earl, or even back up and grow into the role, we're going to have to go higher rounds. It used to be that you could get a quality safety in the 4th and 5th round, but Chancellor not withstanding, the value on these guys has gone up with the aerial bombardment that is the NFL now. I guy that can play coverage and in the box ? Priceless.

Center. You can still get a damn good Center in the 4th and 5th rounds. Problem is, I just read an article on NFL.com and half the teams need a good Center. I'd try to go mid rounds on one since Cable seems to be able to coach them up well, but the UDFA and 7th round DT conversion projects need to stop. We need a guy that produced at a college level, THEN let Cable coach him up.

I'd maybe go RB next, although I honestly think Rawls can carry the load. Problem is, we don't know where Lynch stands.

After this it's BPA although I'd think we try to upgrade our LBer depth and get a back up plan if KPL doesn't work out when Irvin leaves in FA.

Overall, if we can upgrade the OL, shore up our secondary and defensive depth, and get an interior pass rusher, I think it's a huge win for the draft and we're Super Bowl bound again. I think we have good enough WRs to win a lot of games next year if Wilson gets time in the pocket.

 

[hawkfan68]

Alex Collins, RB, Arkansas looks like he would be a nice fit. He could be available in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft. He's 5'11 and 215, shows some Beast Mode in his running style. He's looking good in he Liberty Bowl behind that very good Arkansas OL. Guys like Denver Krikland and Tretola may also be available mid to late in the draft.

 

[ARhawk]

Alex Collins, RB, Arkansas looks like he would be a nice fit. He could be available in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft. He's 5'11 and 215, shows some Beast Mode in his running style. He's looking good in he Liberty Bowl behind that very good Arkansas OL. Guys like Denver Krikland and Tretola may also be available mid to late in the draft.

Tretola should go in 2-3 range and will end up being a steal for whoever takes him. Kirkland is much better suited to play guard than tackle. Kirkland could be a James Carpenter clone at guard

 

[chris98251]

For a RB I want a guy that looks good on a lousy team with a lousy line, not someone that has a red carpet laid for him.

He doesn't need gaudy stats, but have the physical attributes and heart, those you can get later and not Heisman candidates. I would also look at TE, much the same as a RB, guy may not have great stats but because of the system and team around him stood apart because of his heart and willingness to do it all with the right physical characteristics.

I would not burn a high pick on one either.

Safety, well I will trust in Pete and John, Earl had speed but not size, teams draft for speed, Kam slid because of his speed and knock on coverage and that he was too big to play safety but to small for a LB. He is just a very heady player and learned here to cover or enhance what he was deficient in.

I would find a young Vet for Center, brains over brawn if need be, I would like the experience of being a pro and being able to make reads and line calls.

DT and O line would be where I put my resources in early, I mean real O Lineman LT's and RT's and a big ugly on defense to replace MeBane and back up Hill.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

.........I would find a young Vet for Center, brains over brawn if need be, I would like the experience of being a pro and being able to make reads and line calls........

Great idea, but who? Mack doesn't fit the "young" catagory.

 

[chris98251]

Mackenzy Bernadeau C 29 DAL TBD $2,824,166 UFA
Stefen Wisniewski C 26 JAC TBD $2,500,000 UFA
Ted Larsen G 28 ARI TBD $2,435,000 UFA
Ryan Wendell C 29 NE TBD $2,400,000 UFA
Lyle Sendlein C 31 ARI TBD $2,000,000 UFA
Ben Jones C 26 HOU TBD $1,662,362 UFA
Gino Gradkowski C 27 ATL TBD $1,542,000 UFA
Josh LeRibeus C 26 WAS TBD $864,081 UFA
Tony Bergstrom C 29 OAK TBD $786,504 UFA
Tim Barnes C 27 STL TBD $710,017 UFA
Will Montgomery C 32 CHI TBD $665,000 UFA
Patrick Lewis C 24 SEA TBD $585,000 RFA
Doug Legursky C 29 PIT TBD $585,000 UFA
Chris Hubbard G 24 PIT TBD $510,000 ERFA
T.J. Johnson C 25 CIN TBD $510,000 ERFA
Matt Paradis C 26 DEN TBD $435,000 ERFA
Lemuel Jeanpierre C 28 SEA TBD $378,529 UFA
David Molk C 27 PHI TBD $361,941 UFA
J.D. Walton C 28 SD TBD $309,705 UFA
Brian De La Puente C 30 WAS TBD $275,294 UFA
Brian Folkerts C 25 STL TBD $240,882 ERFA
Sam Brenner C 25 DEN TBD $210,000 ERFA
Gabe Ikard C 25 DET TBD $90,000 ERFA
Jacques McClendon C 28 MIA TBD $87,647 UFA
Braxston Cave C 26 DET TBD $25,588 ERFA

 

[brimsalabim]

OL all around. Maybe a blocking TE.

 

[hawkfan68]

Mackenzy Bernadeau C 29 DAL TBD $2,824,166 UFA
Stefen Wisniewski C 26 JAC TBD $2,500,000 UFA
Ted Larsen G 28 ARI TBD $2,435,000 UFA
Ryan Wendell C 29 NE TBD $2,400,000 UFA
Lyle Sendlein C 31 ARI TBD $2,000,000 UFA
Ben Jones C 26 HOU TBD $1,662,362 UFA
Gino Gradkowski C 27 ATL TBD $1,542,000 UFA
Josh LeRibeus C 26 WAS TBD $864,081 UFA
Tony Bergstrom C 29 OAK TBD $786,504 UFA
Tim Barnes C 27 STL TBD $710,017 UFA
Will Montgomery C 32 CHI TBD $665,000 UFA
Patrick Lewis C 24 SEA TBD $585,000 RFA
Doug Legursky C 29 PIT TBD $585,000 UFA
Chris Hubbard G 24 PIT TBD $510,000 ERFA
T.J. Johnson C 25 CIN TBD $510,000 ERFA
Matt Paradis C 26 DEN TBD $435,000 ERFA
Lemuel Jeanpierre C 28 SEA TBD $378,529 UFA
David Molk C 27 PHI TBD $361,941 UFA
J.D. Walton C 28 SD TBD $309,705 UFA
Brian De La Puente C 30 WAS TBD $275,294 UFA
Brian Folkerts C 25 STL TBD $240,882 ERFA
Sam Brenner C 25 DEN TBD $210,000 ERFA
Gabe Ikard C 25 DET TBD $90,000 ERFA
Jacques McClendon C 28 MIA TBD $87,647 UFA
Braxston Cave C 26 DET TBD $25,588 ERFA

Only one guy, of all the under 30 year old centers, on the above list is an upgrade over Patrick Lewis....

 

[JSeahawks]

Of course we're going to end up at #31 (New England doesnt have a 1st round pick), but as of right now it looks like we're at either #22 or #23 depending on GB and Minnesota.

 

[Overseasfan]

Drafting a QB early would be a waste. Wilson should have 10 or so years left, that would result in a potential stud rotting away behind our franchise QB or even worse we groom him up and some other team takes him from us. Maybe a 6th/7th round pick for a back up QB could work, TJack is getting a bit shaky. I'd prefer them just taking a promising undrafted guy. Not a lot of QBs get taken in the draft anyway and since he only has to back up and play (hopefully) only a few quarters a year.

FB shouldn't be a draft priority either. I like Tukuafu and we have Cottom as a project on the PS. The position isn't really worth drafting high for anyway, maybe bring in an undrafted guy to look how he performs but imo FB could be overlooked completely for this year.

RB is a bit iffy. I hope we have more information about our backs when the draft comes around. Will Rawls be healthy on time for the Reg Season and will he be playing on the same level? Is Lynch going to retire or will he be back and same as Rawls it will be a big question mark how healthy he will be if he decides to hang around. CMike could work as the 3rd stringer or maybe even 2nd stringer if he gets more consistent, but I wouldn't trust him as full time starter if both Rawls and Lynch were unavailable for week 1. If we're not confirmed to be able to start with either Rawls or Lynch I'd look at spending a 3rd or 4th round pick here.

There is some talk going around of not keeping Graham but he'll most likely be kept regardless and Luke Wilson will also still be here as a starter level back up. We use quiet a bit of 2 TE sets and incorporate them a lot in our offense in general. I'd like to also have a solid 3rd TE. We do have both Helfet and Coffman who could fulfill that role. So in my eyes this is another positon that aside from maybe a really late round pick should just be skipped.

Now for the OL, probably the most needy position we still have. OT is going to be a big priority. We're not sure yet if Okung stays and on the right side I'm still not really sold on Gilliam being a long term solution. I'd throw an early round pick here, preferably in round 1 or 2. Maybe wait a bit untill the third round if someone we really want is going under the radar or if the general level of tackles is a bit disappointing this year. OG might be a need if Sweezy leaves but we're developing a lot of Guards at the moment and I trust Britt to bring stability to at least one of the two guard spots. Maybe a mid round pick here. I'd say we should just stick with Lewis as our center though. I don't think we'll be able to get anyone in the draft who would really be an upgrade over him.

DE shouldn't be a priority at all. Bennett and Avril are one of the best outside rushing duos in the NFL and with Clark, Marsh and Dobbs backing them up we're completely set there. Maybe take a chance somewhere late for the heck of it but I would prefer if we didn't spend a pick on this position this year.

DT is my biggest concern. The talents of Bennett and Avril will be wasted without interior pressure. Rubin and Mebane could very well both be gone next year and it's hard to trust Hill with staying healthy all year. If a top prospect is still available at the end of the first round I think we should go for it.

OLB depends on Irvin. If he stays, I'd only spend a late round pick for some depth but if he leaves we'd have to take a chance in the upper rounds for this position in my opinion. Wright is one of the most solid players ever but I don't think anyone of our current LB corps could take over the place opposite of him if Irvin leaves.

ILB might warrant a late round pick for some depth behind Wagner but not a big necessity.

We could look for a nice back up Safety in the mid-late rounds if someone we really like is still available. McCray is doing a good job at backing up Kam but with Shead as the primary back up for Earl it could get tricky. Seeing as he's currently our starter at RCB.

CB is stated as our biggest need on NFL.com. In my opinion we look pretty good at the moment but if the OT and DT talent disappoints (it's a posibility as those positions tend to be rather shallow in terms of high class talent) we might still decide to take one in the first 2 rounds to solidify the LOB's reputation again.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Do we think a corner is going to be our top priority?

My thoughts would be

CB x 1
Offensive line x many
Defensive line x a few

Earlier in the season, I would have agreed that CB would be high on our list.

I think as this season unfolded late -- the prospect of elevating either Shead or Lane is acceptable. These two really seem to have solidified the holes in the secondary.

I would still expect us to get one, even two DBs. But I'm not sure we won't be expanding the pool of candidates to include slot/dime options. Lane is a quality CB and if Seattle decides they don't need to narrow their search to their outside corner physical prototype -- I could see Seattle getting great value in day 3 by possibly relieving Lane from his traditional nickel duties.

Seattle's achilles, other than covering TEs, has been small/quick slot players. That type of receiver is a tough matchup for our outside CB profile. It may be time to sprinkle some smaller/quicker CBs to match up with slot players better in 3rd down nickel packages.

Also interested to see what we have in Tye Smith. We've kept him on the roster for a reason. He certainly has very good physical tools. He could easily be in the mix next offseason. In which case, Seattle is almost assuredly not looking early at CB. Especially if they resign Lane and/or Shead which shouldn't be prohibitive from a cap perspective.

If I'm looking at the roster and making educated guesses based on the players we've kept stashed on the roster for development purposes -- then I have to think DT is the biggest positional need. We don't have a lot of development guys in that group. Dobbs is about it, but he's not strictly an interior guy. Clark is more of a Bennett mirror. Just not a lot of 'elevate from within' kind of players in that group as there are in the OL/DB groups.

 

[McGruff]

Rough Idea of where we stand roster wise . . . assuming everyone under contract remains and all RFA's and ERFA's are re-signed . . . This season's starters are bolded

QB
Russell Wilson

RB
Marshawn Lynch
Thomas Rawls
Christine Michael

FB
Derrick Coleman

WR
Doug Baldwin
Tyler Lockett
Paul Richardson
Kevin Smith
Kasen Williams

TE
Jimmy Graham
Luke Willson
Cooper Helfelt

OT
Garry Gilliam
Alvin Bailey
Kona Schwenke

OG
Justin Britt
Mark Glowinski
Kristjan Sokoli

OC
Patrick Lewis

DE
Cliff Avril
Michael Bennett
Frank Clark
Cassius Marsh
Ryan Robinson

DT
Jordan Hill
Jesse Williams
AJ Francis

OLB
KJ Wright
Kevin Pierre-Louis
Eric Pinkins
Nick Moody

MLB
Bobby Wagner
Brock Coyle

CB
Richard Sherman
Tharold Simon
Tye Smith
Marcus Burley
Mohammed Siesay

FS
Earl Thomas
Steve Terrell

SS
Kam Chancellor
Kelcie McCray

K
Steven Haushka

P

LS
Clint Gresham

 

[kearly]

It's fascinating how differently things look now than they did over the course of this season.

For me, the top need is corner, and it's not close. Shead and Lane are both UFA, and Lane has probably played himself into some decent money. Even if Seattle kept both, neither is ideal as a #2 corner.

Seattle's pass D took a big step back this season, from historically good to merely good, and against anything resembling an elite QB they've gotten roasted. If Seattle thinks there is a Marcus Peters type value at their 1st round pick, they shouldn't be afraid to pull the trigger just because they've had success at corner with late picks.

The upside of getting another stud CB across from Sherman is enormous. Denver built a defense around a pair of elite CBs and posted a defensive DVOA this year that was virtually tied with the 2013 Seahawks. The Pats signed Revis to a 1 year deal and rode it to a SB. The Seahawks won their SB in large part to Maxwell having a huge year.

Seattle should also draft a pass rusher, especially if they can luck out and find a quality interior rusher. Every year it feels like Seattle is 1 good pass rusher short of what they need.

I expect Cameron Wake to be on the trade block soon. He'll be the pass rusher equivalent of what Brandon Marshall was for bargain shoppers last offseason.

If Seattle can retain Okung and Sweezy, then I'm okay with making OL a mid-round priority.

 

[McGruff]

I think Lane will be our first big deal of the offseason.

 

[hawkfan68]

It's fascinating how differently things look now than they did over the course of this season.

For me, the top need is corner, and it's not close. Shead and Lane are both UFA, and Lane has probably played himself into some decent money. Even if Seattle kept both, neither is ideal as a #2 corner.

Seattle's pass D took a big step back this season, from historically good to merely good, and against anything resembling an elite QB they've gotten roasted. If Seattle thinks there is a Marcus Peters type value at their 1st round pick, they shouldn't be afraid to pull the trigger just because they've had success at corner with late picks.

The upside of getting another stud CB across from Sherman is enormous. Denver built a defense around a pair of elite CBs and posted a defensive DVOA this year that was virtually tied with the 2013 Seahawks. The Pats signed Revis to a 1 year deal and rode it to a SB. The Seahawks won their SB in large part to Maxwell having a huge year.

Seattle should also draft a pass rusher, especially if they can luck out and find a quality interior rusher. Every year it feels like Seattle is 1 good pass rusher short of what they need.

I expect Cameron Wake to be on the trade block soon. He'll be the pass rusher equivalent of what Brandon Marshall was for bargain shoppers last offseason.

If Seattle can retain Okung and Sweezy, then I'm okay with making OL a mid-round priority.

Initially, I didn't believe CB was a bigger need than OL. After reading your post, it does make sense and you definitely make a good case. The Seahawk pass defense has taken a step back. I can point to 3 games in which their secondary play contributed to losing the game - Rams (in St Louis), Panthers, and Bengals games. The secondary had some last minute gaffs that cost them the game. Because the Seahawks have had success with mid to late draft picks in the secondary, my thought was they could go that direction. I was thinking a replacement for Mebane is a need as I don't believe anyone on the current roster could fill in. I was looking at A'Shawn Robinson/Andrew Billings/Jarran Reed as these types. I have a feeling there will be a big run of OL in the first round and guys like Conklin, Decker, and Ifedi maybe gone by the time the Seahawks pick. Therefore, the BPA may very well be a CB.

 

[Hawks46]

Interesting how things have panned out this season.

RB is no longer a concern IMO. Rawls' injury was kind of a freak one, and I think he'll be durable enough. He didn't need surgery, so it stands to reason he'll be ready to go next year. Lynch may or may not come back, and Michael will also look to do well if he splits reps.

Tackle is still a big one for me. It really depends on if we resign Okung. Gilliam should get better. I can see us taking a mid round guy to develop if Okung stays. Glowisnksi looks like he could end up being pretty good. He looked good in the ZBS in college and was adept at combo blocks. We still need to upgrade depth no matter what, as I'd really like to just see Bailey gone.

CB is one of my biggest concerns. Shead looks like he could grow into the role. I honestly think that Lane is better suited in the slot. We have young depth but I'm not sure how they'll pan out as I haven't seen enough of them.

3T DT is another big one for me. DT in general needs to be addressed. If we don't resign big Rubin, and Mebane degrades a bit more, we could be up crap creek without a paddle.

TE is going to hinge on how well Graham comes back. If Jimmy comes back, we're really set here. I'd like to see of Coffman can get better, but his physical measurables are really good, and he's a really good blocker. Could we afford to wait on Jimmy with a TE corps of Willson, Coffman and Helfet ?

I was really pushing for a backup SS, but McCray looks to be growing into the spot nicely. He didn't get many reps outside of ST in KC, so it's reasonable to expect him to keep improving.

WR. What do we do here ? We have two really good WR's in Lockett and Baldwin that get quick separation, are durable, and work well with Wilson. Richardson can be a stud if he can stay healthy. The Husky twins (Williams and Smith) are also intriguing and they have size and physicality. They both produced really well in preseason last year. Kearse isn't a consistent performer, but he produces at big times in big games and is really clutch. So, do we take a bit of a flyer on a bigger WR ?

Lber is also a need IMO. I don't think we can afford Irvin, and I really don't like our depth here unless Pinkins improves. Nothing bad, but Crolye and KPL are solidly average, and KPL is a big light in the pants and gets dinged a lot. I don't think we can count on him staying healthy.

 

[kearly]

On the subject of WR, I don't know if Kearse stays, but I think he's had a very nice season in 2015. He's basically posted the same strong rate numbers he always has (roughly 1 TD per 10 catches, roughly 14 yards per catch) but this year he's done it with fewer drops.

Kearse's line at end of season was 49 catches for 685 yards and 5 TDs. If you look at Kearse's numbers since the team went spread heavy in week 11 and prorate those numbers over 16 games, his season line would be 62 catches for 770 yards and 9 TDs. Those are very good numbers for a #3 WR.

The Seahawks have an interesting decision to make with Kearse this offseason. Last year they HAD to sign him back. But now, he's far more expendable, but his numbers and tape suggest that he has grown into being an above average receiver.

As far as Richardson goes, he's an unknown, but even if he fails to make an impact, Seattle is pretty good as long as they have Lockett and Baldwin and Graham. I happen to think that Richardson is going to be VERY good in the new offense though.

And with Baldwin, I would be shocked if Seattle doesn't sign him to a contract extension this offseason. He's earned it, and lets be real, the new offense is turning Doug Baldwin into an elite receiver. Even non-Seahawks fans are now using Baldwin's name in the same breath as elite slot guys like Larry Fitzgerald and Jordy Nelson.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Just looking at how the draft stacks up, and in particular looking at guys in the 25-100 overall range -- the thing that is really striking to me is the quality of players in the 2nd through 4th rounds.

This draft really looks like a typical trade back kind of draft for us. I know this isn't much of a stretch since we do that a lot. But this draft seems like it's going to be very kind to teams that have a good number of 2nd through 4th round selections.

Seems like a lot of quality in the DT/OT/DB/Edge ranks. Not top tier elite as we should expect. But a lot of prospects that flash real quality. For teams good at developing players -- this draft looks like it has an unusually high number of prospects that come into the league with good talent to work with.

I do think that we'll see a lot of players improve their visibility in this Senior Bowl. There is a logjam of interior prospects choking the 40-100 range. Would expect more than a couple players to emerge from that week similar to how Marpet and Shelton did last year. The SB roster is more compelling than it's been in a couple of years.

 

[Missing_Clink]

DT seems like the biggest need to me, until they re-sign one or both of Rubin and Mebane. There is zero reliable depth behind those two. They both have played so well this year too. Hard to see us being able to afford both sadly.

 

[cheese22]

I like the idea of drafting a cb to use as a safety because of the coverage skills a cb has over a safety. With today's te's, coverage is a must which is why having a safety with a cb background would be helpful. That's why I believe Shead has a position with this team. It also seems that the team is high on Ty Smith and Lane did a great job considering his situation.

I have a lot of faith in Coyle and KPL if we need to count on them for long stretches.

I like the idea of taking a dt early, especially one of the Alabama guys. Looking at teams like Carolina and St Louis, they control the los with talent and depth. Something I'd love to see this team make a priority.

If Lynch comes back, I think our backfield is set. I love what Rawls was able to show and I have a bit of a Mancrush on Cottam's potential.

I still hold out hope that Richardson develops and stays healthy. Lockett, Baldwin and Richardson would be electric. Find or develop a big wr (Kasem) and we're set at receiver for a long time.

The Oline situation is a bit murky. I think we have to make tackle a priority, even taking up to 3 throughout the draft. There are potential starters to be had in the middle rounds if you draft wisely and maybe a little luck. I think between Sweezy, Britt and Glowinski (maybe even Soko) we have good, young talent and depth. Center is a position I'd like to see us be aggressive at obtaining someone like Mack, even if it means using Graham to get him. If we did something like that we could find a te in the 3 - 5 round range.