What's your grade for this draft?

[kearly]

Draft grades the day after the draft are stupid, they might as well be palm readings in most cases. But hey, sometimes stupid stuff can be fun, and sometimes it's useful to create a snapshot of what people thought at the time to refer to it later when we see how things actually turn out.

What does a draft grade mean right now? It can't mean how good the player will be, that's impossible to know. What it basically means is "do we like the players taken?", "do we like the decisions to address certain areas and not others?", "did we feel that players we drafted were very fortunate to reach our picks or did we feel we could have gotten someone comparable later?"

So, please don't take this deathly serious, it's just my opinion right now, and opinions will change really quick when players start showing improvement.

Paul Richardson

I didn't think much of Richardson before the draft. His top end speed is elite, but his playing weight (161 pounds) put an asterisk on it. He's not an explosive guy, more of a gradual accelerator similar to Leon Washington. As you would expect at his weight, he was poor blocker. I watched a few of his games and it seemed he was generally a non-factor when the game was in doubt, then would make some huge plays for TDs against backups when CU was already down by five touchdowns.

Sometimes it is hard to gauge competitiveness, but Richardson seemed to have a passive personality to me. In interviews he was super chill, in contrast to the always pissed Sherman and Baldwin. He would get shoved around running routes sometimes and didn't get mad or fight back, he'd just try to run around them next time. Definitely seemed like a finesse player to me, though in fairness to him it's not easy being a badass against Division I players when you live in a 161 pound body. He's since added a great deal of weight.

Richardson is very dangerous when he gets behind defenders and this is why Seattle drafted him. Seattle is adept at drafting bland players at certain positions (LB, WR, TE) and turning them into solid, even good starters. This pick actually reminds me of Bobby Wagner because he was super boring on tape but had some very rare qualities that it was obvious Seattle could make use of.

I was a little surprised Seattle had him rated so highly with bigger, SPARQ-ier WRs still on the board, the best way to explain it is to think Seattle must have really wanted elite speed at all costs. Maybe they have plans to use Richardson on end around plays like Harvin? If they view Richardson as Harvin insurance, the pick makes a lot of sense, but he will also compliment Harvin nicely too because Harvin's presence will open up the deep ball for other targets.

I think if we view Richardson as a mid-2nd round pick instead of our first pick, expectations would be set more fairly. I do not love this pick yet, but I get it. Richardson's route running is very good, and our offense is very simple, and what we ask of him will be very little. It is not hard to see Richardson having an immediate impact similar to what Marlon Brown did for deep ball obsessed Joe Flacco as a rookie last season.

Justin Britt

I didn't know about this guy before he was drafted. All-American left tackle, high end measurables, and despite being a lightfooted finesse guy, the way he shoves guys around in the run game is highly reminiscent of the guy he's replacing, Breno Giacomini.

As has been pointed out, his light feet can be exploited by nasty bull rushers, which is really surprising because normally 325 pound lineman do not have anchoring issues. This is a significant problem because he'll face even stronger lineman if he moves inside to guard. That said, if Cable can fix this issue with his coaching, Britt has everything else he needs to be one of the better right tackles in the league.

Cassius Marsh

Really good upper body strength and good technique, his ability to shed blocks inside is impressive. In nickle packages he could be a badass at the 3-tech. Unfortunately, he's horrible versus the run, a guy who consistently gets blown back a few yards off the line. He might fit at LEO, but the guy ran only a 4.89 forty with a sub-par 10 yard split. He repped 14 on the bench press, the guy is not a workout warrior. It's worth noting that Raheem Brock had similar speed and skills to Marsh, and Brock gave us a very nice season in 2010 as a situational outside pass rusher.

Marsh has a high motor and has a reputation for being dirty. He's almost like a trailer park version of Craig Terrill, the kind of guy you envision slamming beers while watching NASCAR rather than strumming his hippie guitar notes like Terrill did. Personality wise, there is a bit of a Justin Smith vibe to this guy.

This pick puzzles me because we already have Jordan Hill and Michael Brooks, who both kind of fit that situational pass rush mold. Competition purely for the sake of competition is fine, but an early fourth was a steep price for it, IMO. For this pick to pan out, Marsh will need to get the absolute most out of his pass rush opportunities.

Kevin Norwood

Super productive per catch, super clutch, super consistent. The only knock on him is that his playing speed is nowhere near as good as his 4.48 forty indicates, and he seems like a guy who just barely makes a lot of plays. I didn't think this pick was a steal, I think 4th round is about right for Norwood given his tools and production. But this was a really solid pick. We all love Doug Baldwin, but Baldwin gets injured often and now Seattle has a very similar receiver in Norwood added to the fold in case anything happens to ADB.

Kevin Pierre-Louis

His athleticism is a bit overstated, his 4.61 forty makes him quite a bit slower than most of our LB group, and he doesn't play especially fast either (edit: he ran a very impressive 4.46- at the combine no less- though I still didn't think he looked terribly fast on tape). I think rather than compare him to guys like Wagner or Smith, he's more like KJ Wright, or perhaps Bruce Irvin with less "truck factor". Tough, physical, decently fast. Not amazingly instinctive, but easy to mold. Pete seems to like targeting LBs who still have a lot to learn, so this pick feels like we should have seen it coming.

I think this pick will turn out pretty much exactly the same way KJ Wright did. Within a couple years Pierre-Lewis will be a solid starter who adds physicality to the defense. Not an amazing pick, but good for a 4th rounder.

...

As far as the rest, there isn't much out there for anyone but the fullback Kiero Small. I'm just going to wait until the preseason before forming any initial opinions on those guys.

Dion Bailey and Keith Price were nice additions in UDFA.

...

Overall, this draft is a lot like 2011. It's probably a C- or D+ type grade right now, but will go up a grade for each player that Pete works his magic on. Obviously, the 2011 draft is now an easy A in retrospect, with Sherman alone having multiple first round pick value, and three other players turning into good starters.

 

[hawknation2014]

Kevin Pierre-Louis

His athleticism is a bit overstated, his 4.61 forty makes him quite a bit slower than most of our LB group, and he doesn't play especially fast either.

I think you meant 4.51. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/kev ... id=2543563

He also had a freakish 39'' vertical, 128 broad jump, 4.02 short shuttle, and 28 bench press reps.

In fact, KPL has the second highest SPARQ rating of any linebacker in this class (146.9), next to Ryan Shazier (147.3). No other linebacker was in the same range. That's a higher SPARQ rating than Wagner, Smith, or Wright.

 

[DavidSeven]

Where'd you get 4.61 for KPL?

CBS and nfldraftscout have KPL at a 4.46 40. NFL.com has him at 4.51 40, which they rank as #1 among LBs at the Combine. I think those times definitely make him a Seahawk-y linebacker.

Edit: covered in post above.

 

[Hawks46]

Well, it's hard for me to say "I did/didn't know about this guy" because basically I didn't know much about any of them, but I look at them after the fact and try to plug them into our team.

Richardson:

This pick seems simple to me. He takes the top off of defenses. He gets mauled at the LOS, but once he gets off, there isn't many guys keeping up with him. The similarities to Desean Jackson are eerie. He's going to be opposite of Harvin, or paired up with a TE. He's goigng to get the ball deep, and if the Safety doesn't follow him, he's going to hurt teams ove the top. Pulling the safety obviously helps Lynch, but also clears out space for our solid but slower Miller. Also, Richardson's speed over the top perfectly compliments Harvin's speed underneath. He gets bumped around a lot, but he also makes contested catches, so the contact doesn't seem to bother him. Carroll loves the big play, and that's what this guy does. 41.5 yards per TD or something like that.....he really only needs the ball 2-3 times a game to make a big impact, and that fits perfectly with guys like Harvin who command the ball more often.

I know nothing about our RT Britten, but he seems to be fairly highly regarded.

Marsh. I'm with Kearly on this one, I just don't get it. He has the intangibles that the coaching staff seem to like, but I'm not sure where his home is here. Watching him run the combine, his build reminds me a bit of Richard Dent. All ass and legs.

KPL. One thing I noticed from his highlights is that he doesn't finish well. He gets to the ball quickly, but gets boxed out by bodies around the ball. I see him getting knocked back by blockers, him trying to go around blockers, and basically just being in the right place at the right time, but not quite closing the deal. LIstening to his conference call, he knows he needs to be more aggressive, and Norton Jr. will get that out of him if it's in there. The biggest thing I like about this kid is that he's a really good athlete, but this kid is SMART. Listen to that call: he knows all about the Seahawks defense and how he'll already fit in. He has it mentally dialed already, minus the aggressive part.

Norwood. I think he's going to replace Baldwin. He doesn't play fast ,but he's good at the jump ball and he's likely going to go against smaller nickle corners. His spot and matchups seem already set for us, kind of like Richardson. These guys were drafted to fit in doing what they do best, and we have spots for that talent. I think he's a steal for US in the 4th, but maybe not for most teams.

I can't give us a grade. I don't know much in depth about the players, but from what I've researched, I like the Richardson, Norwood and KPL picks for us. Our fullback, Small, intrigues me as well. 5'8" 250 lbs and can move. He'll beat some LBers up, that's for sure.

 

[kearly]

Looks like you guys missed the edit. Had the edit in there before both of those replies. Though I guess with a wall of text OP you were probably reading for a while when the change went in.

NFL Draft Scout has him for a 4.46 at the combine.

 

[hawknation2014]

Looks like you guys missed the edit. Had the edit in there before both of those replies.

NFL Draft Scout has him for a 4.46 at the combine.

I'm still seeing the 4.61 and criticism of KPL's athleticism.

 

[kearly]

It's in there, in ( ).

Combine athleticism and field athleticism are different things. Certainly awesome at the combine, but on the field he's not a guy that knifes into plays. He looks like he's jogging everywhere. Doesn't explode into tackles. Kind of wanders into the area. He can cover ground okay, but not a "wow" athlete in terms of how he makes plays.

Don't really think I'm going on a limb here. Most sites had him projected in the round 5-6 range, despite a monster combine. I think if his athleticism on the field was as good as it was in the combine, he would have gone soon after Shazier.

I still think he will be a solid pick, just because I see a similar kind of awkwardness in his play that KJ Wright once had, so we know this coaching staff can coach these kinds of players up.

 

[hawknation2014]

It's in there, in ( ).

Combine athleticism and field athleticism are different things. Certainly awesome at the combine, but on the field he's not a guy that knifes into plays. He looks like he's jogging everywhere. Doesn't explode into tackles. Kind of wanders into the area. He can cover ground okay, but not a "wow" athlete in terms of how he makes plays.

Don't really think I'm going on a limb here. Most sites had him projected in the round 5-6 range, despite a monster combine. I think if his athleticism on the field was as good as it was in the combine, he would have gone soon after Shazier.

Still, that 4.61 number is wrong. He's one of the best athletes in this class. His agility is extraordinary.

[youtube]7LIYDdIJ04s[/youtube]

 

[DavidSeven]

I like that they hedged Richardson with Norwood. Drafting wide receivers outside the top-10 is generally a huge crap-shoot, even for the saavy Seahawks. I'm not going to try to guess Richardson's pro potential, but I like the pick because it feels like a really thoughtful one. The easy pick would've been grabbing the highest rated 6'2"+ receiver to address redzone concerns. After really contemplating the logic of this pick, I think spreading the field was the bigger issue for our offense last year, and I'm sure Pete probably saw this in the Arizona and St. Louis games. We have to force the deep safety into a decision and give our other guys more room to work one-on-one. We need to move a defender off the box and create more space for Lynch and Harvin to do damage. We needed a vertical threat and no one on this team fits that profile right now (unless you think Lockette will suddenly become reliable). It looks like Paul Richardson could be that guy.

That being said, you're never guaranteed to hit on a receiver, so I love that they hedged with a different type of prospect. Norwood is a solid athlete, but also a guy who played well when it mattered and made a name for himself at a major program. This felt like an anti-Seahawks pick in some ways, but it's the perfect hedge to Richardson's more athletically based potential. So, I'm with you on lovin' those.

I like the KPL pick because I think he fits the LB profile, and I feel like Seattle's coaches can plug-and-play these guys, as long as they're big and fast enough. This is a move that can pay real dividends on cap relief very soon.

Not sure about the rest of the guys until I see them play, but each one seemed to filled a very specific thing that the Seahawks are currently looking. So, I'm excited about this class. More excited than last year since that one looked even more like a "redshirt" draft. I think some of these guys are going to get a chance to compete for prime roles pretty quickly.

 

[Scottemojo]

4.61? are you insane Kip? WTF?

Just kidding, I saw the edit.

I give it a c-, and no, I will not explain myself.

 

[chris98251]

Grade is O for optimistic that we hit on most, were going to send some trained missles to other teams come the end of camp though.

 

[drdiags]

I give it a U for undecided.

I see players with traits that the team likes. When I saw the Richardson pick and his height/weight I was kind of surprised. Deon Butler was similar in general body type though he didn't play as fast as his timed speed. I just figured the team wanted more beef on their WRs but Pete mentioned that what they wanted size wise along with the other skills wasn't there.

 

[Seafan]

Richardson is a great pick at #45. He combines elite speed with great cutting/route running which makes him more dangerous than just 4.33 speed alone. The Hawks have NEVER had two players on the field at the same time with the breakaway skills that Harvin and Richardson can bring. Talk about tilting the field. I look foward to seeing how they use these guys.

Marsh is a Bennett type. He will play DE and DT. Hill is an inside only guy.

Cable likes Britt and he could become a good RT. He brings some depth/competition for Bowie.

KPL seems like a great athlete who can become a solid Will. Like Malcom Smith it may take awhile but the Hawks needed to add some athletes to the LB pile since they will likely lose a couple next year.

Pinkins seems like a rare athlete. It will be interesting to see if Pete and Coach Richard can coach him, Simon and Shead into players.

You never know what to expect during the draft with John Schneider but I can't say the Hawks are bereft of talent. The 90 man roster is loaded.

The draft plus UDFA has added a lot of potential to the team. Camp competition will be outstanding. Ryan and Houshka may be the only players without someone pushing them.

 

[brettb3]

Disagree with you on both Richardson and KPL. Richardson wasn't just a guy who made an impact in garbage time. He made multiple big plays early against Arizona, Oregon and UW for example. As for KPL, he plays extremely fast to my eye. His biggest problem seems to be disengaging from blocks, but that problem can be minimized if the Hawks put him in position to play in space. Draft grades are dumb, so I'll give them a pass because they addressed the positions they needed to fill.

 

[AgentDib]

It's obvious that SPARQ is a big deal to them but I think the weightings by position group have not really been nailed down very well. It varies by responsibility and I would say their WR roster moves the last two offseasons have really put a heavier emphasis on speed than used in the fieldgulls analysis. SPARQ for OL in our ZBS is also going to be heavily augmented by a separate analysis of their mental agility, attitude and arm length.

Ultimately the idea of grading comes down to value. They have built a reputation that allows them to bring in the players that they want without much second guessing on the part of the fans. They seem to be okay with giving up value on draft day in the expectation that they will get it back as the players develop through their system. Grading the draft with the benefit of hindsight will include that developmental value and will look more favorably on their approach.

 

[kearly]

Disagree with you on both Richardson and KPL. Richardson wasn't just a guy who made an impact in garbage time. He made multiple big plays early against Arizona, Oregon and UW for example.

In garbage time.

To be fair, when you play for a team that horrible, when aren't you behind by multiple scores?

 

[endzorn]

I think fans tend to fall in line with traditional player grading during the draft process. Player X did this against Player Y in this situation. Players get downgraded for not making a consistent impact, not being physically developed, not having sound technique, etc... . Seattle values athleticism and competitive make-up first and foremost. If a kid isn't fully developed, they'll wait. If Seattle believes they play out of position and don't make necessary impact, Seattle will move them and trust their system. If technique is an issue, they'll trust their coaches.

Potential can be a dirty word in the draft process, but Seattle values potential over college production. Athleticism and want-to are the key for them to measure a kid's potential. I used to care way more about the picks as they came off the board, but now I know I'm not going to know who half the guys are, I'll just know they're going to be physically superior to most and Seattle will trust themselves to bring out the things other teams didn't see. It's frustrating in the days after the draft, but exciting at the same time.

 

[v1rotv2]

When a thread asks for a grade on a draft that has just happened your not grading the players after they have had a chance to experience NFL coaching. So in reality your grading JS/PC's ability to draft the players you want them to. With all the evidence we have seen in this coaching staffs ability to elevate players from college level to NFL championship caliber why do we even attempt to think we know more than they do?

Just sit back and let it unfold.

 

[brimsalabim]

Coupled with free agency this was not a good draft for us. Sure we re signed some important players but we failed to improve any where and may actually fall off on the offensive line, We will see how the picks delvelop but they do not appear to be imediate contributors. Russell will be under duress and if Okung's toe acts up (and that is almost a certainty) we will be in deep doo doo

I like the Norwood kid becasue he is a hard worker and I like the kid from BC but I don't see any of our draft class stepping in and solving our emediate needs. I'd venture a guess that we will get more contribution out of Coyle this season than any of the draft picks.

Grade - C

 

[v1rotv2]

Coupled with free agency this was not a good draft for us. Sure we re signed some important players but we failed to improve any where and may actually fall off on the offensive line, We will see how the picks delvelop but they do not appear to be imediate contributors. Russell will be under duress and if Okung's toe acts up (and that is almost a certainty) we will be in deep doo doo

I like the Norwood kid becasue he is a hard worker and I like the kid from BC but I don't see any of our draft class stepping in and solving our emediate needs. I'd venture a guess that we will get more contribution out of Coyle this season than any of the draft picks.

Grade - C

Other than the fact that you disregard the grade that JS/PC put on the players they drafted I guess you don't care much for the talent we had waiting in the wings for their chance to contribute. This draft added to the mix of players already here. I'm afraid that I am not in the Breno is gone so all is lost crowd.