It's
crunchtime, kids. And with mere hours before the beginning of the 2008 NFL
draft, we thought it most appropriate to get one more mock in. But what to do for a special finale? How about Seahawks mocks
from everyone willing to do one on short notice? From the Seahawks.NET staff,
that consisted of Editor-in-Chief Doug Farrar and Draft Editor Scott Eklund.
We also decided to invade the blogosphere and invite our good friend John Morgan, the main man behind the estimable Field
Gulls website, to the party.
The
rules were simple: No trades, though discussions of draft trade picks were
allowed, and this was more about putting yourself in the current Seattle team president's chair as opposed to running the thing the
way you might want to. Get inside Tim Ruskell's head, get comfy, have a sandwich
and stay a while. Any duplicates are coincidental; we didn't see anyone else's
picks before selecting our own.
Let's
see what we have … and please, no wagering!
First Round, 25th Overall
Doug Farrar: Tyrell Johnson, SS, Arkansas State
Yes,
I know. Tim Ruskell doesn't draft small-school kids, especially in the first
round. But Johnson, a four-year starter and three-time All-American, had his
best senior games against Texas and Tennessee. He shouldn't be penalized because the big schools didn't
know what they were missing, and I think Tim Ruskell is smarter than that.
At least I hope he is after whiffing on Kevin Boss last season. Kenny Phillips
would be the sexy pick at the safety position if he's still on the boards
(and I don't think he will be), but Johnson is the player who many analysts
who grade players for a living believe to be a better prospect than Phillips.
Both Greg Cosell of ESPN and NFL Films and former NFL scout Tom Marino of
Scout.com have expressed to me that Tyrell Johnson is the best at his position
in this draft class.
The
knock on Johnson before the Combine was that he was instinctive, but not all
that athletic. After he ran a 4.4-40 and benched 27 reps at the Combine, the
standard small-school ding was the only one that would suffice. Size (6'0",
207) is another issue, but that's never been a problem for this particular
team president before. Johnson possesses great zone coverage skills, unreal
closing speed (I know I keep saying this, but you really have to see it to
believe it), and the desire to play far past his supposed limitations.
He has played free and strong safety in a system that has interchangeable
coverages. Sound familiar? Put Tyrell Johnson with a team that has a sizeable
interest in redefining its secondary with assignment-correct zone coaching
(like … um … Seattle?), and watch
his talent match it all the way.
Scott Eklund: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
Anyone
who has read my posts/stories the past few months knows that I am not Balmer’s
biggest fan. It isn’t because I don’t think he’s got the athleticism or size
to be a great player, it’s because of his lackadaisical play at times and
the fact he was basically a “one-year wonder”. Seattle
needs a run-stuffing defensive tackle that can also get to the quarterback
on occasion and with Marcus Tubbs’ career basically hanging on the precipice
the Seahawks have to go this way. I do believe the Seahawks will trade down
and pick up an early second round pick and if they do, DT Trevor Laws from
Notre Dame is the choice, but if they stay here…Balmer makes the most sense.
John Morgan: Sam Baker, OT, USC
"Lying simply is part of our business in April." Chargers GM
A.J. Smith
I'll have to get my Bill Hicks on to
make this make sense, but follow me. Baker has the most impressive resume
of any draft eligible offensive lineman. He looks awesome on tape. Awesome. He looks awesome playing left tackle. Awesome. And those who watch college football seriously have
awarded him 3 consecutive All-America nods. When asked why he drafted Lofa Tatupu, Tim Ruskell answered "He's a guy that brings
intensity, he's tough…he's a leader, he's productive.
Everything that was asked of him at USC, he did. He doesn't have the greatest
size, he doesn't have the greatest speed, but he has a big heart…".
One could say the same thing about Baker. In late February Tim Ruskell told
the media that he anticipated taking an offensive lineman in the draft, specifically
an offensive tackle. Since that time, Seattle's been linked with (by my count) just 5 offensive linemen,
and only 2 offensive tackles: Baker and Carlton Medders. Baker sat out the
combine, and ran either a confident or apathetic 5.50/40 at USC's Pro Day.
In a class as stacked at offensive tackle as this year's, one would think
that even a player as accomplished as Baker couldn't afford to be so nonchalant
about the pre-draft process. Yet Baker seems almost disinterested. My guess
is that Baker has already spoken privately with a team or teams. Given need,
draft position, history and a little conspiracy theory nuttery, I think that
team is Seattle.
Second Round, 55th Overall
Doug Farrar: John Carlson, TE, Notre
Dame
Back
and forth I went on this. Do the Seahawks take the more NFL-ready player at
their primary position of need, or do they jump in the barrel marked UPSIDE?
Carlson is the former, while Texas A & M's Martellus Bennett is the latter. If Mike Holmgren was sticking around for a few more
seasons, I think Bennett would be the pick. Holmgren has dreamed of that dominant
tight end in his offense through his time with Seattle.
He was cheated a thousand times by Jerramy Stevens, when it was Itula Mili
who provided reliable production. Marcus Pollard is best forgotten.
Under
Jim Mora and with (if you believe some rumors) Gregg Knapp running the Seattle offense post-2008, one can go back to the
Seahawks' most likely predecessor from a systemic perspective. Go back to
the 2001 and 2002 San Francisco 49ers, teams whose offenses were coached by Knapp and
defenses by Mora. The tight end in those top-5 offenses was Eric Johnson,
a reliable player good for about 40 catches per season and a very solid all-around
game. Carlson projects very much like this -- a smart, tough player with surprising
athleticism and a thorough knowledge of what he'll need to do at the next
level. He may not amaze in the same way that Bennett or Dustin Keller could
down the road, but he's the best option for the Seahawks now and in the future.
Scott Eklund: John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
Carlson’s
name getting called when the Seahawks select late in the second round just
seems to make so much sense. He’s big, he can catch and he can block. What
is there not to like? His stock plummeted some this year because of his falloff
in production, however, Carlson lost every other playmaker the Irish had and
he got poor production from the quarterback position. Seattle could also look at Texas A&M TE Martellus Bennett here, but Carlson is the more
polished player and he fits into the “Ruskell Player” category big time.
John Morgan: Trevor Laws, DT, Notre Dame
Before the Senior Bowl, Trevor Laws
was a certain late round pick. Before the Combine, Laws was a certain second
day pick. Over the last month, Laws has shot from the undifferentiated third
class of defensive tackles to the third or fourth best defensive tackle in
the draft. Now, is that realistic or the product of hype? Probably
somewhere in between. Laws has no doubt improved
his stock, but I find it very unlikely he sniffs the first. I say all this
to validate Laws being available in the second.
My readers know I'm high on Trevor
Laws. He excelled on an abysmal line, something even Julius Peppers couldn't
do. He's lightning fast off the snap and tears through garbage like a disposal.
"Leverage" has become a bit of buzzword this draft, but among so
many purported masters, Laws is Archimedes. He's driven and won't-tell-you-so
humble. Rescued from the corpse of ND's front 3, and onto a talented line,
within a one gap system, Laws is day one contributor with Pro Bowl potential.
Third Round, 86th Overall
Doug Farrar: Jeremy Zuttah, OT, Rutgers
Zuttah
fits Seattle's offensive line in
one very important way -- nobody seems to know what he is. Just as Seattle's
line has been undefined over the last two seasons, Zuttah has been projected
just about everywhere -- from left tackle to right tackle to guard to center.
The only reason nobody's seen him as a right guard is that he's too good an
athlete. After 28 starts at Rutgers at right tackle and
a hesitant performance during Shrine Game practices, Zuttah put together one
of the Combine's best sets of numbers. His 4.99-40 and finishes in the top
ten in just about every other drill will have some people labeling him a workout
warrior. Truth is, Zuttah was the anchor of a line
that ranked second in the nation in 2007 and allowed the NCAA's fewest sacks
in 2006.
Slightly
undersized for the tackle position at 6'4" and 303 pounds, Zuttah is
expected to bulk up a bit and become a very athletic guard at the next level.
Some experts believe that his measurables and skillset transfer best to the
center position, though he's never played the position. He's also more powerful
than people think, as evidenced by the fact that Rutgers
basically threw out the forward pass and went all George Halas last year.
Scott
Eklund: John David Booty, QB, USC
I
debated this one over and over, but eventually came back to who I saw as the
future of Seattle once Matt Hasselbeck decides to hang it
up. Seattle’s most productive passer ever still has at least two or three
more solid years ahead of him, but grooming a steady and smart player to take
over for Hasselbeck would be a very smart thing to do. Booty’s smarts far
offset his athletic limitations (remind you of anyone?) and he’s played big-time
football since he was in high school. The kid knows how to win and he’s a
very good leader. This pick is a no-brainer, in my opinion.
John Morgan: Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
Julius Jones has a heavily front loaded
salary. If Jones can have a reasonably productive bounce-back season, the
Hawks will have a very valuable trading chip in 2009. That is, if they have
a back on board who can provide the "Lightning" compliment to T.J.
Duckett's "Thunder". Seattle recently hired offensive line coach Mike Solari, a proponent
of a power rushing attack. That's a bit of a nebulous term, but needless to
say, the Seahawks' back of the future must be able to mix it up between the
tackles. Tim Ruskell obviously saw something about Georgia Tech's rushing
attack he liked, because in 2007 he drafted guard Mansfield Wrotto. Tashard
Choice is a well-rounded rusher without the wear and tear of so many of this
draft's vast second class of backs. He's nimble, strong, can block a little
and has a nose for the end zone.
Fourth Round, 121st Overall
Doug Farrar: Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego
The
man who could be Mike Holmgren's final quarterback project threw 43 touchdowns
and only one interception in his senior season. The reason that Johnson's
a mid-round prospect despite those numbers is that he did it in the Pioneer
League against indomitable opponents like Morehead
State and Valparaiso. What's
got everyone intrigued is his stellar Shrine Game, and a pro day attended
by approximately 20 teams despite a Combine performance hampered by back spasms.
The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers have shown the most interest in Johnson, but we're disqualifying
them because they already have 15 damned quarterbacks on their roster. Johnson's
got the athleticism and scrambling ability common among the quarterbacks that
Mora and Knapp have had before -- and think more Jeff Garcia or Randall Cunningham
than Michael Vick; this guy's a real quarterback. The question is whether
his lack of elite competition and thin frame scare the Seahawks away. I say
there's too much intrigue about what this kid could do in a West Coast offense.
Scott
Eklund: Breno Giacomini, OT, Louisville
Seattle has taken several “projects”
recently along the offensive line, but Giacomini is the real deal, he just
needs some more experience at playing tackle. The young man played linebacker
in high school and signed on as a tight end with Louisville, but he grew into one of the most athletic tackles in the
country before he left. He’s very athletic, he’s got plenty of room to get
bigger – he’s 6-7, 305 – and he’s got a monstrous wingspan. Getting a player
like Giacomini at this point and giving him two years to watch and learn from
the best in the business (Walter Jones), we could be talking about a perennial
Pro Bowler when it’s all said and done.
John Morgan: Craig Stevens, TE, Cal
If Marcus Pollard proved anything,
it's that Ruskell doesn't put the same kind of emphasis on the tight end position
as the Seahawks' fan base. And, for the second straight year, Ruskell has
plugged the hole with a free agent retread. Is Jeb Putzier the answer? Good
God, no! But, then, I'm not certain any tight end in this class is either.
Craig Stevens likely maxes out as a #2, primary blocking/red
zone tight end. But in that role, he's unlikely to fail. Stevens is built
like a brick outhouse. He loves to block and does it like a champ. Not a tantalizing
pick, but a solid pro and a player that contributes beyond his numbers.
Sixth Round, 189th Overall
Doug Farrar: Keilen Dykes, DT, West Virginia
NFLDraftScout.com's
Rob Rang said it best: "How he didn't get a Combine invite is anyone's
guess." Dykes was snubbed despite his 44 starts
at one of the premier college programs in the nation. Like many inexplicable
sleepers, Dykes has been all over the place positionally -- he's played some
nose, some three-tech, a few reps as a larger strong-side
end.
This
isn't a player who will blow you away on tape, but he'll insinuate his way
into the souls of the players who line up alongside him and the coaches who
call the plays. An undersized misfit who has done nothing but produce, Kellen
Dykes could quite possibly be the second coming of Chuck Darby. And if the
Seahawks need them a defensive tackle, Tim Ruskell needs him some Chuck Darby.
Scott Eklund: Ezra Butler, LB, Nevada
Seattle needs to add some young, athletic depth to their linebacker
corps and Butler certainly is that
and more. He spent a lot of time in the opponents’ backfield in both 2006
and 2007, posting 31.5 his final two seasons in Reno. Butler could earn his
stripes on special teams, while learning how to work in reverse – something
he never had to do for the Wolfpack – and then he could be primed to take
over one of the outside spots whenever that becomes necessary.
John Morgan: Adrian Arrington, WR, Michigan
Adrian Arrington is long on potential,
but short on polish. Not a burner, but a physical receiver who can work the
middle and fight for the jump ball. His lack of speed is somewhat mitigated
by his height and large frame. Arrington does the little things right, dragging
his feet inbounds, making the tough catch and coming back for the ball on
broken plays. Plus, knocks on his route running are a bit overstated, his
cuts are a little loose, but he convincingly sells the juke and moves laterally
and diagonally without losing significant speed. Nevertheless, he'll need
to ripen on the practice squad.
Seventh Round, 233rd Overall
Doug Farrar: Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
This
pick is brought to you by the number nine! That's the number of returns Robinson
took back for touchdowns in his college career -- four punt returns and four
kickoff returns at Utah State,
and another kickoff return in the Shrine game. Robinson also became the NCAA's
all-time leader in all-purpose yards per play at 16.16. Why does he have a
seventh-round grade? The 4.69 40 he ran at the Combine really didn't help.
However, Robinson is known to play far beyond his timed speed. He ran a 4.47
on grass at his pro day, but he's not going to get the warm fuzzies as a returner
(though he deserves them) because of his size (6'0", 202) and relative
lack of pure track speed in an era where everyone's looking for the next Devin Hester.
Kevin
Robinson will be more than good enough for Seattle --
he'll provide an intriguing option among Seattle's ever-burgeoning group of late-round receivers, and his return
ability will allow Nate Burleson to focus more on being a total recei ver.
Robinson's only real drawback? The nickname: "K-Rob".
Fortunately, there are no ancillary concerns tied to the name as in previous
years.
Scott
Eklund: Taylor Mehlhaff, K, Wisconsin
Seattle needs a young kicker and
Mehlhaff fits that bill to a tee. He’s a good athlete and he was a First Team
All-American in 2006 while also winning the Groza Award for the nation’s top
kicker. Especially important is the fact that Mehlhaff has a very strong leg
and he had 10 times the amount of touchbacks (22) as the next closest candidate.
Olindo Mare was a solid kicker in his day, but Seattle fans have been spoiled with one of the best clutch kickers
in the league the past couple years. Josh Brown took his tee and moved to
St. Louis. Mehlhaff could be the
long-term replacement Seattle has been looking for.
John Morgan: Jonathan Hefney, DB, Tennessee
Two things sell me on Hefney. One,
he stays deep. John Marshall and Jim L. Mora demand that from their safeties,
and the inability to maintain discipline in the soft shell was part of Michael
Boulware's undoing. And two, he's versatile. If Jordan Babineaux did anything
to earn his surprisingly large contract, and he didn't though his helmet did,
it's that he's been able to play any spot in the secondary.
A former corner, Hefney can do likewise. He's also known for playing smart
in the soft shell, but unlike incumbent Brian Russell, Hefney has range and
run stopping ability. Hefney isn't tall, an eighth under
5'8", and he's not a Bob Sanders like physical phenom, but he's a solid,
athletic and heady safety with value added in kick coverage and on punt returns.
You can't ask for much more from a 7th round pick.
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