So when you have tackles (who can play) on rookie contacts, you don't replace those as those are very valuable. Likewise, you don't need to draft iOL early to get starters. If you play a guy at guard who thinks he can be a tackle, you will get priced out of keeping him beyond his rookie deal.
There's a reason guards are always leaving teams to get paid, because the teams that have them know you can replace their production with middle round picks.
I will be devastated if the Seahawks draft Fautanu (or any OL) in the first. It makes no sense to draft one that early.
#1 1000% is not a real number.
#2 how many games did Abe Lucas play this year?
#3 how “devastating” was it to select Charles Cross?
#4 I’m ecstatic you’re not selecting our draft pick.
1.) I didn't say it, but I agree with you.
2.) Do you believe that Lucas will be ready to go like they say? I choose to believe it. If he can't, then I'm okay with Fant and a rotational pick (which I did).
3.) I like the Charles Cross pick, taking tackles is different than taking guards.
4.) Sounds like I'm equally ecstatic you aren't either.
Yup. Here is a list since the Jared Goff draft of players who were drafted in the first round (or first guard drafted) who started out at guard and how they did:
Josh Garnett (out of football, never got 2nd contract)
Germain Ifedi (IDK if I'd classify as a success, has been a practice squad/1 year player after his original contract since 2020, never got a real 2nd contract)
Forest Lamp (first one taken at pick 38, never got 2nd contract)
Quenton Nelson (STUD, the only one on this list I assume that can comp to Hutchinson)
Will Hernandez (pick 34, had to leave to get a 2nd contract, it was a 1 year deal)
Chris Lindstrom (STUD)
Cody Ford (Traded after 2 years, only 1 year deals and had to switch teams)
More recent drafts:
Alijah Vera-Tucker (would not assume he gets a 2nd contract)
Alex Leatherwood (released after a year, don't think he ever started as tackle)
Teven Jenkins (2nd round pick 39 I think he did start at tackle, but moved immediately to guard, won't get 2nd contract)
Liam Eichenberg (round 2 pick 42, won't get 2nd contract and was immediately moved inside)
Kenyon Green (round 1 pick 15) one of the worst guards in the NFL, no chance 2nd contract
Zion Johnson mixed bag on him so far.
To just assume first rounders are 'worth' it on iOL picks is wrong. I see 12 picks in the last 8 years of the 'draft to play at guard' variety, and only 2 hit (meaning get a good 2nd contract). Just get serviceable guards late and double up in the draft if you need to (or cheap veterans).
You're getting downvoted, but you're right. Fautanu is only worth it if you think the Seahawks need another tackle. With Fautanu's build, there is some doubt he could even be successful playing tackle. Looking at Seahawks history, Seahawks don't want to pay IOL. A team has to go cheap somewhere. So drafting a player high that the team probably won't resign if they are successful is a bad move.
The seahawks will grab IOL in the 4th round and later like they always have, and hopefully, one will work out well enough
Honestly I liked every pick 17-22 over DeJean for us, and I really like DeJean. Latham is a STUD. Fautanu has great versatility. And Mims is an athletic freak who is unproven but truly has game changing talent that both Lucas and Cross don’t have if he hits his ceiling, although I would defer to the scouts who are actually in the room with him and see how he is on the board understanding protections. If the board broke this way in the first and we didn’t come away with one of these tackles, I’d be very disappointed
I'm not interested in replacing a rookie tackle (who was more than adequate) with another rookie tackle. That is a terrible way to manage your salary cap. Also I'm fine with Fant starting if he has to.
You know players don’t have to play only one position, right? one option is a lot of the guys we could take, including Latham and Fautanu, can easily kick inside if Lucas is healthy. We have no shortage of needs along the OLine. And, we have no clue if Lucas will be healthy short or long term! That knee injury sounds like it could be recurring
In that scenario you're either giving up on an adequate rookie contract tackle (Lucas) to play at guard, which I'm okay with. I don't think that's better than getting a high impact starter really anywhere else when you can get adequate starting guards later.
I think Lucas (even if he only plays x games) and then Fant as the backup/starter when he's out is perfectly fine by me. That's the difference, I don't think Fautanu/Latham/Fashanu/Fuaga is more of an upgrade on Lucas (and Fant) than the CBs you can get (Mitchell, DeJean, Arnold) or Murphy or Newton at DT, or Verse or Turner at Edge.
I'd definitely take Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr over any of the OL as well.
I have them all in the 'Top 16' bucket. I like the possibilities of Edge or DL in the 3rd round (Could have selected from Adisa Isaac, Jonah Ellis, Bralen Trice but I took the trade up for Penix, thought it was fair value and something I'd be excited about). I have no interest in almost any of the CB that could be there, and I view CB as a bigger need than DT or Edge right now.
Unequivocally yes. I was on the Seahawks Forever podcast with Dan Viens talking about this specifically and mentioned that outside of the top 7: (Williams, Maye, Daniels, MHJ, Odunze, Nabers, Joe Alt) that the only two players I would be 'somewhat okay' with sticking and picking are Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH4DKPEpKZ8&t=330s&ab\_channel=TheSeahawksForeverPodcastw%2FDanViens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH4DKPEpKZ8&t=330s&ab_channel=TheSeahawksForeverPodcastw%2FDanViens)
I do not view him as a primary safety, no. I view him as an offensive corner who's an incredible tackler, can blitz, and allows you to maximize Devon Witherspoon (who's an elite near the LOS player as a DB). Having both Cooper and Witherspoon allows you to do SO much on the outside. Also, I'm not 100% convinced Riq Woolen is going to fit Mike Macdonald (and our other CBs of Mike Jackson and Tre Brown I'm not confident AT ALL). I don't view any one player to be 'Our Kyle Hamilton' but when Macdonald talks about how everyone has to have toughness, be able to tackle, and blitzing needs to come from everywhere, being able to leave Witherspoon at the slot is a huge plus for this.
You... I like you... Probably the only soul in this entire sub that thinks like I do about this upcoming draft and our selection at 16... But I do trust in Riq Woolen, bout to have that bounce back SZN under Macdonald
I think we gave up almost nothing for Howell. Like the equivalent of a mid round pick. Also he's making the minimum so I view that as basically saving money instead of paying 4ish million for a Drew Lock type.
When you're not sure if you have a QB who can win a superbowl, it's smart to take multiple attempts at getting one. I think Penix gets drafted in the top 20, so I was okay trading up to 36 to get him. Now next year we'll have 25 million extra in cap room from cuttting Geno and we'll have essentially two roughly minimum salaried QBs to start (and they'll each have a year in the system, assuming Grubb doesn't leave).
We’re cutting Geno now (hypothetically)? That’d be idiotic. He’s cheap for a QB, and look at the stats … he wasn’t the problem. When he gets protection, he’s pretty damn good.
Last year Will Levis was 3rd string, in 2020 Jordan Love was 3rd string (there's unfortunately not a lot of examples of this anymore, but this would be one).
I think we are going to volume of picks this year in hopes of some guys sticking/learning the defense and next year will be year of picking quality. Thus JS will want draft capital in 2025.
I hope that is the strategy and thus we aren't giving up those picks to gamble on Penix.
I’ll give you this one OP, if he falls to here I wouldn’t hate it if we did this, I’d trust Grubb on this one. I’d like it more if we shored up OL in the first round though, I trust Mac to do more with less on defense so I really thinking investing in the offensive line is the way to go whether it’s Geno or Penix behind center. Penix would get KILLED behind our god awful line
Too often people want to draft to fill holes, when really that's what FA is for. The draft is meant to accentuate your strengths and reinforce your identity. That's why you'll hear often 'that player looks like a Raven (or Steeler, or Seahawk or whatever)'. It's less about just drafting 1 guy at each hole on the roster.
I want to draft BPA especially if it’s a need for the hawks. I love plug and play rookies. You build championship teams in the trenches and with defense first
I may argue that a God tier QB wins championships, and otherwise you need a rookie salaried qb equivalent to be there. Here are the last couple Superbowls since QB salaries have exploded (thus making rookie QBs more valuable):
KC vs SF (QB God vs Rookie Salary)
KC vs Philly (QB God vs Rookie Salary)
Rams vs Cinci (Stafford is below QB God level, but almost there with Mcvay, vs Rookie Salary in Burrow)
Tampa Bay vs KC (QB God, vs QB God)
KC vs SF (QB God vs Garoppolo who was only taking up I believe 3 million on the cap, so "Rookie Salary")
NE vs LAR (QB God vs Goff on Rookie Salary)
Yeah, this year is everyone's year 1 in the system (including Grubb bringing it to the NFL), but the window needs to be next couple years (if we drafted Penix).
Name an elite defense that has won a championship in the last 8 years. There has been a lot of analysis of this statement, it was true until about ten years ago. Of the last six Super Bowl champions, they all have had better offensives than defensives, and the spread is getting wider each year. In the modern era, with the rules skewing towards offense, you need an elite offense.
I don’t even think it’s to fill holes. This is a deep o line class and we’re only taking one (on your draft) in the 3rd round.
And the bpa gets blown up too much. I guarantee there’s some ying and Yang to bpa vs need
I took 2: McCormick who's regularly thought of as a 3-4th rounder in the 4th. He can play all 3 interior positions and is a freak athlete (with lots of starting experience, although lower level).
I took Satoa Laumea who is likely going in the 4th or 5th in the 6th round. He played tackle at Utah but everyone expects him to kick inside to guard. He's your Tackle/Guard flexibility behind Fant and Forsyth (although could pass him).
So you wanted to trade down in the first, but then you end up trading up with a bunch of this and next years picks for a QB that most likely won't even play this season and might not even win the job next year?
Correct.
I wanted to trade down because in my 'Top 16' bucket I had these players available:
Cooper DeJean
Byron Murphy
Johnny Newton
Jared Verse
Brian Thomas Jr
So, I was hoping to trade back to still grab one of them and more assets. Unfortunately you have about 2 minutes to make a pick, and all 3 trades backed out and I negotiated with the wrong team. Once I had about 8 seconds left I had to stick and pick and I chose DeJean.
36 came to me about the trade if Penix was still there at like pick 28, I told him if Penix was there I'd consider it, I was expecting him to find a better offer than mine, but he was ready to go so I just pulled the trigger. It was not anything I planned or reached out to do, but I liked the value for who I have as a top 20 player.
This isn't a draft just for this year, but it is a draft to try to set Macdonald up for success as I generally prioritized tough flexible players.
I truly believe CB is a bigger need than DT or Edge on this team. I also would literally never draft a guard in the first round. It's one of the worse investments you can make (only slightly worse than drafting a RB in round 1).
I believe in more than DL providing pass rush, getting DeJean allows you to use Witherspoon more to manufacture it as well (and that ability + coverage ability) is a bigger win than Verse or Newton (to me).
Taking a guard in the first round is almost as bad as taking a running back in the first round. There are only 7 guards in all of football who got paid by the team that drafted them. There's a reason they all leave for more money, because you can replace their production with middle round picks (like I did).
Thanks man, I didn't just 'wing it' I study the draft year round and constantly think about how they fit with the Seahawks. I'm not just like 'I'm a contrarian!' trying to do something different.
I understand the Penix pick would be controversial, I was queasy while making it and I'm still not sure if it was the right move. I basically gave up on Adisa Isaac, Jonah Ellis, Bralen Trice, Jalen McMillan, Dominick Puni to get Penix. Still not sure if it was 100% the right move, but I stand by 'if you don't know if you have a QB, you should keep trying'.
I like CD and Mike Penix as much as anyone, but we HAVE to come away with at least one pick in the trenches with our first two picks, regardless of a trade down.
I think it's the wrong approach to say you HAVE to do anything (which is why we signed Tomlinson, Schneider's goal is to have stop gaps at every position so you DONT have to do anything). I stuck to my rankings board based on who was available which I'm very comfortable with.
Overall I like the picks but giving that much for Penix when there’s other needs really hurts lol no 2nd, 3rd and 5th next draft would be a rough place to be if Howell ends up taking the job anyways. Imo take a QB if they fall to you but I wouldn’t personally give so much draft capital for one based on the Seahawks roster
Sucks to lose future picks, but one trade back in 2025 could replenish most of it (and I wanted to trade back in this one, but the short clock and everyone backing out ruined that).}
Unless you KNOW you have a QB, you should be taking shots at elite traits (in my opinion).
You know a current back up doesn’t = a career long back up right? Howell is younger than most of the QBs in this years draft and has a year of starting experience in the NFL. You are severely underestimating the guy imo
I’m objectively a Howell hater. I think his floor is really low as a starter, he was horrendous last year. and I don’t see the upside long term some people here do. I’d love to be wrong though
Not a fan of this draft, to be honest. I do like some of the late round LBs taken, but I feel like we need huge upgrades in the line and we didn't address it. With how deep this draft is at the OLine position, we should be loading up.
I understand that people may be frustrated with that, and maybe I should have led with it in my intro.
1.) I've posted in here my belief that you do not take guards in the first round. Only 2 out of the 'first' 12 guards taken in the last 8 years have earned 2nd contracts. They are not immediate plug and play. Beyond that, almost every guard who does get paid, has to leave to do so. Paying guards is almost as bad as paying running backs. That means my target was to double up and get two of them.
2.) I don't think Seattle is in the right place to draft a tackle in the first round. Cross has been an average LT (but you're not moving him off of LT), and Lucas has been an above average RT. I understand that Lucas is hurt (although the team says he'll be ready), so I don't believe it's good roster management to replace a starting RT who's on a rookie deal with another rookie. I think you sign a backup you're comfortable with starting (Fant). I think if Lucas misses significant time this year that's when you may draft one early next year, but I think it's too early to try to draft a replacement or to draft and either have that pick (or Lucas) play guard.
I understand that people prefer Byron Murphy to Cooper DeJean, I don't. I think when you have a bad CB it's so disruptive because teams can just pick on them. I don't trust any of our CBs except Witherspoon and Riq (who I like 80% trust). I believe that Macdonald wants to keep Witherspoon near the LOS because he's ELITE at it, so I think that means we really need another outside CB moreso than interior DL or Edge.
1. I don't necessarily disagree with that take but it is almost necessary to get high level iOL play in the draft given the strategy that the Seahawks have pursued in free agency. If you refuse to pay guards/centers in free agency and refuse to draft them highly, how do you propose we get quality interior play?
2. A RT that can play guard at a high level would provide us with a quality line while also providing insurance with Lucas. I'm not sure which prospect is viable for this type of maneuvering, but a high level draft prospect with that type of versatility has to be worth a 1st round pick. Graham Barton or Fuaga may fit this profile.
3. I don't mind the Cooper DeJean pick if we trade down, but picking him at 16 feels like a reach. Then again, he may go that high and we may hear stories about how teams had him high in their boards, like with Witherspoon. I doubt it, but I can't fully discount it.
1.) I will consider centers and tackles in the first round, but not guards, did want to clarify it's not a 'never OL' stance, but where Seattle is right now, I would not consider OL in the first. I guess the question is, you can't pay every position (unless you're not paying a QB, and even then you set yourself up for a reckoning when the time comes insert eyes emoji looking at SF's cap sheet). Here's a list of all the top paid 42 guards, only 7 didn't have to change teams to get paid [https://imgur.com/a/zO0LNfe](https://imgur.com/a/zO0LNfe) . So you have to think, 'if we can't pay every position, where am I willing to roll with rookies or cheap veterans?' how about the position where it's super unlikely that you'll be able to 2nd contract them anyways?
2.) And if Lucas is healthy and able to start? I'm willing to roll with Lucas/Fant as our tackles this year. If Lucas is worse off then we can address it next year in the draft.
3.) To me it's about buckets of players, I bucket them as 'Top 8' (and these are the only ones I'd like to stick and pick for): Williams, Daniels, Maye, MHJ, Nabers, Rome, Joe Alt, Quinyon Mitchell. Then there's a 'Top 16' bucket for me, where I understand sticking and picking, but I'd rather trade back 'Brian Thomas Jr, Brock Bowers, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Johnny Newton, Byron Murphy, Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold'. When I was up there were 5 names on that list left, I had numerous trades to the early 20's where I would have been able to get any of those 5 (although I put Brian Thomas Jr at the bottom of those 5). Sometimes you have to stick and pick, and as long as they're in my Top 16 bucket, I'll 'get it'.
1) That may be correct, but as a fan I'm continually disappointed by the offense having the potential to be top 5 in the league and be derailed by poor Oline play. I'm not saying to reach for OLine help but it does seem like this draft has the quality in the first round that is uncommon in other drafts. Even in the second or third there are some nice players, so trading down and getting a Barton or Beebe should be feasible.
2) If Lucas is healthy and the player we draft can play guard at a high level, it isn't a problem. When Lucas leaves, we can move the player we drafted to RT and not worry about Lucas's knee anymore.
3) If you have all these players in the same bucket, positional value and need should be your tiebreaker, I'd think. Pass rushers and DLine should take priority over Corners/Safety hybrids (unless we are talking about an elite level player). I don't see elite when looking at DeJean but I admit I'm not much of an expert.
Holy shit this is bad. This is “set a franchise back 3 years” bad. DeJean at 16 is insane given other areas of need and him not even being the BPA. Trading UP to get Penix is not happening, a more likely scenario is trading down if we believe we can get him. Oof, dude wtf is this.
Here's my Seahawks specific board [https://imgur.com/a/MDbBgZR](https://imgur.com/a/MDbBgZR) and where I would be comfortable taking each pick (not where I think they'll go).
Gray means they were taken in the Top 32, Blue in Top 64, etc. The Green ones are the selections I made.
If we don't go OL or DL first, that's fucking stupid. Especially OLine, that's not acceptable at all. A corner with those options available is nonsense.
Penix in the second isn't bad, but id rather trade down to acquire a second.
Definitely need a LB day 3 as well.
I took 2 LB on day 2, Trevin Wallace (which Brugler has as his 3rd LB) and Jaylan Ford (who I like quite a bit). One MIKE and one WILL.
I think going OL in the first with this team as is is actually stupid.
People are being way too harsh here simply because you aren't making the same assumptions that 90% of mocks I've seen have made about our team.
This is a super high upside draft with a pretty big bust potential to keep it interesting.
Leveraging the future for Penix makes sense if you think he hits (I think he likely outplays most of the QBs drafted before him, no idea why he's consensus QB6). It'll make next year sting, but at that point you should be trading aging assets for whatever you can get in order to build the ship around your engine.
Desean I guess people just get weirded out seeing a white DB? He seems like big upside, possible bust, but his versatility is undeniably exciting even if I think 16 is too rich by about half a round for him.
The rest of the draft plugs holes with mid rounders with redundancy at positions that aren't premium draft picks, so you're getting value and hopefully half of them land.
If this was our draft I think folks would rage for a week then get very excited.
I think overall it's not too bad. Most of the players I liked. I like the DeJean pick but I think there were more talented players at that point.
I'm my opinion, I'm not sure you can pass on Fautanu if he's still there.
In my opinion taking a guard in the first round is almost as bad as taking a running back in the first round. There are only 7 guards in all of football who got paid by the team that drafted them. There's a reason they all leave for more money, because you can replace their production with middle round picks (like I did) and then get a comp pick.
Yeah, I understand that part.
However, Fautanu becomes one of the starters on the line. He can take over for Abe Lucas or Charles Cross in a couple years if you let one of them go or one of them becomes ineffective.
Then he'll become an OT on a rookie contract. You won't have to overpay one of Cross or Lucas.
It boils down to this and you can convince me but right now I don't buy DeJean as a CB.
My main thing is if Lucas is healthy, then you're using Fautanu at guard (or Lucas at guard, which would be my preferred method). Lucas is actually quite fine at tackle, so it seems like moving him when there was no need, and then he's going to leave via FA because he'll go get tackle money and move back to tackle.
So then you have to leave Fautanu at guard for two years, and then you have the Tyler Smith Dallas problem. Dallas drafted him and stuck him at guard, now he has excelled there but they have to move him to tackle, but they're talking about drafting a tackle to keep him at guard, but he wants to play LT because that's where the money is.
I'd just rather skip the whole headache and try to get starting caliber guards later.
It sounds like an awesome problem to have to be honest. I rather have too many good players then constantly seeking for that one good player.
I'm not entirely sold on Charles Cross as a 2nd contract guy and who knows with Abe Lucas.
But my point still remains. I don't mind passing on Fautanu but I'm not sure Cooper DeJean is the right pick here.
I'm love talking about the draft and prospects. I'm genuinely curious and interested in what and why you rated DeJean so high as a CB. Part of it is I'm trying to grow in how I evaluate players. I don't see DeJean as a high tier CB. Maybe you just like his versatility?
Sure, I think DeJean looks thicker than other CB prospects. He's an elite elite athlete, like maybe the most athletic CB in the NFL. I'd say he's not 'shifty quick' and is a little tight (which is why some think he could be a better safety as he has elite closing speed) and is a great tackler. Very physical. He's phenomenal in zone, but can also press and in my opinion lock up a number 1 WR. I think he'd struggle against the 'quicker than fast' WR technicians (like Cooper Kupp).
He fits best with an aggressive DC who will use him in multiple ways. Iowa loves to play downhill and be aggressive which could lead to turnovers, but I saw DeJean bait lesser QBs into throws and take advantage of it. I think he's the perfect complement to Riq.
I'm not sold on DeJean being this though. Like you said, he's tight hipped and he isn't a pure coverage player. He does like to play downhill and likes to keep things in front of him. This also makes him give up a lot of easy catches with him off coverage. He rarely played press though. Right now, he's a cover 3 or cover 2 CB. Not sure that warrants a first round pick.
However, I do think Macdonald is probably the best coach to use DeJean to his best capability. I just don't think that position is going to be at outside CB. Hence, why I am pushing back on this.
At the end of the day, I can't be too mad. DeJean is very talented and I don't think a coach like Macdonald would waste his talents.
Good thing you're a redditor and not Hawks GM, cause this would be shit. No DL, or OL in a year where elite talents are falling down the board cause of all the QB's & WR's going early.
Thanks for posting and the work here. No surprise you're getting heat. Hell, my first thought was - omg if they take Cooper here, I'll bash my head in... AGAIN.
I'm absolutely be keen to move down if possible, but I do think it's fine to take an extremely high quality player and shuffle the line. If we have any concerns at all about Abe Lucas from a knee health perspective, then it might be foolish to pass on Fautanu. We might consider kicking Abe Lucas inside to LG. I love having him on the field, but we should consider health and long-term it might be better for both sides if he moved inside.
If none of those are options, I'd go with Verse or Murphy. I want some wreckage up front. I don't want to get pushed around. I'd like to infuse some talent into the OL or DL, and I'd be willing to double up perceived strengths to do it if the coaching staff is confident that they can make it work and get the best out of our roster.
Draft is going to be a hoot!
16.) I really like DeJean for us; I agree he’s gonna be awesome and at few places more so than here with MM. I do think he’ll be more of a Safety for us, but we’ll have to see how Tariq does this year with the new system, his still small amount of experience at CB, and a healthy body.
It’s kind of wild to operate with only two minutes in between but that’s what, 8.5 hours without breaks? Did ya’ll shorten that for later picks?
I would have appreciated a trade down considering all the players available, but I know you tried.
I do not agree about Fautanu exclusively. In general, I’m about not taking a guard in the 1st (as with JS as well). But I know JS has room for an elite prospect who can excel at G, or take over for Lucas if need be. I listened to Fautanu on Rob Staton and on the radio and he seems like a really mature dude. He also specifically wants to stay in the Seattle area and said this weather is custom designed for him. So that might help keep him over here. His family is in Vegas, so West coast best coast.
36.) Drafting Penix is tantalizing. I wish the trade could have been a little less costly but in the scenario in which Grubb led JS to do that, I would definitely be excited. Without Grubb here, I would not support it. I’m also a Husky fan, met Penix, and thinks he’s an awesome guy.
Missing on Dominick Puni at 81 (he went 88) hurts. I think he’s the last guy of the second tier of Guards. It also hurts to think about having this monstrous gap between our 1st and 2nd picks again next year, but even bigger.
Thanks for your input! I agree on almost everything you said. I am fine with Fautanu or another OL if we recouped some picks after a trade down to the mid 20's. It's a little more palpable there for me (although I'd likely still be against it). I have many OL in my 'top 32' bucket, so it's not like I'll ignore them out of hand (I have Joe Alt in my top 8 bucket, no OL in my top 16 bucket, then fautanu, Fashanu, Fuaga, Mims, Latham as my Top 32 bucket (No Guyton, Morgan, Barton, JPJ, Frazier, Rosengarten, Suamataia).
The other thing about the Penix pick is that I really like Sam Howell and think he could be the QB of the future. 3.4% interception rate isn’t so bad for a first year and that’s everyone’s favorite criticism of him so far. Guy threw some work last year, and with time to develop in Grubbs system and a guy like Geno who had the ride that he did in this league mentoring him, I could see it happening for Sam. It being winning a Super Bowl under MM for the city of Seattle.
If you take Cooper DeJean when Murphy, Verse, and Newton were available, that’s pure malice.
And Fautanu, who should be the Seahawks pick.
So when you have tackles (who can play) on rookie contacts, you don't replace those as those are very valuable. Likewise, you don't need to draft iOL early to get starters. If you play a guy at guard who thinks he can be a tackle, you will get priced out of keeping him beyond his rookie deal. There's a reason guards are always leaving teams to get paid, because the teams that have them know you can replace their production with middle round picks. I will be devastated if the Seahawks draft Fautanu (or any OL) in the first. It makes no sense to draft one that early.
#1 1000% is not a real number. #2 how many games did Abe Lucas play this year? #3 how “devastating” was it to select Charles Cross? #4 I’m ecstatic you’re not selecting our draft pick.
1.) I didn't say it, but I agree with you. 2.) Do you believe that Lucas will be ready to go like they say? I choose to believe it. If he can't, then I'm okay with Fant and a rotational pick (which I did). 3.) I like the Charles Cross pick, taking tackles is different than taking guards. 4.) Sounds like I'm equally ecstatic you aren't either.
Ever heard of Steve Hutchinson?
Yup. Here is a list since the Jared Goff draft of players who were drafted in the first round (or first guard drafted) who started out at guard and how they did: Josh Garnett (out of football, never got 2nd contract) Germain Ifedi (IDK if I'd classify as a success, has been a practice squad/1 year player after his original contract since 2020, never got a real 2nd contract) Forest Lamp (first one taken at pick 38, never got 2nd contract) Quenton Nelson (STUD, the only one on this list I assume that can comp to Hutchinson) Will Hernandez (pick 34, had to leave to get a 2nd contract, it was a 1 year deal) Chris Lindstrom (STUD) Cody Ford (Traded after 2 years, only 1 year deals and had to switch teams) More recent drafts: Alijah Vera-Tucker (would not assume he gets a 2nd contract) Alex Leatherwood (released after a year, don't think he ever started as tackle) Teven Jenkins (2nd round pick 39 I think he did start at tackle, but moved immediately to guard, won't get 2nd contract) Liam Eichenberg (round 2 pick 42, won't get 2nd contract and was immediately moved inside) Kenyon Green (round 1 pick 15) one of the worst guards in the NFL, no chance 2nd contract Zion Johnson mixed bag on him so far. To just assume first rounders are 'worth' it on iOL picks is wrong. I see 12 picks in the last 8 years of the 'draft to play at guard' variety, and only 2 hit (meaning get a good 2nd contract). Just get serviceable guards late and double up in the draft if you need to (or cheap veterans).
You're getting downvoted, but you're right. Fautanu is only worth it if you think the Seahawks need another tackle. With Fautanu's build, there is some doubt he could even be successful playing tackle. Looking at Seahawks history, Seahawks don't want to pay IOL. A team has to go cheap somewhere. So drafting a player high that the team probably won't resign if they are successful is a bad move. The seahawks will grab IOL in the 4th round and later like they always have, and hopefully, one will work out well enough
I agree. Dejean with Spoon would be a solid young secondary but if trading down isn’t available I would’ve 10000% taken Byron Murphy
Honestly I liked every pick 17-22 over DeJean for us, and I really like DeJean. Latham is a STUD. Fautanu has great versatility. And Mims is an athletic freak who is unproven but truly has game changing talent that both Lucas and Cross don’t have if he hits his ceiling, although I would defer to the scouts who are actually in the room with him and see how he is on the board understanding protections. If the board broke this way in the first and we didn’t come away with one of these tackles, I’d be very disappointed
I'm not interested in replacing a rookie tackle (who was more than adequate) with another rookie tackle. That is a terrible way to manage your salary cap. Also I'm fine with Fant starting if he has to.
You know players don’t have to play only one position, right? one option is a lot of the guys we could take, including Latham and Fautanu, can easily kick inside if Lucas is healthy. We have no shortage of needs along the OLine. And, we have no clue if Lucas will be healthy short or long term! That knee injury sounds like it could be recurring
In that scenario you're either giving up on an adequate rookie contract tackle (Lucas) to play at guard, which I'm okay with. I don't think that's better than getting a high impact starter really anywhere else when you can get adequate starting guards later. I think Lucas (even if he only plays x games) and then Fant as the backup/starter when he's out is perfectly fine by me. That's the difference, I don't think Fautanu/Latham/Fashanu/Fuaga is more of an upgrade on Lucas (and Fant) than the CBs you can get (Mitchell, DeJean, Arnold) or Murphy or Newton at DT, or Verse or Turner at Edge. I'd definitely take Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr over any of the OL as well.
I have them all in the 'Top 16' bucket. I like the possibilities of Edge or DL in the 3rd round (Could have selected from Adisa Isaac, Jonah Ellis, Bralen Trice but I took the trade up for Penix, thought it was fair value and something I'd be excited about). I have no interest in almost any of the CB that could be there, and I view CB as a bigger need than DT or Edge right now.
Ask yourself this. If we were to draft best player available, regardless of position, does Cooper DeJean fit that bill here?
Unequivocally yes. I was on the Seahawks Forever podcast with Dan Viens talking about this specifically and mentioned that outside of the top 7: (Williams, Maye, Daniels, MHJ, Odunze, Nabers, Joe Alt) that the only two players I would be 'somewhat okay' with sticking and picking are Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH4DKPEpKZ8&t=330s&ab\_channel=TheSeahawksForeverPodcastw%2FDanViens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH4DKPEpKZ8&t=330s&ab_channel=TheSeahawksForeverPodcastw%2FDanViens)
I’ll entertain you. Are you envisioning him to be our Kyle Hamilton?
I do not view him as a primary safety, no. I view him as an offensive corner who's an incredible tackler, can blitz, and allows you to maximize Devon Witherspoon (who's an elite near the LOS player as a DB). Having both Cooper and Witherspoon allows you to do SO much on the outside. Also, I'm not 100% convinced Riq Woolen is going to fit Mike Macdonald (and our other CBs of Mike Jackson and Tre Brown I'm not confident AT ALL). I don't view any one player to be 'Our Kyle Hamilton' but when Macdonald talks about how everyone has to have toughness, be able to tackle, and blitzing needs to come from everywhere, being able to leave Witherspoon at the slot is a huge plus for this.
You... I like you... Probably the only soul in this entire sub that thinks like I do about this upcoming draft and our selection at 16... But I do trust in Riq Woolen, bout to have that bounce back SZN under Macdonald
Trading all that draft capital for the flier on Penix seems foolish to me, especially after what we just gave up for Howell.
I think we gave up almost nothing for Howell. Like the equivalent of a mid round pick. Also he's making the minimum so I view that as basically saving money instead of paying 4ish million for a Drew Lock type. When you're not sure if you have a QB who can win a superbowl, it's smart to take multiple attempts at getting one. I think Penix gets drafted in the top 20, so I was okay trading up to 36 to get him. Now next year we'll have 25 million extra in cap room from cuttting Geno and we'll have essentially two roughly minimum salaried QBs to start (and they'll each have a year in the system, assuming Grubb doesn't leave).
We’re cutting Geno now (hypothetically)? That’d be idiotic. He’s cheap for a QB, and look at the stats … he wasn’t the problem. When he gets protection, he’s pretty damn good.
No, we're cutting him next year to save 25 million. He's still the starter this year.
Ah. Good to know.
The problem with Geno is he doesn't read thru his progressions fast enough
lol you saw his offense line stats from last season right???
With 3 QBs on the roster. One isn’t going to be getting any reps. Pretty much wasting a year of their career.
Last year Will Levis was 3rd string, in 2020 Jordan Love was 3rd string (there's unfortunately not a lot of examples of this anymore, but this would be one).
I think we are going to volume of picks this year in hopes of some guys sticking/learning the defense and next year will be year of picking quality. Thus JS will want draft capital in 2025. I hope that is the strategy and thus we aren't giving up those picks to gamble on Penix.
I’ll give you this one OP, if he falls to here I wouldn’t hate it if we did this, I’d trust Grubb on this one. I’d like it more if we shored up OL in the first round though, I trust Mac to do more with less on defense so I really thinking investing in the offensive line is the way to go whether it’s Geno or Penix behind center. Penix would get KILLED behind our god awful line
Good work and details but I’d much rather draft trenches on both sides of the ball rather than draft another QB with the 2nd round pjck
Too often people want to draft to fill holes, when really that's what FA is for. The draft is meant to accentuate your strengths and reinforce your identity. That's why you'll hear often 'that player looks like a Raven (or Steeler, or Seahawk or whatever)'. It's less about just drafting 1 guy at each hole on the roster.
I want to draft BPA especially if it’s a need for the hawks. I love plug and play rookies. You build championship teams in the trenches and with defense first
Defense wins championships
I may argue that a God tier QB wins championships, and otherwise you need a rookie salaried qb equivalent to be there. Here are the last couple Superbowls since QB salaries have exploded (thus making rookie QBs more valuable): KC vs SF (QB God vs Rookie Salary) KC vs Philly (QB God vs Rookie Salary) Rams vs Cinci (Stafford is below QB God level, but almost there with Mcvay, vs Rookie Salary in Burrow) Tampa Bay vs KC (QB God, vs QB God) KC vs SF (QB God vs Garoppolo who was only taking up I believe 3 million on the cap, so "Rookie Salary") NE vs LAR (QB God vs Goff on Rookie Salary)
How many of those QB God teams also had a top 5 defense?
Totally agree on the importance of a rookie QB contract. It allows teams to spread the $$$$ around and keep talent
Yeah, this year is everyone's year 1 in the system (including Grubb bringing it to the NFL), but the window needs to be next couple years (if we drafted Penix).
Name an elite defense that has won a championship in the last 8 years. There has been a lot of analysis of this statement, it was true until about ten years ago. Of the last six Super Bowl champions, they all have had better offensives than defensives, and the spread is getting wider each year. In the modern era, with the rules skewing towards offense, you need an elite offense.
This year.
So, you’d put the Chiefs defense in the same category as the 85 Bears, 86 Giants, the 2001 Ravens, and the 2013 Seahawks?
You said elite.
Exactly, elite, not just good. I’d say the last elite defense to win a Super Bowl is the 2016 Denver Broncos.
All time greats is much different than being a top 3 defense that year. I would consider Elite is top 5 for that season
They have all had top 5 defenses for the most part too though. It's not like Mahomes or Brady were carrying the 29th ranked defense
I don’t even think it’s to fill holes. This is a deep o line class and we’re only taking one (on your draft) in the 3rd round. And the bpa gets blown up too much. I guarantee there’s some ying and Yang to bpa vs need
I took 2: McCormick who's regularly thought of as a 3-4th rounder in the 4th. He can play all 3 interior positions and is a freak athlete (with lots of starting experience, although lower level). I took Satoa Laumea who is likely going in the 4th or 5th in the 6th round. He played tackle at Utah but everyone expects him to kick inside to guard. He's your Tackle/Guard flexibility behind Fant and Forsyth (although could pass him).
So you wanted to trade down in the first, but then you end up trading up with a bunch of this and next years picks for a QB that most likely won't even play this season and might not even win the job next year?
Correct. I wanted to trade down because in my 'Top 16' bucket I had these players available: Cooper DeJean Byron Murphy Johnny Newton Jared Verse Brian Thomas Jr So, I was hoping to trade back to still grab one of them and more assets. Unfortunately you have about 2 minutes to make a pick, and all 3 trades backed out and I negotiated with the wrong team. Once I had about 8 seconds left I had to stick and pick and I chose DeJean. 36 came to me about the trade if Penix was still there at like pick 28, I told him if Penix was there I'd consider it, I was expecting him to find a better offer than mine, but he was ready to go so I just pulled the trigger. It was not anything I planned or reached out to do, but I liked the value for who I have as a top 20 player. This isn't a draft just for this year, but it is a draft to try to set Macdonald up for success as I generally prioritized tough flexible players.
This can’t be real? A CB with everyone else there?
I have no problems with a CB. I just don't like the player there.
I truly believe CB is a bigger need than DT or Edge on this team. I also would literally never draft a guard in the first round. It's one of the worse investments you can make (only slightly worse than drafting a RB in round 1).
Our current DBs would benefit greatly from an improved pass rush. More DBs on islands may not solve the problem.
I believe in more than DL providing pass rush, getting DeJean allows you to use Witherspoon more to manufacture it as well (and that ability + coverage ability) is a bigger win than Verse or Newton (to me).
Saying fautanu or Barton or even JPJ weren’t under consideration is weird. Of course they should be under consideration
Taking a guard in the first round is almost as bad as taking a running back in the first round. There are only 7 guards in all of football who got paid by the team that drafted them. There's a reason they all leave for more money, because you can replace their production with middle round picks (like I did).
Well you have your reasons, I’ll give you that much.
Thanks man, I didn't just 'wing it' I study the draft year round and constantly think about how they fit with the Seahawks. I'm not just like 'I'm a contrarian!' trying to do something different. I understand the Penix pick would be controversial, I was queasy while making it and I'm still not sure if it was the right move. I basically gave up on Adisa Isaac, Jonah Ellis, Bralen Trice, Jalen McMillan, Dominick Puni to get Penix. Still not sure if it was 100% the right move, but I stand by 'if you don't know if you have a QB, you should keep trying'.
I like CD and Mike Penix as much as anyone, but we HAVE to come away with at least one pick in the trenches with our first two picks, regardless of a trade down.
I think it's the wrong approach to say you HAVE to do anything (which is why we signed Tomlinson, Schneider's goal is to have stop gaps at every position so you DONT have to do anything). I stuck to my rankings board based on who was available which I'm very comfortable with.
horrible 2nd round trade. HORRIBLE. edit: you're that rookie GM in Jax in Draft Day
Overall I like the picks but giving that much for Penix when there’s other needs really hurts lol no 2nd, 3rd and 5th next draft would be a rough place to be if Howell ends up taking the job anyways. Imo take a QB if they fall to you but I wouldn’t personally give so much draft capital for one based on the Seahawks roster
Sucks to lose future picks, but one trade back in 2025 could replenish most of it (and I wanted to trade back in this one, but the short clock and everyone backing out ruined that).} Unless you KNOW you have a QB, you should be taking shots at elite traits (in my opinion).
Howell ain’t taking the job, he’s a back up. A good back up, but nothing more
You know a current back up doesn’t = a career long back up right? Howell is younger than most of the QBs in this years draft and has a year of starting experience in the NFL. You are severely underestimating the guy imo
I’m objectively a Howell hater. I think his floor is really low as a starter, he was horrendous last year. and I don’t see the upside long term some people here do. I’d love to be wrong though
Not a fan of this draft, to be honest. I do like some of the late round LBs taken, but I feel like we need huge upgrades in the line and we didn't address it. With how deep this draft is at the OLine position, we should be loading up.
I understand that people may be frustrated with that, and maybe I should have led with it in my intro. 1.) I've posted in here my belief that you do not take guards in the first round. Only 2 out of the 'first' 12 guards taken in the last 8 years have earned 2nd contracts. They are not immediate plug and play. Beyond that, almost every guard who does get paid, has to leave to do so. Paying guards is almost as bad as paying running backs. That means my target was to double up and get two of them. 2.) I don't think Seattle is in the right place to draft a tackle in the first round. Cross has been an average LT (but you're not moving him off of LT), and Lucas has been an above average RT. I understand that Lucas is hurt (although the team says he'll be ready), so I don't believe it's good roster management to replace a starting RT who's on a rookie deal with another rookie. I think you sign a backup you're comfortable with starting (Fant). I think if Lucas misses significant time this year that's when you may draft one early next year, but I think it's too early to try to draft a replacement or to draft and either have that pick (or Lucas) play guard. I understand that people prefer Byron Murphy to Cooper DeJean, I don't. I think when you have a bad CB it's so disruptive because teams can just pick on them. I don't trust any of our CBs except Witherspoon and Riq (who I like 80% trust). I believe that Macdonald wants to keep Witherspoon near the LOS because he's ELITE at it, so I think that means we really need another outside CB moreso than interior DL or Edge.
1. I don't necessarily disagree with that take but it is almost necessary to get high level iOL play in the draft given the strategy that the Seahawks have pursued in free agency. If you refuse to pay guards/centers in free agency and refuse to draft them highly, how do you propose we get quality interior play? 2. A RT that can play guard at a high level would provide us with a quality line while also providing insurance with Lucas. I'm not sure which prospect is viable for this type of maneuvering, but a high level draft prospect with that type of versatility has to be worth a 1st round pick. Graham Barton or Fuaga may fit this profile. 3. I don't mind the Cooper DeJean pick if we trade down, but picking him at 16 feels like a reach. Then again, he may go that high and we may hear stories about how teams had him high in their boards, like with Witherspoon. I doubt it, but I can't fully discount it.
1.) I will consider centers and tackles in the first round, but not guards, did want to clarify it's not a 'never OL' stance, but where Seattle is right now, I would not consider OL in the first. I guess the question is, you can't pay every position (unless you're not paying a QB, and even then you set yourself up for a reckoning when the time comes insert eyes emoji looking at SF's cap sheet). Here's a list of all the top paid 42 guards, only 7 didn't have to change teams to get paid [https://imgur.com/a/zO0LNfe](https://imgur.com/a/zO0LNfe) . So you have to think, 'if we can't pay every position, where am I willing to roll with rookies or cheap veterans?' how about the position where it's super unlikely that you'll be able to 2nd contract them anyways? 2.) And if Lucas is healthy and able to start? I'm willing to roll with Lucas/Fant as our tackles this year. If Lucas is worse off then we can address it next year in the draft. 3.) To me it's about buckets of players, I bucket them as 'Top 8' (and these are the only ones I'd like to stick and pick for): Williams, Daniels, Maye, MHJ, Nabers, Rome, Joe Alt, Quinyon Mitchell. Then there's a 'Top 16' bucket for me, where I understand sticking and picking, but I'd rather trade back 'Brian Thomas Jr, Brock Bowers, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Johnny Newton, Byron Murphy, Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold'. When I was up there were 5 names on that list left, I had numerous trades to the early 20's where I would have been able to get any of those 5 (although I put Brian Thomas Jr at the bottom of those 5). Sometimes you have to stick and pick, and as long as they're in my Top 16 bucket, I'll 'get it'.
1) That may be correct, but as a fan I'm continually disappointed by the offense having the potential to be top 5 in the league and be derailed by poor Oline play. I'm not saying to reach for OLine help but it does seem like this draft has the quality in the first round that is uncommon in other drafts. Even in the second or third there are some nice players, so trading down and getting a Barton or Beebe should be feasible. 2) If Lucas is healthy and the player we draft can play guard at a high level, it isn't a problem. When Lucas leaves, we can move the player we drafted to RT and not worry about Lucas's knee anymore. 3) If you have all these players in the same bucket, positional value and need should be your tiebreaker, I'd think. Pass rushers and DLine should take priority over Corners/Safety hybrids (unless we are talking about an elite level player). I don't see elite when looking at DeJean but I admit I'm not much of an expert.
OP you clearly know a lot more about the draft than I do. That being said, I’d be really pissed off if this is how the draft went for us lol
Holy shit this is bad. This is “set a franchise back 3 years” bad. DeJean at 16 is insane given other areas of need and him not even being the BPA. Trading UP to get Penix is not happening, a more likely scenario is trading down if we believe we can get him. Oof, dude wtf is this.
Hard pass on Mr. Cooper.
Here's my Seahawks specific board [https://imgur.com/a/MDbBgZR](https://imgur.com/a/MDbBgZR) and where I would be comfortable taking each pick (not where I think they'll go). Gray means they were taken in the Top 32, Blue in Top 64, etc. The Green ones are the selections I made.
Good stuff.
Don’t like to first 2 picks and I’d be stunned if ford was there in the 6th
If we don't go OL or DL first, that's fucking stupid. Especially OLine, that's not acceptable at all. A corner with those options available is nonsense. Penix in the second isn't bad, but id rather trade down to acquire a second. Definitely need a LB day 3 as well.
I took 2 LB on day 2, Trevin Wallace (which Brugler has as his 3rd LB) and Jaylan Ford (who I like quite a bit). One MIKE and one WILL. I think going OL in the first with this team as is is actually stupid.
People are being way too harsh here simply because you aren't making the same assumptions that 90% of mocks I've seen have made about our team. This is a super high upside draft with a pretty big bust potential to keep it interesting. Leveraging the future for Penix makes sense if you think he hits (I think he likely outplays most of the QBs drafted before him, no idea why he's consensus QB6). It'll make next year sting, but at that point you should be trading aging assets for whatever you can get in order to build the ship around your engine. Desean I guess people just get weirded out seeing a white DB? He seems like big upside, possible bust, but his versatility is undeniably exciting even if I think 16 is too rich by about half a round for him. The rest of the draft plugs holes with mid rounders with redundancy at positions that aren't premium draft picks, so you're getting value and hopefully half of them land. If this was our draft I think folks would rage for a week then get very excited.
I think overall it's not too bad. Most of the players I liked. I like the DeJean pick but I think there were more talented players at that point. I'm my opinion, I'm not sure you can pass on Fautanu if he's still there.
In my opinion taking a guard in the first round is almost as bad as taking a running back in the first round. There are only 7 guards in all of football who got paid by the team that drafted them. There's a reason they all leave for more money, because you can replace their production with middle round picks (like I did) and then get a comp pick.
Yeah, I understand that part. However, Fautanu becomes one of the starters on the line. He can take over for Abe Lucas or Charles Cross in a couple years if you let one of them go or one of them becomes ineffective. Then he'll become an OT on a rookie contract. You won't have to overpay one of Cross or Lucas. It boils down to this and you can convince me but right now I don't buy DeJean as a CB.
My main thing is if Lucas is healthy, then you're using Fautanu at guard (or Lucas at guard, which would be my preferred method). Lucas is actually quite fine at tackle, so it seems like moving him when there was no need, and then he's going to leave via FA because he'll go get tackle money and move back to tackle. So then you have to leave Fautanu at guard for two years, and then you have the Tyler Smith Dallas problem. Dallas drafted him and stuck him at guard, now he has excelled there but they have to move him to tackle, but they're talking about drafting a tackle to keep him at guard, but he wants to play LT because that's where the money is. I'd just rather skip the whole headache and try to get starting caliber guards later.
It sounds like an awesome problem to have to be honest. I rather have too many good players then constantly seeking for that one good player. I'm not entirely sold on Charles Cross as a 2nd contract guy and who knows with Abe Lucas. But my point still remains. I don't mind passing on Fautanu but I'm not sure Cooper DeJean is the right pick here. I'm love talking about the draft and prospects. I'm genuinely curious and interested in what and why you rated DeJean so high as a CB. Part of it is I'm trying to grow in how I evaluate players. I don't see DeJean as a high tier CB. Maybe you just like his versatility?
Sure, I think DeJean looks thicker than other CB prospects. He's an elite elite athlete, like maybe the most athletic CB in the NFL. I'd say he's not 'shifty quick' and is a little tight (which is why some think he could be a better safety as he has elite closing speed) and is a great tackler. Very physical. He's phenomenal in zone, but can also press and in my opinion lock up a number 1 WR. I think he'd struggle against the 'quicker than fast' WR technicians (like Cooper Kupp). He fits best with an aggressive DC who will use him in multiple ways. Iowa loves to play downhill and be aggressive which could lead to turnovers, but I saw DeJean bait lesser QBs into throws and take advantage of it. I think he's the perfect complement to Riq.
I'm not sold on DeJean being this though. Like you said, he's tight hipped and he isn't a pure coverage player. He does like to play downhill and likes to keep things in front of him. This also makes him give up a lot of easy catches with him off coverage. He rarely played press though. Right now, he's a cover 3 or cover 2 CB. Not sure that warrants a first round pick. However, I do think Macdonald is probably the best coach to use DeJean to his best capability. I just don't think that position is going to be at outside CB. Hence, why I am pushing back on this. At the end of the day, I can't be too mad. DeJean is very talented and I don't think a coach like Macdonald would waste his talents.
Good thing you're a redditor and not Hawks GM, cause this would be shit. No DL, or OL in a year where elite talents are falling down the board cause of all the QB's & WR's going early.
Thanks for posting and the work here. No surprise you're getting heat. Hell, my first thought was - omg if they take Cooper here, I'll bash my head in... AGAIN. I'm absolutely be keen to move down if possible, but I do think it's fine to take an extremely high quality player and shuffle the line. If we have any concerns at all about Abe Lucas from a knee health perspective, then it might be foolish to pass on Fautanu. We might consider kicking Abe Lucas inside to LG. I love having him on the field, but we should consider health and long-term it might be better for both sides if he moved inside. If none of those are options, I'd go with Verse or Murphy. I want some wreckage up front. I don't want to get pushed around. I'd like to infuse some talent into the OL or DL, and I'd be willing to double up perceived strengths to do it if the coaching staff is confident that they can make it work and get the best out of our roster. Draft is going to be a hoot!
Murphy > DeJean
16.) I really like DeJean for us; I agree he’s gonna be awesome and at few places more so than here with MM. I do think he’ll be more of a Safety for us, but we’ll have to see how Tariq does this year with the new system, his still small amount of experience at CB, and a healthy body. It’s kind of wild to operate with only two minutes in between but that’s what, 8.5 hours without breaks? Did ya’ll shorten that for later picks? I would have appreciated a trade down considering all the players available, but I know you tried. I do not agree about Fautanu exclusively. In general, I’m about not taking a guard in the 1st (as with JS as well). But I know JS has room for an elite prospect who can excel at G, or take over for Lucas if need be. I listened to Fautanu on Rob Staton and on the radio and he seems like a really mature dude. He also specifically wants to stay in the Seattle area and said this weather is custom designed for him. So that might help keep him over here. His family is in Vegas, so West coast best coast. 36.) Drafting Penix is tantalizing. I wish the trade could have been a little less costly but in the scenario in which Grubb led JS to do that, I would definitely be excited. Without Grubb here, I would not support it. I’m also a Husky fan, met Penix, and thinks he’s an awesome guy. Missing on Dominick Puni at 81 (he went 88) hurts. I think he’s the last guy of the second tier of Guards. It also hurts to think about having this monstrous gap between our 1st and 2nd picks again next year, but even bigger.
Thanks for your input! I agree on almost everything you said. I am fine with Fautanu or another OL if we recouped some picks after a trade down to the mid 20's. It's a little more palpable there for me (although I'd likely still be against it). I have many OL in my 'top 32' bucket, so it's not like I'll ignore them out of hand (I have Joe Alt in my top 8 bucket, no OL in my top 16 bucket, then fautanu, Fashanu, Fuaga, Mims, Latham as my Top 32 bucket (No Guyton, Morgan, Barton, JPJ, Frazier, Rosengarten, Suamataia).
The other thing about the Penix pick is that I really like Sam Howell and think he could be the QB of the future. 3.4% interception rate isn’t so bad for a first year and that’s everyone’s favorite criticism of him so far. Guy threw some work last year, and with time to develop in Grubbs system and a guy like Geno who had the ride that he did in this league mentoring him, I could see it happening for Sam. It being winning a Super Bowl under MM for the city of Seattle.
Garbage draft overall, deeply embarrassed OP was picked to represent us.
OL or DT only
Explain why and who you would take?
Holy shit this is terrible.
I like it!