The Draft Was
... Sort of cocky. Are the Seahawks really good enough to be
spending the back half of its draft on specialty players? It
might be a good strategy considering how worthless most late
picks are, but taking FB Owen Schmitt in the 5th, long snapper
Tyler Schmitt in the 5th, and PK Brandon Coutu in the 7th was
curious. Best Value Pick: Red Bryant, DT Texas A&M. 4th round. Any
time you can get a productive 318-pound defensive tackle with
good quickness on the second day, you do it. Biggest Reach: Tyler Schmitt, LS San Diego State. Fine,
so he's a great special teamer and he's a phenomenal
long-snapper who'll be on the team for the next ten years. Even
so, the team passed on a good DT in Ahtyba Rubin and a solid
corner in DeJuan Tribble for a player it could've easily had in
the next round. They Should've ... Gotten some running back help. John
Carlson was a decent tight end selection in the second round,
but considering Shaun Alexander was sent packing, Matt Forte,
Ray Rice or Kevin Smith was the need pick.
#
Pick
28
28
1st Round (from Dallas)
Lawrence Jackson, DE USC
In this draft, Jackson is a poor man's Vernon Gholston. A little
bit bigger than the former Ohio State star but not quite as
fast, he's a versatile defender who could project as an outside
linebacker in the right system. Unlike Gholston, there's room to
beef up with another ten pounds of muscle. A decent pass rusher,
but not an elite one quite yet, he needs a fire lit under him to
become a top-shelf closer. He was good at USC and was certainly
a good producer for four years, but he didn't blossom into the
superstar All-American that he should've. CFN Projection: Second RoundCFN Position Rank: 6
7
38
2nd Round
(from Baltimore)
John Carlson, TE Notre Dame
A mega-flop in off-season workouts after being considered by
many to be the top tight end prospect after the season ended, he
made up for a disastrous Combine with a decent pro day work out
to get back in the overall picture. Even so, he still timed
relatively slow and he's just not strong enough to be a dominant
blocker. On the plus side, he's big, smart, and can catch the
ball easily. After slipping in everyone's rankings, he should
bounce back to become a steady starters. CFN Projection: Late Second Round
CFN Position Rank: 4
22
121
4th Round
Red Bryant, DT Texas A&M
Really strong, really big, and really tough, Bryant was a
four-year anchor for the Aggies and could just now be reaching
his potential being two years removed from a torn ACL. While
he's not all that nimble and he's not going to every hit the
quarterback, his 6-4, 318-pound size makes him a tough wall to
move. CFN Projection: Third Round
CFN Position Rank:7
28
163
5th Round
(from trade)
Owen Schmitt, FB West Virginia
Psychotic, but in a good way. He stunk in the Senior Bowl, but
he's a good receiver, phenomenal in the weight room, and will
work his tail off to do anything necessary. CFN Projection: Sixth Round
CFN
Position Rank: 3
23
189
6th Round
Tyler Schmitt, LS San Diego State If there's a draftable long snapper, Schmitt is it. He
played a little bit of linebacker and is athletic enough to get
down the field quickly and make plays on the punt team. He's
purely a long snapper, that's it, but he's a good one. He'll be
in the league for ten years.
CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR
26
233
7th Round
Justin Forsett, RB California
More J.J. Arrington than Marshawn Lynch, Forsett's a smallish,
quick back who came through with a nice senior season even when
the team went into the tank. He's not big and isn't fast enough
to be a difference maker scatback, but he can be a change of
pace runner who'll need to do something special right away in
camp to stick. He can't be used as a regular runner. CFN Projection: Seventh Round to Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: 21
28
235
7th Round
(from trade)
Brandon Coutu, PK Georgia
If he can be consistent from inside the 40, he can be the type
of bomber who becomes a true difference maker. With unlimited
range, he can bomb away from anywhere and has the makeup to be a
go-to performer in the clutch. The main problem is a hamstring
that's been a problem throughout his career. CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN
Position Rank: 1
