Seattle Seahawks: 2017 NFL Draft Preview

Kevin King

G.M. John Schneider wants his team to get younger and he also needs more cap space. The Richard Sherman rumors are major evidence of this and with five picks in the first 106 I get the feeling we’re going to see an active Seahawks team looking to make headlines in the next week.

Key additions

  • DE Dion Jordan
  • LB Michael Wilhoite
  • PK Blair Walsh
  • OL Oday Aboushi
  • OL Luke Joeckel
  • RB Eddie Lacy
  • S Brad McDougald

Key subtractions

  • DT Tony McDaniel
  • OT Bradley Sowell
  • PK Steve Hauschka
  • S Kelcie McCray
  • S Steven Terrell

Priority needs (Offense)

OL…No position on this team has been a crutch to their ability to become elite like this one. The only player who has developed into a true starting caliber player is center Justin Britt. The other four spots are wide-open and in need of immediate help before star QB Russell Wilson gets damaged for good.

Priority needs (Defense)

CB…The entire Richard Sherman saga isn’t going away anytime soon and even though Schneider says he expects Sherman to stay with the team for now, there is still a possibility he gets traded after all. I expect Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco to be favorites in landing the star corner with the Raiders leading the list. Even if Sherman remains with the Seahawks they’re still a corner or two short from fielding the type of players required for the defense to thrive.

DE/OLB…Both Cassius Marsh and Kevin Pierre-Louis (2014 fourth-round picks), have not developed into dependable players and time is running out. Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright are counted on to play major snaps and if anything were to happen to either of them the Hawks would have big issues.

DT…With Tony McDaniel unsigned the Seahawks need to add another run stuffing lineman to their rotation.

Final analysis

Anyone following the Seahawks knows the offensive line needs a major overhaul. Besides the obvious, more depth on offense is needed across the board for later picks starting with a reliable future back-up for Wilson like Joshua Dobbs, Trevor Knight or Taysom Hill. The running game has talent starting with Thomas Rawls, but his violent running nature can cause injuries like we witnessed last season which is why Eddie Lacy was brought on a for one-year show-me deal. Since the Seahawks like their runners to be physical with size, keep an eye on players like James Conner, Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine. The receiver positions need to be further examined as well depending on whether Schneider believes he can re-sign Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson and I can’t think of a better team who knows more about Eastern Washington alum Cooper Kupp than they do. On defense, the secondary appears to be the logical critical area with three possible openings. Local product Kevin King from Washington has the size Coach Pete Carroll covets from his outside corners while Jourdan Lewis could be a solid slot pick-up on day two.

Top first-round options

  • CB Kevin King
  • CB Fabian Moreau
  • DE Jordan Willis
  • DL DeMarcus Walker
  • DL Chris Wormley
  • DT Dalvin Tomlinson
  • LB Zach Cunningham
  • LB TJ Watt
  • OG Dion Dawkins
  • OG Dan Feeney
  • OG Forrest Lamp
  • OG Taylor Moton
  • OT Antonio Garcia
  • OT Cam Robinson
  • S Obi Melifonwu
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