Seattle Receives High Praise For Draft
By author
Analysts everywhere are praising the Seattle Seahawks for what turned out to be an excellent 2010 draft class. Most articles you’ll read will clearly label Seattle as a winner on draft day, and several more commend Pete Carroll and John Schneider for a job well done.
Following the draft, one popular trend has been to give grades to every team. Of course, an “A” grade is awarded to teams who had a successful draft; lower grades are distributed to teams who struggled to impress.
Grades included, here are what some analysts are saying about Seattle’s draft …
Rob Rang, CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com:
Grade: A
"The Seahawks entered the draft with a built-in advantage, as they, along with the 49ers, were the only team to enter Thursday with two first-round picks. They didn’t waste them, eliminating their biggest needs immediately with Russell Okung, NFLDraftScout.com’s top-rated offensive tackle, and ballhawk Earl Thomas only eight picks later … In terms of immediate impact, as well as long-term potential, there wasn’t a better draft in 2010 than Seattle’s."
Fox Sports:
Grade: A+
"Despite former player Taylor Mays taking a personal shot at his former coach, Pete Carroll, the former USC coach had a great three-day draft. The Seahawks got a great playmaker in Texas safety Earl Thomas, who was coveted by coordinator Gus Bradley. And OT Russell Okung was the top-rated tackle on the majority of teams’ boards and was available because the Redskins prefer a zone-blocking scheme and wanted a more athletic tackle in Trent Williams."
Rich Gosselin, The Dallas Morning News:
Grade: A
"Having coached at Southern Cal all those years, Pete Carroll gave the Seahawks the same edge at the draft table that a young Jimmy Johnson once gave the Cowboys. Surprisingly, he took only one of his former Trojans."
Chris Kolb, NFL News & Rumors:
Grade: A
"When the dust settled yesterday evening, there was a clear winner in this draft, and his name is Pete Carroll. After an extended hiatus at USC that netted him two national titles and never ending stream of blue chip recruits, Carroll is back in a big way, taking home three starters with his first three picks, and somehow landing his former pupil, running back LenDale White for next to nothing from Tennessee."
Caleb Lihn, NFLMocks.com:
Grade: A
"Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks probably had the best draft day of any team in the league. With two first round picks, the team filled two huge needs selecting offensive lineman Russell Okung and talented safety Earl Thomas. The team pursued Brandon Marshall prior to the draft, but fell short because they lacked the ammunition to complete the deal. The team, however, found a potential starting receiver in their second round pick, Golden Tate. The team also found excellent value in the sixth round in Carroll’s old TE pupil Anthony McCoy. The first three picks will play on day one. The Seahawks added an exclamation point to their draft with the draft day trades for LenDale White and Leon Washington, which cost the team next to nothing. Both veteran running backs will benefit from a change of scenery and will contribute to the Seahawks benign running game, which also means Julius Jones and Justin Forsett could be on the way out."
Mel Kiper, ESPN.com
Grade: A
"Pete Carroll and the new Seahawks regime came out of the gates with a bang. Impact players early, value later, and some trades thrown in. And they were patient! Russell Okung lands in their laps at No. 6, Earl Thomas is there at No. 14. Golden Tate is still there at No. 60. All three can help the team not in a few years, but immediately. A swap netted the team LenDale White, who isn’t remarkable, but it cost them nothing. Then, Seattle parlayed a fifth-rounder into Leon Washington. No team outside of possibly Detroit added impact players the way Seattle has."
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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