Seattle Seahawks Shadow Draft 2013

If you don’t know what a shadow draft is, don’t feel bad. It’s almost never used in the NFL. It’s mostly a baseball thing. Still, shadow drafts can be really fun. I do one every year alongside the Seahawks.

What we’re talking about here is the players I would have picked for the Seahawks if I had been the GM. I made these selections at the same time the Seahawks did. No extra days to think things over. No hindsight based on players who were available 3 rounds later. It’s about picking the players as the draft unfolds.

Can you see why I think that shadow drafts are fun? Oh, but that’s not even the best part. The best part is looking back at the shadow draft a year or 2 later, and realizing jsut how bad the draft would have turned out.

Lets just say that I like to think of shadow drafts as my yearly reminder that I’m not an NFL GM, and that no team would ever be dumb enough to hire me as one. My drafts generally end up being pretty bad. 

I posted my shadow draft last year as well. Even after just 1 year it’s obvious just how much of a failure my draft would have been. I’m guessing that’ll be the case again this time around.

Don’t be afraid to laugh at my expense here. That is actually the point of posting this online.

My pick at that spot was WR Keenan Allen. Allen was the best receiver in the class in my opinion, and only wasn’t a mid-round 1 pick because of a lingering injury. I think of his as a younger Sydney Rice.

This isn’t a “need,” but was clearly the best player available in my opinion. Allen went 13 picks later to the Chargers325DT Jordan HillDT Akeem SpenceI got the position right, but not the player. The Seahawks drafted a pass rusher, while I opted for a run stuffer. I like the Hill pick a lot. It makes me wish I had been smart enough to consider it, but Greg Scruggs kept Hill from being someone I even thought of.Getting someone who can replace Alan Branch, and hopefully be an upgrade, on 1^st and 2^nd downs was a huge priority for me. Spence fills that roll very well.

Spence was picked 10 picks later by Tampa.426WR Chris HarperRB Marcus LattimoreThe Harper pick makes a ton of sense for the Seahawks. He’ll be Golden Tate’s replacement in a year, and can contribute from day 1. I didn’t consider him because I’d already taken a WR in the 2^nd round. Lattimore was the best RB in the draft class before his injury. He’s a power runner, and fits in very well with Seattle’s offense. He likely wont play in the first 10 games of 2013, but with Lynch and Turbin on the roster that isn’t a concern for me. 

Lattimore went 8 picks later to (gasp!) the 49ers.54DT Jesse WilliamsDT Jesse WilliamsI thought for sure the Seahawks have moved up to take an OT in this spot, but apparently John Schneider saw it the same way I did. Williams is just too good at this point to not take.This pick makes more sense in Schneider’s draft than it does in mine. Williams is a run stuffer, and the team needed one still. In my draft, I already had a run stuffer with Spence. I was taking a backup NT and 5T, and someone who will eventually replace a starter in 2014.55CB Tharold SimonOT/OG Oday AboushiThe Simon pick made too much sense for me. Absolutely perfect scheme, and will get a chance to develop before being asked to play. Schneider was just showing off.I honestly thought about Montori Hughes (who went just 1 pick later) but with 2 DT already taken, I figured that wasn’t a good idea.

Instead, my pick was Aboushi, an aggressive and powerful run blocker who will play OG in the NFL. If you like Breno Giacomini for his attitude, you’ll love Aboushi. He’s got attitude and the ability to block reliably.

Aboushi went 3 picks later to the Jets.525TE Luke WillsonOT Jordan MillsWillson wasn’t even a consideration. I didn’t even know he was draft eligible.  Feel free to laugh at my expense. The rest of my shadow draft feels a bit like unintentional comedy anyways.My pick is an instant starter at RT, allowing the team to save $3.5 million on Breno’s salary and cap #. He’s a smooth blocker who’s solid in run and pass blocking.

Mills went 5 picks later to the Bears626HB/FB Spencer WareCB Jordan PoyerI like the Ware pick. Had I thought of him as a FB pre-draft, he likely would have been my pick here, especially since I picked a FB who’s a much lesser athlete in the next round.I had Poyer as a 3^rd round talent. I still have no idea why he dropped. My thought process was simple ”This late, why not?” Poyer is a slot corner, and someone who can take over for Winfield, who’s on a 1-year contract, in 2014. 

Poyer didn’t go until 23 picks later to the Eagles.714OG Ryan SeymoreTE Justice CunninghamI got to this point, looked at my draft and noticed I’d forgotten to get a TE, and grabbed the best available one even though he’s not what the Seahawks are looking for.Cunningham is a pure blocker. He’s not much of a fit for what Seattle is looking for, but I was desperate. The Seahawks could use him as a blocker and finally let Zach Miller run more routes I guess. More likely that he wouldn’t make the roster.

Cunningham went 34 picks later to the Colts, and was this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.725S Ty PowellQB Matt ScottMy thought at QB was to skip the position in the draft and suggest the Seahawks sign Ryan Aplin as an UDFA. I had expected Scott to go in the late 4^th or early 5^thround. The idea that he’d be available here wasn’t one I considered.Had it not been for Poyer’s drop and the fact, that I realized I’d forgotten a TE, I’d have dropped my plan and taken Scott in earlier than sooner.  Turns out that even this was too early. 

Matt Scott went undrafted.735OG Jared SmithFB Michael ZordichOne of my goals in this draft was to find a FB who could challenge Michael Robinson for his roster spot. The Seahawks need cap space, and Robinson’s $2.5 million salary is a easy place to find it.The problem is that the 2 FBs I liked were taken before I was willing to spend a pick on them. I ended up taking a flyer on Zordich here. This was a pick I didn’t like from the moment I made it, but I made it anyways.

Zordich went undrafted.736Michael BowieOG Alvin BaileyThis pick makes little sense when you remember that I’d already taken Aboushi to play OG.  I guess Schneider took multiple late round guards, so I shouldn’t feel too bad. Basically, I like Bailey and think he can be a good zone blocking OG, and I was out of players who I liked enough to draft.Bailey went undrafted, and was signed by the Seahawks.