2014 NFL Mock Draft: Seahawks don’t get flashy, draft offensive lineman
Dec 29, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal left guard David Yankey (54) at the 2013 Rose Bowl media day at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The Seahawks lost a big playmaker in Golden Tate earlier this week, but that doesn’t mean Seattle needs to select a wide receiver with their first pick in the draft.
Seattle’s offensive line, while developing, still needs work to protect Russell Wilson and allow him to make big-time throws to Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.
The Seahawks will have a chance to pick up a solid offensive lineman this year at the draft and they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Here is 12th Man Rising’s seventh 2014 NFL Mock Draft:
1. Houston Texans
BLAKE BORTLES
QB, UCF
2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington)
JAKE MATTHEWS
OT, Texas A&M
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER
QB, Louisville
4. Cleveland Browns
SAMMY WATKINS
WR, Clemson
5. Oakland Raiders
GREG ROBINSON
OT, Auburn
6. Atlanta Falcons
JADEVEON CLOWNEY
DE, South Carolina
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
KHALIL MACK
OLB, Buffalo
8. Minnesota Vikings
JOHNNY MANZIEL
QB, Texas A&M
9. Buffalo Bills
C.J. MOSLEY
ILB, Alabama
10. Detroit Lions
CALVIN PRYOR
S, Louisville
11. Tennessee Titans
ODELL BECKHAM JR.
WR, LSU
12. New York Giants
JASON VERRETT
CB, TCU
13. St. Louis Rams
ANTHONY BARR
OLB, UCLA
14. Chicago Bears
DEE FORD
DE, Auburn
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
AARON DONALD
DT, Pittsburgh
16. Dallas Cowboys
KONY EALY
DE, Missouri
17. Baltimore Ravens
DARQUEZE DENNARD
CB, Michigan State
18. New York Jets
MIKE EVANS
WR, Texas A&M
19. Miami Dolphins
JUSTIN GILBERT
CB, Oklahoma State
20. Arizona Cardinals
DEREK CARR
QB, Fresno State
21. Green Bay Packers
TAYLOR LEWAN
OT, Michigan
22. Philadelphia Eagles
KYLE VAN NOY
OLB, BYU
23. Kansas City Chiefs
ZACK MARTIN
OT, Notre Dame
24. Cincinnati Bengals
HA HA CLINTON-DIX
S, Alabama
25. San Diego Chargers
TIMMY JERNIGAN
DT, Florida State
26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)
XAVIER SU’A-FILO
G, UCLA
27. New Orleans Saints
RYAN SHAZIER
LB, Ohio State
28. Carolina Panthers
MORGAN MOSES
OT, Virginia
29. New England Patriots
ERIC EBRON
TE, North Carolina
30. San Francisco 49ers
JORDAN MATTHEWS
WR, Vanderbilt
31. Denver Broncos
MARQISE LEE
WR, USC
32. Seattle Seahawks
DAVID YANKEY
G, Stanford
With the departure of Breno Giacomini, the Seahawks could use some adjustments on the offensive line. Yankey would fill in nicely at the guard position to help J.R. Sweezy and James Carpenter.
Michael Bowie could fill in for Giacomini, Alvin Bailey could become Bowie’s backup and Paul McQuistan could rotate in as well.
Yankey’s impressive size (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) would allow him to fit in perfectly to an offensive line that could look more like this:
- LT: Russell Okung, Caylin Hauptmann
- LG: James Carpenter, David Yankey
- C: Max Unger, Lemuel Jeanpierre
- RG: J.R. Sweezy, Paul McQuistan
- RT: Michael Bowie, Alvin Bailey
Yankey could certainly work his way into being a starter as he anchored Stanford’s excellent offensive line in college. He also has experience playing in four of the five offensive line positions, so if the Seahawks want to move him around, he has the versatility to do that.
However, teaming him up with Okung to protect Wilson’s blind side could help improve the offensive line exponentially. Yankey allowed just one sack at Stanford while protecting Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan.
Here are some of Yankey’s highlights from Stanford: