Seahawks NFL Mock Draft Analysis: Best and Worst Round 1 Fits According to Needs

Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback James Franklin (1) is taken down by Auburn Tigers defensive end Dee Ford (30) during the fourth quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Good Fits

Stanford G David Yankey – Until cycling through the 12thMR picks of recent, I’d forgotten about Yankey, but he would make an excellent fit. Yankey is athletic, huge, knows all about playing in a physical offense and would be a massive upgrade to J.R. Sweezy in the starting rotation on the right side or James Carpenter on the left. At the very least he would be an incredible depth guy along an oft-injured offensive line. So what makes him part of the “good fit” category and not  “best fit”? In my opinion, best case scenario is that the Hawks grab someone who can swing from tackle to guard. Michael Bowie and Russell Okung make an intriguing combo but if one gets hurt (and it seems to happen a lot), I’m sure the preference is not to have to shift the entire OL around like they’ve had to do in the past. Yankey doesn’t help that issue. Also, he is far enough down the charts that he may be available at 64 when the Seahawks pick in the 2nd.

Auburn DE Dee Ford – Ford would make an intriguing addition to the rotation at DE, especially after the Hawks let Chris Clemons walk and missed out on Jared Allen. He’s not a “best fit” at 32 because of the needs on the other side of the ball but he would really re-enhance the pass rush and would be a steal at that slot. He very much reminds me of Bruce Irvin, though probably a bit more polished from a defensive end standpoint. The biggest problem is that Ford doesn’t even figure to make it out of the top 15 after his fantastic Pro Day workouts and because of the clear upside he possesses.

Alabama OT Cyrus Kouandjio – Heading back up the Alabama pipeline is usually a good thing. The only reason Kouandjio isn’t in the “best fit” category is he has had some injury issues. If he could stay healthy he’d be a beautiful fit as a replacement for Giacomini, but the last thing the Hawks need is another in-and-out offensive tackle.

Oregon State DE Scott Crichton and Missouri DE Kony Ealy– Both interesting thoughts for the Seattle pass rush for all the same reasons as Ford. The difference here is that neither Ealy nor Crichton offers the same value as Ford on most of the experts’ charts, which is why I think even if they were available Seattle would pass without thinking about it for offense. I put them in the “good” fits, but they are definitely on the lower end of that bar than Ford.

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