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Russell Okung’s Future And How It Could Affect The Draft

By Greg Haugsven

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The offensive line is the biggest priority in the 2015 NFL draft. The question is which spot will be addressed first, Guard or Center?

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If you look at it at face value the answer could easily be Center. Guard is usually known as the position that is easier to fill in the mid to later rounds. Except this future pick at Guard could also be a future Left Tackle.

Russell Okung’s contract expires after next year and there hasn’t been much talk of an extension. That could be for a number of reasons. Maybe he’s down the depth chart behind Wilson and Wagner, maybe they want to see if he can actually stay healthy for a season. Maybe there has been talks and its Okung’s camp that wants to hold off. In any case he is entering the final year of his rookie contract and this could affect the way the draft will go down.

How you ask? It has always been easier to find guards in the draft than it is to find a good LT. Yes its possible to get a quality LT in the mid rounds but the majority of them are drafted early. So if you have two options to attack the early part of the draft to address your offensive line, what do you do?

OPTION 1

You draft the best LT that is on your board with hopes of him playing left guard in his rookie year, then possibly sliding to LT in 2016 if Okung is not resigned. This option is risky because if you do end up resigning Okung you just spent your second round pick on a guard that you probably could have got later. On the plus side you would have insurance if Okung was to continue his trend of not staying healthy during the season. Then you could look at getting your center in rounds four or five.

OPTION 2

You draft your top rated center at pick #63. Grasu is probably the only center that is worth the pick here so if the Seahawks have him rated high enough maybe they pull the trigger. This would leave you trying to get a future LT later in the draft, or maybe you just worry about that in 2016.

If offensive line is indeed their first pick, I would vote for Grasu. He could be your future at Center for the next decade. Id then try to draft a guy like Mitch Morse in the fourth round, or someone who is versatile. He maybe gone by then but he could start at Left Guard in 2016 and maybe Left tackle down the road.

Obviously were not the ones making this decision, but this is my thoughts, whats yours?

Next: The Best draft picks in Seahawks' History?

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