Five players the Seahawks should target in 2016 draft
By Dan Viens
JOE DAHL, G, Washington State
Projected round: 3rd or later
Who’s this guy? Never heard of him. OK, I just might be lying.
Dahl has been a favorite prospect of mine all year, and not just because he’s a Coug, but because I think he would be the ideal left guard for the Seahawks for the next ten years.
Playing mostly left tackle the last two seasons on the Palouse, Dahl projects inside because of his shorter-than-ideal arms for the tackle position. But from a pure skill standpoint, he could kick out and play tackle in a pinch.
As a guard, he might be a Pro Bowler at some point in his career. Not an elite athlete, Dahl is a technician. Watching him in pass protection, the Seahawks greatest weakness that they simply must improve this offseason, is a thing of beauty. In fact, Pro Football Focus has him as their highest rated tackle in the country last year as a pass blocker. Washington State doesn’t run it much, but when they do, Dahl looks as comfortable burying defenders as he does when he’s making a pocket. And at the Senior Bowl against top competition, he drew raves all week from scouts and analysts.
His projection is all over the board, with NFL DraftScout giving him a 6th round grade, but others placing him as high as the second. Regardless of where he goes, the Hawks would do well to target this outstanding offensive lineman.
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