Reassessing the draft needs of the Seattle Seahawks
By Keith Myers
The Draft is approaching, so it is time to reassess the draft need of our Seattle Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks head into the draft with nine draft picks and plenty of positions that need addressed. Obviously they will need to prioritize to make sure that their biggest needs get the most attention.
Below is my priority list for the Seahawks in the draft. Their list is likely similar, but I openly wonder if they have the offensive and defensive lines switched.
1. Offensive line
The Seahawks need to overhaul their offensive line, but they cannot change up the entire unit all at once. With that in mind, which of the following players is mostly likely to end up being serviceable at their position:
- Britt at LG
- Webb at RT
- Lewis at C
Based on their last two seasons, it is a safe bet that the answer to that question will be Lewis. He likely won’t be great, and he isn’t a long terms solution, but the Seahawks simply have bigger needs.
Webb is generally terrible, but so is Britt. If you upgrade the guard spot then you can move Britt back to RT. It becomes a bit of a wash as to which one is more necessary to upgrade.
Tackles are tougher to find, and a good OG can be found in the middle rounds. Which position they take will ultimately depend on how early they wish to address the line.
2. Defensive line
The Seahawks need a defensive tackle. They lost a great one when Brandon Mebane signed with the Chargers. Sealver Siliga and AJ Francis are nice depth, but neither is a guy that can replace everything that Mebane did.
The Seahawks can also use more pass rushers. Every team can always use more pass rushers.
3. Tight end
Luke Willson is a nice No. 2, but he simply isn’t a guy that should be counted on as a primary TE option. That is what Jimmy Graham is.
If Graham was healthy, TE wouldn’t even be on the radar for this draft. Unfortunately, he isn’t healthy. That knee injury looks like it’ll keep him out until around midseason.
The Seahawks need someone they can pair with Willson until Graham is back up to full speed, and possibly even to take over for Willson down the road.
4. Linebacker
Seattle’s need at LB is overstated. Yes, Bruce Irvin is gone, but the Seahawks have been preparing for that to happen now for a couple of seasons.
Frank Clark and Cassius Marsh can handle the pass rushing responsibilities Irvin had. Mike Morgan, Kevin Pierre-Louis and Eric Pinkins are all ready to handle that job in the base defense.What they need now is depth.
5. Running back
The easiest way to tell someone who covers the Seahawks from someone who covers the rest of the NFL is how much they think the Seahawks need a RB since Marshawn Lynch retired. Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael were both better than Lynch last season. Both are still on the roster.
The bigger concern for Seattle is the lack of a 3rd down back. They need someone who can reliably handle pass blocking and receiving duties. Neither Rawls nor Michael is that guy.
6. Quarterback
The Seahawks need to draft a backup, or they need to re-sign Tarvaris Jackson. Either way, using anything above a 6th round pick on the position seems extremely unlikely.
7. Everything else
The Seahawks don’t need a WR, but it’s John Schneider with nine draft picks, so they might take one. The same goes for CB and S. There really isn’t even a need to add depth at this point, but never say never when it comes to Seattle in the draft.