Rounding up the Seahawks draft grades

Grades are already rolling in for the 2016 NFL Draft, and the Seattle Seahawks are receiving mostly high marks across the board.

Love ’em or hate ’em, draft grades are a hot commodity in the interwebs for fans who just can’t get enough draft coverage! It used to be you had to wait until the next day to get them all (hell it used to be you had to wait for the Monday edition of USA TODAY!) but feedback from the just-completed 2016 draft is already hitting the airwaves, or Twitter, or whichever means you use to stay connected to the latest news these days.

So let’s take a look at how the national media views how the Seattle Seahawks fared with their 10 draft picks over the last three days:

ESPN’s SHEIL KAPADIA GIVES THE SEAHAWKS A “THUMBS UP” GRADE:

They kept theirs simple, it was thumbs up or down. Here’s what they had to say about the Hawks group of rookie picks: “The Seahawks’ top priority going into the draft was to address the offensive line, and they did that. For the second consecutive year, they selected three offensive linemen: Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi in the first, Boise State’s Rees Odhiambo in the third and TCU’s Joey Hunt in the sixth. On the defensive side of the ball, they filled needs with run-stuffing defensive tackleJarran Reed out of Alabama and interior pass-rusher Quinton Jefferson out of Maryland. Taking three running backs was a bit puzzling, but the Seahawks gave themselves options to join Thomas Rawls in the backfield. Overall, they filled their major needs and have assembled a roster capable of competing for another Super Bowl.”

SI’s DOUG FARRAR GIVES THE SEAHAWKS A B-MINUS:

While getting high marks for the Jarran Reed pick, Farrar thinks the Seahawks selected offensive line projects over more polished players at a position of great need: “It’s clear this is a franchise that would prefer to build up on mild potential than take obvious talent. That’s a sound strategy, unless those potential picks are high ones. Still, Seattle tends to do well in the late rounds, so keep an eye on Cal receiver Kenny Lawler and Clemson running back Zac Brooks. No matter what, though, the Ifedi pick still knocks this grade down. Oh, and this team is still woefully thin at the tackle position, regardless of what line coach Tom Cable says.”

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MIKE MASKE OF THE WASHINGTON POST GIVES THE SEAHAWKS A B-PLUS:

“The Seahawks ended up with five of the draft’s first 97 picks and used three of them to rebuild along the offensive and defensive lines. First-rounder Germain Ifedi will help along the offensive line but it’s unclear if he’ll be a tackle or guard in the NFL. Getting DT Jarran Reed in the middle of the second round was a terrific value, and third-round RB C.J. Prosise should have an immediately significant role on offense.”

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS GIVES THE SEAHAWKS A C:

This is the lowest grade so far, but PFF focuses solely on their advanced analytics, rather than on potential. They liked the balance of the Hawks second day picks the best: “(Jarran) Reed posted the No. 2 grade against the run last year, disrupting blockers and making plays. He’s technically sound and can see the field immediately on run downs. Prosise had an impressive performance at running back last year, earning the 10th-best grade in the class. Vannett offers value as a blocking “move” tight end, while Odhiambo’s movement skills fit in at guard in Seattle’s zone scheme.”

DAN KADAR OF “MOCKING THE DRAFT” GAVE THE SEAHAWKS A B-PLUS:

“The Seahawks surprised some by using a first-round pick taking offensive tackle Germain Ifedi. He has off-the-charts tools, but needs developing. Reed was a steal of this year’s draft. He and Ahtyba Rubin give Seattle a nice pair of run stoppers in the middle. Seattle grabbed a duo of running backs in C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins. Both are talented starting-caliber players. Prosise is a really good receiver and Collins has some pop in his game. Jefferson is an interesting late-round pick. He’s a gap-shooting lineman who had 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2015.”

CHAD REUTER OF NFL.COM GAVE THE SEAHAWKS AN A:

Reuter has a higher opinion of Ifedi than most, and that helped drive up the grade. He also had a fascinating player comp for Notre Dame RB C.J. Prosise.  “Trading down to grab an extra third-round pick in this very deep draft deserves a big grade. Then, the Seahawks got an equally big player in Ifedi, who can dominate at guard or tackle with some technique coaching. The Seahawks traded up to get Reed, a nice fit to fill in for Brandon Mebane in the middle of the defensive line. Prosise could be the next Matt Forte, so getting him at pick No. 90 was great value. I do have a bit of a concern picking Odhiambo in the third round, but only because of durability concerns. If he can stay healthy, he should be a starting left tackle.”

Next: Seahawks Best and Worst picks

As more draft grades roll in, we’ll add them to the mix. But so far it looks like the consensus seems to be that this might be the Seahawks strongest draft since their incredible haul in 2012.