Seahawks Draft Target: Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana
By Keith Myers
It would be a boring selection if the Seattle Seahawks draft Dan Feeney out of Indiana, but good offensive guards are supposed to be boring.
There are few things less exciting than seeing our Seattle Seahawks draft an offensive guard in the first round. And yet guard is the most common position that pundits are giving the Seahawks in mock drafts these days. Sometimes it is Forrest Lamp, other times it is Indiana’s Dan Feeney.
Feeney is everything a guard should be: big, strong, wide, and boring. There is nothing flashy whatsoever about Feeney, which is perfect for a guard.
Take a close look at his game tape, and you’ll see why projecting him to Seattle is a common choice. He has good athleticism for a guard, which makes him good at blocking in space. He is able to extend blocks wide on outside zone runs, and he can effectively get to the second level on inside zone runes.
Feeney shows good power as a run blocker. He has a quick first step and a strong punch to jolt defenders and help him win the initial leverage battle.
In the passing game, Feeney is the “anti-James Carpenter.” Feeney is best when dealing with DEs who are stunting inside or speedy linebackers coming on the blitz. His superior agility allows him to get in front of those undersized pass rushers and stop them in their tracks.
Where Feeney struggles is against powerful defensive tackles. Feeney lacks the ideal actor to avoid getting pushed backwards, and his pass blocking technique negates the step/punch advantage he uses to generate push in the running game.
Feeney would make a good addition to the Seahawks, but he wouldn’t provide much improvement over what they already have for the 2017 season. Drafting Feeney would mean pushing Ifedi outside to RT.
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At that point, the Seahawks would have 2 players in their 1st year as a starter at their current position on right side of the line. While that might make the offensive line better in 2018, it is less than an ideal outcome for the 2017 season.