What needs can the Seahawks realistically address in the 2017 draft?

So, really, what are we really talking about when we talk about the 2017 NFL Draft?

The picks: 1-26, 2-58, 3-90, 3-102, 3-106, 6-210, 7-226

The first and second rounds are often scrutinized the most, but the Hawks could make a lot of noise in the third round, where they’ve already had success gambling on a young man named Russell Wilson. But it’s going to be a long wait after that—no picks in the fourth or fifth rounds. (Which means the Hawks can sleep in a bit on Saturday and linger a little longer at the breakfast buffet.)

And with five picks in relatively short succession, one has to wonder what that draft board looks like. The team is basically done on Friday evening. What holes will the team try to fill with the 26th and 58th picks, and which issues will they let slip to the third round picks, very likely the last round that could realistically produce a player who could make an impact during the upcoming season? (I am aware that Thomas Rawls was an undrafted free agent, but I don’t know if it’s smart to cross our fingers and hope for another UDFA with Rawls’ talent.)

And—most importantly of all—where on that laundry list of issues do the Seahawks even start?

The Offensive Live

I heard you. Maybe you thought you were muttering it under your breath (accompanied by a varied and colorful entourage of other words) in the privacy of your living room last year, but I heard you. And I agreed then and I agree now—the Seahawks’ offensive line is problematic and embarrassing, especially in a division like the NFC West that has been home to some of the league’s best defenses for quite a while now. Like me, you probably had a number of ways the team could fix the line—trades, free agency, firing Tom Cable, animal sacrifice upon a Black Alter, and, after the team came up short in the playoffs, the draft.

Well, frankly, this is about the worst draft to come along for a team with late early-round picks that desperately needs help protecting the face of the franchise.

12th Man Rising‘s Lee Vowell‘s top pick for a young guard that could be moving to the Emerald City (and making parking even more of an adventure)? Dan Feeney, who may not last until the end of the second round before thanking his family and coaches on Twitter and talking about how excited he is to be joining [insert team name here]. (I scribbled his name in my notes for a previous story, with 1-33 next to it.)

SB Nation isn’t terribly optimistic either, noting in their offensive line rankings that this is a “down year” for blockers: “In most years offensive line rankings would be broken down by position. But with it being a down year for tackles, guards, and centers, we combined them all into one. Suffice to say, it’s not a good year to need an offensive lineman in the NFL draft.”

Fun. That isn’t what a team wants to hear when Fox Sports‘ Dieter Kurtenbach is writing stuff like, “The first, second, third, and fourth concern and primary need is on the offensive line—the Seahawks need a tackle in the worst way…”

And with the (perhaps unwise, too generous) signing of Luke Joeckel and the “loss” of Garry Gilliam to the nearly-unidentifiable San Francisco 49ers, things don’t look fantastic up front. The picks in the second and third round could very well spell the difference between a Super Bowl run and another year of Russell Wilson scrambling to keep himself off the turf and some plays alive. (If anyone out there is into white magic, I know a pair of knees and ankles that could use some positive vibes sent their way.)

Possible scenarios:

• 1-26: It’s not out of the realm of possibility that either Garrett Bolles, Forrest Lamp, Cam Robinson, or Ryan Ramczyk could slip to the bottom of the first round (fellow contributor David Stobbe is definitely in that camp, with Forrest Lamp going to the Hawks at 1-26; USA Today‘s Draftwire has Cam Robinson at the same spot). But… is this what the team really wants to do with the 26th pick in a “down year” for offensive line help? Especially when there is a ton of defensive talent, including a number of hometown heroes? On the other hand, can they afford to not to draft offensive line help?
• 2-58: If the team passes on first round help, we pray that Lee is right and Dan Feeney slips to the bottom of the second round. I mean, right? Because if not, we might as well wait until…
• 3-90/102/106: Honestly, I’m not sure who will be left by this stage, but whoever is there… I hope they like blue and green? Jermaine Eluemunor (OT, Texas A&M) might be someone who hears their named called in the third round, though I’m not sure this team needs too many more “developmental prospects,” but this is how the Seahawks seem to be crafting their line at the moment.

Cornerback

Okay, so things aren’t looking tip top on the offensive line prospects, but glass half full—the Seahawks also need to add a little spark and youth to the secondary, and I think they’ll be able to. Lee sees the Hawks grabbing Huskies CB Sidney Jones with the 26th pick of the first round, which may be the smarter choice, though a longer play (that said, there is talk of Sidney possibly being ready by September).

I’m leaning more towards fellow University of Washington CB Kevin King. But with the chatter about a potential Sherman trade having somewhat fallen off, the need at corner isn’t nearly as desperate for the coming year. (Which makes Lee’s choice seriously worth considering—if the team doesn’t necessarily need Jones early on in the season and can let him heal, that pick may well be worth the investment and the wait. An emergence of the injury bug in the secondary, however… but, let’s try to keep the rose-colored glasses on a little longer.)

Possible Scenarios

• 1-26: I like Lee’s pick of Sidney Jones, and definitely wouldn’t be unhappy to hear Kevin King’s name called (ESPN‘s NFL Nation mock draft leans this way, too). And in a “down year” (yes, I’ll stop saying that… soon, maybe) for guards and tackles, why not get the best bang for the proverbial buck? Shead’s coming off a knee injury, Sherman seriously talked about walking, so… a corner of the future doesn’t sound half bad to me. (And if the team wanted to get really crazy, I previously riffed on Bill Barnwell’s All-Trades Mock Draft—albeit, with some hesitation, as the trades involved Richard Sherman—which involved a trade with the Dolphins that would really shore up the secondary, though Jabrill Peppers might no longer factor into that hypothetical anymore.)
• 2-58: Rasul Douglas (CB, West Virginia) could still be available and Derek Stobbe has the Seahawks picking up Akhello Witherspoon (CB, Colorado), so there are plenty out there who think the Hawks go corner in the second round, which means…
• 1-90/102/106: Again, this draft is a mess—I seem to be in the camp who thinks the Seahawks go corner in the first round, others have the team going after one of the few talented o-line players… and, to be honest, I’m not sure what the team will do with the third round picks, not until I see what happens at 1-26 and 2-58, but I definitely wouldn’t argue against grabbing Jabrill Peppers if he were to slip to the third round.

Defensive Tackle

The team could use some further depth on the defensive line. That said, I see this as the lowest priority in the draft for the Seahawks. While NFL.com had Caleb Brantley (DT, Florida) going to the Seahawks at one point, after the charges that Brantley hit a woman a few days ago… I seriously hope his name isn’t called. Ever.

Other than the NFL.com mock draft pick, which has now become rather moot, I haven’t seen anyone forecasting defensive line help for the Seahawks in the early rounds (despite the fact that Michigan DE Taco Charlton might still be available at 1-26! Someone on the marketing team is pushing for this pick, and I applaud that person, but we are good at DE).

If I had to hazard a guess, if the team grabs a DT this year, it’ll be in the third round at the earliest—and probably one of the two later picks in that round.

What does the team look like after the draft?

Honestly, much the same as last year, I’d imagine—at least at first.

If a CB or two are picked up in the first three rounds, they’ll likely be a ways down the depth chart their rookie year (or in the case of Sidney Jones, recovering, rehabbing, learning the playbook, maybe making some October or November appearances to spell the starters if he impresses in practices), and likely not seriously called upon unless injury demands so. But this is the NFL (and the Seahawks), so depth will be important, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Let’s say the Seahawks hazard some early picks on offensive line, I imagine those players will be plugged right in (especially a first round pick), and beyond the immense pressure to improve a terrible line, they’ll be learning on the job against NFL-level defensive talent, which I don’t envy them. I predict a lot of talk about “building chemistry” from Carroll and Cable. Best case scenario, Joeckel and a first-round tackle take a mediocre line and take it to the middle of the pack in the NFL, and the running game and passing pockets benefit. We went 10-5-1 with a mediocre line, so… but let’s not get carried away. This will still be a ramshackle line, MacGuyvered together with rubber bands and duct tape, and that could go either way, especially in the early games. And that’s to say nothing of injuries, learning curves, or the prospect of Joeckel continuing to underwhelm.

As for depth with defensive tackle—that I’m less clear on. A second- or third-rounder might have a chance to compete for a starting spot, or grow into one as the season progresses, but I am not sure when a DT will have his name called over the next few days. I imagine the team grabs someone they hope can compete to start at DT next year, and trust the guys already on the roster this season.

Overall, this draft is really more about who will be available to suit up in November and December as exhaustion, attrition, and injury start to take their toll—and who will be the future of this team beyond this season—than it is help on day one. The Seahawks are a good team—they could trade away all their draft picks over the next few days and still be a playoff-caliber club. Other than the weight of expectation being dropped on the shoulders of any offensive linemen picked up, the other rookies will get a chance to develop over the next year, and that’s how it is meant to be.

Still… there is a part of me that believes those first five picks may play a pivotal role this season. How and when, I’m not sure. Perhaps a first-round tackle helps Eddie Lacy revive his career, allows Thomas Rawls to return to his dangerous ways, and gives Russ the time to do what we all know he can do—and then people are murmuring about home field advantage later this year. Perhaps a young corner steps up this year the way Richardson and Lockett did on offense last year, keeping Seattle in games later and longer, and allowing that ramshackle o-line to gel under Cable’s tutelage—and the Seahawks start looking destined for another NFC Championship game, and hopefully beyond.

But who knows? The excitement of the draft will have dimmed by the time preseason rolls around, and there are a lot of games between opening weekend and the start of the playoffs. That’s a lot of time for everything to come together or to fall apart. However that plays out, the story begins Thursday night. Let’s hope it ends on Super Bowl Sunday.