Seahawks will need draft magic from John Scheinder

The Seahawks are still mostly full of players that were picked in the NFL Draft. But the last few years Seattle hasn’t chosen as well. In 2018, Seattle has a lack of high picks. John Schneider will need to make magic happen in the 2018 draft.

The Seahawks usually gain some compensatory picks in rounds three or four of each draft. In 2018, though, Seattle is not expected to be awarded any. Seattle currently has the number 18 pick in this year’s draft. And none in rounds two and three. The Seahawks then have one in round four, three in round five and two in round seven. That is a total of eight.

But the quality of those picks? Having only one pick in the first 120 or so players is not good. Not that it will stay that way, however. Seattle under Schneider has made a habit of trading down in the first round. Or completely out of it. Most likely, Seattle will trade down and pick up draft choices for the second and third rounds.

But Seattle isn’t getting any extra help since they are getting no compensatory picks. These picks are awarded by the NFL when a team loses free agents before the previous season. For instance, Seattle lost kicker Steven Hauschka before the 2017 season, but he doesn’t hold enough value to get a compensatory. Plus, the way the NFL chooses to award these kinds of selections is a mystery unto itself. In theory, a team gets more picks when it loses higher earning free agents instead of the quantity of free agents.

Assuming Seattle loses Jimmy Graham, Sheldon Richardson and Paul Richardson to free agency this year, to name three, the Seahawks could get several compensatory choices. But not until 2019. Losing them this offseason will not help with the 2018 draft.

So assuming that Seattle does trade its number 18 pick for at least two other draft choices, Schneider has to use them wisely. Seattle can no longer afford to draft someone like Malik McDowell. His second round draft choice in 2017 may cost the Seahawks for years.

Schneider has to hit big on nearly every pick in April. In the past, round five has yielded great players, like Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman. It is just that a franchise cannot rely on that round to consistently produce those quality of players.

In fact, since 2012 only two players taken by Seattle between rounds four through seven could have a significant impact in 2018. Those two are Luke Willson and Chris Carson. Statistically speaking, if Seattle’s draft order stays the way it currently is for 2018, the Seahawks might get one good player from this draft. And this is if they hit on their first round pick.

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2018 will be Schneider’s most important draft in Seattle in at least six years. The future success of the franchise relies on him making it a great one.