Predicting future success of each Seahawks 2019 draft pick
By Lee Vowell
Rounds one and two
In rounds one and two, Seattle took three players. The Seahawks had to have an edge rusher and they chose one in the first round. Seattle also added a safety and a wide receiver. Almost oddly, the player that was most talked about nationally was Seattle’s third pick.
L.J. Collier, defensive end, first round, 29th pick overall
We gave Collier a draft day grade of B on draft day. I am hoping he grades out a lot higher by the end of his time in Seattle, of course, but my concern is that Seattle drafted him at a slot few other teams would have, if any. Possibly Seattle could have traded down once more and still gotten Collier. Or taken another edge rusher at 29 and then traded back up and grabbed another.
Collier, though, is a strong dude. He isn’t quick but he could overcome that with proper technique and muscle.
Completely unfounded prediction for Collier’s career: Collier will play 8 seasons in the NFL and make one Pro Bowl. He will be a good player but never one of the top sack leaders.
Marquise Blair, safety, second round, 47th pick overall
The more I read about Blair the more I like him. He isn’t Earl Thomas but he might be Kam Chancellor-lite. This decade, Seattle was built on a mentality of imposing their will on other teams through physicality. Chancellor embodied that. Blair might too. On draft day, we gave Blair a B-.
Completely unfounded prediction for Blair’s career: Blair will not have a huge impact his rookie season. He needs to learn to make sharper routes in coverage. But Blair will be a good professional and become a long-term starter in Seattle at Chancellor’s strong safety position. Blair’s success, though, will be based quite a bit on who Seattle finds to pair with him at free safety.
D.K. Metcalf, wide receiver, second round, 64th pick overall
Metcalf is a divisive player not because he is a bad guy but more than he is a physical freak who doesn’t seem to have a lot of the basics down as far as how run correct routes. He’s also had some drops on very catchable passes. Can Metcalf run faster than most humans? Yes. Can he jump higher? Yes. And he is, of course, super strong. But this doesn’t mean he will be a good receiver in the NFL. We gave Metcalf a B on his draft day.
https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1121993744402620416
Completely unfounded prediction for Metcalf’s career: Metcalf will not be overly productive in year one or two. People will begin to doubt that he will ever be a good receiver and will think this pick was a bust. It takes most good receivers a year or so to acclimate to the NFL and Metcalf is a bit more behind than that. By year three, however, he will catch 80 or more passes and go over 1,000 yards. He will be solid but not excellent as a Seahawk.