Ranking the Seattle Seahawks potential choices at pick number 9
By Geoff Shull
Seahawks second tier for the draft: “Boom or Bust”
The Seahawks have removed all key figures from the Super Bowl – Russell Wilson era. They need fresh talent. They need leaders. More than anything, they need a new superstar or two.
Typically players with superstar potential are top 3 picks. However, every year, there are a few players who get flagged. These players have crazy upside but they have off-the-field issues, injuries, or inconsistent play. There are inherited risks.
If the Seahawks want to get top 3 potentials at pick 9, going for a boom or bust is the clearest path to achieving just that.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge
Thibodeaux has been widely expected to be the top or second player selected in this draft. However, this season/offseason has changed his course. He has the Danielle Hunter upside. However, he also has a poor man’s Jadeveon Clowney kind of floor. He has the bend, the twitch, the speed, and the violence to be great.
However, scouts are questioning his drive. Does he love football enough to push himself into greatness? There are also questionable decisions made during the combine/ pro days. Weird excuses for why he won’t do whatever drill. I can’t jump because I need my hamstrings to run. Lastly, there are rumors that he hasn’t particularly interviewed well.
The upside is the best player in this draft. The downside is an average defensive end who will dominate certain games and barely show up in others.
Derek Stingley Jr, CB
Go back two years and look at the expected top of the draft. If Thibodeaux wasn’t number one, it was assumed to be Stingley Jr. He looked like the best cornerback prospect in the last decade.
A player who could stop any receiver who went against him. He had the confidence, the swagger, the ball skills, footwork, speed, and overall athleticism to be great.
However, the last two seasons have been mediocre to good. Injuries have played a factor. As have the LSU team falling apart after Joe Burrow and Co. departed.
He has the chance to be Jalen Ramsey type of shutdown corner in the NFL. However, his floor is a Shaquill Griffin. A very athletic corner who is good, not great. This would be a shot in the dark to see if you can bring a player with All-Pro potential to his former glory.
Kyle Hamilton, DEF
Notice the position I placed Hamilton into is “DEF” for defense. Up until the combine, people had Hamilton mocked into the top three of the draft.
His instincts are off the chart. He is a physical specimen at 6’4″ and 220 pounds and of great length. For the last two years, he has commonly been labeled as “the unicorn.” He is a swiss army knife who does everything for the team with his football IQ and size.
However, then came the Combine. Then came the Pro Day. Both of which revealed something that shocked the football community. He is not a twitchy athlete. No, it’s more than that. He is actually quite slow. His agility and speed tests came back between the 37th-70th percentiles.
On top of the realization that Hamilton may not be the athletic phenom expected, teams are now starting to wonder what his actual position is. Without speed, could he thrive as a safety? Is he actually a linebacker? Where do we line this guy up to be successful?
He may fall and the right team puts him in a position to utilize his greatest strengths, size, and IQ. If they do, he could once again look like the unicorn many expected. However, if they can’t find his niche, it would look like a wasted selection.
The next section contains the players I think are safe to make an immediate impact.