You cannot call it a consensus, but there has been some growing support for the Seattle Seahawks to draft the polished, high-floor offensive lineman Grey Zabel with the 18th pick in the first round.
The North Dakota State player can play virtually anywhere on the line. His experience and skill level would make him an immediate asset on a team that desperately needs offensive line help.
That being said, under no circumstances should the Seahawks take Zabel at 18.
There are a lot of recent decisions made by Hawks’ GM John Schneider with which I take issue, but here is one area in which we agree. If you are drafting in the middle of the first round, you need a player with game-changing talent.
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There are precious few interior offensive linemen in NFL history for whom that is an apt description. John Hannah? Larry Allen? Sure. Those guys, in hindsight, would have been well worth it. As solid as he appears, Grey Zabel is a far cry from Hannah or Allen.
If they were to trade back and end up with Zabel, that would make some sense. But even then, I’m not sure I like the move. It all comes down to who is on the board at 18. I strongly suspect there will be an offensive player available who can make an immediate impact. If that is case, do not trade back. Schneider already has plenty of picks. Now, he needs game-changing players.
I have been banging the drum pretty hard for Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with this pick. He will be available and could pair with second-year player A.J. Barner to give Seattle a very productive flex/in-line tandem at tight end. But today I will shift a bit for a player who might fall to the Hawks. If he is on the board at 18, Seattle cannot pass on wide receiver Matthew Golden.
The Texas burner is slightly undersized at 5’11”, 191, but that is the only potential problem I see—and that is a minor issue. It’s not as if he looks scrawny. He has a thicker frame than Xavier Worthy and very nearly matches Worthy’s record-setting speed.
In addition, Golden is a more polished receiver than Worthy was coming out of college. He will not simply be a deep threat, as is likely to be the case with new Seahawks receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Golden can line up at the Z or in the slot. As a bonus, Golden’s combination of speed and elusiveness makes him an extremely dangerous kick returner.
Best of all, Golden prepares the Hawks’ offense for long-term success. MVS and Cooper Kupp are short-term fixes. With Golden, Seattle has the ideal set-up on the outside. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is entering his third season.
At this point, it appears that Seattle will pick up his fifth year, but even so, they should begin negotiating a long-term extension as soon as next year. Once they pay JSN, they will need a second explosive weapon on the outside, playing on his rookie deal. Golden fits like a glove.
If I pass on Zabel in round one, I need to address the offensive line with at least one of the two second-round picks Seattle currently owns. In round two, I want Tyler Booker. If I have any concerns, he will be off the board at 50 (Seattle’s earliest second-round pick). I’m packaging a few picks to move up into the early second round.
Zabel will probably be gone by the end of the first round, but even if he somehow slid into the early second, I would still go for Alabama’s Booker. Zabel may be better suited to start from day one, but I think that over time, Booker will prove to be the better pro.
Booker is a beast. He will fall on draft boards because there is a considerable disconnect between his performance in drills and his play on the field. If you were to only watch him in gym shorts running 3-cones and 40s, you’d think he was just a generic big, slow guy. The 21 bench press reps he performed at the combine are nothing special.
But watch his tape. He played three seasons against elite SEC defenders and was a dominant force. He may not move like Will Campbell, but he sure looked good bowling over linemen and linebackers within a few yards of the line of scrimmage. And he may not be the most nimble prospect out there, but you hardly ever saw a pass rusher come close to getting by him.
Booker is a classic case of the mistakes that can occur when scouts focus on what a player cannot do instead of looking at what he does provide. Tyler Booker gives you a formidable, powerful, aggressive presence in the middle of a line. With some technique work, he could become a dominant force in the pros.
Some team is going to be very happy with Grey Zabel. It just shouldn’t be the Seahawks. Coming out of the draft with Matthew Golden and Tyler Booker immediately takes Seattle’s offense from tepid to sizzling.
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