How Did the Seattle Seahawks do in the 2014 NFL Draft?
The Seattle Seahawks had two glaring needs. They needed a wide receiver to replace Golden Tate and a defensive tackle to replace Red Bryant. They are fully stocked in the secondary and have plenty of depth of pass rushers. The World Champions redefined what an elite secondary looks like and they have reminded us of the old adage, “Defense wins Championships,” is still the case. After destroying the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, they will have their work cut out making it back to the Show and will need a strong draft to offset the moves John Elway made in the off-season. The Seahawks made three trade downs increasing their amount of picks from six to nine, which is exactly what they needed to do since they seem very adept at coaching their draft picks into solid players.
2014 NFL DRAFT PICK RECAP AND ANALYSIS
Paul Richardson WR Colorado Round 2 Pick#13
The Seattle Seahawks trade out of the first round with Minnesota so the Vikings can grab their next franchise QB. The Seahawks weren't desperate for any individual player especially when Kelvin Benjamin was drafted by the Carolina Panthers three picks ahead at #28, so it was a good tactical move. With the 13th pick of round 2, they chose Paul Richardson, a speedy wide receiver. This was a confusing big for me cause I thought with Percy Harvin, they would lean towards a bigger, stronger receiver that could cross the middle and move the chains. Seattle could have chosen Donte Moncrief or Cody Lattimer who I thought fit them better. Richardson has awesome vertical speed and jumping ability and will be a constant deep threat. Needs to add some size to his 6'1” frame and learn how to gain separation by running crisper routes.
Justin Britt OT Missouri Round 2 Pick #32
High School state wrestler who understands grappling and leverage. Very strong as evidenced by his 400 lb clean and press. Can play both sides of the line and has quick feet and knows how to get his weight over his body quickly to cut off pass rushers on the edge. Average speed so getting to the second level on screens and pitches could be an issue. At 6'6” and 325 lbs he has the building blocks to be a journeyman offensive tackle.
Cassius Marsh DE UCLA Round 4 Pick #8
Loves this guy but can Pete Carroll tone down his temper. That's his problem, he is immature and overreacts easily to taunts and isn't disciplined and can be a penalty magnet. Comes from a football family, father and brother both played in the NFL. Listed as a Defensive End but doesn’t fit the size requirement in today's NFL so I see him being switched to Outside Linebacker. Seattle has enough pass rushers and doesn't need another. Seattle would benefit from a guy that could defend against the inside run and the slot receiver crossing the middle.
Kevin Norwood WR Alabama Round 4 Pick #23
Seattle addresses the need for a big body receiver here getting hard working Kevin Norwood. Excellent hands with that motor that won't quit. Always looking for ways to get open. Deceptively elusive moves give him the ability to separate. Has the ability to reach for the ball making almost any ball in his range a catch-able ball. Makes a QB look good on the field. I'm really excited to see him on the field and I think Russell Wilson will make Kevin Norwood his go-to-guy when he finds himself scrambling for his life. Huge upside for this fine player from Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll Tide!
Kevin Pierre-Louis OLB Boston College Round 4 Pick #32
Plays OLB but I think will be transitioned to free safety or used as a linebacker in the nickel by Pete Carroll. Has the size and the speed to be a great asset in the over/under coverages Pete likes. Great lateral field speed and the ability to make the tackle. Problem getting off blocks and seeing the field. Not great football knowledge and will definitely improve as he understands offensive looks. Too easy to be sucked in on fakes. A definite project player who is position versatile because of his work ethic, I see a success story here and a great draft pick. Low risk and high reward good bet to make it on the roster considering his amazing NFL combine performance.
Jimmy Staten DT Middle Tennessee State Round 5 Pick #32
Exceptional strength benching 30 times at the NFL Combine. Has great body length to be a force on the inside and an asset against the run. Can stand to add 30 pounds to his 6'4” frame and has excellent tackling technique. His hard work ethic will only make this player a future anchor the Seattle defense.
Garrett Scott OT Marshall Round 6 Pick #23
Typical underachieving college player that relied on his natural ability and God given talents to play. We haven't even seen the real Garrett Scott play yet. The NFL will fix his laziness and he will be the gem of the draft for Seattle quickly establishing himself as a 5 tool technique Offensive tackle. A steal in the 6th round with tons of potential with a coaching staff as talented as the Seahawks.
Eric Pinkins FS San Diego State Round 6 Pick #32
Free Safety Eric Pinkins was told on the phone draft day that he was being drafted to play Cornerback. A surprise to him but what 6th rounder doesn't dream of playing for an odds on favorite to revisit the Super Bowl. Plays like Brandon Browner and his skill set is a perfect match for what Seattle looks for in their cornerbacks. Speed, size and physical play is the trademark of the Seattle secondary Eric Pinkins was born for this type of secondary. Like a chance to learn from Richard Sherman, this is a low risk, almost guarantee that Seattle used their 6th round pick wisely. V Won't start first year but will gain a depth of knowledge to one day make a huge impact in the league. Love this pick.
Kiero Small FB Arkansas Round 7 Pick #12
Cool name, but he is anything but small. 5'8” 250 pound bowling ball. The perfect guy to use as a blocking ram for Marshawn Lynch and a good option for goal-line power runs up the middle. Kiero Small defines the term, Mack Truck. He will knock over anyone in his way and create space for a back like Marshawn Lynch. A great 7th round pick for the Seahawks and he will be a great tool to have on the bench for situational football.
Overall Team Draft Day Analysis
The Seattle Seahawks had a monster day at the 2014 NFL draft. They did exactly what they should have. Concentrated on filing key positional needs, turned 6 draft picks into 9 and in my opinion had the best later round draft picks of any team. Amazing job by the Seattle scouting staff and great execution by Pete Carroll and General manager John Schneider. Only issue I had with the day was the original trade down. I thought Seattle made a mistake in not taking Xavier Su'a-Filo in the first round. I think they misread the fact that they could draft him later with their second round pick, but the mistake was easily seen when the very next pick, the Houston Texans jumped all over Xavier Su'a-Filo with the first pick of the 2nd round. Seattle switched gears and stocked a wide receiver but Xavier Su'a-Filo would have been that anchor guard that Seattle has been missing for years.
Draft Grade: A minus
Whenever you can turn 6 into 9 picks. It is a special day. When those trade downs don't cost you the player you need, then it was a good day. Because of the mistake in round 1, I had to penalize Seattle and not give them the A+.
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