Next up: the draft

[obiken]

Smith-Njigba it is!

But again but Bob this is great pick as far as talent but its a non need area! Jay Flowers was the best prospect at WR but at 5-9? Sorry, you know I gave up on smurfs years ago. Like taking Richardson when Devante Adams was there!

[c_hawkbob]

But again but Bob this is great pick as far as talent but its a non need area! Jay Flowers was the best prospect at WR but at 5-9? Sorry, you know I gave up on smurfs years ago. Like taking Richardson when Devante Adams was there!

We could still get some quality interior linemen (O and D) tomorrow.

[Stream Hawk]

Shocked that everyone loves the JSN pick so much. Dude had one good year ever at OSU. So much was still available at DLine. This draft starting really bad, concerning at least.

[Aseahawkfan]

Shocked that everyone loves the JSN pick so much. Dude had one good year ever at OSU. So much was still available at DLine. This draft starting really bad, concerning at least.

He's a Seahawk now. I want him to do well.

I would have preferred a D-line guy or linebacker, but apparently John and Pete saw something in this kid that made them want him on our team. So I roll with it.

I do want to see some fat bodies tomorrow and maybe a LB or Guard.

[Aseahawkfan]

There goes Mazi. Damn.

[Stream Hawk]

Everyone that bitched about Creed Humphrey and loves JSN are complete hypocrites. That is all. I think this draft will haunt us and maybe that’s good as a new regime is needed.

[obiken]

Everyone that bitched about Creed Humphrey and loves JSN are complete hypocrites. That is all. I think this draft will haunt us and maybe that’s good as a new regime is needed.

IF we really needed a WR I would get this pick, but I agree, losing Matz off the board and the kid at Clemson, we didnt need another damn WR! The winners today were the Eagles and Texans, IMHO.

[govandals]

Wow, just wow...

I'm trying to like the Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba picks but I can't help feeling Incredibly disappointed right now. The shot of the Seahawk draft room just before the #20 pick says it all. Disappointment all around the room. What a bummer. I'm surprised they passed on Levis at #5, stunned they passed on him at #20. Oh well, what do I know. I thought last year was a bit of a renaissance back to the 2010-12 drafts, but now I feel it was just dumb luck. I hope PCJS prove me wrong and kill it tomorrow and Saturday.
What's the long term plan at QB? Geno isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl. This feels like purgatory for the next several years, 8-9 wins per year, nothing more, nothing less. I really hope I'm wrong...

[obiken]

Wow, just wow...

I'm trying to like the Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba picks but I can't help feeling Incredibly disappointed right now. The shot of the Seahawk draft room just before the #20 pick says it all. Disappointment all around the room. What a bummer. I'm surprised they passed on Levis at #5, stunned they passed on him at #20. Oh well, what do I know. I thought last year was a bit of a renaissance back to the 2010-12 drafts, but now I feel it was just dumb luck. I hope PCJS prove me wrong and kill it tomorrow and Saturday.
What's the long term plan at QB? Geno isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl. This feels like purgatory for the next several years, 8-9 wins per year, nothing more, nothing less. I really hope I'm wrong...

Good points and I agree with you, but we are stuck with Geno, for better or worse. The DW pick I get but the SM pick I do not. My fear with Carter he turns out really good and we are go be looking like idiots, again. We had a Matz in hand and blew it!

[NorthHawk]

This draft is a continuation of last year’s foundation. They are rebuilding the talent base so I can see JSN as the eventual replacement for Lockett as he’s now past 30 (31 in Sept) and should start to slow down. Witherspoon solidifies the Defensive backfield by giving us good talent in Nickel or Dime type packages.
We do need a long term QB, though so maybe tomorrow.

[Oly]

TL;DR: It's hard to complain about drafting the top-graded CB and WR in a passing league.

Love the Witherspoon pick. I didn't think PCJS would do it because of how they've filled CB in later rounds in the past, but if they are looking to fill the locker room with aggressive, hungry beasts, then Witherspoon fits the bill. I think many fans, myself included, often focus so much on traits and what we can see that we lose sight of the importance of culture. The LOB years were successful in large part because of the attitude in the locker room, and once emotions and animosity set in, it crumbled quickly. (Well, that an injuries, but you can see evidence of good players losing to a better team all throughout sports.) It sounds like Witherspoon will be that guy, and with Wagz coming back to lead that group, I'm oddly optimistic as long as they get at least one good fatty along the line, and there are still some good prospects in a deep DL class for that.

JSN...meh. I read somewhere that some NFL insider (grains of salt here) spoke with over half the teams and that JSN was the consensus top WR and the only one with a Round 1 grade. So that's good. I'm sure PCJS know that the trenches need much more help than the edges, but if they are as down on the Round 1 talent level of this draft as I am, then it's very possible JSN was the only player left on their board who had a Round 1 grade. If JSN was the top rated player, then I can get on board with the pick because it was a real need, just not the biggest one, and there are still some good interior DL and all the C prospects out there, so they will find better value there in Round 2 than at WR.

[obiken]

TL;DR: It's hard to complain about drafting the top-graded CB and WR in a passing league.
JSN...meh. I read somewhere that some NFL insider (grains of salt here) spoke with over half the teams and that JSN was the consensus top WR and the only one with a Round 1 grade. So that's good. I'm sure PCJS know that the trenches need much more help than the edges, but if they are as down on the Round 1 talent level of this draft as I am, then it's very possible JSN was the only player left on their board who had a Round 1 grade. If JSN was the top rated player, then I can get on board with the pick because it was a real need, just not the biggest one, and there are still some good interior DL and all the C prospects out there, so they will find better value there in Round 2 than at WR.

Heres my issue Oly: IF we had taken Carter and then Matz, I would be ecstatic. We would be covered on the interior for years.

[RiverDog]

Wow, looks like I missed out on a live draft thread.

Here's my initial impression of the first round. Both of our selections went down to inside a minute before we got our pick in, which leads me to believe that we were trying to work a trade and couldn't get it done, which was a little unusual as there was a lot of wheeling and dealing in the first round.

I was mildly surprised at our #5 overall was Witherspoon, but not displeased (good call by ASF's friend). He was one of if not the best cornerback on the board (the other one being the kid from Oregon) and it fit a need. Cornerbacks are one of those positions where you can't have enough of them, and they frequently make very good special teams players. As a couple others said, I was glad that it wasn't Carter, who ironically went to the team I figured he would go to although I didn't expect the Eagles to trade up for him. They are one of the few teams that can afford the gamble.

I was very disappointed with our 2nd first round pick. It's not that we reached as Smith-Njigba was the best WR on the board, but I don't like spending that high of a pick on a WR, especially when there were still some very good defensive players left on the board. They're a dime a dozen. I was hoping that we'd go with an interior OL or a defensive front 7 player as those are where are biggest needs are. And I have to ask: If Smith-Nigba is projected to replace Goodwin as our #3 receiver, WTF is going on with Dee Eskridge? Have we given up on him? Is he a full-fledged bust?

There's still a lot of good talent left on the board that matches our needs. Will Levis has to be the most disappointed draftee in the 'green room', projected by many to be a top 5 pick and has slid all the way out of the first round. There's only one team picking ahead of us that have a QB needs, the Rams, who are one pick ahead of us. Don't be surprised if we trade up a couple of spots as doing so would fill a need of our own and keeping him away from a division rival. Two very good centers, John Michael Schmitz and Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin, are still there. I gotta feeling that if we don't select Levis, that we'll pick one of those two centers with our #37 overall, the final Russell Wilson selection. There's a couple of tight ends left. Hendon Hooker is still out there.

Anyhow, it was a very entertaining draft but a bit of a downer. We'll see what Round 2 and 3 have to offer tonight.

[Aseahawkfan]

This Jaxon guy looks amazing at receiver. Works the middle well, knows how to get open in coverage, and makes amazing catches while tightly covered. He seems to get a lot of YAC. He really looks like an amazing receiver. He's like the opposite of Jalen Carter. The more I watch his highlights, the more I like him. If he can play like that in the NFL, my goodness our receiving corps will be nearly unstoppable.

[Hawktawk]

Wow, just wow...

I'm trying to like the Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba picks but I can't help feeling Incredibly disappointed right now. The shot of the Seahawk draft room just before the #20 pick says it all. Disappointment all around the room. What a bummer. I'm surprised they passed on Levis at #5, stunned they passed on him at #20. Oh well, what do I know. I thought last year was a bit of a renaissance back to the 2010-12 drafts, but now I feel it was just dumb luck. I hope PCJS prove me wrong and kill it tomorrow and Saturday.
What's the long term plan at QB? Geno isn't good enough to win a Super Bowl. This feels like purgatory for the next several years, 8-9 wins per year, nothing more, nothing less. I really hope I'm wrong...

Geno is certainly “good enough “ to win a super bowl if he’s got a team around him . Rook tackles , terrible interior line , no defense at all many games limiting offensive possessions , running back injuries one after another . 30 TDs, 366 rush yards . Led league in completion %.

He was sacked 46 times , 3rd most in the league too . Any guy with stats like that can win a Super Bowl if he’s got a team . Kinda ticks me off too keep hearing it . Looks like 32 teams don’t see Levis as the way to win a super bowl either . The way the dude is acting under the spotlight looks like he’s pretty wired . Hard to watch .

Love this first pick . Not sure about second . Wait for day 2. Just don’t sleep on Geno Smith . He was signed for 500 k buyout and made 7.5 million, hit every incentive . He’s got a lot more incentives this year .

Maybe we get Levis round 2 anyway .

[RiverDog]

This Jaxon guy looks amazing at receiver. Works the middle well, knows how to get open in coverage, and makes amazing catches while tightly covered. He seems to get a lot of YAC. He really looks like an amazing receiver. He's like the opposite of Jalen Carter. The more I watch his highlights, the more I like him. If he can play like that in the NFL, my goodness our receiving corps will be nearly unstoppable.

He's supposedly an excellent route runner, and he'll have an opportunity to learn from one of the best in Tyler Lockett. I just have this phobic reaction to spending high draft picks on a couple of positions, and wide receiver is one of them.

We still have some good draft capital and there's a couple of players remaining that could be on our board. If we don't make a move for Levis, I hope we take one of the two centers.

[NorthHawk]

Their plan seems to be to continue to build the talent base and this pick plays into it very well. He seems to me to be a combination of Steve Largent and Doug Baldwin with his uncanny ability to get open when he looks to be covered and not a real speed burner. He has great hands, great body control, and runs real good routes. He should be a starter early in his career, maybe from the first day. We do need a QB to get to the Super Bowl in 3 or 4 years. This isn't a win today draft but rather a set up the team for a big push in a few years.

We've really broken trends the last couple of drafts.
Taking a CB early. Taking a CB that is shorter than in the past.
taking a WR who isn't a real burner. We've selected one or two before, but the vast majority were faster than 4.4.

A fear is that Levis goes to the Rams and he sets them up for the next decade with superior QB play. He's played in their system and played well in it with their OC and QB coach Liam Coen in 2021. It's basically the same system we use.
If we want to move ahead of the Rams for Levis, it might take a 6th round pick. But I wonder if they have another QB in mind? Do they really like Hooker?

Glad we didn't select Jaelen Carter. There was just too much bad football things in his character profile.
Here's a quote from PFT:

When it comes to defensive tackle Jalen Carter, the word making the rounds before the draft was that the Georgia coaches did not have nice things to say. (We specifically decided not to mention any of that until after he was picked, so as not to participate in the pre-draft effort to get guys to fall.)

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media hinted at that last night after Carter became the ninth overall pick in the draft. We’ve heard it more bluntly and strongly. Members of the Georgia coaching staff are not Jalen Carter fans, and they weren’t bashful about saying so.

I also heard that the coaches and a lot of the players were really happy he was going to the NFL. He was a huge distraction.

[tarlhawk]

Possible Offensive and Defensive ROY candidates got drafted. Jalen Carter must not have impressed at his Top 30 interview and Witherspoon must have killed his interview for such an uncharacteristic early selection...although last year some draftnics speculated that either "Sauce" Gardner or Stingley were possible targets who got taken off our Board too early...perhaps we were sincere about Anthony Richardson who might have been available if the Colts hadn't been "scared off" on rumored reports that Will Levis is dealing with a lingering toe injury that should have healed by now...


Losing/allowing Ryan Neal to leave left a void of losing his emotional injection in our "nickel" and "dime" packages (where he first flashed his impact). While "learning the ropes" might relegate Witherspoon to Nickel/Dime rotations he should still be able to inject that "juice" that fires up a defense (similar to Ryan Neal). Witherspoon's final season at Illinois looks spooky compared to Sauce in his final year as both of them gave the opponents QB ratings near 30. Sauce has better measurables but production in their "craft" is very similar. We already had very good if not great Corners but Witherspoon's presence ensures a competition level which will allow our team to field its best secondary whether he rises to the top or fires up the competitive fires of M-Jack/Tre Brown/Coby Bryant to where they hold him back for a year. He is physically similar in aggressive "hits" to Kam and has the "trash talk" akin to Sherm who liked to get into a WR's head.


Adding another "iron sharpening" weapon for our improved secondary...Jaxon Smith-Njigba provides another matchup nightmare to DK and Lockett which should keep Woolen and Co "wide awake" in on field practices. This addition doesn't spell doom for Eskridge since one of these two will eventually replace Lockett while the other locks down the WR3 role going forward.


The other thing worth mentioning is that two of our best assistant coaches Karl Scott (Defensive Passing Game Coordinator / Defensive Backs) and Sanjay Lal (Offensive Passing Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers) have already demonstrated strong coaching influences on last years Secondary/WR groupings...these two coaches "get the best" out of high skilled players! Go Hawks

[NorthHawk]

After we took Witherspoon, I started to read some scouting reports and a couple mentioned he could be used as a Safety or slot CB.
The Safety aspect is interesting because the last couple of years we've used 3 Safeties in a 3-3-5 defensive scheme. He could have that versatility.
But the most common comment from the reports was he hits far harder than his size and he's a real good tackler.
It was clearly Pete Carroll pick as he said he's been looking for a CB with his characteristics for a long time and hasn't seen the field awareness and understanding since he had Palomalu as USC.

[obiken]

Thats fine NH, but then why take a WR when we need a DT really bad?

[Hawktawk]

This Jaxon guy looks amazing at receiver. Works the middle well, knows how to get open in coverage, and makes amazing catches while tightly covered. He seems to get a lot of YAC. He really looks like an amazing receiver. He's like the opposite of Jalen Carter. The more I watch his highlights, the more I like him. If he can play like that in the NFL, my goodness our receiving corps will be nearly unstoppable.

Rd”He's supposedly an excellent route runner, and he'll have an opportunity to learn from one of the best in Tyler Lockett. I just have this phobic reaction to spending high draft picks on a couple of positions, and wide receiver is one of them.

We still have some good draft capital and there's a couple of players remaining that could be on our board. If we don't make a move for Levis, I hope we take one of the two centers.[/quote]

I think we are in a situation where Lockett is aging and getting beat up . He dropped a couple balls including a TD . He’s started to slide rather than face any contact including sliding a yard short on third down . Love Lockett but I think his days are numbered . This pick makes more sense the more I think about it . Recievers may be a dime a dozen . Elite ones aren’t .

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Thats fine NH, but then why take a WR when we need a DT really bad?

We can still get what we need. Carter isn't the answer as a 3-4/3-3-5 NT anchor. I do think he landed in a good spot. He gets to play beside his 2021 teammate Jordan Davis as well as veteran DT Fletcher Cox. He won't have to be the guy right away and will have two guys to keep him on track.

I don't know if they'll target NT or IOL in the 2nd and 3rd, but it would be a good time to do it.

[RiverDog]

I think we are in a situation where Lockett is aging and getting beat up . He dropped a couple balls including a TD . He’s started to slide rather than face any contact including sliding a yard short on third down . Love Lockett but I think his days are numbered . This pick makes more sense the more I think about it . Recievers may be a dime a dozen . Elite ones aren’t .

How many 'elite' wide receivers did we have during our LOB years?

I would have rather seen us go after one of the top defensive players on the board at the time, like Mazi Smith of Michigan or Nolan Smith of Georgia. But it is what it is. At least they took one of the best, so I'm not totally bummed, just disappointed.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Will Levis. Of the teams picking ahead of us, the Steelers, Cards, and Colts are almost certainly not going to take him. The Lions might, but the team that has the greatest need are our division rival Rams. Mathew Stafford's days are numbered, they don't have another QB on their roster, and it will be their first pick of the draft. I'd love to see us swing a deal to move up a slot and snatch him from under their noses.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

No Nose Tackles or Interior OLine yet. I wonder if JS is trying to trade back into the first round? And, still have good edge out there, too. Nolan Smith and Miles Murphy and both high rated.

Avila, Wypler, Tippman, Torrence still available at IOL

Siaka Ika is still there for NT as a 2nd-3rd round guy. Coburn and Clark for rounds 5-6.

Avila or Torrence as the first second and Ika as the second would be really nice.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

How many 'elite' wide receivers did we have during our LOB years?

I would have rather seen us go after one of the top defensive players on the board at the time, like Mazi Smith of Michigan or Nolan Smith of Georgia. But it is what it is. At least they took one of the best, so I'm not totally bummed, just disappointed.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Will Levis. Of the teams picking ahead of us, the Steelers, Cards, and Colts are almost certainly not going to take him. The Lions might, but the team that has the greatest need are our division rival Rams. Mathew Stafford's days are numbered, they don't have another QB on their roster, and it will be their first pick of the draft. I'd love to see us swing a deal to move up a slot and snatch him from under their noses.

They hit on Lockett in later rounds. Doug Baldwin was obviously a huge jackpot to get undrafted. They haven't otherwise done well getting impact WR in later rounds and have got more play out of journeymen WR at the No. 3 spot. I'm with you on being a bit wary too, but I understand the reasoning.

Levis falling completely out of the first was a surprise to me; I thought for sure they'd take him at 20.

[RiverDog]

No Nose Tackles or Interior OLine yet. I wonder if JS is trying to trade back into the first round? And, still have good edge out there, too. Nolan Smith and Miles Murphy and both high rated.

Avila, Wypler, Tippman, Torrence still available at IOL

Siaka Ika is still there for NT as a 2nd-3rd round guy. Coburn and Clark for rounds 5-6.

Avila or Torrence as the first second and Ika as the second would be really nice.

Don't forget John Michael Schmitz, center out of Minnesota.

[RiverDog]

They hit on Lockett in later rounds. Doug Baldwin was obviously a huge jackpot to get undrafted. They haven't otherwise done well getting impact WR in later rounds and have got more play out of journeymen WR at the No. 3 spot. I'm with you on being a bit wary too, but I understand the reasoning.

Levis falling completely out of the first was a surprise to me; I thought for sure they'd take him at 20.

The good thing is that we have more higher picks in this draft, so we can afford to burn one on a non-essential position like WR.

I thought that we'd take Levis at 20, too, and it makes me wonder that if we didn't take him at #20, are we dead set against him, period, and won't take him even if he were to fall to us at #37?

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Don't forget John Michael Schmitz, center out of Minnesota.

Good call; had it in my head he already went.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

FieldGulls listed some potential day 2 targets. Besides IOL and DL, they mentioned TE Mayer out of Noter Dame.

Would be a luxury pick, but his comp is Jason Witten, and his profile says he's built to be a in-line tight end. That what he did at Notre Dame where he was considered and extension of the oline. I'm harkening back to the Zach Miller days. I don't think we should but I wouldn't be terribly upset if they grabbed him.

[NorthHawk]

Thats fine NH, but then why take a WR when we need a DT really bad?

Apparently their plan is to increase the talent level as much as possible wherever it is. It also sets us up for when Lockett retires.
It's pretty much BPA at positions of need and I would guess that the WR was at the top of their board.

[NorthHawk]

Levis falling completely out of the first was a surprise to me; I thought for sure they'd take him at 20.

There are now stories out there that his toe is still an issue and some teams think it could be chronic and others think it may require surgery.
He'd still be a good pick for us because he doesn't have to play this year, but if that is a concern league wide it's understandable for teams to pass in the 1st round.

[RiverDog]

FieldGulls listed some potential day 2 targets. Besides IOL and DL, they mentioned TE Mayer out of Noter Dame.

Would be a luxury pick, but his comp is Jason Witten, and his profile says he's built to be a in-line tight end. That what he did at Notre Dame where he was considered and extension of the oline. I'm harkening back to the Zach Miller days. I don't think we should but I wouldn't be terribly upset if they grabbed him.

We didn't bring Mayer or any other tight end in for a visit this spring, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's not on our board. There are 3 tight ends in Mel Kiper's top 10 of those available. No one's taken a tight end yet.

[RiverDog]

There are now stories out there that his toe is still an issue and some teams think it could be chronic and others think it may require surgery.

He'd still be a good pick for us because he doesn't have to play this year, but if that is a concern league wide it's understandable for teams to pass in the 1st round.

Toes sound like a wimpy injury, but they can be career threatening. I remember thinking what a wimpy way for such a tough guy linebacker in Jack Lambert to end his career with a turf toe injury.

The pundits got one right after missing the mark on Stroud and Carter.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

We didn't bring Mayer or any other tight end in for a visit this spring, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's not on our board. There are 3 tight ends in Mel Kiper's top 10 of those available. No one's taken a tight end yet.

The cat from Utah went to the Bills.

[RiverDog]

We didn't bring Mayer or any other tight end in for a visit this spring, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's not on our board. There are 3 tight ends in Mel Kiper's top 10 of those available. No one's taken a tight end yet.

The cat from Utah went to the Bills.

Ahh, my bad, thanks for the correction. I guess we're even!

[NorthHawk]

Toes sound like a wimpy injury, but they can be career threatening. I remember thinking what a wimpy way for such a tough guy linebacker in Jack Lambert to end his career with a turf toe injury.

Toes are really important for QBs, too because it affects their accuracy. Not being able to plant or push off (depending upon which foot the toe is on) seriously affects all aspects of throwing.

[c_hawkbob]

Yeah, Dalton Kincaid was the only 1st round talent among the TE's, even though I had him on my mock in the 2nd.

[Hawktawk]

After we took Witherspoon, I started to read some scouting reports and a couple mentioned he could be used as a Safety or slot CB.
The Safety aspect is interesting because the last couple of years we've used 3 Safeties in a 3-3-5 defensive scheme. He could have that versatility.
But the most common comment from the reports was he hits far harder than his size and he's a real good tackler.
It was clearly Pete Carroll pick as he said he's been looking for a CB with his characteristics for a long time and hasn't seen the field awareness and understanding since he had Palomalu as USC.

I was just watching a bit of his game tape . Dude hits like a truck , incredible defender including vs the run and he’s so quick twitch explosive it’s kind of like Adams with ball skills and hopefully better health . This kid is a swinging ding dong . Very happy .

[govandals]

I went to bed last night very irritated, woke up feeling the same, like PCJS completely botched the 1st round. Now that I've had some time to process the first 2 picks, I'm feeling better about it. Witherspoon seems like the real deal, he and Woolen will be lots of fun for years to come.
Still not crazy about the Njigba pick, but he may grow into Lockett's replacement. I get an Amari Cooper vibe from him. not physically though, just the smoothness in his game.
Kinda feel like they've backed themselves into a corner with the Dline, even though there are lots of 2nd/3rd guys that make sense. Just as long as they don't reach for one.
I'd still like Levis at 37, maybe that's where value meets need, but if they already passed on him twice, I doubt they'll take him now. I bet the Rams will love him at the pick before us although Joey Porter makes sense for them too.
I would even be ok with Hendon Hooker at 37 right now.
Very excited to tonight!

[RiverDog]

I was just watching a bit of his game tape . Dude hits like a truck , incredible defender including vs the run and he’s so quick twitch explosive it’s kind of like Adams with ball skills and hopefully better health . This kid is a swinging ding dong . Very happy .

I'm not trying to argue with you as I don't doubt that Witherspoon is a great, hard hitting CB and I'm satisfied with our selection. But let's not get too enamored over ANY draft pick's game tape as they all have a half dozen or so highlight reel moments that make them look like HOF quality.