NFL Draft

[HeavyP]

So, I'll be the loser that brings this up. When do we start to think about the upcoming NFL Draft? What positions should we be looking at? Well, I follow college football religiously so I'll write up what I think.

I'm going to HOPE the Seahawks end up with a pick in the late Teens and we slip into the playoffs, however that's looking less and less likely every Sunday.

What I'd LOVE to get is a big DT like a Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis, however in this draft there aren't any studs like that. So lets go position by position:

QB- It's possible but I highly doubt it.
RB - Again, this doesn't seem to be that big of a problem
TE - No chance
WR - Possible.
OL - Possible
DL - Possible
LB - Only if Hill Leaves
CB - Possible although we've taken a lot of these lately
S - PLEASE DO IT GET RID OF BRIAN RUSSELL

So, I'll run down my top players at these positions:

QB - Matthew Stafford out of Georgia, Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma and Josh Freeman out of Kansas State will be the big three names, I prefer Stafford but it's negligible at best

RB - Chris Wells out of Ohio State, he's a worse prospect than Mcfadden or Peterson but that doesn't mean he's not a stud. Knowshon Moreno out of Georgia may be a better rated prospect than Wells but has knee concerns. CJ Spiller and James Davis out of Clemson along with Javon Ringer out of Michigan State.

WR - MICHAEL CRABTREE out of Texas Tech is a FREAK. He reminds me of Calvin Johnson in almost every way. Calvin was regarded as the #1 prospect but he fell, this could happen to Crabtree and I'd take him #1 if I were Seattle. Jeremy Maclin is another bigger fast WR out of Missouri, Percy Harvin is the 3rd guy who's smaller and very shifty.

OL - Michael Oher out of Mississippi is as good as D'Brickashaw Ferguson, I don't think he's the same Caliber as Jake Long or Joe Thomas. Eugene Monroe out of Virginia is the 2nd rated T as he just mauls people. Andre Smith out of Alabama is my 3rd tackle, my guess is all 3 of these guys go top 12. Alex Mack out of Cal is an incredible C, he'll measure out way better than Chris Spencer or Nick Mangold did.

DL - DT SenDerrick Marks out of Auburn I guess. The DT is really weak this year and I don't think we take a DE.

LB - Ray Maualuga then Brian Cushing out of USC. These are my top 2 followed by James Laurinaitis out of USC. These guys will all be studs.

CB - Malcolm Jenkins out of Ohio State is a shutdown corner. I have him just above of Vontae Davis out of Illinois.

S - Taylor Mays out of USC. He's a local kid from O'Dea and he could be the best athlete in the draft. I've read he's a top 5 pick and I've read he's an early 2nd round pick. I think he's closer to the top 5. He has all the intangibles and reminds me of Laron Landry. Will Moore out of Missouri is less of a sure thing but is definitely a first round talent.

What do you guys think? What do we need to address?

[Danny Darko]

Yeah, it's obviously something to consider about now.

I say: WR... hard to pick one early for me... too many busts and quality late rounders. If a freak was available, I guess you have to look. Need-wise... hmmm for all the nonsense we have a bunch of money wrapped up in Broken-Branch and we got Koren, Keary, Kent, and maybe even Bumpus to consider in there.

DL- seems like we have a bunch, but if you draft on talent and it's there...

LB- right don't see that as a position to address.

CB- I would strongly strongly consider a big CB. I'm am so sick of our tiny guys getting out jumped and burnt by 6'5" receivers.

S- Please let this be a match in heaven. Scoring a Lynch or Lott would do this team wonders.

[Billy]

I have been sadly thinking about this recently as well.

I don't know a ton of prospects yet, but a couple positions really stand out for me:

WR - Michael Crabtree seems like the real deal. Seattle really hasn't had that kind of tremendous play maker at that position since maybe Galloway.

OL - I'll preface this with saying that I don't know what offensive linemen are going to be out there yet, but I think Seattle has to start planning life after Jones. Drafting a stud OT now could help ease the transition a bit. Ideally you could put the rookie opposite of Jones and beef up your line for now, while slowly transitioning him over to the left side hopefully giving Walt some more rest and maybe a little more time in the league. Walt's certainly not done, but he's no spring chicken anymore either. Hass isn't going to be around for many more years either, and in the meantime it will probably do his career a lot of good to give him some more protection. On the flip side when Hass is gone Jones is probably close if not already out the door and it will be nice to have someone that could step in and help keep the new QB protected early.

S - I'm with everyone on this. Russell needs to go and he needs to go quick. Someone like Mays would be a dream.

CB - I'd like to address this spot as well. I just am not impressed with Jennings at all, and while Trufant hasn't been much better this year I still think he's a great corner. Getting a shutdown corner opposite of Trufant would be great.

I look at all of the talent for the most part, and it just seems that this team has a lot more in the tank than what we've seen this year. I think if they could pull a solid draft they could be back in the playoff picture next year--of course assuming that drastic changes don't take place between now and then.

[Danny Darko]

Well, let's look at the race for CrabTree:

Browns 3-6
Texans 3-6
Seahawks 2-7
49ers 2-7
Rams 2-7
Raiders 2-7
Chiefs 1-8
Bengals 1-8
lions 0-9


It really looks like we won't get the top pick and the Lions will likely tank to preserve their pick. Guessing the Chiefs do the same.

now with regards to our schedule:

We play Arizona twice, Washington, Dallas, the Jets, and the only stinker: Rams again.
I'm assuming we will want to take it to Arizona and may win one of those two, the Rams I would hope we'd go win regardless of who I want to draft, so I'm going to predict:

Seahawks win a total of 4 games and choose 8th in the draft...

Just my prediction. So here we go with who's top ten.

[HeavyP]

Last year 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-6
in 2007 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-4
in 2006 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-6
in 2005 4 wins was good enough for picks: 2-3
in 2004 4 wins was good enough for picks: 1-4
in 2003 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-4
in 2002 4 wins was good enough for pick: 4

So, I'd say if we finish with 4 wins, we have a chance for Crabtree. The Lions will not take Crabtree after the reputation they gained under Millen (even though he is gone).

The Chiefs could very well take him, however I just have a weird feeling that Detroit and KC will take the OL out of Alabama or a QB.

If the Bengals pick 3rd, they also will not take Crabtree, unless they trade Ocho Cinco, but I don't think they'll get fair value for him. So, I don't think they take him either.

Now, if the Raiders, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, or Texans they might take Crabtree.

However, if we miss out on Crabtree I say we trade down for a Safety. I hate watching Brian Russell play.

[Danny Darko]

Last year 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-6
in 2007 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-4
in 2006 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-6
in 2005 4 wins was good enough for picks: 2-3
in 2004 4 wins was good enough for picks: 1-4
in 2003 4 wins was good enough for picks: 3-4
in 2002 4 wins was good enough for pick: 4

So, I'd say if we finish with 4 wins, we have a chance for Crabtree. The Lions will not take Crabtree after the reputation they gained under Millen (even though he is gone).

The Chiefs could very well take him, however I just have a weird feeling that Detroit and KC will take the OL out of Alabama or a QB.

If the Bengals pick 3rd, they also will not take Crabtree, unless they trade Ocho Cinco, but I don't think they'll get fair value for him. So, I don't think they take him either.

Now, if the Raiders, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, or Texans they might take Crabtree.

However, if we miss out on Crabtree I say we trade down for a Safety. I hate watching Brian Russell play.

Thanks for the info.

Hmmm would be amazing to get crabtree. A major safety with a pick would be great too. Someone like:

Taylor Mays, SS/FS, USC
Height: 6-4. Weight: 225.
Projected 40 Time: 4.45.
Projected Round (2009): Top 15 Pick.
5/19/09: Taylor Mays' size and speed combination is sick, and what could ultimately allow him to be the first safety taken in April 2009.

2007: A 6-4, 225-pound safety who runs a 4.3? Pretty sick. As a freshman, Taylor Mays started 12 games, recorded 62 tackles and picked off three passes.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2009S.php

[HeavyP]

Brian Feldman listed Taylor Mays as his #2 workout wonder.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/s ... id=3420212

2.Taylor Mays, USC, safety: Scary. That is the best way to describe Mays. His combination of size and speed in a safety is freakish. And in the Trojans' spring game, Mays obliterated Patrick Turner, the team's towering 6-foot-5, 230-pound receiver on a play when he came over the middle. I suspect many Pac-10 receivers envision similar scenes before they face the Trojans and their super-fast, super-sized DB.

Mays' workout numbers are ridiculous. He's 6-3, 226 pounds, with 6 percent body fat and ran an electronically timed 40 this spring in 4.32 seconds. He did 26 reps with 225 pounds while also vertical jumping 41 inches and doing a standing broad jump of 11-4. (As evidence in his growth, Mays arrived at USC weighing 215 and posted a vertical jump of 35 inches and a broad jump of 10-0.)

Asked if he's even seen anything that big, move that fast, USC strength coach Chris Carlisle paused for a few moments: "Maybe when I walked by the cheetah cage at the wildlife park." Mays' athleticism actually presents USC with a different kind of issue: a talent with such growth potential that you have to guard against him outgrowing the position. "Our big thing is he could get too big too fast," says Carlisle, who also gushes about the player's work ethic. "He could easily be like his daddy [former NFL defensive lineman Stafford Mays] so we have to make him better without making him bigger because he could be like 260 in a month."

Carlisle predicts Mays could still run a sub-4.4 40 at that size, but says the key is keeping the DB from bulking up too much in his lower body. "We could use him like a science experiment, but that really wouldn't be of value to him or the team."

I know I compared Mays to Laron Landry earlier, but I don't think Landry hits hard enough for that comparison. I guess Mays is more in the mold of a Polamalu, or Bob Sanders. If I had to make one comparison for him it would be Sean Taylor.

I'd LOVE to get Mays, and I think he'll be a top 10 pick like Landry was. If we miss out on Crabtree and can't get Andre Smith, then Mays is my pick.

[Ex-hippie]

USC sure has a heck of a history with safeties... from Ronnie Lott to Troy Polamalu, and guys like Mark Carrier and Tim McDonald in between.

EDIT: a quickie Google search turned up this article, which is a couple of years old. Add Willie Wood, Dennis Smith and Sammy Knight to the list. That's a whole bunch o' Pro Bowls right there.

[london sonic]

I have a feeling with Mora taking over next year and being a ex defensive backs coach I have him leaning towards Mays or Jenkins or both by trading down and adding picks.I also think were finish with at least 5 wins cant see Hasselbeck letting them lose that many unless they rest him.

[Danny Darko]

I have a feeling with Mora taking over next year and being a ex defensive backs coach I have him leaning towards Mays or Jenkins or both by trading down and adding picks.I also think were finish with at least 5 wins cant see Hasselbeck letting them lose that many unless they rest him.

I don't know if we'll get 3 with the tough schedule

I also don't know if I'd rather have Crabtree or Mays

[Sweezo]

This point was raised over at Field Gulls, but it's worth considering...would Ruskell draft Crabtree? Would he spend a high pick on a WR?

Personally, I think if we get a high pick, he does everything he can to trade down and get more picks. Which, given the state of the team and looking at ahead to a time when some older players may have to be replaced in the not so distant future, might not be a bad idea.

[Danny Darko]

This point was raised over at Field Gulls, but it's worth considering...would Ruskell draft Crabtree? Would he spend a high pick on a WR?

Personally, I think if we get a high pick, he does everything he can to trade down and get more picks. Which, given the state of the team and looking at ahead to a time when some older players may have to be replaced in the not so distant future, might not be a bad idea.

Hmmm I guess this is true. To be honest though it's looking like Ruskell has been a mediocre draft guy other than Lofa and Hill. I agree we could use about three studs, but I would be a bit miffed if we passed on those two guys...

And I'm leaning Safety because something tells me he's gonna be a HOF kinda guy, and WR's are known to be not worth early picks.

[Ex-hippie]

How about a left tackle, either Eugene Monroe or Michael Oher? Ideally, we could take a big-upside guy there, let him get his feet wet while learning from one of the best ever, then let him take over the job in a year or two. Then we won't have to think about the position again for another decade.

Or maybe Oher is overhyped -- I mean, it's not often that a high school kid has a book written about him by a best-selling author.

[HeavyP]

Our tackle spots aren't as in desperate need of help, it's our RG and C spots that need help. That being said, our two biggest concerns should be WR and Safety.

I'm a big believer of building a team from the Lines out and I'd say the most important position in football is the LT followed probably by a DT. However, without a no question about it dominant OL or DT available in the top 7 (where I assume we're picking), then you have to look at WR and S.

And by dominant DT OL I'd mean: Jake Long, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Joe Thomas, Glenn Dorsey, Sedrick Ellis, Tommie Harris type of prospect.

You'd be surprised how rarely DT's are taken in the top 10. Last year having two in the top 7 was quite amazing and probably the best DT group in awhile.

[Bulltalk]

How about a left tackle, either Eugene Monroe or Michael Oher? Ideally, we could take a big-upside guy there, let him get his feet wet while learning from one of the best ever, then let him take over the job in a year or two. Then we won't have to think about the position again for another decade.

Or maybe Oher is overhyped -- I mean, it's not often that a high school kid has a book written about him by a best-selling author.

LT makes a lot of sense to me, Ex-hippie. I can't believe, however, that I'm saying this now, but I am seriously flirting with the idea of making a QB our #1 pick. My thinking is that if this year was a bit of an aberration, then we'll at least be playoff competitive for the 5th or 6th seed next year. If this year wasn't an aberration however(leaning in that direction now), then why not make a stab at drafting our next franchise QB now when he won't play much if any at all next year, our record will be poor, and then make drafting the next blue chip OL our top priority in the 2010 draft?

Just a thought.