Seattle’s draft grades are usually low and this one is no exception. But this is an odd year and the results will have to wait until the season starts. The most notable miss is at defensive tackle, though most would have wanted more numbers for the offensive line.

QB-

QB Russell Wilson’s backup will either be QB Geno Smith who was re-signed or UDFA QB Anthony Gordon out of Washington. Smith is just 29 and has been Wilson’s backup before so Gordon is a longshot.

OL-

Seattle only addressed the offensive line once in the draft with 3rd rounder OG Damien Lewis out of LSU. They followed this up by releasing both C Justin Britt and OG DJ Fluker. Lewis is a mauler known mostly for run blocking but could have more pass blocking talent than is generally expected. I do not expect anything more to happen in free agency here and I predict the starting line to be:

LT - Duane Brown

LG - BJ Finney (Mike Iupati, Phil Haynes)

C - Ethan Pocic (BJ Finney, Joey Hunt)

RG - Damien Lewis (Mike Iupati, Phil Haynes)

RT - Jamarco Jones (Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi)

RB-

With a line stacked for the run, who is running the ball? Seattle took RB DeeJay Dallas out of Miami in the 4th round. Dallas looks mostly like a third down back and played behind RB Travis Homer at Miami. Additionally Seattle added RB Carlos Hyde in free agency. Hyde will make it hard for Homer or Dallas to see much of the field. RB Chris Carson is all but certain to be ready for game one. Hyde will back him up until RB Rashaad Penny is back and then will compete with him for touches. Early fantasy drafts should have Carson go pretty early. Penny is a potentially good late round pickup due to his upside. Hyde’s addition also means that RB Marshawn Lynch is probably not returning.

WR-

Seattle essentially stood pat with their receivers (unless you include tight ends!). They did add WR Freddie Swain out of Florida in the 6th round, but he may need to beat out WR John Ursua for a spot. They are both the same kind of receiver. WR Tyler Lockett and WR DK Metcalf should both be available in fantasy drafts later than their talent would imply. Seattle will continue to run first, so these guys get less targets. I would hold out and grab one of the two right after someone grabs the other. And what happens with WR Phillip Dorsett? He should make the roster, but I am not expecting much. Ursua or Swain would likely see more snaps.

TE-

Quoting myself, "There just cannot be a tight end called in this year’s draft for Seattle." Boy was I wrong! Not that I know what it will all mean, but Seattle added two new tight ends. TE Colby Parkinson out of Stanford in the 4th and TE Stephen Sullivan out of LSU in the 7th. Seattle traded back into the draft to get Sullivan otherwise I would suspect he could not make the team with this roster. TE Will Dissly is looking to be ready to go day one and I thought TE Greg Olsen was brought in as protection if Dissly was out too long. TE Luke Willson had been re-signed before the draft and TE Jacob Hollister was re-signed right after. Parkinson has to make the roster as a 4th and he has a massive upside with a large catch radius for Wilson. Do the ‘Hawks carry 6 tight ends? If so, do they carry less receivers?

PK-

I am not too happy with Seattle staying put here with PK Jason Myers. But it is what it is.

D-

Seattle did not address defensive tackle in the draft and then waived DT Nazir Jones right after. DT Jarran Reed will be back to hold down the 3 tech spot. But I am not that thrilled with DT Demarcus Christmas as his backup. I think DT Poona Ford has some upside at nose, but there is not much depth here. It makes a good situation for Undrafted Free Agent rookie DT Josh Avery or DT Cedrick Lattimore to beat out Christmas or last years UDFA DT Bryan Mone.

On the outside, DE Jadeveon Clowney still remains a possibility to re-sign in free agency. But if he does not get his price, will he still play with the heart he did last year? I think so, but it is a question that must be asked. Seattle added 2nd round talent with DE Darrell Taylor out of Tennessee. His skill set screams LEO so he should compete for the starting role with DE Benson Mayowa. Then Seattle nabbed DE Alton Robinson in the 5th. Robinson is a high risk, high reward kind of guy. He has tremendous athletic gifts, but he could be a bust. DE Rasheem Green can play either side and should be a lock as a starter in a world without Clowney. DE LJ Collier (hopefully) and DE Brandon Jackson will compete for 5 technique snaps. DE Pita Taumoepenu, DE Bruce Irvin, DE Shaquem Griffin and Robinson are the standup end rusher types. Irvin is the man here but the others are younger and are burners.

First round pick LB Jordyn Brooks out of Texas Tech was a big surprise to most. I expected Seattle to get him in the second round, but it appears likely that they would have lost him if they had not reached for him here. LB Bobby Wagner or LB KJ Wright are solid, but aging. Brooks has LB Mychal Kendricks level talent and with Kendricks remaining unsigned this move solidifies the linebackers.

Not making a move in the draft was expected at safety. I am still hoping for SS Marquise Blair and FS Quandre Diggs as starting safeties with SS Bradley McDougald and FS Lano Hill backing them up and FS Ugo Amadi on the bubble.

No. Really. For a moment in time the secondary looked set. But CB Quinton Dunbar had to get arrested on 4 counts of armed robbery. There is some question, apparently, as to whether he will be convicted. But the idea was that adding him to CB Shaquill Griffin and CB Tre Flowers made for a solid group other than none of them being a natural nickel.

Go Hawks!

End.