*************2013 NFL DRAFT GRADES************

2.62 Christine Michael, RB, TAMU

I have started to hate grading the Seahawks because looking at the draft they don't understand value. They don't understand drafting for need, and they pick players to prove that they are 'right.' They are essentially the 2002-2012 Raiders if they got lucky. Sure you can point out Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson, but they didn't see all-pros in them when drafting them.

This pick is just the same. They don't need a running back, and it was a littler early, but I'm sure he will have 10 touchdowns next year.

C+
 
3.87 Jordan Hill, DT, Penn State
 
Hill went about 70 picks too soon with this pick, and he doesn't really fit in perfectly anywhere.

D

4.123 Chris Harper, WR, KSU

5.137 Jesse Williams, NT, Alabama

Despite injuries Williams should have gone much sooner than this.

5.138 Tharold Simon, CB, LSU

5.158 Luke Willson, TE, Rice

6.194 Spencer Ware, RB, LSU

7.220 Ryan Seymour, G, Vandy

7.231 Ty Powell, LB, Harding

7.241 Jared Smith, DT, New Hampshire

7.242 Michael Bowie, OT, Northeastern State

OVERALL GRADE: C-

I mentioned it earlier, but the more I hate the Seahawks drafting the better their drafts luck out. But I hate this draft. The team had 11 picks, and none of them really made a splash. This team needed quality over quantity, and they came nowhere close to delivering.

 
 *************2012 NFL DRAFT GRADES************ 

1:15 Bruce Irvin, DE (LB), West Virginia

First off, I like that the Seahawks were able to trade back and get a 4th and a 6th rounder from the Eagles. With that said the Seahawks are STUPID. The team took a guy that most thought at best might sneak into the first round. He is a troublesome guy off the field, and he is a pure athlete that was maybe the 8th best pass rusher in the draft. The team could have taken anything (maybe a similar trade that the Pats gave) to move back and make this a just ok pick. But taking him as the first pass rusher in the draft was dumb. Even if he comes out and becomes a sack specialist this pick wouldn't be a great one because of the bad value.

D

2:47 Bobby Wagner, MLB, Utah State

The Seahawks got a 5th and a 7th to move back a few spots, so that's awesome. A lot of people hate this pick, and while it is a slight reach, it isn't as bad as the Bruce Irvin pick. I don't love it, but I don't hate it.

B

3.75 Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

As a big fan of Kellen Moore, I absolutely hate this pick. Russell Wilson is a 5'10 athletic quarterback with a lot of potential, but he translates essentially to a prettier Pat White. Could he become a starter down the road? Sure, but I just don't trust him as a long term option. I just don't get what he adds to a team that needs a lot of help when they already have Tavaris Jackson and Matt Flynn. 

D 

4.106 Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State

I like this pick actually. Turbin is a solid rusher that can take some pressure off of captain Skittles and keep him healthy. Turbin doesn't have the upside to do everything, but he is actually a solid 4th round pick.

B+

4.114 Jaye Howard, DT, Florida

I like the Seahawks going after some DL help, but Howard was a reach here. There were better options that they could have gone with, and I'm not sure what Howard did to impress the Seahawks who didn't look at too many SEC type guys.

C

5.154 Korey Toomer, LB, Idaho

Another guy that is a bit early, but adds good depth to the team. 

C

6.172 Jeremy Lane, CB, Northwestern State

6.181 Winston Guy, S, Kentucky

7.225 J.R Sweezy, DT, NC State

7.232 Greg Scruggs, DT, Louisville

OVERALL GRADE: C-

I'm not sure why anyone would like this draft. The team reached on every single pick except one (Turbin), and they mostly got a bunch of situational guys that won't be able to do much next year. 


 
 

*************2011 NFL DRAFT GRADES************ 
Picks

1.25 James Carpenter, OT/G, Alabama

I do understand that the team wanted to fix their OL, but Carpenter was way wrong. Gabe Carimi and Derek Sherrod were much better picks at tackle, and there were two or three guys better at guard if the team wanted to fail that way. I don't want to hear "The Packers wanted Carpenter" because the Packers got the guy that should have gone here. Right idea, but a terrible value

C-

3.75 John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin

I again like the team going after OL here, but this is a classic example of a team fixing a problem the wrong way. More on that in the overall grade.

C+

4.99 K.J Wright, OLB, Mississippi State

The team got an ok value here, but unless the team wanted to play Wright at corner or DE I don't quite get it.

C+

4.107 Kris Durham, WR, Georgia

What? Durham wasn't one of my top-35 receivers, and he wasn't high to many people. He wasn't productive across from AJ Green which questions me, and he doesn't score touchdowns. Just like the Carpenter pick, I don't want hate mail about the Chiefs calling the team about Durham. If it were actually true, the Chiefs would have groomed him as a different player (because he likely would have been the WR4). The Seahawks would have groomed him for the Redzone or as a Mike Williams back up which is still too early for a 4th round pick on a team that has so many other needs.

This sort of "team called team" or "team X also looked at that guy in that round" jabber comes out, and is always over analyzed.

Fail

5.154 Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford

Can't complain here. The team needs DB depth badly and Sherman is a great value.

 A

5.156 Mark LeGree, S, Appalachian State

Another good pick. LeGree's value is fair here (other guys I would have gone with, but not far off).

B+

6.173 Byron Maxwell, CB, Clemson

Another pick not to complain much about. You wish the team had addressed the secondary earlier, but three very good picks in a row.

B

7.205 Pep Livingston, DE, LSU

I have tried to learn more about the Seattle LEO (or Elephant or a number of other names) defense this offseason, and it would make sense that Pep is a guy that fills the role there.

A

7.242 Malcolm Smith, OLB, USC

I'm not in love with the pick, but I try not to ding much on 7th rounders.

C+

Draft Grade: D

Every single year there seems to be a team or two that go out and draft offensive linemen early because the thought is that the crappy quarterback play and crappy run game is the offensive line's fault. This is the plan that I think the Seahawks used this year for the draft. Instead of finding a new QB to replace Hass, they are sticking with their guns on the Whitehurst experiment. That's fine (although I still don't get it or agree), but the team is also sticking with its awful crop of runners (take away one Marshawn play). Outside of that, the team reached on a tackle with their first pick, took luxury picks with their next three picks, and then focussed on needs at the end. It almost feels like the team wanted to draft as if they were an obvious playoff team, and not a team with a ton of needs. 


NEW GRADE: F+

The more that I have sat on the Seahawks draft the more that I dislike it. At best the team found two starters on their OL, but the team still has no quarterback, nobody good at RB (again you have to take the Marshawn playoff play as a glitch more than a rebirth), and a crop of ok receivers. The defense still has a few tools, but this draft did little to help them out.