Seahawks 2008 NFL Draft Review
With the culmination of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Seahawks will welcome 7 eager rookies to Seattle. Rather than babbling about things you wont even read, I’ll get straight to the good stuff. Here are grades for each selection, as well as my thoughts on the Seattle draft as a whole.
Round 1: Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
Before making this pick, the Seahawks traded down 3 spots with the Cowboys, gaining a 5th and 7th round pick in the process. I’ll say that Jackson was a bit of a surprise here. I was not expecting to draft a Defensive End in round one. But in retrospect, the way the draft played out didn’t really allow for many other options. With the 28th pick, LoJack was the best available player on the Seahawks draft board. At 6′4″, 271, Jackson can be a force against both the run and the pass. He is ferocious, intense, and is versatile enough to be used as a 3-technique defensive tackle in pass rushing situations, which he and Ruskell admit is part of his appeal. He is expected to immediately compete for the starting job with Darryl Tapp at LDE. Final grade: B+
Round 2: John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
We got our man. When I found out about Carlson from some very excited posters on Seahawks and NFL forums, I knew immediately that he would be Ruskell’s top choice at the position. The Seahawks gave up their 3rd rounder in order to move up to pick 38 to take him, a la Lofa Tatupu. Carlson is a nice big target at 6′5″, runs solid routes, and has some of the most reliable hands of any receiver in this draft class. He is also incredibly smart (scored a 40 on the Wonderlic), a hard worker, and a leader. I’ll say it now, he is a typical Ruskell player. In fact, that will henceforth be abbreviated as TRP. He struggled statistically his senior year, but most of that can be attributed to the heinousness of the post-Brady Quinn Notre Dame offense. Carlson will almost definitely start as a rook, and should provide a solid, reliable target in the middle of the field for Matt Hasselbeck. Final grade: A+
Round 4: Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
A tremendous value pick in the 4th round. Big Red Bryant is a monster against the run, and projects as a perfect replacement for Marcus Tubbs, in the event that he is unable to make it back. He is 318 pounds of pure manliness. His primary role will be to occupy multiple blockers, allowing Seattle’s already elite linebacking crew to make even more plays. Bryant is a hard worker and a leader, and was elected as team captain by his teammates his junior and senior years. Gems like this don’t normally fall so far. If Red is everything we think he can be, he will have been an absolute steal. Final grade: A
Round 5: Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
I’ll admit, at first I was rather upset about this pick. Why the crap were we taking a fullback when we already had Leonard Weaver and David Kirtman on the roster?! Then I watched his highlights, and heard what some Mountaineer fans had to say about him. I now believe this was an incredible pick. In an age where the true blocking fullback is nearly extinct, Schmitt is a throwback being compared to the likes of Larry Csonka. You want an intense, fiery competitor? Look no further. Schmitt is practically insane, which is sure to make him a fan favorite. Interesting statistics? Schmitt broke 11 opponent facemasks in his college career. If you haven’t seen the video of him bashing his own head with his helmet, look it up right now. Schmitt will bring a nasty, physical element to the running game that we’ve been missing since the departure of Hutch, in addition to being a terrific receiver out of the backfield. I don’t know what will become of Leonard Weaver, but Schmitt could turn out to be the next Mack Strong. Final grade: A
Round 6: Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego State
Apparently the front office still has not recovered from the disaster that was Boone Stutz. While most designated long snappers go undrafted, Ruskell opted to spend a 6th round pick on Schmitt. He served almost solely as a snapper in college, so I figure he must be pretty good at what he does. No, this isn’t the sexiest pick in the world, but if he does what he’s supposed to do, it will have been a solid 6th round venture. Final grade: C
Round 7: Justin Forsett, RB, California
Here’s a pretty interesting pick. Even with 6 backs already on the team (3 RBs and 3 FBs, including Schmitt), Forsett was the choice here in the 7th round. He is sometimes described as a slower version of Brian Westbrook. He is extremely elusive in the open field, and is surprisingly strong for his small stature (5′8″, 197). Still, he lacks Westbrook’s breakaway speed, causing him to fall all the way to the 7th round. Forsett is a hard worker and could catch on as a special teamer, but with Nate Burleson and Josh Wilson manning the return spots, I’m not optimistic about his chances. Final grade: D
Round 7: Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia
Finally, our kicker of the future awaits. Coutu was rated the top kicker in the draft by many experts, despite being selected after Taylor Mehlhaff. He has an extremely strong leg. His career long FG is 58 yards, and he recorded 40 touchbacks on kickoffs as a junior. His biggest problem has been injury, which seems strange to say about a kicker. As a former kicker myself, I can’t even begin to explain just how he managed to get hurt. Perhaps the Seahawks strength and conditioning coach can devise a way to rid him of his recurring hamstring problems. Good value pick here, hopefully snagging the next franchise kicker. Final grade: B
OVERALL GRADE: B+
The Seahawks did everything in their power to address the most glaring needs, a receiving TE and a run-stuffing DT. The lack of any offensive line support precludes me from giving them an A. The Tyler Schmitt and Justin Forsett picks are a bit perplexing to me. Still, even though this was not the flashiest draft, we still might harvest 4 rookie starters from this class, which is exceptional in any year. We now have another crop of high character, hard working rookies to add into the mix. Kudos to the staff for temporarily putting our minds at ease. With that, we now enter the dark period of the offseason. Fret not my friends, this season will be well worth the wait.
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