2015 NFL Draft grades: Seattle Seahawks

A breakdown and grade of the Seattle Seahawks draft in 2015

The 2015 NFL Draft is in the books and teams are now looking to sign the plethora of undrafted free agents now available. NFL Draft Town is closing down and the wave of NFL fever that has passed over Chicago is now passing for the time being. So how did the Seattle Seahawks do? They entered the draft with more picks than any other team, but they lacked a first round pick, and they were picking in the 31st spot in each round. Let’s look at the team’s needs coming into the draft and break down the picks they made and evaluate their draft overall.

The Seahawks biggest needs entering the offseason were at CB, with the departure of Byron Maxwell, OL, with the departure of G James Carpenter and trade of C Max Unger, DL with a major injury to Brandon Mebane and general lack of depth there, and a significant need at WR with the departure of Golden Tate at the end of 2013 and the colossal failure of Percy Harvin. The Super Bowl showed more than anything that Seattle’s receivers had a lot of trouble getting separation. Quarterback Russell Wilson would keep a play alive with his feet, get open and would have no one to throw it to downfield. How did the Seahawks address these needs?

The Seahawks addressed their need at CB mostly in free agency with the acquisitions of free agent CBs Cary Williams and Will Blackmon. The Seahawks didn’t directly address their need at the WR position, but they did address their need for a receiving threat with the blockbuster trade of their first round pick and C Max Unger for TE Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints fourth rounder. With that the Seahawks have a downfield threat, and how many rookies are going to have a day one impact greater than Jimmy Graham?

So entering the draft the Seahawks needs were much the same as they were entering the offseason, though they had acquired a big body receiving threat and they had less need for a starting CB. The Seahawks made eight picks in the draft.

Round 2 (63rd overall)

Frank Clark – DE from Michigan

Frank Clark was a bit of a head scratcher, to be honest. He has significant upside on the field, perhaps worthy of a first rounder, but he has had major off the field issues. In his senior year he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and assault. He was kicked off the football team the next day. His ability to have an immediate impact on the line is undeniable and if you to believe Pete Carroll and John Schneider when they say that they did extensive research on Frank Clark and his history and determined he would not be a liability then it’s a solid pick. If you don’t believe them then the pick is highly questionable. I tend to believe  Pete and John, but I’m still on the fence about this one.

Round 3 (69th overall)

Tyler Lockett – WR from Kansas St.

This is definitely my favorite Seahawks pick this draft. The Seahawks traded a fourth, fifth, sixth and swapped thirds with the Redskins to move up 26 spots in the 3rd round. When they did this I thought for sure they were going to grab Jaelen Strong. Instead they grabbed Tyler Lockett. Strong went to the Texans on the next pick after they traded up for him. Lockett is a great route runner, has great hands, can juke, and was one of the best return men in college last year. The Seahawks had nearly now return game last year with the departure of Golden Tate and Percy Harvin. Lockett looks to be a receiver that can get separation better than any receiver currently on the team. In fact he looks like something of a younger Golden Tate. Very good pick by the Seahawks.

Round 4 (130th overall)

Terry Poole – OT from San Diego St.

Poole played tackle in college but looks to be moved inside to play guard for the Seahawks. He was projected as a 6th or 7th round pick but evidently the Seahawks saw something in him that they like a lot. I’m not sure about the pick but it addresses a need on the line.

Round 4 (134th overall)

Mark Glowinski – G from West Virginia

I like this pick a lot. Glowinski is a SPARQ monster. It’s no secret that the Seahawks front office loves extremely physically gifted athletes, even if they have demonstrated less on the field. Expect Glowinski to be competing for a starting spot at guard.

Round 5 (170th overall)

Tye Smith – CB from Towson

Tye Smith looks to be a potential slot corner for the Seahawks. At 6’0″ he’s shorter than the Hawks like to run their outside corners. He has great wingspan for his size, with arm length similar to Richard Sherman. Pete Carroll is a DB development guru and Smith looks to be his latest project. Solid developmental pick, but don’t expect him to be starting in week 1.

Round 6 (209th overall)

Obum Gwacham – DE from Oregon St.

Another highly athletic project for the coaching staff. He played WR for most of college and only transitioned into DE in his last year. Might be a potential LEO for the Seahawks as he’s on the lighter side but tall, long-armed, and athletic. There’s also some talk that he could be converted to TE. His role and whether or not he makes the team will shake out in camp.

Round 6 (214th overall)

Kristjan Sokoli – DT from Buffalo

Sokoli is another SPARQ monster. Here are two physical measureables:

6’5″ 290 lbs. 4.86 40 time, 31 reps, 38 vert.

6’5″ 290 lbs. 4.84 40 time, 34 reps, 37 vert.

The first player is Sokoli and the second is J.J. Watt. This guy is in the 99.8th percentile for athleticism at his size. This guy has crazy upside, but he hasn’t proven much yet. The plan appears to be to convert Sokoli into an offensive lineman, probably a guard. If Sokoli’s physical gifts can be properly coached up by Cable then expect great things. As it stands he is definitely a project, but one to keep an eye on.

Round 7 (248th overall)

Ryan Murphy – S from Oregon St.

Another SPARQ monster grading in the 86th percentile in athleticism for his size. He went to the same high school as Marshawn Lynch and is actually his cousin. The Seahawks need some depth at safety with the departure of Jeron Johnson and the playoff injuries to Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. While it wasn’t a position of need, the pick came so late in the draft that the Seahawks likely felt Murphy would be less interested in signing with a team that had such a stacked secondary. Drafting him guarantees that Pete Carroll can have a look and see what this DB has to offer.

With the addition of Jimmy Graham, who was largely purchased with draft capital, I would consider this to be a very successful draft. It’s not a home run by any means. Center remains a question, interior defensive linemen remain a question, and whether or not Russell Okung will be retained and who will/could replace him at LT is still a question. But most of the team’s needs were addressed and they grabbed several high upside project players. Get excited to see Jimmy Graham, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and (when he’s healthy) Paul Richardson lining up in a 3 WR 1 TE or 4 WR set. I can’t wait.

The Seahawks draft gets a solid B+ in 2015.