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2008 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

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2007 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

For not having a first round pick, the Seahawks did an excellent job in the draft.  They got good value throughout the draft.  I particularly liked Taylor in round six and Newton in free agency.

If Wilson was six feet tall he would have been a top 15 pick in  the draft.  Wilson really impressed me during the Senior Bowl, both at practice and during the game.  He is very fast and has good cover skills.  He will help the Seahawks immediately.  The one area where he hasn't excelled to date, however, is in getting picks.  In 27 starts in college he only had 2 interceptions.  Mebane is a run-stuffing defensive tackle who makes plays against the run and occupies blockers to allow linebackers the freedom to flow to the ball.  He is a nice fit for Seattle's defense and should be part of the rotation this year.   Atkins is a bit of an enigma.  He is inconsistent and his inconsistency appears to be effort related, not talent related.  Maybe being around NFL players who have physical skills similar to, and better than him, will result in a more consistent player.  If it does, Atkins will be a steal in round four.  If not, he could be out of the league in a couple of years.  Wrotto plays better than he tests.  He played right tackle in college but will be best served as a guard in the NFL.  He looked good during the one on one blocking drills during Senior Bowl practices.  Worst case he will be a versatile, reliable sub; best case he could push Sims at left guard.  Herring will provide the Seahawks with a top special teams player.  He is fast, very quick, and athletic.  He is also a smart player who reads and reacts well.  In time he could grow into a starter at WILL, but worst case will be a valuable backup linebacker.  Taylor was a great get in the sixth round.  I had a third round grade on him but knew he would fall because of the depth at receiver in the draft and because he lacks top end speed.  However, he has good size, knows how to get open, has good hands, and with 4.5 speed is fast enough.  He could be the surprise of the Seahawks camp.  Kent, on the other hand, is more athlete than receiver and will either be cut or land on the Seahawks practice squad.  I would have jumped at drafting tight end Ben Patrick at this spot in the draft, a player I was very surprised dropped as far as he did.  Vallos is a tough kid who makes few mistakes and is a better athlete than most thought.  He may never be a starter, but is the perfect reserve.

The Seahawks signed some interesting college street free agents.  Fernandez is quick receiver with good moves who lacks long speed and will, most likely, have to make it as return man to stick because his slight build means at best he will grow into a #4 or #5 receiver and is too light for coverage units.  Ghee is a sound tackler with good speed and play recognition.  However, he lacks athleticism.  He could stick as a backup safety and special teams player.  Jensen was always around the ball in college.  It will be interesting to see if his instincts are enough to compensate for his lack of athleticism in the NFL.  Newton was an excellent college free agent signing.  I like him more than most and gave him a fourth round grade.  He has excellent size, good quickness, moves, and hands, and gets open and helps move the chains.  While not a good blocker, he has the size and strength to improve in that area.  Look for Newton to make a major run at a roster spot.  Payne is a tough kid who is the rare wide receiver who is a willing and effective blocker.  He offers an interesting option as a #5 receiver since he will be very good on special teams coverage units if he shows good enough receiving skills to be used if needed.

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PLAYER WHO COULD HAVE A BETTER NFL CAREER THAN PLAYERS SELECTED AHEAD OF HIM in the DRAFT

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2006 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

The Seahawks got good value throughout the draft and signed one of my favorite college street free agents.

Seattle fans be nervous, very nervous.  Analyzing drafts is a hit or miss affair.  I don't go "chalk" on my analyses, and the last few years I've hit much more often than I missed when looking at the NFL as a whole.  However, that has not been the case with Seattle.  This year I loved the Seahawk's draft.  Does that mean the draft class will tank since when I didn't love their draft things turned out okay?  Time will tell.  Kelly Jennings was a great selection in round one.  He was a very underrated prospect.  He is a corner with good size, excellent speed and quickness, and is a superb athlete.  He also has very good man coverage skills that were tested often in college, with him coming through with flying colors.  He has a legitimate chance to start opposite Trufant some time this year.  I also loved the selection of Tapp.  At one point I though Tapp could be a first round pick, but he tested below my expectations.  Still he is, plain and simple, a football player,, who goes all out all the time, can rush the passer, and can hold his own against the run despite being slightly undersized.  Tapp will be a solid rotation player this year and will develop into a reliable starter down the road.  Sims was another good grab in round four.  He was my fifth rated guard and I had a third round grade on him.  He has quick feet and good short are speed which will make him an effective pulling guard.  He also has experience at tackle which will help him in his pass blocking assignments at guard.  Sims is excellent Pork chop insurance and has the look of a player that can be a long term quality NFL starter.  Kirtman was known to be a tough kid and good blocker, then also showed top athleticism, speed, and quickness for a fullback, so he may have utility beyond a blocking fullback.  Oh yeah, he's strong as an ox also.  Kirtman is Mack Strong's eventual replacement.  Plackemeier was my top rated punter in the draft.  He has a big leg but is inconsistent at times.  Obomanu was also good value in round seven.  He is a tough kid who will go over the middle, take a hit, and hold onto the ball.  He also has great leaping ability and can make the spectacular catch.  Obomanu is more fast than quick, and will, most likely, never be a starter.

The Seahawks signed thre college street free agents of note.  The first is quarterback Travis Lulay, who I had a fourth round grade on.  Now, I am also the analyst who loved the Seahawk's pick of David Greene, so temper your enthusiasm.  However, I still like Greene's potential and I also like Lulay.  Lulay was known to have solid intangibles, a live arm, quick feet in the pocket, and nice touch to go along with good production.  Add to that the fact that he proved to be one of the most athletic QBs in the class, and one of the brightest (37 Wonderlic) and you have the makings of an intriguing prospect.  I still think Holmgren has a knack for finding quarterback talent, and I'll bet even though he is no longer in charge of personnel he still has lots of input, especially when it comes to quarterbacks.  Ross is an athletic center with toughness and smarts, but has short arms which could be a liability when playing against the monster athletes of the NFL.  Still he was a good college player and is worth a long look in camp.  Laury had knee issues at South Carolina, but was a productive player when heathly.  He could be stashed a year on injured reserve and be a nice addition if he returns to form the following year.