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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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