If I ran the Seahawks draft.

By Patton Richard

If I were to run the Seahawks draft, it would look quite a bit different. Only one pick remained the same. Now, I understand the draft would change if I replaced who Seattle picked with someone who was taken later. However, this is just to see what could have happened.

Seattle pick #25: James Carpenter, OT, Alabama
What I Would Have Done: Trade with the Saints for #56 and 2011 first rounder).
New Orleans pulled off this trade with New England later, so I assume a similiar offer was on the table. I like Carpenter more than most but I still think getting a 2012 first is worth trading down 32 spots. When a team like Seattle has needs in many different areas, it'll be more than one year to fix them. If this trade wasn't available, I would have taken Jimmy Smith.

WIWHD: #56: Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
I know this isn't a prototypical Pete Carroll CB (Harris is 5-10) I think he's a 1st round talent. He would help out in nickel situations at the very least, and although you want more than that at this pick, but all the players I would have loved were taken right before us. Ben Ijalana (49), Da'Quan Bowers (51), Marvin Austin (52), Stpehen Paea (53), Jaiquawn Jarrett (54), Rodney Hudson (55)

Seattle pick #57: Trade with Detroit Lions (we received: 75 107 154 205 and we gave up: 57 157 209)
WIWHD: I still would have done this trade. I don't love who's left in this area.

Seattle Pick #75: John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin.
WIWHD: Jurrell Casey, DT, USC.
I believe Jurrell Casey is a starter in this league, and I may have taken him at #56 if Harris wasn't there. Casey is a great fit for this defense and he's undervalued. I believe he's more of a playmaker than an all-around talent. However, this team needs both.

Seattle pick #99: K.J. Wright, OLB, Mississippi ST
WIWHD: Clint Boling, OG, Georgia
Clint Boling I have rated a round below Moffitt (whom I have as 2nd round value), but this is more in the range where I like to take guards.

Seattle Pick #107: Kris Durham, WR, Georgia
WIWHD: Edmond Gates, WR Abilene Christian
Edmond Gates I had rated as a 2nd round pick, and I can't believe he lasted this long. He's a burner who comes from the same school as Jonny Knox. Gates has okay size at 6'0 195lbs. I know Pete Carroll goes for the bigger WR types, but I think Gates is too good to pass up.

Seattle pick #154: Richard Sherman, CB, Stanford
WIWHD: Quan Sturdivant, OLB, North Carolina
I gave Sturdivant a 3rd round grade, which is why I'm confused he dropped to the 6th round. Sturdivant is a sure tackler with good athleticism (he came into college as a QB/S and transitioned into OLB).

Seattle pick #156: Mark Legree, S, Appalachian State
WIWHD: Mark Legree, S, Appalachian State
I would have taken the same guy, weird.

Seattle #173: Byron Maxwell, CB, Clemson
WIWHD: Greg Jones, OLB, Michigan State
Probably the most polarizing pick next to the quarterbacks was Greg Jones. Thought of as a first rounder coming into the year, his production did not meet the years previous.

Seattle #205: Lazarius Levingston, DE, LSU
WIWHD: Korey Lindsey, CB, Southern Illinois
Korey Lindsey is one of my absolute favorite players to watch. He plays mean, and he's aggressive and fast. He was physically imposing to all WR's that went against him (that's a bonus of playing at Southern Illinois). His ball skills are better than his cover skills right now, but he's very agile and quick and was one of my favorite prospects to watch.

Seattle #242: Malcolm Smith, LB, USC
WIWHD: Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn
I think Ziemba is closer to a 5th rounder but I've heard bad things about his medicals. I'm assuming that's why he dropped so far.

Top UDFAs at each position:
QB: Pat Devlin (Delaware), Jerrod Johnson (Texas A&M), Adam Froman (Louisville), Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin), Josh Portis (California PA), Taylor Potts (Texas Tech)
HB: John Clay (Wisconsin), Derrick Locke (Kentucky)
WR: Terrance Tolliver (LSU), Jeff Maehl (Oregon), Darvin Adams (Auburn), Deandre Brown (Southern Mississippi), Tori Gurley (South Carolina)
TE: Weslye Saunders (South Carolina), Schuylar Oordt (Northern Iowa)
OT: David Mims (Virginia Union), Derek Hall (Stanford), Willie Smith (East Carolina)
OG: Zach Hurd (UConn), Justin Boren (Ohio State), Ray Dominguez (Arkansas), Carl Johnson (Florida)
C: Kris O'Dowd (USC), Zane Taylor (Utah), Alex Linnenkohl (Oregon State), Tim Barnes (Missouri)
DT: Martin Parker (Richmond), Ian Williams (Notre Dame), Cedric Thornton (Southern Arkansas)
DE: Ugo Chinasa (Oklahoma State)
OLB: Mark Herzlich (Boston COllege)
ILB: Mario Harvey (Marshall)
CB: Kendric Burney (North Carolina)
S: DeAndre Mcdaniel (Clemson), Jeron Johnson (Boise State), Joseph Lefeged (Rutgers), Nate Williams (Washington)

I would get on the phone and call: Jerrod Johnson, Derrick Locke, Terrance Tolliver, Deandre Brown, David Mims, Kris O'Dowd, Martin Parker, Mark Herzlich, Kendric Burney and any of the safeties. I think they can all play in this league.

Seahawks go offensive line again take Moffitt in third round

By Kshell

The Seattle Seahawks traded their second round pick(57th) to the Detroit Lions for the Lions third round pick(75th) and fourth round pick(107th) plus swapped their fifth and sixth round selections as well which the Seahawks in both rounds will have moved up in. When the dust settled from that trade the Seahawks got the guy Tom Cable wanted which was John Moffitt the 6'5" 323 pound guard from Wisconsin. The days of the Seahawks being the "little Ruskells" are long gone as John Schneider and Pete Carroll believe in getting guys with size. The Seahawks are finally taking care of the offensive line problems. Like I wrote yesterday the Seahawks selected James Carpenter in the first round along with Russell Okung last year. The Seahawks are trying to make sure they never have a season like last year again where there was so many different offensive line changes.

When the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl in 2005 it didn't matter who the running back was. Every team in the league knew on third and short the Seahawks would run the ball behind Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson. The Seahawks were 100% on the year on converting third and shorts that season. Then Ruskell let Hutchinson walk as a free agent to the Minnesota Vikings instead of franchise tagging him. The Seahawks have not produced a one thousand yard rusher since then. The Seahawks didn't have a single 100 yard rusher in a game last year in the regular season. As was proven with Shaun Alexander in 2002-05 and then from 2006-2007 the offensive line means everything. With a good offensive line all of a sudden your quarterback and running back look better. The Seahawks are hoping with these last two years worth of drafting that the offensive line can go from a weakness to a strength.

I like what the Seahawks are doing in the Schneider and Carroll regime. I also think trading down was the smart move there too. By trading down you picked up an extra fourth round pick and you got the guy you wanted anyways. Going into the draft Cable told Schneider Moffitt and Carpenter were the two guys he wanted so that is who the Seahawks drafted. With a good offensive line Marshawn Lynch can finally turn into "beast mode" this year. Hard to judge Lynch last year when he was blown up everytime he touched the ball. The offensive line this upcoming year will get a healthy Okung, Unger back from injur and now with these two draft picks the Seahawks are fixing an area of concern. The Seahawks have plenty of weaknesses but with a good offensive line everyone else on offense looks better.

Overall, the Seahawks are doing what I've wanted them to do which is address the offensive line problem. Had Earl Thomas not fallen in their lap last year I would have liked to seen them go offensive line there too. Schneider is announcing in a very loud way that the "little Ruskell's" era is officially over. Now on those third and one's in the near future as a fan I can feel confident that the Seahawks will get those tough yards. In the NFL the difference between winning and losing is so close that little things like moving the chains is the difference between drafting in the top 10 or winning the super bowl. The Seahawks won't win the Super Bowl based on this draft but so far like last year it appears the Seahawks have a nice philosphy. The Seahawks are wanting to get bigger and it all starts with line play. With good line play the Seahawks are hoping to get back to the forumala that worked so well in 2005. I'm glad to see the Seahawks go with offensive line this year. Finally a general manager in Seattle who finally understands football is a great sigh of relief after the Ruskell years.