Following on from my previous introduction, I will use this post to look at the offensive side of the squad and where there are some gaps to be filled or how high the draft need is. Please note that draft need does not equate to draft round. If you have a high need but can draft a guy in the 6th round you’re winning.

In addition to that you may be missing Lockett from the received group. As explained in my previous post I would trade him before the draft because I believe that the picks would be worth more than the player to us.

Player colour code:

Starter

Backup

Draft colour code:

No draft need

Mid draft need

Top draft need

Offence

QB – no draft need

Wilson, Morris, Davis

There has been a lot of talk of drafting a guy high who can put some pressure on Wilson especially with him going into the second from last year of his contract. I think that’s bullshit. He has carried the team for the last few years, led us to two super bowls and the one win in franchise history. In my opinion he has singlehandedly been one of the Most Valuable Players for any team around the league, because without him we would have been facing a steep cliff. And I say all of this as someone who is not a massive QB fan.

Lets break down some arguments for getting a top QB early:

• drafting a young QB will put pressure on Wilson to sign for less because there is a replacement in place. That’s stupid. If Wilson doesn’t get paid by the Hawks he will get paid somewhere else.
• there are a lot of good QBs so picking someone up in the first round at a bargain will be possible. the hawks have barely any picks this draft, but plenty of holes to fill. Picking up a player at the one position you have covered is not a bargain because you will be losing out across the roster.
• a young QB can learn under Wilson for two years and then replace him if he doesn’t stay. Ok so Wilson was young when he became a starter…he also had the LOB and Beastmode backing him up while he was adjusting to the league. Throwing a young QB into the current squad and hoping it goes well is just asking for things to go wrong. Also, who replaces a Super Bowl winner, who carries your team and is arguably not even in his prime yet, with a rookie?

There is a lot of talk about salary cap, and in the end it depends on what players you want to build your future around. But Wilson will have a bigger impact if he stays than if we hope Kam, Cliff and Earl Thomas all work out and get fit and are happy. I think that we have more pieces in place for the future on the defence and it would do us good to keep the Wilson – Baldwin combo on offence.

The only thing that would make sense to me was if the Seahawks say they want to completely rebuild, they trade Wilson to the Browns for the 1st, 4th and perhaps even more picks then trade down to create an absolute war chest and can completely reshape the whole roster. In that case you pick up a QB in the first round, but I would go for someone like Lemar Jackson in the upper middle of the first round. But let’s be honest, that won’t happen.

Picking up an UDFA QB would be the best idea and the guys have previously shown that they can find good guys there. I have to say that while I think Boykin deserved to be cut for his off the field issues, on the field I loved the way that he could drive the team downfield. Maybe a guy in a similar mold would be nice.

RB – top draft need

Carson, Davis

You might be missing Prosise and McKissic, don’t worry they get their own category because they are not our powerbacks. Carson has the potential to be great, the big question remains if he can get fit again. Davis flashed some brilliance too and is still only 25, the question is whether he can do it consistently for a whole season.

After Carson got injured I was hoping every game that Davis would become the feature back but the Hawks took way too long to get him there in my opinion. Maybe there is a reason for that we don’t know. I have a lot of faith in him, but more as a compliment to a guy like Carson who can take over if needs be.

With questions of consistency and injury floating above these two, RB just has to be considered as one of the most important draft needs, especially for the way the Seahawks like to play. Luckily this is a deep RB class.

3rd down RB – no draft need

McKissic, Prosise

While Prosise remains permanently injured and unable to contribute, McKissic was a revelation. Both used to be WRs but McKissic has proven to be more reliable and a continual playmaker / outlet for Wilson, while Prosise flashed brilliance but cannot shake the injury bug. McKissic should have seen more action last season, because when he was used he made a difference and managed to find space when Wilson needed an option. In addition to this, if the Seahawks trade Lockett – which I hope for – then McKissic is a proven returner.

For the next season the Hawks need to design more plays around McKissic and get him involved. It will pay dividends. For now though, it is fair to say that the Seahawks don’t need another 3rd down back. They can hope that Prosise will get fit again and maybe they will pick someone up as an UDFA but McKissic is a strong no.1 option and many guys have said that he is a great teammate to boot.

FB – no draft need

Madden, Fowler

Well this group has not really got much to say for itself apart from a 66 yd catch and run by Madden last season, where he also showed that he has no breakaway speed. I think the guys are good to have in the extended roster, but thats about it. Especially because the Hawks don’t place a lot of emphasis here.

WR1 – no draft need

Baldwin, McEvoy, Grayson

This little group is my specialist group around Baldwin, the clear cut number 1. Not much has to be said about him apart from the fact that he defines clutch and is one of the most undervalued players in the NFL.

McEvoy is not a typical every down receiver but a big play weapon, who can go deep and over people with his 6’6″, as he has shown multiple times. I think he will be kept as a go to guy for specially designed plays, and could be utilised more in the red zone as a mismatch.

Greyson will probably land on the practice squad again this season, but he is the type of guy who you just hope that it will happen for him. At college he played absolutely no football, instead he became a seven-time All-America and a four-time NCAA champion on the outdoor and indoor 4×400 relay teams. Before College he played receiver, but College scholarships came more in the area of track. Since then he has been pushing to fulfil his actual dream of becoming an NFL WR. Let’s see if the speedster can make it, I hope so.

WR2 – no draft need (but ideal guy available in draft see below)

Brown, Darboh, Johnson, Moore

This second group of receivers are all very similar in size and weight. All four players are between 6’0″ – 6’2″ and weigh between 204 – 219 lbs. This is around average height, but above average weight for an NFL WR. Once again it shows that the Seahawks have a clear view of what measurables they want for a certain position: the slightly bigger outside WR compared to Baldwin, who in turn thrives in the slot.

I have named Brown and Darboh as the frontrunners for this group because Darboh was more in the mix last season for the Hawks than Moore and Brown is the FA with the more experience. This should be an interesting contest in camp for who takes the Richardson spot.

Normally the third WR would be Lockett, but as mentioned before I want to trade him. Besides the draft picks who I think we could get for him, another reason is that I believe there is a player in the draft who could fit into our system perfectly and upgrade our aerial attack. He is similar to Baldwin in many ways, not least of all because he is great in scramble drills and therefore a great match for Wilson. That player is Christian Kirk, but more on draft prospects later.

TE – mid draft need

Vannett, Dickson, Swoops

You would think that Vannett is the natural successor with the two players in front of him on the depth chart last season gone. He is a dual threat who can block and catch. He had around 100 less snaps than Willson (279 to 377), but caught 80% of passes thrown his way (higher than any other TE on the roster last season). Of course it has to be considered that he had less targets, but the overall impression he gives is positive. The only concern is that he has not been a TE1 and only a backup so far.

New addition Dickson is one of the best pass blocking TEs according to Pro Football Focus, but only 56th in run blocking. Perhaps they are thinking of him as a yang to OG Fluker’s ying. Fluker is a run specialist. Dickson has also shown that he can catch the ball with 437 receiving yds last year. If you compare that to Graham, who only had 520 then you’ve not got much of a downgrade. TDs is probably the biggest difference where Graham led all TEs in the league with 10 and Dickson only had one.

Swoops is a rather unwritten page with no games under his belt yet. The converted QB could however be intended as a special play alternative, similar to the other converted QB McEvoy who comes in for big plays in the WR corps.

Looking at the group you are not shocked into awe, but I believe that it is a good unit who might not have the big stars, but great utility. It makes sense to think about drafting a TE, but having looked at the available guys (as well as other draft needs) we could wait to the middle rounds.

LT – no draft need

Brown, Fant, Odhiambo

Brown is the top guy in our OL. When he came in the whole line seemed more secure. I hope that he can remain injury free and become a leader on the line. Fant is a coaches favourite and we will see how he fits in, in terms of rotation and what he can learn from Brown. If he gets good enough and Ifedi doesn’t improve from last season, perhaps Fant will get a shot at RT. Odhiambo provides extra depth here and also at LG.

LG – no draft need

Pocic, Roos

Named in to the All Rookie Team in his first season while at the same time being regarded as someone who will never reach pro-bowl level is quite an odd situation for Pocic. He did a solid job and I look forward to seeing his growth in year two. Roos is a decent backup option.

While I have put this group as no draft need see RG.

C – no draft need

Britt, Hunt

Britt has been a stable for us at a few positions over the years and continues to do well. Hunt is a decent backup. We do not need to draft anyone here but picking up a third center for training camp (UDFA) would be good, to add some competition.

RG – mid draft need

Fluker, Beavers

So Fluker may be a decent addition for the run game, but you can’t ask the opposition to please not exploit his deficiencies in the pass game. Him and Beaver have both not really had any pitch time for the Hawks, so it is hard to say whether or not they will be any good.

As a whole I think we need to draft at least one decent guard, because of the lack of confidence the group instills when looking at either side of the center. Only Pocic is a guy where I would say: definitely start him. 1 in 4 isn’t enough.

RT – mid draft need

Ifedi, Battle

We know a lot more about the play at RT. The best way to describe it would probably be yellow, for all the flags Ifedi got last season. He has to step up next season because he has the potential to be very good, but has not shown it yet. Battle has not had a big chance to show his abilities yet either, so drafting at least one tackle might be smart.

Summary

QB is the only group that seems set, with a young UDFA needed.

LT follows closely behind with Brown as our top OLineman.

3rd Down RB with McKissic and Prosise we have one of the most explosive 3rd Down units out of the backfield in the league, in my opinion. Especially McKissic I really rate highly.

C Britt has been with us for several years and has always done his job wherever we put him on the line. no need to replace him.

WR is also a solid group, even if we trade Lockett (as I hope we will, but don’t actually expect), with one player in the draft that could be an absolutely top fit. But there is no real draft need.

The TE group start our middle needs, because it is actually a solid group, but has a lot of unknowns, making it a wise decision to add depth or if you want to really utilise the position, add a star.

Across both G spots there is one starter and three backups with none of the four really established. I think that if we had to go into the season with these Guards we would be in a better place than last year, but the group can definitely be improved. 

RT is a difficult one. Ifedi has the potential, but last season was ridiculously bad. If he can change that und the new line coach, great, but I don’t like blind faith. That’s why getting a backup with a lot of potential would be the best move here in my opinion. No need to get a starter this year.

The running game is something through which the Seahawks have defined themselves. On top of that I think that a top running game can drive a team forward and is therefore an integral part to winning. The Hawks have been so bad at running the ball the past two years that they can’t just hope for Carson and Davis to be healthy and to solve all problems. I also have to note that the backs are solely to blame with the OL doing little to help. I have great faith in a healthy Carson, but he hasn’t been healthy and we saw what happened to Rawls after his injury. Carson is a completely different guy, but better safe than sorry, especially for such a critical position. This makes RB our top need.

Top need: RB

Mid need: TE, G, RT

Exception: WR Christian Kirk