POTD: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

By Kip Earlywine

How about a 2-fer today?

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 270
Unofficial 40: 4.74



Positives:

-Good size
-Great athleticism, acceleration, foot-speed and agility
-Explosive... very explosive by LDE standards
-High Motor, relentless
-Good leverage
-Powerful, can sometimes dominate blockers
-Full pass rush repertoire: edge rush, spin move, slips by with quickness
-Handles double teams well
-Can play both DE spots in a 4-3
-Terrific 2009 stats (18.5 TFL, 12 sacks)
-Edge rush for a LDE is downright scary, which forces a lot of holding penalties from RTs
-Very good awareness, great vs. run
-Good tackler
-No Character concerns, plays hard and seems to be a leader
-No notable injuries
-Well rounded; very few weaknesses

Negatives:

-Mediocre hand use, sometimes can get locked up or struggle to disengage
-Streaky. Gets sacks in bunches
-Not as dominant at RDE
-Pretty much a pure 4-3 player
-Might have issues in coverage
-At his best with a hand on the ground


Sound Bites:

"[Morgan] represents great value because he can rush the passer, is productive against the run and can even drop back -- a versatile talent.

-Mel Kiper jr.

"I bring this up because after one game of the tape review of Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan [against Clemson]... I had thoughts of grading him above the phenom Ndamukong Suh."

-KC Joyner, ESPN Insider

"Morgan can anchor at the point of attack, make plays in pursuit, get to the quarterback coming off the edge and drop into coverage on zone blitzes. In other words, he can do it all as far as defensive end prospects are concerned. He is a BIG TIME pass rusher."

-Todd McShay

My Thoughts:

I came into this POTD a little biased in Morgan's favor. Despite that, my expectations were exceeded. He's built like a prototypical LDE, but his quickness and moves are like that of a lightweight RDE. Morgan is big, strong AND explosive, which you just don't see everyday. Morgan's quickness is his biggest asset. This probably explains why he's more successful on the left side since RTs are often less equipped to handle a potent edge rush.

Morgan did look pretty ordinary at RDE though. His hand use is just ok and good left tackles can sometimes lock him up. There seems to be some controversy about Morgan's coverage ability. Some like it (Kiper, McShay), some don't (Walterfootball). Morgan is also pretty streaky and likes to pad his stats with big games, but so did Kerney and Tapp in '07.

Morgan played both RDE and LDE in 2009, and has the talent to play both positions in the NFL. However, I think it would be wisest to use him mostly at LDE. Finding very good edge rushers with the size and strength to stop the run is not easy to do. Morgan will make for a special LDE, whereas I think he'd just be ordinary at RDE. Watching those highlights, Morgan reminded me a LOT of a taller, bigger Robert Mathis. That works out well, because I'd rather upgrade over Jackson than Tapp.

Darryl Tapp is an under-appreciated player who impressed Carroll, so I think he'll be back. Tapp is kind of like a poor man's Dwight Freeney. If the Seahawks add a potent DT to pair with Mebane, QB's won't be able to avoid Tapp so much. For as few sacks as Tapp had last year (2.5), he nearly led the league in QB hits (16?). I wouldn't mind at all if the Seahawks complimented a poor man's Freeney with a rich man's Mathis. That duo has been one of the most dominant in the league now for many years in the same style of defense Seattle currently runs.

I think Morgan makes a lot of sense for the Seahawks, and I now feel comfortable taking him at #6. Interestingly enough, when I googled Derrick Morgan Mel Kiper looking for an opinion, the Seahawks were mentioned 5 times on the first page (including this blog). Even if you take out the entries that were due to Kiper giving Seattle Morgan in his 1st mock, there were still about 3 Seahawks sites left. No other NFL team made the 1st page. Morgan is already strongly linked to Seattle and I don't expect that to change any time soon.

I don't know if I'd call Morgan "likely" to be a Seahawk, but I do think he makes a lot of sense. If neither McCoy or Suh falls to #6, and the Seahawks opt to pass on a QB with the first pick, Morgan would probably be my first preference of the remaining options. Matt McGuire compared Morgan to a young Patrick Kerney, and we saw what Kerney did in '07 when he moved to LDE. If the Seahawks draft Morgan and use him correctly, he could become a cornerstone player for Seattle's next playoff bound team.
Read more!

POTD: Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern

By Kip Earlywine

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 280
Unofficial 40: 4.83






Positives:

-Big, tall, and strong
-Sometimes decent bull rush, edge rush
-Good tackler
-Hard to move
-Good stats in 2008 (16 TFL, 10 sacks)
-Can play 3-4 end or 4-3 end
-No character concerns, seems like a leader on the field

Negatives:

-Disappeared in 2009 (6 TFL, 4 sacks)
-Slow for a DE, lacks agility too.
-Might be better suited in a 3-4. In a 4-3 he'd be a LDE only
-Mediocre hand use and limited pass rush repertoire
-Will occasionally drop his head or misdiagnose
-Seemed to be dinged up a lot in 2009

My thoughts:

Wootton is a buy low player who should end up drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round. He's a bit of a boom or bust player, as shown by his 2008/2009 stats. I think he's almost certainly better than his '09 stats because he seemed to be suffering from smaller injuries a lot last year. However, I think its meaningful that Wootton pretty much disappeared once he was only 80% or 90%. To me that indicates that he wasn't a truly dominant player when healthy. He'll continue to have injuries from time to time in the NFL, and I'd hate to see him become completely shut down from them.

Wootton to me looks like a classic run stopping DE, and should probably be drafted by a 3-4 team. If he stayed completely healthy and had a best case scenario, he'd only be a little better than Lawrence Jackson, and Jackson is just now shaking off his "entry" years in which DE's typically struggle. So I doubt Wootton would make a lot of sense to the Seahawks, especially since they don't have a 3rd rounder. If he became a star, it wouldn't shock me, but he's risky and doesn't offer the kind of pass rushing upgrade the Seahawks are looking for, so he seems like an unlikely option.
Read more!

Early combine preview

By Rob Staton
The Scouting combine is just over two weeks away, so it's time to look at some of the prospects who can really help/hurt their stock in Indianapolis. We'll look at more prospects as we get closer to the event, but he's some of the bigger name first round picks who stand to receive a lot of attention from scouts, coaches and personnel.

Dez Bryant (WR, Oklahoma State)
Having missed most of the 2009 season through suspension, teams will first and foremost want to see what kind of shape Bryant's in. It'll be to his massive credit if he shows up with a level of sharpness and it could confirm his place as a top ten pick. If he's treated the last few months as an extended vacation then the opposite could happen. Interviews will uncover whether the suspension was a misfortune or a sign of real immaturity.

Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma)
The last time we heard from Bradford was his announcement that he'd take surgery and declare for the draft. Very little has been reported since. At this stage, I'd be surprised if he threw at the combine. He might save that for his pro-day. Nevertheless, teams will be interested to see just how much he actually takes part and what shape he's in physically. He needed to add some weight to that frame in his time off.

Jimmy Clausen (QB, Notre Dame)
We already know Clausen won't throw at the combine because of surgery to his foot. However, you'd still expect him to turn up in Indianapolis - and the stuff he is able to do could be more important anyway. First of all - just how tall is he? Is he at the registered height of around 6'2" (I think he is) or is he a bit shorter as sometimes appears on tape? Secondly - some people have voiced concerns about his personality. Interviews will be so important in proving this is a driving competitive nature and not an over-arrogant ego at work.

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, USF)
Make absolutely no mistake - JPP is a physical freak. How many times has a prospect shown up at an event like this and stolen the show? He could run a lightning fast time, flash that amazing athleticism and suddenly be a top ten pick on everyone's mock drafts - not just mine. Alternatively, there have been some concerns about his intelligence and dedication to the game. Interviews and the wonderlic will be crucial for the talented, yet raw Pierre-Paul.

Bruce Campbell (OT, Maryland)
The first thing you think of when considering Campbell are those injuries. He absolutely has to prove he's 100% at the combine. Secondly, one coach described him as the offensive line version of Vernon Davis. Essentially - off the charts physically. An explosive performance will impress everyone, but he must know his best chance of going in the top ten is to catch the eye of Al Davis. We know how the Raiders draft by now and Campbell may have the kind of qualities they look for at a position of real need in Oakland.

C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson)
It's not a great year for running backs, but Spiller is clearly the most intriguing amongst the 2010 class. We know he has speed, the question is - just how quick is he? If he can run a time similar to Darren McFadden a couple of years ago, he could end up being a top ten pick. It's a bit transparent, but team's love guys who run fast forty yard dash times. As soon as you put Spiller in the 'elite' bracket in terms of quickness - his stock rises. It's his challenge to run that eye opening time which he might be capable of.
Read more!

POTD: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

By Kip Earlywine

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 295
Unofficial 40: 5.01





Positives:

-Very good hand use, disengages blockers seemingly every time
-Some nice pass rush moves
-Very nice size/speed/athleticism (looks faster than Suh to me)
-Great 2009 production
-Very consistent pressure
-Strong
-Good tackler
-A year younger than Suh but put up pretty similar numbers
-Stayed healthy
-Good character/work ethic
-Extremely good upside

Negatives:

-Penetrates the line with his head down, often is completely confused where the ball is
-Tends to lose the battle at the line for the first second before recovering
-Sometimes has leverage issues
-Inconsistent vs. run (frequently struggles to defend his gap)
-He's a 4-3 three tech, and probably nothing else.

Sound Bites:

"McCoy makes his living in the opponents' backfield, and is such a talent he could have landed [at the top few picks of the draft] last year had he declared as a redshirt sophomore."

-Mel Kiper jr.

"McCoy is an amazing prospect and simply great at what he is - a three technique. He has elite intangibles and should be a definite top-10 pick. McCoy is my No. 1 defensive tackle for the 2010 NFL Draft."

-Matt McGuire, Walter Football

My thoughts:

This was the most eye-opening POTD for me to this point. McCoy was in some ways stunningly bad, but made up for it in other areas.

Starting with the bad, within 20 seconds of watching the footage, I noticed McCoy had a big problem with dropping his head when penetrating. Anyone who's played DL will recognize this flaw very quickly, and predictably, this bad habit got McCoy in trouble all game long against BYU. Normally, the ability to penetrate the offensive line is a good thing. It leads to sacks, pressures, TFL's, forced incompletions and turnovers. But when you penetrate with your head down with no awareness of where the ball is, the advancement up the field can actually work against you. It leaves a big hole behind you, and if you don't know where the ball is, the runner will just run right by you and enter the hole you left behind. This happened repeatedly in the BYU game (a critical game that Oklahoma lost). To put it bluntly, McCoy's awareness sucks, and if he struggles this much defending a single gap in a 4-3 one gap principles role, just imagine how much he'd struggle trying to defend two gaps simultaneously as a 3-4 end! And because McCoy isn't overly huge or have good leverage (sometimes losing ground early in the play) to boot, he'd be very unlikely to succeed as a run stuffing one tech. These are probably the reasons why everyone pegs McCoy as a pure 4-3 three technique.

Fortunately, some of those flaws should be fixable with coaching and time. McCoy is a hard worker too, so I'd give him good odds of breaking his bad habits. As long as McCoy isn't a disaster against the run, he'll more than make up for his weakness with his constant disruption in the backfield.

What I really like about McCoy is that he's kind of the anti-Suh but with similar production. Whereas Suh used brute strength to peel defenders off him, McCoy used a combination of arm-dexterity, quickness, skill, and strength to consistently shed blocks in about 1 second. It seems like most snaps, McCoy will lose the 1st second of a block, but dominate the rest of the play. I also like how McCoy has decent looking speed for a DT and has nice pursuit in the backfield. If its a passing play, most downs you can pretty much count to three and by then McCoy will usually be in the QB's face. He may not get the sack, but he'll force the QB to divert attention from downfield and move around in the pocket, often into the arms of one of McCoy's teammates. Like Suh, McCoy is a game changing player in the pass rush. Overall, I think Suh has fewer weaknesses and is more versatile, but if I had my choice between Suh and McCoy, I'd probably pick McCoy because he looks like a perfect fit for a 4-3 pass rushing tackle.

If by some chance the Lions and Bucs are insane enough to not select McCoy and he falls to #6, the Seahawks have to take him. Its nice to dream, but considering that Detroit and Tampa both run 4-3's and list DT near the top of their needs, I just can't see that happening.
Read more!

Prospect archives

By Rob Staton
Apologies for the lack of detailed analysis from my end over the weekend. It's been a very busy week work-wise and this will likely continue through until Thursday. If I have some spare time I'll make sure I dedicate it to updating the blog. In the meantime, don't forget to check out the prospect archives page on the right hand side bar. I've tallied up the most of the articles I've written and put them into prospect specific sections. It'll stop me repeating myself too often in articles as I'll be able to refer to previous reports and topics. Don't forget if you ever have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section or email rob@seahawksdraftblog.com and I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
Read more!

POTD: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

By Kip Earlywine

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 305 lbs.
Unofficial 40: 5.00



Positives:

-Ridiculously powerful
-Very good hand use, disengages with extreme ease
-Has a knack for batting down passes
-Incredible 2009 production
-Is often totally unblockable, even by double teams
-Consistent
-Good combination of size/athleticism/effort
-Leader on the field
-Versatile

Negatives:

-Isn't super fast and probably has average quickness.
-Some knee injuries in his past
-Kind of a tweener
-Is stood up easily (plays with high leverage)
-Relies on brute strength to shed blockers more than skill

Sound bites:

"Suh is maybe the most dominating defensive tackle I've seen in 32 years of doing this."
Mel Kiper jr.

My thoughts:

Suh is a monster who doesn't even seem to be slowed much by opposing offensive linemen. What might be the most unnerving thing about watching him is how he makes every dominating play look so effortless. Its almost as if he glides without resistance into the backfield almost at full speed, even when double teamed. If Suh stays healthy, he'll be at least an above average DT at the NFL level.

There are some worries with Suh. One is that he's a bit of an injury risk. Whoever takes him will have to worry about the chance that he could become the next Glen Dorsey. Another problem is that because he's so strong and dominant, he's never really had to develop pass rush moves and against elite NFL competition, its conceivable that he could be slowed down quite a bit. Finally, Suh is versatile, but that is also kind of a weakness. He's not a prototypical 4-3 pass rusher DT (doesn't have a lot of quickness or pass rush moves- his methods look like that of an elite pass rushing 1 tech). The problem with him being a 1 tech is that his leverage is pretty bad. Its not every day you see a DT dominate with such a high stance and lack of leverage, and in the NFL, he might not be able to continue doing that as well as he had been in college. Suh could play a 5 tech 3-4 DE pretty nicely, but ~$70 million is a lot to pay a 3-4 DE. Suh can play a lot of positions, but isn't really a perfect situation for any of them either.

Still, Brandon Mebane fell to the 3rd round because he was considered a tweener type, and the Seahawks turned him into an elite pass rushing 1 tech. Whoever drafts Suh, I'm sure they'll find a great use for him somewhere. If he stays healthy, he could continue to be a breathtakingly dominant force at the pro level. And unfortunately, he'll probably give Max Unger and the rest of us nightmares for the next 8 years.
Read more!

Concerns with Russell Okung

By Rob Staton
Regular visitors to the blog will know I'm not totally convinced with Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma State). Visit most mock drafts and they'll tell you he's a top five pick. I don't agree. At best, I would give him a late first round grade. Resident scout Kyle Rota echoed those sentiments when he scouted Okung. It surprised me to an extent that the big left tackle was receiving such universal approval elsewhere. However, some concerns on a national stage have been expressed. The Scouts Inc group published these thoughts on ESPN's Draft Blog:

"Okung gets good hand placement and shows sound footwork once he's engaged with defenders, so he rarely gets beaten once he gets his hands on the defender in either the running game or the passing game. There's also a lot to like about his tenacity, and he can be seen on film pancaking defensive ends and linebackers.

"However, there is reason to believe Okung won't be as effective in pass protection in the NFL. First, he is not as strong at the top of his pass set as teams would like, because at 6-foot-8 he struggles to sink his hips. More importantly, Okung does not appear to have elite foot speed, so his footwork will always have to be sound. He also lacks the agility and flexibility Anthony Davis has shown. A potential fall from the top 10 to the later portion of the first round could cost Okung a whole lot of money." - Scouts Inc

I also think it's interesting they've referenced a potential rise by Charles Brown (OT, USC). I'm a big fan of the SoCal tackle and believe he'd be a great fit in Seattle's zone blocking scheme. He's under sized (not something that will put off Alex Gibbs) at around 290lbs, but he's had ample time since the end of 2009 to get above the 300lbs mark. His frame allows for some bulk, so it shouldn't affect his athleticism. Nice hand punch - something you don't often see from college prospects. He's aggressive and athletic, whilst showing good form getting to the second level.

Last year we saw another converted tight end shoot up draft boards after a good combine showing (Jason Smith). I'm not suggesting Brown will make a similar move, especially not as high as second overall. But if the Seahawks are thinking they need to take a left tackle early, even if Gibbs teams haven't in the past, Brown seems like the most obvious candidate to me. A good combine could push him into contention as a top fifteen pick.
Read more!

POTD: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

By Kip Earlywine

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Unofficial 40: 4.43



Positives:

-Excellent in man coverage
-Great ball skills, hands
-Looks like he has long arms (my speculation)
-Extremely good at tipping passes away
-Very athletic, can get high in the air when he jumps
-Fast
-Good blitzer
-Isn't short or lightweight
-High effort
-No significant injuries
-Consistent, proven
-Great leader on the field, good character off of it
-Nice stats in '09 (4 INTs, 3 Sacks). 34 passes defensed in 3 seasons.

Negatives:

-Misses a lot of tackles and generally struggles to wrap up.
-Lunges a lot when attempting to tackle, usually with bad results.
-Supposedly lacks instincts although he looked like he had good instincts to me.

Sound bites:

"Joe Haden is a very talented cornerback with a very well-rounded game, but some teams might be scared off by his lacking instincts, which is critical at the NFL level where pro receivers are great route runners. Haden's level of production and consistency will get him drafted in the top 15 picks. He is one of the better cornerback prospects in the last couple years."
-Matt McGuire (Walter Football)

While I was researching this post, I found a couple of nice write-ups on Haden that are worth checking out.

My thoughts:

I want to stress once again that the POTD series is not meant as a final word on a player nor as gospel. This report is only made off of highlight/lowlight videos and easily available information, and serves as a preview piece. I'm reiterating this because I think CB is one of the hardest positions to evaluate based on just highlights or from game tape. The CB is off the screen most of the time and we usually can't see them until the pass arrives to their receiver. Further, there was very little to judge Haden's press ability at the line or his ability to zone cover. Most of the time, he was playing 7-8 yards off the LOS and in man coverage.

I think Haden is a really exciting prospect in that some of his problems are coach-able. By doing more tackling drills, he could improve somewhat as a tackler, and it would be very easy to break him out of his habit of lunging at runners. I'm not sure I agree with McGuire about Haden's instincts, but McGuire knows much more about football than I do plus he actually broke down game tape, so I'll have to concede to him on that. Instincts probably can't be coached, and if his instincts suck that would be a bad thing for us since we run so much zone coverage (blech).

However, in a man system, Haden is a true stud. He's one of the best CBs I've seen at getting his hand cleanly between the WR's mitts and forcing tip-aways. He always seems to be tight on a WR, even on trick plays. Watching him play, he has all the good things about Jennings and Wilson rolled into one player. He's a precocious cover corner like Jennings, but with Wilson's athleticism, ball skills, blitzing ability, and confidence. That, plus Haden has a couple inches on either of those guys. A very common comparison to Haden is Darrelle Revis. Its important that the Seahawks vet Haden at the combine and test him for zone coverage skills. If he can manage to be at least passable, the Seahawks should put him on the short list of options at #6. The Seahawks need at least 1 CB this offseason in my opinion, and I seriously doubt Haden will fall to #14.

Note: You can hear an audible "aw s**t!" at 9:21. I love when that stuff slips through (nsfw) on sports broadcasts.
Read more!

The strength of the draft

By Rob Staton
When I published my latest mock draft, a lot of people questioned why I had the Seahawks using both first round picks on the defensive line. Sure, it's one of the team's greatest needs - but there are many others too. The lack of investment in the offense through early draft picks, at least in comparison to the defense, is well publicised. Make no mistake, this franchise needs a long term answer at quarterback. It needs an injection of speed at receiver and running back -not to mention some pure playmaking quality. One of the greatest causes for complaint with the old regime was the Seahawks lack of high pick investment at offensive tackle with Walter Jones ageing.

Having two first round picks would, on paper, represent a perfect chance to invest in the offense. Unfortunately, the draft is a more complicated science than that.

In my opinion, the absolute greatest strength of the 2010 draft class is amongst the defensive line. It's not even close. It starts at the very top with two stunning tackle prospects in Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy and transfers into great depth throughout round one. It coincides, funnilly enough, with a cluster of teams who will likely target the position. Of the top seventeen picks, you could probably place a defensive lineman as a logical choice with any team except Washington (who own other wordly Albert Haynesworth and impressive first year end Brian Orakpo).

Let's look at the options:

Defensive tackle

Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska)
Capable of playing as a three technique in the 4-3 or a five technique in a 3-4 scheme, Suh enjoyed a dominant career with the Cornhuskers. Projected stock: Top three lock, potential first overall pick.

Gerald McCoy (DT, Oklahoma)
If Suh is 1a, then McCoy is 1b. Always in the backfield, whether it's rushing the passer or forcing a tackle for a loss, he's the prototype three technique. Projected stock: Top three lock, wouldn't surprise me if he even went ahead of Suh.

Dan Williams (DT, Tennessee)
Capable of playing both schemes, but the best option for 3-4 teams looking for someone to feature in the valuable nose tackle role. Projected stock: Top fifteen.

Brian Price (DT, UCLA)
Disruptive force through the middle, has a knack of breaking into the backfield. Notched seven sacks as a junior. Project stock: Top fifteen.

Lamarr Houston (DT, Texas)
Unbelievably flown under the radar despite a seven-sack season for the Longhorns. Superb in the BCS Championship. Projected stock: Top twenty-five.

Jared Odrick (DT, Penn State)
Versatile lineman capable of playing both schemes. Capable of playing the five technique in a 3-4 system. Projected stock: first round

Defensive end

Derrick Morgan (DE, Georgia Tech)
Relentless pass-rusher with a good edge rush. Prototype size for the 4-3 scheme. ACC defensive player of the year and the Yellow Jackets star this year. Projected stock: top ten

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, USF)
Unlimited upside with extreme athleticism. Could be the most explosive pass rusher available. With the right coaching could be an elite talent, but concerns over whether he's a one-year wonder. Projected stock: top fifteen

Carlos Dunlap (DE, Florida)
Size and speed combination that draws comparisons to Mario Williams. Doesn't always put in 100% effort and character concerns after DUI before team's game of the year. Projected stock: top fifteen

Everson Griffen (DE, USC)
Hype never lived up to the production in SoCal, but he started to deliver towards the end of 2009. Stil developing, could see stock rise at combine. Projected stock: top twenty-five.

Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan)
Stand out prospect on a disappointing Wolverines outfit last year. Lacks size - that's a concern. Has a knack of getting to the quarterback and embarrassed Bryan Bulaga when they met. Projected stock: first round

There's a chance none of these prospects are likely to be around when Seattle picks at #40. There may, however, be some good options at receiver (Damian Williams), running back (Jahvid Best) and offensive tackle (Charles Brown). The chances of selecting either of the two latter positions early were potentially restricted following the appointment of Alex Gibbs to the coaching staff - someone who has consistently thrived in churning out a running game using a refined scheme as opposed to expensive draft picks.

Do the Seahawks need two defensive lineman? Brandon Mebane didn't have the expected success moving from the one technique to the three in 2009 and may be asked to switch positions this year. Colin Cole was unable to act as an effective force in is debut season in Seattle and looks like a suitable back-up or rotational player. Red Bryant has struggled to make an impact during his two years in the league (injuries playing a part) and Craig Terrell provides a unspectacular option in the rotation. Drafting a disruptive prospect like Brian Price to start alongside Mebane would draw a lot of interior attention, potentially making life easier off the edge for the defensive ends.

Having said that - there's room for improvement there too. Patrick Kernery's future is unclear. Will he be in Seattle next season? Darryl Tapp will likely stay as an restricted free agent, but has endured mixed success with the Seahawks. Lawrence Jackson likewise hasn't provided a reliable threat as a pass rusher and certainly is more effective sealing an edge against the run. The buzz word around the internet right now is 'elephant', or more specifically the ability of Tapp or even Aaron Curry to master this floating pass rusher used by Pete Carroll in his USC days. It's perhaps important to stress that for all Curry's physical qualities - he was never asked to rush the passer at Wake Forest and recorded a modest nine sacks in four years during his college career. Jim Mora and his staff last year likewise predominantly kept Curry in coverage, with mixed success. Finding an edge rush to pair with a greater interior presence could turn a definite weakness into a relative strength.

It's unlikely the Seahawks will fill every hole in one single draft, even with two early first round picks. A serious investment in the defensive line in round one fails to answer a lot of lasting questions on the offense. Clearly - that side of the ball requires some surgery and some love. However, with such a strong class of defensive lineman this year at the top of the board - you'd have to fight hard in certain circumstances not to take a double dip in this area. Methodically it might seem unlikely - but based on talent and taking the best prospect available on the board - it could make sense. At the end of the day, a better pass rush alone won't make the Seahawks contenders - but it's something that will need to happen at some stage.
Read more!