Seahawks busy on dramatic day three

By Rob Staton
Anyone who thought day three of the 2010 NFL Draft would be a quieter affair was sadly mistaken. After two days of drama as round one-through-three unfolded, there was still plenty that happened today to keep interest levels high. Some of the big names went early - nobody expected Mardy Gilyard and Everson Griffen to be around here and they left the board quickly (landing in St. Louis and Minnesota respectively). Bruce Campbell was drafted by the newly thoughtful Raiders, just three rounds lower than everyone expected. In the end, it actually looks like very good value for Oakland on a raw prospect with upside.

But what about the Seahawks? Nobody was more active than Pete Carroll and the front office in Seattle. First, a move down seven spots in the early fourth round which allowed the team to acquire Lendale White and Kevin Vickerson from the Titans. White set the USC record for rushing touchdowns while playing for new Seahawks coach Pete Carroll (notching 52 scores). He's just turned 25 and comes off a season where his carrier dramatically dropped from 303 in 2008 to just 61 in 2009. Before last year, he recorded 1110 yards and seven touchdowns. The year before, he scored fifteen touchdowns.

When they eventually made a pick in the fourth round (111th overall) the Seahawks selected Walter Thurmond (CB, Oregon). He's 5'11" and 189 pounds. Here's Mike Mayock's thoughts on the pick:

"Seattle continues to impress me. In the fourth round, they get one of my favorite corners, Walter Thurmond. He has a history of injuries, but when he's healthy, I gave him a second-round grade. Thurmond will instandly compete at corner, nickel and on special teams." - Mike Mayock, NFL Network

Seattle was back on the clock late in the fourth and added UNC defensive end E.J. Wilson. He's listed at 6'4" and 286lbs. Here's Mayock's thoughts:

"He's a three-year starter at DE for Butch Davis. He's 6-2 1/2, 286, with a 670 pound squat. That's an impressive number, a North Carolina defensive end record. In Seattle, he'll be a base DE that's stout against the run. He needs to develop as a pass rusher." - Mike Mayock, NFL Network

Things became even more interesting at the top of the fifth. With two picks in the round, Seattle found some great value with big strong safety Kam Chancellor. Might as well bring in Mayock again:

"Chancellor is identically sized free safety as Taylor Mays. They're both 6-3, 231. Interesting that Pete Carroll has taken a Mays clone in the fifth round. Chancellor has better movement skills than people realize. He's tough and well-coached out of Virginia Tech. He's an interesting compliment to Earl Thomas, who the Seahawks picked in the first round." - Mike Mayock, NFL Network

But an offense screaming for some playmaking ability was afforded some, when Seattle traded their second fifth round pick (#139) to the Jets for running back Leon Washington. I have to admit - I'm a big fan of Washington's. I had the chance to watch him live against Kansas City recently and he just stood out by a mile. His value has diminished mainly due to a bad leg break last season. He may never be the same. Then again - it's not cost much to find out. If he doesn't work out, the price was worth the risk. The upside is - Seattle just found a dynamic runner/receiver/returner to add to their offense.

But in a day packed with eye brow raising moves, the next is maybe my favorite. The Seahawks took Anthony McCoy (TE, USC) in the sixth round. I have said on this blog many time - I'm a fan. He has off the field issues, that is why he fell. For me, he has the talent to match a late first or early second round grade. He is an absolute steal here. Now - if he doesn't improve his work ethic or if he doesn't want this badly enough, it won't work out. However, this is again such a low cost to find out. These are the kinds of picks Tim Ruskell would never make. It's not just Ruskell, because clearly a lot of teams dropped McCoy from their boards. However, I love this pick and he's one to keep an eye on going forward.

With their final two picks the Seahawks selected Dexter Davis (DE, Arizona State) and Jameson Konz (WR, Kent State) in round seven.

Whether the overall quality and depth of this draft will lead to on-field pro-production remains to be seen, but the 2010 draft will go down as a highly eventful one to say the least. Not least for the Seattle Seahawks, under the stewardship of Pete Carroll and John Schneider for the first time. Let me know your thoughts on Seattle's 2010 draft in the comments section.