Lack of picks leaves Seahawks with limited options for draft
56. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-5)
LAST SEASON: The Seahawks won the NFC West for the first time in four seasons by going 12-4 in the regular season, but were quickly dismissed from the playoffs with a humbling home playoff defeat to the Rams. Russell Wilson was at the lead of the MVP conversation early in the season, but the second half of the year was a consistent regression offensively and led to an unnerving offseason for the Seahawks. Wilson expressed his frustration with some of the direction of the team. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was fired and replaced by Shane Waldron and salary-cap concerns kept Seattle from being big players in free agency.
FREE AGENCY: Lost CBs Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar, RB Carlos Hyde, WRs Phillip Dorsett and David Moore, TE Jacob Hollister, DE Jonathan Bullard. Signed DEs Kerry Hyder, Jr. and Aldon Smith, TE Gerald Everett, DT Al Woods, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, CB Pierre Desir. Acquired (via trade) G Gabe Jackson. Re-signed RB Chris Carson, DEs Carlos Dunlap and Benson Mayowa, DT Poona Ford, C/G Ethan Pocic, G Jordan Simmons, T Cedric Ogbuehi, CB Damarious Randall.
THEY NEED: CB, WR, OL, DE.
THEY DON’T NEED: RB, LB, K, P.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: CB Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky, OL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
OUTLOOK: The Seahawks have never gone into a draft under GM John Schneider with fewer picks. Seattle has three selections and none between No. 129 in the fourth round and No. 250 in the seventh round. It seems unfathomable the Seahawks won’t figure out a way to add a pick or two, but clearly this is not the year they expect the draft to replenish their needs. Barring an unexpected move to land a bounty of picks, coming out of this draft with a No. 3 wide receiver option, some depth at cornerback or an eventual successor to LT Duane Brown would seem a victory for the Seahawks.
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