Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A Who's Who From Seahawk Mock Drafts

TODD MCSHAY'S PICKS
On April 21st, 2009, ESPN's Todd McShay's released his mock draft for all seven rounds. Knee problems seem to be the most common traits for McShay's Seahawk picks:


1st Round (4th overall):
Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, USC
6'2" 227 lbs.

Ladies love Mark Sanchez, but do the Seahawks? Is there interest in Sanchez just a bluff to get Washington to trade up for their #4 pick, or do they think they can break their 1st round QB curse (Dan McGwire, Rick Mirer). And is all the sudden hype around Sanchez warranted? If the Seahawks draft him they better think he's going to be the next Carson Palmer and not the next Matt Leinert?

2nd Round (37th overall)
:

William Beatty
Offensive Tackle, Connecticut
6'6" 307 lbs.
Running back Donald Brown owes a lot of his yardage to the blocking of Beatty... or is it the other way around?




3rd Round (68th overall):

Sherrod Martin
Defensive Back, Troy
6'1" 198 lbs.
Martin had injuries to both shoulders and his hand, which required surgery.On the other hand he runs a 4.52 forty and dishes out crushing hits, something that can't be said for the current Seahawk safeties.


4th Round (105th overall):

Kaluka Maiava
Outside Linebacker, USC
5'11" 229 lbs.
Part of a heralded linebacking group at USC, Maiva was forced to bask in the shade cast by the flashier linebackers on the team--Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing.

Despite this, Maiava was a solid and versatile performer on an extremely talented team. The Seahawks previously struck gold when they drafted another unheralded and undersized linebacker from USC a few years ago (Lofa Tatupu).

Plus, Maiava has a more interesting family background then even USC defensive end Clay Matthews III (son of former Cleveland Browns linebacker Clay Matthews Jr). Maiava's grandfather was a professional wrestler whose routine included walking on a bed of nails upon entering the ring and his uncle is actor and former pro-wrestler Duane "The Rock" Johnson.

5th Round (137th overall):
Javon Ringer
Running Back, Michigan State
5'9" 205 lbs.
Ringer's a consummate team player, extremely tough and a hard nosed runner. Ringer set records at MSU for total yards from scrimmage, but also possibly for most number of knee surgeries. While he seems a little undersized, his toughness could make him the bruising back the Seahawks need to run behind a relatively weak offensive line. On the other hand, if Ringer did become a starter can you imagine how annoying it would be to withstand season after season of listening to TV announcers' coming up with stupid quips using his last name?

6th Round (178th overall):

Trevor Canfield
Offensive Guard, Cincinnati
6'5" 307 lbs.
Corn-fed white guy? Check. Goatee or skinny beard? Check. Dull expression in the eyes? Check. If he has a tribal tattoo on an arm I think you have yourself a backup NFL lineman. Canfield isn't from the most dominant conference so it's hard to tell what to make of his All-Conference selection.


7th Round (213th overall)
:

Ian Campbell
DE, Kansas State
6'4" 265 lbs.
Despite looking like a less-bloated Sebastian Janikowski, Campbell was a versatile player, great pass rusher and pass defender who even spent time as a defensive lineman.


7th Round (245th overall):

Brian Hartline
Wide Receiver, Ohio State
6'2" 195 lbs.
There are a lot of things that Brian Hartline looks like and NFL receiver isn't one of them. He certainly looks more ball boy than ball player. Some other possibilities.... 1) An extra in the movie Hoosiers. 2) A kid at a truck stop telling you about his recent alien abduction. 3) Most every male between the ages of 16 and 19 in the rural portions of Iowa.

However, looks could be deceiving. The former Buckeye probably would have been ranked higher had he been a bigger part of the offense. Unfortunately for Hartline, Ohio State's offense was much more run-focused and didn't make much use of his big play ability. That's right: Big play ability. He could be the next Logan Payne!


7th Round (247 overall):

Jamarca Sanford
Safety, Ole Miss
5'10" 214 lbs.
A four-year starter who put up some impressive career numbers, but hasn't really wowed anyone. Sanford ran 4.58 forty at the combine.

7th Round (248 overall):

Ra’Shon Harris
Defensive Tackle, Oregon
6'4" (6'6" with the mohawk) 298 lbs.
Probably not the second coming of Cortez Kennedy, but since he's from University of Oregon it would be less difficult for former Husky Jim Mora Jr. to cut him.

MEL KIPER'S PICKS:
Draft guru Mel Kiper's 4/10 mock draft only goes through the 4th round--he openly scoffed at McShay for putting out a 7 round mock draft. Kiper predicts the following for the Hawks:

1st Round (4th overall):
Eugene Monroe
Offensive Tackle, Virginia
6'5" 305 lbs.
Considered one of the top three offensive tackles in the draft, Monroe is a polished veteran. A consensus All-American as a senior, the biggest blemish on Monroe is some earlier knee injuries.






2nd Round (37th overall):
William Moore
Safety, Missouri
6'2" 220 lbs.
Moore is a big dude, a great hitter and has the hands you'd expect from a former receiver. There are some durability questions, but his versatility and big play ability give him a lot of upside.



3rd Round (68th overall):

Donald Washington
Corner Back, Ohio State
6'0" 197 lbs.
Washington is bigger than Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson (doesn't take much), but he's prized more for his athleticism (4.49 forty) then for his technique. He might have made a mistake by entering the draft despite having a year of eligibility remaining.

4th Round (105th overall):

James Davis
Running Back, Clemson
5'11" 218lbs.
Davis' stock dropped after a disappointing Senior season, but if he's the player he was during his Junior and Sophomore years (when his surround cast was much better) he could be a solid pro back.