New SI.com Mock draft has the Seahawks taking

theENGLISHseahawk":16bmyzbs said:

It definitely has changed the landscape for sure. Funnily enough I had my most successful 'mock' in 2013 (#8 on Huddle Report) but the picks I got wrong were way off. Like laughably wrong. Which is kind of what I think we'll get now. Some really obscure picks that nobody is going to 'get' (eg Buffalo/Manuel) but then some predictable ones too as teams are prepared to take a few risks on physical upside. Last year a lot of guys were taken on upside and for the most part they were easy to project.

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CPHawk":22nxly4e said:

I can address some of the character concerns for Colt. I know his HS coach, and Colt grew up with basically 0 home structure and was allowed to stay out all night and do whatever the f he wanted. His coach had to basically become his dad helping him go from a 1.5 gpa as a SO, up to avg a 3.0 as a jr and sr. His personality is nothing like Winslow, who is a spoiled me first rich boy. Colt needed structure, and is still growing up, but he has made huge strides in that regard.

I think a coach like Pete would be perfect for a guy like Colt, if he goes to a situation with no structure he will fail. If he has a players coach who understands his player, colt will run through a brick wall for that coach.

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Jazzhawk":22klwxx1 said:

a TE. Could be interesting.....what say you? I like what I've seen from Willson so far, but I know Miller isn't long on our roster most likely.

http://nfl.si.com/2013/09/24/2014-nfl-mock-draft-teddy-bridgewater-jadeveon-clowney/3/

31. Seattle Seahawks: Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon

The Seahawks used a 2013 fifth-round pick on TE Luke Willson. Lyerla’s way, way better. There is very little the Ducks’ star cannot do on offense, and coming from that Oregon system would put him ahead of the curve in Seattle’s attack.

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Walter Report profile:
6-5, 246 lbs
Skill-Set Summary: For the next level, Lyerla looks like a serious mismatch weapon. He has the ability to line up in a variety of places, so offensive coaches can use his special skills to exploit weaknesses in pass coverage. Lyerla looks like a perfect fit for an aerial NFL offense that likes to utilize the tight end.

As a receiver, Lyerla is an asset. He has good hands and is a strong route-runner. Lyerla gets off the line quickly and is adept at finding soft spots in zone coverage. He is a real weapon in the middle of the field running slant routes and getting deep down the seam. Quarterbacks also have used Lyerla as a nice check-down option in the flat; he generally rewards them with yards after the catch.

Lyerla has great quickness to gain separation in his route-running with a second gear to burst into the open field after making a reception. He is extremely explosive as a receiver and his speed takes defenses by surprise. Lyerla is tough to bring down once the ball is in his hands. He sheds lots of tackles and carries defensive backs for extra yards before going down. Lyerla is a physical runner who can punish defenders.

Lyerla has the athletic ability for the next level to be used as an H-back and play some fullback. He could continue to run the ball in short-yardage situations. Lyerla has amazingly quick feet to cut and move as a ball-carrier. Offensive coordinators should have fun using him in a variety of ways and catching defenses by surprise. Lyerla could be a tight end who is similar to former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was called a swiss army knife because of his dangerous versatility.

Lyerla needs to improve his blocking for the NFL. He doesn't pack much of a punch at the point of attack. Lyerla gets pushed into the backfield by defensive linemen and physical linebackers. He does much better blocking defensive backs in the second level. The junior's blocking will be scrutinized in 2013, and he needs to show the ability to contribute as a blocker in pass protection as well the ground game. Lyerla's blocking would be better suited to a zone-blocking system.

Overall, Lyerla is an athletic tight end who should be a dangerous weapon in a NFL offense. Any team that needs an athletic pass-receiving tight end should be interested in selecting him next May in the 2014 NFL Draft.

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JSeahawks":2xzzkpv3 said:

Colt did not make the trip to Colorado with the team due to a "coach's decision". No known injury. Something is off with the dude this year and he seems to be sabotaging himself as far as his NFL hopes.

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JSeahawks":23nhkagm said:

Finally the Ducks genius/expert/homer is here to straighten some of you out.

As I mentioned in another thread the other day i'm not quite as high on Colt now as I was six months ago, but I still think he'd be great value at the very end of the first round. I really believe that some of his negatives are being overexagerated here.

First of all, the character concerns. The only character problem he has is that he's not the smartest dude in the world. He's kind of like Kiko Alonso last year. He says and thinks some dumb things, but he was just put on this earth to be a football player. He's never been in trouble with the law or been arrested while in Eugene. And that "spat with the coaches" was a media creation that was gone the next day and the writer even retracted the story and apologized for it. He's a bit rough around the edges but that's largely because he came from a really bad family situation and a really rough childhood. If you're interested in reading a little bit about why he is how he is, there's an article here:

http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.s ... _with.html

As for the blocking. I wouldn't say he's a great blocker, but he's certainly not a bad blocker. And if you're drafting a tight end in round 1 you're drafting a playmaker, not a blocking specialist. But if you know anything about Oregon you know that if you're a WR or a TE, if you're not a good blocker, you don't play. Period. He's not going to pancake defensive ends but he's pretty good at sealing the edge and can get to the 2nd level. And he's doing all that basically off of his freakish athleticism, not technique. If a guy like Tom Cable got a hold of him, he could turn him into not only a good, but a great blocker, imo. I honestly think Colt is every bit as good of a blocker as Zach Miller is right now though (not dominant, but good enough to get by). And to the guy who said Colt is too small, he's currently up to 6'5", 260. Zach Miller is listed at 6'5", 255.

Whether or not the Seahawks should draft a TE that high or not, I don't know, but I think Colt is worth that draft position to somebody. If you want a spit and polished, super safe Tim Ruskell type pick, he's probably not the guy. But if you want a dude that's just a football player with a sky high celing. And who fits the Beast Mode personality of the Seahawks better then anybody already on the Seahawks. Then he'd be a great pickup. (After ASJ is off the board, ASJ would be my #1 TE).

One last thing, I think being around a guy like Russell Wilson would be HUGE for Colt Lyerla. Colt's never been a student of the game and he mostly just gets by on his freak athletic ability. But if just a little tiny bit of Wilson rubbed off on Colt, it could create a monster. Plus, as mentioned, Colts a bit of a conspiracy theorist. He just might believe that Russell is truly a robot. Which could create some locker room fun!

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