With just a couple of weeks to go, I thought I would fire up the Fanspeak site again and whip out another draft. Here is my latest little jobbie. See what you all think …
26: R1P26 -- OT JACK CONKLIN (MICHIGAN STATE) – Conklin again fell to the Hawks in this scenario, so I quickly pounced and grabbed a guy whom I believe is a Beast of a Talent and one of the top linemen in this draft. Smart Plug and Play LT with the length, toughness, grit, and overall nastiness Seattle likes.
56: R2P25 -- DT VERNON BUTLER (Louisiana Tech) – I couldn’t believe that a DT the quality of a Vernon Butler was still available at #56, so again pounced to grab a guy who appears to be flying up draft boards due to his overall athleticism and explosiveness. The Seahawks appear to like him, as he’s already visited with Seattle.
90: R3P27 – LB KYLER FACKRELL (Utah State) – Very athletic relentless linebacker who possesses a lot of qualities that I believe could attract the Seahawks. At 6’5” he has good overall length and athleticism and has not only shown that he can rush the passer, but also drop in to space and cover as well. With Bruce Irvin deciding to don the Silver and Black, Fackrell could be a nice replacement.
98: R3P35 -- OG CONNOR MCGOVERN (MISSOURI) -- Top SPARQ Offensive Lineman and one of the strongest linemen in this draft. I think most of us would be shocked if he’s not near the top of Seattle’s list of targets.
125: R4P26 -- CB RASHARD ROBINSON (LSU) -- As I noted a few weeks ago, at LSU’s Pro Day, Robinson was clocked at 4.43 in the 40 and posted a respectable 34.5” vertical. He’s been away from the football field for awhile, but he’s got it within him (given time) to be one of the best cover corners to come out of this draft IMO. If he’s there at the end of the 4th Round, I’d have to think he’d be a tempting target.
172: R5P32 -- OG JOE DAHL (WASHINGTON STATE) – If he’s still here when the Hawks draft, I’d have to think that the Seahawks would have a hard time keeping their hands off Dahl. Again, he’s got great athleticism and is one of the top SPARQ linemen in this draft. He’s not only got experience at both Tackle and Guard (he played LT last year and did a great job) … he’s a real tough guy and a local guy to boot. Dahl is a no brainer pick IMO here.
216: R6P40 -- WR MIKE THOMAS (SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI) – I’ve talked about this kid extensively before and would love to see him end up in a Seahawk uniform …
http://www.seahawks.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=124208
225: R7P4 – WR RICARDO LOUIS (AUBURN) – Taking a page from the Seahawks, I drafted Louis not for his prowess as a WR … but for his potential as a possible CB. As a receiver, he has trouble with routes and with overall consistency, as he has had a lot of issues with dropping the football. However, there is a lot to get excited about if you consider him a conversion project to CB. Louis is 6’2” 215 pounds and has 32 3/8” arms and 9 ½” hands. So, he has good size right there. He also absolutely lit it up at the combine, running the 40 in 4.43 seconds … posting 18 reps of 225 pounds … a 38” vertical … and a 132” broad jump. So, he’s extremely athletic and explosive and ticks all of the boxes that Seattle likes for their CB's. At this point in the draft, this is exactly the kind of gambles that you take. Perhaps he can work out as well as another former WR to CB we all know.
247: R7P26 -- QB CODY KESSLER (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) – With Tavaris Jackson still floating out there unsigned, back-up QB is a need that has really flown under the radar for the most part. If he’s intent on seeking employment elsewhere or if the Hawks are looking to get a younger player with some upside, Kessler is a solid name to consider. While he doesn’t have a very strong arm (the real knock on him), there is a lot to really like about him in terms of a back-up QB. Kessler is a cerebral QB and has experience in a Pro Style offense at USC. Kessler goes through his progressions well and his real strength is that he is a very accurate passer (he owns the school record for Completion Percentage at 67.5%) and he doesn’t turn the ball over much (only 12 INT’s over the last 2 years). The one thing that you want from your back-up is to not lose you the game and that’s something he certainly can do.
If the Hawks were to walk away from the draft with this cast of characters, I’d be a fairly happy camper.