My draft grades

[Maelstrom787]

**DISCLAIMER -- READ THIS FIRST**

Draft grades do not matter, especially directly after the draft. Do not presume that I am saying my word is to be taken as gospel or that I think I know better than NFL evaluators. I am just sharing my thoughts as a fan of the sport and the draft.



1/16 -- Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas (A Grade)

Seahawks were spoiled for defensive choice at 16, and they took the guy with the highest upside. Interior defensive linemen who can legitimately crash a pocket and win on double teams are one of the most premium assets any team could have, and Murphy looks like a near sure-thing for the next level.

3/81 -- Christian Haynes, IOL, Uconn (A+ Grade)

No one expected Haynes to be available at 50, much less 81. Absurd value for a complete bastard with a Ph.D in playing guard. Plays angry with immense strength and is a likely day 1 starter.

4/118 -- Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP (D Grade)

Woof. Questionable value on a questionable prospect with limited upside. Not much of an athlete. Comes from a small school and is over-aged. Positional need is there and if MM likes him, it's worth it, but the prospect is a bit of a head-scratcher.

4/121 -- AJ Barner, TE, Michigan (D+ Grade)

Blocker with speed limitations who has limited upside as a receiver. He'll be the likely TE3 on the roster to start. They appear to want to run 13 personnel, but the value here is questionable and the potential upside is fairly low.

5/136 -- Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn (B- Grade)

Nehemiah is cool. Decent length, great speed, and has played a hell of a lot of football. He has questions in run support and suspect tackling, but you're getting real potential as a down-the-line CB2 in Pritchett. Value is about spot on. Could've gone a bit earlier on talent/profile.

6/179 -- Sataoa Laumea, RT/RG, Utah (B Grade)

This was ESPN's best guard available, Seahawks announced him as a tackle. He's played as a starting right tackle since 2022 for Utah, with significant experience at RG beforehand. He profiles more to guard due to shorter arms (32" 7/8). Not overly athletic but the play strength is very good, and he's coming into the league with a ton of playtime. Figures to provide great depth, and he was acquired for good value. Would've preferred WR here (either Rice or Washington) but I cannot complain.

6/192 -- DJ James, CB, Auburn (A Grade)

James was actually rated significantly above Pritchett on consensus big boards, and was expected to go 2.5 rounds prior (110th rank). Dane Brugler had a Round 3 grade on James. Another speedy corner. Fluid in press. Some questions in run support like his former and now current teammate Pritchett. Another pick representing extreme value. Still would've preferred Rice - his fall is perplexing.

6/207 -- Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay (D- Grade)

It's a D- for me, but those don't matter in the 200s where you're just saving guys from battling for them in the UDFA range. 644th on the consensus big board and we've already hammered the OL, but he did have buzz as a riser leading up to the draft and had multiple visits. I really question not taking someone like Michael Barrett or Brendan Rice here, although Rice is obviously falling for a reason. Christian Mahogany went right after to Detroit, and that might've been a better choice given that Mahogany was so touted coming out. That all being said, Jerrell is quite athletic outside of pedestrian agility. He's quite speedy. Developmental tackle prospect best suited to the right side with an option to slide him inside. I don't expect him to make the 53.



Overall, I'm giving this draft a B+. While I think day 3 had some really questionable selections and that we lost out on some true dawgs by chasing likely roster-fillers, the money picks at 16 and 81 were both absolute out-of-the-park home runs, and that's what counts.

EDIT:

I have updated DJ James to an A from a B+ upon further reflection.

The value in the sixth is just too good to pass up regardless of positional need or whatever.

Keeping a B+ overall.

 

[Scout]

Interesting grades.

Here is my view on it.

Murphy A+: Great value, fills a need and helps year 1. Anytime you land a top ten talent that is great.

Hanyes A: Great value again, fills a need and ensures the Hawks don't have to do a committee at guard. He is most likely going to earn playing time sooner or later.

Knight B: In a very weak LB class Knight fits into what Mac wants to do on defense. Knight is exactly the type of LB needed to stop the run but needs to develop his pass coverage skills and stack and shed at the point of attack.

Barner B+: Barner is considered a run blocking TE but in truth he is a two way TE and he is surprisingly elusive in the open field.

Pritchett C+: Solid measurables and several NFCS teams scouted him heavily like the Falcons and Bucs. The Bucs have a taste for drafting Auburn players.

Laumea B+: Instantly upgrades interior OL positions but the team announced him as an OT. If the team see a lot of upside for Laumea at OT that makes this pick even better.

James: B-: Rangy DB that presumably is going to be playing nickel but I think Mac sees him as a chess piece for dime packages.

Jerrell C+: I do not know much about him but this indicates the team doesn't see Forsythe progressing as much as they wanted to. Forsythe was supposed to be developing but the team took two OTs that will be developing on the active roster and PS it seems. Not a good look for Forsythe IMO.

Overall draft grade I am going to say a solid B+.

Mac and JS have a plan to address trenches while adding players that can be developed on the defensive side of the ball for Mac's scheme.

 

[BigMeach]

I'm curious where we're getting this "limited upside as a receiver" on Barner from? Keep seeing people say that.

 

[seabowl]

Average draft with overall average talent of players available.

 

[Maelstrom787]

I'm curious where we're getting this "limited upside as a receiver" on Barner from? Keep seeing people say that.

Quite slow. Very heavy feet. Not going to stretch anyone vertically.

Like, slower than Dissly.

 

[Zybot]

Quite slow. Very heavy feet. Not going to stretch anyone vertically.

Like, slower than Dissly.

I think if you look at burst in the 5 yard window you would view him differently. Doesn’t have long speed but I think he is better than average in the short game

 

[Maelstrom787]

I think if you look at burst in the 5 yard window you would view him differently. Doesn’t have long speed but I think he is better than average in the short game

True, but that's the limited upside portion. He's only got so much room to realistically improve in that regard.

 

[BigMeach]

6'6 with quick feet and great hands but we're going to say he has limited upside as a receiver because he can't run long fast enough?

 

[bsuhawk]

Interesting grades.

Here is my view on it.

Murphy A+: Great value, fills a need and helps year 1. Anytime you land a top ten talent

Hanyes A: Great value again, fills a need and ensures the Hawks don't have to a committee a guard. He is most likely going to earn playing time sooner or later.

Knight B: In a very weak LB class Knight fits into what Mac wants to do on defense. Knight is exactly the type of LB needed to stop the run but needs to develop his pass coverage skills and stack and shed at the point of attack.

Barner B+: Barner is considered a run blocking TE but in truth he is a two way TE and he is surprisingly elusive in the open field.

Pritchett C+: Solid measurables and several NFCS teams scouted him heavily like the Falcons and Bucs. The Bucs have a taste for drafting Auburn players.

Laumea B+: Instantly upgrades interior OL positions but the team announced him as an OT. If the team see a lot of upside for Laumea at OT that makes this pick even better.

James: B-: Rangy DB that presumably is going to be playing nickel but I think Mac sees him as a chess piece for dime packages.

Jerrell C+: I do not know much about him but this indicates the team doesn't see Forsythe progressing as much as they wanted to. Forsythe was supposed to be developing but the team took two OTs that will be developing on the active roster and PS it seems. Not a good look for Forsythe IMO.

Overall draft grade I am going to say a solid B+.

Mac and JS has a plan to address trenches while adding players that can be developed on the defensive side of the ball for Mac's scheme.

I agree. I especially liked the way they tripled down on the Guards, especially in round six. IMHO improving the Guard position was Seattle's highest priority, so using multiple picks on Guards gets a big from me.

 

[Maelstrom787]

6'6 with quick feet and great hands but we're going to say he has limited upside as a receiver because he can't run long fast enough?

That's not exactly why I'm saying it. His feet, to me, appear quite heavy and I don't think he's much of a threat in the intermediate and deep ranges. He could be a goal line option, but that's where the "limited upside" portion comes from.

I don't see him developing into a receiving threat. His calling card is going to be in-line blocking and the occasional short yardage target. That qualifies as limited receiving upside to me.

Kind of an inverse Colby Parkinson.

 

[Appyhawk]

Ecstatic over the first two pics. I would have been happy with just our first pick. That was when they did little very well. After that was the more poorly part, like riding an exercise bike...going nowhere but having a good safe doing it. It wouldn't surprise me to see them find better in the UDFA pool.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

Ecstatic over the first two pics. I would have been happy with just our first pick. That was when they did little very well. After that was the more poorly part, like riding an exercise bike...going nowhere but having a good safe doing it. It wouldn't surprise me to see them find better in the UDFA pool.

They were probably smart to skip the 7th and start working the phones around early.

 

[BigMeach]

That's the great thing about being down on players. When the don't work out you can say "told you so" and when they do you get to be as happy about it as the rest of us.

 

[toffee]

Did John Schneider go celebrate off site with Ms Allen after the first two picks and let the boys in the draft room pick their personal favorites?

 

[CactusJack]

My favorite day three picks are DJ James (CB) & Sataoa Laumea (G).

Lance Zierlein had a 2nd round grade on James. A lot of positive reviews on that pick. It's viewed as a "steal" by many draft analysts.

Laumea is a solid depth piece on the IOL. He was given a 4th round grade by many.

I didn't do much of a deep dive on Tyrice Knight (LB). Not a whole lot of film of UTEP. So, I won't judge the pick too much.

AJ Barner (TE) is probably a Will Dissly/Parkinson replacement long-term. Which is fine. I don't have a problem with it. Especially on day three.

Jerrell (OT) looks like a late flyer on a developmental tackle prospect. He's probably a practice squad player for them.

Overall, I loved what they did the first two days. Murphy is a stud. Haynes is a plug & play starter at Right Guard. Both picks would get an A+ grade from me.

Day three was used to fill out the roster for the most part. They may have even gotten a starter or two out of it.

 

[Maelstrom787]

That's the great thing about being down on players. When the don't work out you can say "told you so" and when they do you get to be as happy about it as the rest of us.

That's definitely not why I'm doing this. Can't speak for others.

 

[Scout]

I think this draft reinforces one thing that is integral to Mac's D scheme. That is having nickel and dime DBs that can be mixed and matched for confusion against opposing offense. Defensive backfield is definitely the strength of the defensive side of the ball now.

 

[oldhawkfan]

I’m not even going to try to grade each pick individually. As a teacher, I know it’s way too early for grades. Grading now would be like me asking my students to write a what I did last summer paper and letting that be their grade for the semester.

What I am going to do is give this draft an overall evaluation. Unlike the previous two drafts, which were undeniably good to great for high profile positions, this was clearly a blue collar draft.

The perceived areas of need heading into this draft were:

Interior offensive line……check!
Defensive line help………..check!
Linebacker help……………..check!
Defensive back help……….check!

From a roster needs perspective, the most important boxes were checked.

Please don’t anyone come back with no QBOTF bs. That hole was filled prior to the draft by essentially the value of a 3rd round pick in Sam Howell.

All in all, a solid draft that helped fix the roster at needed positions. How they pan out won’t be known for months. As of now, I’m happy with the way the 2024 draft turned out for the Seahawks.

Bring on UDFA!!

 

[Chuckwow]

That's definitely not why I'm doing this. Can't speak for others.

Whether or not I personally agree with your every assessment is not important to me. Differing opinions are healthy and thought-provoking. I appreciate the effort you put into your posts and I like that you're unafraid to be a contrarian in staying true to your belief system. Thanks.

 

[Hawknight]

**DISCLAIMER -- READ THIS FIRST**

Draft grades do not matter, especially directly after the draft. Do not presume that I am saying my word is to be taken as gospel or that I think I know better than NFL evaluators. I am just sharing my thoughts as a fan of the sport and the draft.



1/16 -- Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas (A Grade)

Seahawks were spoiled for defensive choice at 16, and they took the guy with the highest upside. Interior defensive linemen who can legitimately crash a pocket and win on double teams are one of the most premium assets any team could have, and Murphy looks like a near sure-thing for the next level.

3/81 -- Christian Haynes, IOL, Uconn (A+ Grade)

No one expected Haynes to be available at 50, much less 81. Absurd value for a complete bastard with a Ph.D in playing guard. Plays angry with immense strength and is a likely day 1 starter.

4/118 -- Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP (D Grade)

Woof. Questionable value on a questionable prospect with limited upside. Not much of an athlete. Comes from a small school and is over-aged. Positional need is there and if MM likes him, it's worth it, but the prospect is a bit of a head-scratcher.

4/121 -- AJ Barner, TE, Michigan (D+ Grade)

Blocker with speed limitations who has limited upside as a receiver. He'll be the likely TE3 on the roster to start. They appear to want to run 13 personnel, but the value here is questionable and the potential upside is fairly low.

5/136 -- Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn (B- Grade)

Nehemiah is cool. Decent length, great speed, and has played a hell of a lot of football. He has questions in run support and suspect tackling, but you're getting real potential as a down-the-line CB2 in Pritchett. Value is about spot on. Could've gone a bit earlier on talent/profile.

6/179 -- Sataoa Laumea, RT/RG, Utah (B Grade)

This was ESPN's best guard available, Seahawks announced him as a tackle. He's played as a starting right tackle since 2022 for Utah, with significant experience at RG beforehand. He profiles more to guard due to shorter arms (32" 7/8). Not overly athletic but the play strength is very good, and he's coming into the league with a ton of playtime. Figures to provide great depth, and he was acquired for good value. Would've preferred WR here (either Rice or Washington) but I cannot complain.

6/192 -- DJ James, CB, Auburn (B+ Grade)

James was actually rated significantly above Pritchett on consensus big boards, and was expected to go 2.5 rounds prior (110th rank). Dane Brugler had a Round 3 grade on James. Another speedy corner. Fluid in press. Some questions in run support like his former and now current teammate Pritchett. Another pick representing extreme value. Still would've preferred Rice - his fall is perplexing.

6/207 -- Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay (D- Grade)

It's a D- for me, but those don't matter in the 200s where you're just saving guys from battling for them in the UDFA range. 644th on the consensus big board and we've already hammered the OL, but he did have buzz as a riser leading up to the draft and had multiple visits. I really question not taking someone like Michael Barrett or Brendan Rice here, although Rice is obviously falling for a reason. Christian Mahogany went right after to Detroit, and that might've been a better choice given that Mahogany was so touted coming out. That all being said, Jerrell is quite athletic outside of pedestrian agility. He's quite speedy. Developmental tackle prospect best suited to the right side with an option to slide him inside. I don't expect him to make the 53.



Overall, I'm giving this draft a B+. While I think day 3 had some really questionable selections and that we lost out on some true dawgs by chasing likely roster-fillers, the money picks at 16 and 81 were both absolute out-of-the-park home runs, and that's what counts.

He has spoken
Seriously..nice post!