My draft grades

[HawkinNY]

It’s funny everyone is just repeating some version of what they heard from a so called “expert” about these players. Really no one knows.

 

[Chawker]

You did a good job Mael, your individual grades were real close to true but, your overall grade was to high for me.

Cheers

 

[Ozzy]

**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.

We see it very similarly. The second half of the draft seemed a little weird with some good players on the board at positions of need but I also think they deserve the benefit of the doubt. The first two are so good that this draft has a high probability of being a home run draft. For YEARS I hated their drafting but for the past 3 or so the process seems much better.

 

[CactusJack]

DT Byron Murphy- A+
OG Christian Haynes- A+
LB Tyrice Knight- C
TE AJ Barner- B
CB Nehemiah Pritchett- B
OG Sataoa Laumea- B+
CB DJ James- A
OT Mike Jerrell- C


The Knight pick (4th Round) is a reach for me. I don't love the value for someone with his profile. Athletic traits but raw. He went earlier than expected.

Lance Zierlein had a 2nd round grade on James. Dane Brugler (Athletic) had him in the 3rd. It's great value in the 6th Round.

Jerrell is a lottery ticket in the 7th Round. Practice squad is likely in his future.

 

[Chawker]

I thought if we would of selected Grey at 102 and Hicks at 118 we'd be in a much better place as a team. But this is just me talking.

Cheers

 

[BASF]

One thing to bear in mind regarding draft grades is that communication is massive in regards to picking a player. There are maybe 5% of the draft "experts" that are the basis for most of these grades that have actually spoken to any of these players. In regards to Knight, Macdonald said that when they talked he was impressed with how he sees the game. That Knight was moving where the ball was going before anyone else on the field. I doubt anyone remembers my post after the Ravens game, but one of the things that stood out the most to me was Roquan was always going to where the ball was going even when everything was misdirection and blowing up a promising play. Knight does not have the physical gifts of Roquan, but if he has that ability, as our own Lofa did, he will be a hell of a player. When Lofa was paired with a really good DT from Texas, we rode that defensive improvement to the Super Bowl. Could lightning strike twice with Murphy playing Tubbs?

 

[sc85sis]

I have no clue whether any of these guys will pan out. Way too early for that.

After hearing his interview, I’m definitely pulling for our last pick, Michael Jerrell to develop and make it. He just seems like a great kid.

Micheal Jerrell post draft phone interview.

www.seahawks.net

 

[SPOHAWK]

NFL.Com says B

 

[Lennie]

After first two picks, Staton says He seems cranky.

 

[CactusJack]

 

[toffee]

It’s funny everyone is just repeating some version of what they heard from a so called “expert” about these players. Really no one knows.

Including most YouTubers that talked as if they knew.

 

[12AngryHawks]

View attachment 66088

A "D" for Barner?

 

[Kamcussionator]

A "D" for Barner?

That's what I was thinking. Pretty graphic though. It must be legit...

 

[Hawkinaz]

It really is comical that people are concerned about draft grades based on some internet yahoo which has zero value all that matters is what happens from here on out all the players acquired will be starting fresh

May we have a team of John Randle’s (UDFA who became a HOF member who first entered the league as a 245 lb Defensive tackle)

 

[Shane Falco]

Well I am not expecting much. I talk myself into seeing something in some of these guys every year and they don't amount to much if anything. Ever since they scored Kam and Sherman in 2011/12 they really haven't got much out of rounds 4-7. Jury is still out on these last couple drafts, we'll see.

 

[Maelstrom787]

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.

 

[Maelstrom787]

You did a good job Mael, your individual grades were real close to true but, your overall grade was to high for me.

Cheers

Thanks, Chawker. It would average closer to a C+ if I weighted all the picks equally, but I think about 80% of the grade should be placed on the first two selections given the value of those draft picks and liked those first two so much that the draft realistically couldn't dip below B for me.

 

[Maelstrom787]

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.

I agree. It's what makes discussion worthwhile. We're all just jokers compared to the pros, just on the basis of them having more information than we'll ever be in a position to receive. Interviews, talking to college coaches, private workouts, detailed medical workups, etc.

Football is beautiful in that way, though, as its almost infinite in the level of complexity that can be analyzed even on an amateur level.

Regarding belief systems - Pete taught me more about belief systems than maybe anyone else. I'll miss that guy. He taught me more about life than football in that he was meandering until he figured out his belief system and lived authentically to it without compromise - and it led to his success. I'm a much different person than Pete personality-wise, but those lessons are going to stick with me forever. Figure out who you are and never waver from it. What's the point otherwise?

 

[Maelstrom787]

It’s funny everyone is just repeating some version of what they heard from a so called “expert” about these players. Really no one knows.

This is true. I tried to openly acknowledge this by putting a strong disclaimer at the beginning that draft grades do not matter at all.

No one knows. No one can know yet - but isn't discussing each pick and whether or not you were a fan of it kind of the point? The draft became primetime entertainment pretty much for that reason alone.

 

[bileever]

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.

I feel the way a lot of people do about the first two picks versus the rest of the draft. Like a lot of us, I had been hoping for Murphy from the start and was ecstatic as all those QBs and offensive draft picks pushed the top defensive players onto our lap. (And thank god it wasn't Laiatu Latu!)

As for Christian Haynes, he was the number one ranked guard in the draft (nfldraftbuzz.com) and predicted by many to go in the top 50 and even as early as the first round (profootballnetwork.com called him a "fringe first rounder"). He would have been a good pick as the best available player, but he also filled a huge need.

As for the rest of the draft, I didn't see that much to get excited about. I'm hoping that the Michigan connection (remember, Jay Harbaugh was the Michigan TE coach in 2021) provided some insight into AJ Barner that others didn't have. Like everyone else, I feel that Tyrese Knight may have been a reach. Why pick the 18th ranked linebacker at that point when only 7 linebackers had been taken? Obviously someone in the front office/scouting department felt strongly about this guy, and I hope that whoever it was is right.