Rat
Well-known member
Every year, I participate in a 7-round interactive mock on another message board with 32 other people. Like most years, I ran the Seahawks.
Here are my results:
2(56): Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern State
Run-stuffing DT was a big priority for me, and while I didn't necessarily zero in on that with my first selection, I didn't see a better choice available on the board at any position. Kahseem Greene and DJ Swearinger were two guys I passed on who get a good amount of fanfare around here, but I liked the upside on Williams, although I'm not going to pretend that I've ever seen him play. Even living in Missouri, I don't get access to Missouri Southern State games.
3(87): Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
This may have been a luxury pick, but I couldn't resist, and besides, this team has drafted so well in recent years that they can afford a few luxury picks. I've seen a fair amount of West Virginia games the past few years, and Bailey always stood out to me. He's extremely reliable and always seems to be open. It's hard to argue with the insane production that he's put up as well. Even if we have a few other wideouts of similar size to Bailey, I think he's a future star, and if you feel that way about a player, I don't see why you pass on him in the third round (unless he's projected as a 6-7 round guy and you're certain you can get him a round later, but that doesn't apply to Bailey). One thing about this selection, however, that may get me some ridicule on this board is that I took him ahead of Ryan Swope, who has a growing fan club around here. Buffalo moved up to grab Swope four picks after I passed on him. I like both, but I like Bailey's all-around game better.
4(123): Jelani Jenkins, OLB, Florida
Looked studly his first two seasons, but fell off the map last year when he was battling a number of injuries. He may be a bit undersized, but he's very athletic and powerful, and plays both the run and the pass well. I think he's a worthy gamble, and at the very least, provides us quality depth at one of the few places where we're lacking it.
5(138): Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio State
Fragel was a TE who was moved by Urban Meyer to OT during his senior season. I thought Fragel looked like a natural, and played very well for one of the best rushing teams in college football last season. The physical tools are all there, but he needs a lot of refinement, which is to be expected for somebody who has only been playing the position for a year. Fortunately, we have one of the best OL coaches in the business.
5(158): Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
Another guy who switched positions late in his career, Kasa was a big-time recruit as a DE, but moved to TE during his junior year. It's unfortunate that Kasa has become known more for his comments that ignited the controversy over potential homophobic comments being asked by teams during the combine interview process than anything he's done on the field, because he's a very impressive pro prospect. He's extremely gifted physically with an excellent size-strength-speed combination. It's also unfortunate that Kasa played for hands-down the worst BCS conference school over the past few seasons, so he wasn't able to display his gifts often enough. He holds up well in the run game and has a lot of potential on special teams, so he should still be useful early on while he refines his receiving skills.
6(194): Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton
I've always had a thing for Ivy League players, and like looking for high-upside pass rushers late in the draft, so this pick made sense for me. Catapano looks at the part at 6'4" 271 (ran a 4.75 40), and was insanely productive in college, albeit at a small school in a conference that isn't well-known for cranking out high-end NFL players. Still, it's better than if he wasn't insanely productive against that competition. I believe he's on our list of guys who have been brought in for a workout, so he's at least caught somebody's eye in our organization.
7(220): Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida
I think he's one of the better kicker prospects in recent years, as he does everything you want a kicker to do. He's clutch, consistent, and has a powerful leg with great range. I was surprised that I was the first to draft a kicker in this thing, and that the first kicker didn't go off the board until the 7th round. Hopkins is a great kicker prospect as well, but I'm a touch more confident that Sturgis will become a great pro.
7(231): Kerwynn Williams, RB, Utah State
I had bookmarked this pick for Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead, who I think is being criminally underlooked, but couldn't believe that Williams was still on the board. He's very explosive, agile, and is a big threat in the receiving game, as well as the return game. I think he could be our Darren Sproles, which would be extremely difficult to pass up in the 7th round.
7(241): Gilbert Pena, DT, Ole Miss
Big run stuffer (6'3" 330) and played well last season for a team that improved tremendously against the run compared to the season prior. Considering our lack of run stuffers, he felt like a worthy pick this late.
7(242): Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech
I always like to draft a QB somewhere, and am surprised that I waited so long to grab one this year. Doege was a guy who impressed me when I watched him last year. It can be difficult to gauge the NFL prospects of a guy who plays in an offense like Texas Tech's, but Doege possesses good arm strength, great accuracy, and appears to be a fine leader.
Overall, I'm happy with the talent I acquired in this mock. I may have gone a bit heavy on the highly-developmental prospects, meaning that a draft class like this would unlikely provide great immediate returns, but with the caliber of our current starting roster, there aren't a lot of places where a rookie is going to realistically have an huge impact impact.
Here are my results:
2(56): Brandon Williams, DT, Missouri Southern State
Run-stuffing DT was a big priority for me, and while I didn't necessarily zero in on that with my first selection, I didn't see a better choice available on the board at any position. Kahseem Greene and DJ Swearinger were two guys I passed on who get a good amount of fanfare around here, but I liked the upside on Williams, although I'm not going to pretend that I've ever seen him play. Even living in Missouri, I don't get access to Missouri Southern State games.
3(87): Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia
This may have been a luxury pick, but I couldn't resist, and besides, this team has drafted so well in recent years that they can afford a few luxury picks. I've seen a fair amount of West Virginia games the past few years, and Bailey always stood out to me. He's extremely reliable and always seems to be open. It's hard to argue with the insane production that he's put up as well. Even if we have a few other wideouts of similar size to Bailey, I think he's a future star, and if you feel that way about a player, I don't see why you pass on him in the third round (unless he's projected as a 6-7 round guy and you're certain you can get him a round later, but that doesn't apply to Bailey). One thing about this selection, however, that may get me some ridicule on this board is that I took him ahead of Ryan Swope, who has a growing fan club around here. Buffalo moved up to grab Swope four picks after I passed on him. I like both, but I like Bailey's all-around game better.
4(123): Jelani Jenkins, OLB, Florida
Looked studly his first two seasons, but fell off the map last year when he was battling a number of injuries. He may be a bit undersized, but he's very athletic and powerful, and plays both the run and the pass well. I think he's a worthy gamble, and at the very least, provides us quality depth at one of the few places where we're lacking it.
5(138): Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio State
Fragel was a TE who was moved by Urban Meyer to OT during his senior season. I thought Fragel looked like a natural, and played very well for one of the best rushing teams in college football last season. The physical tools are all there, but he needs a lot of refinement, which is to be expected for somebody who has only been playing the position for a year. Fortunately, we have one of the best OL coaches in the business.
5(158): Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado
Another guy who switched positions late in his career, Kasa was a big-time recruit as a DE, but moved to TE during his junior year. It's unfortunate that Kasa has become known more for his comments that ignited the controversy over potential homophobic comments being asked by teams during the combine interview process than anything he's done on the field, because he's a very impressive pro prospect. He's extremely gifted physically with an excellent size-strength-speed combination. It's also unfortunate that Kasa played for hands-down the worst BCS conference school over the past few seasons, so he wasn't able to display his gifts often enough. He holds up well in the run game and has a lot of potential on special teams, so he should still be useful early on while he refines his receiving skills.
6(194): Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton
I've always had a thing for Ivy League players, and like looking for high-upside pass rushers late in the draft, so this pick made sense for me. Catapano looks at the part at 6'4" 271 (ran a 4.75 40), and was insanely productive in college, albeit at a small school in a conference that isn't well-known for cranking out high-end NFL players. Still, it's better than if he wasn't insanely productive against that competition. I believe he's on our list of guys who have been brought in for a workout, so he's at least caught somebody's eye in our organization.
7(220): Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida
I think he's one of the better kicker prospects in recent years, as he does everything you want a kicker to do. He's clutch, consistent, and has a powerful leg with great range. I was surprised that I was the first to draft a kicker in this thing, and that the first kicker didn't go off the board until the 7th round. Hopkins is a great kicker prospect as well, but I'm a touch more confident that Sturgis will become a great pro.
7(231): Kerwynn Williams, RB, Utah State
I had bookmarked this pick for Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead, who I think is being criminally underlooked, but couldn't believe that Williams was still on the board. He's very explosive, agile, and is a big threat in the receiving game, as well as the return game. I think he could be our Darren Sproles, which would be extremely difficult to pass up in the 7th round.
7(241): Gilbert Pena, DT, Ole Miss
Big run stuffer (6'3" 330) and played well last season for a team that improved tremendously against the run compared to the season prior. Considering our lack of run stuffers, he felt like a worthy pick this late.
7(242): Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech
I always like to draft a QB somewhere, and am surprised that I waited so long to grab one this year. Doege was a guy who impressed me when I watched him last year. It can be difficult to gauge the NFL prospects of a guy who plays in an offense like Texas Tech's, but Doege possesses good arm strength, great accuracy, and appears to be a fine leader.
Overall, I'm happy with the talent I acquired in this mock. I may have gone a bit heavy on the highly-developmental prospects, meaning that a draft class like this would unlikely provide great immediate returns, but with the caliber of our current starting roster, there aren't a lot of places where a rookie is going to realistically have an huge impact impact.
