Salk: Ranking Seahawks’ 5 options with the No. 5 overall pick

The Seahawks acquired their cake. That’s cool and all, however they need to eat it too.

Seahawks Draft: Newest buzz on buying and selling up for QB, DT Jalen Carter

Sure, they obtained one of many final items in NFL historical past when the Broncos traded them a first-round choose that was broadly assumed to be close to the tip of the spherical, solely to fully implode and end with the league’s fifth worst file. Nobody predicted it will work out that effectively, nevertheless it did. Sadly, they’re taking a look at a situation the place that choose may not be price far more than the three or 4 that come after it.

If three quarterbacks go within the first 4 spots, that “nightmare” would come to fruition. Assuming lots of the mock draft consultants are right, we may possible see quarterbacks Bryce Younger, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson and defensive lineman Will Anderson all taken earlier than the Seahawks are on the clock. That would go away them with a couple of selections, none of them ideally suited.

Selection 1: Choose Jalen Carter

Should you had introduced this feature a couple of months in the past, Seahawks followers would have fallen out of their seats with shock and glee. Carter is a monster, consuming up offensive linemen and making performs everywhere in the line of scrimmage. Whereas he’s versatile sufficient to play everywhere in the defensive entrance, he fills Seattle’s main want as an inside defender and is likely to be essentially the most gifted participant on this draft.

However an off-field incident adopted by a horrible professional day have fully modified that view. It’s one factor to take a personality danger on a second-round choose, however within the high 5? That is the place you’re presupposed to get blue chippers – particularly while you aren’t choosing a quarterback. That is presupposed to be the realm of the all-but-guaranteed. Whereas Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has labored wonders with younger males and really believes he may help them develop as individuals, he hasn’t made that guess with as a lot capital as this choose is price. Additionally, Pete has helped gamers mature and develop off the sphere, however the larger concern with Carter is the load achieve and conditioning points that counsel he may not be as devoted to his craft as he must be.

As of right now, this might be my selection. I wouldn’t essentially really feel assured however I’d quite swing for the fences than mitigate danger with a choose that basically was a bonus.

Possibility 2: Choose Will Levis

He has an enormous arm and he can run, so the comparisons of the Kentucky QB to Josh Allen are pretty pure. These measurables make me surprise if Seahawks normal supervisor John Schneider sees him in the identical manner he noticed Allen and Patrick Mahomes, however Levis strikes me as a type of quarterbacks who has all the proper items however can’t flip them right into a completed puzzle. Primarily, he’s extra like Jake Locker than Allen.

I perceive that the massive arms get NFL alternatives. The professional recreation requires sufficient arm power to make troublesome throws into tighter home windows in opposition to sooner defenders. Arm power issues, nevertheless it’s nugatory with out accuracy, determination making and processing velocity. And whilst you may be capable to train and coach the primary two, I feel the third is likely to be innate. Allen and Mahomes each have a pure really feel to the sport. Tthey perceive the circulation and anticipate what’s to return. That appears to be missing for Levis and so it will be close to unimaginable for me to make use of the fifth choose to pick out him.

Possibility 3: Choose Tyree Wilson (or one other edge rusher)

That is the most secure choose. Wilson, an out of doors linebacker from Texas Tech, is reported to have glorious make-up, ideally suited dimension for a defensive finish within the Seahawks’ 3-4 entrance, and room to enhance. He’s coming off a foot damage so we’re nonetheless ready to see how he exams, nevertheless it must be off the charts for him to have the upside of a top-five choice. In line with ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, he’s stout and units an edge however isn’t possible a premier go rusher. NFL.com sees him as a 12 months one starter however not essentially a Professional Bowl participant except he can develop into his body and enhance his abilities.

I like the concept of Wilson, and if the Seahawks do their analysis on Carter and resolve he isn’t salvageable, then this might in all probability be my subsequent selection although it has the texture of a 6-10 choose quite than the very high of the draft.

Possibility 4: Commerce again

This could damage. I do know it’s a risk and it’d even be the “proper” factor to do if there’s no clear and apparent selection obtainable. Possibly you possibly can transfer again a couple of picks and nonetheless get a participant equal to what you’d discover at No. 5, however it will really feel like a whole waste of a uncommon alternative so as to add the sort of elite expertise usually reserved for the worst groups. Sure, additional third-rounders are useful, however they’re usually used as both lottery tickets or for lower-upside starters, and later-round picks hit even much less usually. I’d be dissatisfied in the event that they commerce again.

As you possibly can see, the Seahawks may discover themselves in a troublesome spot: drafting fifth in a draft with 4 gamers that take advantage of sense for his or her crew. Sub-optimal for certain.

However you might keep in mind I stated I wished them to have their cake and eat it too. So if this situation is more likely to happen, why not attempt to remove it? Why not refuse to accept what’s left over and take issues into your individual palms? Why not attempt for…

Possibility 5: Commerce up!

To take action, the Seahawks must commerce up into the highest 4. It wouldn’t be straightforward – three of the groups drafting forward of Seattle (Carolina, Houston and Indy) desperately want quarterbacks, and the fourth (Arizona) is in your division – however you completely have the capital to make it occur. Relying on which chart you seek the advice of, it will take a second- or third-round choose to maneuver up these two spots. The unique Jimmy Johnson chart suggests a 500-point distinction, and the Seahawks’ second-rounder from Denver is price 530 factors. The revised Wealthy Hill mannequin sees a 46-point distinction, fairly near the 52-point worth of Seattle’s third-rounder.

Possibly you’d have to throw in a late spherical choose to beat the intra-division hesitancy, however rumors persist that the Cardinals would favor to commerce with a quarterback-needy crew and I’d hope they’d belief their very own plan quite than merely attempting to foil a rival.

Attending to No. 3 wouldn’t be prohibitively costly and it may assure the Seahawks a participant they actually like (assuming there may be one). Possibly that is likely one of the three high quarterbacks or possibly it’s Will Anderson. But when their present choices aren’t good, why not surrender marginal worth to enhance your scenario?

Possibly there shall be a draft day shock and issues will work out higher for the Seahawks than they seem right now. Possibly I’m fallacious (wouldn’t be an enormous shock!) and they’re 100% bought on one of many choices more likely to be obtainable the place they choose. However based mostly on what I see right now, I’d commerce up.

In fact, I’ve three weeks to vary my thoughts.

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