A wrap-up of the Seattle Seahawks draft.
Best move: Trading down in the first round. At No. 26, there was no obvious choice for general manager John Schneider. The Seahawks wisely moved back five spots and picked up an extra third-round selection from the Denver Broncos. The strength of this draft class was its depth. As always, some picks will work out, and others won't. But given that the Seahawks had several viable options at No. 26, it made sense to give themselves another shot at a top-100 player. They ended up taking Texas A&M offensive tackle Germain Ifedi at No. 31 and using the third-round selection on Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett.
Riskiest move: Drafting Ifedi in the first round. There's a lot to like about him. From a size and athleticism standpoint, Ifedi has what the Seahawks are looking for. But he's far from a sure thing. Ifedi didn't often have to line up in a three-point stance and fire off the ball in college. His tape was inconsistent, and there's plenty of room for growth and development. Even offensive line coach Tom Cable admitted that Ifedi is "raw fundamentally." The pick made sense from an upside and need perspective, but the Seahawks haven't exactly hit home runs with their offensive line personnel decisions in the past.
Most surprising move: Who saw them using three of their 10 draft picks at running back? The Seahawks took Notre Dame's C.J. Prosise in the third round. They drafted Arkansas' Alex Collins in the fifth. And they spent a seventh-round pick on Clemson's Zac Brooks. Addressing running back depth was a priority entering the draft, but the Seahawks spent a lot of capital at the position, especially considering they already have a starter in Thomas Rawls. Prosise and Collins bring different skill sets to the table, and Brooks will be battling for a roster spot.
File it away: There's a good chance that the Seahawks could see an immediate impact from their Day 3 picks. Quinton Jefferson had 6.5 sacks for Maryland last year and could provide the defense with some interior pass rush. Michael Bennett is one of the best interior pass-rushers in the NFL, and Pete Carroll mentioned Bennett's name specifically when describing Jefferson's skill set. He'll be competing with Jordan Hill, but Jefferson could carve out a nice role alongside Bennett in the Seahawks' sub packages.
The other name to keep an eye on is TCU center Joey Hunt. The organization seems to believe that he's an intelligent, polished player capable of pushing Patrick Lewis for the starting job
Thumbs up: The Seahawks' top priority going into the draft was to address the offensive line, and they did that. For the second consecutive year, they selected three offensive linemen: Ifedi in the first, Boise State's Rees Odhiambo in the third and Hunt in the sixth. On the defensive side of the ball, they filled needs with Reed as a run-stuffer and Jefferson as an interior pass-rusher. Taking three running backs was a bit puzzling, but the Seahawks now have options in the event that Rawls suffers a setback rehabbing from the fractured ankle or has different injury issues.
Entering the draft, the Seahawks were the favorites to get to the Super Bowl out of the NFC, according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. They filled their holes nicely in the draft and have assembled a roster capable of competing for another Lombardi Trophy.