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2011 NFL Draft Needs: Seattle Seahawks

by Garrett Falk

The Seattle Seahawks were the talk of the NFL heading into the playoffs this past season, but not for the right reasons. Seattle was the center for scrutiny after winning arguably the weakest division in football (NFC West) with a 7-9 record. The Seahawks earned the right to host the defending Super Bowl Champions in the Wild Card round of the playoffs in what many predicted would be a one-sided game. So how did Seattle face the criticism? The Seahawks went out and defeated the New Orleans Saints 41-36 in an exciting game.

Even though first-year head coach Pete Carroll made strides with Seattle in 2010, he still has a long way to go to earn respect from the NFL elite. Matt Hasselbeck showed his age this past season and it didn’t help that he battled injuries. His back-up, Charlie Whitehurst, led Seattle into the playoffs with a week 17 win over the St. Louis Rams, but there are still plenty of questions on whether he’s the quarterback of the future. Perhaps the best story in the NFL this past season, was the emergence of cast-off wide receiver Mike Williams. The former USC star finished the season with 65 catches and 751 yards. The Seahawks made a bold trade during the season to acquire running back Marshawn Lynch from the Buffalo Bills. With Lynch in the fold, Seattle now has a three-headed monster at running back along with Justin Forsett and Leon Washington. The Seahawks ranked 28th in yards per game last season so Carroll will have plenty of interesting decisions to make on offense.

Defensively, Seattle didn’t fare any better as it allowed 386.6 yards per game which was sixth highest total in the league. The main root for the problem once again came from the secondary, where the Seahawks’ had the sixth worst pass defense. Despite a stellar rookie season from safety Earl Thomas (five interceptions), Seattle needs to add a player or two at cornerback. Brandon Mebane and Raheem Brock are both free agents so the Seahawks will need to address defensive line at some point. I expect Mebane to return at defensive tackle, but Seattle needs to add a consistent pass rusher to its fold.

1. Cornerback: Kelly Jennings is a free agent and Seattle desperately needs to add a young corner to improve one of its weakest areas. The Seahawks have been in the bottom 10 of pass defense the past three seasons. With the 25th overall pick, Seattle is going to miss out on Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara, but it should have a good chance at the next group of players. Both Brandon Harris and Jimmy Smith should be available late in the first round.

2. Quarterback: I fully expect Seattle to re-sign the 35-year-old Hasselbeck to either start for another season or mentor a young prospect. The Seahawks need to address quarterback with one of their first two picks and I could even see them trading up to the top of the second round to do it. It’s said time and time again, a team’s success is driven by the signal caller and Seattle is due for an upgrade. If Jake Locker is available early in the second round, Carroll might push hard to move up and take the Washington product, who he is very familiar with. Other prospects that Seattle should look at include: Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder and Colin Kaepernick.

3. Defensive end: Seattle hasn’t had a legitimate pass rushing defensive end since the days of Patrick Kearney. Even then you could argue that Kearney only had one solid productive season (2007, 14 sacks). Chris Clemons is coming off a nice season, but the Seahawks could benefit greatly from adding a compliment player. Some second or third prospects that would be good fits for Seattle are: Jabaal Sheard, Sam Acho, Jeremy Beal and Ricky Elmore.

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