Before the first round concludes and I call it a night (as Detroit shocks both me and America by trading with Minnesota as I’m writing this), let’s take a look at Seattle’s second-round needs and some potential players that could be drafted to fill them:
**NOT IN ANY ORDER AND LINKS ARE TO EACH PLAYER’S N.F.L. SCOUTING COMBINE PAGE AT NFL.com.
Notice I didn’t put running back on the second-round board. Now that the big-name guys are gone, I feel that the drop off is that significant that the Seahawks should stomach the collective headache that is Julius Jones and Justin Forsett and wait till next year’s draft to try and snatch up Mark Ingram out of Alabama.
Make sure to check out www.SeahawksGab.com and over at www.twitter.com/DevonHeinen throughout the Draft as I'll bring you the latest news and analysis on Seattle's selections and potential moves.
The pick is in, and it’s Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham.
Gresham was the assumed pick by most prognosticators and talking heads since February. Bengals Gab did select him in the Gridiron Gab Mock. Other options could have been WR Dez Bryant or S Taylor Mays.
The Broncos have themselves a QB, as they made a move that is controversial to say the least, making a number of deals including one final one with the Ravens to move up to take Florida QB Tim Tebow. One of the greatest, if not the greatest college QB’s of all-time went ahead of Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. The 25th overall pick comes to Denver maybe with a shot to be an impact player in year one.
Strengths: Good height and outstanding bulk — Terrific athleticism — Excellent strength — Arm is strong enough to make all the throws — Can throw on the run — Shows some elusiveness — Can buy time in the pocket and make plays with his legs — Powerful runner — Extraordinarily competitive — Tough as nails — Fantastic work ethic — Smart — Has a ton of experience against top-notch competition — Incredible leader.
Weaknesses: Zero experience in a pro style offense — A long delivery and serious mechanical issues with his throwing motion — Has trouble throwing a tight spiral — Not overly accurate — Poor footwork — Will have to adjust to taking snaps from under center — Must learn how to read defenses and coverages — Marginal vision — Is too eager to run at times — Minor durability concerns — May have to learn a new position.
Notes: A three-year starter for the Gators — Regarded as one of the greatest players in college football history — Helped lead Florida to two BCS National Championships — Became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and was also a finalist in 2008 and 2009 — A three-time All-American (1st Team in 2007, 3rd Team in 2008 and 2nd Team in 2009) — Earned 1st Team All-SEC honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009 — A two-time winner of the Maxwell Award (2008 and 2009), given to the Collegiate Player of the Year — Winner of the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award in 2007 — Recipient of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, given to the most outstanding senior student-athlete, in 2009 — Elected a captain by his teammates as a junior and senior — Became the only player in NCAA history to ever rush and pass for more than 20 touchdowns in a single season in 2007 — Extremely active in the community and works intensively with a wide assortment of charitable foundations — Has traveled to the Philippines for mission trips on a number of occasions — Could also project to Tight End, H-Back or Fullback at the next level — Physical style of play has led to his body taking quite a pounding over the years — Product of Urban Meyer’s spread system, which did little or nothing to prepare him for the pros — Has the physical tools to play quarterback in the NFL and intangibles are second to none but is basically a raw ball of clay at this point — A long-term project who will likely require at least 2-3 years of development but can contribute in other ways in the meantime — Will probably be selected earlier than he should be based on his impressive college résumé and absolutely impeccable character — Just might go down as the most controversial prospect in the history of the NFL Draft
The Cowboys took no chances in the 2010 NFL Draft on Thursday, as they made a deal with the New England Patriots to move up to the #24 spot to grab the best wide out in the draft – OK State’s Dez Bryant. He missed most of his senior year in college due to a deal where he spoke to an alleged agent, but that’s over and the Cowboys now have a big name guy that can come in and make an impact.
Here’s Bryant’s scouting report from Draft Countdown: Strengths: Excellent size with long arms — Outstanding athlete — Plays fast with good acceleration and a burst — Soft hands and will make the difficult catch — Aggressive with terrific ball skills and body control — Fantastic leaping ability — Strong and Physical — Knows how to get open, separate and use his big frame — Great agility and balance and does not go down easy — Elusive runner with nice vision and instincts — Is tough and not afraid to go across the middle — Competitive — Above average blocker — Can also contribute as a return man — Productive.
Weaknesses: Immature — Unreliable — Just average timed speed — Not a polished route runner — Lapses in focus and concentration — Must adjust to a pro style system — Intelligence may be an issue — Limited experience. Notes: Started 19 games in three seasons with the Cowboys — A consensus All-American selection in 2008 — Named 1st Team All-Big 12 as a wide receiver and return man in 2008 — Honored as the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2008 — Averaged 19.6 yards with 3 touchdowns on 22 punt returns and 23.8 yards on 6 kick returns in college —Product of a very rough upbringing — Was a high school All-American but struggled in the classroom, in part due to a learning disability — Was ruled ineligible for most of the 2009 season after lying to NCAA investigators about his interactions with mentor Deion Sanders — Rare talent with the physical tools to be a gamebreaker at the next level but shaky intangibles could threaten his ability to fulfill that promise — Every bit as good of a prospect as Michael Crabtree was — Potentially a true #1 target in the NFL — Legitimate Top 10 Pick.
He is a squatty, quick-footed athlete that can roll his hips to redirect and adjust to movement or sink his hips to hunker down against a powerful bull rush by big nose tackles. He is quick with his first step after the snap and quick to get a fit with his hands but will let his weight get too far forward at times. Pouncey had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in May of 2009 and durability could become a concern down the road.
The center is 6-4, 304 pounds. Here’s his scouting report from NFL Draft Countdown:
Strengths: Prototypical size — Excellent athlete — Nimble feet — Great balance, agility and quickness — Smart — Terrific instincts and awareness — Is very strong, physical and aggressive — Understands positioning and angles — Consistently out leverages opponents — Stout at the point of attack — Gets a good push in the run game — Mobile with terrific range to pull and get to the second level — Competitive and a finisher who plays with a nasty demeanor — Tough — Hard Worker — Team Leader — Versatile — Has a lot of experience against top competition.
Weaknesses: Shorter arms than you’d prefer — Trouble sustaining blocks — Gets caught reaching and lunging at times — Some issues adjusting in space — Too aggressive on occasion — Most snaps were shotgun and will have to adjust to a traditional offense — Minor durability concerns.
Notes: Was a three-year starter for the Gators — Named 1st Team All-SEC and a 2nd Team All-American in 2009 — Won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center in 2009 — “Maurkice” is his middle name, first name is actually “LaShawn” — Has a twin brother, Mike, who also plays at Florida and will be one of the top interior offensive line prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft — Missed a few games with an ankle injury in 2007 — Underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder prior to the 2009 season — Saw extensive action at both center and guard in college and could project to either position at the next level — Is the total package with a well-rounded game and an ideal blend of physical tools and intangibles — As good as any pivot prospect to come along in recent years — Legitimate first round talent.
Strengths: Excellent height and bulk — Huge frame with long arms — Outstanding strength — Physical and aggressive — Superb athlete with good quickness and agility — Mobile with great range — Dominant once locked on — Uses his hands well — Explosive with a violent initial punch — Stout at the point of attack — Gets a terrific push in the run game — Appears to be a natural knee bender — Wide base and nice balance — Has a mean streak and finishes his blocks — Solid instincts and awareness — Intense and Competitive — Hard Worker — Team Leader — Offers positional versatility — Still has considerable upside.
Weaknesses: Is still raw and learning the game — Footwork and technique will need refinement — Feet aren’t overly nimble — Concentration will lapse at times — Has some trouble in space — Gets caught reaching — Minor communication issues — Did not always play against elite competition.
Notes: Last name is pronounced “EYE-u-pah-tee” — Was a three-year starter and a team captain for the Vandals — A consensus 1st Team All-American in 2009 — Named 2nd Team All-WAC in 2008 and 1st Team in 2009 — Played both guard and tackle in college and could project to either position at the next level — Younger brother, Andrew, plays defensive tackle for the Oregon Ducks — Didn’t begin playing football until he moved to California from American Samoa when he was 14-years-old — English is his second language, which led to some academic problems and him being lightly recruited by major programs out of high school — Sat out the 2005 season while getting his grades in order — Missed some time with a shoulder injury in 2008, which eventually required off-season surgery — Didn’t allow a single sack as a senior — Fantastic blocker with a rare blend of size and athleticism who hasn’t yet reached his full potential — Legitimate 1st Round talent.
Heading into the 2009 season, nobody was quite sure what to expect from Derrick Morgan. He certainly has the look of an NFL defensive end at 6-4 and 272 pounds and his numbers in 2008 were pretty good. However, that was with a defensive line that included Michael Johnson, Darryl Richard and Vance Walker (all draftees in the 2009 NFL Draft). In that season, Morgan totaled 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks, but that was with the opposition worrying about everybody else on the line and Morgan went largely unnoticed.
NFL scouts wanted to see what Morgan could do in 2009 when this was his defensive line; so far, he has not disappointed. Through nine games, Morgan has tallied 37 tackles and leads the team with 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks. He is not getting much help from the rest of the line as nobody else on the team has more than 1.5 sacks.
Morgan is still just a junior, but he has proven that he can be a dominating defensive end in the NFL. Morgan should be a first-team All-ACC player in 2009 and he can use that to propel himself into the first couple of rounds of the NFL Draft. However, he is still relatively inexperienced and will only have two real seasons of playing time under his belt. If he opts to return for his senior season, Morgan will get much more attention.
With the 14th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Texas FS Earl Thomas. He is an excellent athlete who has good hips and quickness for the safety position. He is a solid open-field tackler, leveraging the ball well in the open field. He is an instinctive player who anticipates break points well to make plays in the passing game.
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