By Alex Halverson
With the conclusion of the NFL Draft, the first whiff of the football season has come and gone. Nothing is more exciting than the Seahawks building for the future and making a first round pick for the first time since picking Bruce Irvin back in 2012. The team had traded away their first round picks in the previous three years.
The Seahawks offensive line has faced scrutiny in the team’s recent seasons. Even when the team won the Super Bowl, the offensive line was widely considered their weakest unit. None of the starting offensive linemen from that championship remain on the roster today. For this reason, the Seahawks used the 31st overall pick to select Texas A&M University offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
The pick has garnered mixed reviews, but the need to strengthen the line was too great. Ifedi’s sheer size, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 325 pounds, is enough to get anyone excited.
"The Seahawks were not done either, drafting two more running backs during the course of the draft."
The second day of the draft started with a power move to trade up and snatch University of Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed, a welcome pick to fill the shoes left by Brandon Mebane in the defensive line; I personally found this, along with their fourth overall pick of Ohio State University tight end Nick Vannett, were the most exciting picks of the draft.
Slated by some to be a first round pick, Reed was an absolute steal for the Seahawks. While garnering the reputation as a subpar pass rusher, his run-defending abilities were heralded throughout his college career. He was charged with a DUI in 2014, but has since faced no legal troubles. Pete Carroll has gained a reputation for being a coach who can bring the best of players with previous off-field transgressions and the Seahawks wouldn’t have drafted someone without doing their homework.
The Seahawks third and fifth overall picks of Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise and Boise State University guard Rees Odhiambo were enough to round out a solid day of draft picks.
While I’m more than happy with running back Thomas Rawls’ performance during Marshawn Lynch’s injury-plagued final season, adding another running back to the roster is always good and can offer more options. The Seahawks were not done either, drafting two more running backs during the course of the draft. University of Arkansas’ Alex Collins and Clemson University’s Zac Brooks should make the competition for roster spots this summer interesting in a suddenly crowded backfield.
In all the Seahawks made 10 picks over the weekend. The team traded up twice, equaling the number of times they had done so in the past six years, according to the Seattle Times.While there is no guarantee that all 10 of this weekend’s selections will even be on the active roster by the time the regular season begins, each one of them represents hope that the Seahawks have struck gold again in the draft and will be making a return to the Super Bowl very soon.
By Alex Halverson
With the conclusion of the NFL Draft, the first whiff of the football season has come and gone. Nothing is more exciting than the Seahawks building for the future and making a first round pick for the first time since picking Bruce Irvin back in 2012. The team had traded away their first round picks in the previous three years.
The Seahawks offensive line has faced scrutiny in the team’s recent seasons. Even when the team won the Super Bowl, the offensive line was widely considered their weakest unit. None of the starting offensive linemen from that championship remain on the roster today. For this reason, the Seahawks used the 31st overall pick to select Texas A&M University offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
The pick has garnered mixed reviews, but the need to strengthen the line was too great. Ifedi’s sheer size, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 325 pounds, is enough to get anyone excited.
