Youboty, Jennings could be the Seahawks’ targets

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, April 26, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
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The NFL Draft is just three days away, and the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks seem to know exactly what they need to further improve their team. With the 31st overall selection in the first round this Saturday, the Seahawks are in prime position to grab a starting-caliber cornerback in a draft packed with good ones.

The Seahawks lost key contributor Andre Dyson because of cap constraints, so it's clear that they need to find his replacement this weekend. Currently, the Seahawks' starters are Kelly Herndon and Marcus Trufant, and nobody's complaining about that, but they could use a solid rotational guy who can play the nickel. That, of course, is where this weekend's first round comes into play.

For the Seahawks, two possibilities come to mind that are legitimate options with the 31st pick. First of all, there's former Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Ashton Youboty. At the scouting combine in February, Youboty ran a solid 4.43 40-yard dash. At 5-11 and 190 pounds, Youboty has excellent size for a cornerback, and he has history on his side as well. The Minnesota Vikings' Antoine Winfield and the Buffalo Bills' Nate Clements were the last two Buckeyes corners to be drafted in the first round, and both have turned into elite players at the NFL level. There's no reason why Youboty can't or won't do the same.

The second cornerback on the Seattle Seahawks' draft board is Kelly Jennings, formerly of the University of Miami. In his career at Miami, Jennings was often regarded as one of the finest defensive players on his team, if not the finest. At 5-10, 178 pounds, Jennings is smaller than Youboty, but he betters the Ohio State corner in the 40, as he ran a 4.39. Jennings is a good playmaker, but he can often be a liability against the run and in coverage. Think of him as a newer version of the Houston Texans' Philip Buchanon, who also attended Miami. Both are solid players who force turnovers, but can also be beaten. Still, since Jennings would be the nickel corner for the Seahawks as a rookie, he'd be more than adequate.

Of course, the best pick for the Seattle Seahawks this weekend with the 31st pick will be Youboty, but if he's gone, Jennings will be a fine choice as well. The Seahawks--who could have won the Super Bowl last year had the officiating been decent--are ready once again to make a run at the elite; the cornerback position will certainly be at the fore of their defense in their run next season.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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