Seahawks have good options in second and third rounds

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, April 26, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
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With NFL personnel people claiming that there are only about 16 or so premier prospects worthy of first-round draft consideration, it's a pretty good year for the Seattle Seahawks to have surrendered their top choice (No. 24). Of course, those scouts also say the next level of players ends at 40, which means the Seahawks are staring at the third tier as they sit at No. 55. But Seahawks president Tim Ruskell is confident the team will find players in rounds 2-4 who will have a chance to become starters down the line.

While Ruskell confirmed the obvious -- that the Seahawks need reinforcements at guard -- he said he feels no pressure to draft a player at any particular position because Seattle has all of its starting spots filled for the 2007 season.

With that in mind, the team has put together lists of five preferred players for its picks in the second and third rounds. They are players the Seahawks think should be available when the team makes its scheduled selections with the 55th and 85th picks.

Obviously, Ruskell is not going to reveal the guys he likes, so we'll take a look at players he might be eying in both rounds.

Although Seattle's recent signing of Brandon Green as a potential fourth defensive end might seem to preclude the selection of an end in the second round, that is the position that might have the most value for the Seahawks at No. 55. And with Bryce Fisher signed for just two more years, the Seahawks will need to find a future starter soon. So why not now?

At least two of the following four ends likely will be there for Seattle in the second round: LaMarr Woodley, Tim Crowder, Victor Abiamiri and Ikaika Alama-Francis. All are high-character guys and hard workers, but they also all have flaws.

Woodley (6-foot-2, 266 pounds, Michigan) won the Lombardi and Hendricks awards as college football's best lineman and defensive end in 2006. He is a bit of a 'tweener prospect who has experience both as a rush linebacker and end. Although a bit undersized, he has a reputation as a strong leader and competitor who never gives up.

Crowder (6-4, 272, Texas) is a hard worker with good agility and strength and a lot of experience, but he is inconsistent and showed better in workouts than he did on the field.

Abiamiri (6-4, 267, Notre Dame) was a team captain for the Irish because he is smart and disciplined. He has good size and strength but is not a great pass rusher and has a history of knee tendonitis.

Alama-Francis (6-5, 280, Hawaii) is strong and quick, works hard and plays the run well. But he is not very experienced and did not do much at Hawaii. A torn pectoral muscle suffered in the Hula Bowl prevented him from working out at the combine, and some teams apparently are looking at him as a possible tight end.

The Seahawks also might have a shot at defensive tackle Tank Tyler (6-2, 306, N.C. State), a strong guy who plays the run very well. He lacks stamina and is not a very good pass rusher, but the Seahawks have plenty of those kinds of tackles anyway. If Tyler is there, he could be the best pick.

If the Hawks want to address the guard situation early, they should have a good shot at Alama-Francis' teammate, Samson Satele. Satele (6-3, 300) played all over the line at Hawaii, at guard in 2004 and 2005 and then at center in 2006. Ruskell mentioned Satele as one of the players that NFL teams are projecting at a different position, which means the Seahawks probably see him as a guard rather than a center.

So whether it's Satele, Tyler or one of the ends, the Seahawks are probably looking at some kind of lineman with the 55th pick.

In the third round, the Hawks' needs are a better match with value as they could have their choice of tight end Ben Patrick, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock or guards Josh Beekman, Andy Alleman or Manuel Ramirez.

The Seahawks' future at tight end is unclear, with veteran Marcus Pollard coming in for this upcoming season, Will Heller back as the blocking specialist and the unknown quantity of Bennie Joppru.

Seattle probably has no shot at tight end Zach Miller (unless it trades up in the second round), so Patrick would be a nice addition to Mike Holmgren's West Coast scheme -- particularly if the Seahawks take a guard (Satele) in the second round.

Patrick (6-3, 252, Delaware) is considered the third-best tight end in the draft, a finesse player who is a good route runner and receiver but is not very fast or physical and didn't face the best collegiate competition.

Pitcock (6-3, 299, Ohio State) is a strong, instinctive leader who plays the run well but is not very athletic and does not rush the passer effectively. Again, the Seahawks would be more interested in the run-stopping ability than the pass rushing. Scouts seem to be all over the board on where Pitcock should be picked, but he seems to have the traits the Seahawks like.

If the Seahawks don't take Satele in the second round, they could well snag a guard in the third. Beekman (6-2, 313, Boston College) played a lot of right guard at BC and is a smart, strong, instinctive technician. He has a good initial burst, with quickness and power, but he lacks the agility to move to the second level. Some think he might be better off at center.

Alleman (6-4, 305, Akron) is a bit of a project because he hasn't played a lot of guard, but he is quick and athletic and seems to have potential.

Ramirez (6-3, 335) is a massive mauler who is very intelligent and instinctive, but he lacks technique, mobility and stamina and is coming off a knee injury.

In the end, the Seahawks should be able to address needs at guard and tight end and on the defensive line. It just comes down to which combination they go for. Satele and Patrick? Tyler and Beekman? Abiamiri and Alleman?

Regardless of whom the Seahawks get, Ruskell feels they will find future starters with their first two or three picks.

"We're excited about the second round, third round, fourth round," he said. "The guys that we've targeted, if they are there, then we feel good that we've got a guy who can eventually be a starter. We feel good about it."

Get original Seattle Seahawks coverage at RealFootball365.com
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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