The Seahawks' 2010 Draft Class - Looking Forward

Mike Sando recently put together a table projecting where each player the Hawks selected in 2010 will be on the depth chart this year so I thought I'd put together a list as well, and include some thoughts on it.

Round 1: Russell Okung: Okung flashed brilliance in his first year, though had troubles with ankle injuries that hindered him the whole season. Once healthy, it can be surmised that he'll be even more effective. He is basically the only player that undoubtedly has a spot on the Seahawks offensive line and it's expected that he'll be there for the next 7-10 years. If healthy, he'll play every meaningful snap for the Seahawks in 2011. 

Round 1: Earl Thomas: Thomas too flashed brilliance but was beat deep on a few occasions. Most people would chalk this up to inexperience and he's expected to improve on what was a good rookie season. He is arguably the fastest player on the Seahawks, and has a knack for predicting where the ball will be. He had 5 interceptions but should have probably had 8 or so. He should rein in some of those miscues in 2011 and I expect very big numbers from Thomas in 2011. He'll also play every meaningful down for the Hawks in 2011.

Round 2: Golden Tate: Tate showed a lot in OTAs and minicamps but ultimately battled mistakes then injuries in an up and down rookie year. He's a dangerous runner in the open field but lacks disipline and hasn't shown the coaches that he can be trusted in the game yet. Look for him to improve on his numbers from 2010, and if he can get his head screwed on correctly and eliminate some of the mistakes that were dogging him, he could be a very good player. I'd also like the Seahawks to throw him something other than a fade route deep ball - something that I'll go into much detail on soon.

Round 4: Walter Thurmond: Thurmond played in passing downs in nickel and bandit formations and flashed some of his skills. He was still most likely recovering from his gruesome knee injury, but after two years rehabbing he should be back to full health in 2011. I expect that he will be starting at corner at some point next season but he might be starting out on the bench as depth. I think he's got the competitiveness and talent to be a good starting corner for the Hawks for years. 

Round 4: E.J. Wilson: Wilson apparently didn't show Carroll enough and was released. Very strange. He was drafted to play the 5-tech but it seems Carroll decided that he would never have what it takes to succeed there so he was let go. 

Round 4: (by trade) LenDale White: White came in, and people seemed to be excited about it. He was going to be our bruising back to compliment Forsett. For whatever reason though, Carroll and Schneider decided he wasn't a fit so they released him. White went on to tear his achilles tendon with Denver in a preseason game and his status in the NFL for 2011 is unclear.

Round 4: (by trade) Kevin Vickerson: Vickerson was brought on to compete at defensive tackle - most likely the one-tech spot. After initial excitement here in Seattle about the signing, he struggled a bit with injuries and was unexpectedly cut. Junior Siavii was brought in as his replacement. I am a little torn about this decision as he could have provided depth on the line that was much needed later in the season- a role that was filled by Craig Terrill. 

Round 5: Kam Chancellor: Chancellor is a hard hitting strong safety that looks kind of like a linebacker. He plays that role well, and projects to be an in-the-box type safety with some ability to succeed in pass coverage. He's raw, and we didn't get so see enough of him in 2010 to really make a judgement on him. Look for him to be starting in 2011 if Lawyer Milloy retires or is not re-signed. Could be a bargain in the 5th round if he continues improving.

Round 5: (by trade): Leon Washington. Great trade, no doubt about it. Leon is an all-pro caliber return man and he's no slouch as a running back either. Expect him to get more touches in the run game this season and continue to be big on punt returns and kick returns that aren't booted out of the back of the endzone.

Round 6: Anthony McCoy: Originally projected as a 2nd-3rd rounder, McCoy fell because he smoked some weed before the Combine. This was a dumb mistake, but could prove to be a godsend for the Hawks, as they got him at a bargain-basement price in the 6th round. McCoy is a well-rounded TE - a block first guy with the athletic ability to go downfield and make big catches. He's a beast to bring down after the catch and could be a very good starting TE for the Hawks in 2011 or 2012. Chris Baker was cut after this last season, presumably because McCoy can come in and do everything that Baker was counted on for. The Hawks also have Cameron Morrah and John Carlson at TE so they are pretty deep that that position.

Round 7: Dexter Davis: Davis is a OLB/DE hybrid with good speed and showed a lot of potential in 2010. He is projected as the depth at LEO behind Chris Clemons (and Brock if he is re-signed). Expect to see more of Davis in 2011 on passing downs rushing the QB, and spelling for Clemons. Eventually he could even become a starter at the LEO end - but don't expect that in 2011 necessarily. Again, for me, this was a pretty good value pick for the Hawks in the 7th round. 

Round 7: Jameson Konz: Konz was selected because he's an athletic freak of nature. At 6'3, 225, he ran a 4.41 40 and has a 46 inch vertical. He's listed as a TE for the Seahawks but if he ever sees the field he'll likely be an H-back or fullback type player used for blocking that can motion out to the wing and play receiver. It will be interesting to see if he makes the 53-man roster in 2011.

Overall, not a bad draft. In 2011, you can expect 2 definite starters with pro-bowl potential, 3 potential starters in Thurmond, Tate, and Chancellor, and 2 backup players that should figure to see the field quite a bit in Anthony McCoy and Dexter Davis.