FanPost

Having the 32nd Pick is Awesome...and Also Sucks.

I don't know if you heard, but there was this really big event in February called the Super Bowl, and this team from Seattle did pretty well.

I hate this waiting. The draft SHOULD have been two days ago on the 24th, but the NFL just HAD to move the draft back a couple of weeks. This means that there's an extra two weeks of waiting for the draft. But I digress, the fact that the draft is a little bit later doesn't change the fact that we already have a sense of who's going to be there at the Seahawks' first pick. Unfortunately we're going to miss out on the big guys like Kahlil Mack, Greg Robinson, Jadeveon Clowney, and Mike Evans. But who's going to be there (or has a good chance of being there)? Here's a list of some of the possibilities in no particular order:

Joel Bitonio:

I've loved this guy ever since Rob Staton pointed him out to me. He's athletic and mean, a perfect fit for Tom Cable's zone scheme. He could play almost any position on the offensive line, which is another thing that Pete and John look for in linemen, offensive or defensive. There's a knock on him for his competition level, but he completely eliminated Anthony Barr from that game, and held up well against Florida State as well.

Martavis Bryant:

Fast, big, has solid hands, good leaping ability, and also has tons of upside. Some people knock Bryant for his hands, but I didn't see too many drops in the tape that I watched of him, and I also saw a lot of things that really made me like him a lot. He's got a ton of potential with a QB and an offense that fits his skills, just like the one that Seattle runs. He'd also be a classic Seattle pick, a guy that people haven't usually thought of them picking, but hyper athletic and fits what they look for.

Cody Latimer:

Everything I said about Bryant also applies here. But I actually like Latimer more. He's slightly slower, and has some of the strongest hands in the draft. I haven't seen him drop a pass yet. He's also the best run blocking receiver in this draft. He's got some good breakaway speed, but nothing really crazy. The weird thing with Latimer is that his meteoric rise has left some skeptics. Daniel Jeremiah still has a third round grade on him, while other guys like Rob Staton have him as a top 15-20 pick. He could be around at pick 32, or he could be gone as fast as anyone else.

Xavier Su'a-Filo:

Su'a-Filo's one of the more athletic linemen in this draft, not as much so as Bitonio, but almost. He's got some nasty in him, and has quick feet too. He's got the versatility to play both tackle and guard, maybe even some center, he's got really quick feet when pass protecting too.

Ryan Shazier:

People aren't supposed to be that big and that fast. Shazier is a freak. He's in the same category of athlete as Christine Michael. I don't think he'll make it to the 32nd pick, but if he does I would be pretty surprised if the Seahawks didn't take him.

Ra'Shede Hageman:

This is one of the freakiest athletes in this draft. How can someone be that big, and have a vertical jump of more than 35 inches? That's just incredible. That said, he's not the most consistent performer. He tends to win more with explosion than anything else, and his technique is very raw. I don't know how his attitude is, but if he learns, he'll be one of the most dominant defenders in the league.

Justin Gilbert:

Before you close the page, hear me out. Gilbert's a heck of an athlete, and his stats are gaudy, but if you watch the tape, it's not that impressive. He's out of position a lot, and can actually get beat pretty easily. His athleticism is very impressive though, and he's got really good potential at corner, but you shouldn't expect a whole lot at first. Several scouts have said that "he's always getting beat". He could fall to 32.