With the 36th overall pick in the first ever Seahawks All-Time Fantasy Draft, the Skid Row Sliders select...
Lawrence Jackson, USC
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Of the remaining Seahawks defensive ends, only Philip Daniels and Michael McCrary reached or surpassed 20 sacks. Daniels was a steady player, never dominant. The type you might call "championship caliber"-as a compliment and a subtle derision. Daniels never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod. He never topped twenty sacks. Seattle lined him on the right, but he was probably better suited for the left. Daniels was big, 290, and would batter his way to the ball carrier. McCrary, well... Why do I mention McCrary and describe Daniels when I'm drafting Lawrence Jackson? Because when you take a rookie, with no career to speak of over two veterans with established levels of performance you're going to raise some eyebrows. But Seattle sports fans should know better than most, prospects are undervalued. When Seattle does sign Jackson it will likely be for five years. Five years would give me a year over Daniels and McCrary. If we look at the first five seasons for all defensive ends drafted in the first round from 1994-2003, we'll see they collectively average 19.5 sacks. Hitting that average would put Jackson in the same ballpark as McCrary and Daniels. 4 sacks a season isn't going to earn any awards, but at this point in the draft, it's a reasonable expectation. Then again, if L-Jack only grabs 19.5 sacks over the next 5 seasons I'll be pretty disappointed. That's because Jackson is 6'402", athletic and with the kind wide/long frame he should grow into. He's strong like an athlete, head to toe and through his core. Jackson repped 31 on the bench, but doesn't have that fresh out of the weight room look. Jackson was a four year starter at the so-called 33rd NFL franchise, USC. He's brainy, dedicated and shows great awareness on the football field: Always looking where the ball is going, never taking blind shots and efficient to the ball carrier. The final consideration, and the reason I took Jackson over Darryl Tapp, is Jackson is strong enough to hold the point. Teams won't simply run at Jackson to avoid my monstrous pair of tackles. Based on nothing but potential, I'm comfortable picking Jackson as my Seahawks All-Time left defensive end. |
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