Seahawks 2018 Draft look back: Pro Bowl Punter Michael Dickson in Round 5

Over the past several days we have been working our way through the 2018 draft picks of the Seattle Seahawks, and to this point have looked at and graded the selections of

• Rashaad Penny, running back in the first round,
• Rasheem Green, defensive end taken in the third round,
• Alex McGough, quarterback chosen in the seventh round,
• Jacob Martin, defensive end picked in the sixth round and
• Jamarco Jones, tackle selected in the fifth round.

That puts us halfway through the process of grading the team’s 2018 draft picks and brings us to where can grade the one player in the draft class who will be playing on an NFL field today, fifth round punter and rookie Pro Bowler Michael Dickson.

The selection of Dickson in the draft was a kind of unique situation, in that the Hawks were sitting with the 156th pick with a half dozen teams in front of them when they suddenly traded up with the Denver Broncos to spot 149. In order to move those seven spots, they had to give Denver a seventh rounder, pick 226 overall. Following the draft reports emerged that the Denver War Room erupted into laughter when the Seahawks used the pick on a punter.

Now, I have to admit that I was right there with them laughing at the Seahawks, because who trades up to draft a punter? Especially a punter who was singlehandedly responsible for getting his first college football coach fired?

We can argue about interpretations of blame for that Longhorns loss until everyone on earth is blue in the face, but if you can’t punt your team to victory over the Kansas Jayhawks, are you really even a punter?

I mean, sure, Dickson finished with an average of 48.2 yards per punt, the second highest in the NFL behind Andy Lee’s 48.6, but it’s not like he’s crushing people on returns like Matt Bosher.

In any case, Dickson is set to have his punting skills on display Sunday at the Pro Bowl, where he will be representing the Seahawks as a member of the NFC squad. And just in case you’re wondering, the two selections sent to Denver to get pick 149 and use it to bring Dickson to the Pacific Northwest were used on linebacker Devante Downs and tight end Troy Fumagalli. Fumagalli spent the 2018 season in injured reserve and did not play a single snap for the Broncos, while Downs played sparingly, recording just 125 special teams snaps. Interestingly, Dickson is credited with having played 170 special teams snaps, meaning that he had more snaps in 2018 than Fumagalli and Downs combined.

In addition, when the NFL announced the initial Pro Bowl rosters back in December, there were only six rookies who made the cut. In addition to Dickson that list includes:

• Saquon Barkley, running back taken 1.2 by the New York Giants,
• Denzel Ward, cornerback selected 1.4 by the Cleveland Browns,
• Quenton Nelson, guard selected 1.6 by the Indianapolis Colts
• Derwin James, safety chosen 1.17 by the Los Angeles Chargers,
• Phillip Lindsay, undrafted free agent running back signed by the Denver Broncos.

So, it’s a pretty solid company in which Dickson finds himself at the conclusion of his rookie season, and there is zero doubt that the Seahawks got good value out of the fifth round pick they used to secure his services. Now it simply comes down to how good a value they received. Let’s get to the poll to see.