Frenemy Reaction: Optimism surrounding the Seahawks 2019 draft picks

There are just days remaining until the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL give football fans something current and relevant to watch and discuss in the 2020 NFL Draft. That makes it a great time for a look back at the reaction of fans to the 2019 NFL Draft and the fan reactions to the selections the team made last April.

So, without wasting any more time, here are how fans reacted to these picks when they were made.

First round pick L.J. Collier

One need not be a rocket scientist to realize that Collier would be unlikely to earn a B in terms of grades for his rookie year if a poll were to be conducted. But, let’s take a look at some of the specific thoughts commenters had.

Narrator: He was not a game wrecker. At least not as a rookie.

Second round pick Marquise Blair

Blair would likely have a shot at replicating that grade, but seems likely to come up a little short following a season that saw him fail to stake claim to a starting role while the team traded for Quandre Diggs. In any case, he’s still young and has potential, but here’s what some fans thought of his selection a year ago.

Second round pick DK Metcalf

After putting up stellar production as a rookie, Metcalf would certainly manage to get an even larger number of votes for the top grade.

Third round pick Cody Barton

Fans were not overly impressed with the Seattle front office after the selection of Barton, and he’d likely receive a grade somewhere in the same neighborhood again.

Fourth round pick Gary Jennings.

Fans might still give the actual selection of Jennings a good grade based on his presumed upside at the time, but given that he never saw the field for Seattle and is now a member of the Miami Dolphins it seems unlikely he’d earn an A.

Fourth round pick Phil Haynes

Fourth round pick Ugo Amadi

Fifth round pick Ben Burr-Kirven

BBK was a fifth round pick who finished the 2019 season with the second most special teams snaps of any player on the team. That might not have been what a lot of fans had hoped for, but a Day 3 draft pick who plays 300+ special teams snaps certainly gets an A.

Sixth round pick Travis Homer

Homer might not get such a high grade if that poll were to be taken again. When Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny (not to mention C.J. Prosise) landed on injured reserve late in the year, the team signed Marshawn Lynch off the street to handle much of the load. Homer finished the regular season with just 170 yards from scrimmage, adding another 57 yards from scrimmage during the postseason, in spite of the rash of injuries ahead of him.

Sixth round pick Demarcus Christmas

Seventh round pick John Ursua

And that wraps up a review of the 2019 Seahawks draft class, but on Tuesday it will be time to take a look at the instant reactions from fans on the 2018 draft class.