The Seattle Seahawks turned four picks and Frank Clark into 11 over the weekend, completing one of the wildest NFL draft’s in recent memory – and that’s saying a lot when dealing with John Schneider.
The Seahawks used those 11 picks to fill multiple holes on their roster, including in the secondary, the receiving corps and on the special teams.
While the draft day moves no doubt made the team better, there are certain players who were impacted more than others.
Here are the three biggest winners for the Seahawks following the wild three day NFL draft.
Russell Wilson
It’s hard not to call Wilson a winner these days, not after he became the highest-paid player in the NFL with his four-year, $140 million dollar contract.
But Seattle did more than just ink Russ to a long-term deal, they also gave him some new toys to play with.
Seattle traded up for the final pick of the second round, using it to snag the uber athletic Mississippi receiver D.K. Metcalf. Metcalf is raw as a route-runner, but his combination of size and speed is nearly unprecedented in the NFL.
“We’re anxious to really fit him in to the whole play action game and all the things we love doing and just find out where it fits for him,” coach Pete Carroll said after day two of the draft. “We want to use his speed, running, get him down the field and threaten the defense in ways that will really compliment the rest of our guys.”
As if that wasn’t enough of a present for Wilson, the team also went out and got Gary Jennings and John Ursua, two more offensive weapons to help shore up a depleted receiving corps that could be facing a huge loss if Doug Baldwin decides to hang up his cleats.
While losing Baldwin would be devastating for the franchise, Seattle’s three new receivers make Wilson a very lucky man heading into 2019.
Brian Schneider
Many fans were calling for Seahawks special teams coach Brian Schneider’s head after a disappointing season in that regard in 2018.
However, coach Carroll and John Schneider went to work shoring up some of those holes by drafting multiple players who they expect to contribute right away on the special teams.
“We know a lot of these guys are going to be special teams players,” coach Carroll commented on Saturday. “They’ve already done it, they’ve proven it and this isn’t like some of them are projections, but the majority of them are we’ve seen them play on [special] teams. You have to have an instinctive feel for knowing how to block in space and knowing how to cover. It’s a different deal.”
Linebackers Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven were both heavily discussed for their special teams acumen, with Burr-Kirven even acknowledging that is a key part of the reason Seattle drafted him.
“That’s how I earned my keep at UW when I first got there,” Burr-Kirven said. “You start on special teams and you have to show that you’re someone they can trust and I think that’s the same thing with the Seahawks. It’s a great organization and they you to compete so you have to go out there every day. I think that special teams gives you an opportunity to show what kind of player you are and the sacrifice you’re willing to make for the team.”
Running back Travis Homer was specifically mentioned for his special teams work as well, although it is likely that most – if not all – of Seattle’s draft picks will find their way onto the special teams next season.
Which should be welcome news for Schneider and his job security.
Jacob Martin
After trading Frank Clark, most expected the Seahawks to put a heavy emphasis on acquiring pass rushers in the draft. And while their first pick, TCU’s L.J. Collier, is indeed a pass rusher, he was really the only player Seattle selected that fits that definition.
Additionally, Collier is more of a down lineman than a straight up edge rusher, which means there is still a fairly big hole on Seattle’s defense.
Enter Jacob Martin. Martin looked excellent in the few snaps he received last year as an edge rusher, and coach Carroll has mentioned multiple times that he would like to see him in an expanded role coming off the edge in 2019.
With Seattle losing Clark and not pursuing some of the true edge rushers in the draft (like Chase Winovich or Jalen Jelks) it does seem like they are prepared to let Martin run with that role – particularly if they end up cutting veteran Barkevious Mingo.
