Breaking news: every team has found the “gem” of the draft, every team is substantially better than before, every team found the “steal” of the draft.
This is just how it is in the NFL. Take a peak at some other teams blogs and you find a landslide of positivity and optimism.
I remain skeptical. I am no draft expert and maybe Emmanwori is THAT special. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I am both happy they finally drafted a Guard high but also we should’ve never been in this situation.
Had we resigned Damien Lewis, does anyone think we draft Zabel? So how is he best player available?
We would’ve likely drafted a DE or the number 1 corner (after Hunter) at pick 18!
The offense? All of a sudden we are going to ride Klint Kubiak to a SB? Because he likes to run the football? The Seahawks fans just ran out of town the prior HC for … running the football too much (not really but it is a funny narrative).
Here’s the thing in the NFL, I can’t think of a single team that does not start the offense with running the football. So what is the secret sauce that Kubiak has? Of it’s the outside zone run. That run concept has been in the NFL for 20+ years. The Seahawks just downgraded at QB to a guy that had one half season of good play under great circumstances and ended with two of the biggest games that a high school QB and Milton would’ve been substantially better than him.
What about WR? I’m agnostic about the DK move. I think it was ok to let him go. But make no mistake about it … the guy is a game changer. Why did JSN break out? Well a big part of that is DK.
After hearing years and years of how old Geno is … the same people are claiming some great acquisition in … Cooper Kupp!? The guy is potentially a shell of his former self. So JSN will be out on an island this year with no over the top speed besides MVS.
The offense has a real chance to go run, run, third and 6 with Sam Darnold at QB which is a sack/turnover waiting to happen.
I know it’s not the in crowd thing to be realistic in a party full of rose colored glasses sitting by the water cooler drinking Kool-Aid. But the reality is the Seahawks are probably not very good. Vegas win total is at 7.5 … the New England patriots are at 7.5 with MORE juice on the over than the Hawks. The Raiders are at 6.5 with heavy juice on the over (wonder why that could be).
Making bad decisions at the GM position just to try and undo bad decisions with a “great” draft or a flier at the QB position based off of 14 games while disregarding the other 50 … is not great GMing. Should’ve never been there in the first place.
In the end, I like the draft but I don’t love it and I don’t think much has changed. Think we are defined for 7-8 wins. We have a super young line (o lineman don’t peak til age 30), weak WRs, and weak QB. Not seeing the offensive others are seeing. Hopefully I (and the sports markets) will be wrong!
I remain skeptical that Kubiak is an upgrade over Grubb. In similar circumstances last year the Hawks offense was about 10 spots better than New Orleans. I preferred giving Grubb another year to learn the NFL, but MM didn’t and that’s all that matters. I hope he’s right and I’m wrong and since he’s a millionaire wunderkind coach while I’m a nobody pensioner the odds are on his side. :)
I do like the Hawks draft this year so I’ll keep my lightly rose colored glasses on for awhile and hope that we actually do end up with a ground based, clocking eating offense and a demoralizing defense.
1) I liked the fact we broke the mold and took a G in round 1
2) I liked the fact we traded up
3) I liked the fact we took a QB
4) I liked the fact we took a TE to play FB
I think JS is by and large good at drafting. Certainly has mistakes, but overall he has always been pretty darn good in my eyes.
His issues are resigning players that should be resigned. And not seeing where markets are going (guards) while overpaying where markets aren’t going (safety).
Hey, y'all. Stopped back by because there was a lot of commentary here -- and elsewhere -- that perhaps John Schneider wasn't up to the job, that he was on thin ice, all that. Especially with the trading of Geno and DK.
Let's take a moment, please, to acknowledge that he's done a terrific job -- based on what we know now. It may not turn out. These are young human beings thrust into a hot spotlight, after all, and some of them will wilt or break. But he has made us a better team, put us in position to become a still better team. All the panic that we didn't get Fries at $88-million? I think we're good, until proven otherwise.
And, for the moment, until they take the field and prove me wrong, I think Kubiak may prove to be his best and most important hire.
LOVE this. I don't even read comments on other sites anymore because of all the know-nothings ranting about how JS failed, didn't try, or is tone deaf because of not going after Fries with a cap-crippling contract.
We'll see....draft looks good and some remarkable players available when we had an upcoming pick but i agree with a prior commentator - I think Grubb should have had another year to learn the NFL after his stellar work with the Huskies. Kubiak is Mike's pick so might be more patient for him to learn the job. I was better able to get behind Geno for another year - with DK and Tyler - than I am putting my heart into the work we'll get from Sam Darnold and Cooper Cupp (love a local guy - but it's been a minute....). But the draft picks are kinda sparky!!
I’m very content with the entire group. When we need 1 yard next year, I think we’re setup much better now to get it. Milroe and a 274 lb FB can’t possibly hurt our chances.
My favourite ‘pick’ is Kubiak. If he can figure out how to use our best players, and coach and develop our young players (with his other coaches), that will be the single biggest win of the offseason.
Love all the picks. Wanted Emmanwori before the draft. Most excited about the potential of Milroe. His highlights look great, great long ball. Saw his lowlights as well and Daniel Jerimiah said that he could remedy his bad intermediate passes by improving his footwork when he throws the ball. Also heard that he made improvements from the regular season to the Senior Bowl. Ouzts will open holes for Milroe like he did at Bama and will be like an extra OL blocker. M's running is electric and I believe he will be developed to be our QB of the future. He's a hard worker, smart, good frame, teachable, and fast.
I'm expecting him to be used in special packages right away, acclimated over the first year.
Nine offensive picks says something doesn’t it? However the two defensive picks bring some attitude to the defense, and along with the progress at the tail end of last season it could be really interesting to watch. A major revamp of the offense is now very obvious, let’s hope the players can buy into it as much as the others have. There will be teething problems obviously, but with so many new players you all grow together. New era on offense? Let’s hope so.
My favorite pick at the moment it happened was Milroe. For better or worse it's going to be fun to watch his development and deployment.
My favorite pick after less than five minutes of research on all our new Seahawks is Ouzts. He's a guy I'd never heard of until the moment he was drafted, and I think he's going to absolutely level some rookie LBs during the pre-season. The FB battle is on!
My favorite pick was Nick Emmanwori. I would have been happy if we had taken him at No. 18. I'm ecstatic that we moved up on Day 2 and grabbed him before someone else did.
Second place probably goes to Jalen Milroe, who I was actually NOT in favor of us taking (mostly because I preferred Tyler Shough), but I can't say for sure that Milroe is my 2nd-fave until I see what sort of packages Klint Kubiak designs and deploys for him. I will say that I expect Seattle to be A LOT BETTER in short yardage and goal-to-go situations with Milroe on the roster.
Agree with your short yardage improvement take. It may end up being because of Outzs and not Milroe, but we need to get better there regardless of the method
Interesting to me how this draft was all about combo players, and about offense. So many Swiss Army knife guys - even Zabel, but beyond him a lot of guys who will play multiple roles in the same game. It’s a hallmark of his defenses - feels kinda like Mike’s putting his stamp on the offense. Owning the full picture. Head Coach.
I love that we went for athletic guys! All of our top 6 picks had 9.00 or better RAS scores (Rylie Mills didn’t test because of the ACL but as a Notre Dame fan, I can attest that he’s an absolute freak of nature)!
Rylie Mills may not have tested at the combine, but he was No. 23 on Bruce Feldman's 2024 Freaks list and was No. 10 the year before so I think that counts.
In all honesty, I did scroll looking for the post but so many. Probably scrolled over it. Note I did include a couple. I was real tempted to put ZEZ in but didn’t. I should have. Credit where due! Thanks kham
First I would pencil Bryce in theory at LG not RG. Being LT at KU like Grey. Also not really 9 offensive. White pick is a ST pick to me. Returner/gunner maybe. Like Ourzts a specific role I see White, if he can surpass the offseason additions like River, as specific only role. I think Hawks still see all 3 groups as important. A coach Harbaugh player. I think they went into draft with a solid plan and executed it perfectly. I also, except likely Nick, see that they wanted high worth/intelligent footballers. Attitude. Coach Mac has been talking about it.
Drafting only 2 defense though tells me that Coach Mac likes what he ended the season with. Back to the attitude comment. Coach D got that attitude with DLaw. Nick brings the force attitude. Love and Coby intelligence. On OLine I’m expecting Bradford, unless he gets beat out, to be the RG. Again attitude. JS talked about how he always wants to punish opponent and that is why he gets false starts. Clearly Grey and our new FB do. Coach Mac wants to force their will on defense. And his comment last night about Milroe says that what you said SJ, offense is coming at you from all over.
We drafted four players who were on my board (Zabel, Arroyo, Horton, and Cabeldue), and two who I wouldn't have touched (Emmanwori and Milroe). However we agree to evaluate Zabel, it sure looked like JS went BPA when I looked at players picked in slots immediately after us, although the result is absolutely as SSJ describes. I was also filled with regret looking at the names that went just ahead of our picks. So it goes.
I'm going to trust that Emmanwori convinced them he wasn't an uncoachable headcase, and that he fills my desire to add a thumper to the D. Good enough. Plus we were kinda playing with house money there, since we got him for draft choices we got from DK and Geno, who apparently didn't want to be here any more. Fair enough.
Milroe...I'm worried there's a disconnect between the Taysom Hill roll most of us think he's suited to, and the fact that he believes/has been told he was drafted as a QB. I remain to be convinced that NFL coaches can improve the fundamental mechanics of college QBs. Maybe they can, certainly they can tinker and fix small stuff. Milroe's hands are small -- no matter which measurement we accept as true -- and I think it was Nate Tice who suggested that was why his medium-short throws were erratic. If he's coming to ball in whatever way the team needs, that's one thing. If he expects to challenge starters in a year...that may not turn out as well.
Regardless, I think we learned that the brain trust believes they already have a center in-house, and that somebody can succeed at RG. They also would appear to believe they have the receiving corps sorted out, despite all the pundits proclaiming WE MUST REPLACE DK. Maybe not.
In the end I'm not excited by a single player. I'm excited to see what Kubiak can do with all the moving pieces now at his command. My hope is that we are the team that will allow him to build a Ben Johnson-sized reputation -- so long as we win a Super Bowl with him first.
Man, do I hope this is correct! But, it seems like it would be a miracle if that were true after all of the doctors not knowing or saying what it is, chronic pain, and surgeries since way back to his college days. We did draft him so low because he had the injur(ies).
It feels like Mike Mac was saying this is who we need and John was like damn OK. A nice need and want seesaw was procured.
Hope springs eternal in the NFL.
Breaking news: every team has found the “gem” of the draft, every team is substantially better than before, every team found the “steal” of the draft.
This is just how it is in the NFL. Take a peak at some other teams blogs and you find a landslide of positivity and optimism.
I remain skeptical. I am no draft expert and maybe Emmanwori is THAT special. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I am both happy they finally drafted a Guard high but also we should’ve never been in this situation.
Had we resigned Damien Lewis, does anyone think we draft Zabel? So how is he best player available?
We would’ve likely drafted a DE or the number 1 corner (after Hunter) at pick 18!
The offense? All of a sudden we are going to ride Klint Kubiak to a SB? Because he likes to run the football? The Seahawks fans just ran out of town the prior HC for … running the football too much (not really but it is a funny narrative).
Here’s the thing in the NFL, I can’t think of a single team that does not start the offense with running the football. So what is the secret sauce that Kubiak has? Of it’s the outside zone run. That run concept has been in the NFL for 20+ years. The Seahawks just downgraded at QB to a guy that had one half season of good play under great circumstances and ended with two of the biggest games that a high school QB and Milton would’ve been substantially better than him.
What about WR? I’m agnostic about the DK move. I think it was ok to let him go. But make no mistake about it … the guy is a game changer. Why did JSN break out? Well a big part of that is DK.
After hearing years and years of how old Geno is … the same people are claiming some great acquisition in … Cooper Kupp!? The guy is potentially a shell of his former self. So JSN will be out on an island this year with no over the top speed besides MVS.
The offense has a real chance to go run, run, third and 6 with Sam Darnold at QB which is a sack/turnover waiting to happen.
I know it’s not the in crowd thing to be realistic in a party full of rose colored glasses sitting by the water cooler drinking Kool-Aid. But the reality is the Seahawks are probably not very good. Vegas win total is at 7.5 … the New England patriots are at 7.5 with MORE juice on the over than the Hawks. The Raiders are at 6.5 with heavy juice on the over (wonder why that could be).
Making bad decisions at the GM position just to try and undo bad decisions with a “great” draft or a flier at the QB position based off of 14 games while disregarding the other 50 … is not great GMing. Should’ve never been there in the first place.
In the end, I like the draft but I don’t love it and I don’t think much has changed. Think we are defined for 7-8 wins. We have a super young line (o lineman don’t peak til age 30), weak WRs, and weak QB. Not seeing the offensive others are seeing. Hopefully I (and the sports markets) will be wrong!
I remain skeptical that Kubiak is an upgrade over Grubb. In similar circumstances last year the Hawks offense was about 10 spots better than New Orleans. I preferred giving Grubb another year to learn the NFL, but MM didn’t and that’s all that matters. I hope he’s right and I’m wrong and since he’s a millionaire wunderkind coach while I’m a nobody pensioner the odds are on his side. :)
I do like the Hawks draft this year so I’ll keep my lightly rose colored glasses on for awhile and hope that we actually do end up with a ground based, clocking eating offense and a demoralizing defense.
Excellent comment as always!
Looking back at NO offense from last year. Amazing how easily Seahawks fans are dismissing poor play due to injuries last year.
I do like this draft also. But it typically doesn’t result in a Great draft if everyone likes it.
I also think, as long as JS resigns his players!!!, that this team is looking good on the medium horizon.
On the positive side:
1) I liked the fact we broke the mold and took a G in round 1
2) I liked the fact we traded up
3) I liked the fact we took a QB
4) I liked the fact we took a TE to play FB
I think JS is by and large good at drafting. Certainly has mistakes, but overall he has always been pretty darn good in my eyes.
His issues are resigning players that should be resigned. And not seeing where markets are going (guards) while overpaying where markets aren’t going (safety).
Hey, y'all. Stopped back by because there was a lot of commentary here -- and elsewhere -- that perhaps John Schneider wasn't up to the job, that he was on thin ice, all that. Especially with the trading of Geno and DK.
Let's take a moment, please, to acknowledge that he's done a terrific job -- based on what we know now. It may not turn out. These are young human beings thrust into a hot spotlight, after all, and some of them will wilt or break. But he has made us a better team, put us in position to become a still better team. All the panic that we didn't get Fries at $88-million? I think we're good, until proven otherwise.
And, for the moment, until they take the field and prove me wrong, I think Kubiak may prove to be his best and most important hire.
So true, I was one of those clamoring for his dismissal after a lackluster FA period. He sure showed me, what an incredible draft throughout, A+
LOVE this. I don't even read comments on other sites anymore because of all the know-nothings ranting about how JS failed, didn't try, or is tone deaf because of not going after Fries with a cap-crippling contract.
We'll see....draft looks good and some remarkable players available when we had an upcoming pick but i agree with a prior commentator - I think Grubb should have had another year to learn the NFL after his stellar work with the Huskies. Kubiak is Mike's pick so might be more patient for him to learn the job. I was better able to get behind Geno for another year - with DK and Tyler - than I am putting my heart into the work we'll get from Sam Darnold and Cooper Cupp (love a local guy - but it's been a minute....). But the draft picks are kinda sparky!!
I’m very content with the entire group. When we need 1 yard next year, I think we’re setup much better now to get it. Milroe and a 274 lb FB can’t possibly hurt our chances.
My favourite ‘pick’ is Kubiak. If he can figure out how to use our best players, and coach and develop our young players (with his other coaches), that will be the single biggest win of the offseason.
Love all the picks. Wanted Emmanwori before the draft. Most excited about the potential of Milroe. His highlights look great, great long ball. Saw his lowlights as well and Daniel Jerimiah said that he could remedy his bad intermediate passes by improving his footwork when he throws the ball. Also heard that he made improvements from the regular season to the Senior Bowl. Ouzts will open holes for Milroe like he did at Bama and will be like an extra OL blocker. M's running is electric and I believe he will be developed to be our QB of the future. He's a hard worker, smart, good frame, teachable, and fast.
I'm expecting him to be used in special packages right away, acclimated over the first year.
As context for Jalen Milroe,here are the last five #92 overall picks—
2024 Jalen McMillan (WR): 37 receptions, 6th on Bucs
2023 Wanya Morris (LT): 15 starts for Chiefs in two seasons
2022 Sean Ryan (RG, drafted as tackle): Two years as backup in GB; starter at RG in 2024
2021 Monty Rice (LB): 11 starts in four years for TEN and NE
2020 Devin Duvernay (KR, drafted as WR): 1st team AP (2021), 2x PB (2022). Drafted by BAL; signed FA by Bears in 2024; also played for JAC
While not insignificant, nothing here implies incurring a huge opportunity cost by drafting Milroe.
Seriously... why not roll the dice here when the payoff could be huge.
Especially when you have actual first round grades on the first two picks. Plus, Kubiak likely has some immediate use for Milroe.
Nine offensive picks says something doesn’t it? However the two defensive picks bring some attitude to the defense, and along with the progress at the tail end of last season it could be really interesting to watch. A major revamp of the offense is now very obvious, let’s hope the players can buy into it as much as the others have. There will be teething problems obviously, but with so many new players you all grow together. New era on offense? Let’s hope so.
My favorite pick at the moment it happened was Milroe. For better or worse it's going to be fun to watch his development and deployment.
My favorite pick after less than five minutes of research on all our new Seahawks is Ouzts. He's a guy I'd never heard of until the moment he was drafted, and I think he's going to absolutely level some rookie LBs during the pre-season. The FB battle is on!
My favorite pick was Nick Emmanwori. I would have been happy if we had taken him at No. 18. I'm ecstatic that we moved up on Day 2 and grabbed him before someone else did.
Second place probably goes to Jalen Milroe, who I was actually NOT in favor of us taking (mostly because I preferred Tyler Shough), but I can't say for sure that Milroe is my 2nd-fave until I see what sort of packages Klint Kubiak designs and deploys for him. I will say that I expect Seattle to be A LOT BETTER in short yardage and goal-to-go situations with Milroe on the roster.
Agree with your short yardage improvement take. It may end up being because of Outzs and not Milroe, but we need to get better there regardless of the method
Interesting to me how this draft was all about combo players, and about offense. So many Swiss Army knife guys - even Zabel, but beyond him a lot of guys who will play multiple roles in the same game. It’s a hallmark of his defenses - feels kinda like Mike’s putting his stamp on the offense. Owning the full picture. Head Coach.
I love that we went for athletic guys! All of our top 6 picks had 9.00 or better RAS scores (Rylie Mills didn’t test because of the ACL but as a Notre Dame fan, I can attest that he’s an absolute freak of nature)!
John and Mike are prioritizing athleticism!
Our draft class was the most athletic in the entire league, by a full percentage point. JS wasn’t kidding about wanting big and fast.
Rylie Mills may not have tested at the combine, but he was No. 23 on Bruce Feldman's 2024 Freaks list and was No. 10 the year before so I think that counts.
Link: https://www.onefootdown.com/2024/8/7/24215118/notre-dame-football-two-irish-players-make-feldmans-freaks-list-rylie-mills-beaux-collins-nd-news
UDFA happening. Can’t remember who maybe Chuck or kham but we just signed XYZ, Zy Alexander, as UDFA.
This one's for Zez!
And this is why people need to check out the Chat when it's running, because we identify the deep cut players and topics :p
In all honesty, I did scroll looking for the post but so many. Probably scrolled over it. Note I did include a couple. I was real tempted to put ZEZ in but didn’t. I should have. Credit where due! Thanks kham
First I would pencil Bryce in theory at LG not RG. Being LT at KU like Grey. Also not really 9 offensive. White pick is a ST pick to me. Returner/gunner maybe. Like Ourzts a specific role I see White, if he can surpass the offseason additions like River, as specific only role. I think Hawks still see all 3 groups as important. A coach Harbaugh player. I think they went into draft with a solid plan and executed it perfectly. I also, except likely Nick, see that they wanted high worth/intelligent footballers. Attitude. Coach Mac has been talking about it.
Drafting only 2 defense though tells me that Coach Mac likes what he ended the season with. Back to the attitude comment. Coach D got that attitude with DLaw. Nick brings the force attitude. Love and Coby intelligence. On OLine I’m expecting Bradford, unless he gets beat out, to be the RG. Again attitude. JS talked about how he always wants to punish opponent and that is why he gets false starts. Clearly Grey and our new FB do. Coach Mac wants to force their will on defense. And his comment last night about Milroe says that what you said SJ, offense is coming at you from all over.
We drafted four players who were on my board (Zabel, Arroyo, Horton, and Cabeldue), and two who I wouldn't have touched (Emmanwori and Milroe). However we agree to evaluate Zabel, it sure looked like JS went BPA when I looked at players picked in slots immediately after us, although the result is absolutely as SSJ describes. I was also filled with regret looking at the names that went just ahead of our picks. So it goes.
I'm going to trust that Emmanwori convinced them he wasn't an uncoachable headcase, and that he fills my desire to add a thumper to the D. Good enough. Plus we were kinda playing with house money there, since we got him for draft choices we got from DK and Geno, who apparently didn't want to be here any more. Fair enough.
Milroe...I'm worried there's a disconnect between the Taysom Hill roll most of us think he's suited to, and the fact that he believes/has been told he was drafted as a QB. I remain to be convinced that NFL coaches can improve the fundamental mechanics of college QBs. Maybe they can, certainly they can tinker and fix small stuff. Milroe's hands are small -- no matter which measurement we accept as true -- and I think it was Nate Tice who suggested that was why his medium-short throws were erratic. If he's coming to ball in whatever way the team needs, that's one thing. If he expects to challenge starters in a year...that may not turn out as well.
Regardless, I think we learned that the brain trust believes they already have a center in-house, and that somebody can succeed at RG. They also would appear to believe they have the receiving corps sorted out, despite all the pundits proclaiming WE MUST REPLACE DK. Maybe not.
In the end I'm not excited by a single player. I'm excited to see what Kubiak can do with all the moving pieces now at his command. My hope is that we are the team that will allow him to build a Ben Johnson-sized reputation -- so long as we win a Super Bowl with him first.
Also, the Emmanwori pick was made possible by the R2 we got for DK + our native R3. The R3 we got for Geno was used to pick Milroe.
We will be a much better team if you’re right and I’m wrong.
The 2 that you wouldn't have touched are my Top 2 from Seattle's draft class. Funny how differently people can view things.
Oh, and I guess Abe Lucas's knee isn't a major concern. We sure didn't draft a replacement RT (Jedrick Willis is still out there...just sayin'...).
Man, do I hope this is correct! But, it seems like it would be a miracle if that were true after all of the doctors not knowing or saying what it is, chronic pain, and surgeries since way back to his college days. We did draft him so low because he had the injur(ies).
Miroe was my favorite pick, I can see the vision. Don't sleep on Martinez, he's nice.
My favorite was Zabel and by a fair amount.
NEVER in a million years thought he’d pick an interior OL with the first pick, and therefore thought he’d trade down.
Or, my hope was he’d actually trade up given the parcity of R1 talent, by most accounts no more than 15 R1 grades.
Instead, he broke every Schneider rule and took Zabel who he had as a R1 grade. Could have traded down and didn’t.
Huge!