A year ago the Seahawks re-committed to their identity. They’d lost their way. The running game had completely collapsed. They were no longer bigger, faster stronger. They were older, disjointed and drifting.

Last year’s re-set was necessary to get things back on track.

This latest draft takes things to a whole new level.

The Seahawks aren’t just committing to their identity again with this class. They’re making a huge statement. They’re going after tough, physical, bullying players. There’s absolutely no finesse in this group.

If last year was about getting the offensive identity back and becoming a younger, hungrier team — this is about establishing an even greater edge to the defense.

L.J. Collier — a Michael Bennett-style pass rusher with heavy hands and attitude who describes playing the game as being in a war

Marquise Blair — the biggest hitter in the draft

D.K. Metcalf — a 6-3, 228lbs receiver who runs a 4.33

Cody Barton — an athletic linebacker described as a “wild horse rider” who will “knock the (bleep) out of you”

There’s a theme here — physical toughness. The Seahawks want to be the bullies again. They’re loading up their defense with players who set a tone. Players who leave a mark and combine athletic qualities with an edge that will force opponents to compete at every level.

Before the draft I tweeted the following:

For the #Seahawks in this draft… they regained their identity a year ago. Now time to build up the defense. It’s a defensive draft class with some good tight ends. Stick to the plan. — Rob Staton (@robstaton) April 26, 2019

This is basically what they’ve done. They got their identity back and now they’re building up their defense with BAMF’s.

The 2019 draft is an even bigger commitment to their vision than last years class.

I’ll have more on the players in a moment but let’s just recap what happened on an eventful day two…

The headlines

— The Seahawks trade down from #37 to #47 with the Panthers

— As compensation they gained another valuable round three pick (#77)

— They select Marquise Blair (S, Utah) with the #47 pick

— The Seahawks trade up from #77 to #64 with the Patriots giving up #118

— They select D.K. Metcalf (WR, Ole Miss) with the #64 pick

— Adam Schefter reports Doug Baldwin might be set to retire

— The Seahawks trade up again from #92 to #88 giving up #209

— They select Cody Barton (LB, Utah) with the #88 pick

The key to a good draft this year was to try and accumulate picks on day two. Seattle was able to turn #21 and #29 into #29, #47, #64 and #88. That’s a big win.

People will question some of the value simply because the players they took weren’t conventional names selected in a range where the media were predicting. I personally had Collier as a top-40 pick and Marquise Blair in round two. It shouldn’t be a big shock they landed in that range.

Many believed D.K. Metcalf was a first round pick. They got him at #64.

Seattle’s board

#29 (R1) L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)

#47 (R2) Marquise Blair (S, Utah)

#64 (R2) D.K. Metcalf (WR, Ole Miss)

#88 (R3) Cody Barton (LB, Utah)

#114 (R4)

#124 (R4)

#132 (R4)

#142 (R5)

#209 (R6)

There’s so much talent still available and the Seahawks have three great picks coming up in round four. Whether they take any of the following falling players remains to be seen. However, look at the names still available:

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (CB/S, Florida)

D’Andre Walker (EDGE, Georgia)

Christian Miller (EDGE, Alabama)

Charles Omenihu (DE, Texas)

Anthony Johnson (DE, Iowa)

Keke Kingsley (DE, Texas Tech)

Marvell Tell (S, USC)

Amani Hooker (S, Iowa)

Emmanuel Hall (WR, Missouri)

Dru Samia (G, Oklahoma)

Hakeem Butler (WR, Iowa State)

Rodney Anderson (RB, Oklahoma)

Isaiah Johnson (CB, Houston)

They could easily get some impact players in round four who can come in and compete right away.

Day three is also the kind of range where the following could be considered:

Ryquell Armstead (RB, Temple)

Trevon Wesco (FB/TE, West Virginia)

Justin Hollins (EDGE, Oregon)

Riley Ridley (WR, Georgia)

Daniel Wise (DT, Kentucky)

Renell Wren (DT, Arizona State)

Albert Huggins (DT, Clemson)

Gary Jennings (WR, West Virginia)

Greg Gaines (DT, Washington)

Armon Watts (DT, Arkansas)

Jamal Peters (CB, Mississippi State)

Saivion Smith (CB, Alabama)

Maxx Crosby (EDGE, Eastern Michigan)

Austin Bryant (EDGE, Clemson)

Lamont Gaillard (C, Georgia)

Joe Jackson (DE, Miami)

Gerald Willis III (DT, Miami)

Kaden Smith (TE, Stanford)

Penny Hart (WR, Georgia State)

Dexter Williams (RB, Notre Dame)

Darius West (S, Kentucky)

Michael Jackson (CB, Miami)

Blessuan Austin (CB, Rutgers)

Derrek Thomas (CB, Baylor)

Notes on the three players drafted today

By taking Marquise Blair in round two, that’s the earliest pick the Seahawks have spent on a defensive back since Earl Thomas in 2010.

Here’s what I wrote about Blair in our big draft preview:

Hits like a hammer and will strike fear into any receiver running across the middle of the field. Could be a flag-machine if his technique is off. Decent but not great size (6-1, 195lbs). He ran a 4.48 forty which was faster than expected.

I’d mocked him in round two several times and listed him as a second round prospect in my March tiers, noting:

Utah’s Marquise Blair has the athleticism and quickness to excel at nickel and packs a punch as a tackler/hitter. He too might go a bit earlier than the consensus is predicting.

Here’s the view of one anonymous scout on Blair (courtesy of Bob McGinn):

“He’s the most aggressive head-hunter… I think he’s had four targeting calls. He’s got range. He’s got everything you want. Just really undisciplined. Will probably be off a few boards. He’s had some anger issues. Never been in trouble but he’s just been hard to manage. One of the more fun guys to watch.”

And here’s a slightly different view from another scout:

“He got three targeting penalties on purpose. If he wasn’t crazy I’d take him in the second round.”

That’s the quote of the 2019 draft right there.

I never believed D.K. Metcalf was likely to go as early as some were projecting. His neck injury from 2018 almost ended his career. He’s a one-dimensional receiver currently, running go-routes to exploit his 4.33 speed.

The good thing is that’s the one thing Seattle loves to do — go deep. Pete Carroll has craved a dynamic big receiver like this for years. If Metcalf can make strides as an intermediate and red zone target to pair with his ability to separate downfield he could be an X-factor in the NFL.

Here’s what I wrote about Metcalf in our big draft preview:

There are reasons to think Metcalf won’t appeal to the Seahawks. He had too many concentration drops in college, he had a serious neck injury during the 2018 season, his short/intermediate routes are laboured and he’s pretty much a one-trick pony at the moment (he runs a superb go-route at 6-3 and 228lbs). The thing is — the one thing he does very well is pretty rare. He ran a 4.33 at the combine and the fastest 10-yard split of any player at any position (1.48). There aren’t many humans on the planet who can run that fast at his size. For that reason alone — and considering Seattle’s desire to get the ball downfield — Metcalf has to be included here.

I’d highly recommend checking out this great tape breakdown by Brett Kollman:

Metcalf was listed as the #1 receiver in Bob McGinn’s draft preview. Here are some of the anonymous scout quotes he provided:

“DK’s a freak… You line him up at X and he’s taking the lid off coverage. That’s what he’s doing. He’s a slot receiver. Smart kid. Loves football. He’s better than Stephen Hill coming out, more productive than Josh Gordon coming out. But he’s kind of more in their light than Julio (Jones). Julio has better flexibility, hips, routes.”

“He’s a workout phenom. He can’t catch and he can’t run routes and he doesn’t separate well. Everybody talks about how great he looks but what great receiver is just big? Julio, but Julio wasn’t even that big. The top receivers aren’t these monsters. Odell (Beckham), Antonio Brown. A.J. Green is slender. Being that big doesn’t make you a good wide receiver. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

His interview with the Seahawks at the combine led to this memorable moment:

Most people expected the Seahawks to target D-line, receiver and defensive back with their first three picks and so it proved.

Drafting Metcalf could be especially important given this tweet from Adam Schefter during the draft:

At the age of 30, Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin might be unable to play again due to the cumulative effect of multiple injuries, per sources. There is a real chance that Baldwin, one of the Seahawks’ best and most popular players, has played his last NFL down, a source said Friday. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2019

This seems to be trending one way at the moment. There’s too much smoke. Let’s hope Doug Baldwin can play in 2019 but it’s looking ominous at the moment.

Cody Barton wasn’t on my radar coming into the draft because I assumed re-signing K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks meant they would avoid the linebacker position. That was a mistake for one big reason — they’ve been waiting for a linebacker like Barton for years.

The Seahawks want special athletic qualities at LB. Amazing speed, explosive traits, length, quickness. There’s been a dearth of players like that available over the last few years. College football has not been pumping Seahawks linebackers into the NFL.

Barton is 6-2 and 237lbs but he ran a 4.03 short shuttle and a 6.90 three-cone. Those are special times. That’s pretty much the same shuttle time as Marvell Tell at 198lbs.

That’s what Seattle is looking for. I noted in this piece (click here) two years ago about the importance of the short shuttle to the Seahawks when looking for linebackers.

Here’s Bob McGinn’s write-up on Barton (including anonymous scouting sources):

“Little bit of a wild horse rider,” said one scout. “Not a bad kid. Will knock the (bleep) out of you. Super fast. Big-time downhill player.” Described by one scout as a classic overachiever. “Man, that (bleep) is a football player,” said another scout. Finished with 235 tackles (24 ½ for loss), nine sacks and five takeaways. “He’s all over the field,” said a third scout. “A really strong, aggressive guy at the point of attack and a really consistent finisher. He’s really good in coverage and a good pass rusher. He does everything pretty well. Nothing excellent.” Recorded the fastest LB clocking in the short shuttle (4.03). Wonderlic of 27.

It also feels like special teams is a big consideration here too. Blair and Barton will likely be expected to be big factors there in year one.

The Seahawks are building real momentum with this draft class. If you want to try and work out who’s next — look for the players with physical toughness left on the board.

They still need more pass rush. Currently they’ve only added L.J. Collier to the defensive line. While they’ll almost certainly add some veterans after the draft — it won’t be a big shock if they target the EDGE and defensive tackle position early. They also need some depth and competition at cornerback and might consider adding a tight end, receiver or running back.

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