Givanni Damico | April 27th, 2020
The Seattle Seahawks went into the 2020 NFL Draft with something to prove after missing on back-to-back first-round picks in 2018 and 2019. This year, they picked in the same range and there was somewhat of a similar result. Did Seattle improve upon there last two drafts? Let’s get into the Seahawks Draft Review.
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Round 1, Pick 27: Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
This was a puzzling pick to me. The Seahawks have a clear need at linebacker as Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore, but with Patrick Queen still on the board, this seems like another classic Seattle reach. Now, Seahawks’ fans, please don’t be bias and get mad at me here. I don’t see a clear reason as to why Brooks was the pick over Queen. I had a late round three grade on Brooks and a mid-first on Queen. Yes, this fills a hole for Seattle and I’m sure Brooks can blossom into a good player, but with better talent on the board, this seems like a whiff for John Schenider
Grade: C-
Round 2, Pick 48: Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Tennessee
Taylor was a late-riser in the draft process. There were many reports saying that he was one of a few guys that would probably go earlier than expected, and he did. Seattle is probably anticipating Jadeveon Clowney signing with a different team, making EDGE a need again, but once again, the value seems slightly off. Taylor also received a late-third from me, so not quite as big of a reach as Brooks, but with EDGE rushers like A.J. Epenesa and Jabari Zuniga still on the board, this was a headscratcher. To play devil’s advocate, I’m sure Seattle wanted someone who could also drop back into coverage, which Epenesa could not. I don’t hate this pick, but it seems like they could have pulled a classic Seattle trade-back and still landed Taylor.
Grade: B-
Round 3, Pick 69: Damien Lewis, IOL, LSU
The Seahawks desperately need to protect Russell Wilson, so I understand this pick, but, and I feel like a broken record, the value is off here. There were quite a few other guys on the board either at IOL, or at offensive tackle that are projected to move to IOL, that would have been better value picks here. This is earlier than most expected Lewis to go. I had an early-fifth round grade on him, but I understand the need to protect Wilson, so it’s not a completely awful pick.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick 133: Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford
I was surprised that Seattle went tight end this early when they already have Will Dissly, Greg Olsen, Jacob Hollister, and Luke Willson. This pick made no sense to me, as Parkinson may have to fight for a spot on the team. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great athlete and underrated prospect, but there was no need to even consider a tight end this early.
Grade: D
Round 4, Pick 144: DeeJay Dallas, RB, Miami
As a huge DeeJay Dallas believer, this is much higher than I thought he would go. I’m really happy for him, but I don’t understand the pick once again. The Seahawks already have Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and Travis Homer as their top three running backs, all of whom were solid last year. I understand Carson probably won’t get a second contract in two years, but to take a running back this high when there are other needs, such as another offensive lineman, doesn’t make sense.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 148: Alton Robinson, EDGE, Syracuse
Now this was a good pick by John Schneider. Robinson fills a need as a depth EDGE who will probably see the field in certain packages throughout his rookie year. I thought of Robinson as a fourth-round talent, so to get him in the fifth seems like a big win to me.
Grade: A
Round 6, Pick 214: Freddie Swain, WR, Florida
I always viewed Swain as one of the more underrated receiver prospects in this draft class. Seattle lacks depth at receiver, so Swain could easily find himself making the team as the Seahawks’ WR5 or WR6. There was a run on speed in rounds five and six, and Seattle participated taking the 4.46 receiver. Good pick here.
Grade: A+
Round 7, Pick 251: Stephen Sullivan, WR/TE, LSU
The 6’5” Sullivan made the transition to tight end during his senior year at LSU, which significantly influenced his production. As a junior, Sullivan had 363 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. As a senior, he recorded just 120 yards and no touchdowns. I view Sullivan as an “offensive weapon” who can play a little bit of receiver, albeit not much, a little bit of tight end, and a little bit of fullback. Good versatility makes me like this pick a bit more, but it definitely would not have been my pick here.
Grade: B
Overall
Seattle kind of had another Seattle draft. There were some early-round reaches and a couple late-round gems. My judgment of Schenider’s picks could be laughed at in five years when Jordyn Brooks is a top five linebacker or Darrell Taylor makes a Pro Bowl, but it’s my job to criticize the picks based on what I know now. Seattle could have done a lot better here, but on the bright side, they are still a playoff team with a lot of hope going into 2020.
Overall Grade: C+
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