Draft countdown: 5 weeks. Every Thursday until the draft, we'll round up the latest draft rumors, analyze the latest mock drafts and take a look at other draft-related topics involving the Seahawks.
With the 25th pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the Seahawks select …
… Percy Harvin, wide receiver/kick returner/running back/pain in the ass for any defense, from Florida via Minnesota.
The Hawks traded the equivalent of the 18th or 19th pick overall for a guy who has more than lived up to his first-round status in four NFL seasons since being picked 22nd overall by the Vikings.
A first, seventh and 2014 third was not a bad price to pay for a 24-year-old veteran who is a weapon from all over the field.
Those who might have lamented the loss of a first-round pick that could have been used on a defensive lineman didn't have to pout for long as the Hawks signed pass rushers Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in the next couple of days.
So, with their first pick now in the second round (where they actually seem to like it anyway), the Hawks can take whichever player comes to them.
Barring a move up, their first pick will be No. 56. Based on rankings by Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net, CBS's NFLDraftScout.com and Derek Stephens of ScoutTheSeahawks.com, here are some players who could be options:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Kawann Short, Purdue: The 6-3, 308-pounder plays in the backfield -- 48 tackles for loss and four blocked kicks in four seasons, 12.5 sacks the last two. Doesn't always play with focus, but that might be because he was double-teamed so much. "He can whip people when he feels like it," a scout said. "He's got a lot of talent and he's got a lot of lazy in his play. He can rush the passer and play the run."
Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State: Rare combination of size (6-3, 320), strength and quickness to be a force against both the run and the pass. Can play 3-technique or 5-tech. Has been compared to Seattle's own Brandon Mebane. One scout called him a top-20 pick while another said he is overrated.
Sylvester Williams, North Carolina: At 6-3 and 313 pounds, he's stout enough for NT and quick enough for 3-tech. Main question is consistency. Had 13.5 TFL and six sacks as a senior. "He's not great at anything but he's really good at everything," a scout said. "Really tough. Plays with injuries. He just kind of sits in there and battles and makes plays. He's not a wow kind of guy. He makes a play or two in every game that means something."
John Jenkins, Georgia: The 6-4, 359-pounder would be a monster nose tackle, anchoring against the run and allowing Mebane or Bennett single coverage to get an inside rush. "He's a giant, but he moves his feet pretty well," a scout said. "His problem is he doesn't make a lot of plays. He's athletic enough to make plays. He just doesn't."
LINEBACKER
Khaseem Greene, Rutgers: The 6-1, 241-pound weakside linebacker made plays all over the field for Rutgers and could step right into the spot vacated by Leroy Hill.
SECONDARY
S Eric Reid, LSU: At 6-1, 213, Reid is seemingly a good blend of what the Hawks already have in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Reid has 4.52 speed and hits like Bam Bam Kam (although some scouts disagree). The Hawks might look at Reid as a potential replacement for Chancellor if the latter does not return to his 2010 form or if the Hawks decide they don’t want to pay Chancellor in 2014.
S Phillip Thomas, Fresno State: The senior playmaker has decent size (6-1, 208) and great instincts. He could quickly vie for nickel duties and potentially replace Chancellor.
CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State: At 6 feet with long arms and 4.36 speed, Slay could be the eventual replacement for Brandon Browner. In the interim, he could vie for the nickel spot.
WIDE RECEIVER
Markus Wheaton, Oregon State: A complete receiver whose only drawback is his slight size (5-11, 189), Wheaton has the speed (4.45), hands and ability to get open. The Hawks might part with Sidney Rice and/or Golden Tate after 2013, so even though they added Harvin, they could use another pass catcher.
Robert Woods, USC: A bigger all-around receiver than Wheaton, the 6-1, 201-pounder can do everything, although he is not a speed merchant (4.51).
Quinton Patton, La. Tech: Seemingly a complete all-around receiver, the 6-foot, 204-pound route runner is ranked as a second- or third-rounder on most analysts' boards. The Hawks talked to Patton at the Combine and might be eyeing him in the third round rather than the second.
TIGHT END
Zach Ertz, Stanford: The Hawks have talked about a double-tight end set for years, dating back to the Mike Holmgren era. Russell Wilson discovered Zach Miller late in the season, and he now knows the power of a great pass-catching tight end. What if the Hawks had two of them? And both named Zach?
OTHER HAWK DRAFT TALK
**As projected, the Hawks ended up with two seventh-round comp picks. That bumps them back up from eight picks to 10. They have an extra fifth from the Aaron Curry trade and two other sevenths from deals involving Barrett Ruud and Tarvaris Jackson. They sent their own seventh to Minnesota in the Harvin deal. The two comp picks cannot be traded. Their picks: 56, 87, 123, 138, 158, 194, 214, 220, 241, 242.
**The Hawks already have given up their third-rounder in 2014, so they likely are loath to give up another pick. But they figure to be drafting low in the first round again next year, so it might behoove them to consider using next year's No. 1 to pull a second No. 2 this year. If they have their eyes on two players, why not start grooming them now?
**How about another electric pass rusher named Rufus? In the early 1990s, Seattle had Rufus Porter. In 2013, they are interested in Rufus Johnson. The 6-6, 266-pound rush man from Tartleton State (Texas) had 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season and looks like a late-round pick. The Hawks observed his Pro Day and have set up a visit with him, Pauline reports.
**The Hawks also have a visit scheduled with Princeton defensive end Mike Catapano (6-4, 270), who led the Ivy League with 12 sacks in 2012.
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