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Who to pick? Locker or Mays?
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Speculation is like eating candy. It feels good going down but it's doesn't do you much good.
There was a fair amount of speculation this week in a column by Rob Rang for CBSsports.com on next year's NFL draft. Remember that's still seven months away. The draft order is not set. Underclassmen have not declared. It doesn't account for injuries or inconsistent play. It's really just an exercise in mindless projection.
Having said that, you can generally project some things as to where teams will draft and what players might be available
What makes the projection interesting is the potential predicament the Seahawks might find themselves in as they make their selection.
The way the Seahawks are going, they stand to gain from all their losses. They likely will have another top 10 pick. Maybe eight to 10. And they need so much, a offensive tackle, quarterback, running back, a big, fast defensive back, big wide receiver, pretty much everything.
Rang projects that the Seahawks will have the No, 10 pick. With it, he says they will take USC safety Taylor Mays, the kid from O'Dea High was spurned UW (rightly so) to play in SoCal. He's a local kid. He's could be great, coming on the heels of the Hawks' 2009 selection of LB Aaron Curry. The defense gets better.
However, is that their biggest priority? I don't think so. It's a need but there are so many more needs so much more urgent. For me, this team needs to take a quarterback and/or offensive tackle with their first pick. It's frustrating watching this team try to piece together an offense this season. T Walter Jones is out and likely won't ever be back, or at least can't be counted on. I would take the best tackle I could find.
But, there's also possibly UW QB Jake Locker sitting there. All the scouting services list Locker among the top QBs coming out, and it's a pretty good class. Locker, a junior, must first declare but with all that first-round money available (and possibly a rookie pay rule change in 2011), it would behoove him to declare.
Do you take Locker? He's not ready for the NFL yet but Matt Hasselbeck also is not ready to give it up. He's got one of two decent seasons left, long enough to allow Locker to develop.
At any rate, the pressure will be on the home team to pick a homeboy.
The other consideration is that it's a pretty good class of QBs. There may be a half dozen real good ones. Rang lists four among his top 14 picks.
Do the Hawks take Mays or a O-lineman with the first pick, then with their second first-rounder (Denver's), do they take a second-tier quarterback? Or do they think last year's No. 6 selection, Mike Teel, is their QB of the future?
It will yet another compelling draft for the Hawks. At this stage, it might be better to cheer against both the Hawks and the Broncos so they can improve their talent base next April.
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