18. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-7)
LAST SEASON: Pete Carroll was in unfamiliar situation of being stuck at home for playoffs. Seattle missed postseason for just second time during Carroll’s tenure as rash of key injuries and lack of depth caught up with Seahawks, leading to major changes. Gone are Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, and potentially Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril, plus coaches Darrell Bevell, Tom Cable and Kris Richard. Seattle seems committed to re-establishing run game that was nonexistent last season under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Seahawks ranked 23rd in league running ball, putting too much offensive emphasis on QB Russell Wilson. Defensively, LB Bobby Wagner remained one of elite linebackers in NFL, but injuries exposed Seattle’s defense as no longer elite.
THEY NEED: DE, S, DT, CB, RB, WR, QB.
THEY DON’T NEED: LB, K.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama; DE Harold Landry, Boston College; DE Marcus Davenport, UTSA; CB Josh Jackson, Iowa; S Derwin James, Florida State.
OUTLOOK: All offseason general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have called Seattle’s overhaul retooling and not full rebuild. So Seahawks must hit in this draft. Belief is with Wilson and Wagner still in prime, Seattle still has chance to contend soon. But there can’t be drafts with more misses than hits. Seattle currently doesn’t have second-day pick, very unlike Seahawks, raising likelihood of trading out of No. 18 spot. Expect Seahawks to be very aggressive in remedies for lack of second-day picks.
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