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Not a single down of football has been played. Not a single rookie has taken his first snap. But it's never too early for experts to start grading the 2012 NFL Draft. So let's see what they're saying about the Seattle Seahawks.
The SportingNews gave the Seahawks a D:
They went for defensive head-scratchers when more reliable prospects were on the board.
FOX Sports gave the Seahawks a B:
Their entire draft was one shocker after another. In the first round, they took West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, who was off a lot of boards because of his arrest last month on a vandalism charge. But Irvin does have tons of ability and, like Carroll said, might be the best pass rusher in this draft.
CBSSports' Pete Prisco gave the Seahawks a C+:
They made a questionable move at the top with Irvin, bounced back by taking Wagner, but then took Russell Wilson in the third when they just signed Matt Flynn. Why? They did some good things on the final day, but Irvin is the key.
ESPN's Mel Kiper gave the Seahawks a C-:
The Seattle Seahawks tied for the lowest grade among all 32 teams, a C-minus punctuated with this comment from Kiper: "The needs were met outside of wide receiver, but in terms of maximizing value, there are huge questions. Again, this is a grade of the draft process, not the players alone."
The NFL Network gave the Seahawks a C:
The took a lot of chances, in terms of Bruce Irvin. That was a risky pick.
Rotoworld's Evan Silva gave the Seahawks a B-:
It's popular to pan the Seahawks' draft. While we're not giving them an "A," the 2012 Seattle picks are largely understandable and hardly "mindboggling" as Mel Kiper's hair has claimed. No. 15 is early for a situational pass rusher, but no defender in this class has a quicker first step than Irvin. Wagner is a thumper and addresses a need. Wilson is going to make Tarvaris Jackson expendable. Turbin adds physicality to a backfield lacking it behind Marshawn Lynch. Howard, Toomer, and Guy can be year-one role players. Lane, Sweezy, and Scruggs are under-the-radar picks. Realistically, the Seahawks didn't overdraft anyone on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and they consistently kept in mind need. It's a better group than people are saying.
SB Nation gave the Seahawks a B:
It will be interesting to see what becomes of Bruce Irvin. He has talent, and I tend to underwrite character issues a little because, well, twentysomethings sometimes act stupid. Seattle's 2012 draft class will be judged by Irving. With Russell Wilson, the Seahawks may be trying to sew together a trio of iffy quarterbacks into a great one. How'd that work for Frankenstein?
The Bobby Wagner pick is a solid. Robert Turbin fits well behind Marshawn Lynch.
Sounds like the Seahawks' draft is receiving mixed reviews. Much of it comes down to the fact that come people "get it", and others have not caught on to Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider's draft style and philosophy.
One thing that should be factored into the Seahawks' draft grade is the fact that they went into the draft holding only 6 picks, but were able to acquire 10 when all was said and done. To be able to nearly double your draft class should not go unnoticed.
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For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit our NFL Draft StoryStream. For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft. To talk Seahawks, make sure you head to Field Gulls and join in on the discussion.
