Reading through the various 2011 NFL Draft grades, it was hard to find an analyst happy with the Seattle Seahawks draft. It was called boring, filled with reaches and Pete Carroll was accused of having no idea what value is. But looking deeper into the picks, it's clear there was a plan and the Seahawks executed it. Picks came in blocks, beginning with the offensive line in the first three rounds and shifting to the secondary in the last three. And at least one analyst gave it a solid grade, going against the trend of many other national pundits.
CBS Sports' Rob Rang was the analyst in question and he does know the draft as well as anyone. Rang is well-respected and spends countless hours poring over tape to evaluate prospects, making him an excellent source of information. And when it came time to evaluate the draft and hand-out grade, Rang gave the Seahawks a B and praised the plan of Pete Carroll.
Clearly, Pete Carroll and John Schneider's focus was on improving the running game. The selection of Mississippi State outside linebacker K.J. Wright and Georgia wideout Kris Durham were surprises, given the similar talents of players already on their roster. [...] I'm particularly high on the LeGree, a three-time All-American who could surprise as a future starter.
Yes, the Seahawks passed on a quarterback, but were any of the signal-callers in the draft that enticing? When the options at No. 25 are Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick and Ryan Mallet, who slid way down in the draft, I'd argue no. Instead, the Seahawks built from front-to-back, working on the offensive line and shying away from a quarterback. Because without capable blocking, no quarterback stands a chance. Besides, there's always free agency, whenever it begins.
For even more on the draft, head on over to Field Gulls. Check out the rest of our 2011 NFL Draft grades to get caught up on all the picks. We'll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.