NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang has emerged as a very highly respected source for player analysis and I've found his evaluations to be fair and well-argued. He's also a native of the Pacific Northwest and has a finger on the pulse of what the Seahawks need so I take his mock drafts a little more seriously than others. Rang, in his latest iteration, has the Seahawks taking a very intriguing prospect at the 12th spot:
Per Rang:
Nick Perry, DE, Southern California: Having captured a full third of Seattle's 33 sacks in 2011, Chris Clemons has quietly emerged as one of the NFL's most productive pass rushers. His statistics are inflated due to the matchups presented by Seattle's LEO position, a hybrid pass-rushing role. Carroll recruited Perry to Southern Cal three years ago to fill precisely this role. The 6-3, 255-pound Perry led the Pac-12 with 9.5 sacks as a junior and may be just scratching the surface of his potential. Whether serving as a complement to Clemons or as his eventual replacement, Perry's speed and pass rushing potential will be highly valued come draft day.
As could be expected, Rang's analysis is well-researched and more in-depth than the norm, citing Perry's specific role at USC and theoretically with the Seahawks. We've talked about Nick Perry over at Field Gulls recently and have identified him as a possible round one candidate as well so he's definitely someone to keep your eye on as we get closer to Draft day.
For all news and information regarding the Seattle Seahawks, make sure you check out Field Gulls.