ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is busy tinkering away with with litany of NFL mock drafts, and in his first update has the Seattle Seahawks choosing talented defensive end Melvin Ingram out of the University of South Carolina with their number one pick.
Here is Kiper’s take on Ingram and the Seahawks:
Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
The Seahawks have quietly made major strides in overhauling the roster and finding solutions to grow with in the past two years. Last year, they targeted offensive linemen early, and with the addition of Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin, also have good talent at wide receiver. Even banged up at O-line, they ran the ball with some effectiveness. Obviously, quarterback remains a big question, but that’s not something they can target at this spot in the draft. What they can do is add a final piece to a defense that is young, fast and extremely good in the secondary. The linebacking corps was strengthened by the emergence of K.J. Wright. So the work is up front and at defensive end for a team that was just 23rd in the NFL last year in sack percentage. Ingram is just big enough to fit this system as a 4-3 defensive end, and should add a boost to the pass rush early.
I agree that a player of Ingram’s caliber would be a terrific addition to Pete Carroll’s squad, a team needing to focus on their struggling pass rush and sack percentage this offseason.
For more on the Seahawks, head over to Field Gulls.