Seattle Seahawks Draft Forecast: Cloudy!
By Rob Shumate
Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, yes, gather around, for it is time for my bi-weekly draft prediction. Okay umm…lets see….hmmm…oh yes…announcing (rhythmically tapping the table) NFL Mock Draft 23, version A, subset 2.
Obviously, I jest. In all honesty I can’t take it any longer. Why?! Why do we do this? Why do the so-called experts think they can predict the thinking of coaches and GMs? What really ends up happening is that their ‘expert’ prediction is rendered moot and ludicrous when the actual selection is made. Those that are called gurus end up being wrong much of the time and then provide fodder for years to come when somebody they labeled as being undraftable turns into a star i.e. Tony Romo, Arian Foster, Wes Welker, Kurt Warner and Russell Wilson.
My ire was raised after reading multiple draft reports for the Seattle Seahawks. Each one predicted something different: wide receiver, corner back, defensive end, guard, tackle and even one saying a QB. Heck, lets throw in a running back, a kicker and a punter and just cover every position. So I ask you, what do we get out of these predictions? Exactly…more confusion. I really get a kick out of predictions that come on the heels of the Super Bowl. Free agency hasn’t even started; how on earth are we supposed to know team needs before they have had a chance to address them in the off-season? In the words of Susan Powter, “stop the insanity!”
In the weeks leading up to the NFL draft the whole landscape of the draft changes with the winds of opinion. There is no consensus of who is going to be chosen number one in the draft and that is okay. That is what makes this time of the year exciting for fans of the NFL. In fact there is no consensus on the top five picks. We can’t even narrow down the five best players of the draft because every team has their own needs assessment criteria and who fits into that. But again, that is wonderful and as fans we wouldn’t want it any other way, would we?
With Seattle picking at 32 there are so many variables that can happen that there is no way on this beloved planet that anybody can predict the direction the Seahawks will take. There are so many options; they can trade up, they can trade out of the first round or they can pick a player that is on their big board…a board that is as secret as nuclear launch codes. What we do know is that they will choose a player that was overlooked, needed a second chance or fit a specific physical characteristic. And then we can listen to all of the pundits belittle, mock and second guess the selection only to be proven wrong in about 5 months. Just like you, I will sit back, relax and see what kind of magic happens on May 8th. And if you hear a suit-wearing know-it-all predict that Seattle will choose a special teams player in the 7th round, please ignore that sound you just heard…that is just my head exploding. Go Hawks!