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Seahawks Draft Obum Gwacham and Kristjan Sokoli In Sixth Round

By James Silberman

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It wasn’t Ladarius Gunter, as I would have hoped, but the he Seattle Seahawks have added a pair of really explosive defensive linemen. The ‘Hawks could definitely benefit from some added youth and athleticism on the D-line. They drafted Obum Gwacham, a DE from Oregon State, and Kristjan Sokoli, a DT from Buffalo with picks No. 209 and No. 214.

Once again, the Seahawks took players I haven’t scouted at all. Here is Rob Rang on Gwacham.

"STRENGTHS: Good-looking athlete with a tall, long frame…first quick step with acceleration off the edge, flattening and closing with burst…shows active hands to fight through blockers, working hard to keep himself clean…lower body explosiveness with springs in his calves – also a high jumper on the Oregon State track team…pursuit speed to chase from behind and make plays at the sideline…improved diagnose skills and ball awareness, reading his keys and not allowing himself to be fooled.Lacks the power to match up in the trenches, but that doesn’t stop him, playing with a competitive, attacking mentality…offers versatility as an experienced special teamer – can be used on offense in goal line situations as a red zone threat…prides himself on his conditioning and workout routines…positive attitude that rubs off on his teammates according to his coaches…football bloodlines – brother (Nnamdi) played four seasons at Utah State as a wide receiver.WEAKNESSES: Very lean upper and lower body with skinny limbs…needs to continue adding weight, but is nearly maxed out…lacks the functional strength to consistently stack-and-shed at the point of attack…doesn’t convert speed to power and doesn’t offer much shock in his punch…active hands, but doesn’t use them effectively enough…instincts and snap anticipation are still rough around the edges – needs to locate the ball quicker and improve his pursuit angles…pops upright off the snap and doesn’t rush with tact or creativity.All four of his sacks came in the first five games of 2014 as he struggled to make adjustments against better competition down the stretch…doesn’t show a nasty attitude and needs more glass in his diet…only one season on defense and will be a 24-year old NFL rookie…lean body type leads to durability concerns."

Explosive athletes always have a place on a football team, but it doesn’t sound like he has much polish. Special teams contributor might be his ceiling.

Here is the report on Sokoli.

"He uses his long arms well to engage and lock out, but struggles with leverage and high pad level, not generating much power from his lower half. Sokoli doesn’t have ideal reflexes pre- or post-snap to react to the action in time, but he uses his length well to obstruct passing lanes (six pass break-ups in 2014). A tireless, blue collar worker, Sokoli doesn’t play with top-end functional strength, but he played out of position in college and shows the movement skills and size dimensions that are worth developing – underrated with upside."

That sounds like a Pete Carroll guy. He isn’t overly athletic, but has a constant motor. He “always competes” if you will. That’s a trait he will need if he is going to make this roster.

The Seahawks have one pick remaining in the seventh round at No. 248 overall.

Next: Seahawks Draft Terry Poole And Mark Glowinski In Fourth Round

Next: Seahawks Draft Grades: Frank Clark And Tyler Lockett

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