NFL Draft: Another Controversial Pick by the Seahawks in Ifedi
By Ben Renner
The first round of the NFL Draft had some drama for the Seahawks, who traded their 26th pick to the Broncos and chose Germain Ifedi.
The Seahawks traded their 26th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to the Denver Broncos for their 31st pick and a third round pick (94th). The Broncos chose Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch to be the Heir to the Throne of Peyton.
The Seahawks managed to trade down and still land a first round pick, a move I would sanction, however, they chose Germain Ifedi, a guard out of Texas A&M, a move that I’m ambivalent about to say the least.
As you probably know by now, there are multiple sources calling the Seahawks’ pick of Ifedi in the NFL Draft everything from genius to idiocy. Keith Myers at 12th Man Rising called the pick “a mistake.” Even after some reflection he still couldn’t condone it:
I'm trying so hard to talk myself into this Ifedi pick and I just cannot do it. watching his tape, and seeing him get burned over and over
— Keith Myers (@MyersNFL) April 29, 2016
Mike Renner (no relation) called Germian Ifedi one of the five worst picks in the NFL Draft first round this year on ProFootballFocus.com:
Ifedi had a sixth-round grade on our big board and was our 12th overall tackle in the class. He simply did not grade well at all, finishing with a negative pass-blocking grade a season ago. Sure, he is strong, and has a fantastic frame for the position, but his technique is nowhere near an NFL level yet. It will take him a few years to even get to an NFL starter’s level, and then at that point the Seahawks will have to break out the checkbook for his second contract.
According to the official NFL.com Draft Profile for Ifedi, he is graded a 5.86, meaning he could be an early NFL starter. This is several levels below top talent, according to NFL.com’s grading system.
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Then again, according to the Seattle Times, many gave the Seahawks positive grades for selecting Ifedi in the NFL Draft. Dan Kadar of SB Nation called Ifedi “the perfect piece of clay for Cable to shape.” NFL.com graded the pick an “A.”
Germain Ifedi is a raw talent who could, at most, become a useful starter if he can pick up Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable’s teachings quickly. The Seahawks took a risk with Ifedi. He has the natural characteristics of an NFL offensive lineman–6’6″ 324 lbs–and the ability to play both guard and tackle, but parts of his tape are hard to watch. He gets caught snatching at defensive linemen going by him because he can’t get his feet set consistently. If pressed into action early in the 2016 season, we’ll almost certainly see yellow flags all over the field constantly.
If Ifedi can develop in Cable’s system quickly, the Seahawks may have just walked away from the first day of the NFL Draft with a versatile, talented lineman, something quarterback Russell Wilson and company need badly. We won’t know whether this gamble paid off until the midway point of the 2016 season, at the earliest, unless somehow Ifedi turns from sloppy project player to polished NFL guard overnight.
John Schneider and Pete Carroll are perfectly happy to trade down a few spots in the NFL Draft to acquire extra picks on day two, and I’m all in favor of trading back, but the Ifedi Project could turn into a wasted pick by the Seahawks. If Ifedi can’t improve the technique he showed in college, he’ll be woefully ineffective in the NFL. Haters have been wrong before. The most infamous example is the “F” the Seahawks received from the Bleacher Report for drafting Russell Wilson in the third round and Bruce Irvin in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. To me, though, this year’s NFL Draft pick Germain Ifedi is a risk I would be hesitant to take in the first round. Only time will tell.
Next: The Five Defining Moments of the 2015 Seahawks Season
Round two of the NFL Draft starts this afternoon at 4pm PT. The Seahawks have the 25th pick in the second round (56th overall), and the 27th (90th overall), the 32nd (94th), and the 35th (97th) in the third round. (Yes, I can count, the Kansas City Chiefs forfeited their 28th pick in the third round.) Share your feelings on the Seahawks’ NFL Draft so far below.