In John Randle, Chike Okeafor, Grant Wistrom and Bryce Fisher, the Seahawks have shown over the years that they can lure free-agent defensive linemen to Seattle.
| Every day this week, The Herald will take a look at some of the top prospects in the draft. Today features defensive linemen:
Defensive Ends 1. David Pollack (Georgia) 2. Marcus Spears (LSU) 3. Erasmus James (Wisconsin) 4. Dan Cody (Oklahoma) 5. Justin Tuck (Notre Dame) The skinny: Plenty of big names here, but all have question marks. There is no slam-dunk pass rusher like Terrell Suggs or Dwight Freeney in this group, but as many as four or five could go in the first round. Seahawks’ slant: The questions could play right into Seattle’s hands, as at more than one of the top four are expected to fall to them at No. 23. Pollack and James are thinner ends with quickness, while Spears fits the prototype of past Seattle D-linemen. Defensive Tackles 1. Travis Johnson (Florida State) 2. Shaun Cody (USC) 3. Luis Castillo (Northwestern) 4. Mike Patterson (USC) 5. Jonathan Babineaux (Iowa) The skinny: A relatively weak crop, especially when considering the fact that 17 D-tackles have been first-round picks in the past four drafts. Cody can play inside and out, but he’s not a top-10 pick. Castillo will slide after reportedly admitting steroid use. Seahawks’ slant: Seattle took Marcus Tubbs in the first round last year, and added Chartric Darby in free agency. It doesn’t seem likely that the Seahawks would take one up high, but a player like Cody could provide defensive flexibility. Tomorrow: Offensive linemen |
What they have not shown recently is that they can draft and develop defensive linemen.
From Lamar King in 1999 to fellow first-round pick Marcus Tubbs last year, Seattle’s luck with defensive linemen has been poor.
Seattle has drafted 10 defensive linemen during that five-year span, five of whom are no longer with the team. Among those who didn’t pan out were a first-round pick (King) and a second-round selection (Anton Palepoi, 2002).
The five still with the team are mainly backups. Antonio Cochran was forced into the starting lineup last year because of various Wistrom injuries, and defensive tackle Rashad Moore started 11 games while battling through a shoulder injury.
Moore had offseason shoulder surgery and will compete with Tubbs and free-agent acquisition Chartric Darby for the starting job this year.
A rookie could also factor into that competition, as defensive line is once again a priority as Seattle heads into Sunday’s NFL draft.
The defensive end position is especially thin.
Despite a healthy Wistrom and the addition of Fisher this year, the Seahawks would love to get a young end who can grow up in their system. Seattle has drafted four defensive ends since 1999, but only Cochran is still with the team. King (Tampa Bay) and Palepoi (Denver) are trying to hang on with other teams, while 2000 sixth-round pick John Hilliard is no longer in the NFL.
The good news is that the 2005 draft brings plenty of options. Big-time college players such as Georgia’s David Pollack, LSU’s Marcus Spears and Wisconsin’s Erasmus James could slide to the No. 23 pick, where the Seahawks would undoubtedly be tempted.
There are question marks regarding all three players.
Pollack’s size (6-foot-2, 265 pounds) makes him a so-called “tweener,” in that his frame puts him somewhere between a defensive end and linebacker. On one hand, he could get overpowered as a down lineman and might not be quick enough to play linebacker. On the other, he could develop into a Tedy Bruschi-type player who has the versatility to play several positions.
LSU’s Spears has shown uncanny athletic ability for his size (6-4, 307), but he’s struggled coming off the corner as a pass rusher. He’s the draft enigma of the group, with some mock drafts predicting him to go as high as No. 13, to Houston.
James was considered the best pro prospect in college, looking like a sure-fire top-10 pick before an ankle injury slowed him down at the end of his senior year. When healthy, James is probably the best pass rusher among the three.
Other possibilities could be a pair of linebacker/defensive ends: 6-4, 272-pound Shawne Merriman of Maryland and 6-4, 251-pound DeMarcus Ware of Troy State. Both could fill in the void if pass-rushing linebacker Chad Brown is released this week.
At defensive tackle, this draft also contains some questions. The biggest one involves Northwestern’s Luis Castillo, who reportedly sent a letter out to all 32 teams admitting that he has recently used steroids. It is unclear whether the admission will cost Castillo to fall out of the first, and possibly even second, round.
Florida State’s Travis Johnson is the cream of the defensive tackle crop. He could get picked among the top 15 picks but would be tempting if he slipped to Seattle’s pick.
Based purely on numbers, the odds are decent that the Seahawks could use their first-round pick on a defensive lineman named Cody. Oklahoma’s Dan Cody has been compared to Grant Wistrom because of his build and all-around ability, while USC’s Shaun Cody is a defensive tackle who can also play end.
Shaun Cody might also be intriguing to fans because he will be the subject of a cable reality show this fall, which will follow his search for an agent. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez will host the show.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ search for a young defensive lineman continues. Maybe the 23rd overall pick in Saturday’s NFL draft will finally provide a reward.
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