There’s a silver — really, really thin — silver lining to losing two Pro Bowl defensive ends at the same time.
The 2018 NFL draft that begins Thursday is deep in defensive linemen and edge pass-rushers.
Michael Bennett has been traded to Philadelphia. Fellow Pro Bowl sack man Cliff Avril may never play again because of serious neck injury. And the Seattle Seahawks are squarely in one of the most important markets in the game.
Today’s pass-o-rama NFL is most about two assets: Quarterbacks; and having guys who can hit, pressure, rattle and sack them.
This draft has both.
Five quarterbacks are likely to be selected in Thursday’s first round. Many believe an end/edge-rusher, Bradley Chubb from North Carolina State, will be drafted before four of those quarterbacks.
Here are the best defensive linemen, plus those likely to be available in the later rounds when Seattle picks most; seven of the Seahawks’ eight scheduled picks are on day three, one in round four, four in round five and two in round seven:
EDGE RUSHERS
1. Bradley Chubb, Georgia: Chubb was almost unblockable in college. He was the Bronko Nagurski winner as the nation’s top defender. Expect him to be gone within the first five picks, likely at number four to Cleveland.
2. Marcus Davenport, Texas-San Antonio: Athletic, talented, yet still very raw. Some viewed Davenport as a disappointment at the Senior Bowl. That may be Seattle’s salvation to drop him to the Seahawks at 18, or later after a trade, in round one.
3. Arden Key, LSU: A surgery, a suspension, red-flags galore. Without those, this tall, powerful end would be in Chubb’s range. He likely falls into the second round.
Possible later-round options for the Seahawks:
1. Davin Bellamy, Georgia: Chubb got all the attention with the Bulldogs. But Bellamy made plays and has NFL-like qualities such as size, speed and length.
2. Marcell Frazier, Missouri: Lived in opposing backfields in the Southeastern Conference, with 15.5 tackles for lost yardage last season.
3. Ja’von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State: Sack machine. Two-time Sun Belt Conference player of the year. Poor combine workouts dropped his stock. Athleticism is intriguing. Results in college are remarkable.
TACKLE
1. Vita Vea, Washington: He ruined offensive lines and lived in opposing backfields no matter how Huskies deployed him. Oakland might be looking long at him with the 10th pick.
2. Da’Ron Payne: Alabama: Freakish strength that overwhelms many offensive linemen. Can that be the case in the NFL, too? Payne is a run-stuffing tackle that will be a middle linebacker’s dream in the league.
3. Taven Bryan, Florida: Runs over linemen in his way, impressively for not being 300 pounds. Could Atlanta coach Dan Quinn take this bull late in round one?
Possible late-round prospects for the Seahawks:
1. Poona Ford, Texas: A disruptive nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme in college, so not a natural fit for Seattle. But the Seahawks had him as one of their 30 allowed pre-draft workouts they hosted at team headquarters. He may not last past fourth round.
2. Abdullah Anderson, Bucknell: Another Seahawks pre-draft visit. A Seahawks kind of guy: Basketball player for three years in high school, football for only his senior year. 6-4, with great feet.
3. Andrew Brown, Virginia: The Seahawks had him in for a workout, too. He was effective up and down UVA’s defensive line, inside and outside. Versatility always intrigues the Seahawks. NFLdraftscout.com notes he was ejected too often from games in college.
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