While the 49ers’ draft class is under heavy evaluation, it’s time to see how a northern rival fared in the NFL Draft.
While Niners Nation continues to break down the 49ers’ draft class, at the same time, it’s smart to get to know how their rivals fared in the draft as well. The Seattle Seahawks did their normal wheeling and dealing, while managing to add eleven players during the weekend.
Here’s the full list of players that general manager John Schneider and Co. added:
29. LJ Collier, DE, TCU
47. Marquise Blair, S, Utah
64. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
88. Cody Barton, LB, Utah
120. Gary Jennings, WR, West Virginia
124. Phil Haynes, G, Wake Forest
132. Ugo Amadi, CB/S, Oregon
142. Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington
204. Travis Homer, RB, Miami
209. Demarcus Christmas, DT, Florida State
236. John Ursua, WR, Hawaii
The Seahawks’ first-round pick, defensive end LJ Collier was labeled as a reach and seen more as a developmental project, rather than a plug and play guy. With defensive end Frank Clark looking for homes in the Kansas City area, Seattle’s defense is in desperate need of Collier’s pass-rushing ability. The former TCU defender managed to rack up six sacks during his final collegiate season. With 49ers’ tackles Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley holding down the fort, a rookie pass rusher shouldn’t worry fans — or defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
The name that stands out the most on this list is wideout D.K. Metcalf. Touted as one of the most physically gifted players after his combine performance, Metcalf soared up draft boards and was even mocked to the 49ers at one point.
However, a report came out shortly before the NFL Draft that Metcalf and the 49ers didn’t mesh well during their combine meeting, yet the Seahawks still went on to choose him. While his 6-foot-3 stature and 4.33-second 40-yard dash time should scare 49ers’ defensive backs, can the Ole Miss product stay on the field? He only managed to play in seven contests last year, battling a neck and foot injuries.
With the news that wideout Doug Baldwin may have played his last NFL game, Seattle had to find more weapons for newly-extended quarterback Russell Wilson. Outside of Metcalf, Gary Jennings and John Ursua weren’t some of the top names in the draft. Will they beat out the likes of David Moore, Tyler Lockett or Jaron Brown to make the roster? I’m having a hard time believing so.
The Seahawks added a couple of linebackers in local product Ben Burr-Kirven, and Cody Barton. Burr-Kirven was a popular name, given his sideline-to-sideline ability at Washington and tendency to rack up tackles — but his smaller size had scouts at the next level concerned.
On the flip side, Barton’s the highest that Schneider and Pete Carroll have ever taken a linebacker outside of Bobby Wagner. He largely went under the radar during the draft process, but could be a hidden gem for Seattle. While Wagner will continue to hold down the fort in the middle for the Seahawks, I don’t fully expect either player to make a giant impact in their first season.
Seattle’s drafts haven’t produced the same level of top-tier talent as they did in Schneider’s early years with the Seahawks. The only name that 49ers’ fans should be concerned with is Metcalf, outside of that, it seems like a lot of rotational depth or special teams’ players.
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