Team-by-Team Draft Recap: Seattle Seahawks

Ken Kelly

richardson

The Seahawks capped a magical 2013 season with a 43-8 romp over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and were granted the opportunity to hoist their first ever Lombardi Trophy in the process. Seattle now faces the reality they’re the “hunted” instead of the “hunter” and though they certainly won’t need to rebuild, they will need to reload. With the loss of Golden Tate to Detroit via free agency and a pretty glaring need at the wide receiver position before he left, Seattle re-signed Sidney Rice and focused much of their draft on improving their corps of wideouts.

The 2014 draft class of the Seahawks includes wide receivers Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood, offensive tackles Justin Britt and Garrett Scott (who has unfortunately been waived due to a rare heart condition discovered recently), defensive end Cassius Marsh, defensive tackle Jimmy Staten, free safety Eric Pinkins, linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis and fullback Kiero Small.

Let’s break down those offensive players taken since that’s where the fantasy value is likely going to come from with this particular draft class.

Paul Richardson, WR (Round Two, #45 Overall)

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Richardson was one of my favorite sleepers in the draft until the Seahawks surprised just about everyone by taking him in the middle of the second round, thus putting him squarely on the fantasy radar. At this point, I almost feel bad for Richardson as his game has been torn apart and he’s been essentially labeled as a “one trick pony” with the ability to only run deep routes. While Richardson does have speed to burn and can take the top off a defense, he’s being treated as if he’s Forrest Gump.

What many aren’t taking into account is the fact Colorado was terrible over the past few years. Yes, Richardson is lanky (6’1″, 175 pounds) and he did tear his ACL and miss the 2012 season, but he really hasn’t had much help within the offense and every team playing against him was able to focus virtually all their energy on stopping him. Even with all the focus on him, he was still able to post 83 catches for 1,343 yards and ten touchdowns last season on a healthy 16.2 yards per reception. Much like a transformer, I believe there’s much more than meets the eye here.

Richardson is a player who is an absolute terror in the open field and though he’ll have a long climb up the depth chart, the comparisons to Ted Ginn aren’t really fair to him as a prospect. Seattle is also being unfairly labeled as a team that can’t throw the ball. In reality, they’re currently a team that simply doesn’t have to – that will eventually change. I like Richardson as a mid-to-late third round pick in dynasty leagues as a developmental prospect you’ll need to be patient with, but one who could eventually pay dividends.

Kevin Norwood, WR (Round Four, #123 Overall)

Norwood fits the jersey (6’2″, 198 pounds), but his production at Alabama just leaves a lot to be desired. In his four seasons in Tuscaloosa, he was only able to record 81 catches, 1,275 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns within Nick Saban’s “spread the wealth” offense. His athletic ability isn’t off the charts (though he did run a 4.4, 40), but he’s also not deficient in any one area. What he does have going for him is the fact he’s been coached hard and can play almost immediately if needed. He’s also a very high character individual and was the team captain for the Crimson Tide last season. A technically sound receiver, Norwood should be able to make noise in camp and impress the coaches early. He’s a sleeper in dynasty leagues who you can likely get later in the Summer as an undrafted free agent – as such, he’s one to put on your watch list and keep tabs on during training camp.

Kiero Small, FB (Round Seven, #227 Overall)

Small is going to play fullback for Seattle and won’t be a factor in dynasty leagues. However, just note he’s 5’8″ and 247 pounds, so he could take some short yardage plays away eventually. On a personal note, I’m 6’3″ and for me to get to 247 pounds without eating whoppers every day would be pretty much impossible. This “Small” kid is ironically built like a house.

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ken kelly