Piece by Alex Christ
With the conclusion of the NFL’s 86th annual draft selection meeting, it is time to review each team’s draft picks and analyze how these players could make an impact in their rookie season or take a few years to develop their skills in the NFL.
The next division we will analyze is the NFC West, which has been a wild division since 2010 with all four teams (Seattle, Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco) winning at least one division title. But, as the start of the 2021 regular season moves closer, the NFC West looks to be as competitive as ever with all of the moves the Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers have made so far this offseason.
With the Rams trading for Matthew Stafford and the Cardinals signing playoff experienced veterans like A.J. Green, James Conner, J.J. Watt as well as Malcolm Butler, Los Angeles and Arizona look to compete with the consistent Seattle Seahawks under Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson as well as All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner. But, as the 49ers look to move on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after drafting Trey Lance with the 3rd overall pick, will the NFC West become one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL during this decade?
The first team in the NFC West we will analyze will be… the Seattle Seahawks!
John Schneider’s/Seattle Seahawks 2021 NFL Draft Grades/Analysis:
Day 2:
56th overall pick (2nd round): D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan. After using their 1st round pick to trade for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams last season, Seattle’s general manager, John Schneider, did not have a first round draft pick to use for the first time since 2017. But, despite the long wait to use his first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Schneider used his second round draft pick on wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge from Western Michigan to serve as a third option on the Seahawks wide receiver corps.
A first team All-MAC selection in 2020, Eskridge became the first player in Broncos history to win the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year since two-time winner Darius Phillips won the award in 2016 and 2017 (Phillips is currently a cornerback with the Cincinnati Bengals). In addition to winning the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year last season, Eskridge was also selected as a second-team All-American by leading the MAC with 768 receiving yards and 8 receiving TD’s in 2020 while only playing six games due to COVID-19 restrictions.
With Seattle’s dynamic receiving duo of D.K. Metcalf as well as Tyler Lockett returning in 2021 after becoming the first Seahawks wide receiver duo to have 1,000 receiving yards each in the same season since Joey Galloway and Brian Blades in 1995, D’Wayne Eskridge should be able to make an impact on the Seahawks offense and special teams unit as a rookie, but could develop into a good slot receiver as a third receiving target to Russell Wilson to throw to this year.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: D’Wayne Eskridge is the first prospect the Seahawks have drafted from Western Michigan in their franchise’s history and is the first Bronco to be selected in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft since Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings was the 52nd overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Day 3:
137th overall pick (4th round, trade with Tampa Bay): Tre Brown, CB, Oklahoma. After using his third round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in the Jamal Adams trade last year, Adams rewarded John Schneider with an All-Pro season along with his Pro Bowl teammate, Quandre Diggs, in the Seahawks secondary unit. But, with his fourth round pick, Schneider decided to add more depth on Seattle’s defense with his selection of cornerback Tre Brown from the University of Oklahoma.
A second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 and 2020, Brown finished with the 2nd most pass deflections in the Big 12 in 2018 (12) and was one of the best kick return threats in the NCAA during his sophomore season with the Sooners (710 kick return yards; 2nd most in the Big 12). But, in his senior season at Oklahoma, Tre Brown had three interceptions for the Sooners with six pass deflections and 31 total tackles (Brown had 98 combined tackles (7 TFL’s), two sacks, 23 pass deflections as well as an interception in his previous two years at Oklahoma).
With a new addition to their defensive coaching staff in former Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead (who was a member of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom”), Tre Brown has a great chance to learn from his All-Pro/Pro Bowl teammates this season and develop into another solid defensive back in Seattle’s secondary unit as Shead looks to create a new version of the “Legion of Boom” under defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. in 2021.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B
*NFL Draft History Note: Tre Brown is the first prospect the Seahawks have drafted from the University of Oklahoma in their franchise’s history and is looking to become the first Sooner defensive back selected in the 4th round of the NFL Draft to make a Pro Bowl since Tony Peters in 1982 when he was a member of Washington’s Super Bowl XVII team (Peters was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 82nd overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft).
208th overall pick (6th round): Stone Forsythe, OT, Florida. After using his fifth round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to trade for Raiders offensive lineman, Gabe Jackson, John Schneider used his last pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on offensive tackle Stone Forsythe from the University of Florida to add more depth on the Seahawks offensive line.
The son of former NFL offensive lineman, Ray Forsythe, Stone started 25 games at left tackle in his last two seasons with the Gators after starting only three games as a freshman as well as a sophomore and helped Florida’s #1 ranked passing attack in 2020 (averaged 378.6 passing yards/game).
With Pro Bowl tackle Duane Brown returning after a solid campaign in 2020, Stone Forsythe will have to impress head coach Pete Carroll with his versatility on the offensive line after rotating between offensive guard and offensive tackle with the Gators during his sophomore season in 2018.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B-
*NFL Draft History Note: With the selection of Stone Forsythe as his third and final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks set a new team record with the fewest draft picks in a single draft (the previous high was five picks in the 1994 and 1997 NFL Drafts; Pro Bowl cornerback Shawn Springs as well as Hall of Fame left tackle Walter Jones highlighted the 1997 draft and three of Seattle’s draft picks in 1994 made the Pro Bowl after starting their career with the Seahawks including Hall of Fame center Kevin Mawae, defensive tackle Sam Adams and defensive back Larry Whigham)
Final Draft Grade/Analysis: My final draft grade for the Seattle Seahawks and their general manager, John Schneider, is a… B. Even with three draft picks, the Seahawks addressed key positions on their roster by adding a third receiving option on their offense in D’Wayne Eskridge and a rotational piece on their secondary unit as well as an additional special teams threat in Tre Brown.
Stone Forsythe might have a chance to make Seattle’s roster on opening day, but he will have to battle during the preseason for his spot as a starter on the Seahawks offensive line in similarity to Tre Brown fighting for his chance to start on Seattle’s secondary unit as a rookie. However, D’Wayne Eskridge probably has the best opportunity to showcase his talents immediately if he is able to secure the third string wide receiver position by impressing head coach Pete Carroll during training camp.
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