Seattle Seahawks Rumors: Could 2016 NFL Draft Lead To Surprise Pick For Seahawks?
Seattle Seahawks rumors about the 2016 NFL Draft still don’t give fans many answers. These Seahawks rumors address who the team is targeting as a first-round draft pick, but most major sports analysts are suggesting different players. As a report from ESPN.com states, the one thing they all have in common is that the Seahawks are projected to take a defensive player with that first-round selection. Will Pete Carroll follow that route? Or would the team be better suited targeting an offensive lineman in the first round?
Key losses on defense for the Seahawks include linebacker Bruce Irvin and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, making it easy for NFL analysts to predict the Seahawks will draft replacements. Mel Kiper at ESPN.com made a very interesting prediction, stating that the Seahawks will look to improve the secondary and go with Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple with the No. 26 selection. That could certainly make it even tougher for opposing quarterbacks to complete any passes against the team and it would add a new name to the “Legion of Boom.”
Other Seattle Seahawks rumors have the team targeting Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence, Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed, Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander, Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee, and Michigan defensive end Shilique Calhoun. That’s a lot of different defensive players that analysts from sites like CBS Sports, ESPN.com, and NFL.com feel the Seahawks could be targeting in the 2016 NFL Draft.
One other interesting prediction comes from a mock draft at Sports Illustrated. NFL analyst Chris Burke worked out the first two rounds, stating that the Seahawks would take Mackensie Alexander with the first-round pick and that Robert Nkemdiche would then slide to them in the second round. That’s a big drop for Nkemdiche, who NFL.com projects as an easy first-round selection for the Seahawks.
A report from the Seattle Times showcases how often the “experts” have been shifting their predictions about what Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and Pete Carroll are going to do on draft day. Previously, Mel Kiper (at ESPN.com) had projected the team to take Robert Nkemdiche and Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller. Kiper now says both players will fall out of the first round and that Apple will drop down to the Seahawks in the first round.
One thing that might contradict the Seahawks targeting a cornerback early in the 2016 NFL Draft is that the team just gave Jeremy Lane a contract extension. Now Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor are all locked up for several more NFL seasons. DeShawn Shead is also under contract for the 2016 NFL season, but adding a player in the draft would certainly help give the team a lot of depth. Would the team go after a cornerback in the first round if there are still other holes on the roster?
All of the Seattle Seahawks rumors about which player the team might target could lead to a big surprise taking place on the first day of the NFL Draft. That in itself wouldn’t be too surprising, as it has been very difficult for any NFL analyst to correctly predict what Schneider and Carroll have in mind during drafts. It led to the team selecting Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas in recent years, giving fans of the team added faith that the front office knows what it’s doing.
[Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images]
