Bump & Stacy: Draft mistakes the Seahawks need to avoid making

A major part of NFL Draft season is what people want their team to do. But what about what their team shouldn’t do? That’s something Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy focused on when looking at the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

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The Seahawks enter this draft in a great spot as not only do they have the No. 5 overall pick thanks to last offseason’s trade with the Denver Broncos, but they have two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

So, what mistakes do the Seahawks need to avoid making in this month’s draft? Here’s what Michael Bumpus and Stacy Rost had to say.

Bump: Don’t draft a RB at 20

The Seahawks found a 1,000-yard rusher in the second round of last year’s draft in Kenneth Walker III, and Bump doesn’t want to see the Hawks use an early pick to add to that position group.

“My thing is, Ken Walker has been anointed as the next great Seattle Seahawks running back. Why bring in another running back – say it’s (Bijan) Robinson, the kid out of Texas – and mess his mental up?,” Bumpus said. “… I just want Ken Walker to feel like he’s the man. Because when you feel like you are the man … you walk in and it just feels different. Your chets is puffed up, you know you’re going to get 20 to 25 carries every game. It just feels different. And because he’s a young man, because he’s young in his development, I don’t want to do anything to derail what he’s doing and what he’s feeling. He went for 1,000 yards last year. There’s no reason to get a another running back at No. 20.”

Bump thinks the Seahawks will and should draft a running back this year, just not real early and especially not at 20 overall.

“I’m not against getting a running back in this draft. I think they’re definitely going to receivers and running backs. They get them every single year no matter what their situation is,” he said. “I’m just saying that 20. At 20, there’s some other things we can do. We can go linebacker, go defensive line, you can go receiver. I just wouldn’t touch running back.”

Stacy: Don’t keep trading back

Trading down has been a trademark of sorts for the Seahawks under John Schneider and Pete Carroll, but they don’t need to this year, Rost says.

Rost recently wrote for SeattleSports.com about the Seahawks not needing to trade down from No. 5 overall, and she explained on Thursday why trading down in the first round isn’t something Seattle needs to do.

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Rost noted that in previous years, the Seahawks were justified in trading down because they either had few total picks or had large gaps between their selections. This year, the Seahawks have 10 total picks, including four in the first two rounds.

“In the past when they have traded back, there has been reason. What reason do you have (this year)?” she asked. “You’re entering the draft at No. 5 overall, No. 20 overall and 10 picks total. Don’t waste an opportunity to get three picks in the first 37 and two in the top 20 just so that you can have 12 picks instead of 10.”

Listen to the full third hour of Thursday’s show, which includes another mistake Bump and Stacy don’t want the Seahawks to make this draft, at this link or in the player below.

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