Post-draft thoughts: Seahawks’ WR competition will again be stiff

Three thoughts on the Seahawks’ 2017 draft and where their roster stands after adding 11 players, not counting undrafted rookies whose signings are yet to be official:

Competition at WR. The selections of Amara Darboh in the third round and David Moore in the seventh add to what was already going to be an intriguing battle for roster spots in Seattle’s wide receiver corps. If Tyler Lockett remains on track to be ready by the start of the season coming off a broken leg, he figures to resume the No. 2 spot behind Doug Baldwin that he overtook from Jermaine Kearse late last season. Paul Richardson seems like a good bet to make the roster unless he has a terrible offseason or gets hurt. The Seahawks have shown repeatedly that they aren’t beholden to draft position, but using a third-round pick on Darboh means he’s a safe bet as well. That will put some pressure on Kearse. As noted in this post from January, the Seahawks wouldn’t save much money against the salary cap by cutting him this season, which reduces their incentive to do so even if he’s no longer one of their top two receivers. But there will be several players he’ll have to fend off. Tanner McEvoy has nice size and made some big plays in limited action as an undrafted rookie last season. Moore ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, a fast time for someone who is 6-feet-tall and weighs 219 pounds. General manager John Schneider said rookie Cyril Grayson ran a 4.32, but he faces an uphill battle considering he hasn’t played football since high school. Former Husky Kasen Williams and last year’s seventh-round pick, Kenny Lawler, are also in the mix. The Seahawks have usually kept five or six receivers, so there are several players who will be competing for what may only be one or two undecided spots. Kearse seems especially motivated coming off his most trying season, and he may be even more motivated after Seattle drafted two more players at his position.

McDowell’s motor. Among several changes the Seahawks made to their coaching staff this offseason was bringing in Clint Hurtt to coach their defensive line. Hurtt has yet to speak with the media-at-large, but he sounds like a no-nonsense, drill sergeant-type based on what 710 ESPN Seattle’s Gee Scott has said about him. One look at him – he’s on the left in the picture below – wouldn’t make you think otherwise. That came to mind after the Seahawks used their top pick on defensive tackle Malik McDowell, whose effort level was at times an issue during his final season at Michigan State. The Seahawks did not deny that but expressed confidence that they can push the right buttons to make sure his motor revs consistently. Head coach Pete Carroll has a track record of getting through to players that other organizations may consider too difficult to manage, Marshawn Lynch being maybe the best example. McDowell’s case is different in that it’s his effort that’s the issue. Perhaps the Seahawks feel Hurtt’s coaching style can help get the most out of him.

The Seahawks hired Clint Hurtt as their defensive-line coach this offseason. (AP)

Thompson’s appeal. During the Seahawks’ Super Bowl season in 2013, their defense led the NFL in takeaways with a whopping 39. That number has declined each season since then, going from 24 to 23 to 19 last year, which ranked 22nd in the league. I wonder how much that was on the minds of Carroll and Schneider when they drafted safety Tedric Thompson in the fourth round. Thompson picked off 13 passes over his final three seasons at Colorado, including seven last year to lead the Pac-12. I asked Carroll how much that number stood out given Seattle’s need for more defenders who can take the ball away. “It’s a big deal. He’s a ball-hawk. That’s a big deal,” Carroll said. “Not just the balls that he’s stolen, but the ones he’s knocked around, and he’s always around the football. That’s a huge priority for us always. It has to do with pass rush, too. That’s why we started where we started with the draft. That was a big consideration.”