How should Seahawks allocate their O-line picks? Daniel Jeremiah’s view

The Seattle Seahawks enter this week’s NFL Draft with a glaring need to improve their offensive line.

And with 10 draft picks – including five selections in the top 100 – they’re armed with plenty of draft capital to do so.

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Why Zabel is the No. 1 fit

The Seahawks’ most obvious holes are along the interior, with guard and center potentially both in line for upgrades. But with right tackle Abraham Lucas entering the final year of his rookie deal and having missed significant time due to injuries over the past two seasons, Seattle could also look to draft a tackle.

For a team like the Seahawks that has plenty of draft ammunition, what’s the best approach to addressing the O-line? Is it better to spend fewer picks on higher-rated prospects at the top of the draft? Or is it better to spend more picks throughout the draft – but not necessarily on a first-round talent – in order to give themselves as many cracks at hitting on those picks as possible?

Co-host Mike Salk posed that question to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah on Wednesday during his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, said it varies between offensive tackles and interior linemen.

“It’s hard to find tackles outside the first round,” Jeremiah said. “Like, if you look around, that’s a needle in a haystack if you can land on a quality starting offensive tackle who’s not a first-round pick. That’s darn near impossible. There’s just so few of them every year and you have to pay a premium.

“So if you need tackles, I’m always an advocate of you’ve gotta take them early or you’re not going to get them.”

But for interior linemen, Jeremiah said there’s a greater chance of finding gems in the middle to later rounds.

Jeremiah pointed to two examples from his scouting days.

When he was with the Baltimore Ravens, they drafted guard Marshal Yanda in the third round. Yanda went on to become a two-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler.

And when Jeremiah was with the Philadelphia Eagles, they drafted center Jason Kelce in the sixth round. Kelce went on to become a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler.

“Interior offensive linemen, and that goes back to my Ravens time, we always felt like Day 2 was the sweet spot,” Jeremiah said. “You can get a top-tier player (like) Marshall Yanda in that mix. … You can find those guys on Day 2 – interior, plug-and-play, just solid, solid guys.

“And then you can take some fliers (later on). I was in Philly when we took Kelce in the sixth round. He was undersized and athletic. It’s just (that) trying to find diamond-in-the-rough tackles, that’s darn near impossible.”

Top tackles in this year’s draft

Here’s a look at the top offensive tackles in this year’s draft class. The numbers correspond to where they are projected to be picked in ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid’s latest mock draft.

4. Will Campbell, OT, LSU

7. Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

11. Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

31. Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

34. Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

47. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

79. Anthony Belton, OT, NC State

80. Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College

96. Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary

Top interior linemen in this year’s draft

Here’s a look at the top interior offensive linemen in this year’s draft class. The numbers correspond to where they are projected to be picked in Reid’s latest mock draft.

25. Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

28. Grey Zabel, G/C, North Dakota State

38. Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

48. Jonah Savaiinaea, G, Arizona

52. Marcus Mbow, G/OT, Purdue

78. Wyatt Milum, G/C, West Virginia

81. Tate Ratledge, G/C, Georgia

82. Jared Wilson, C, Georgia

91. Emery Jones Jr., G, LSU

Listen to the full conversation with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks draft coverage

• Lefko: What Seattle Seahawks’ early picks will tell us about their future
• Analyst: Why the Seattle Seahawks may not draft O-line in first round
• Brock: How Seattle Seahawks could call an audible in the draft
• Dave Wyman: My NFL Draft experience was almost completely different
• A full seven-round Seattle Seahawks mock draft – with three trades

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