2013: Something you’ll be hearing quite often: The Seahawks traded their first-round pick. This time, it was for Percy Harvin. I don’t think he was worth a first-round pick, especially since with that pick the Vikings selected future Pro Bowl cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Yikes. The Seahawks first selection, Christine Michael, was expected to succeed Marshawn Lynch but never could. Guys like Jordan Hill, Chris Harper, Jesse Williams, and Tharold Simon are no longer in the league. Luke Willson and Spencer Ware were drafted, but Ware has had most of his success with the Chiefs. This was not a particularly good draft to follow 2012.
Grade: D+
2014: Again, the first-round pick was traded, this time for more picks. The notable names taken in this class were Paul Richardson, Justin Britt, Cassius Marsh, and Kevin Pierre-Louis. A very meh draft if there ever was one. Britt is the only one still on the team. He has developed into a borderline Pro Bowl center, so there is that. But the rest have not really lived up to expectations, although KPL is doing well… in Chicago.
Grade: C-
2015: Yet again the first-round pick was traded, this time it was included in the Unger/Graham deal. I’d say that trade was not a particularly good one. The Saints took Stephone Anthony with the pick, and he’s bounced around the league a bit and he’s back with the Saints. Meanwhile, the Hawks took Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett with their first two picks, and also Mark Glowinski in the 4th round. Everyone else is out of the league or on another team. Glowinski has had more success in Indianapolis than he did here. Good first two picks, but the trade hurt the Hawks and no one else contributed.
Grade: C+
2016: Hey the Hawks used a first-round pick! On… Germain Ifedi. He sure took a long time to develop, but he’s finally starting to limit the penalties and missed blocks. He’s about average for a right tackle right now, I’d say. But the Hawks also took Jarran Reed, CJ Prosise, Quinton Jefferson, and Joey Hunt, all who are still with the team. Alex Collins did well… with Baltimore. Rees Odhiambo struggled. Not a bad draft, but the only real legit player taken was Reed.
Grade: C
2017: Ah yes, the Malik McDowell draft. He wasn’t a first round-pick, but he was the Hawks’ first pick. The Hawks traded their first-round pick for more picks. The first pick still on the team is Ethan Pocic, who has been a backup offensive lineman only. Shaquill Griffin and Tedric Thompson were taken, two guys who have been fairly decent starters in the secondary. David Moore was also taken in the seventh round, and he’s been a fairly decent contributor. And who could forget Chris Carson, who has now put together two separate 1,000-yard seasons? The Carson pick was a steal, but no one else can really be considered a great pick. The Carson pick basically cancels out the McDowell pick.
Grade: C
2018: A very mixed bag in this draft. The first pick, Penny, has been a decent backup to Carson, but was a stretch as the first-round pick. Rasheem Green, Shaquem Griffin, and Tre Flowers have been decent but unspectacular contributors on defense. Will Dissly has been a nice find, if he could only stay healthy. And Michael Dickson was actually a great pick as a fifth rounder as he could be the Hawks’ punter for many years. Yet again a draft where there doesn’t seem to be any Pro Bowl caliber players.
Grade: C-
GPA: 1.83 (C-)
As you can tell, the Hawks haven’t drafted horribly because I didn’t give them an F grade, but they certainly haven’t drafted particularly well, either, because I didn’t even give out any B or A grades. Pete and John draft a lot of just okay players. They don’t seem to be able to find diamonds in the rough anymore. When Pete first came to the Hawks in 2010, he was able to draft a lot of the guys he recruited and scouted while head coach at USC. He knew their strengths and weaknesses better than perhaps anyone, and he knew who would fit into his system with the Hawks. Now having been out of the college ranks for almost a decade, Pete is no longer quite as in touch with the college players and it’s a bit more of a guessing game for him. And he and John aren’t guessing particularly well.
Here’s something that ought to stand out. From 2010 to 2012, Pete and John drafted eight players who have made a Pro Bowl. From 2013 to 2018, in twice as many years, Pete and John drafted just two players who have made a Pro Bowl (Lockett and Dickson). And each of those guys only made it once. If you count Pro Bowl appearances, the numbers are TWENTY-EIGHT Pro Bowl appearances to just two. Clearly, the drafts since then did not go quite as well. They are relying on Wilson and Wagner to carry the team, but they are failing to support them with other Pro Bowl caliber players. And that is why the Hawks will not get to another Super Bowl under Carroll and Schneider, unless they start drafting better.
