Draft Grades: Seahawks

You have to love the Seahawks 1st-round pick. Aaron Curry is going to be a star in this league, especially now that he's landed in Seattle playing behind a talented defensive line and next to Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu. He's going to be the preseason favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Max Unger was a great 2nd-round selection. He has experiece at nearly every offensive line position, although he's best suited to play center or right tackle in the pros. Since Chris Spencer has the center position locked down, he'll likely be moved to tackle and compete with Sean Locklear for the starting job on the right side. There's no rush to move him into the starting lineup, however.

I'm not a fan of the selection of Deon Butler. He has speed, but thats about it. The best-case scenario for him is to be a 3rd receiver.

They reached for Mike Teel, even in the 6th round. A player like Teel simply isn't worth drafting. He had plenty of experience against top competition and failed to develop into an adequate starter. He closed out his senior year with some impressive numbers, but he is a poor decision maker. That's not something that changes drastically without getting playing time, and we know he isn't going to get much behind Hasselbeck.

Teel's teamate Courtney Greene had good value in the 6th round. Both of Seattle's starting safeties, Deon Butler and Brian Russell, are over the age of 30, so some youth was needed.

I love the selection of Nick Reed. He's a hard worker that is sure to make an impact on special teams. He may be moved to linebacker and it probably nothing more than a backup, but he's the type of player that every team needs because of his work ethic and willingness to do anything asked of him.

Cameron Morrah could be a steal in the 7th round. He's a good athlete that was just starting to show signs of developing into a quality receiver last year. He left school early and could have climbed as high as the 3rd round had he stuck around for his senior year.

Overall the Seahawks had a very solid draft. They got one instant impact player (Curry) and another future starter in Unger. Their second day picks don't project as starters, but they should add some quality depth. They were able to address every position of need, which is key to a successful draft.

Grade: B+

Draft Visit Tracker: Mark Sanchez

Its been a busy offseason for Mark Sanchez . He's been all over the mock drafts, from 1st overall to 19th overall and everywhere in between.

As far as the real world goes, Sanchez has been checked out by the Broncos, Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, 49ers, Lions, Rams and Seahawks. It would appear that all of those are realistic landing spots for the USC quarterback, but we can rule out a few of them:

He's not going to Detroit (Stafford is all but locked in there).

He's probably not going to Jacksonville or San Francisco (they don't have the tools to trade up far enough to land him.

Despite this report, he's probably not going to Cleveland (Mangini would need the secret service to escort him around Cleveland if he added ANOTHER quarterback to the mix).

That leaves the Rams, Redskins, Broncos and Seahawks. So here's a look at what each team is likely thinking about Sanchez:

• The Rams need a new franchise quarterback, but it doesn't have to come from this draft. It doesn't sound as though they were wowed by Sanchez in his workout meaning they're likely to pass.
• The Redskins would love Sanchez and Daniel Snyder is just crazy enough to order his front office to fork over enough draft picks to move up to select him. It's a long shot, but you can't rule it out.
• The Broncos would like Sanchez and have more than enough ammunition to move up to select him. They won't be selecting him 12th overall, but if they package their draft picks they could move into the top five.
• The Seahawks reportedly love Sanchez and are prepared to select him with the 4th pick in the draft. Only the Rams and Chiefs stand in their way.
  

In my latest mock draft I have Sanchez going to the Seahawks and I will likely leave it that way in my final mock draft on Friday. The only way he doesn't land in Seattle is if the Redskins or Broncos move ahead of the Seahawks on draft day.

Pro Days: Baylor

According to Gil Brandt of NFL.com 15 teams showed up for Baylor's pro day on Tuesday, including three offensive line coaches (Cincinnati, Seattle and Jacksonville) which put Smith through drills.

Obviously the Bengals, Seahawks and Jaguars are potential suitors for Smith. The only top candidate to land Smith, the Rams, will hold a private workout with him on March 12.

No Crabtree for the Seahawks

The Seahawks have signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh, essentially eliminating any chance of them selecting Michael Crabtree with the 4th overall selection.

Despite Crabtree's name popping up next to the Seahawks in many mock drafts I've remained steady in my prediction that they will not target a receiver in the draft.

The Seahawks are a well-run organization and understand the importance of building through the draft. Selecting a wide receiver in the top ten is a desperation move that rarely leads to immediate success. Teams that draft a wide receiver that high are like a little kid getting distracted by a shiny object on the ground. They can't keep their hands off because, for the short term, it will keep them entertained. But in the long run, the interest doesn't last.

Even the best receivers selected in the top ten (Calvin Johnson, Braylon Edwards, Larry Fitzgerald) don't lead their teams to immediate success. Without a franchise quarterback and a solid offensive line there is nothing a receiver can do.

The Seahawks are not the type of team that falls into that trap. Now the Raiders... that's another story.