Seahawks War Room

The 2006 NFL Draft is nearly upon us. And I for one am about as excited as Train is every Thursday when a new Playboy comes in the mail. I'm not in the camp that believes that Seattle is going to draft an OG (since they have the Porkchop/Ashworth/Locklear contigent signed & with experience) or DL at #31 in the first round (since most of the impact DL will have been picked by the time Seattle in on the clock, the CB position is a deeper with impact Hubie Brown "upside" players, and Seattle has bigger need in the Secondary).

The Seahawks need to add more than one DB in the draft, and there is depth in the early rounds. Former Seattle DB Andre Dyson signed with the Jets, and the Seahawks most glaring need is to pick a DB with the natural ability to replace him as the starter opposite Marcus "Coug" Trufant. I believe the Hawks will be picking one of the following 3 players at the second to last position in round one. Scouting info provided thanks to Scouts Inc. -- I'd link it, but it's an Insider access page.

Antonio Cromartie
CB | (6'2", 208, 4.44) | Florida State
Scouts Grade: 92

Strengths: Possesses an outstanding combination of size and top-end speed. He is tall with long arms and very good leaping ability. Shows the ability to smother WR's in press coverage and redirect their routes. He is fluid for his size and is able to flip his hips when turning and running vertically. He shows outstanding ball skills and is a natural playmaker. Will challenge for the ball in traffic and shows strong hands. He has good size and strength in run support. A versatile athlete; he has spent time at WR and also flashes a lot of upside as a return specialist.

Weaknesses: Durability is the biggest concern following knee injury in July of 2005. He has been out of football for more than a year. Lacks ideal playing experience and he has never shown great technique. He has lots of room to improve in terms of anticipating routes, reading opposing QB's eyes in zone coverage and finding the ball when turned around.

Overall: Cromartie played in all 13 games as a sub-package cornerback and on special teams as a true freshman in 2003. He played in all 12 games as a sophomore in 2004, finishing with 22 tackles and four interceptions. He also played some wide receiver and averaged 22.9 yards on 19 kickoff returns that season. Cromartie tore ligaments in his left knee during offseason workouts and was forced to sit out the entire 2005 season. Instead of returning to Florida State for his final season of eligibility, Cromartie elected to make the NFL leap after missing the entire 2005 season with a knee injury. While he is still one of the true enigmas in the 2006 class, Cromartie's showing at the combine at least helped to verify his health and impressive combination of size, speed and athletic ability. Not only did he pass his physicals and look smooth during coverage drills, Cromartie ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and also led all defensive backs with an 11-foot broad jump. We would still be reluctant to spend first round money on him, Cromartie will be worth the risk in Round 2.

Ashton Youboty
CB | (5'11", 189) | The Ohio State University
Scouts Grade: 91

Strengths: Possesses ideal height, adequate bulk and the frame to get bigger. Is a smooth and fluid athlete for his size. Possesses good top-end speed. He has long arms and good leaping ability to challenge for the ball in the air. He is intelligent and should be able to learn from his mistakes. He plays aggressively in run support. Fills hard, takes decent angles and has developed into a solid open field tackler. Shows playmaking instincts when the ball is in the air and he has outstanding ball skills. He has experience returning punts and shows NFL upside in that capacity.

Weaknesses: Recognition skills are below average. Remains too inconsistent in coverage. Gambles too often and will give up too many big plays consequently. He gives away his tendencies and got burnt for it on several occasions as a junior in 2005 (see Minnesota and Texas games). Lacks ideal bulk and strength. Will have some more trouble taking on bigger blockers and taking down bigger runners in the NFL.

Overall: Youboty enrolled during the winter quarter in 2002. He played as a reserve defensive back in all 13 games of his true freshman season in 2003. Youboty started nine of the 12 games that he played as a sophomore in 2004 and finished with 61 tackles, four interceptions and 14 passes broken up. Youboty started all 12 games as a junior in 2005 and finished with 56 tackles, six TFL, one sack, one interception and nine PBU. Youboty is an early entry prospect with loads of upside but also lots of room to improve. He possesses an outstanding combination of size, athletic ability and speed, and he also flashes playmaking skills as a man-to-man cover corner. However, he inconsistent in terms of his technique and recognition skills in coverage, which leads to entirely too many big plays allowed on his watch. In short, Youboty is by no means a finished product but he has the potential to develop into a shutdown cover corner in the NFL, which is why he could come off the 2006 draft board late in the first round.

Kelly Jennings
CB | (6'0", 180, 4.4) | Miami
Scouts Grade: 89

Strengths: Is tall, has decent bulk and very good speed. Is a smooth athlete. Seems to prefer playing off in coverage. He is solid and steady. Shows good recognition skills and diagnoses plays quickly. At his best in man-to-man coverage but also shows good instincts in zone coverage. He is quick in his pedal and shows burst out of it. He closes quickly on the ball in front of him. Will bat down a lot of passes with his long arms. He has smooth hips and the speed to turn and run with most receivers vertically. He shows catch up speed if he makes a mistake. He has the height, long arms and leaping ability to match up vs. taller receivers on the jump ball. He continues to improve with experience and has the natural athleticism to improve even more. He is a solid open-field tackler who will break down in space and drag the ball carrier down if he has to.

Weaknesses: He isn't overly physical and he doesn't have great technique in press coverage. Lacks ideal bulk and will need to improve his strength. He is a solid open-field tackler but doesn't show good pop at the point of attack and he will get pushed around occasionally by bigger blockers.

Overall: Jennings redshirted in 2001. He missed one game in 2002 after tearing a ligament in his left thumb during fall camp, but he wound up started 12 games that season. He was demoted to the nickel DC spot behind Alphonso Marshall, but wound up starting five of the 13 games that he played that season. As a junior in 2004, Jennings started all 12 games and finished with 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and six broken up passes. Jennings started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 32 tackles, three TFL, one sack, three interceptions and 13 PBU. Jennings lacks ideal bulk and strength. He isn't overly flashy or physical in coverage. He will do a decent job in bump-and-run coverage but he seems much more comfortable playing with some cushion. He is a solid open-field tackler but supporting the run is clearly not his passion. The bottom line, however, is that Jennings can take away one-third of the field as a shut-down man-to-man cover corner. He is a smooth athlete with good height and great top-end speed. He also is a high-character person and hard-working player who will work at his craft. For a team that employs primarily man-to-man coverage, Jennings will be a good value in the second round of the 2006 draft.