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2015 NFL Draft: Wide Receiver Must Be Second Priority For Seattle Seahawks

By Andrew C. Fisher

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After making the Super Bowl the past two seasons it’s hard to say the Seattle Seahawks have a lot of weaknesses. But even the best teams have areas of need this time of year. It’s draft season, and the big weekend is upon us.

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For the rest of the NFL, the draft gets underway Thursday night. The Seahawks aren’t scheduled to submit their first selection until the end of round two at pick No. 63. It’s the price they’re paying for the acquisition of Jimmy Graham and winning two straight NFC titles, a “problem” most fans will gladly live with.

As for who exactly the Seahawks will be targeting with their first selection? It’s anyone’s guess. Trying to predict the No. 63 selection in the NFL Draft is seriously tough business.

The thing that’s easier to be certain of is what positions John Schneider and company will be targeting. It’s a safe bet that Seattle will address needs on its offensive line and at wide receiver.

The losses of Max Unger and James Carpenter make replenishing the offensive line priority number one for the Seahawks because it involves protecting the franchise quarterback. If you don’t have a franchise quarterback, you don’t make the Super Bowl. You get the picture.

But after some fresh blood for the offensive line has been secured, I feel the second most important position to address is wide receiver.

Seattle’s front office deserves credit for already bolstering the passing game with the bold trade for Graham. They had to give up some pretty serious assets in the form of a first-round pick and Pro Bowl center, but overall it was a good move for Wilson and the offense.

In 2014 the Seahawks ranked 27th in passing with an average of just 203.1 yards through the air per game. To put that in perspective, the Oakland Raiders averaged more passing yards per contest. Yeah, ouch.

Seattle again got away with being a lower-tier passing team mainly because of one man — Marshawn Lynch.

Beast Mode has essentially masked what’s been a mediocre group of receivers during the entire Russell Wilson era.

There’s nothing wrong with relying on the run, but at some point Lynch is going to slow down. At the same time, Wilson has to take that proverbial next step as a passer. He’s not going to do that relying on a powerhouse running back.

He can make all of the throws, but he’s just never had an elite level receiver to work with. The type of receiver that would naturally elevate his air game just by being on the field.

Unfortunately, the odds of the Seahawks acquiring a top shelf wide receiver in this year’s draft aren’t that great. However, there are plenty of quality options to consider in the middle rounds. Players like Tyler Lockett, Ty Montgomery and Tre McBride all could go anywhere from rounds two through five.

For now, fans should be thankful for the fact that the Seahawks could go to war tomorrow with their current group of receivers and be just fine. But it’s time for their passing game to evolve. For that to happen, more talent must be introduced. Adding Graham was a fine start, but the retooling won’t be a full success unless wide out is prioritized over the weekend.

Next: Seahawks 2015 Draft: 5 Players To Know

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