The Blue Bird Herd

6th Round

Byron Maxwell – CB – Clemson – 6’0, 207lbs -
Physical press corner who’s upper body strength is his biggest asset.  Extremely aggressive at the line of scrimmage, and a fierce hitter who loves contact.  Built and plays like a safety.  Long arms enable him to knock balls away on plays where he may not be in ideal position.  Quick transition from backpedal to sprint with very little change in hip height.  Displays good instincts and ability to sniff out WR screens.  Quick first step to close and wrap.  Good instincts against the run, and does not hesitate in pursuit through the line.  Good hands to make catches away from his frame.  A bit stiff laterally.  Relies heavily on the jam to stick with smaller, quick receivers but can be overly aggressive and whiff at times, leaving him beat in the first 5 yards.

With Seattle:  This secondary has been too small and too nice, for too long.  The additions of Sherman, LeGree and Maxwell immediately change this.  Maxwell is probably the strongest and most aggressive of the three, and his physical approach at the line is much needed in a division where receivers are getting bigger and stronger.   He’s a true press corner who can come in and compete for a spot in the rotation right away, and will add instant value to special teams.

Draft Grade:  A - To find an aggressive, experienced press corner who will bring immediate value to special teams this late in the draft, and one that fits team philosophy so well, shows that Seattle really did their homework.  One of my favorite picks in the draft.

7th Round

Lazarius Levingston – DE – LSU – 6’4, 292lbs -
Tall, strong lineman with good speed and acceleration for his size.  Grew into starting role at LSU where he took over for Tyson Jackson on the inside after coming in as an end.  Good burst off the line, and plays hard to the whistle.  A better lineman than statistics may indicate.  Relies too much on his above-average speed and quickness rather than technique and doesn’t get his arms extended enough to keep blockers from his frame.  Struggles to shed blocks and thus, is late to the backfield despite beating his opponent off the line.

With Seattle: The Seahawks should have addressed D-line earlier in the draft, but Levingston fits the Pete Carroll mold for a strong side end.  Red Bryant’s injury last season revealed a significant depth problem along the line as the team’s rush defense never returned to it’s early season form.  Levingston has the athleticism and size to become a viable backup or rotational end who can move inside and add quickness on passing downs.

Draft Grade:  B – A pure depth move here, but Seattle did stick with it’s philosophy of getting bigger and more athletic, as Levingston does have some upside considering his above average speed and quickness.

Malcolm Smith – OLB – USC – 6’0, 228lbs -
Explosive athlete with sub-4.5 speed.  Instinctive in coverage and can stay with most receivers.  Plays bigger than his size and can hold his own against bigger blockers.   Good tackler who stays low and wraps up his target.  Plays well through contact despite smaller frame, and can penetrate the line against the run. Doesn’t change direction very quickly and lacks ideal lateral quickness.

With Seattle: The Seahawks showed several 6 and 7-DB sets last season to put more speed on the field in passing situations.  Smith can come in and contribute right away as blitzer off the edge or in coverage underneath, particularly on 3rd down.  He’s a speed upgrade on special teams, and could potentially compete as a regular later on with some added bulk.

Draft Grade: B+ – Martin Parker (DT) was still on the board here and could have been an intriguing prospect to add to the interior 3-technique mix.  However, Smith was one of the more unique and rare athletes left here, and Carroll’s experience with him at USC is a plus.  Again, Seattle sticks to it’s philosophy and wraps up the draft with another impressive athlete.