NFL Draft Day!
Lucky me! I don't have class today until 11:20. Thats 11:20pm on the east coast. The Panthers are about to be on the clock and Bryce Young is about to be a smiling and a wealthy young man. I love it. All of it. We get to see highlight reels of all the players. We get to hear lots of speculation about why a player is a good or bad fit. It's one of my two favorite days of the year. The other used to be the first day of school each year. That was because it was the night when we would hold our local league fantasy draft. That was always a fun night. Lots of pizza and lots of anguish from Shane as I took the player he was about to draft. Good times.
This year is particularly exciting because my Seahawks have a lot of draft capitol with two picks in each of the first two rounds thanks to the Russell Wilson trade. Think Denver would like to take that back? Yeah, probably so. I've already made contact with Brian and he should make it home after work before Seattle picks at number five. Breakfast dumplings for me and chicken out of his smoker for him.
My biggest hope is that Zona trades down because someone else wants a quarterback in that slot. Crap. That didn't happen. Houston got their quarterback with the second pick and then traded up to three to grab pass rusher Will Anderson. My hope was that Seattle would have their choice of defensive stars at number five. I think Anderson would have been that guy. Now? Hmmm. The consensus is defensive tackle Jalen Carter. That guy comes with lots of negative baggage, but stupid athletic talent. We shall see.
CB Devon Witherspoon!!! So glad they passed on Carter. Witherspoon is a stud talent. Great ball skills and crazy athleticism. He'll play opposite Woolen and they should be a dynamic tandem for a few years minimum. If Pete Carroll says you're worthy of this pick that says something special. He and general manager John Schneider have never picked a defensive back sooner than the ninetieth pick. Now, they need pass rush and defensive monsters up front. I don't see how they get out of the first round without addressing that position group.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Not a defensive linemen, but still a need. He should play immediately. If they don't invest in a defensive lineman tomorrow I may...not react at all. I've never really been that emotionally invested. That's just part of what makes me, me. My hope in round two is that they take DT Keeanu Benton with their first selection and then one of the two centers from the big ten, Schmitz or Tippman. Not really picky about which one. However, I'm no scout and have seen very little of any of these guys. I trust the Seattle front office to make smart decisions. They have an outstanding track record during the Schneider/Carroll years.
In other news I'm headed to Shanghai tonight with my travel buddy Ivy. I'll probably catch the Seahawks first pick tomorrow. Maybe their second pick in the second round. Our plan is to find something interesting to do Saturday, then I'll be coming back earlier on Sunday. Ivy is staying there to get together with her family for a few days before she takes off on a long business trip. She tells me we will have a lot of choices Saturday. It is one of the largest cities in the world. Bring it on.