Power Ranking Number 24: Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have gone for a regular playoff team to a team that picked in the top ten in the NFL Draft last year. They have a new head coach in Pete Carroll who was given total control of the football operations, now the question is can he get them back to the playoffs. They have a veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck who if he stays healthy can still be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He does have some offensive weapons around him in veteran wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Deion Branch and they expect rookie wide receiver Golden Tate to be a playmaker as well. Tight end John Carlson is one of the better receiving tight end in the NFL catching 51 passes last year and 7 touchdowns. The Seahawks did trade for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst just in case Hasselbeck can’t get to his old form. The running back position is a little unsettled, but they like what they have is Justin Forsett and they did trade for Leon Washington and hope he can be the game changer he was with the Jets before he broke his leg.

On defense defensive end Patrick Kerney retired, leaving a void on the defensive line that they hope third year player defensive end Lawrence Jackson can pick-up. They have a solid linebacking core with Lofa Tatupu and Aaron Curry being the leaders of that unit and hope that Curry will make a big jump in his second year. Marcus Trufant is Seattle best cornerback and they add safety Earl Thomas in the first round of the NFL draft this past April and hope he can be a ball hawk in the secondary like he was at Texas.

The Seahawks have the ability and talent to win what is considered a down NFC West division, if Hasselbeck can stay healthy and his weapons can make plays for him the Seahawks will be in the hunt for the division.

Notes before the Storm

- Safety Eric Berry from Tennessee could go earlier then people think, could go at number three with Tampa Bay or number four with the Redskins.

- Quarterback Coly McCoy, Texas is moving up to the late first round, with teams like the Browns, Bills, possible trading back into the first round to draft him. Also the Vikings could draft him late.

- Quarterback Tim Tebow, Florida is moving up to the late first round, with teams like the Browns, Bills, Broncos possible trading back into the first round to draft him. Also the Vikings could draft him late.

- Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame could be slipping all the way out of the first round some NFL teams are thinking.

- Offensive Guard Mike Iupati, Idaho could go as high as number eight to the Oakland Raiders

- Offensive Tackle Russell Okung, Oklahoma State might not be the first offensive tackle drafted.

- The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to trade up possible in the top ten to take safety Earl Thomas of Texas.

- Some people feel that cornerback Kyle Wilson, Boise State will be the first cornerback draft not Joe Haden of Florida.

- The Dallas Cowboys are looking to trade up to draft safety Earl Thomas of Texas.

Top 10 S’s for 2010 NFL Draft

Here are my top ten safeties and some sleepers to watch.

1. Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. Earl Thomas, Texas
3. Taylor Mays, USC
4. Nate Allen, South Florida
5. Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
6. Chad Jones, LSU
7. Major Wright, Florida
8. Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt
9. Reshad Jones, Georgia
10. Darrell Stuckey, Kansas

Sleepers:
Quentin Scott, Northern Iowa
Jonathon Amaya, Nevada
Mike Newton, Buffalo

TOP 150 for NFL Draft

1. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
4. S Eric Berry, Tennessee
5. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
6. LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
7. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
8. OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
9. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
10. S Earl Thomas, Texas
11. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
12. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
13. OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
14. CB Joe Haden, Florida
15. OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
16. DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
17. OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
18. DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
19. CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
20. DE Brandon Graham, Michigan
21. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
22. RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
23. DE Everson Griffen, USC
24. OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
25. TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
26. OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
27. C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
28. DT Brian Price, UCLA
29. OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
30. CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers
31. S Taylor Mays, USC
32. DE Jerry Hughes, TCU
33. RB Jahvid Best, California
34. DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
35. DT Terrence Cody, Alabama
36. CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
37. WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech
38. WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
39. ILB Daryl Washington, TCU
40. OT Charles Brown, USC
41. S Nate Allen, South Florida
42. ILB Sean Lee, Penn State
43. OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana
44. QB Colt McCoy, Texas
45. CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State
46. DT Tyson Alualu, California
47. WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois
48. TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
49. DT Lamarr Houston, Texas
50. S Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
51. DE Koa Misi, Utah
52. WR Damian Williams, USC
53. DE Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech
54. DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State
55. DT Cam Thomas, North Carolina
56. OG Jon Asamoah, Illinois
57. RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
58. RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee
59. WR Carlton Mitchell, South Florida
60. OLB Navorro Bowman, Penn State
61. DT Linval Joseph, East Carolina
62. CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest
63. OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson
64. OT Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts
65. QB Tim Tebow, Florida
66. RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
67. CB Chris Cook, Virginia
68. TE Jimmy Graham, Miami (Fla.)
69. DT Torrell Troup, UCF
70. WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
71. OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
72. OLB Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
73. DE Corey Wootton, Northwestern
74. OT Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale
75. CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana-PA
76. S Chad Jones, LSU
77. S Reshad Jones, Georgia
78. CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida
79. LB Donald Butler, Washington
80. DE Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
81. WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
82. TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
83. DE Austen Lane, Murray State
84. CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
85. TE Dennis Pitta, BYU
86. OT John Jerry, Mississippi
87. RB Ben Tate, Auburn
88. TE Anthony McCoy, USC
89. RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford
90. TE Ed Dickson, Oregon
91. C Matt Tennant, Boston College
92. WR Eric Decker, Minnesota
93. DT Al Woods, LSU
94. TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
95. S Major Wright, Florida
96. ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida
97. DE Brandon Lang, Troy
98. WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson
99. CB Javier Arenas, Alabama
100. WR Taylor Price, Ohio
101. OT Selvish Capers, West Virginia
102. QB Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
103. QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
104. S Darrell Stuckey, Kansas
105. RB Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State
106. S TJ Ward, Oregon
107. QB Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
108. TE/FB Clay Harbor, Missouri State
109. CB Amari Spievey, Iowa
110. RB Joe McKnight, USC
111. C J.D. Walton, Baylor
112. OLB Rennie Curran, Georgia
113. CB Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State
114. OLB Dekoda Watson, Florida State
115. CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon
116. DT D’Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
117. DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
118. OLB Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas
119. WR Jordan Shipley, Texas
120. S Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
121. WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
122. DT Arthur Jones, Syracuse
123. OT Tony Washington, Abilene Christian
124. WR Andre Roberts, Citadel
125. OG Mike Johnson, Alabama
126. DE C.J. Wilson, East Carolina
127. OG Zane Beadles, Utah
128. OLB Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
129. DE Clifton Geathers, South Carolina
130. DE Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
131. S Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt
132. DE George Selvie, South Florida
133. WR Blair White, Michigan State
134. CB Alterraun Verner, UCLA
135. S Larry Asante, Nebraska
136. LB Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State
137. DE George Johnson, Rutgers
138. OT Jason Fox, Miami
139. ILB Pat Angerer, Iowa
140. OLB Dexter Davis, Arizona State
141. CB Syd'Quan Thompson, California
142. ILB Darryl Sharpton, Miami
143. CB A.J. Jefferson, Fresno State
145. DT Mike Neal, Purdue
146. CB Trevard Lindley, Kentucky
147. WR Riley Cooper, Florida
148. TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
149. S Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
150. OG Marshall Newhouse, TCU

Information going into the 2010 NFL Combine

-- The 2009 NFL Draft featured 42 players who were selected (256 players total were picked) that were not chosen to participate in last year's NFL Scouting Combine... last year's draft had the most non-combine players selected since 2003 when a total of 43 players were taken who failed to receive invites to Indianapolis.

-- NFL evaluators have been told that Notre Dame junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Tennessee junior defensive back Eric Berry, a pair of possible Top-10 selections, may come up "Short" when it comes to the weigh-in portion of the NFL Combine... Clausen may be under 6030 while Berry could be below 5110.

-- With many of the top signal callers opting not to workout because of injury or opting to wait for their Pro Days the quarterbacks who could benefit the most this weekend are Cincinnati senior quarterback Tony Pike, West Virginia senior quarterback Jarrett Brown, Mississippi junior quarterback Jevan Snead and Troy senior quarterback Levi Brown.

-- Teams will be paying close attention to the weight of Georgia Tech junior running back Jonathan Dwyer... those who are highly interested in his abilities hope to see a leaner 225-230 pound range back show up to Indianapolis... if he were to be too much north of 235 pounds it will create some questions about his work ethic and ability to be an every-down guy at the next level.

-- Wayne State senior running back Joique Bell has big expectations for his workout... according to several sources close to the Harlon Hill Award winner he hopes to break the 4.5 mark at nearly 225 pounds. Others that could surprise with eye-opening 40-times at the running back position include; Fresno State's Lonyae Miller, North Dakota State's Pat Paschall, Marshall's Darius Marshall and Virginia fullback Rashawn Jackson.

-- Notre Dame junior wide receiver Golden Tate could post one of the fastest 40-times amongst this year's crop of wide outs... Ohio U. senior wide receiver Taylor Price, South Florida junior wide receiver Carlton Mitchell, Clemson senior wide receiver Jacoby Ford and Connecticut senior wide receiver Marcus Easley could all easily break the 4.4 barrier on at least one of their 40-yard dash attempts... however, LSU all-purpose back/receiver Trindon Holliday or Kansas State wide receiver/return man Brandon Banks should battle for 40-yard dash supremacy at about 4.28.

-- Meanwhile, several area scouts expect one of Oklahoma State junior wide Dez Bryant, Illinois junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn, Kansas junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe or Tulane senior wide receiver Jeremy Williams to run slower-than-expected times in the 40-yard dash.

-- Hillsdale senior offensive tackle Jared Veldheer, Maryland junior offensive tackle Bruce Campbell, Iowa junior offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, West Virginia senior offensive tackle Selvish Capers and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Ed Wang are all capable of running below 5.00 and as fast as 4.90 in the 40-yard dash and each will weigh over 300 pounds.

-- Abilene Christian senior offensive tackle Tony Washington may have the most crucial interviews of any prospect attending this week's NFL Combine as the 6060, 305 pound, Division II All-American was unable to attend any of the post-season all-star games due to the numerous restrictions surrounding a past conviction that has yet to be completely identified by members of all 32 teams... he has 2nd or 3rd round talent, but he has his work cut out for him this week as more than a few teams are unsure how or if he can fit into their future plans because of the lengthy restrictions that could follow him for the rest of his life.

-- Idaho senior offensive lineman Mike Iupati has a chance to post one of the top numbers in terms of total reps of 225 pounds in the bench press portion of the workout... sources close to the standout linemen say he should hit in the high-30's without maximum effort.

-- Last year former Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram dropped to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round (#153 overall) because he was coming off a pair of knee injuries... he suffered another major knee injury this past summer and some believe that evaluators will take a very close look at Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham's medical file and that he will likely be asked to come back to the medical re-check in early April so that all 32 teams can get as sure a read on the status of his right knee... he is expected to fully participate in the on-field workouts and aiming for 4.70 range in the 40-yard dash at 6060, 258 pounds.

-- USC junior defensive lineman Everson Griffen, Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham and Murray State defensive end Austen Lane, each expect to run 4.65 or better in the 40-yard dash... keep an eye on Louisiana-Lafayette senior defensive lineman Hall Davis and Nevada junior defensive end Kevin Basped who could both move into 3rd-4th round consideration with impressive workouts this weekend.

-- With all the DT talk surrounding Ndamukong Suh vs. Gerald McCoy, a number of others could push their way up the draft board based on their workouts this weekend... expect to see strong performances from Central Florida senior defensive tackle Torell Troup, UCLA junior defensive tackle Brian Price, Purdue senior defensive tackle Mike Neal and LSU nose tackle Al Woods.

-- TCU linebacker Daryl Washington has the potential to outshine more highly-acclaimed players like Alabama's Rolando McClain and Florida's Brandon Spikes when he times in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash.

-- Texas junior defensive back Earl Thomas has the ability to come out of the NFL Combine as a sure-fire Top-20 draft choice and by next week could be right on the heels of Tennessee junior defensive back Eric Berry and Florida junior cornerback Joe Haden for the title of first defensive back selected come April's draft.

-- Florida State senior cornerback Patrick Robinson almost certainly will post solid workout numbers, but keep a close eye on his positional workout as many evaluators are not in love with his instincts, foot-work and ability to find the ball when it is in the air.

-- Alabama senior cornerback Javier Arenas and Kentucky senior cornerback Trevard Lindley are two highly-acclaimed veteran defenders who may struggle with their 40-times... however, if he is 100% and able to workout expect to be impressed by the workout numbers turned in by Maryland senior cornerback Nolan Carroll and UTEP senior cornerback Cornelius Brown, who should run in the 4.4 range with 40" vertical at 5110, 195 pounds.

-- Syracuse senior defensive tackle Arthur Jones will not participate in the workout portion of the NFL Combine and will instead wait until a Pro Day scheduled for April 6th even though several sources close to him insist that he will be 100% medically cleared by the NFL Combine's medical staff and receive a clean medical evaluation after suffering both a torn pectoral muscle last spring and a torn left lateral meniscus in his knee during the season... teams employing a 3-4 defensive scheme are sure to send plenty of evaluators to his early April Pro Day and down-the-road Jones could end up being one of the best "Value" picks of the draft.

- Information from The NFL Draft Bible and other reporters was used in this report. The NFLDraftBible.com is the preeminent source of NFL Draft Information.

2010 NFL Combine: S Overview

List of Safeties Invited to NFL Combine:
Free Safeties:
Nate Allen, South Florida
Jonathon Amaya, Nevada
Lucien Antoine, Oklahoma State
Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
Chad Jones, LSU
Kendrick Lewis, Mississippi
Taylor Mays, USC
Nick Polk, Indiana
Dennis Rogan, Tennessee
Darian Stewart, South Carolina
Darrell Stucky, Kansas
TJ Ward, Oregon
Major Wright, Florida

Strong Safeties:
Larry Asante, Nebraska
Eric Berry, Tennessee
Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
Barry Church, Toledo
Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
Reshad Jones, Georgia
Kyle McCarthy, Notre Dame
Myron Rolle, Florida State
Earl Thomas, Texas
Justin Woodall, Alabama

Juniors:
Chad Jones, LSU
Dennis Rogan, Tennessee
Major Wright, Florida
Eric Berry, Tennessee
Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
Reshad Jones, Georgia
Earl Thomas, Texas

Played in Senior Bowl:
Nate Allen, South Florida
Larry Asante, Nebraska
Taylor Mays, USC
Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
Kyle McCarthy, Notre Dame
Myron Rolle, Florida State

Played in East – West:
Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
Barry Church, Toledo
Darian Stewart, South Carolina
Darrell Stucky, Kansas
TJ Ward, Oregon
Justin Woodall, Alabama

Played in Texas vs. Nation:
Jonathon Amaya, Nevada
Lucien Antoine, Oklahoma State
Kendrick Lewis, Mississippi
Nick Polk, Indiana

Storylines:
Chad Jones - Jones is a very good overall athlete and should do well and help himself at the NFL Combine.

Taylor Mays - Mays should be a work out warrior, is all the drills but the best question marks is his speed and coverage ability with NFL teams.

Kendrick Lewis - Lewis showed good skills at the Texas vs. the Nation game and should help his stock at the NFL Combine.

Darrell Stucky - Stucky was very highly rated going into the season but dropped off some and need a big NFL Combine to help his stock.

Major Wright - Some question did Wright make the right decision by coming out early.

Eric Berry - Berry might go as high as number 3 overall to Tampa Bay.

Morgan Burnett - Burnett is a guy to watch as he could move up to being third safety drafted.

Kurt Coleman - Coleman is a litte undersized but a good overall football player.

Kyle McCarthy - McCarthy is a hard worker but does have trouble in coverage.

Myron Rolle - Rolle look a year off of football, and will that have any effect on his play?

Earl Thomas - Some question Thomas size as a safety and think that he will need to move to cornerback in the NFL.