I’ve been fretting for some time about the effect Alex Gibbs might have on our interest in taking a top-flight tackle in the first round. This is an unusually strong tackle draft, and we are in a unique position to get one of the best available. Alex Gibbs does not draft tackles, and almost never has done so in the first round. Nightmares of drafting undersized defensive tackles in the name of a “tampa 2” defense flash before my eyes.
Then, today, I started to wonder if that becomes a real advantage for us, and not just on the field. If we don’t value the prototypical tackle as much as the other NFL teams, that would seem to create an opportunity to fleece someone who wants to move up and secure one. Maybe we can get another first round pick this year or next, or add a third rounder back. Make no mistake about it, the Seahawks need quantity AND quality, and this appears to be a draft to get it.