There was much to talk about after the 2019 NFL Draft. Heisman winner Kyle Murray went first overall to Seattle’s division rival in Arizona. The Seahawks picked up media darling D.K. Metcalf and bolstered their defenses, along with a few receivers to pair up with Wilson.
The Cardinals swung for the fences with the first pick by choosing Oklahoma star Kyler Murray. Murray finished his last collegiate season leading the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship and a CFP appearance. As a junior, Murray posted 4,362 passing yards with 42 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Murray possesses a great arm, being able to throw both in and outside the pocket with solid ball placement. Pairing him with Kliff Kingsbury’s ‘‘Air Raid’’ style offense could end up giving NFC West defenses a lot to handle. In the second round Arizona then traded their 2018 quarterback Josh Rosen over to the Miami Dolphins. Rosen being shipped off to South Beach gives the second-year QB a fresh start after an up-and-down rookie season.
For the Seahawks, General Manager John Schneider prioritized beefing up their receiving core as a security blanket for Doug Baldwin’s possible retirement. They also added some pieces on the defensive end, starting with L.J. Collier at the 29th pick. The defensive end from TCU had 27 solo tackles and six sacks his senior year. Scouts praise him for his good hands and tenacity as an edge rusher. Schneider then turned some heads by picking Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf with the 64th pick. Metcalf had pre-draft buzz for his impressive physique, weighing 230 pounds on an astounding 1.6 percent body fat. At 6 feet, 3 inches, Metcalf has the height to be a great receiver. In the combine he impressed scouts by posting a 40-inch vertical, and a 4.33 time on the 40-yard dash. The latter shows that he has the speed to shed off defenders. These attributes would make him a reliable option when catching 50/50 balls in traffic. Despite all the recent hype there are still questions about how his game will translate to the pros. His poor performance in the shell drills showed his lack of lateral quickness. His footwork is something he’ll need to work on as he adjusts to the NFL.
All in all, this year’s Seahawk draft class featured four players in skill positions, six players on defense and an offensive lineman. Seattle addressed some of the problems hurting the team and overall have solid pieces to build around for the future.