Seahawks get high grades for drafting of Jarran Reed, while reaction to other picks a little more varied

While draft analysts have been notoriously all over the map about many of the Seahawks’ draft picks in recent years, that was not the case with the selection of Alabama defensive lineman Jarran Reed in the second round Friday, which drew rave reviews from almost every corner.

But some of the rest of Seattle’s picks drew a few more mixed grades. Here’s a look at some of what was said about Seattle’s haul on day two of the NFL draft.

— ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. called the Seahawks one of the winners of day two of the draft due to the drafting of Reed. Wrote Kiper: “Goodbye Brandon Mebane, hello Jarran Reed. Again, like Detroit, the Seahawks got a player at No. 49 I had rated far higher (No. 21). This guy has big-time talent as a run defender, and he’s more athletic than he looks. Seattle moved down in Round 1 and added a draft pick, and they used a little of that added currency to move up. Nice work. Seattle is having a great draft so far.”

— Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar gave the pick an A-minus grade, writing: “This doesn’t do anything to fix Seattle’s obvious holes on the offensive line, but it does take care of the vacancy left by Brandon Mebane’s departure in free agency. Reed is an every-down tackle who excels against the run and could develop into a bit of a pass-rusher over time​. ”

— SB Nation’s Dan Kadar gave the Seahawks an A-minus for the day, writing: “The Seattle Seahawks jumped up in the second round moving all the way from 56 to No. 49 to jump in and steal Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He is arguably the best run stopper in the draft this year and slots into a specific role on the defense. In the third round, the Seahawks grabbed running back C.J. Prosise. He’s a very good all-around running back who can run and catch the ball better than most backs in the draft. Although I had a higher grade on a few running backs, Prosise is a good system fit. The Seahawks got a steal with tight end Nick Vannett at No. 94 overall. He’s the draft’s second-best tight end who was underused in college. The Seahawks closed things out with Rees Odhiambo of Boise State. He’s a solid athlete whose versatility will allow him to play tackle or guard.”

— Yahoo.com’s Eric Edholm gave the Seahawks an A-minus for the Reed pick, writing: “Watching a top talent tumble deep into Round 2, the Seahawks pounce, trading up into the Bears’ old spot for Reed. He’s a perfect Seahawk: powerful, mean and a bit flaky. He committed to three schools, via junior college, before landing at Alabama. The coaches there felt he needed to mature, and he did, turning into a force against the run. A good pick at a need spot for the Seahawks.”

— CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco gave the Reed pick an A, writing: “Love this move. This kid is perfect for their scheme. John Schneider does it again.”

— NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah:”Talk about value, this was my 13th-rated player in the draft. He is always working forward with that powerful base and dominates against the run.”

— From Pro Football Focus: “Seattle moves up to take Reed who posted the No. 2 run stop grade in the nation last year at +39.9, while also ranking second in run stop percentage at 13.4 percent. He’s one of the best in the draft at handling double teams, disrupting running lanes and shedding blocks to make plays. The only question to Reed’s game is how much he will affect the quarterback as a pass rusher after ranking 55^th in the class at +6.6.”

— WalterFootball gave it a B-plus, writing: “When I saw that the Seahawks surrendered a fourth-round pick for this selection, I said that it better be a good player, or else they’d earn a terrible grade. Well, they definitely made a solid choice. Jarran Reed is a good player, but he tested very poorly. Seattle taking a low SPARQ player will surprise quite a few, but in truth, the team doesn’t completely focus on that. Reed will help a weak defensive interior for sure. ”

But as noted, some of Seattle’s other picks drew some reviews that were mostly good but with a few dissenting voices.

Here is a sampling

RB C.J.PROSISE

— Pro Football Focus gave the pick a B-minus writing: “Seattle was expected to add running back depth and Prosise is a nice mid-round option. He took the reins of Notre Dame’s run game to grade at +15.0 in the run game, good for 10^th in the draft class. The former receiver can also catch the ball out of the backfield and he should carve out an early role in Seattle’s offense.”

— Yahoo.com’s Edholm gave it a B, writing: ”An interesting pick for a run-heavy team that just lost Marshawn Lynch to retirement. Thomas Rawls is coming off a nice rookie season, but he finished it on injured reserve, and the Seahawks like to invest mid-round picks in running back depth. With Prosise the Seahawks get a solid 220-pound back who has some room to grow. Prosise was a receiver at Notre Dame before moving to running back last season, when he averaged 6.6 yards per carry.”

— WalterFootball gave it an A-minus, writing: “C.J. Prosise could’ve been chosen about 20 or so picks earlier than this, so I like the value. The fit is even better, as the Seahawks taking an athletic running back with great receiving skills is hardly a surprise. They needed a replacement for Marshawn Lynch to pair with Thomas Rawls, and Prosise figures to be a decent replacement.”

TE NICK VANNETT

— Pro Football Focus gave it a C, writing: “Vannett has strong hands, but he’s not an explosive passing threat. He can block on the move (+5.5 on the year) and he’ll compete for snaps as an extra tight end in Seattle’s offense after grading at +2.3 overall last year (29^th in the class).”

— Edholm gave it a B, writing: “The Seahawks need a quality blocker at the position, so this was a smart play. He has good athleticism, red zone and special teams value, and is a team-first player who got lost in the shuffle with all the talent in Columbus but never said a word about it. A nice player who will contribute in some way.”

— WalterFootball gave it a C-plus, writing: “First of all, congrats to Urban Meyer, whose blood money really paid off in giving him 10 prospects in the first three rounds. Second, I thought Nick Vannett would be chosen a bit later than this, but this is not a bad pick. Vannett has very little athleticism to speak of, but he could become a steady pass-catcher for Russell Wilson. He provides solid insurance for the Seahawks, who may never have Jimmy Graham at 100 percent ever again in the wake of his patellar tendon injury.”

OL REES ODHIAMBO

— Pro Football Focus gave the pick a C-plus, writing: “Odhiambo played left tackle for Boise State but he projects as a guard for the Seahawks. With a -2.2 grade as a run blocker last year, Odhiambo whiffs on too man blocks at this point, but he posted a +2.0 grade as a pass protector.”

— Edholm gave it a B-plus, writing: “Odhiambo might have been a top-50 pick had injuries not derailed his career. If you stack up the best tape of him and Germain Ifedi, you won’t notice a ton of variation. Odhiambo is smart, tough and powerful and can play at a number of spots — just like the Seahawks like them. They’ve had a nice little draft.”

— WalterFootball gave it a C, writing: “I guess the end of the third round is the time to begin taking risks on middling prospects. That’s what the Seahawks are doing at this juncture. Rees Odhiambo has played well when on the football field, but he has yet to play an entire season. He has constantly nursed injuries, but perhaps with proper training, he can overcome that. If so, he’d be a solid addition to Seattle’s weak offensive line. ”