Leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, which is set to take place from April 30 - May 2 in Chicago, Ill., Seahawks.com will take a position-by-position look at this year's top prospects.
Along the way, we'll rehash the team's past draft picks at each position under Executive VP/General Manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll and also provide an outline of where the team currently stands at each spot.
Seattle owns 11 selections in this year's draft - one in the second round (No. 63 overall), one in the third (No. 95), three in the fourth (Nos. 112, 130 & 134), two in the fifth (Nos. 167 & 170), three in the sixth (Nos. 181, 209 & 214), and one in the seventh (No. 248).
We led our draft preview series last week with a look at the offensive and defensive lines before following up with the running backs, linebackers, quarterbacks, safeties, and tight ends. We continue today with the wide receivers, a position group Seattle selected twice at this time a year ago.
Draft History (Under Schneider & Carroll)
WR Golden Tate* (No. 60 overall, 2010), WR Jameson Konz* (No. 245, 2010), WR Kris Durham* (No. 107, 2011), WR Chris Harper* (No. 123, 2013), WR Paul Richardson (No. 45, 2014), WR Kevin Norwood (No. 123, 2014)
* signifies a player no longer with the team
Where The Seahawks Stand
Although he's technically listed as a tight end, Jimmy Graham should be considered when discussing where the Seahawks stand at receiver. Graham, who the club acquired via trade before the start of NFL free agency, averaged 89 catches for 1,099 yards and 11.5 touchdowns over the past four seasons as a member of the New Orleans Saints. He should step into the starting lineup and immediately improve Seattle's stable of pass catchers that in recent seasons has been working without a big, athletic target like Graham.
Doug Baldwin returns as the team's leading receiver from a year ago, when he recorded career-highs in catches (66) and yards (825). He's joined on the outside by Jermaine Kearse, whose 38 grabs for 537 yards were second-most on the Seahawks last season. The 6-foot-5, 218-pound Chris Matthews is coming off a stellar outing in Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots that saw him record a team-high four catches for a game-high 109 yards and a touchdown, a breakthrough performance that marked the first four catches of Matthews' young career.
As 2014 came to a close, Paul Richardson began to show why the Seahawks made him their first pick in last year's draft. He finished the season with 29 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown and a majority of that production came over the year's final four weeks. Unfortunately, an ACL injury in the divisional-round of the playoffs forced Richardson to watch the remainder of Seattle's postseason run from the sideline, while also putting his 2015 season-opening status in question.
The Seahawks' receiving corps is rounded out by Ricardo Lockette, a key special teams contributor who re-signed earlier this month; Kevin Norwood, a fourth-round draft pick from a year ago; Kevin Smith, who spent time with the Seahawks last offseason and signed a future contract with the club this past February; and 6-foot-3, 200-pounder Douglas McNeil III, who signed to Seattle's practice squad late last season.
NFL Media Draft Analyst Mike Mayock shares his top five wide receivers set to enter this year's draft.
West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White, left, runs from Iowa State linebacker Brian Mills (25) after making a reception during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) tries to catch the ball as Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant (12) defends during the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker (9) outruns Kentucky safety Marcus McWilson (15) to the end zone to score one of his three touchdowns in a Louisville 44-40 NCAA college football game victory Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
Central Florida wide receiver Breshad Perriman (11) during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game against Baylor, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (15) prepares to run into the end zone against Auburn defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (9) during the first half of the Southeastern Conference NCAA football championship game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Southern California wide receiver Nelson Agholor, left, runs in for a touchdown as Notre Dame safety Elijah Shumate attempt to tackle him during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
NFL Media Draft Expert Mike Mayock's Top 5 Wide Receivers
1. Kevin White, West Virginia, 6-3, 215 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 1 (Top 10)
Bottom Line (via NFL.com):He's not just a product of West Virginia's system -- he's talented. White showed off 23 reps on the bench press and a blazing 4.35 40 at the combine, proving he has the top-end speed to go with the size and strength. White came into West Virginia with very limited confidence, according to team insiders, but when he left, he had realized his rare talent. White lacks the polish of Amari Cooper, but some teams already believe he has the best upside of any wide receiver in this draft.
2. Amari Cooper, Louisville, 6-1, 211 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 1 (Top 10)
Bottom Line (via NFL.com):Won't dazzle with blazing speed or outrageous size, but is good in both categories. Complete receiver with game-changing ability to win downfield. Has the skill and twitch to be a consistent, high-volume target in the short and intermediate games with the ability to produce against any coverage. Cooper won't be able to run roughshod over NFL safeties like he did in college, but he should be able to help a passing game improve quickly.
3. DeVante Parker, Louisville, 6-3, 209 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 1
Bottom Line (via NFL.com):Parker does his best work when the ball is in the air. He uses his height and wingspan to consistently snatch anything that comes his way. Parker isn't going to overpower cornerbacks and he will have more contested catches than most explosive wideouts. He has consistently posted eye-popping yards-per-catch numbers during his time at Louisville and showed of solid athleticism at the combine. Parker has the potential to be a legitimate lead receiver for a West Coast offense.
4. Breshad Perriman, Central Florida, 6-2, 212 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 1
Bottom Line (via NFL.com): Rare combination of size, top-end speed and suddenness that can be found in some of the best receivers in the game. Arrow is pointed way up on Perriman and he is one of the most discussed prospects in draft rooms around the league. His drops will drive teams crazy, but his physical traits and ability to hit the big play should warrant early consideration.
T-5. Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri, 6-5, 237 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 1 or 2
Bottom Line (via NFL.com):Long-strider with vertical ability to change a game and the catch radius and body control to make the difficult look easy. However, Green-Beckham struggles against physical cornerbacks, and is raw as a route runner with poor instincts when it comes to getting open. It's easy to bet on the traits when a receiver has high football character and is a willing worker, but teams could pass on the traits early in the draft due to his perceived lack of work ethic and overall character.
T-5. Nelson Agholor, USC, 6-0, 198 lbs
Draft Projection (via NFL.com):Round 2
Bottom Line (via NFL.com): Intelligent, instinctive receiver with an advanced feel for getting himself open against zone coverage and off man. Play speed doesn't match timed speed. Needs to force cornerbacks to respect him over the top.. Agholor's best position could be working from the slot as a reliable possession receiver who can step right into the punt-returner job on Day 1.
