RENTON, Wash. — Devon Witherspoon was not connected to the Seattle Seahawks in many, if any, mock drafts before they took the Illinois cornerback fifth overall last April.
Jalen Carter and Tyree Wilson were.
But the Seahawks deemed Carter to be a risk not worth taking that high in the draft, and their evaluation of Wilson differed even more compared to that of some analysts. While he went seventh overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks had not even given the Texas Tech edge rusher a first-round grade and wouldn’t have taken him with their second pick in Round 1, No. 20 overall.
There’s your latest reminder of how difficult the draft can be to predict, especially for a team like the Seahawks that often zigs when others zag.
But there are some hints to be derived from 14 drafts under general manager John Schneider, new coach Mike Macdonald’s history with the Baltimore Ravens and some recent comments from the organization.
