The sixth pick in the inaugural edition of the Cincy Jungle Mock Draft is brought to us by member jaydolla, selecting for the Seattle Seahawks. His explanation for the pick is after the jump. Thank you for your participation jaydolla.
With the sixth pick in the 2010 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select...
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
After the retirement of Mike Holmgren and a 4-12 season hopes for a fresh start were high in the land of perpetual rain. Assistant head coach Jim Mora was handed the reigns in the hope of a new blood approach to getting success with the seabirds. Mora went with a revamped coaching staff that included new offensive and defensive coordinators, plus changes with most of the under staff on both sides of the ball. They lost some quality players like Leonard Weaver (FA) and Julian Peterson (Trade) but gained some solid talent in T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Lawyer Milloy and Cory Redding.
Well after a year of an up & down Matt Hasselbeck, TJ not solidifying himself as a "true" No.1 receiver, 26th rushing attack, overall bottom of the barrel defense and O-line inconsistency, they only gained 1 more win to finish 5-12 in an overall weak NFC West. Mr. Mora loses his job to "Big Balls Pete" Carroll. And Seahawks fans again have to live in the "rebuilding" phase as is the life of the NFL's bottom-feeders.
The Seahawks' 2009 Draft was a little handicapped being that they needed as much help as they could get but only had 7 picks, and 4 of those were in rounds 6-7. They had a very solid draft for what cards they were dealt. The big thing that stood out though was that they really didn't address any of the more regarded spots like OT and RB. The result was below average line play and the 26th ranked rushing attack.
Well with the 6th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft they fill a much needed area with Bryan Bulaga. They have plenty of areas that need help and really could do well going with either side of the ball. The big thing that stands out though is the trade for Charlie Whitehurst. Carroll has put himself in the line of fire with this move. If Whitehurst doesn't pan out then Carroll has dug himself a nice hole that he might not be able to get out of. So the best way to improve the success rate of a QB (and his popularity) is to keep him protected and make sure the QB has enough weapons around him.
As of now the seabirds lost their great tackle Walter Jones to retirement and their other main OT Sean Locklear is injury prone, playing in only 22 games for them the last 2 seasons. That leaves OT a big problem for them and opens the door for Bulaga to come in and contribute right away.
Bulaga is described as a physical blocker with a nasty disposition and a well rounded game. He was a 3 year starter at Iowa, all the while being coached by one of the most respected O-line gurus in Kirk Ferentz. Bulaga has shorter arms than most prefer but his footwork, overall athleticism and great understanding of the position more than make up for the short comings. Scouts love his intangibles because of the hard work he puts into improving his game. Bulaga's overall blocking skills and leadership qualities will make him a great fit for the Seahawks.
Brian Bulaga highlights:
(via ProDraftParty)