Here’s a look at the perceived draft needs of the Seattle Seahawks, with heavy input from Matt Miller and David Gardner of NewEraScouting.com.    

Tight end:  Marcus Pollard has bolted for New England after spending weeks on the free-agency shelf.  That leaves the Seahawks with four tight ends on their depth chart; three came into the league as undrafted free agents and one (Jeb Putzier) was a sixth-round pick. Will Heller figures to be the starter here, but he has been nothing more than a red zone tight end in his career.  Backup Jeb Putzier, who was picked up in free agency, enjoyed some good seasons in Denver but was a bust in his last two years in Houston.The Seahawks need a tight end who can open up the seams and be a safety valve for Matt Hasselbeck.  The position is especially important in a Mike Holmgren offense because of the imbalance toward passing.

The Seahawks are in a good position because their top two needs are not highly regarded positions, meaning that they have a lot of flexibility with their first-round pick.  It is likely that the first round will come and go without a single tight end having been selected.  This should definitely be their second-round selection, though.  They are rumored to like Texas A&M’s Martellus Bennett, but they really should be able to pick from most – if not all – of the tight ends here.

Guard:  The blame for the Seahawks’ struggles can’t completely fall on Shaun Alexander.  Since this line lost Steve Hutchinson at left guard, it hasn’t been the same.  Right guard Chris Gray will probably not be with the team too much longer either; he’ll be 38 when the season starts.  Rob Sims has been decent at left guard position, but you definitely won’t confuse him with Hutchinson.  The Seahawks have invested some picks at the position, including back-to-back fourth-round picks in 2006-07 in Sims and Mansfield Wrotto.  They also brought in Mike Wahle to compete for a guard position, but he isn’t the long-term answer.

The Seahawks would be wise to invest a high-round pick in a strong run blocker to pave the way for their two new running backs, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett.  Shannon Tevaga (UCLA) would be a good first pick on day two.  They could also look for Robert Felton or Arkansas,who is considered the best run blocker in this draft class, in the middle rounds.

Wide receiver:  Although they have three very good wide receivers in Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, and Bobby Engram, questions surround this group.  Deion Branch has struggled with injuries since being acquired in a trade from New England, and he needs to prove that he can stay on the field this season.  Bobby Engram is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but there are concerns about how much longer the 35-year-old receiver can keep up that pace.  Burleson could still develop into a sold number two wideout, but the Seahawks should bring in someone to compete in this group who can eventually take over Engram’s spot.

Because of the flexibility the Seahawks have with their draft plans, they could end up using their first-round pick at this position.  If they choose to, they could select a number of players, including DeSean Jackson (California), Limas Sweed (Texas), or James Hardy (Indiana).  If they choose to wait until later in the draft to address this need, they could go after a player like Eddie Royal (Virginia Tech), who could be a great slot receiver, or Mario Manningham (Michigan), who could develop into an excellent deep threat and number two wide receiver.

Running back:  With the signing of both Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett, there isn’t a glaring need at the position.  Maurice Morris took some of the load from the now-released Shaun Alexander last season, and Morris impressed to the tune of 628 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Julius Jones has been trashed for one bad year in Dallas.  In three years before that, however, he had rushed for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns.  Jones should be able at the very least to handle 10-15 carries a game.  Duckett should also contribute the way he did in Detroit, with a high average on 5-10 carries a game.

Cornerback:  Marcus Trufant was tremendous last season, and he signed a long-term deal after being franchised this offseason.  The other starter, Kelly Jennings, is a bit of a mystery.  After being selected in the first round of the 2006 draft, Jennings played mostly in the nickel that season.  He impressed the coaches enough to warrant a starting job in 2007, but he underwhelmed.  Last year’s top pick Josh Wilson also impressed coaches this season, and he should compete with Jennings for the starting job opposite Trufant.  However, outside of these two, the Seahawks don’t have much quality depth.  They have shown some interest in Indiana’s Charles Godfrey, who would be an intriguing late-round pick.