Ranking the Seahawks’ position needs as the NFL draft approaches

One way to judge the increasingly precarious nature of the Seahawks’ franchise right now — still fielding a roster that looks Super Bowl caliber but with more apparent holes than past years — is to asses the team’s needs entering this week’s NFL Draft.

In past years, there were position groups — quarterback, safety, cornerback — that could just about be ignored when trying to figure out what the Seahawks might do in the draft, particularly anything outside of a late-round flyer.

But this year, a case can be made that Seattle could be justified taking a player at basically every position group other than kicker/punter, and maybe quarterback, by the end of the second day of the draft (or, the first three rounds).

With the draft coming fast — the Browns officially go on the clock at 5 p.m. Thursday — it’s time for our annual rating of the Seahawks’ draft needs by position group.

1. Defensive backs: Set aside the Richard Sherman trade rumors — and the growing certainty that he’s not going anywhere — and Seattle still has obvious needs at cornerback and safety. Seattle could use a candidate to push for a starting job at right cornerback opposite Sherman (with DeShawn Shead unlikely ready until mid-season), and to add at least quality depth with the potential to start down the road at safety. UW’s Kevin King, Sidney Jones and Budda Baker could all prove hard to resist.

2. Offensive line: While the Seahawks signed two free-agent veterans they expect to start immediately — left tackle Luke Joeckel and right guard Oday Aboushi — and continue to sound optimistic about the potential of the young group that remains on hand, Seattle seems certain to add to its line at some point in the draft. Given that this is not regarded as a good class of OLs, though, Seattle might not reach as high for one as would be assumed given the need to upgrade the line. But if one of the top three tackles — Alabama’s Cam Robinson, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk or Utah’s Garett Bolles — is there at 26, Seattle may find that hard to turn down.

3. Defensive line: With three starters 30 or older — ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett and tackle Ahtyba Rubin — Seattle seems certain to add some fresh legs up front. An end and a tackle makes sense, particularly if Seattle moves down to add picks.

4. Tight end: With Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson unrestricted free agents after this season, Seattle’s long-term outlook at tight end is murky. And this is a good year to find a tight end in the draft.

5. Wide receiver: Seattle has done little to add to the receiving corps in the offseason. This is regarded as a good year for receivers, so expect Seattle to land one at some point in the draft and could be tempted by local standouts John Ross of UW and Cooper Kupp of Eastern.

6. Linebacker: Seattle’s needs here aren’t as great as before the Seahawks signed three veterans during free agency to beef up the depth and compete for the vacant strongside spot. All signed a one-year deals, leaving the long-term overall picture at linebacker uncertain. If the Seahawks find a real game-changer, taking a linebacker by the end of the second day doesn’t seem out of the question.

7. Running back: One could argue that Seattle signed Eddie Lacy and is confident that Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise will be healthy for training camp to make running back a slight priority in this draft. Conversely, Lacy is on a one-year deal and Rawls entering the final season of his contract, and there are obvious questions of health and/or conditioning hovering over all three. Needs appear greater elsewhere to warrant a high pick at running back. But then, no one figured they’d use their first pick in 2013 on Christine Michael.

8. Quarterback: With Russell Wilson in his prime, QB remains a low priority from a draft standpoint. But after Wilson’s dance with injury danger last season and that Trevone Boykin remains a question mark (let alone his recent legal issues), the Seahawks will undoubtedly have a new QB on the roster by the end of the weekend. The question is whether they wait again until after the draft or take the plunge to make what would be just their second draft pick of a QB since Pete Carroll and John Schneider arrived in 2010.

9. Kicker/punter: Seattle hasn’t drafted a kicker or punter since 2008 and wouldn’t appear to have any need to do so this time around.