As the defending Super Bowl champions, the was pressure on the Seattle Seahawks to deliver another strong draft. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals made significant improvements in the offseason all aiming to take back the NFC. Then when you factor in upcoming extensions for Earl Thomas, Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman and the urgency to bring in more cheap, young talent is more crucial.

While Seahawks general manager John Schneider is considered one of the best in any sport, several of his 2014 draft selections left many scratching their head. While it's easy to criticize a pick and just look at that player, it's important to examine the situation at that spot and what other options existed.

Round 2, 40th Overall: Traded Down

After trading out of the first round to acquire additional picks, Seattle once again made the decision to move down. In return for sliding down five spots in the second round, Seattle moved up from the fifth to the fourth round and received an additional seventh round pick.

While trading down to acquire more picks is usually a very good idea, it's an odd move considering how they would use their next selection. The Seahawks were in dire need of help on the offensive line and wide receiver, and had two great options staring them in the face. Vanderbilt wide receiver Jordan Matthews was on the board at 40 and would have provided a sure-handed weapon who can line up all over the field. They also had the option to improve the offensive line and grab offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

While Kouandjio comes with medical red flags and would have to move from the left side to right tackle, he still would have filled a need for the Seahawks. Matthews easily could have stepped into the Seahawks' offense and been a major contributor immediately. Instead they opted to trade down and it resulted in a very questionable pick.

Round 2, 45th Overall: Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado

With their first pick in the draft, the Seahawks addressed their need at wide receiver. Wilson needs more weapons to spread the ball around and in a deep draft it was a great year for Seattle to fill a need. When they announced the selection of Richardson. While Richardson's track-like speed is certainly impressive stretching the field on vertical routes, which is all he can bring at this point. He is a poor route runner who can be pushed around at the line by defensive backs thanks to his thin, 172-pound frame. The biggest issue is numerous drops throughout his time at Colorado, a problem that is very similar to players like Greg Little and Darius Heyward-Bey.

As a result of the Richardson pick, Seattle passed on fellow wide receivers Davante Adams and Cody Latimer. Both players offer nice, strength and of course strong, reliable hands. Adams excels at going up and making contested catches but also has enough speed to make some plays on short routes. Latimer offers better hands than Richardson with an extra 40 pounds on his frame and he can run multiple routes. For Seattle to pass on Adams and Latimer for Richardson was questionable.

A case could even be made that the Seahawks best rookie wide receiver was taken in the fourth round. Kevin Norwood never received much attention at Alabama but when A.J. McCarron needed some yards, he would go to Norwood. He can of course play special teams but more importantly will be a sure-handed target that Wilson can trust.

Round 2, 64th Overall: Justin Britt, OT, Missouri

Seattle followed up its surprising selection of Richardson by delivering another head-scratcher in the second round. Of course the Seahawks needed help along the offensive line but they went at it with another reach pick. They went with Britt, an offensive tackle who struggled through injuries and inconsistent play for multiple seasons. In 2012 he suffered a torn ACL and fractured foot, along with numerous other bumps and bruises along the way. While he has a nice frame at 6'6" with power to go with it, he was not amongst the top offensive tackles available.

Seattle took Britt over prospects like Morgan Moses and Billy Turner, who went shortly after in the third round. Moses offers the same size as Britt but offers more athleticism and consistency both versus the run and pass. While Moses doesn't have the strength that Britt offers, he ahs viewer medical concerns and can easily improve his power. Turner offers the versatility to play both right tackle and guard, with impressive athleticism and strength. He has the mean streak that many great offensive linemen have and the Seahawks need more of. While he needs to learn the position more and spend time on his technique he offers much more upside than Britt.

Of course the Seahawks can just continue with their mastery of reaching for players who are perceived negatively, then they develop the prospects into regular starts to help them win the Super Bowl. Schneider has a nose for talent and will continue to help put together a great team. However, there were still some questionable moves made when looking at the entire picture and who else they could have had. Passing on Matthews, Adams, Latimer, Moses and Turner were very risky moves. Now the Seahawks have to hope Richardson can find some hands and Britt can stay healthy.