Seahawks Load Up in The Trenches in Five Round Mock Draft
With the college football bowl season now upon us and the NFL barreling into the final two-week stretch of regular season games, the 2020 draft pool is starting to shape up. Indeed, many college stars have already begun declaring themselves as eligible for the draft, with some of those projected to go in the upper portion of the first round electing to skip their bowl games altogether to avoid injury and begin preparing for the NFL scouting combine beginning in late February.
Mock drafts are always an inexact science, but they’re even tougher to pin down this far out. As we get closer to the NFL draft, set to be held in Las Vegas in late April, more information is gathered. There will be testing scores and medical exams to evaluate, the draft order becomes set, and team needs come into focus. Personally, I’ll watch hours and hours of film between now and then, helping to define my own view on which of these prospects I like and how I see them fitting in with the Seahawks. So for now, we will stick to the first five rounds as we try and piece together a general look at what the 2020 rookie class may look like in Seattle.
For this exercise I used The Draft Network’s excellent online mock draft simulator to pull it all together. Because they don’t have comp picks injected into their simulator yet, however, I simply made those selections based on where the picks figure to fall, and took players still available in those slots.
As it stands now, the Seahawks are expected to have seven picks in the first five rounds, with an extra selection in both the second (from the Frank Clark trade to Kansas City) and fourth rounds (expected comp pick for cornerback Justin Coleman signing in Detroit).
Without further ado, here's my first Seahawks five-round mock draft of the 2020 season.
FIRST ROUND
Creed Humphrey: C, Oklahoma (6-foot-5, 316 pounds)
Longtime starting center Justin Britt will be coming off ACL surgery in 2020 and is set to make $11.6 million, making him a prime candidate to be released for salary cap relief. Joey Hunt has done an admirable job filling his shoes since the injury but at barely 300 pounds, he has been manhandled at times. The Seahawks need to prioritize improvements on the offensive line and one way to get the biggest impact from a young player is to improve themselves at the pivot.
Humphrey is only a redshirt sophomore, but took over the starting center job for the Sooners in 2018 and has excelled ever since. He has a wrestling background and it shows in his technique, specifically his ability to get leverage. He’s strong, athletic enough to get to the second level, and has been described by coaches as a leader and someone who’s dogged in his pursuit of excellence both on and off the field. Everything about him screams “rookie starter,” and a good one.
SECOND ROUND
Alton Robinson: EDGE, Syracuse (6-foot-5, 260 pounds)
Pete Carroll has often said you can never have enough EDGE rushers. In 2019, the Seahawks are clearly short in that area. Ziggy Ansah hasn’t been healthy, first-rounder L.J. Collier has been a no-show, and Jadeveon Clowney - as good as he is - is uncertain to return in 2020 as an expensive free agent. Without question, EDGE will be a priority in this draft.
Robinson exploded onto the scene as a junior in 2018, racking up 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss for the Orange. As a senior, his numbers have declined, no doubt due to additional attention from opposing offensive coordinators. He looks ever bit the part of NFL EDGE with long arms and excellent movement skills. He’s raw, but flashes signs of excellent hand usage to go along with his intriguing burst.
Alaric Jackson: OT, Iowa (6-foot-6, 320 pounds)
Add offensive tackle to the list of positions littered with both uncertainty and a need for reinforcements heading into the offseason. Starting right tackle Germain Ifedi will likely depart in free agency while key reserve George Fant is set to be an unrestricted free agent as well. The team loves second-year player Jamarco Jones, but is his future at guard or tackle? Meanwhile, Duane Brown is still playing at a high level as the left bookend but will turn 35 early next season.
Jackson has the size and length you look for in an NFL tackle and a ton of high-level experience to go with it as he’s been the Hawkeyes starting left tackle since his freshman year. There are questions about his overall athleticism, but he has a higher ceiling than some of the other tackles available at this stage of the draft. The question for Seattle would be is he capable of playing on the right side with the possibility of succeeding Brown when he’s done? Or if he’s strictly a left-side player who would have to wait his turn while honing his craft as the veterans understudy?
THIRD ROUND
Troy Dye: LB, Oregon (6-foot-4, 225 pounds)
Dye is similar in size and playing style to former Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who was taken with the No. 43 overall pick by Detroit in this year’s draft. Seattle was reportedly enamored with Tavai for his ability to double as a rush end.
Dye has been highly productive in his four seasons with the Ducks, racking up 389 tackles, five interceptions, and 15 sacks among his many accomplishments. He’s a long, athletic linebacker just as capable of dropping into coverage as he is rushing the quarterback. Sound familiar? He fits the mold that Michael Kendricks is playing for the Seahawks this season. With Kendricks future still uncertain due to his legal issues, and K.J. Wright turning 31 next season in the last year of his deal, Dye would be an intriguing addition to a young linebacking group that already includes 2019 draftees Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven as well as second-year player Shaquem Griffin.
FOURTH ROUND
Kahlid Kareem: EDGE, Notre Dame (6-foot-4, 265 pounds)
Fellow Notre Dame EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos is getting all the hype for the Fighting Irish as a potential first round pick, but Kareem has been highly productive in his own right. He’s totaled 10 sacks the last two seasons to go along with 20.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He’s long-limbed, physically reminiscent of 2019 draft steal and rookie Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby, who the Raiders took in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan.
While two EDGE players among their first five picks may seem redundant, at this point it would appear that buying in bulk for 2020 would be the smart play, depending of course on what happens with Clowney once he hits free agency.
Zack Moss: RB, Utah (5-foot-10, 222 pounds)
It’s not just that the Seahawks like to draft running backs nearly every year, or even that they lost Rashaad Penny to an ACL injury just as the 2018 first-rounder was starting to jusify his draft position as a dynamic complement to Chris Carson. Moss just looks like a Seahawks running back.
In four years at Utah, Moss has averaged 5.8 yards per carry on his way to racking up over 4,000 yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground. He can bull you over using his powerful frame or beat you to the edge. In many ways, he embodies the type of hard-to-find combination of brute force and nimbleness that Carson brings to the Seahawks rushing attack.
He’s also proven to be a solid every-down option for the Utes as well, capable of helping in pass protection or as a receiver out of the backfield, adding 64 catches for 671 yards as a pass catcher.
FIFTH ROUND
Raequan Williams: DT, Michigan State (6-foot-4, 305 pounds)
EDGE isn’t going to be the only need up front for the 2020 Seahawks defense. Even if free agent-to-be Jarran Reed inks a new deal, Carroll would love to add another interior lineman capable of penetrating and rushing the passer and that’s where Williams excels. He’s recorded 11.5 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in his time with the Spartans.
SUMMARY
Where are the other skill position players, you may ask? Certainly you can expect the Seahawks to have their eyes on this wide receiver class that's looking like one of the deepest and most talented in many years. Tight end is a need as well, but it's a weak overall 2020 class at that position.
Elsewhere on defense I wanted to add a high-ceiling cornerback, but there just weren't many to go around given a shallow class and an overall lack of prospects who possess the measurables the Seahawks covet at that position.
The bottom line for me is that Seattle has five starting offensive and defensive linemen set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2020 (Ifedi, Clowney, Reed, and Ansah in addition to starting guard Mike Iupati). Seattle is sitting at 11-3 at this point despite inconsistent play from it's offensive line and a rash of injuries up front on defense. Young, talented reinforcements will be needed in bulk. With extra picks in hand, the Seahawks should be able to address these needs in the 2020 draft.
