NFL Mock Draft: Seahawks Select Alabama LB Dallas Turner
New Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is taking over a team that is built for playoff football. After making the postseason in the first-year post-Russell Wilson, Seattle fell just short this season.
Defensively, the Seahawks have been up and down over the last two seasons, and both times had ended up with the 25th-ranked defense in points allowed (23.6 per game).
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While some mock drafts have the Seahawks taking Texas standout Byron Murphy II, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein also has Seattle going defense, but in a different direction with Alabama's Dallas Turner coming to the NFC West.
"I would love to give the Seahawks a tackle/guard with good toughness and above-average run-blocking ability in Troy Fautanu, but I can't see them passing on a pass-rush talent like Turner here," Zierlein writes.
Turner has a standout season by any measurement as he totaled 10.0 sacks (tied for most in SEC), 14.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and he also led the team in quarterback hurries with 13.
Given his talents, it is easy to see why Macdonald would want Turner. The current contract situation with Leonard Williams could also play a part here. Slated to be a free agent after the Seahawks acquired him from the New York Giants during the season, it is hard to see Seattle moving on from Williams after they gave up a second-round 2024 pick and a fifth-round pick in 2025 for his services.
Per Spotrac, Williams' market value per is set at $16.7 million. If that proves to be too steep, then the Seahawks could look to the draft and possibly Turner.
With the Williams situation requiring close monitoring, so too will the Seahawks as they decide which route to go with the first draft pick in the post-Pete Carroll era. In Turner, they could be adding a serious pass rusher to their roster.
