Seahawks Final 7-Round Mock Draft: What Does Seattle Prioritize?
Following months of anticipation, with all-star showcases, the annual combine, and dozens of pro days as well as top-30 visits in the rear-view mirror, it's officially draft week. Starting on Thursday night, over 200 NFL hopefuls across the country will see their dreams realized as they begin their respective journeys at the highest level of football.
Entering arguably the most important draft in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks hold four picks in the first 52 selections, including the No. 5 overall pick acquired from the Denver Broncos as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. The organization has not picked that early in the first round since 2009, the year before general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll arrived in the Pacific Northwest.
Less than 48 hours away from the festivities kicking off in Kansas City, only Schneider, Carroll, and those in the draft room know what Seattle plans to do with its rare opportunity to pick in the top five. Amid smokescreen season, names such as Georgia's Jalen Carter, Texas Tech's Tyree Wilson, and even Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon have been linked to the team in recent months and weeks.
What direction will Schneider and Carroll opt to go? After evaluating over 280 prospects dating back to February and revisiting the team's past draft weekend trends, it's time for my final Seahawks seven-round mock draft for 2023.
As part of this final simulation, Schneider orchestrated two trades, first moving down from pick No. 20 in the first round with the Cowboys to No. 27 and acquiring an additional third round pick. In the second round, he traded with an NFC East foe again, this time sending pick No. 52 and a fifth-round pick to the Eagles to slide down to No. 62 and add a third-round and seventh-round pick, pushing their pick total to 12.
Which players will wind up comprising Seattle's latest draft class? Here's my final stab at projecting who Schneider and Carroll will select later this week:
While he doesn't come without baggage, Jalen Carter's immense talent will be too much to pass up at a major position of need for Seattle.
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Round 1, Pick 5 - Jalen Carter, DT Georgia
While it has been dizzying trying to figure out whether or not Carter remains on the team's big board after a turbulent pre-draft process, the Seahawks recognize the importance bolstering their defensive line plays into aspirations of contending for Super Bowls again. With a chance to fill the biggest hole on their roster with an immensely talented prospect with All-Pro upside, Schneider won't be able to bypass him in this spot with hopes immersing him in the team's culture will bring out his best.
A disruptive force capable of splitting gaps as a penetrator while also possessing the power and quick hands to shed blocks and disengage as a one or two-gap defender, Carter can play anywhere along the defensive line and impose his will stuffing the run or collapsing the pocket to create opportunities for teammates. Still learning and developing a more polished pass rushing toolbox after being utilized as a rotational player in his first two college seasons, such versatility and game wrecking ability are rare commodities in the league and make him well worth the risk even with a top-five selection.
A multi-year starter for a respected Minnesota program, the Seahawks will be counting on John Michael-Schmitz to bring long-term stability to the pivot position.
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Round 1, Pick 27 - John Michael-Schmitz, C, Minnesota*
*Acquired from the Cowboys
Since trading Max Unger prior to the 2015 season, while Justin Britt served as a decent starter for three years, the Seahawks have not been able to find a long-term answer at center. But after choosing not to draft Creed Humphrey two years ago in favor of receiver Dee Eskridge, following a trade down with the Cowboys to recoup a third-round pick, Schneider will right the wrong by snagging Michael-Schmitz after the organization fell in love with him at the Senior Bowl in February.
Though he will be 24 years old as a rookie, the 305-pound Schmitz plays bigger than his size at the pivot position and earned a well-deserved reputation as a menacing, tenacious road-grader for the Golden Gophers. Playing with ideal leverage and powerful, active hands, he consistently created push off the snap on gap-run plays and showcased enough lateral quickness to excel on zone concepts as well. Giving up only two sacks last year, he's also a rock in pass protection and even after signing Evan Brown in free agency, he should be penned in as a day one starter for Seattle.
A prolific sack producer at Iowa State, Will McDonald IV should jump right into an exciting edge rusher rotation for the Seahawks.
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Round 2, Pick 37 - Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State
Contrary to the popular narrative, with Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, and Boye Mafe all set to return in 2023, adding to the edge rushing group may not necessarily be a top priority for Seattle to address in the early rounds. However, if McDonald slips past the first round and remains available, the team has already shown interest in the uber-athletic sack artist and he would be a natural fit for their 3-4 scheme.
A lean 239 pounds, McDonald plays bigger than his build suggests, using strong hands and excellent length to disengage from blockers. Rocketing off the line as if dynamite is strapped to his cleats, he's as explosive and twitchy as any edge in this class and used those tools to rack up more than 30 sacks at the college level. With that said, setting the edge can be problematic for him, so he may start out as a dangerous situational rusher rotating behind Nwosu and Taylor while he continues to get stronger and develop as a run defender.
A stout tackler and underrated cover linebacker, Jack Campbell will be able to learn under Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks with the potential to push for playing time earlier than expected.
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Round 2, Pick 63 - Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa**
**Acquired from the Eagles
After re-signing Bobby Wagner and adding Devin Bush during a busy free agency period, the Seahawks no longer find themselves backed into a corner where they have to draft a linebacker early. But in a class lacking depth and featuring few prospects with 240-plus pound frames to withstand playing in a 3-4 scheme, with Wagner towards the end of his career and Bush on a one-year deal, Seattle lands its linebacker of the future in Campbell after trading down with Philadelphia.
Built with a sturdy 245-pound frame, Campbell is a bit of a throwback player with a traditional linebacker mentality plugging gaps as an aggressive, downhill defender and excels at stacking and shedding blocks to make plays in congestion. He also shined in coverage, handling zone/hook responsibilities and using his eyes to read opposing quarterbacks and take him to the football, leading to five interceptions in his final two seasons on campus. He doesn't have the same sideline-to-sideline burst Wagner or Brooks brought with them to the league, but as an active, hard-hitting thumper with quality coverage skills, he should be a great fit as an eventual long-term starter.
An after-the-catch maestro with plenty of pop as a blocker, Sam LaPorta has the goods to compete for snaps early in a talented Seahawks tight end corps.
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Round 3, Pick 83 - Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
In the short term, the Seahawks have a tight end group headlined by Noah Fant and Will Dissly that stakes up favorably against any other team in the NFC. But with Fant and Colby Parkinson each entering the final year of their respective deals and Dissly coming off his latest injury, taking advantage of an excellent draft class at the position would be a wise move and LaPorta stands out as one of the most complete prospects from the group.
While LaPorta rarely sniffed the end zone playing for one of the most punch-less offenses in the Big Ten, he caught over 100 passes in his final two seasons for the Hawkeyes and averaged six yards after the catch per reception in 2022. Along with having enough athleticism to stress defenses down the seam, he's difficult to bring down with the ball in his hands and creates missed tackles in bunches. He will need to get a bit stronger in the run blocking department, but he plays with the right mentality to excel as an inline blocker and fits exactly what the Seahawks look for at the position.
Underrated athletically with ample experience in the Big Ten, Sydney Brown will be groomed as the replacement for Ryan Neal in Seattle's secondary.
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Round 3, Pick 91 - Sydney Brown, S, Illinois*
Similar to tight end, Seattle has two star safeties in Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs entrenched in the starting lineup and newcomer Julian Love will likely play the majority of the snaps after signing a two-year deal, so the position isn't much of a short-term need. At the same time, with Adams' lengthy injury history and Diggs' age in consideration along with the departure of Ryan Neal, nobody should be surprised to see a day two pick used on quality safety prospect such as Brown.
Listed at 6-foot on Illinois' roster, Brown measured in at a smaller 5-10 at the combine, but he has a muscular 213-pound frame that should serve him well to see some action as a box safety. While his ball production ranked among the best in the nation last year with six interceptions, he did have issues with more athletic tight ends and didn't see much action against slot receivers, casting questions about where he fits at the next level. Strong testing numbers suggest he has the athleticism to play safety in the NFL, however, and he would at minimum give the Seahawks a hedge with Adams can't stay healthy or doesn't return to prior All-Pro form.
After starting for multiple seasons for the Gamecocks, Zacch Pickens will vie for an early rotational role in a fully rebuilt Seattle Seahawks defensive line.
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Round 3, Pick 95 - Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina**
With only three healthy defensive tackles on their roster, the Seahawks need to make multiple selections addressing the interior defensive line to restock the cupboard after jettisoning Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, and Al Woods earlier this offseason. Staying in the SEC after picking Carter in the first round, Pickens provides another versatile, high-upside option with previous experience playing in even and odd fronts.
Dominant in spurts, Pickens has the size at 6'3, 305 pounds to physically overpower interior blockers and possesses intriguing athletic traits that made him one of the top recruits in the country. Those tools can be seen rushing the passer, albeit with a lack of consistency, as his quick hands and agile first step can lead to him quickly dismantling the pocket. Joining Seattle, the coaching staff will have to work diligently to unlock better consistency from him, particularly as a run defender where he struggled at times in college, but he lands in a good situation to see extensive snaps early in a rotational role.
A late bloomer after multiple pit stops at the college level, Charlie Jones would provide an intriguing complement to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in Seattle.
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Round 4, Pick 123 - Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue
Still throwing darts at the board hoping one will stick five years after Doug Baldwin retired, the Seahawks have swung and missed trying to find a consistent third receiving threat behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. With the jury still out on whether Eskridge will ever become the player they thought he would be, the team turns the page by using its first day three pick on the uber-productive Jones, who broke out in his lone season with the Boilermakers.
Despite being on the smaller side at 5'11, 175 pounds, Jones runs routes with fearlessness to the teeth of the defense and excels at making tough contested catches. Though he's not a burner that runs to his 4.4 40-time and won't consistently separate with athleticism, he's crisp route runner who moves smoothly out of his breaks, knows how to get open against different coverages, and exhibits soft, reliable hands. Add in his kick and punt returning experience and he would have a great chance to play a big role for Seattle as a rookie.
A bruising back with a penchant for running over defenders, DeWayne McBride would be an ideal change-of-pace back to team with Ken Walker III in Seattle.
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Round 5, Pick 156 - DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
Though the Seahawks look to be in great hands with Ken Walker III taking the torch as their new franchise bell cow, the team has only one other back - DeeJay Dallas - currently under contract. Given the high injury rates and attrition at the position, landing another quality back in the draft is imperative and the punishing McBride would be a fascinating complement to Walker and Dallas.
Under the radar after not running at the combine, McBride has a few notable red flags on his resume, including issues with ball security and limited work as a receiver and pass protector that he will have to address in the league. But while he will have to clean up the fumbles that dogged him, the 209-pound runner has the goods to find a role as an early down battering ram after averaging north of 4.5 yards per carry after contact last season and he would give the Seahawks a great changeup in short yardage situations. If he develops as a receiver, this could be a steal in round five.
Checking off all of the measurable boxes Seattle has looked for from boundary cornerbacks, Cory Trice Jr. would compete with Mike Jackson and Tre Brown on the left side.
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Round 6, Pick 198 - Cory Trice Jr., CB, Purdue
Since arriving in 2010, Carroll has earned his title as defensive back guru by consistently developing late round cornerbacks into star players, including Richard Sherman and most recently Tariq Woolen. Sticking to past precedent, the Seahawks add another long, athletic corner in Trice to the mix on day three to compete against returning starter Mike Jackson and third-year defender Tre Brown.
More fast than quick or agile, Trice had his share of issues staying in stride with quicker receivers in the Big Ten and didn't tackle as well as desired despite being built like a strong safety at 6'3, 200-plus pounds. But for teams like Seattle who value size and length at the boundary spots with more press and zone schemes, he's plenty polished working in tight space to the football and returned two interceptions for touchdowns in West Lafayette. With sharpened technique, he could be the next in line to thrive under Carroll's tutelage.
An electric athlete who has a ways to go polishing his craft as a receiver, Bryce Ford-Wheaton would give Seattle another big-bodied receiver to vie for snaps on offense and special teams.
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Round 7, Pick 237 - Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
Doubling up on receivers wouldn't be a new phenomenon for the Seahawks under Schneider and Carroll, as the regime has done it four times in 13 previous drafts. After adding a quality slot threat in Jones earlier in the day, the franchise pounces on the chance to pick the ultra-athletic Ford-Wheaton as a developmental X receiver and potential special teams contributor.
A star at the combine, the 6-4, 211-pound Ford-Wheaton has shown a propensity for being able to come down with contested deep balls thanks to his size and 4.3 speed. He's a bit of a one-trick pony right now who will have to prove himself on special teams out of the gate, but with proper coaching to improve as a route runner and help him more consistently separate with his physical tools, there's upside to be a dangerous No. 3 receiver with unique size and explosiveness in time. This would be an ideal late round flier for Seattle, who never shies away from elite athletes.
A valuable contributor for the top scoring defense in college football, Calvin Avery plugs a major need as a rotational nose tackle for a thin Seattle defensive line.
Round 7, Pick 250 - Calvin Avery, DT, Illinois**
After cutting ties with Woods as a means to open up cap room, the Seahawks don't have any healthy nose tackles on their roster at the moment. Assuming Bryan Mone won't be ready for the start of next season as he recovers from a torn ACL, the team doesn't take any chances missing out an Avery as a priority free agent by selecting him with their last pick.
At 6'2, 345 pounds, Avery has the prototypical build of a traditional nose tackle and helped Illinois finish first in the country in scoring defense plugging up the middle as a stout run defender. While he's not a great interior pass rusher and likely will be limited to early downs in the NFL, he did generate a respectable 15 pressures on 202 passing snaps as a senior last season. Though a rotational reserve role may be his ceiling, he would be a solid depth addition for Seattle with a prime opportunity to play early for a seventh round pick.
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