ESPN Seahawks critic names 'non-negotiable' approach for Seattle in Round 1

Nobody has been more critical of the Seattle Seahawks' big moves this offseason than Ben Solak at ESPN. He ranked their 2025 free agent class the second-worst in the league and has insisted Seattle has taken a step back going from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold at quarterback. So, what could the Seahawks do to turn things around in his mind?

We have a scenario there thanks to a new column from Solak that suggests how all 32 teams can "crush it" in next week's draft. For the Seahawks, he says their approach in the first round should be taking an offensive lineman - unless one of the top wide receivers are available.

"In my eyes, immediate help is needed on the interior offensive line and at wide receiver... My list of ideal targets starts with Grey Zabel (North Dakota State)... Offensive line should be the non-negotiable approach in Round 1, but if either of the top two wide receivers remain on the board at No. 18, it'll be tough to pass..."

We have disagreed with much of his analysis on Seattle this offseason - but this seems pretty on-point. The offensive line is a must, must, must address early in the draft to give them the best possible chance at a serious upgrade. However, the Seahaks do have two extra top-100 picks, and passing on an elite wide receiver prospect for even the guaranteed greatest guard on earth is the wrong way to approach any draft class - especially when it's such a high-priority need.

Our favorite target for Round 1 is Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, who adds a serious vertical threat element that just isn't really there on the roster right now. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are both great at what they do - there's a lot of overlap there though - and Seattle needs a different type to complete the look. Missouri's Luther Burden also fits the profile we're looking for and would be a perfectly acceptable consolation prize. The same goes for Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, who's just one spot above Burden in the consensus-rankings for this class.

As for the number-one pure wide receiver (they're not getting Travis Hunter anyway) Arizona's Tet McMillan is a great prospect. We just don't see him as a better fit compared to the other elite WR prospects in this class.

Given the choice, we'd target the top non-McMillan wide receiver on the board at No. 18 overall, and ideally trade down if Golden, Burden and Egbuka are not available. If that's the scenario, receiver should still be addressed at some point before Day 3, but it can wait until after an offensive line pick or two (or three).

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