Analysis: 5 Defensive Senior Bowl Standouts Who Belong on Seahawks' Radar

As the saying goes, the NFL draft starts in Mobile each year during the final week of January with over 100 of college football's top prospects competing in the Senior Bowl.

More than any other year, however, the stakes have been raised even further due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has already canceled the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine, instead having schools replace the event with their own pro days and placing more emphasis on the postseason all-star games to showcase top talent.

Last week, amid challenging circumstances, the Senior Bowl was successfully conducted with player weigh-ins, three days worth of practice sessions, and a competitive game on Saturday for coaches, scouts, and executives to evaluate these prospects.

Looking back at the week, which defensive players stood out as potential future targets for the Seahawks in April's draft? Here are five players who enjoyed strong weeks in Mobile and should be on general manager John Schneider's radar.

Patrick Jones II, DE Pittsburgh

Jones didn't have a good week of practices in Mobile, as he was overshadowed by other edge defenders such as Carlos Basham Jr. from Wake Forest and his own college teammate Reshad Weaver and consistently played high off the snap, which created issues for him winning at the point of attack against blockers. That's a cause for concern and could cause him to drop a bit in April's draft. But the Second-Team All-American came to life in Saturday's all-star game, producing 1.5 sacks in the first half, including using a filthy inside swim move to rocket into the backfield and sack Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman. He's not the most explosive defensive end at 264 pounds, but he can win one-on-ones with power and excels orchestrating inside rush counters, which allowed him to rack up 22.0 sacks in his collegiate career for the Panthers. If he falls past the second round, the Seahawks could pounce.

Osa Odighiwuza, DT UCLA

The Seahawks typically prefer their 3-tech defensive tackles to weigh between 290 and 310 pounds and Odighiwuza only weighed 280 pounds at the Senior Bowl. But forget about size here - there may not have been a more impressive defensive linemen pound-for-pound in Mobile than the former Bruins standout. Despite being just 6-foot-2, he measured in with 34 1/8-inch arms and an 84-inch wingspan and put that length on display while winning battles in the trenches as a run defender throughout the week. As seen on his college tape, he flashed the ability to win one-on-one as a pass rusher with power as well as quickness and finesse using a set of developed counter moves. Seattle would likely have to use its first draft choice to make this selection, but with Jarran Reed's status uncertain long-term and Poona Ford set to be a restricted free agent, it would be a wise investment for a disruptive interior defender.

Chazz Surratt, LB North Carolina

While the Seahawks have invested heavily at linebacker in the past two drafts, including using a first-round pick on Jordyn Brooks last April, K.J. Wright will be an unrestricted free agent in March and Bobby Wagner will turn 31 years old this summer. From a long-term perspective, the team needs to find a running mate to play alongside Brooks who also has the versatility to play SAM linebacker. A former quarterback, Surratt made a remarkable transition to linebacker for the Tar Heels, producing 206 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and a pair of interceptions in 2019 and 2020 while earning First-Team All-ACC honors each of the past two seasons. While a bit undersized at 230 pounds, he's a fantastic athlete whose noticeable strides in coverage were noticeable during 7-on-7 drills in Mobile and offers pass rushing upside when playing off the edge and blitzing. Considering he's still somewhat new to his position, he could be well worth a day two investment by Seattle to pair with Brooks and Wagner.

Keith Taylor, CB Washington

With Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar set to hit free agency, Seattle will surely be taking close looks at this year's cornerback class. Due to the talent in front of him in the secondary and a COVID-19 shortened season in 2020, Taylor only started 19 games for the Huskies and his overall production wasn't anything special. He didn't record a single interception and produced 10 pass deflections over four seasons, making him somewhat of an unknown upon arrival at the Senior Bowl. But in Mobile, the 6-foot-2 Taylor impressed in one-on-one drills, playing sticky coverage and using his length and instincts to break up multiple passes. Given his versatility, size, and willingness to make plays against the run, there may not have been a corner who did more to help his draft stock in Mobile and if he remains available on day three, he looks to be a strong fit for the Seahawks' scheme.

Benjamin St-Juste, CB Minnesota

Along with Taylor, St-Juste presents another big-bodied, long-armed prospect who fits the prototypical mold general manager John Schneider and Pete Carroll look for at the position. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing a solid 200 pounds with 32-inch arms, the former Golden Gopher exhibited a physical, aggressive mindset working against receivers in one-on-one battles and held up well overall in coverage with several passes defensed. In Saturday's scrimmage, he broke up a pair of passes in the first half, wrapping up an excellent week overall and bolstering his draft stock substantially. Though his college production was underwhelming in some regards and he may need time to adapt to Carroll's kick-step technique, he should be a player the Seahawks have great interest in on day three if available.