Analysis: 5 Offensive Senior Bowl Standouts Seahawks Should Target in 2021 NFL Draft

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 offensive 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.

Demetric Felton, RB/WR UCLA

The Seahawks likely won't have the draft capital to select a running back early - some fans may actually be breathing a sigh of relief thanks to this reality - but the position does remain a potentially critical need with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde heading towards free agency. Felton primarily played running back for the Bruins, but interestingly, he spent the vast majority of his time at the Senior Bowl playing receiver, proving to be a smooth route runner with dynamic athletic traits. Built with a solid 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame, he has the potential to be a day three steal who can make an immediate impact as both a runner and a receiver and could be a lot of fun in Shane Waldron's offense.

Quinn Meinerz, OL Wisconsin-Whitewater

Under Schneider and coach Pete Carroll, Seattle typically has shied away from drafting small school prospects. But if Meinerz is available when the Seahawks are finally on the clock, they should strongly consider breaking that trend. Coming from a tiny Division III school, he dominated opponents throughout the practice week, displaying excellent power and strength at the point of attack against top-flight Division I defensive line talent. He plays with a bit of orneriness in the trenches, offers good NFL size at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, and reportedly played through Thursday's practice session with a broken hand, exhibiting rare toughness. Add in the fact he could play guard or center at the next level and he checks off numerous boxes for the Seahawks.

D'Ante Smith, OT East Carolina

Just like the running back position, with just one pick in the first three rounds, the Seahawks may have a difficult time landing a top-tier offensive tackle to eventually replace Duane Brown. But for the second straight year, this class has superb depth at the position and Smith may have been one of the biggest surprises in Mobile. Though he's still a bit undersized at 294 pounds and needs to continue hitting the weight room to develop into a starting-caliber offensive lineman in the league, he's an outstanding athlete for the position and his mobility coupled with great length (85-plus inch wingspan) may make him the ideal fit for the wide zone-oriented rushing attack Shane Waldron will likely bring to Seattle.

Cade Johnson, WR South Dakota State

Again, Seattle has rarely invested draft choices into small school prospects. But the organization did use a seventh-round pick on David Moore in 2017, so it isn't far-fetched to believe a day three selection could be used on Johnson, who stood out as one of the top receivers throughout the practice week in Mobile. While not offering elite size (5-foot-10, 186 pounds) or speed, the former Jackrabbits standout held his own in one-on-one drills against cornerbacks from bigger schools and his NFL quickness was apparent as a route runner. The Seahawks could use another quality slot receiver and after scoring 28 touchdowns in his first three seasons in Fargo, Johnson offers an intriguing day three alternative to fit the bill.

Hunter Long, TE Boston College

It remains unclear how Seattle will address the tight end position this offseason, but even if Jacob Hollister re-signs in March, the team may still want to add more depth in the draft, especially considering Waldron will want to use plenty of multiple tight end sets. As far as day three fits go, the 6-foot-5, 254-pound Long looks the part of an NFL tight end and comes from a pro-style offense where he's been utilized frequently both as an in-line blocker and a receiver. Along with helping block for A.J. Dillon in 2019, he broke out with 57 receptions for 685 yards and five touchdowns in 2020, further illustrating his all-around game. There's nothing flashy about Long's skill set, but he should fit in quite well for an NFL team that runs a lot of 12 personnel and has potential starter upside down the road.