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Seahawks Free Agency Moves Reveal Obvious Direction for NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks are allowing their free agency to dictate what they will be doing in the NFL Draft.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Seattle Seahawks are trying to build another Super Bowl roster, but it won't be identical to the one they had this past season.

The Seahawks tried to retain as many of their players as possible and did so with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed being the biggest free agent name to return to the Seahawks. However, the team lost Coby Bryant to the Chicago Bears, Boye Mafe to the Cincinnati Bengals, Riq Woolen to the Philadelphia Eagles and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Seahawks tried to patch up some of these losses by signing cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to replenish the loss in the secondary with Bryant and Woolen. The team also added Emanuel Wilson from the Green Bay Packers to aid the running back room. With just four picks in this month's NFL draft, the positions of need have never been more clear.

Running Back

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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet runs as Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum defends
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet runs as Carolina Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum defends. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Seahawks are in need of getting a running back into the building after losing Walker in free agency. Zach Charbonnet would be the natural next man up, but he is recovering from a torn ACL and will likely miss most of the season. Wilson could be part of the team's plans, but there's a higher likelihood that a rookie, potentially on day two of the NFL draft, could be the primary running back for the Seahawks next season.

Defensive Back

Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine
Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

A lot of cornerbacks have been linked to the Seahawks at the end of the first round, including Clemson's Avieon Terrell and Tennessee's Colton Hood. The Seahawks have Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe as starters with Nick Emmanwori coming in as the nickelback.

At safety, Julian Love and Ty Okada are expected to be the primary safeties, but there is also room for another player to come right in and help the group out.

Pass Rusher

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe during the second quarter against the New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe during the second quarter against the New England Patriots. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Seahawks have Leonard Williams leading the way in the pass rush room, but the Seahawks are going to need more than just that in order to get after the quarterback. Mafe takes 31 tackles and two sacks with him to see Cincinnati, so Seattle is going to need to add some depth at the position, potentially on day two or with their sixth-round pick.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.