Seahawks Seven-Round Mock Draft: Seattle Snags Blue Chip Talent, Extra Picks

On the eve of the first round in Detroit, the Seattle Seahawks will soon be on the clock with the 16th overall selection. Who will John Schneider reel in as part of his latest draft class?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Apr 24, 2024

In this story:

Seattle Seahawks

Cooper Beebe

Cooper DeJean

T'Vondre Sweat

Jaylan Ford

Javon Bullard

Jaheim Bell

Mo Kamara

Anthony Gould

Kimani Vidal

After months of anticipation, the 2024 NFL Draft has finally arrived with the first round kicking off in Detroit on Thursday night and the Seattle Seahawks looking to infuse their roster with young talent for first-time head coach Mike Macdonald.

Following a busy offseason headlined by change, Seattle has a number of different avenues it could take holding the 16th overall selection. While many expect general manager John Schneider will trade down to recoup day two draft capital, he hasn't made such a deal since way back in 2019, suggesting that if the right player remains on the board, they could stick and pick.

While making a selection at pick No. 16 shouldn't be ruled out, in my final stab at projecting the Seahawks latest draft class, a pair of trade offers in the first two days were too good to pass up adding additional picks, outweighing picking in the original slot.

Trade 1: Seahawks send No. 16, 2025 third-round pick to Packers in exchange for No. 25, No. 41

Trade 2: Seahawks send No. 41 to Raiders in exchange for No. 44, No. 208, and 2025 third-round pick

Who will Schneider and the Seahawks select to bolster their roster with these newly-acquired picks? Here's my final seven-round mock draft heading into Thursday's first round:

Round 1, Pick 25* - Cooper DeJean, S, Iowa

*Acquired via trade from Packers

undefined — A physical tackler with elite ball skills and instincts, Cooper DeJean may be too talented for the Seahawks to pass up if available in the late first round despite other more prominent needs.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

An All-American selection, DeJean played outside cornerback and with his athletic traits, elite ball skills, and extraordinary instincts, some teams may want to keep him at that position at the next level. However, his wide array of talents coupled with a high football IQ could make him a candidate to unleash as a fun do-it-all safety chess piece. In two seasons as a starter at Iowa, he intercepted seven passes and returned three of them for touchdowns, demonstrating remarkable playmaking ability. Opposing quarterbacks struggled mightily to complete passes against him, connecting on less than 50 percent of their targets thrown his direction in coverage and producing sub-50.0 passer ratings when attempting to challenge him. In Seattle, after picking Devon Witherspoon last season, he projects as a dynamic safety in Mike Macdonald’s scheme.

Round 2, Pick 44** - Cooper Beebe, G, Kansas State

**Acquired via trade from Raiders

A highly decorated starter with versatility, Beebe started 48 games for the Wildcats as a left guard, left tackle, and right tackle in five years on campus. Built with a thick, powerful 335-pound frame, he throws bricks for hands and consistently knocked opponents backward off the snap for a physical Kansas State rushing attack that ran more than 50 percent of the time. Light on his feet, he demonstrates good, yet unspectacular movement skills mirroring opponents, giving up just 28 combined pressures in his final three years as a starter. He has buzzed off arms and athletic deficiencies may be more of a problem at the next level, but he oozes toughness and plays with sound technique, setting him up to be an early starter for the Seahawks.

Round 3, Pick 81 – Javon Bullard, S, Georgia

Named Second-Team All-SEC last season, the 5-10, 198-pound Bullard didn't yield any touchdowns in coverage while picking off two passes and producing five breakups, functioning as a no-fly zone in the back of the Bulldogs defense. Primarily playing free safety and in the slot, opposing quarterbacks completed under 54 percent of their passes against him and posted a dreadful 34.0 passer rating, the sixth-best mark among qualified safeties per PFF. While he has had bouts with missed tackle problems and his change of direction skills aren’t elite for a defensive back, he plays with the right mindset aggressively defending the run when he needs to and can take on bigger targets in slot alignment, adding great value to Seattle’s secondary late on day three.

Round 4, Pick 102 – T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas

Weighing in at 366 pounds at the NFL combine, Sweat has his own orbit at the line of scrimmage, but the Huntsville, Texas native isn't a prototypical space eater, exhibiting top-notch athletic traits for a hybrid nose tackle with surprising agility and penetrating ability. While he only produced two sacks, he tallied an astounding 32 quarterback pressures, excelling at collapsing the pocket on passers with both power and finesse. He also racked up eight tackles for loss, showcasing his disruptive capabilities. If Seattle is comfortable with Sweat's legal situation after being arrested for a DWI earlier this month, he could be a steal falling early into day three with his talent and upside.

Round 4, Pick 118 – Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas

Since his prep days, Ford has packed on muscle in his four seasons at Texas, developing from a thin 221-pound freshman into a legitimate 240-pound NFL prospect with production to boot. As a run defender, he has a nose for the football and plays with great instincts, which led to over 200 tackles in his final two seasons with the Longhorns, though getting off blocks can be a problem at times. In coverage, he's been a bit more feast or famine, as he picked off four passes in 2022 but regressed by allowing north of 12 yards per reception last season. Given those inconsistencies, he may not be ready to overtake Jerome Baker or Tyrel Dodson on day one, but he has starter potential down the line.

Round 6, Pick 179 – Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State

Bringing an unusual skill set with him to the league, Bell began his career at South Carolina, where the Gamecocks deployed him extensively as a runner. As a junior in 2022, he rushed 73 times for 261 yards and scored three touchdowns to go with 25 receptions for 231 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for 22 yards, something rarely seen from tight ends. Transferring to join the Seminoles last season, he became a bigger focal point in the passing game, snagging 29 passes for 504 yards and two scores, demonstrating the ability to stretch the field and create after the catch. He isn’t built like a typical tight end and won’t be much of a factor blocking in-line, but his positional flexibility would make him a fun addition to Seattle’s tight end room.

Round 6, Pick 192 – Mo Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State

A textbook definition of an NFL tweener, Kamara doesn’t have ideal size at 6-1, 248 pounds with short 32 3/8-inch arms and he wasn’t overly explosive testing at the NFL combine either. But while those facts may lead him to fall deep into day three, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year may be able to offset those deficiencies with his immense skill as a football player, starting with his surprising power ambushing tackles with bull rushes using his compact frame and heavy hands. He’s also a stellar run defender, as he can take on blocks and stack/shed to get to ball carriers in the backfield. He may not be a starter in the league, but there’s a place for him as a rotational edge and Seattle could use his toughness and rush ability in a reserve role.

Round 6, Pick 208** - Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy

**Acquired via trade from Raiders

One of the biggest stars in the Sun Belt over the past two years, Vidal rushed for nearly 1,800 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Trojans, using a low center of gravity to power through arm tackles and occasionally knock defenders on their backside while having the juice to rip off long runs on a consistent basis. Though he averaged just 7.6 yards per reception and isn’t going to be rotating out to the slot, he caught 92 passes and only gave up six pressures with no sacks on 121 pass blocking reps last year, showcasing the traits to push Kenny McIntosh for Seattle's third-down back role immediately.

Round 7, Pick 235 – Anthony Gould, WR, Oregon State

One of the nation’s most dangerous returners, the 5-8, 174-pound Gould consistently made bigger tackles look silly returning punts, taking two of them back for touchdowns in 2022. Despite his diminutive stature, he also demonstrated substantial growth as a receiver in his final two seasons with the Beavers, averaging over 16 yards per reception as a capable vertical weapon with after the catch dazzle. His size may leave him on the board deep into day three in a deep, talented receiving class, but his sub-4.40 speed will allow him to jump right in on special teams for the Seahawks and he eventually could compete for snaps as a reserve receiver and jet sweep specialist.