NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Seattle Seahawks.
Up until very recently, 12s never expected to scout players in the 2022 draft. However, after this week’s bombshell trade of franchise QB Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks now own the number nine pick in the first round.
The Seahawks didn’t exactly get their quarterback of the future back in this trade from Denver. What they did acquire was Drew Lock and other compensation from the Broncos. Based on what he showed so far in the NFL, nobody expects Lock to be Seattle’s next franchise quarterback.
So with that out of the way, let’s get into what picks the Seahawks now own. They currently have the 9th pick in the first round. Picks number 40 and 41 now belong to them as well as picks 72 and 108, 152, 153, 227.
ESPN has Mel Kiper and Todd McShay hashing out their versions of the draft. Pacific Northwest Sports pitted two of our writers, Clint Prasky and Ed Stein, against each other to get the best Seahawks mock draft. For version 1.0, we used the Pro Football Network Draft Simulator and went four rounds.
There are several areas where the Seattle Seahawks need help. Among the most critical positions that need reinforcing are:
The O-line continued to be an issue in 2021. Now both starting tackles, Duane Brown and Brandon Shell are free agents. Additionally, Ethan Pocic isn’t exactly an All-Pro center, so that they can upgrade that position as well.
Russell Wilson is in Denver now, and his backup the past few seasons, Geno Smith, is a free agent. As we mentioned earlier, Lock is not the long-term answer, so a quarterback is a premium position of need. Unfortunately, this year’s draft isn’t big on high-end QB talent.
The Seahawks found out the hard way in 2021 that Smith is unreliable, so it’s unlikely they re-sign him. Even if Schneider finds a backup in the free agent market, it’s time to start developing someone else.
For the past few seasons, Seattle has had a difficult time getting pressure on the quarterback. With more than enough time in the pocket to make plays, even average quarterbacks had enough time to pick on the Seahawks’ cornerbacks. Even though Seattle has Carlos Dunlap and Darrell Taylor, another young pass rusher would help greatly.
Chris Carson signed a big contract in the offseason, but he only made it to Week 4 before a neck injury put him on the sidelines for the remainder of 2021. Rashaad Penny came off IR for Game 10 and ended the season with 671 rushing yards in the final five games. In between Carson’s opening and Penny’s close, Alex Collins did a solid job as the Seattle Seahawks lead back.
It’s unknown when or even if Carson will return. Penny and Collins are free agents, which leaves the Seattle Seahawks with DJ Dallas and Travis Homer.
Seattle went from Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar in 2020 to DJ Reed and a revolving door opposite him. Now Reed is a free agent. Tre’ Brown played well enough to make Brandon Flowers expendable. That is until Brown suffered a season-ending injury in Game 10.
Sidney Jones took over for him and played well, but he’s on the open market too. The position is thin, and no starting spots are guaranteed.
It’s pick number nine, and the Seattle Seahawks are on the clock. With the first pick of the new era, they select Ahmad Gardner, also known as “Sauce.” At 6’3″ and 200-pounds, Gardner has the size that Pete covets in his cornerbacks.
Sauce has a penchant for making big plays, evidenced by his game-winning pick-six against East Carolina back in 2019. He’s a good press cover corner with the ability to contest at the high point,
Gardner shows fantastic instincts and is a willing tackler in the flats. Last season, the Seahawks got beat often in coverage, especially in the short passing game. Some special sauce may be just what the Seahawks need to cover opposing receivers.
While Gardner is not overly physical to draw pass interference penalties, he gets physical when the time calls, including when it comes for tackling… For the NFL, Gardner looks like a No. 1 corner who has Pro Bowl potential early in his career. Before long, he could be one of the top cover corners in the league. – Charlie Campbell, Walter Football.
Evan Neal is the best tackle in this draft. Unfortunately, he played most of his college career at right tackle. Teams generally don’t invest a top ten pick in that position. It’s one of the reasons why Tristan Wirfs dropped to Tampa Bay at 13 in 2020 despite his high predraft grades.
The big man from Bama didn’t move to the left side until last year, which is the only reason why Neal would fall to the Seahawks at nine. At 6’7″, 360-pounds, he has the physical build of an NFL lineman. His hulking size comes with outstanding strength, agility, and speed.
A dominator in the run game, Neal’s size and reach make him hard to get around for pass rushers. He also has a mean streak that will discourage defensive linemen from going at him head-on.
He’s by no means a finished product. Ideally, Neal learns the NFL game as a RT before moving over to the blindside. That means the Seattle Seahawks will need to invest in a free agent left tackle for a few seasons.
Neal uses his massive frame and power to move defenders off the line of scrimmage when run blocking. Neal excels at playing in a phone booth and uses his weight to wear defenders down. In his pass sets, he uses his body mass and length to force defenders to run around him and out of the way of the quarterback. – The Draft Network.
In the second round of the draft, the Seattle Seahawks now own two picks. With the 40th overall pick, Seattle selects their next quarterback, Matt Corral from the University of Mississippi.
How this man was still on the board at pick 40, I don’t know. But the Seahawks are fortunate they fell to them this late in the draft. They have to snag him now.
Corral is an excellent leader in the huddle and has pinpoint accuracy in the short and medium ranges. He may not have prototypical size at 6’1″, 205-pounds, but has good mobility. Corral can scramble out of the pocket and keep his eyes up or take off running if need be. Sounds familiar.
If Trent McDuffie were 6’1′ instead of 5’11”-ish, he’d probably be a top 15 pick. Teams that use that as an excuse to skip him in the second round will regret it. Because what McDuffie lacks in height, he makes up for it in several different ways.
He is lightning fast with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. There aren’t many receivers that can run past him. Additionally, McDuffie is an elite athlete. His outstanding vertical leap means he can get up high to contest passes at the apex. Those are the building blocks of a shutdown cornerback.
The Seattle Seahawks coaches and scouts have to be familiar with McDuffie as he played his college ball at Washington. If he’s still available at 40, Seattle has to take him.
Three-year starter whose average size is overshadowed by skillful ruggedness, allowing him to contest throws from a variety of coverages. He’s an elite competitor with a route-hugging mentality fueled by body control, foot agility, aggression and burst. He’s a pesky press-man defender with the tools to excel in zone. He’s willing to fly downhill and hit anybody near the football. – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com.
With the 41st pick, the Seahawks select safety Lewis Cine from the reigning National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. At 6’1″ and 200-pounds, Cine is a hard-hitting downhill safety. His biggest asset is versatility.
In coverage, Cine possesses an incredible ability to diagnose plays and arrive at the ball or the man to deliver bone-jarring hits and break up plays. He sounds like a guy 12s know well. Maybe someone should ask Vernon Davis how those collisions go for the opposing team.
Cine’s play speed is one of the most noticeable things on tape. He is a freak athlete and an instinctive player. Whether it is sideline-to-sideline, or coming downhill, his speed and quickness stands out. This dude has pure football speed, meaning he knows what he’s doing out there. – Draft Dive, Justin Trevisani.
Opinions are somewhat mixed on Cameron Thomas. Some might think him sticking around this long is another steal. Ryan Fowler of TDN called him the best-kept secret in the draft.
During Thomas’ four years at San Diego State, he put on 35 pounds of muscle and leaves the Aztec program at 6’5″, 270-pounds. He’s shown some real skills and thinks the game well. What’s impressive is his tenacity to get to the ball.
Detractors point to the lack of competition he faced in college. Thomas is also not very fast. He won’t speed rush NFL tackles and isn’t strong enough to manhandle them in a 3-4. Since the Seattle Seahawks play in a hybrid system, he could fit in nicely.
Moving on to the third round, the Seahawks select running back Isaiah Spiller from Texas A&M. A big boy at 6’1″ 225-pounds, Spiller doesn’t go down easy. He has amazing field vision and happy feet.
Spiller is an excellent short-yardage runner, ideal for goal-line situations. As an added bonus, he’s an excellent pass blocker, which gives him another edge to stay on the field.
It’s clear Ethan Pocic isn’t a starting offensive lineman for a good team. He’s an unrestricted free agent this spring, and the Seattle Seahawks may be wise to spend their money elsewhere. Now is the time to start finding a replacement. Boston College center Alec Lindstrom could be the long-term answer
To be honest, I don’t love the guy, but he’s the best interior lineman on the board. It’s going to take some time for Lindstrom to develop. It may be two years before he’s ready to be a full-time starter. That’s not a problem for a rebuilding team; they can afford to wait.
What I do like about Lindstrom is that he makes good line reads and communicates well with his linemates. Additionally, he’s tough and plays to the whistle.
In the fourth round, with the 108th pick, Seattle selects Clemson cornerback Mario Goodrich. He’s slightly smaller than Pete Carroll likes at 6-feet, 187-pounds. But as DJ Reed showed, good corners come in different sizes.
Goodrich was the team captain for a major college powerhouse. Even though he played opposite of a guy chosen much higher in this draft, he earned his own way here too. Goodrich ran a 4.52 forty-yard-dash at the combine and has been timed faster so expect him to do better at the Clemson pro day.
At Tennessee, Cade Mays played almost every position on the offensive line and did it well. He made 35 starts at 4 different positions. What also stands out about Mays is that he’s a powerful blocker who plays with an edge.
Mays is the type of player every team needs, someone who can fill in several positions without a big dropoff.
Mays’ blend of size, power, and tenacity is a great foundation to build upon, but there is technical growth needed for him to realize his potential at the next level. – The Draft Network, Joe Marino
So there you have our first Seattle Seahawks mock draft of the post-Russell Wilson era. Whose picks do you like more? Let us know in the comments section below.