NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schnieder and Head Coach Pete Carroll will be busy at the draft trying to rebuild the franchise. The team currently owns the 9th overall pick in the first round, which they picked up along with number 40 from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade. Add those selections to their other picks 41, 72, 108, 152, 153, and 227, and Seattle is on the clock eight times.
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.
There are several areas where the Seattle Seahawks need help. Among the most critical positions that need reinforcing are:
The O-line struggled again in 2021. Additionally, both their starting tackles, Duane Brown and Brandon Shell, are free agents, and it looks like the Seahawks have no intention of bringing either back.
Russell Wilson is now in Denver. That leaves Drew Lock and Wilson’s backup Geno Smith fighting to be the number one quarterback. A situation most 12s find unacceptable.
Seattle unceremoniously dumped middle linebacker and franchise mainstay Bobby Wagner. To fill his spot, they could move 2020 first round pick, Jordyn Brooks, inside and find another outside linebacker, or leave him outside and promote Cody Barton to starting middle linebacker. Neither option is a long-term fix.
Aside from a few instances, the Seahawks struggle to pressure the quarterback. Even average passers can make plays when they have extra time in the pocket to pick on Seattle’s corners.
Speaking of cornerbacks, Seattle went from Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar in 2020 to DJ Reed and a revolving door opposite him last year. Last month, Reed signed with the New York Jets.
Last year’s fourth round pick Tre’ Brown played well until a knee injury knocked him out of action for the season in Game 10. Sidney Jones took over for Brown and did a nice job, but this team needs a shutdown corner.
As with previous Dueling Mock Drafts, Ed and Clint use the Pro Football Network Draft Simulator. Today’s mocks cover all seven rounds; each person is allowed two trades. Also, Clint’s picks will be in blue, and Ed’s are in green.
With pick number nine of Round 1, the Seahawks select who many 12s were hoping the team would draft. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, a cornerback from the University of Cincinnati. He stands 6’3″ 190-pounds and runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
Seattle got the “Best player in the draft,” according to him. But the numbers are there to make a case that he is right.
Either way, the Seahawks have a shutdown corner in the fold. They can pencil in this playmaker from day one. He is brash, he is bold, and he backs it up. At 6’3″ 190-pounds, Sauce has the requisite arm length head coach Pete Carroll looks for in his corners. He fits the Coach Pete mold to a tee.
Seahawks General Manager John Schneider got a call from Philadelphia offering picks 15 and 52 for number 9. That wasn’t good enough; he wants both of Philly’s firsts. The final trade was 15, 18, 83, and tackle Andre Dillard to Seattle for 9, 40, a 2023 second round pick, 2023 fourth round pick, and a conditional 2024 fifth round pick. We’ll get back to Dillard later.
It says something about the quality of this draft class when a talent like Trevor Penning is the fourth-best tackle. A big man at 6’7″, 325-pounds, he’s a throwback with a mean streak that will remind 12s of linemen from days past. NFL.com described him as a cross between Jon Runyan and Riley Reiff.
Penning might not be the fastest guy on the field, but it doesn’t stop him from handling speed rushers. His long arms and low center of gravity help Penning protect the passer. On the run side, he uses power and nastiness to dominate would-be tacklers. Penning will quickly become a fan favorite.
Pittsburgh wanted a quarterback and couldn’t chance someone moving ahead of them for local product Kenny Pickett. The Seattle Seahawks were happy to oblige. They dropped down two spots to number 20 and added a second-rounder, pick 52 for number 18, and the third round pick they got from Philly, number 83.
Talent isn’t the issue with Derek Stingley Jr.; he’s got plenty of it. His physical gifts are pretty good too. At LSU’s pro day, Stingley ran a blistering 4.37, 40 and impressed with a 38 1/2″ vertical and a 10′ 2″ broad jump. Unfortunately, between COVID and injury, Stingley only played 10 games in the last two seasons.
The Seattle Seahawks need a cover cornerback, and Stingley fits the bill nicely. He’s got the ability to stick with any receiver with the ball skills to challenge at the point of 50/50 balls.
Aside from injuries, at times, Stingley looks like he loses interest in coverage. Maybe it was the quality of opposition. If so, that won’t be a problem at the NFL level. If not, Carroll will get his attention.
With pick 40 overall, the Seattle Seahawks get someone to help bring pressure on the quarterback. They grab Michigan defensive end David Ojabo. An Achilles tear incurred during his Pro Day workout caused Ojabo to slide in the draft from a likely top twenty pick to the second round.
Coming back from this kind of injury is difficult and takes time, so he may not be able to play this season. Going forward, taking Ojabo with this pick should pay off, much as it did with selecting Darryl Taylor in 2020. When Ojabo heals, he’ll pair up with Taylor to give opposing teams trouble from both sides of the line.
It’s a good year for the University of Georgia in the draft. For example, Quay Walker is a top 40 pick, and he won’t be the first Bulldogs linebacker selected this year, nor the last. Just because he wasn’t first doesn’t mean he’s an afterthought.
As mentioned above, the Seattle Seahawks need a linebacker. Walker works quite nicely. He plays inside which allows Brooks to stay at the WILL spot where the former first rounder excels.
A sure tackler, Walker, is very agile for a 6-4, 240-linebacker. It looks like he swallows up running backs in his big frame when he makes tackles at the line. It’s in the pass game where Walker does his best work. For his size, he’s fast and agile which allows him to cover running backs and tight ends effectively.
Walker is the kind of player who will do well in Seattle’s system.
Next up is pick number 41, and the Seahawks select Tariq Woolen, CB from Texas-San Antonio. Woolen is 6’4″ 205-pounds with a 78″ wingspan. His 4.26 40-yard dash time put the “meep, meep” in the UTSA Road Runners defense.
Woolen is also a converted wide receiver, only playing cornerback for two years. So he will take some time to get settled in. After playing WR for so many years, he can still think like one, which will help him overcome the technical aspects of cornerback that he’s still learning.
I’ve been a proponent of Seattle drafting Woolen since before we started these mocks. In time Woolen and Sauce will give Seattle bookend corners the likes Seattle has never seen.
To be honest, I was a bit surprised Minnesota edge rusher Boye Mafe was still available. In most mock drafts, he’s a top 50 pick. Last season Mafe was very productive for the Golden Gophers making 34 tackles (10 for loss) with 7.0 sacks.
He won’t be an immediate starter but definitely has the talent to be an effective NFL pass rusher. Mafe is an athletic freak, which shows up on film. His size, speed, athletic ability, and explosiveness are at the top of this draft class.
It’s not fair to say Mafe is raw because he isn’t. A better description would be that he needs polish. Once he masters the details and advanced skills, Mafe could be a Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher.
He’s “Taylor-made” for the LEO spot the Seattle Seahawks use. This won’t be good news for incumbent Darrell Taylor. Then again, teams can never get enough pressure on the quarterback.
In the third round, I made my one and only trade, and I almost didn’t do it. Just based on the fact it was with Denver, but I moved the number 72 pick to Denver for numbers 96 and 116.
And with pick 96, the Seahawks select Daniel Faalele, a massive offensive tackle from the University of Minnesota. Daniel stands a monstrous 6’8″ and weighs in at 384 pounds (down from 420). As fans can imagine, he is a bulldozer in the run game and has surprising ability in pass protection as well.
Australian import Daniel Faalele is a physical freak. He’s got 11 1/4” hands and a mega-huge 86” wingspan. Skills can be taught, but that kind of overwhelming size can’t. Faalele is like a mountain. Paa rushers find it difficult to get around him, and bull rushers won’t be able to outmuscle him.
In the run game, Faalele is big enough and strong enough to impose his will on the defense. Part of the reason for that is his dedication to conditioning and hard work in the weight room.
Yes, he’s big, but not very fast or mobile. Speed rushers will have a chance to dip the shoulder, turn the corner, and get a step on him. He picked up 16 penalties in 31 starts. Still learning the game, complicated blitz schemes and stunts will give Faalele problems initially.
This is also where Andre Dillard fits in. Out of favor in Philadelphia, the former Washington State Cougars star can hold down the job until Faalele is ready.
It’s the fourth round, pick 109 is on the clock, and the Seahawks select Channing Tindall LB Georgia. Tindall is 6’2″ 230- pounds. He ran a 4.47 40 time and posted a 42-inch vertical and 129″ broad jump. Showing off his athleticism, he should
fit right in with Jordyn Brooks and provide yet another core piece to the rebuilt defense.
After the Denver trade, the Seattle Seahawks have another pick in the fourth round. Pick number 116 is Dominique Robinson
a DE from Miami-Ohio. Nique’ is 6’5″ and 253 pounds and runs a respectable 4.72 40-yard dash with 25 reps in the bench press.
Robinson is also a former wideout, a bit of a weird position move, but he clearly grew out of the job. His athletic ability didn’t go anywhere, and he has a bright future as a stand up rush outside linebacker. Adding him to the rotation should give the Seahawks more fresh bodies to rotate in without losing talent.
Zachary Carter is a versatile defender who the Seahawks could line up at any spot on the line. He is adept at causing havoc with a strong push from the middle. Carter finished the abbreviated 2020 season as the Gators’ sack leader with 5 in 12 games. Last year improved that number to 8 and broke up a pair of passes.
Unfortunately, Carter is not as physically gifted as he needs to succeed at the next level. With more hard work in the gym and good coaching, Carter could develop into a solid rotation player.
On the positive side, Carter has NFL size (6-4, 282-pounds), fast hands, long arms, and runs a sub-5 second 40-yard dash. He still needs to build himself up. With hard work in the gym and good coaching, Carter will be a solid rotation player.
The fifth round begins with pick 145, and the Seahawks select Rasheed Walker, OT from Penn State. Walker is 6’5″ and
313 pounds, with good power and the ability to withstand bull rushing, and
His ability to get to the second level is impressive. He projects to be a right tackle in the NFL. With Seattle already choosing Faalele earlier in this draft, they can form a bookend pair of tackles for the foreseeable future.
Also, in the fifth round, the Seahawks select Pierre Strong Jr., a running back from South Dakota State. Stong is 5’11” 207-pounds and ran a 4.37 40 time. Strong Jr led the FCS in rushing in 2021 with 1,686 yards and finished second in rushing TDs with 18.
This kid is a big play waiting to happen, with ten career touchdowns of over 50 yards. Pairing him with Rashaad Penny and hopefully a healthy Chris Carson, the Seahawks have some firepower at running back. I can see some long runs from scrimmage in their future.
Cornerback Marcus Jones is proof that big things come in small packages. Jones is only 5’8” but makes up for his lack of height with blazing speed and athleticism. His ball instincts are top tier, and despite his size, Jones isn’t afraid to hit the ball carrier.
Jones is also the most explosive kick/punt returner in the draft. Think Devin Hester 2.0. In four mock drafts, I’ve picked Jones every time. Watch his highlights below.
I know we could only make two trades, but this one was a very player-centric deal with Cleveland. The price on Baker Mayfield was low enough to gamble on him. Additionally, the teams exchanged disappointments. Cornerback Greedy Williams comes to Seattle in exchange for defensive lineman L.J. Collier.
As far as draft picks go, the Browns get number 153, a 2023 fifth round pick, and 2024 fourth round pick. Coming back to Seattle is pick 202 and a conditional 2024 seventh round pick (can move to a sixth if Mayfield doesn’t resign with the Seahawks).
Ed R6 – Pick #202 G/C Dylan Parham – Memphis
Some depth on the interior O-line would help. With their recently acquired sixth round pick, the Seattle Seahawks select guard/center Dylan Parham from Memphis. The former Tigers guard is 6’3″ 311-pounds with a 4.93 40 time and a 7.78 three-cone drill. These numbers show he can be fairly quick in small spaces.
Parham has plenty of game experience as a four-year starter for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see whether he stays at guard or moves to the center Regardless, Parham should battle Jack Curhan to become the main backup at both guard spots.
For the Seattle Seahawks’ final pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they select center James Empey from Brigham Young. A four-year starter and a team captain his senior season, he stands 6’4″ and 303-pounds.
Empey comes from a zone-blocking scheme and should have little trouble transitioning to the Seahawks offense. With no pressure to start year one, he has time to improve and learn the system Waldron runs and contribute in years to come.
A few picks before the Seattle Seahawks were back on the clock for their final pick; Ty Chandler came off the board. Instead, they select Max Borghi from Washington State, who is far from a consolation prize.
After watching him play for the past few years at Washington State, I can honestly say he’s got “it.” If Borghi was two inches taller than his current, 5’7″, he’d go three rounds higher.
It doesn’t matter if he’s taking a handoff or catching a pass; Borghi takes off as soon as the ball is in his hands. Look for him to be a situational back and special teams player to start his NFL career. He will earn more opportunities as his career progresses.
Which of our PNWS writers had the better draft? Let us know in the comments section below.