Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

The SEC run ends with a long, toolsy, disruptive edge rusher out of the Big 12. Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe and Wilson could be a fearsome foursome up front in Seattle.

The Seahawks are always good for a surprise in the first round, but the massive Ika could help fill a big void for one of the worst run-stopping defenses last season. Pete Carroll wasn't kidding when he said the front seven needs help.

In this NFL mock draft scenario, the Seattle Seahawks benefit from the early run on quarterbacks and land one of the premier talents in the draft in Jalen Carter, who fills a major need for Seattle along its interior defensive line. Carter has the ability to generate quick pressure in the face of the quarterback and is a highly disruptive presence with all the size, athleticism, and power to be dynamic in the NFL.

Geno Smith delivered an unexpectedly outstanding season for the Seattle Seahawks and even if they do bring him back, how he faded down the stretch is a concern. Drafting Anthony Richardson to sit behind Smith could be a perfect recipe given the lack of experience Richardson has while offering elite physical traits.

This doesn't really seem like a move Seattle would normally make, but it needs to refresh the franchise and it has the No. 20 pick to go after one of the bigger needs. Stroud, Young, or Levis — there's no wrong answer here.

Seattle has the luxury of getting a franchise-changing quarterback at the 5, and then take a solid need player here. It's Seattle, so think as outside-the-box as you might like, but a big tackle like Ika fills a glaring hole — even if this is a tad early.

Carter is the latest freakishly powerful interior disruptor out of Athens and has the ability to impact the offense on just about every snap. Given the way Pete Carroll plays defense, he could have a big role in the Pacific Northwest as a centerpiece up front.

The big man feels like a big fit for a team that loves to run the ball with Kenneth Walker III and doesn't mind spending early picks on guards that could really boost their overall offense.

Jackpot for Seattle. The Seahawks drafted a "traits" edge last year in Boye Mafe. If Anderson falls here, it would allow Seattle to move Poona Ford back inside for good while placing a potential franchise player next to him.

Bryan Bresee's time at Clemson was complicated. An injury cost him most of his second season, and while he was able to come back and play as a junior in 2022, he did so with a heavy heart after the passing of his younger sister. As an athlete, however, there's nothing complicated about Bresee's picture: He's outstanding. His lack of college production (and any lingering injury concerns) could see him slide a bit, although we'll see if the combine changes that outlook.

Like many, I am fascinated by what the Seattle Seahawks will do with this pick. Could they draft a quarterback? Certainly. But I tend to believe that the Seahawks go in a different direction, addressing their defense in this first round and seeing if there is a way to position themselves for a quarterback in next year's draft, perhaps via a trade down, should Geno Smith struggle in 2023.

What might they draft instead? An EDGE who has moved up boards throughout the fall with the strength and power to play on the inside, but the power and motor to align on the outside. For example, his first-quarter sack this season against N.C. State, where he split a double team on the edge and worked his way to the QB, is a flash of what he can do on the outside.

His fit in Seattle might be ideal, as the Seahawks utilize some odd fronts so he can align as a DE in a three-man surface, but he can also kick outside in sub packages.

The Russell Wilson trade was huge for the Seahawks ...

Having used the first-round pick they received in that trade on the defensive front, now the Seahawks turn to the secondary. Seattle has a need at safety, and Branch is the best of the bunch. But describing him as a safety does not do him justice, as he aligned everywhere for the Crimson Tide over his collegiate career.

This season alone saw him used everywhere on the field. He saw snaps as a boundary corner, a split-field safety, a post safety, a box safety, and a slot defender, and he even was used as a pass rusher off the edge in certain situations. He is perhaps at his best in zone coverage situations, as his feel for the game makes him a threat to opposing passers. His interception against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl — which saw him peel off an inside receiver and jump a hitch route on the outside — is a prime example.

Tyree Wilson is a high-motor player who consistently finds his way into the backfield. He's still raw, but the physical tools are there, and when he puts it all together he is going to be a problem. The Seahawks could go QB here, but Geno Smith remains the best option. In the meantime, the team fixes its front seven.

The Georgia-to-first-round pipeline continues. A year after five Bulldogs went in Round 1, expect a handful this time around too. Ringo is a long, physical corner who has matched up against some of the best players in the country.

Seattle hit the jackpot with how poorly the Broncos played post-Russell Wilson trade, as it gives them a top-five selection in this upcoming draft. As for their potential targets, head coach Pete Carroll didn't really hide the fact that his defense, particularly his front, needs major help.

"It's killing me, yeah, it's killing me," Carroll said. "We are going to have to become more dynamic up front, we have to. We've kind of been in the same mode, we have to get more production out of the guys, they have to be more of a factor. We need to make the position really competitive, if we can."

The top five feels a bit rich for Wilson's tape, but the Seahawks love uniquely sized, uniquely athletic players. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds with an 86-inch wingspan, he'll be in their wheelhouse. He's a mold of edge player they simply do not have on their roster, with Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe both below the 50th percentile for height and weight at the position.

Defensive line and cornerback feel like the two areas the Seahawks are going to want to hit early in the 2023 NFL Draft. With them selecting Wilson at No. 5 earlier in this mock, I have them looking at cornerback here. Tariq Woolen was a steal of a pick last year, earning an 81.4 coverage grade and tying the league high in interceptions (six) in 2022. Woolen measures in at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and putting the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Porter on the other side would create quite the nightmare matchup for opposing offenses.

Here we go -- the third quarterback in the top five picks. Levis is going to be polarizing for the next few months. Turn on his tape, and you're going to see some poor interceptions and questionable decisions. But you're also going to see rockets that should have been caught and tight-window throws that no other passer in this class can make. There will be a general manager in the top 10 who sees Levis' positives over the negatives. He also is ahead of the curve in learning a pro-style offense, because that's what he played in for the Wildcats.

For the Seahawks, do they really think Geno Smith is their long-term answer? If so, they're going to have to pay him before he hits free agency in March. If they franchise tag him, though, they could play him in 2023 as the bridge to Levis, who can take over after some seasoning as the backup. If Seattle gives Smith a big deal, it surely would be happy with Will Anderson Jr. or Jalen Carter here to help a defense that allowed 4.9 yards per carry, which ranked 27th in the league. Along with this pick from Denver that came in the Russell Wilson deal, it also has No. 20 overall to get help on that side of the ball.

We're back with another Seattle pick here after I projected general manager John Schneider to take a quarterback at No. 5. Let's focus on the defense. The Seahawks struggled against the run this season, and we know coach Pete Carroll loves toolsy edge defenders. L.J. Collier didn't work out in Round 1 in 2019, but Darrell Taylor, a Round 2 pick in 2020, is coming off a breakout 9.5-sack season. Bruce Irvin made his way back to the team in 2022 too.

Young, another prospect who will be at the Senior Bowl, is intriguing. At 6-3, 245 pounds, he fits the mold of what Carroll wants from a front-seven defender, and he has some pass-rush upside. He had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2022, showing off advanced moves. The Seahawks knocked their 2022 class out of the park, and a home run in 2023 could set them up for another long run of success.

Pete Carroll, whose defense ranked 26th overall this season, has been searching for a dynamic edge rusher to lead a defensive resurgence in the Pacific Northwest.

General manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll use their second first-round pick to add another explosive weapon to the offense's arsenal.

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