A quick scene-set. In this projection, the Seahawks sign Will Fries in free agency as their significant addition to the offensive line and one other, less expensive O-line addition. That could be Ryan Kelly, who played with Fries in Indianapolis. I also have them tapping into a good safety market to replace Rayshawn Jenkins and making key moves to re-sign Ernest Jones Jr and Jarran Reed.
Round one
#1 NY Giants (v/TEN) — Cam Ward (QB, Miami)
The Giants, with a GM and Head Coach in desperation mode, trade up to the #1 overall pick using their 2026 first rounder. They select Ward, a player I think deserves a second round grade but is being elevated in an atrocious draft for blue-chip talent at the top-end. As you’ll see in this mock, the top-10 is littered with players who would typically go later.
#2 Cleveland — Abdul Carter (EDGE, Penn State)
With question marks surrounding Myles Garrett’s future, the Browns take Abdul Carter. Financially it’s challenging for the Browns to trade Garrett before June 1st. If they do it, it’ll likely be for an obscene package of picks in 2026 and 2027. That could enable the Browns to be aggressive in the quarterback market next year, while adding a placeholder (Kirk Cousins) for this season.
#3 Tennessee (v/NYG) — Travis Hunter (WR/CB, Colorado)
The Titans move down and acquire an extra first for next year. I get the sense they appreciate the need to build, not just go through an endless young quarterback cycle. This projection considers that situation and has Tennessee building — starting with Hunter.
#4 New England — Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
The Patriots could be big spenders in free agency to try and repair their offensive line. Tyler Warren was Drew Allar’s #1 target — a playmaker and a safety valve. Giving Drake Maye a fantastic, reliable weapon like this could be the making of him — provided they add O-liners in free agency. You have to believe they will.
#5 Jacksonville — Armand Membou (T/G, Missouri)
Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen virtually put a ‘for sale’ sign on this pick during his combine appearance on the NFL Network. There simply aren’t enough blue-chip players in this class to want to stay in this spot. The draft could become highly unpredictable from this point onwards. So when all else fails, take a plug-in-and-play offensive lineman. Membou could immediately replace the departing Brandon Scherff.
#6 Las Vegas — Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
Jeanty is pound-for-pound the best player in the draft. Putting him on the field with Brock Bowers will make the Raiders more interesting in 2025. Especially if they can get a quarterback later on.
#7 NY Jets — Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
The likes of Todd McShay and Albert Breer have reported how much the league is buzzing about Booker post-combine, with McShay stating he’ll go earlier than people think. He is a completely safe pick and again, in a class without a lot of blue-chip talent, that’ll count for something. Booker can help to establish a Lions-esque presence up front for Aaron Glenn, with Alijah Vera-Tucker moving to right tackle.
#8 Carolina — Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
I’ve been saying it for months — Loveland will be graded way higher than the internet is suggesting. It’s now being reported by several known pundits that he won’t get out of the top-15. He will be seen as one of the few genuine first round talents in the class. He can become Bryce Young’s go-to target.
#9 New Orleans — Jalon Walker (LB, Georgia)
Walker is a lesser version of Abdul Carter. He can start right away and he has A++ character traits. The Saints need to re-energise their defense and Walker can help do that with immediate impact not only as a tone-setting linebacker but also as a pass-rusher.
#10 Chicago — Will Campbell (T, LSU)
Having 32.5-inch arms is a concern and I’m not convinced at all that he can kick inside to guard with his height and playing style, which lacks aggression. Also, his tape wasn’t as good as some are making out in 2024, just ask the LSU fans. However, high-end athletic traits could keep Campbell in the top-10 and the Bears are rebuilding their offensive line after trading for Jonah Jackson today.
#11 San Francisco — Mason Graham (DT, Michigan)
Weighing at about 295lbs with only 32-inch arms is a concern. He didn’t do any testing at the combine either. Even so, you get the sense the 49ers will prioritise rebuilding their defensive line and he has good tape.
#12 Dallas — Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina)
There’s a growing buzz that Hampton could go as high as this and that some teams grade him in a similar range to Jeanty.
#13 Miami — Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
He’s such a playmaker and his character’s off the charts. Barron can play in the slot or outside, he plays with physicality and running a 4.39 is the icing on the cake. The most impressive thing in 2024 was seeing how much he attacked defending the run. He could go in the top-10.
#14 Indianapolis — Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
The Colts badly need an upgrade at cornerback and Johnson’s talent is being overshadowed by an injury plagued 2024 season.
#15 Atlanta — Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama)
Campbell’s stock is going through the roof and it’s not a surprise. He’s a punishing tackler, a great athlete and he can play in multiple spots including rushing the passer. He’s a potential game-changer for a defense needing a major upgrade.
#16 Arizona — Mykel Williams (DE, Georgia)
Apparently there are mixed views on Williams and it’s easy to understand why. There’s a noticeable difference in his upper body size compared to some of the other bigger defensive ends. He’s also struggled to stay healthy and consistent. That could keep him on the board longer than this.
#17 Cincinnati — Mike Green (EDGE, Marshall)
The character concerns will need to be investigated by all teams but if there’s one franchise typically willing to turn a blind eye it’s the Bengals.
#18 Seattle — Donovan Ezeiruaku (EDGE, Boston College)
He is exactly the type of player the Seahawks have been drafting early over the last few years. Ezeiruaku has exceptional football character, production (16.5 sacks in 2024 plus the joint most pressures during the regular season), he ran a brilliant 4.19 shuttle (in his weight-range of 245-260lbs, only 15 rushers have run a faster time in combine history) and his run defense is really good for a player of his size (tied first for run-stop responsibility percentage). Mike Macdonald seems to like to have four rush options based on his time in Baltimore and Seattle. Ezeiruaku could be a prolific sack-collector in his system.
#19 Tampa Bay — Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
His physical profile is enticing but his tape is a mix of exciting and baffling. The elite players with his physical profile produced an average of 25 sacks in college. He only produced 4.5. Teams will be wary about that.
#20 Denver — TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
Apparently Sean Payton is after an X-factor weapon, someone who can do the Alvin Kamara job. He could wait until day two to scratch this itch but Henderson could be really good in Denver.
#21 Pittsburgh — Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
Everyone knew Emmanwori was a top athlete and I think some mocks are counting it twice after he ran and jumped well at the combine. He’s a good player — but I’m not convinced he’s a top-15 pick.
#22 LA Chargers — Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
Jim Harbaugh is a trenches man. He’s going to draft for the trenches. He worked with Grant and will know what he’s all about.
#23 Green Bay — Matthew Golden (WR, Texas)
The Packers are under a lot of pressure to find a #1 receiver and they might be forced to use a bit more urgency to address that need in the draft by using a first round pick on the best one available. If they did trade for DK Metcalf this could be a spot for the Seahawks to take Grey Zabel.
#24 Minnesota — Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss)
The Vikings could use an interior defender with upside. There are questions about Nolen’s attitude but the Vikings have occasionally taken a chance on athletic potential. He’s a former #1 overall High-School recruit.
#25 Houston — Grey Zabel (G/C, North Dakota State)
His tape is excellent and he just jumped a 36.5-inch vertical. It’s time to take Zabel seriously as a first round pick.
#26 LA Rams — Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona)
With Cooper Kupp set to move on the Rams add a replacement weapon for the returning Matthew Stafford.
#27 Baltimore — Malaki Starks (S, Georgia)
The Ravens need a safety and have a knack of capitalising when players drop into range. His play fell off a cliff in the second half of the season but I thought he looked very good during combine drills.
#28 Detroit — Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
The Lions can afford to let the board come to them and take the best players available, which in this instance is Luther Burden — who, like Stefon Diggs — could play his best football at the next level.
#29 Washington — Donovan Jackson (G, Ohio State)
The Commanders could do with refreshing and bolstering their trenches.
#30 Buffalo — Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
The Amari Cooper experiment didn’t really work but Egbuka could end up being a version of the younger Cooper, as a reliable chain-moving target.
#31 Kansas City — Kelvin Banks Jr (T, Texas)
I think he’s best suited to playing right tackle but the Chiefs’ need on the left means they’ll probably try him there first.
#32 Philadelphia — Josh Simmons (T, Ohio State)
If there’s ever a team prepared to plan ahead at certain positions and think about the future, it’s the Eagles. They take Simmons and give him the chance to fully recover from his injury as a future starter at either tackle spot.
Round two
#33 Cleveland — Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
He gave his stock a huge boost at the combine, testing brilliantly and looking superb. He has the physical profile to go in this range.
#34 NY Giants — Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
A superb on-field work-out at the combine should secure his place in the top-35.
#35 Tennessee — Landon Jackson (DE, Arkansas)
Some teams are going to value this guy way higher than the Mike Green types who are short and lack length. Jackson is built like a terminator and is a ‘win getting off the bus’ type of player.
#36 Jacksonville — Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
The Jaguars need a playmaker in the secondary. Hairston is fantastically athletic and smooth in coverage but his run defense and tackling is a big concern.
#37 Las Vegas — Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado)
Sanders simply isn’t physically impressive enough, isn’t capable of avoiding creating his own pressure and based on Todd McShay’s reports about how he handled combine meetings last week, there’s a chance he will slide.
#38 New England — Josh Conerly Jr (T, Oregon)
The Patriots secure a left tackle, although they’ll need to dabble in free agency before they get to this point to fix their O-line.
#39 Chicago (v/CAR) — Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
After a brilliant week at the Senior Bowl Arroyo could be Chicago’s answer to Sam LaPorta for Ben Johnson.
#40 New Orleans — Bradyn Swinson (EDGE, LSU)
Swinson is being massively slept on after recording the joint most pressures during the college football regular season. A quality player.
#41 Chicago — Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
Harmon’s pass-rush win percentage from the interior is highly impressive and he had a good combine session on the field.
#42 New York Jets — Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss)
The Jets stay patient and land Dart, a player who could compete to start quickly in New York.
#43 San Francisco — Carson Schwesinger (LB, UCLA)
With Dre Greenlaw seemingly set to depart, the 49ers get a steal by landing Schwesinger in round two.
#44 Dallas — Jaylin Noel (WR, Iowa State)
A quality player who jumps off the tape. He would provide a brilliant complement to Ceedee Lamb in Dallas.
#45 Indianapolis — Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
With Will Fries reaching free agency, the Colts select his replacement here.
#46 Atlanta — Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State)
The Falcons need another cornerback and Thomas’ excellent Senior Bowl will secure a top-50 placing.
#47 Arizona — Oluwafemi Oladejo (EDGE, UCLA)
‘The Mayor’ finds his way to the NFC West as the Cardinals double-down on EDGE rushers.
#48 Miami — Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
Williams has so much potential but could stand to shed about 10lbs to realise it.
#49 Cincinnati — Demetrius Knight (LB, South Carolina)
He was such a force for the Gamecocks and had a better than expected work-out in Indianapolis.
#50 Seattle — Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas)
I get the sense some teams (not all) will view Ewers very differently to the internet. I have an inkling too that John Schneider might be one of the people who feels that way. Ewers has been working closely with Mike McCarthy recently, a close friend of Schneider. This could be the year the Seahawks take a QB.
#51 Denver — Harold Fanin Jr (TE, Bowling Green)
The Broncos need a tight end. Sean Payton has found ways to max-out receiver-first TE’s in the past and Fanin Jr might appeal to him.
#52 Pittsburgh — Will Howard (QB, Ohio State)
It’s very easy to imagine Mike Tomlin having a lot of time for Howard. You can see him in Pittsburgh and the AFC North.
#53 Tampa Bay — Jack Bech (WR, TCU)
A tremendous player who would be an immediate contributor and replacement for Chris Godwin if he departs.
#54 Green Bay — Princely Umanmielen (DE, Ole Miss)
The Packers try to kick start their pass rush by adding Umanmielen to the rotation.
#55 LA Chargers — Josaiah Stewart (EDGE, Michigan)
Again, Jim Harbaugh is a trenches guy. He could be set to lose Khalil Mack and/or Joey Bosa. As with Kenneth Grant, he knows all about Stewart’s qualities — with a NCAA leading 27% pass-rush win percentage.
#56 Buffalo (v/MIN) — James Pearce Jr (EDGE, Tennessee)
Character concerns push Pearce Jr into round two before the Bills end his fall.
#57 Carolina (v/LAR) — Ty Robinson (DT, Nebraska)
A tremendous player with a high level of intensity, power, athleticism and character. He had seven sacks in 2024. If you missed my recent interview with him, check it out here.
#58 Houston — Jared Wilson (C, Georgia)
The Texans continue to rebuild their interior O-line through the draft.
#59 Baltimore — Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
The Ravens are always prepared to take a chance on big offensive tackles.
#60 Detroit — Darius Alexander (DT, Toledo)
An excellent Senior Bowl and a decent combine secure a second round placing for Alexander.
#61 Washington — TJ Sanders (DT, South Carolina)
He lacks sand in his pants to absorb double-teams but as a pass-rusher he can impact games.
#62 Buffalo — Shavon Revel (CB, East Carolina)
If it wasn’t for the injury, he’d have a shot at the first round.
#63 Kansas City — Tre Harris (WR, Ole Miss)
A forty in the 4.5’s is an alarm bell — many receivers with his size and lack of speed fail to separate at the next level. He’ll need a good quarterback throwing the ball.
#64 Philadelphia — Sai’vion Jones (DE, LSU)
When he’s revved up and going full tilt, he can be incredibly disruptive.
Round three
#65 NY Giants — Xavier Watts (S, Notre Dame)
#66 Kansas City (v/TEN) — Terrance Ferguson (TE, Oregon)
#67 Cleveland — Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville)
#68 Las Vegas — Billy Bowman Jr (S, Oklahoma)
#69 New England — Jack Sawyer (DE, Ohio State)
#70 Jacksonville — Jayden Higgins (WR, Iowa State)
#71 New Orleans — Tai Felton (WR, Maryland)
#72 Chicago — Nic Scourton (DE, Texas A&M)
#73 Las Vegas (v/NYJ) — Darien Porter (CB, Iowa State)
#74 Carolina — Jordan Burch (DE, Oregon)
#75 San Francisco — JT Tuimoloau (EDGE, Ohio State)
#76 Dallas — Alfred Collins (DT, Texas)
#77 New England (v/ATL) — Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa)
#78 Arizona — Dylan Fairchild (G, Georgia)
#79 Washington (v/MIA) — Tyler Baron (EDGE, Miami)
#80 Indianapolis — Joshua Farmer (DT, Florida State)
#81 Cincinnati — Marcus Mbow (G, Purdue)
#82 Seattle — Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech)
#83 Pittsburgh — Tory Horton (WR, Colorado State)
#84 Tampa Bay — Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
#85 Denver — Shemar Turner (DE, Texas A&M)
#86 LA Chargers — Jake Majors (C, Texas)
#87 Green Bay — Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
#88 Jacksonville (v/MIN) — Bhayshul Tuten (RB, Virginia Tech)
#89 Houston — Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee)
#90 LA Rams — DJ Giddens (RB, Kansas State)
#91 Baltimore — Jacob Parrish (CB, Kansas State)
#92 NY Jets (v/DET) — Denzel Burke (CB, Ohio State)
#93 New Orleans (v/WAS) — Riley Leonard (QB, Notre Dame)
#94 Cleveland (v/BUF) — Anthony Belton (T, NC State)
#95 Philadelphia — Barrett Carter (LB, Clemson)
#96 Kansas City — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (DE, Georgia)
#97 Minnesota — Zy Alexander (CB, LSU)
#98 Miami — Jonah Savaiinaea (G, Arizona)
#99 San Francisco — Gunnar Helm (TE, Texas)
#100 LA Rams — Emory Jones (T, LSU)
Thoughts on the Seahawks
It won’t be a surprise to anyone who followed our combine coverage that Donovan Ezeiruaku is the pick at #18. I can imagine a lot of people will turn their noses up at him. It’s indisputable though that he is exactly the type of player the Seahawks love to draft and is worthy, within this draft class, of going in the top-20.
Character has been a big part of their decision making for some time. Ezeiruaku is A+ in this category. He was a captain at Boston College, he’s incredibly driven and has a passion for the game. Listening to his interviews, he perfectly fits the type of player they have come to target.
He’s highly productive, recording 16.5 sacks last season despite getting little help at Boston College. For a comparison, Jared Verse had nine sacks in the same conference in his final year at Florida State and had the benefit of playing on the same line as Braden Fiske. Ezeiruaku was also tied Bradyn Swinson for the most pressures (60) during the college football regular season. He had more than Abdul Carter. He won games for his team in 2024.
He’s not just a good pass-rusher. His run-stop responsibility percentage led college football at his position in 2024 (10.1%) — so he can start quickly and won’t be a liability on early downs.
His short shuttle of 4.19 has only been beaten by 15 pass rushers in combine history weighing between 245-260lbs. It’s in the same ball-park as former target Arnold Ebiketie (4.24) and Derick Hall (4.22). He also has 34-inch arms. The only thing lacking is a 1.5 10-yard split. We’ll see if he runs at his pro-day.
If you’re worried about his size (248lbs) it’s worth looking at the 2024 sack leaders. The list in the top-12 includes:
Nik Bonitto — 240lbs
Micah Parsons — 245lbs
Andrew Van Ginkel — 242lbs
Will Anderson — 243lbs
Will McDonald — 236lbs
This is a draft class where players drafted at #18 and #45 will carry similar grades. It’s going to be a real ‘pick your poison’ second half of round one. I wouldn’t underestimate Ezeiruaku as an option for the Seahawks. Don’t take my word for it — Lance Zierlein gave him a 6.40 grade. Only 16 players have a higher grade.
Questions about Uchenna Nwosu’s future and ability to stay healthy, plus Boye Mafe being in a contract year, could put an EDGE rusher among Seattle’s priorities this off-season.
For what it’s worth, I would seriously consider Grey Zabel at #18 after a brilliant combine workout on the field, plus explosive testing (3.23 TEF) worthy of a top-25 pick. If the Seahawks sign Will Fries though, it makes his selection less likely.
If the Ezeiruaku pick will divide opinion, I can feel the force of the collective eye-rolls from Seahawks Twitter at the Quinn Ewers selection at #50.
As I noted yesterday, I think we’ll see a run on quarterbacks on day-two. I also think the presence of a middle-class will create the best opportunity for Schneider to pick one he likes since trading Russell Wilson in 2022.
Ewers spending time with Mike McCarthy recently is interesting, given the connection between the former Cowboys Head Coach and Seattle’s GM. I’m not making any bold predictions for Ewers’ NFL career. I feel like we’ve done to death the positives and negatives of his time in college. I do think some decision makers will be intrigued by the prodigy nature of his upbringing and will feel like — with time — they might be able to ‘chase an edge’ and get a player who typically might’ve gone earlier if the injuries didn’t derail his final year at Texas.
Can I see Schneider picking Ewers? Yes. Can I see him being interested in several of these quarterbacks on day two? Also yes.
Alternative picks could include Georgia center Jared Wilson, Darius Alexander from Toledo and Ty Robinson from Nebraska.
The final pick in round three might feel like a reach but I don’t think it is. Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes is a fit for the desired nature of this team. He’s an incredibly intense blocking tight end. Forget the 4.82 forty yard dash, it doesn’t matter. Focus on the 1.56 10-yard split at 253lbs (an elite time for a great pass-rusher at that size) and the 4.4 short shuttle. The best tight ends in the league have this kind of agility and short-area burst.
This is a tone-setter of a pick. It’ll be like having an extra offensive lineman on the field when he’s out there. I think he deserves to go in round three and if you want the Seahawks to be more tough, physical and better blockers up front — this is your guy. It’s also possible they could move Noah Fant after the draft if they make this selection — or just keep him for 2025.
Seahawks seven-round mock draft
#18 — Donovan Ezeiruaku (EDGE, Boston College)
#50 — Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas)
#82 — Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech)
#137 — Nazir Stackhouse (DT, Georgia)
#173 — Nick Martin (LB, Oklahoma State)
#187 — Robert Longerbeam (CB, Rutgers)
#212 — Isaac TeSlaa (WR, Arkansas)
#236 — Luke Kandra (G, Cincinnati)
A few notes on the day three picks. Stackhouse is a classic nose tackle who looked well proportioned with his weight at the combine. He was one of the big surprises. Martin tested superbly and is known for his great attitude and physical toughness. Longerbeam’s leadership qualities are said to be highly regarded at Rutgers and he too had an excellent day at the combine. TeSlaa was a big surprise with his testing — he’s raw and needs refinement but there’s a lot of potential here. He makes difficult catches look easy. Medical concerns could force Kandra down the board but he’s a really good fit as a developmental zone blocking guard or center.
