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I think today’s mock is a realistic and fair projection for the Seahawks. I think it’d deserve a reasonable review if it happened, very much in the ‘they did the best they could’ category. However, I also think it’s nowhere near enough for this team to get to where it needs to be.

I was listening to Brian Nemhauser recently and he made a point I very much agree with. The Seahawks need a transformational draft. We’ve seen teams do it. Look at the Texans. They’ve gone from league laughing stock to contender in 12 months — all based on a highly successful 2023 draft class.

Other teams have also propelled themselves into contention with a strong draft. The Saints in 2017 drafted Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson. They had a 39-15 regular season record over the next four seasons, dominated the NFC South and only missed out on a Super Bowl appearance due to incredible misfortune in playoff games against the Rams and Vikings.

I still think the Seahawks had good drafts in 2022 and 2023. I don’t think either has been transformational, though. The 2022 class flirted with it but key players didn’t take the big step forward we hoped in 2023. Now, it’s starting to look ‘decent’ rather than ‘transformational’.

Perhaps the hope is the new coaching staff can elevate both classes? If the argument is that Pete Carroll and his staff essentially held everyone back over the last two years, then it’s organisational malpractice that they didn’t move on from Carroll sooner. It’s weird to think now that they allowed Carroll the chance to be in control when the Wilson trade haul was used, then fired him immediately after the resources were spent.

Admittedly, having a transformational draft isn’t easy — otherwise every non-contender would do it. Yet the Seahawks are going to have to have one of these classes — as they did in the 2010-12 period every year — to propel themselves out of middling franchise status.

The draft I’ve projected below isn’t transformational. It won’t tilt the field in Seattle’s favour in the NFC West. It’ll be a good draft and we’ll be able to say it deserves a thumbs up. They need more than that though. Somehow, if we want this team to be great again, they’re going to have to find a way to do something special in a draft. Otherwise they’ll remain stuck in the middle ground of the NFL, with the best case scenario being a ‘make up the numbers’ playoff appearance.

It’s a full two-round projection below with five trades included. I’ve pitched some different scenarios here that I think are quite interesting and not that unrealistic. I’ve given my reasoning on the trades and thoughts on Seattle’s picks below. Let me know what you think in the comments section.

Round one

#1 Chicago (v/CAR) — Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
It’s been a foregone conclusion for a long time that Williams would be the #1 pick.

#2 Washington — Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU)
For me, he’s the clear #2 quarterback on the board.

#3 New England — Drake Maye -(QB, North Carolina)
I think they could easily trade out of this spot, with Eliot Wolf targeting an offensive lineman with the first pick instead of a quarterback.

TRADE #4 Denver (v/ARI) — JJ McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
We all assume this will be Minnesota’s move — but what if they have a different plan? Instead, the Broncos are the aggressor.

#5 LA Chargers — Marvin Harrison Jr (WR, Ohio State)
For all the talk of O-line, they need a receiver and are perfectly placed to land a potential star.

#6 New York Giants — Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
Tony Pauline mentioned this week that some teams worry about Malik Nabers going to a big-city team and have Odunze rated above him as a consequence.

#7 Tennessee — Malik Nabers (WR, LSU)
Everyone says they’ll go O-line here. Brian Callahan is on the record as saying the modern NFL relies on dynamic quarterback and receiver play. He’ll trust his dad to put together a functioning offensive line. Remember when everyone thought the Bengals, with Callahan as OC, should take a tackle and they took a dynamic LSU receiver instead? That worked out OK.

#8 Atlanta — Dallas Turner (DE, Alabama)
I think Turner’s tape is massively underwhelming but there’s no doubt he’s a physical specimen.

#9 Chicago — Troy Fautanu (T, Washington)
I think he’s the best left tackle in the draft and teams may well agree.

#10 NY Jets — Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia)
They’re in win-now mode and take another dynamic weapon.

#11 Minnesota — Byron Murphy (DT, Texas)
The Vikings don’t trade up — yet — and instead stay right here and take Byron Murphy to be a dynamic interior rusher.

TRADE #12 Minnesota (v/ARI, DEN) — Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
Now the Vikings trade up — right in front of the Raiders. The Cardinals move down again, accumulating future first round picks from both Denver and Minnesota. In this scenario, the Vikings’ plan wasn’t to use their picks to trade into the top-five. It was to make sure they get Murphy and a quarterback in an attempt to contend ASAP.

#13 Las Vegas — Taliese Fuaga (T, Oregon State)
After missing out on Penix Jr, they settle for a Raiders’ style O-liner.

#14 New Orleans — Joe Alt (T, Notre Dame)
Everyone thinks he’ll be the first O-liner taken but he just reminds me of Mike McGlinchey.

#15 Indianapolis — Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo)
The Colts have a need at cornerback and Mitchell’s had an outstanding draft process.

TRADE #16 Philadelphia (v/SEA) — Terrion Arnold (CB, Alabama)
With the first cornerback coming off the board at #15, the Eagles don’t hang about. They give the Seahawks a fourth rounder (#120), a fifth rounder (#161) and swap a second round pick in 2025 for a fourth rounder to move up.

#17 Jacksonville — Brian Thomas Jr (WR, LSU)
After losing Calvin Ridley, the Jaguars get a replacement.

#18 Cincinnati — JC Latham (T, Alabama)
The Bengals love size on their offensive line. Latham can play guard in year one, then kick outside to right tackle in year two.

#19 LA Rams — Chop Robinson (DE, Penn State)
The Rams get a steal with Robinson’s dynamic get-off and remarkable edge-bending ability. He’s wildly underrated with special qualities.

#20 Pittsburgh — Amarius Mims (T, Alabama)
There’s a feeling the incredible looking Mims won’t get out of the top-20.

#21 Miami — Laiatu Latu (DE, UCLA)
With injuries to their starters, the Dolphins might be prepared to tap into the value of taking Latu here.

#22 Seattle — Graham Barton (T/G/C, Duke)
The Seahawks have Steve Hutchinson as an advisor in their draft room. Hutchinson was 6-5, 315lbs, had shorter arms (32 1/8 inches) and played with an edge. He might see a bit of himself in Barton, who’s 6-5, 313lbs, has 32 7/8 inch arms and plays with an edge.

#23 Arizona (v/MIN, HOU, CLE) — Jared Verse (DE, Florida State)
After trading down 19 spots, they still get Verse and a haul of picks. What a draft this would be for the Cardinals.

#24 Dallas — Olu Fashanu (T, Penn State)
I think he might last longer than people think.

#25 Green Bay — Tyler Guyton (T, Oklahoma)
They need to add to the tackle position and Guyton can play on the left or right side of the line.

TRADE #26 Washington (v/TB) — Jordan Morgan (T/G, Arizona)
The Commanders see the left tackle options running out so move up in a deal with the Buccs to get Morgan.

#27 Arizona (v/HOU) — Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
The Cardinals continue to build their defense up with a fast, talented cornerback.

#28 Buffalo — Adonai Mitchell (WR, Texas)
The Bills replace Stefon Diggs without needing to trade up.

#29 Detroit — Kamari Lassiter (CB, Georgia)
I think people are sleeping way too much on Lassiter, who I liked a lot on tape and in combine drills.

#30 Baltimore — Ladd McKonkey (WR, Georgia)
The Ravens take a dynamic outside receiver who is Mr. Reliable with excellent upside.

#31 San Francisco — Jer’Zhan Newton (DT, Illinois)
The 49ers continue to use first round picks on their defensive line.

#32 Kansas City — Cooper DeJean (CB, Iowa)
The Chiefs generally draft for top-tier physical traits.

Round two

TRADE #33 Tennessee (v/CAR) — Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington)
#34 New England — Kingsley Suamataia (T, BYU)
#35 Arizona — Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
#36 Tampa Bay (v/WAS) — Jackson Powers-Johnson (C, Oregon)
#37 LA Chargers — Darius Robinson (DE, Missouri)
#38 Carolina (v/TEN) — Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas)
#39 Carolina (v/NYG) — Ben Sinnott (TE, Kansas State)
#40 Washington (v/CHI) — Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
#41 Green Bay (v/NYJ) — Junior Colson (LB, Michigan)
#42 Houston (v/MIN) — Kool-aid McKinstry (CB, Alabama)
#43 Atlanta — T.J. Tampa (CB, Iowa State)
#44 Las Vegas — Troy Franklin (WR, Oregon)
#45 New Orleans (v/DEN) — Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
#46 Indianapolis — Braden Fiske (DT, Florida State)
#47 NY Giants (v/SEA) — Mike Sainristil (CB, Michigan)
#48 Jacksonville — Michael Hall Jr (DT, Ohio State)
#49 Cincinnati — T’Vondre Sweat (DT, Texas)
#50 Philadelphia (v/NO) — Javon Bullard (S, Georgia)
#51 Pittsburgh — Roman Wilson (WR, Michigan)
#52 LA Rams — Spencer Rattler (QB, South Carolina)
#53 Philadelphia — Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)
#54 Cleveland — Edgerrin Cooper (LB, Mississippi State)
#55 Miami — Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
#56 Dallas — Zach Frazier (C, West Virginia)
#57 Tampa Bay — Payton Wilson (LB, NC State)
#58 Green Bay — Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
#59 Houston — J’Tavion Sanders (TE, Texas)
#60 Buffalo — Tyler Nubin (S, Minnesota)
#61 Detroit — Ja’Lynn Polk (WR, Washington)
#62 Baltimore — Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (S, Texas Tech)
#63 San Francisco — Christian Haynes (G, Connecticut)
#64 Kansas City — Jalen McMillan (WR, Washington)

Players not included in the two-round mock

Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
Theo Johnson (TE, Penn State)
Ruke Orhorhoro (DT, Clemson)
Bralen Trice (DE, Washington)
Chris Braswell (DE, Alabama)
Brandon Coleman (T, TCU)
Jermaine Burton (WR, Alabama)
Trey Benson (RB, Florida State)
Jaylen Wright (RB, Tennessee)

The trades explained

Denver trades #12 plus their 2025 & 2026 first rounders to Arizona for the #4 pick
The Broncos make their move to get J.J. McCarthy, giving up a haul of picks to do so. Sean Payton has never been afraid to use future picks to get the guy he wants.

Minnesota trades #23, #108 and their 2025 first rounder and 2026 second rounder to Arizona for the #11 pick
The Cardinals come out of this mock in possession of Denver and Minnesota’s first round picks next year, plus Denver’s first and Minnesota’s second in 2026. They are still able to select Jared Verse and Nate Wiggins in round one. They win the 2024 draft.

Philadelphia trades #22, #120, #161 and a 2025 second rounder to Seattle for the #16 pick and a 2025 fourth rounder
The Eagles need youth and talent at cornerback and after seeing Quinyon Mitchell leave the board at #15, they don’t hang around and make a move to get Terrion Arnold.

Washington trades #34 and #78 to Tampa Bay for the #26 pick
The Commanders need a left tackle and find a willing trade partner in the Buccs, allowing them to move up for Jordan Morgan.

Tennessee trades #38, #106 and #182 to Carolina for the #33 pick
The Titans work a deal with the Panthers before round two kicks off, enabling them to jump ahead of New England so they can select Roger Rosengarten (who has the ability to play left or right tackle).

Thoughts on the Seahawks’ first round pick

I continue to think if Troy Fautanu and Taliese Fuaga are off the board at #16, the Seahawks will trade down. That was the case in this projection and I think this scenario is very likely.

Ideally they’d get a big offer that includes an additional day-two pick, preferably a second rounder. However, I think teams will really value their second round picks in this class and will be wary to give them away. Plus, trade-up candidates such as Dallas, Green Bay and Buffalo all address needs without having to trade up in this mock.

I have the Seahawks doing a deal with the Eagles to get a fourth and fifth round pick this year, plus a swap of picks in 2025 (Seattle gets Philly’s second rounder, the Eagles get the Seahawks’ fourth rounder). It’s fair value per the trade chart, given the 2025 second rounder will carry the value of a third. The Seahawks accept their fate in this draft, get something of real value for next year and trade down into a range where they can still get a player they really like in round one.

The Eagles are very much in ‘win right now’ mode and might be prepared to be aggressive, as they have been in the past.

Graham Barton is plugged in at left guard immediately, with the Seahawks seeing value in his ability to potentially play center or tackle too. His talent is worthy of the 22nd pick — so it’s a nice case of need meeting value.

This would leave the Seahawks with a third rounder (#81), three fourth rounders (#102, #118, #120), a fifth rounder (#161) two sixth rounders (#179, #192) and a seventh rounder (#235).

They’d have the option to use all of those picks — and there will be good options through to round four — or they could use this stock to move up from #81 if a player they really like drops into range. Or, they could package two fourth’s to get back into round three.

Seahawks seven round mock

#22 (R1) Graham Barton (T/G/C, Duke)

As discussed above, he’d be a plug-and-play offensive lineman drafted in a range that matches need with talent.

Seahawks trade #120 to the New York Giants to move from #81 to #70

#70 (R3) Bralen Trice (DE, Washington)

Trice was sick prior to the combine, lost a ton of weight and performed poorly. His stock has dropped. The Seahawks might sense an opportunity to trade up and get excellent value. Trice had the same pass rush grade (per PFF) as Jared Verse (90.8) and he was well ahead of Dallas Turner (89.3). He led the NCAA in pressures (80) and hurries (53) in 2023, plus he was second for QB hits (19). This is an opportunity to add a dynamic talent at a value range.

#102 (R4) Dominique Hampton (S, Washington)

I’m not a Husky fan before anyone asks — but tapping into a team that reached the National Championship game isn’t a bad thing. Hampton is a dynamic athlete and a versatile safety who plays with toughness and discipline. He’d be an ideal fit in Macdonald’s defense.

#118 (R4) Ryan Flournoy (WR, SE Missouri State)

He shone at the Senior Bowl, gaining separation with ease in 1v1’s. He ran a 4.44 and jumped a 39.5 inch vertical. He also has massive 10 1/8 inch hands for a player who’s only 6-1 and 202lbs. Flournoy is well known for his high level of football character.

#161 (R5) Nathaniel Watson (LB, Mississippi State)

Macdonald says his defenders need to blitz. Nobody blitzes better than Watson, with 21 college sacks from linebacker. He has an old-school mentality, fits perfectly for the 3-4 defensive system and has quickness shown via a 1.59 10-yard split. Watson also called the plays on defense for Mississippi State.

#179 (R6) Jack Westover (TE, Washington)

Another Husky pick — but Westover was clutch in big moments during the 2023 season. The Seahawks need to add a tight end at some point and if they get this far without adding one, Westover would be a good option.

#192 (R6) Karsen Barnhart (G, Michigan)

The Seahawks met with him at Michigan’s pro-day. He has positional versatility, everyone on that Michigan line plays with toughness and he has some explosive ability (9-3 broad jump).

#235 (R7) Emani Bailey (RB, TCU)

He’s an ideal third-down back — capable of running crisp routes with soft hands. As a runner, he finishes and plays with aggression. He shone during the Senior Bowl game and should’ve been MVP.

Thoughts on the Seahawks’ seven rounder

It might not be the flashiest draft but if the Seahawks can’t fill the hole between #16 and #81 by trading down, this might be the type of class they end up with. There’s no guarantee better offers will be available to trade down.

Barton would fill a void at guard and could develop into an all-pro at his position — he has the talent to achieve it. Trice’s stock might’ve taken a hit after the combine but he was a regular impact player at UW and could be a third round steal, enabling the Seahawks to get a top-50 talent.

Hampton is a far better player than I think people realise and could be an immediate impact player, while Flournoy could easily be a nice receiver option for the future when Tyler Lockett eventually moves on. Watson has starter level potential while Westover, Barnhart and Bailey provide depth.

The addition of Trice could allow the Seahawks to save money by cutting Darrell Taylor or trading Dre’Mont Jones after June 1st to create cap room.

Again, it feels like a plausible projection and one that it’d be difficult to challenge if this is all they can get to trade down. Is a draft like this going to dramatically alter Seattle’s ability to be a contender, though? Sadly, I don’t think so.

Is there anything they can do differently to have a transformational draft?

I think there are two possible options. One, is to hit on a player so good that he completely transforms one side of the ball. Typically that only happens when you land a franchise quarterback or a true, elite pass rusher.

The other is to accumulate numerous picks in the first three rounds and hit on a lot of players in a big way. That would mean trading down and getting a great offer.

In this scenario, with five quarterbacks off the board by pick #12, the chances of getting a franchise-changing quarterback are remote. The available player who I do think could have difference making ability is Chop Robinson. There is legitimately some Micah Parsons to his game. His get-off is top-notch and his ability to bend and straighten off the edge is incredible. If you stick and pick at #16, take him, and he becomes anything close to Parsons — that could be transformational. It’s good to see the Seahawks arranged an official-30 visit with Robinson.

Can they get a great offer to move down? Sure. But as noted in the mock — this isn’t the kind of class where teams are likely to be desperate to relieve themselves of day two picks. Plus, the Seahawks won’t be the only team looking to move down. That means, perhaps, there’s a case to be made for sticking and picking at #16 if a player like Robinson is available — rolling the dice on a high upside talent with blue-chip credentials, rather than just trying to have the kind of ‘decent’ draft I’ve projected above.

Players who will go earlier than people think

Every year there are players who are underrated in the media. Here are five players who will go earlier than projections are suggesting…

Dominique Hampton (S, Washington)

There’s a chance he’ll go as early as the third round and at worst the early fourth. Hampton has excellent size and length (6-2, 215lbs, +33 inch arms) and at the combine he ran a 4.14 short shuttle and jumped a 39 inch vertical. This is elite-level athleticism for his position. My source at UW had this to say about him:

“Freak of nature, smart, consistent and he’s a great dude. Quiet killer. Our defensive scheme funnelled the vast majority of plays to the strong safety by design and he was good enough in that key position for us to go to a Championship”

On most simulators I see him regularly available in the later rounds. That won’t happen. He’s going to go a lot earlier than people think and it won’t be a surprise if a team like the Seahawks keep a keen eye on him.

Ben Sinnott (TE, Kansas State)

I notice that he’s often available in round three on most simulators and in one of his recent draft previews, Brock Huard said Sinnott was a fourth round pick. I don’t think there’s much chance he gets out of the top-50 and he could go in the top-40. At 250lbs he ran an elite 1.59 10-yard split and a 4.23 short shuttle. These are the two key metrics at tight end. On top of this, he jumped a 40 inch vertical.

Sinnott has A+ character and will be a versatile chess piece capable of lining up in a variety of different roles from in-line tight end to H-back and full back. He finishes every play, can make the spectacular happen and he’s very reliable.

The thing that makes him stand out, though, is the fact he basically led Kansas State’s offense last season. Jim Nagy made this point when I interviewed him last week — the Wildcats didn’t have a premier receiver to draw coverage. They had to go through Sinnott — and he delivered, producing 676 yards and six touchdowns. That trailed only Brock Bowers, J’Tavion Sanders and Dallin Holker among tight ends in college football in 2023.

He’s a safe pick with high upside and as teams look for the next player capable of having a Sam LaPorta impact — Sinnott has a chance to be that type of player.

Beaux Limmer (G, Arkansas)

Teams do pay attention to explosive traits in the trenches and Limmer is by far the most explosive offensive lineman to enter the league since 2016. His 3.68 TEF score dwarfs former top testers like Tristan Wirfs (3.47), Peter Skoronski (3.37) and Bernhard Raimann (3.37).

His best position is guard and although he shifted to center to help out Arkansas, he’ll be at home moving back to his preferred role while retaining some positional flexibility.

Limmer’s short arms (32 inches) aren’t helpful but his hand placement is good, he gets his angles right and when he doesn’t have to focus on snapping and then getting into position, he’ll have every chance to be an attack-minded aggressor.

Typically you see him projected in the later rounds but it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t go in the third with his major physical upside.

Nathaniel Watson (LB, Mississippi State)

I don’t understand why there’s so little buzz around Watson compared to other linebackers in this class. We’re talking about a player who can play inside or outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. He called the plays for Mississippi State’s defense (college football’s version of a green-dot player). He can blitz better than any other player at his position in this class (21 career sacks) and he has an old-school demeanour.

He’s not a physical slouch either. He ran a 1.59 10-yard split which shows he has some burst and acceleration and he plays with length (33 inch arms) and heavy hands (10 inches).

Critically for the Seahawks especially, he’s also a finisher. He had the sixth best missed tackle percentage among college linebackers last season (5.4%) and was only a notch below bigger names Peyton Wilson and Junior Colson (both 4.7%).

Most mocks and simulators have Watson as a late day three pick but I think he’s much more likely to go in the fourth round.

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (S, Texas Tech)

I like the safety class more than most and believe the likes of Tyler Nubin, Javon Bullard, Malik Mustapha, Jaden Hicks, Cole Bishop, Dominique Hampton and Kitan Oladapo have a great chance to become effective starters in a value range. One name who could rival Nubin and Bullard to be the first off the board (depending on how you want to describe Cooper DeJean’s position in the NFL) is Texas Tech’s Taylor-Demerson.

He was the first safety I watched during the 2023 season and he immediately created an impression. You can see his athleticism on tape and it wasn’t a surprise he ran a 4.41 and jumped a 38 inch vertical at 5-10 and 200lbs.

Aside from the traits, he plays with great instinct. He has a tendency to be at the right place at the right time, enabling him to record 10 interceptions in three seasons. He plays with range and can cover ground to get into the right position quickly. He also has genuine positional flexibility and can line up anywhere on the back-end or in the nickel role to help disguise intentions.

It won’t be a surprise if he sneaks into the back-end of round two.

Other predictions I feel confident about

— Troy Fautanu will not make it to the 16th pick for Seattle because he’s a brilliant tackle and we need to stop all this guard talk just because, in the past, people thought he lacked the size to stick outside. He has 34.5 inch arms. He’s a tackle and a bloody good one. He’s a top athlete, he plays with a level of aggression teams will love and he’s one of the 10 best players in this draft. He’s bigger, longer and more athletic than Alijah Vera-Tucker — and a team traded up to #14 to draft him. I think there’s almost no chance he gets to #16 yet he’s the trendy pick for Seattle. I don’t think people realise how good Fautanu actually is.

— Amarius Mims won’t get out of the top-20. When you have his frame and you look as natural on tape as he does, this isn’t a player who lasts in round one. Sure, the lack of playing time is a thing. Yet it’s not just because of injuries — it’s also because he had to bide his time on a loaded Georgia team. It won’t be a surprise if some teams believe he can be the best tackle from this class with the right coaching and guidance. Pittsburgh at #20 might be his floor — he’s just too big, too comfortable in his movement at his size and he plays too important a position to last deep into round one.

— Olu Fashanu, alternatively, will not go as early as people think. I’ve never quite understood the way he is discussed in the media. He’s always had technical flaws. A year ago, had he declared, teams likely would’ve put it down to inexperience. When those same flaws appeared during the 2023 season, you start to wonder why. On top of this, he literally has the same sized hands as small-handed quarterback Kenny Pickett (8.5 inches). This isn’t a good thing when you need to play with heavy hands. He’s a first round pick — but he’s not a top-10 pick.

Value fourth round picks

I think there’s every chance the Seahawks will trade down from #16 if/when Troy Fautanu and Taliese Fuaga come off the board. However, they might not be able to get the day two picks they probably crave to move down. It’s not a big problem though, because round four is likely to be full of good options.

I’ve already talked about two great prospects (Nathaniel Watson and, if they’re lucky, Dominique Hampton). Here are some more:

Malik Mustapha (S, Wake Forest)
On tape he reminded me of Budda Baker. For some reason his stock has never taken off. He’s an A+ character player, who I interviewed a few weeks ago. He has legit starting potential. Team captain and a vocal leader.

Brennan Jackson (EDGE, Washington State)
He ran a 1.62 10-yard split despite not being 100% healthy, then ran a 4.34 short shuttle at pro-day (the same as Laiatu Latu). He plays ever snap like his life depends on it and he’s a playmaker off the edge. Fantastic communicator who I interviewed recently. Team captain.

McKinley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M)
The heart and soul leader of the Aggies defense, Jackson lacks dynamic physical traits but he’s aggressive, can play the run well and he can provide some pass rush. He’s a player who could really come on at the next level playing with better players. Team captain.

Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois)
His lack of action as a receiver will stymy his stock and he looked a bit awkward at the start of the season running routes — yet he’s a strong blocker with exceptional upside (1.55 10-yard split, 4.26 shuttle). Team captain.

Tanor Bortolini (C, Wisconsin)
High character, major upside player who fits the mould of the dynamic, athletic center many teams look for these days. He ran a 4.94 and a 4.28 shuttle at 303lbs, then jumped a 32.5 inch vertical and a 9-4 broad. His 7.16 three-cone is basically a time you’d expect for a really agile tight end. Technically strong.

Fabien Lovett Sr. (DT, Florida State)
Widely respected as a high-character individual, Lovett Sr. has exceptional length (35.5 inch arms) for his 6-5 and 314lbs frame. He’s a tremendously stout two-gapper who plays with consistently heavy 10.5 inch hands. Gets the job done. Team captain.

Caedan Wallace (T, Penn State)
A really consistent blocker who never seems to get flustered and is just really difficult to beat. He could end up having a far better career than some of the bigger name tackles set to go early. Ideal size (6-5, 314lbs, 34 inch arms, nearly 11 inch hands) and tested well (31 inch vertical, 9-8 broad).

Ray Davis (RB, Kentucky)
Incredible upbringing has created a hardened, determined individual who people gravitate towards. Was visibly leading his group at the combine and was the loudest supporter of teammates at the UK pro-day. Runs through contact but more importantly for the Seahawks, has the hands and route-running discipline to be a great third down back.

Tylan Grable (T, UCF)
A high-upside tackle who could play either side of the line. He’s a former quarterback who is now 6-6, 306lbs and has 33.5 inch arms and 10 1/8 inch hands. He ran a 4.95 forty, a 1.69 10-yard split and jumped a 36.5 inch vertical and a 9-9 broad. In terms of physical upside, he has NFL starter level talent.

Jaylen Harrell (EDGE, Missouri)
He has the talent to be a threat off the edge and his testing numbers (pro-day & combine) suggest he has physical upside too. He’s certainly explosive — with a 37 inch vertical and a 9-10 broad. He made some high-impact plays in critical games for Michigan.

How far the Seahawks might be comfortable trading down

This is a draft with a higher than normal number of ‘first round’ players. If Fautanu and Fuaga are off the board by #16, I think the Seahawks will want to trade down. I don’t think they’ll want to trade too far though, to take themselves out of range for the legit first round players.

I think the sweet-spot for this — considering a couple of players will go earlier than they should do — is likely to be around the 26th pick. If the Seahawks trade down beyond that, it’ll likely be because the offers are too good to turn down and possibly include 2025 stock.

It’s been reported this week that Chop Robinson is having an official-30 visit in Seattle. I keep seeing mocks with him lasting into the 20’s, which is stunning for a player that talented. If that’s the case, and the Seahawks move down into the 20’s, they’re right to do as much work as possible on him. He’d be an absolute steal in that range — just as T.J. Watt was as the 30th pick back in 2017.

If it’s not Robinson, someone like Graham Barton would be a viable alternative. I’m not sure you’d want to go any lower than dealing with Green Bay at #25.

Many are suggesting the Bills as possible trade partners but I don’t see it. Buffalo has a lot of needs, so trading away a bunch of stock to move up to #16 just to get, say, Brian Thomas Jr, doesn’t make any sense in a loaded receiver class. Neither would it really benefit the Seahawks unless it’s an amazing offer, because #28 likely takes you out of range for the first rounders in this draft.

The Bills and Chiefs might have to give up a haul to get to #16. For that reason, Philadelphia (#22) and Green Bay (#25) might be more likely trade partners.

Wherever Seattle picks in round one — I think ‘best player available’ is the likely approach. If Fautanu or Fuaga make it to #16, I think they’ll stick and pick.

Another thing on Chop Robinson…

The Ravens selected Odafe Oweh in the first round three years ago, a year before Mike Macdonald was appointed defensive coordinator in 2022. Oweh ran a reported 1.59 10-yard split at pro-day, along with a 4.20 short shuttle. He also jumped a 39.5 inch vertical. he was 6-5 and 257lbs. Robinson ran a blistering 1.54 10-yard split, a 4.25 short shuttle and jumped a 34.5 inch vertical at 254lbs. There are some similarities here — so this is a ‘fit’ in terms of Baltimore’s approach to building their defense.

Oweh had a 56.8 PFF grade in 2022 when Macdonald returned to the Ravens. In 2023, that grade massively increased to an 80.7. So Macdonald’s had some success developing a player like this in his system. I’d also suggest that Robinson’s pass-rushing tape is far better than Oweh’s was.

Granted, the Seahawks may well feel that Macdonald can do for Darrell Taylor what he did for Oweh. Thus, that would make this pick redundant. I also think you can invest too much in edge rushers if they’re going to struggle to get on the field. With only two of Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and potentially Robinson being able to play at the same time, this will be difficult to justify if the end product isn’t an outstanding pass rush.

Even so, Robinson is that good. Given the flexibility they have to get out of Taylor’s contract — I wouldn’t rule out a pick like this first up. Especially if they believe he has game-wrecking potential.

Abe Lucas at guard?

I keep hearing fans and media alike questioning Abe Lucas’ fit at guard. So I’m going to keep chucking this line into my articles…

The Washington Huskies last season had Nate Kalepo at guard. He’s 6-6 and 327lbs and a former High School tackle. Before that, Jaxson Kirkland — who is 6-8 and 321lbs — played guard after shifting inside from tackle. Clearly, Scott Huff is very comfortable using big, tall interior linemen. There’s no reason to think a player like Lucas couldn’t kick inside in this scheme if he’s healthy. And it opens up the possibility of Seattle drafting a tackle in round one.

And a final note…

I asked my source at UW for his prediction on a range for Michael Penix Jr. This was before the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins — but this was his response:

“He won’t get past Atlanta and Minnesota”

So seeing this today isn’t a huge surprise:

The Falcons are sending a sizable group to Seattle to conduct a private workout with Washington QB Michael Penix today, per sources. HC Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot are among those in the traveling party, which left this morning.

Atlanta holds the eighth overall pick.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 5, 2024

The Falcons are tied to Cousins until the end of 2025. That’s it. And Cousins is coming off a serious achilles injury.

It may or may not happen — but planning for the future in Atlanta wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. Good teams should always be planning for now and the future at QB.

If you missed it yesterday, don’t forget to check out my first appearance on the new Puck Sports show, available wherever you get your podcasts:

Every Thursday I’ll be appearing on Puck Sports, courtesy of Superior Linen. Our first show is out now so please check it out below and be sure to subscribe (Puck Sports is available wherever you get your podcasts). Also today, Puck has a great interview up with Mike Garafolo.

As I’ve been mentioning a fair bit recently, it does seem an awful lot like the Seahawks are setting themselves up for an O-line centric draft. By now everyone knows this is the best offensive line class in years. It feels like ‘best player available’ will perfectly match ‘need’ as far as the Seahawks are concerned — whether they stay at #16 or move down.

I’ve long felt that Troy Fautanu and Taliese Fuaga would be ideal picks. Their highly aggressive, athletic playing styles are a great match for what Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff appear to want to create. Either player would potentially be a ‘must draft’ at #16 short of an unbelievable trade-down offer.

I don’t think Fautanu or Fuaga will last to #16 personally. I sense that’ll be the case even if Michael Penix Jr comes off the board in the top-15 (more on that in a bit).

If that happens, they could trade down. Or they could pick from the pool of remaining players — which would still include highly talented O-liners such as J.C. Latham, Amarius Mims and Tyler Guyton.

I’ve also talked about the possibility of Seattle moving down and selecting someone like Graham Barton. Lance Zierlein projected this in his latest mock draft. The only problem is, I’m not convinced Barton will get by Pittsburgh at #20 and Miami at #21. Especially after his superb pro-day.

Anyway, that’s enough of a throat-clearing. Onto the key topic at hand.

Would the Seahawks be doing the right thing if they focus on the O-line?

It’s not the ‘of course, duh’ answer you might think. Clearly O-line is a need. Clearly the Seahawks would benefit from being better up front on offense.

However, there’s something else to consider. I talked about this with Brian Nemhauser and Jeff Simmons on the Hawkblogger Mornings podcast on Sunday.

John Schneider’s approach, or the approach during the Pete Carroll era at least, has been to fill out the roster as much as possible. This works alongside the vision that Schneider has reiterated again this off-season. He’s said their intention is to try and compete next season. He says it is the remit of Jody Allen to try and compete every year — however unrealistic that might seem currently.

I’m not sure this is the best approach.

The idea, I’m sure, is to create a nice balance by spreading your resources across the roster. That sounds good but can it prevent you from ever achieving greatness in one particular area without consistently elite drafting and/or great luck? Are you better off being balanced, or are you better off trying to invest heavily in one important aspect of your team to create a positional group that is the envy of the league?

For example, should the Seahawks try and create the best defensive line possible — having already invested a lot in the defensive front — to create a potential top-five unit? It might leave the offensive line weak in 2024. Would it be worth it to possess a potentially ‘great’ D-line — something that could be the foundation for a contending team in the future?

Let’s put it this way. How would you feel if the Seahawks were starting Laken Tomlinson, Olu Oluwatimi and Anthony Bradford in 2024 — if it meant spending your top pick on another interior pass rusher to try and create something special?

Can the current D-line deliver ‘special’? Will the offensive line reach anywhere near that level just with a couple of high draft picks? Or will you just be left with, at best, two units that are potentially ‘decent’ (all being well).

The idea of trying to craft a great defensive line intrigues me. Would this be a better process for building greatness? Focusing on making one unit ‘great’ while creating an identity for the Mike Macdonald era?

Brian, Jeff and I conducted a mock draft simulation where we traded down a few spots, selected Byron Murphy the defensive tackle and then with an acquired second rounder we selected his Texas teammate T’Vondre Sweat. It’s overkill, granted. Two more defensive tackles? To add to what you already have? That probably isn’t realistic.

Yet think of it this way. You’d suddenly be able to field a defensive front that included the dynamic Murphy with the disruptive Leonard Williams. On early downs you can anchor with Sweat in the middle. The likes of Jarran Reed and Cam Young could rotate in. You’d have flexibility to trade Dre’Mont Jones after June 1st for much-needed cap relief ($11.5m) and you’d have the edge rushers in Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Darrell Taylor to work the edges.

That could become a big-time identity for this team. Even if you only took Murphy instead of the two Texas DT’s — this would be a defensive front that might just scare the likes of San Francisco and the LA Rams. Fancy that. After years of worrying about the way those two teams rush the passer, you could reinforce your D-line at the exact time they lose Arik Armstead and Aaron Donald. It’d be poetic.

There’s probably a lesson to learn from the 49ers. They relentlessly spent their first round picks on the D-line. Armstead (2015), DeForest Buckner (2016), Solomon Thomas (2017), Nick Bosa (2019) and Javon Kinlaw (2020). They also paid big money to Javon Hargrave a year ago, used a second rounder to trade for Dee Ford, rented Chase Young for a third rounder and recently paid Leonard Floyd.

They’ve made a concerted effort to build up a fearsome pass rush and that was their identity. Comparatively, they’ve spent very little on the O-line. They traded for Trent Williams, paid him, and drafted Mike McGlinchey (before letting him walk). They also spent a second rounder on Aaron Banks.

With Macdonald as Head Coach in Seattle now, should the Seahawks go all-in on their defensive line too? Should they be looking to add even more talent, with the mindset of beating the 49ers at their own game?

For what it’s worth, it wouldn’t necessarily have to be a defensive tackle either. If they believe Chop Robinson has Micah Parsons-level upside — as I do — then he could be an option too. I’m just not sure, having invested so much in Nwosu, Mafe and Hall, whether they want to limit their reps rather than plan for life beyond Jarran Reed (who has one year left on his deal).

Here’s what this would mean for the O-line. It’d likely mean one of Tomlinson or Cody Whitehair at left guard. It’d mean the highest pick you spend on the O-line could be #81. It might mean a line that struggles to function and would be relying on superior coaching and guidance to succeed.

I suppose you could argue that is going to be the case anyway, even if you spend a high pick on one offensive lineman. They are going to be young. There are going to be question marks. But the perception will be that the Seahawks aren’t taking this unit seriously if they ignore it early in the draft. If the line fails in 2024, that will lead to criticism.

It’s a tough call to make. Yet it’s also a debate we should have. The Seahawks can’t afford to just sit comfortably in the middle of the NFL, pretending to compete because at 8-8 they might sneak into the playoffs in the final game (they did in 2022 and failed to in 2023). How do you break out of this zone, short of landing an elite quarterback? Yet until the Seahawks find that player, how do they start to go into seasons feeling as bullish as the 49ers or Eagles in recent years, or as the Lions currently are after a short rebuild? They need a serious plan to become ‘great’ not just ‘good enough not to be bad’ or ‘as balanced as possible’.

A terrifying D-line feels like a pathway to breaking out of being one of the NFL’s ‘beige’ teams.

The one other thing to consider is this is a draft class with starter-level O-liners available in the middle rounds. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with going after Michigan’s linemen — such as Zak Zinter or Trevor Keegan — after they demolished most college opponents last season. The likes of Dominick Puni, Christian Haynes, Mason McCormick, Beaux Limmer and Jacob Monk could offer solutions. There are others you could mention too.

The situation wouldn’t be a total lost cause if you waited until the middle rounds — but again, it’d be risky if it didn’t work.

Given what we know about the Seahawks with Schneider as GM, I suspect they’ve done most of their business on the D-line. This is the GM who once said ‘you can find a nose tackle’ anywhere provided he did the job in college at a reasonable level. I think Johnathan Hankins rotating with Cam Young and/or Jarran Reed is your nose tackle situation sorted. They may well keep Dre’Mont Jones to operate with Leonard Williams as interior rushers, with Mike Morris and Myles Adams mixing in too.

They’ve already used three second round picks at edge rusher in recent years and they paid Nwosu.

My guess is they’re likely going to challenge Macdonald and his staff to turn what they already have into a potent force and they’re much more likely to spend their first two picks on the O-line, rather than gamble on mid-round picks to offer solutions.

It’s a debate worth having though. Should the Seahawks try and add to what they already have on the D-line? Should they try to emulate San Francisco’s ‘you can never have enough good defensive linemen’ approach? Should they be trying to create a pass rush that is the envy of the NFC to find a way to be difference makers in key games, rather than hope a balanced team will be sufficiently good enough as a collective?

I said I’d come back to Michael Penix Jr and his stock. A connected friend reiterated his belief to me this week that the Washington quarterback will be off the board by the #16 pick. In the media, he’s picking up steam at the same time that Drake Maye’s stock seems to be falling. For what it’s worth, I’ve had Penix Jr ahead of Maye on my horizontal board for a while.

Don’t be surprised if Penix Jr goes earlier than many have been thinking. He has flaws, he has medical concerns — but he also has a sensational arm.

I think it’s very plausible Caleb Williams goes #1 to Chicago, the Commanders take Jayden Daniels with the #2 pick. Then it gets interesting. I think the Pats may well look to trade down. I’ve said a few times — Ron Wolf is often mistaken as a quarterback guy. I’ve spoken to people who worked for him and he was all about the trenches. His son, Eliot, may well trade down with the intention of taking an offensive lineman. Or, as my source mentioned, don’t be shocked if they pick Rome Odunze (there are connections there on the staff) or even Michael Penix Jr (they’ve shown a lot of interest).

If the Vikings move up to #3 — there are two trains of thought. One, that they’ll take Maye — in part because Josh McCown, now on the Minnesota staff, coached him in High School. Two, that they’ll prefer J.J. McCarthy because they are an analytically-driven front office and McCarthy has the better analytics in key areas such as third downs and completion percentage when scrambling.

That could set up a situation where it’s a Williams, Daniels and McCarthy top three — and then Arizona will be in an interesting spot. Will teams be prepared to trade up for Maye or will he, as Lance Zierlein has been suggesting, suffer a small drop? Would he get past the Giants at #6? I suspect not, given Brian Daboll has had success with raw, physical talents in the past. But I wouldn’t rule out a Maye fall, or Penix Jr being the fourth off the board.

I don’t think any of this makes it more likely that Fautanu or Fuaga last to #16 though. I think the media is overrating Joe Alt and it’s definitely overrating Olu Fashanu. Besides, with the Chargers, Titans, Bears, Raiders, Saints and potentially the Colts all in the O-line market (Chris Ballard went onto the field at the combine specifically to watch the offensive linemen work out) — we’re still likely to see something of a run on the position.

It won’t be a bad thing if you’re in favour of trading down. Teams in the 20’s and 30’s will be eager to trade up for the last of the top offensive tackles, the top two cornerbacks or the remaining top pass rushers. Brian Thomas Jr could also be a desirable prospect as WR4. There’s a lot of fatalism when it comes to trading down among Seahawks fans (wrongly, in my opinion). This team needs to add talent in a number of areas and this is draft chock-full of possibilities on day two.

I’m heading on vacation for the next week. I’ll still be writing and posting on the blog but I wanted to put a video out before setting off to the airport. Here’s my expectation for what the Seahawks are going to do at #16…

Today I’ll be making an appearance on Brian’s ‘Hawkblogger Mornings’ series, along with Jeff. Do join us for some quality Seahawks debate and discussion.

It’s always good to run through different scenarios and we’ll continue to do that leading up to the draft. However, I think after listening to John Schneider on Seattle Sports yesterday I’m going to go back to what I said a while ago.

Don’t overthink this.

The Seahawks need to do some major repair work to their offensive line. They’ve already invested in the defensive line, by spending huge money on Leonard Williams and signing Johnathan Hankins. They traded for a quarterback in Sam Howell and retained Geno Smith, who they’re now regularly stating is ‘the guy’.

Meanwhile, they’ve filled in other holes at linebacker and safety.

The one position group that has had minimal attention is the O-line. And here we are, preparing for a draft that is universally considered to be one of the best ever for offensive linemen.

Although the Seahawks are determined to avoid drafting for need, it doesn’t really matter in this instance. It’s quite possible the Seahawks already know that the best player available at #16 is almost certainly going to be an offensive lineman based on their grading. Or, at the very least, the linemen will be graded so similarly to other players at other positions that it won’t matter.

This would explain how they’ve approached free agency because right now, they’ve done everything they can to set up an O-line draft.

In Schneider’s latest radio appearance, I got the sense he wanted to shout through the microphone that he had a plan for the O-line and it involved the draft. He confessed that he’s very aware of what the sentiment is within the fan base and media. So what could the plan be?

I’ve thought for a long time that their preference would be for one of Troy Fautanu or Taliese Fuaga to last to #16. They both ideally match the physical style they want to create up front, they’re both athletic and they’re both excellent players. For me, they’re the best two offensive linemen in the draft.

I think the Seahawks will have both comfortably graded higher than Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu. That’s my hunch, anyway.

The problem is, I don’t think either will make it to #16. So this brings me on to something Schneider said about who might be available at that position, versus who might be available if they move down.

What’s the best option? Take the best offer on the table to move down and potentially select from a group that includes Graham Barton, Jordan Morgan and Jackson Powers-Johnson, or stay at #16 and look at J.C. Latham, Amarius Mims or Tyler Guyton?

I don’t think the Seahawks will be tied to a specific O-line position. All of the players I just mentioned can play multiple spots — although Powers-Johnson is strictly an interior blocker.

Take Latham for example. He’s an athletic man-mountain. He could easily play guard or tackle. If you take him, you bring him in and work things out in camp.

Typically when I write this, someone jumps in the comments to say Latham and Abe Lucas are too tall or too big to play guard. Let’s get this out of the way then. Washington last season had Nate Kalepo at guard. He’s 6-6 and 327lbs and a former High School tackle. Before that, Jaxson Kirkland — who is 6-8 and 321lbs — played guard after shifting inside from tackle. Clearly, Scott Huff is very comfortable using big, tall interior linemen. There’s no reason to think players like Latham or Lucas couldn’t kick inside in this scheme.

Schneider did say guards get over-drafted and overpaid. He didn’t say that about tackles or players with the ability to play both positions. Drafting a player with the ability to play tackle long term could also be vital insurance if, sadly, Lucas’ career is cut-short due to his knee problem.

Doesn’t this just make sense? Their plan being, all along, to take advantage of the O-line options in this class — meaning they spend their free agent money elsewhere.

I think this also speaks to a broader possible plan to be young and aggressive up front. From what I can tell, athleticism is critical to Huff’s scheme. Therefore, they were never likely to sign older linemen towards the end of their careers for decent money. George Fant hardly fits that description either. His cap-hit in 2024 is $3.4m. He’s basically a very useful (and cheap) swing-tackle who can play various spots when called upon.

A line in 2024 that includes Charles Cross, another first round pick and Abe Lucas has potential — especially if the likes of Olu Oluwatimi and Anthony Bradford can also be coached up.

The other benefit here is consistency. Someone asked me the other day about the most important feature for a good offensive line and aside from the obvious answer of talent — having five players who understand each other, can work together as a unit and communicate is critical. Very few teams are patient enough to build and grow a line. Consistency is vital and it’s one of the reasons Philadelphia’s line succeeds, on top of their investment.

If you asked me to put $100 on a prediction for Seattle’s draft plans today — my bet would be something like this:

1. Are Fautanu and Fuaga available at #16? If so, one of them will probably be a Seahawk.

2. If not, you have to compare the next group — which could potentially include the likes of Latham, Mims and Guyton — versus trading down and getting more stock. The quality of the offer or offers dictates your interest in trading down.

3. If they do move down, it brings the Barton, Morgan and Powers-Johnson types into play. Or they could pivot to a different position and potentially target Roger Rosengarten on day two.

Everything is set up for the offensive line to be the focus. The quality of the O-line players in the draft, the fact they’ve already reinforced the defensive line, the fact they’ve added a young quarterback, the fact they’ve signed linebackers and safeties.

I seriously wish they had more picks because there are so many players at a variety of positions you’d love to add. It’s going to be painful watching so many of them leave the board for other teams.

Ultimately though, I think the Seahawks will be O-line centric early on. They’ll likely add a tight end at some point (there are several who hit the targets for 10-yard split & great agility testing) and they’ll add depth at linebacker too (they are meeting with two great options in Nathaniel Watson and Tyrice Knight).

A final point on the defensive line — like other people, I love the idea of turning it into a dominant force and adding a high pick to this unit. I generally think you’re better off trying to build one great unit instead of trying to create an unrealistic full-roster balance.

Isn’t it just a numbers game, though? They have Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Johnathan Hankins, Cam Young, Myles Adams and Mike Morris. I appreciate Jones might be trade bait later in the year to create cap space — but even then, this is a lot of investment to also throw in a first or second round pick. They have a rotation here, plus they clearly believe Williams can be a star performer based on the investment in him. I’d be open to adding another player if they truly believe in one of the bigger names available — I’m just not sure they will.

Likewise at edge rusher. They recently paid Uchenna Nwosu a handsome salary, while investing high second round picks in Boye Mafe and Derick Hall. They also used a second rounder on Darrell Taylor and just re-signed him too. If you spend a first round pick on an edge rusher, doesn’t that just put a road-block in the way for Mafe and Hall? While fans might not mind that, the man who made those two picks is still in charge and probably hoping his new staff can get more out of the players he’s already invested in. Remember, the Seahawks’ official website revealed they had a firm first round grade on Hall last year.

With the recent news that they have some interest in Randy Gregory, he might end up being someone who comes in as part of the rotation — rather than a top pick being used on another edge rusher. Mike Macdonald succeeded with an ageing Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy (who’s still available) in Baltimore, so I’m not convinced another edge rusher is a priority (but it’d obviously depend on how they grade the available players).

At linebacker, they certainly need competition. Do they spend a high pick, though? Just because Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson are on prove-it deals? I’m not sure they will think that way, rather than look for depth and competition later on.

Philosophically you can look at it two ways. On the one hand, the Seahawks matching their biggest need with the biggest strength in the draft makes sense. On the other, are they ever going to be able to make one side of the ball elite by essentially trying to match-up a way to create a complete roster in free agency and the draft? Or do they have to pick their poison and attack offense or defense? What’s your identity? Being great at one thing, then building from there, also makes sense.

Arguments can be made for either view — but I do think if you take a step back, don’t overthink things and just look at what’s available in this draft class — it seems very obvious what the Seahawks will do with their first pick. It will be an offensive lineman, short of a dramatic trade down that changes the complexion of where they’re picking in a big way.

Signing Laken Tomlinson or Cody Whitehair is unlikely to change that.

Seahawks add to official 30 visit list

Tyrice Knight, Malachi Corley, John Rhys Plumlee and Grayson Murphy are all confirmed as making a trip to Seattle. Per Tony Pauline, big nose tackle Khristian Boyd will also visit. A separate report confirmed linebacker Nathaniel Watson would also take an official-30 visit.

I really like Watson — an old-school, heavy-hitting linebacker with outstanding blitz potential. There are a couple of reasons why Seahawks fans should keep him in mind. Firstly, he called the plays for the Mississippi State defense. John Schneider highlighted how much value they placed on Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson being ‘green dot’ players (meaning they get the defensive play-calls in their helmets) when they were signed. Watson fits that mould too.

Secondly, Mike Macdonald recently referenced the need for players to be able to blitz in his scheme. Watson had 21 career sacks at Mississippi State and 35 TFL’s. Jim Nagy told us in our interview yesterday he’s an ideal fit for a 3-4 defense and can play inside or outside linebacker. It’s no surprise he’s on Seattle’s radar. When I watched him I thought he’d be an ideal target — and while I have him graded in round three, I think he could be available in round four.

Boyd was a combine snub after impressing at the Shrine Bowl. On tape he does flash some quickness for his size. It’ll be interesting to see how he tests — he’s going to do a joint session with Cooper DeJean on the 8th April given both players are currently rehabbing from injury.

Michael Penix Jr at #16?

A source who was at UW messaged me yesterday, as soon as Penix Jr ran his forty, with the number ‘4.53’. Regulars to the blog will know this isn’t unexpected. When I was at the facility last year, I saw the testing data for Washington’s players. Penix Jr has actually jumped a 38 inch vertical, as noted in November, which is better than his pro-day number of 36.5 inches. So the fact he’s a great athlete is no big shock.

That same source told me a few weeks ago, when I asked about Penix Jr’s likely draft range, that he didn’t see him getting to #16. The medicals will obviously impact things. Yet increasingly it does feel like Vegas at #13 could be a serious landing spot — if not one of the teams picking before the Raiders. It’s quite easy to imagine Brian Daboll appreciating his arm talent and the Giants took a large contingent to Washington’s pro-day.

However, two mocks paired the Husky quarterback to Seattle yesterday. Firstly, Colin Cowherd had the Seahawks trading up to #12 to take him. Then, Charles Davis put Penix Jr at #16 in his latest projection.

As I wrote the other day, I don’t think it’s something to be dismissed. Increasingly though, I don’t think he’ll be there. The arm talent is too good. If teams are willing to look beyond Drake Maye’s poor technique and J.J. McCarthy’s physical limitations — provided Penix Jr is medically cleared, why won’t teams look beyond the inconsistencies in his game for a shot at having that arm lead them to glory?

Schneider mentioned recently that part of the reason for trading for Sam Howell was because they looked at the NFL landscape and saw numerous teams who needed quarterbacks picking ahead of them. I think he anticipates five could be off the board by #16. Thus, he made the Howell trade and is expecting to do something else with the top pick.

If he does last though — or if the Seahawks can trade down and take him later on — it shouldn’t be a huge shock.

Notes on Drake Maye’s pro-day

Back in 2021, I remember watching Trey Lance’s pro-day and thinking it was a really poor session. Numerous passes were off target or incomplete. Yet after, Lance gained rave reviews. It didn’t make any sense — unlike Lance’s predictable struggle to transfer to the pro’s. San Francisco’s decision to bet the farm on a player who’d shown so little in college was remarkable. He was taken for size and traits — yet neither were so good to warrant the incredible haul the 49ers spent.

Maye’s pro-day wasn’t as bad as Lance’s — but I don’t think it was a million miles off. I have a lot of similar concerns.

He started the session extremely poorly. On basic routes just to get warmed up, he sailed passes over the heads of receivers or threw behind. These were just easy lay-ups to get things going.

The same problems you see on tape were on show here. His footwork is not good, he moves off the center and drifts — preventing the opportunity to set with base and throw consistently. This messes with his mechanics and too often the ball placement suffers.

It’s stating the obvious to say when you see something on tape then it happens again in a setting 100% designed for the quarterback to impress — with no defenders on the field — that’s a concern.

When he planted his feet and threw with a strong base you could see how much more comfortable he was. Yet the team drafting Maye is going to probably have to spend considerable time working on his technique, footwork and mechanics before he takes the field. Or, they’re going to have to suffer as he learns on the fly.

Later on in the session he did the usual trendy ‘throwing across your body’ passes downfield — which make for great social media videos but tell us very little in terms of quarterbacking. There’s no doubt that Maye has an arm. I’m just not convinced that it’s ‘that’ special to warrant ignoring some of the flaws that appear over and over again on tape with the belief that over time he’ll iron things out.

In 2023 he did not play well. There are several games where you’re left scratching your head not just with his footwork but also his decision making. He isn’t the same physical talent, in my opinion, as Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. Both of those two players made ‘wow’ throws a year ago that I haven’t seen from Maye. Anyone taking him will be banking on a Josh Allen style development process — but for me he simply isn’t an Allen level physical talent.

I completely understand why analysts such as Lance Zierlein have suggested Maye could fall in the draft. If I were a team like the Vikings, I would not be trading major resources to go after Maye or J.J. McCarthy. I can understand why the New England Patriots are supposedly receptive to trading down.

Speaking of Jayden Daniels — I thought what I saw from his pro-day was good not great. He finished well with some nice bombs and showed off an impressive arm for the deep throws. His velocity on throws to the short and mid-range was also impressive. Physically there are no concerns here — but his accuracy did suffer a little early on.

Neither pro-day came close to the tempo, scripting and quality of CJ Stroud’s a year ago.

Updated TEF scores

Many offensive linemen opted not to do the bench press at pro-day, meaning we still have incomplete scores. However, here are confirmed TEF scores for a handful of players:

Mason McCormick — 3.60
Jacob Monk — 3.10
Blake Fisher — 2.89
Karsen Barnhart — 2.87
Charles Turner — 2.84
Amarius Mims — 2.72
Trente Jones — 2.71
Cooper Beebe — 2.66

There’s been a bit of talk recently that Cooper Beebe isn’t as highly regarded as the media thinks. I do wonder if this extremely poor testing score — which includes just 20 reps on the bench press despite benefitting from short arms — is one of the reasons why teams have soured a bit on Beebe. Explosive testing isn’t the be-all and end-all — but Beebe hasn’t performed well after opting to skip the Senior Bowl — a big mistake on his behalf.

Meanwhile, Mason McCormick is now officially the second most explosive tester since we started using the formula in 2016. This is likely one of the reasons why his stock, unlike Beebe’s, is rising.

Here’s a full list of confirmed TEF scores for this year:

Beaux Limmer — 3.68
Mason McCormick — 3.60
Jarrett Kingston — 3.29
Frank Crum — 3.19
Kingsley Suamataia — 3.11
Jacob Monk — 3.10
Jackson Powers-Johnson — 3.04
Joe Alt — 3.02
Tanor Bortolini — 2.94
Nick Gargiulo — 2.90
Blake Fisher — 2.89
Karsen Barnhart — 2.87
Charles Turner — 2.84
Christian Haynes — 2.83
KT Leveston — 2.81
Delmar Glaze — 2.79
Gottlieb Ayedze — 2.75
Amarius Mims — 2.72
Trente Jones — 2.71
Drake Nugent — 2.70
Sataoa Laumea — 2.69
Cooper Beebe — 2.66
Keaton Bills — 2.66
Javion Cohen — 2.56
Isaiah Adams — 2.45
X’Zauvea Gadlin — 2.40

Two strong pro-day performances

Duke’s Graham Barton is a terrific player and a likely first round pick. At his pro-day he ran a fantastic 4.84 forty and a 4.43 short shuttle. These are outstanding times. He also managed to get his arms measured at 33-inches (he’s 6-5 and 311lbs). Barton can play any position on the line and will be a coveted player.

Washington State pass rusher Brennan Jackson ran a really good short shuttle of 4.34 at his pro-day. He’s a seriously underrated player who is going to provide great value and leadership to a team. You can check out my interview with him here.

Chad Reuter projects a trade scenario for Seattle

With no pick between #16 and #81, the chances are the Seahawks will look to move down in round one. However, this is only possible if there’s a buyer willing to present a reasonable offer. There’s no guarantee of this. The Seahawks would also need to be wary of passing on a player that another team is so desperate to move up for.

In Reuter’s latest piece for NFL.com, he suggests the Chiefs move up to #16 from #32 to get Xavier Worthy. I would be stunned if the Chiefs needed to make that kind of move for Worthy. It’d make a lot more sense to do that for LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr or an offensive tackle.

The Chiefs are one of the few teams who can justify being aggressive. Per Reuter’s suggestion, the Seahawks would get the #64 pick and a 2025 third rounder to drop down half a round.

This is where the problem lies. That’s a massive drop for just one additional pick this year. Plus, you’re getting the last pick in round two. If the Chiefs continue to thrive, that 2025 third rounder will be nearer a fourth rounder.

I’m not sure I’d take that deal. I’d want more. Make that 2025 pick a second rounder, perhaps. Or make it Kansas City’s 2025 first rounder straight up, with no additional pick this year (or perhaps chuck in a fourth rounder).

I do not fear trading down. Some of the elite players in the league have been drafted in the 30’s — T.J. Watt, Lamar Jackson and Chris Jones, for example. I appreciate this fan base is scarred by memories of L.J. Collier but this is a different draft with some attractive options set to go in the #30-45 range. That’s why the Texans were so willing to move down in their deal with the Vikings.

I’d even be willing to trade down a couple of times, frankly. But it has to be for the right deal and the truth is — the right deal might not be there.

Quick hitters on a few players

— I’ve recently seen plenty of mocks with Brock Bowers sinking down boards. He is the ultimate mismatch weapon for the modern NFL. He won’t get out of the top-15. The Jets are in win-now-at-all-costs mode and just traded for Haason Reddick. If the top-three receivers are gone by #10 — I bet they take Bowers.

— Jim Nagy said in our interview that T’Vondre Sweat might be the most unique player in the draft. You can definitely make a strong case. You see every pound of his 366lbs frame when he connects with blockers and manhandles them. The fact he has an effective swim-move to work off it, at his size, is astonishing. A word of caution though. The feeling going into the 2023 season was that Sweat struggled to control his weight and had been a disappointment at Texas. There was hope the light had come on in his final year and so it proved. Yet when Jim relays a story about scouts/teams saying they didn’t expect Sweat to last the full week in Mobile — especially after he chose not to weigh-in — it shows that there’s scepticism within the league about his conditioning. Can he stay motivated? Can he last through 17 highly intense NFL games? Can he control his weight? I’d suggest he didn’t play at 366lbs last season, for example. These are valid questions to discuss. So while he’s a very intriguing, very unique player — there are also clear reasons why he might last into the second half of round two.

Case in point, here are a couple of quotes from Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Sweat:

“He’s going to go first round but he’s an overweight lazy (bleep),” a second scout said. “He is very talented. He’s always going to have a weight problem. You can take that to the bank. He played in spurts the last couple years. But the big, strong (bleep) is hard to move.”

“He’s been up to almost 400,” said a third scout. “He’s like 380 something in-season. His football character is terrible. For people that don’t care he’s got top-two round ability. He’s not quite the freak show that Jordan Davis was but for a big, fat guy he does some pretty impressive (bleep).”

— Troy Fautanu is the best left tackle in the draft. Forget all this talk of a move to guard. He’s a legit tackle. He’s superior to Joe Alt — who let’s not forget, lost the left tackle competition to Blake Fisher at Notre Dame and only got the job due to an injury to Fisher. I think it’s optimistic to think Fautanu lasts to #16. I’d be very surprised if one of the teams picking in front of Seattle didn’t take him with the clear intention of starting him at tackle.

Here’s McGinn’s sources on Fautanu:

“I really, really like the athlete. I could see him playing left tackle because his pass pro is unreal. Plus, he’s got some prick in him. (Taliese) Fuaga played hard; he’s just not as mean as this guy. The combination of mean and athletic usually doesn’t happen. Usually you’re asking for one or the other. I think he can play left tackle at 6-3 ½ because he compensates with almost 35-inch arms and exceptional feet. Of the top guys, he has the best feet.”

“I think he’ll end up being a guard because he’s so quick and mobile. He won’t have the height or arm length you want for left tackle but he can play left tackle. I have him in the top 10 picks but I don’t know if you take a guard there. The Colts took that guy from Notre Dame (Quenton Nelson, No. 6, 2018) but I think I can find guards.”

If you didn’t watch the Jim Nagy interview yesterday, please do. There’s so much great info here so check it out, share it on other sites and forums and social media:

It’s a privilege every year to have an opportunity to interview Jim Nagy from the Reese’s Senior Bowl, to talk about players ahead of the upcoming draft. Jim was incredibly generous with his time — so sit back and enjoy nearly 40 minutes of draft analysis below.

If you are a big Seattle sports fan and appreciate quality sports talk, analysis and humour, subscribe to Jason Puckett’s new venture at Puck Sports. It’s available wherever you get your podcasts, plus YouTube.

I’m delighted to be joining the show for my weekly slot that was previously on the radio, talking Seahawks with Jason. If you are a fan of Seahawks Draft Blog, do me a favour and get behind this. Subscribe, promote the show on social media, listen and enjoy the content. In the 16 years of writing this website there are three people in the Seattle media who’ve gone above and beyond to generously promote the blog and the work we do. Two of those people are Jason and Jim Moore. So let’s get this new show off to a flying start. If anyone reading this could subscribe either on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whatever your preference is, that would be awesome.

You can listen to an introductory opener from Jason here: