Ever since the DK Metcalf trade I’ve been pushing back on mock drafts pairing the Seahawks with a receiver.
They won’t do that! It’s lazy! Have they not heard what they’ve said about the kind of team they want to build!?
Some of that remains true. I do think there’s minimal thought going into those mocks. ‘Replace Metcalf’ will be the prevailing thought. That isn’t going to be their mentality and they’ll only take a receiver if the value matches up.
However, I need to course-correct on my initial stance on a receiver at #18. From conversations I’ve had with people who, let’s just say, ‘know their stuff’, in the last few days — clearly there’s a receiver many of us have been underestimating.
Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is loved within league circles.
The general perception online seems to be that he’s a fairly unspectacular #2. Speaking to people in the league in the last few days, I can tell you the feeling in the NFL is very different.
One source told me he was ‘the guy‘ at Ohio State. The person everyone looked up to, who best exemplified the competitive spirit that helped the Buckeyes win a National Championship. That’s on a roster that included Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Will Howard, Tyleik Williams, Lathan Ransom, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and future high picks like Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs. He’s the one people came to for advice. He set the tone.
His interviews have gone down a storm and he is seen as a gritty, mature presence who already commands himself like a league veteran.
Physically he has far more upside than people realise. He ran a forty in the 4.4’s and jumped a 38-inch vertical. I’m told he won most of the 1v1 basketball games at Ohio State.
People in the league feel he is a good combination of decent ceiling and high floor, someone who can be a reliable production machine at the next level and add a lot to your locker room. It speaks to his physical demeanour that he’s committed to blocking duties and excels.
I was told he’ll be a first round pick.
The player comp? Potentially, Amon-Ra St. Brown. Others have suggested Chris Godwin. Some think that while he isn’t quite as good coming into the league as former Ohio State team-mates Marvin Harrison Jr and Garrett Wilson, he is superior to Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
This is all information worth taking on board. Adding another receiver isn’t Seattle’s greatest need. That’s the offensive line, obviously. But Egbuka ticks so many boxes for the Seahawks. Character, reliability, physical upside, production. He’s their type of guy.
They’ve also put a lot of emphasis on ‘wanting to be here’ after DK Metcalf effectively forced his way off the team. Geno Smith seemingly wanted out too due to his huge salary demands. The Raiders have so far not been able to agree a deal with him either. It didn’t take the Seahawks long to re-assign their jersey numbers to Sam Darnold and Uchenna Nwosu.
Egbuka, originally from Steilacoom, is a self-confessed “huge Seahawks fan” who grew up following the team.
It’s possible he’ll be on a short-list of very viable targets at #18.
Daniel Jeremiah is clearly hearing similar things. He moved Egbuka up six spots in his latest top-50 board to 17th overall. If you put any faith in Jeremiah’s rankings, taking him at #18 will not be a reach.
This line chimes with what I heard:
“He’s earned rave reviews from NFL teams for the knowledge and leadership he’s shown when they meet with him.”
You might ask, do they need another receiver like this? I think it’s important to remember that the Seahawks are now running the Shanahan offense. Look at the receivers San Francisco have had in recent years. Brandon Aiyuk, Jacob Cowing, Ricky Pearsall, Deebo Samuel. None of them are DK Metcalf type size/speed types. They have Jauan Jennings to offer some size but he ran a 4.72 forty at his combine.
The LA Rams meanwhile, who run the same system, excelled with Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua.
If the Seahawks are going down this route, they are far more likely to draft someone like Egbuka to pair with Smith-Njiba than try and find a direct Metcalf replacement. I would also suggest there’s likely to be a lot of emphasis placed on finding a dynamic receiving tight end — which is why I think Elijah Arroyo will be strongly on their radar.
The other thing to consider is just how respected and valued Tyler Lockett was in Seattle. They loved his reliability and attitude. I think it’s totally plausible they’ll see some of him in Egbuka in terms of the personality, professionalism and ability to make critical plays in big moments.
Cooper Kupp is a short-term signing and might only last a year. Nothing about his addition stops them from drafting Egbuka if that’s the direction they want to take.
It was interesting last week that Tony Pauline passed on thoughts within the league that Egbuka would go in the middle part of round one, with a run on receivers starting with the Seahawks at #18.
Again, I appreciate Tony passes on a lot of rumours and some clearly some don’t hit. I will remind people, though, that he correctly said a year ago that Byron Murphy was the guy they wanted (but they didn’t think he’d last) and he was also the first person to say, in an interview with SDB, that there were concerns over Troy Fautanu’s knee. Nobody else had that before Tony. It kept him out for his entire rookie season. It was spot-on information.
It doesn’t mean Tony will be right about this. Yet it’s something else to consider when weighing up whether Egbuka will go earlier than expected and that the Seahawks might be the ones to take him.
Clearly he’s not the only option. I’ve written similar things about Malaki Starks’ combination of talent, maturity and character. He feels like a strong alternative. Ditto Grey Zabel. I can well imagine them having interest in Colston Loveland (but don’t expect there’s any chance he will last to #18). Jahdae Barron and Donovan Ezeiruakun also feel like Seahawks and they’re clearly at least intrigued by Nick Emmanwori — who comes across well when he speaks.
Just don’t be surprised if they take Egbuka in round one. He’s like a lot of their recent first round picks. They would then have to address the O-line on day two but good options exist and they have four picks.
It’s also worth saying that they might be forced to look at other areas at #18. There’s no guarantee Zabel lasts to the Seahawks. His tape is very good. His character is excellent. His testing shows an athlete as explosive as Tristan Wirfs and as nimble as Nate Solder. He is worthy of a top-20 pick. It’s possible the Dolphins, Colts, Cardinals and Bengals take him off the board.
I don’t think any other O-liner at #18 necessarily fits what they’re looking for in terms of physical upside, character and scheme (as much as I like Tyler Booker). They might be forced to look at other positions. Seeking value though, rather than forcing anything, will be the order of the day.
For more on Egbuka and other things I’ve heard about the NFL draft, check out the video below:
