It’s no surprise the Seahawks have an official-30 visit scheduled with LSU tight end Mason Taylor. Even with Noah Fant contracted for another year and with AJ Barner having a decent rookie season, it feels like this is a potential target position in the draft.
As John Boyle noted on Twitter this week, under Klint Kubiak the Saints ran 480 snaps in 12, 22 and 13 personnel last season. That’s compared to 202 snaps for the Seahawks under Ryan Grubb.
It’s not just a question of snaps. Anyone who’s tracked the game for any length of time will have noticed how important the tight end position is in the Mike/Kyle Shanahan offense. Although Fant is a former top-20 pick himself with a decent athletic profile, he feels very much like a draft hedge rather than a clear answer for this position.
So what might be the plan for the draft?
At #18 they’re likely to be on the outside looking in for the top two players — Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. There are Seahawks fans online that have allowed themselves to believe Loveland will last to #18 — in part because sections of the media have underestimated his standing.
Some teams have him graded higher than Warren. Both players are among the top handful of players in the draft. I’d fully expect both to be gone by the time the Colts pick at #14.
The second tier at the position includes two more players — Elijah Arroyo and Taylor. Both should go in the top-40 but would arguably be a reach at #18.
That creates a dilemma. Seattle is outside of the range to get any of the quartet.
So will they trade up from either #18 or #50?
I’m guessing the idea of moving up for a tight end won’t sit well with many given the positional value. Again though, in this offense the tight end may end up effectively being your first or second best weapon.
I think the latest Warren will last is pick #10 and Chicago. Loveland’s floor is likely the Colts at #14. Let’s say both players are on the board when the Bears are on the clock. They don’t own a fourth round pick and may be interested in acquiring extra stock.
Per the draft trade chart, pick #50 would get you from #18 to #10. To move above the Colts, you’d have to give up #82 and probably your 2026 third rounder to get to #13.
It’d be a steep price either way but there’s something else to consider other than the potential desire to add an elite tight end to the offense.
This is a draft class with very few ‘legit’ first round players. Warren and Loveland fit the bill. Let’s look at how both players are ranked according to some of the draft pundits online:
Daniel Jeremiah — Warren #5, Loveland #6
Mel Kiper — Warren #7, Loveland #11
Todd McShay — Warren #5, Loveland #8
Lance Zierlein — Warren #4, Loveland #5
In my revised rankings I think they’re the fifth and sixth best players in the draft.
Zierlein grades Warren as a 6.77 and Loveland and as 6.70. The next highest graded player is given a 6.50. According to his tape study, there is a significant drop in talent once they leave the board, along with Ashton Jeanty, Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter.
The Seahawks have not had an opportunity to draft a player with that level of grading in a long time. Here are their most recent first round picks and their grades according to Zierlein:
Charles Cross — 6.44
Devon Witherspoon — 6.47
Jaxon Smith-Njigba — 6.43
Byron Murphy — 6.48
If they last to #10 it will not be down to talent. It’ll be down to perceived positional value and/or need.
This could be an opportunity to add a legit player to the roster that otherwise wouldn’t last until #18. You could make Warren or Loveland your immediate focal point in the passing game with Smith-Njigba.
One other thing to note is the trade chart isn’t always adhered to strictly. In 2023 the Steelers moved from #17 up to #14 and it only cost them a fourth rounder (#120). New England should’ve expected 150 points back from Pittsburgh in the deal, instead they only got 54.
Is it beyond the realms of possibility the Seahawks could use one of their two third round picks to move up the board and still keep their two second rounders? I wouldn’t rule it out.
The other possibility is that you trade up from #50 to try and get Arroyo or Taylor. I think Arroyo is an ideal fit in every way for this offense. He might go in the late first round. If he lasted to pick #35, you could use #92 and one of your two fifth round picks to move up from #50.
It’s just something to file away in the back of your minds. With five picks in the first two days the Seahawks can be aggressive if they want to be.
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