With some major changes to the roster, it’s time to start mocking how this new-look Seahawks team could come together at the NFL Draft.
After a franchise-altering week that saw the mass exodus of some of the most recognizable Seattle Seahawks, John Schneider went to work and has begun the process of reloading (or rebuilding) this team in his and Mike Macdonald’s image.
With the acquisitions of Sam Darnold, Marques Valdez-Scantling, DeMarcus Lawrence and a certain hometown hero, Seattle has made it clear that they intend to compete for the division in the wide open NFC West. Much to the relief of so many Seahawks fans, it appears that talented offensive lineman Teven Jenkins will also be in Seattle on Monday for a free agent visit.
While there should still be a chunk of cap space available after a potential Jenkins signing, I would expect most of the roster building to be complete when it comes to the free agency front. The draft is where we’ll see the next critical stage in a crossroads season for Schneider. With 10 picks and five in the top 100, John will have as much of an opportunity as anyone to add both real talent and depth to a roster that simply needs more blue chip players.
While this may not be the deepest draft for projected stars, there is a deep wave of ready to play guys along the trenches. This is the type of draft that the Seahawks needed, and they have the ammo to make some noise. So without further ado, here is my Seattle seven round mock draft after the first week of free agency.
Round 1, pick 18 – Kenneth Grant, defensive tackle, Michigan
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I can already hear you yelling at me, “Where’s the offensive linemen!” I promise you, we’ll get there. I said this was a deep class in the trenches, and that means the Seahawks can get day one starters along the trenches not just on day one of the draft, but days two and the early part of day three.
With Grant, Seattle is adding one of the most talented athletic freaks in the draft. Grant, a Michigan man, will be a potential target by his former coach in LA’s John Harbaugh, but the former Wolverines DC steals the talented defensive tackle before the Chargers pick at No. 22.
The draft isn’t just about trying to fix your weaknesses, but also creating overwhelming strengths that can give you an elite unit. Adding Kenneth to an interior defensive line unit that already has Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy may seem like overkill, but if you watched the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, you saw what a consistent overwhelming pass rush up the middle can do.
Grant is one of the most talented players in this draft, and could give the Seahawks one of the two or three best defensive lines in the NFL. Macdonald gets him man.
Round 2, pick 50 – Tate Ratledge, guard, Georgia
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There you go! With pick No. 50, Seattle gets another college football champion with the Bulldogs captain. Ratledge, who missed time this year due to injury, was still impressive enough to be named a third team all-American. Now fully healthy, Tate was arguably the biggest winner at the NFL Combine.
A dominant combine performance, highlighted by a 4.97 40 yard dash time, led to Ratledge posting a 9.97 RAS score, which is the fifth-best score from an offensive guard since 1987. On top of his physical performance and production in college, Tate also showed some potential versatility when he performed some drills at the center position in Indianapolis.
His best position is RG, and a spot that I think he’d immediately be the day one starter, if selected by Seattle. With Jenkins a possible addition at LG, Ratledge can come in with his majestic mullet and add talent and an attitude that this offensive line desperately needs.
Round 2, pick 52 – Elic Ayomanor, wide receiver, Stanford
I’ve been circling pick No. 52 as a logical spot to find a wide out or tight end to replace some of the DK Metcalf production. Jack Bech is a name I’d have a very hard time passing on, but with the addition of Cooper Kupp, I think the Seahawks need someone that can be a real threat on the outside. Enter Ayomanor.
You may not have heard much of Ayomanor, as Stanford has completely fallen off the map of college football in the past decade. Despite a lack of talent around him, Ayomanor was the lone bright spot on a Cardinal team that went 6-18 the past two seasons. During his time in Palo Alto, Elic averaged over 62 catches for 922 yards and six scores.
In the one game where he had a chance to shine, boy did he ever. Against Colorado during the apex of the Prime Mania, Ayomanor single handedly stunned the Buffaloes on the road, posting an insane 13 catches for 294 yards and three scores in an OT victory. Against future top pick Travis Hunter, Elic had seven catches for 133 yards and two of his touchdowns.
This is a guy who just needs some talent around him, as we’ve seen what he can do against real NFL talent. At 6-1 206 lbs, Ayomanor has arguably the best hands in this draft class and is a go up and get type of wide out that Seattle has lacked for far too long.
Round 3, pick 82 – Quinn Ewers, quarterback, Texas
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Arguably the most polarizing player of this draft class, it makes sense to have him join the Seahawks. Despite people’s strong opinions about Ewers, I simply see a player that played through a very unique and serious oblique tear and ankle injury, impacting his plus mobility and arm strength.
His inability to play a full college season gives me pause about asking him to eventually play 19-20 games. I also know that this former top prospect looks like a borderline first round pick when healthy, and had been the unquestioned leader at Texas, despite all the pressure that came from that fanbase and the Archie Manning cloud.
I think Quinn could really benefit from a redshirt year. Get his body fully healthy, and get his mind wrapped around the Kubiak scheme. Potentially, there may not be a better scheme/QB fit than the version of Ewers we know Schneider likes. He makes a lot of sense to prepare behind Sam Darnold.
Round 3, pick 92 – Terrance Ferguson, tight end, Oregon
Sticking in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle gets a piece of a very deep and talented tight end group, with Ferguson hopping on over to Seattle.
On an extremely stacked Ducks squad, Ferguson found a way to make the most of his opportunities, catching 43 passes for 591 yards and three touchdowns. He’s an above average blocker and at 6-5 255 lbs, provides good size as a target in the middle. When watching the beat down that the Ducks took from Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Terrance was one of the few players who looked like they belonged on the field.
The tight end position is vital to the success of the Kubiak scheme, and a young duo of Barner and Ferguson for the future has the potential to be a very nasty partnership in 12 personnel.
Round 4, pick 137 – Seth McLaughlin, center, Ohio State
I think Seattle is getting a potential starter here at center in the fourth round, as long as the medicals check out on McLaughlin. Before a torn Achilles tendon, Seth was one of the best centers in college football, helping lead the Buckeyes to a 10-1 start before his injury. Known as a steady blocker with a high floor and the intelligence to make the necessary calls in the Kubiak scheme, McLaughlin could be a potential steal here.
He also may be another red shirt type of draft pick, but with the somewhat safe floor of Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell, it makes sense to have a long-term investment in a player like McLaughlin.
Round 5, pick 172 – Teddye Buchanan, linebacker, California
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If Ratledge doesn’t have the best hair in the draft, Teddye Buchanan may be right there. Buchanan was an all Big Sky linebacker for UC Davis before transferring to California this season and being one of the most underrated linebackers in college football.
The 6-2 234 lbs San Francisco native totaled 114 tackles with five sacks and two forced fumbles while leading one of the best defenses in all of college football last year.
I believe that Buchanan can play on Sundays as a modern linebacker, being an athletic spell to Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight, but I also believe he has the potential to be a plus player on special teams.
Round 5, pick 175 – Kitan Crawford, safety, Nevada
A pleasant surprise last year was the play of Julian Love and Coby Bryant at the safety spots. With Bryant a potential free agent after the season, it makes sense to add some depth to the group, and Crawford is an interesting prospect.
After essentially getting pushed out at Texas, Crawford landed in Reno and had his best year yet. Kitan had 76 combined tackles, seven passes broken up and two INT’s, including a pick six. At the combine, Crawford had the second best athleticism score, consistently right behind Nick Emmanwori.
I like Emmanwori, but Kitan can be selected 100+ picks later and may not be too far off of a player.
Round 7, pick 223 – Jackson Hawes, tight end, Georgia Tech
Welcome Will Dissly 2.0, as the Seahawks add a guy that I think could be Kubiak’s potential fullback answer. The unquestioned best blocker in this draft, Hawes doesn’t project much as a receiver, but he could find himself as a real asset to the roster at multiple positions and formations.
If Seattle does indeed find a fullback in free agency, I still like Hayes as a TE3 guy, as we may not see Noah Fant make the roster on his current contract.
Round 7, pick 234 – Efton Chism, wide receiver, Eastern Washington
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What’s better than one Eastern Washington Eagle? How about two! With Cooper Kupp’s addition, it makes all the sense in the world to draft the guy who just did his best Kupp impersonation on the red turf out in Cheney.
Chism had an impressive 2024, leading the FCS with 120 receptions, over 1,300 receiving yards and 13 scores. The two time all-American also has over 900 career return yards. The receiving potential of him is interesting, as he essentially profiles as a poor man’s Kupp, so let him learn from the best.
His true value is as a returner. The Seahawks desperately need some stability at an underrated position on their special teams. Maybe the local product can provide that.