Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: All 7 rounds!
By Keith Myers
Round 4: James Cowser, DE, Southern Utah
In today’s NFL, teams cannot afford to go through a draft without adding at least one pass rusher. The Seahawks don’t need starters, but they do need to add to their rotation to help keep their starters fresh.
James Cowser is an undersized speed rusher in the Chris Clemons mold. He has great athleticism, but lacks the bulk to hold up against the run at the point of attack.
Cowser plays smart and is always in control. He locates the ball well and closes with proper balance and angles.
Ideally, Cowser would be a situational pass rusher as a rookie, playing only in obvious passing situations. He’ll be a liability against the run, but that isn’t what an NFL team will be drafting him to do.
Round 5c: Daryl Worley, CB, West Virginia
It wouldn’t be a John Schneider draft if he didn’t find a late round CB with good length and ball skills. This year, one such option is West Virginia CB Daryl Worley.
Worley led the Mountaineers with 12 pass deflections and six interceptions. That’s a good barometer for his ball skills. He gets his hands on a lot of footballs.
Worley is a guy that needs some work on his footwork. There are plenty of wasted steps right now, but that is nothing uncommon for draft prospects.
He’ll also have to learn the kick-step technique that the Seahawks require. That isn’t something that happens quickly, which is why we see most CBs have a redshirt year before getting on the field.
Round 6c: Travis Freeney, OLB, Washington
Even with Bruce Irvin now a free agent, the Seahawks don’t need an outside linebacker. They already have Eric Pinkins and Kevin Pierre-Louis who are battling for playing time.
Still, additional depth never hurts. This is especially true if the player can play special teams right away, and has the potential to develop into a starter.
Washington’s Travis Freeney definitely checks both of those boxes. The former strong safety is a phenomenal athlete with great cover skills. He is a bit undersized, but he has room on his frame to fill out and add the necessary weight.
His tackling technique needs work, and his shoulder injury history will force him down into the later rounds of the draft. Otherwise, Freeney is a guy that would be getting mocked into the late second to early third round range.
Round 7: Steven Scheu, TE, Vanderbilt
Steven Scheu is a big target with soft hands. He’s also got the short area quickness to get off the line and get open underneath. He offers a large catch radius, which is definitely a nice piece to add to the puzzle.
While he doesn’t have the straight line speed to be major contributor in the passing game, he can be a reliable target in the red zone and on third down. He won’t beat defenses down the seem, but the Seahawks have Luke Willson and Jimmy Graham for that.
Scheu’s real value though is in the running game. He is a solid blocker, and shows good ability to locate and engage linebackers at the second level.
Scheu offers the Seahawks a reliable addition to the rotation. He would also be a low-cost replacement for the ineffective Cooper Helfets and Chase Coffmans they’ve tried at the position.
Round 7c: Devon Johnson, FB, Marshall
With Tukuafu and Coleman both free agents, and Coleman facing some legal problems, the Seahawks are in need of a new fullback. Marshall’s Devon Johnson is the type of player the Seahawks like at the position.
Much like Coleman, Johnson was a RB in college. At 253 lbs., he has the size and power and be an effective lead blocker at the next level. He also shows skill as a pass blocker. Johnson also has soft hands, and runs decent routes out of the backfield.
The downside with Johnson as a runner is that he has no wiggle whatsoever. He’ll run people over, but does not have any ability to make someone miss. He also doesn’t have great speed, which greatly lowers his ceiling as a runner.
Neither of those things are a problem though if he is moved to FB. He won’t need to make people miss or run away from anyone. His job will be to read running lanes and crush linebackers, and these are things he can definitely do.