Seahawks 7 round mock, post free agency edition

Now that most of the more impactful free agents have signed, let’s take a look at how the Seahawks might attack this year’s NFL draft.

We are now in the second month of the NFL’s Offseason That Never Ends. Free agency is clearly in it’s second wave. The biggest names are off the market and teams are grinding out their draft boards. You can begin to see how the Seahawks roster is stacking up and it’s easier now to identify what their remaining needs are as they approach this year’s talent dispersal.

Over the last two years they were mainly looking for depth players, as the priority was making sure they got their key young core players locked up to long term contracts. This year, they’ll be looking for a few more immediate contributors. The most important item on their To Do List? It just might be to come out of the draft with a starter, or two, on that offensive line. We discussed this week how they seemed to have set themselves up for this by staying away from splashy O-line free agents signings.

So let’s take a look at how a full, 7 round mock draft might look for the Seahawks now. As usual, I use first-pick.com’s real time draft simulator. I find it to be an easy interface, and their draft rankings are as spot-on as any I’ve found. If you like playing around with mock draft simulators, I suggest you give theirs a try.

So here we go, our Seahawks 7 round mock, post free agency edition, with all of the recently awarded compensatory picks included.

FIRST ROUND: Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama

First round offensive line picks are never sexy, but it’s exactly what the Seahawks need. I was excited to see Kelly still on the board. He’s simply the best center in this draft. He’s strong, smart, and has played at the highest level in a bunch of big games against some of the college ranks best talents. He is capable of stepping in and starting day one and could be the Seahawks pivot for many years to come.

SECOND ROUND: Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn

Coleman is a first round talent who in some mock drafts slides into the second round, and the reasons are understandable. He was a 5 star recruit but missed his first two full seasons battling Leukemia. He then established himself as an outstanding left tackle at the college level. He has prototype size and length to play left tackle at 6’5″, 307 pounds with 35 1/8″ arms. Asking Coleman to be the starter immediately as a rookie might be a tall task, but if Russell Okung is brought back on a short term deal, a definite possibility, Coleman could be groomed as his eventual replacement. Right tackle Gary Gilliam will be a restricted free agent after the 2016 season as well, so Coleman would be outstanding value as an eventual starter on either side.

THIRD ROUND: Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech

Dixon is an outstanding all-around running back prospect, capable of running inside and breaking tackles, enough wiggle and speed to break a long run, and he’s particularly good at catching the ball out of the backfield. He would be an ideal compliment to Thomas Rawls, capable of carrying the load should Rawls have durability issues.

THIRD ROUND (Comp pick) Sheldon Day, DT/DE, Notre Dame

Day is a smallish DT prospect, but the Seahawks have enough bulk inside, particularly with the recent signing of Sealver Siliga. With that in mind, Day would give them something they lack right now, a quicker tackle with the burst to wreak some havoc on passing downs. Think Clinton McDonald. Could be a valuable rotational player. Also has experience playing outside at Notre Dame.

Next: Another lineman in the fourth?