Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft 4.0: The final stretch
It’s been a long time coming but we are finally here, Seahawks fans. We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft so it is time for another Mock Draft!
As I have done in all my mock draft, we start with the standard disclaimer. Remember, we are working with incomplete information. Nobody pegged Bruce Irvin as a first-round pick when the Seahawks selected him 15th overall in 2012. As it turns out, at least two teams wanted to take him in round 1.
No matter how much we think we know, it only takes one team to completely embarrass your evaluation. There is a good chance that somebody we see as a 5th round pick will go in the second. It just happens.
Now, as of right now, the Seahawks own just four draft picks. We have to assume that Seattle is going to trade down unless there are a few surprising trades of veteran players. With that in mind, Seattle will start with picks 21, 84, 124, 159.
Frank Clark is still a Seahawk, but reports indicate that now that Russell Wilson is under contract, the trade talks for Clark have ramped up. FanSided’s own Matt Verderame reported that Seattle was listening and that any offers would have to include at least a second round pick.
Mike Garafolo stated in late March that the Seahawks should ask for a high first round pick and then some for Clark. So while I would say a Clark trade has a decent shot of happening, we aren’t going to assume one for this mock.
But the Seahawks will certainly want more than 4 picks, so we need to find a way to acquire more picks, which means trading down.
Finding trades can be difficult, but in our scenario, our first trade comes from the New England Patriots trading up to land their Rob Gronkowski replacement:
The Seahawks trade picks 21 and a 2020 4th to New England for picks 32 and 64.
One way for Seattle to recoup draft picks for the 2019 draft is to borrow from their 2020 pool. John Schneider has been very careful to not forfeit any of his 4 compensatory picks that will come Seattle’s way, including a projected 3rd for Earl Thomas and a 4th for Justin Coleman. With 2, 4th round picks, Seattle sacrifices one to pick up a top 70 pick.
Now the Seahawks have picks 32, 64, 84, 124, 159. Pretty good, but not great. Schneider typically likes to have 8 or more picks, so work still needs to be done. So Seattle trades down one more time:
The Seahawks trade picks 32 to Tampa Bay for picks 39 and 107.
This gives the Seahawks picks 39, 64, 84, 107, 124, and 159. John Schneider may not be done dealing yet, but at pick 39 is when he makes his first pick.