Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft 4.0: The final stretch

Pick 159: Seattle Seahawks select Darwin Thompson, RB Utah State

In all likelihood, the Seahawks will trade for more picks in this draft. But whether they select him in the 5th or with the later picks they acquire, Darwin Thompson seems like a great fit for the Seattle. In fact, the Seahawks have met with Thompson twice, so there is likely some serious interest from the team.

Thompson is 5’8″, 190 lbs. His size will likely stop him from being an every-down back, but he does not lack the skill set to be such a player. Thompson was overlooked for a combine invite but absolutely stole the show at the Utah State Pro Day.

For starters, Thompson ran the forty at an unofficial time of 4.50 while most reports had him between 4.5-4.56. But perhaps more importantly for the Seahawks, he showed off his explosiveness with an incredible 39 inch vertical (would have ranked third at the combine) and a 10’6″ broad jump (which would have ranked 5th).

Thompson also nailed the bench press, putting up 225 lbs 28 times. Thompson compares himself to Tarik Cohen and when you watch some tape, it is easy to see. PFF gave Thompson the 19th highest grade of all the RBs in the country.

PFF also love Thompson’s abilities after contact, which is a big indicator for the Seahawks. They rank Thomson 2nd in the country at elusiveness rating, 19th in avoided tackles, 15th in yards after contact, and 8th in yards after contact per attempt.

Thompson is basically a little ball of muscle with explosive athleticism. The Seahawks love these type of athletes and after the departure of Mike Davis, still need to find a 3rd down back. Thankfully, Darwin Thompson is a skilled receiver as well.

Thompson ranked 27th in the country in PFF receiving grade, 5th in yards per reception, 1st in yards after contact per reception and tied for 5th in explosive plays. Thompson is a great athlete and football player, but two things are working against him.

Obviously, his size will prevent teams from seeing him as a workhorse back, thus limiting his upside. Second, the devaluation of running backs is a real thing in the NFL. A team that can use Thompson creatively can get a home run hitter, but his size will leave some to think his fuse will run short in the NFL.

Seattle needs a runner to push C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic and the bread crumbs being left by the team seems to indicate a serious interest in the Utah State Aggie.

As we crawl closer to draft day, things can still change dramatically. Frank Clark could be dealt away. Ethan Pocic may get traded. Seattle could trade 2020 picks for help this year. Almost anything is possible in the coming days. But one thing is for sure, the Seahawks are entering a massive year in their programs attempt to climb to the top of the mountain again.