Mock Draft Monday: Seahawks go defense early

Round 2 (pick 59): Seahawks select Neville Gallimore, DT Oklahoma

In all honesty, this pick could look like a joke in one month’s time. Neville Gallimore could fly up draft boards between now and April and if Seattle took him in the first round, I would be quite happy. Defenders out of the Big 12 get a bad rap coming out of the offensive heavy conference which can lead good prospects like Gallimore to be overlooked.

But if you watch Gallimore play for 5 minutes, you understand his potential and instantly become a fan. A defensive tackle for the Sooners, Gallimore’s stat won’t wow anybody. In his senior season, he posted just 3 sacks.

But he has unique quickness for a 1-technique and when he is asked to shoot a single gap, he accelerates off the snap better than most edge rushers. Gallimore is a wrecking ball in the passing game as he speeds past guards and centers with ease.

Where Gallimore will struggle in the NFL is in holding the point in the run game. He often isn’t a liability but is rarely an asset. The Seahawks have typically preferred run-stoppers up the middle, but with a pass rush as bad as theirs in 2019 and Poona Ford showing little pass rush ability thus far, they need to find a way to get pressure anywhere they can.

Gallimore should be able to produce a lot of QB hits and sacks as a rotational piece early with the hopes of improving his strength at the point of attack to be an every-down player. But just watch a handful of his games and you can see his game wrecking abilities all over the tape. He would be an absolute steal in the late second.

Pick 64: Seahawks select Jalen Reagor, WR TCU

The wide receiver depth in this class is absolutely insane and Seattle would be smart to partake in the fun. Even late in the second round, the draft board had at least 5-7 wideouts with legitimate NFL starter potential as early as 2020. Any team looking at WR will be able to choose various options for whatever needs they want to fill.

Seriously, this class has the big-bodied guys, the burners, the red zone weapons, the route runners, the possession guys, and everything in between. The Seahawks have their two burners and what they need is a guy versatile enough to play in the slot and outside.

Jalen Reagor is an explosive playmaker who has the home run ability Pete Carrol loves. While he may not be as quick, there is a little Percy Harvin in Reagor’s game. He is a playmaker with the ball in his hands and can create at all 3 levels of the defense.

He accelerates with ease and appears to just glide by defenders without much effort. He also plays bigger than his 5 ft 11-inch frame and is adept at winning jump balls by high pointing the football and jumping out of the gym over taller corners.

On top of all of that, Reagor is a dangerous returner in special teams which may allow Seattle to remove Tyler Lockett from the role permanently. Reagor checks a lot of the boxes but he obviously wouldn’t be available this late without some warts in his game.

Reagor can struggle to break off of press-man coverage. The QB at TCU this season was abysmal and it appeared to impact Reagor mentally, leaving some to wonder how he could handle the stresses of the NFL. Reagor also dropped more than his fair share of passes, largely from attempting too many body catches.

Reagor also hasn’t shown much as a run-blocker on tape. Whether that will matter to most other teams is unknown, but run-blocking is crucial for the Seahawks and their evaluators. Thankfully, this can be a learned skill, but it will be up to the Seahawks scouting department to figure out if it is something Reagor would be willing to do.

Don’t be shocked if Reagor sits down with the Seahawks at the combine. There is a lot of talent in Reagor but unfortunately, the Percy Harvin comparison may not be limited to on the field. This late in the draft, his talent may still be worth the risk, but Seattle will need a good grasp of his mental toughness to feel comfortable making this selection.