Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft Monday 2.0

Round 1: Seahawks select Xavier McKinney, DB Alabama

On the surface, the Seahawks don’t have much use for a safety. Quandre Diggs was excellent in his few games with the Seahawks and Bradley McDougald was significantly better with Diggs around. In addition, Seattle selected Marquise Blair in the second round of the 2019 draft and he flashed serious potential in limited opportunities.

So selecting a pure safety in the first round may not be the way to go. But McKinney is more than that. For Nick Saban, McKinney played both safety spots, as well as nickel and outside cornerbacks. He has the size of a safety and the speed of a corner, with the agility of an inside corner. He can do it all.

McKinney may be best compared to another former member of the Crimson Tide and current NFL Pro Bowl defender Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, who was traded from the Dolphins to the Steelers in the middle of 2019, helped turn Pittsburgh defense from sub-par to above-average and McKinney could do the same for Seattle.

McKinney’s versatility to play 5 spots in the secondary gives Seattle an excellent weapon who will rarely need to come off the field while allowing them to keep Diggs and McDougald on the field at the same time.

Perhaps a potential long-term replacement for McDougald, McKinney will likely be long gone by the time Seattle selects in April. But he was available to us in this mock draft, and need or not, the player is much too talented to pass up.