Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft Tuesday 5.0

Round 1: Seahawks select Austin Jackson, OT USC

At this point in the calendar, it feels like the best-case scenario for the Seahawks would be for an edge rusher like Yetur Gross-Matos to be on the boars. But no such luck in this simulation. It seems like Seattle will need to hit free agency hard to fix their pass rush. Perhaps their second biggest need is to find a replacement for Germaine Ifedi now, and a potential successor for Duane Brown later. Austin Jackson could fill that need.

The USC tackle checks a lot of the boxes Seattle looks for. He has big hands, long arms, repped 225 lbs 27 times and scored well on the broad jump and vertical. Jackson is a good athlete who, despite his 320 lbs frame, is so well built, he has room to add even more mass to his frame.

Jackson flashes quick feet and a quick twitch rare for 6’5″ frame. He gets to the second level with ease and is quick to re-anchor when initially beaten. Jackson’s athleticism shows on tape and he is easy to project going forward.

What Jackson lacks on tape is a functional strength and he can be walked back to the quarterback by a strong bull rush. He also shows a need to improve his technique. Jackson has relied on his athleticism and raw size to win but will need to be coached up to become an anchor at either tackle spot. Raw athleticism can get you to the NFL, but not much further.

Jackson is a good project who could be a day 1 starter for the Seahawks while allowing them to spend their money on the other side of the ball.