Seahawks: 5 worst mistakes under coach Pete Carroll

Drafting Malik McDowell

It’s weird in a way that a second round draft pick could set a team back so far. But then, this is the Seahawks. Seattle is a team that likes to trade down in the draft (or was a team that did that prior to the last couple of years). Seattle got cute in 2017, not just by selecting McDowell who was a guess at how good and disciplined (he interviewed horribly at the NFL combine) he would be but by trading down to get him.

Seattle could have done so much better. Now the Seahawks have Duane Brown at left tackle and he is very good but also getting very old for an NFL player. Seattle could have taken Ryan Ramczyk in the first round and he would have been a longer-term answer to protect Russell Wilson’s blindside than Brown will be. Plus, Ramczyk will likely end his career by being just as good as Brown.

Seattle choosing McDowell led to possibly the trade of Brown which cost Seattle a second round draft pick in 2019. The Seahawks also lost Jeremy Lane and a fifth round pick in 2018 in the deal. Seattle needed to make up draft capital which basically led to Seattle trading away defensive end Frank Clark in 2019.

Clark is really good. Ramczyk is really good. McDowell will never play for the Seahawks and might never play in the NFL at all. Seattle is a good team. They would be better having never drafted Malik McDowell.