The Seattle Seahawks face one of their most important offseasons in the last decade. A team that has gotten used to winning and making the playoffs simply did not do either of those things in 2021.
Seattle has a lot of cap space – relative to other teams – so maybe the team can sign one or two splash free agents this offseason.
But unlikely last year’s draft when Seattle had just three picks, the Seahawks have six in 2022. Who they choose might have a lot to say on whether Pete Carroll is still the coach in 2023. Another bad season might change the franchise.
For the purpose of this 2022 mock draft exercise, I used Pro Football Focus’s mock draft simulator.
Seattle Seahawks mock draft: Seattle gets defensive help early
Seahawks Round 2, pick 42
Seattle had a pretty good group of defensive tackles in 2021 and were very good against the rush (second in the NFL in average yards allowed per rush – 3.8) but they lacked explosiveness to get tackles for loss and supply interior quarterback pressure. Plus, Al Woods had one of the better seasons in his career but will be 35 years old in Week 1 of the 2022 season. Woods is also a free agent.
Wyatt still needs to learn how to use his 315 pounds to his advantage, though. He is a ridiculous athlete for his position and at 6’3″ could add weight. In an NFL weight lifting program, Wyatt would be able to add weight while not losing much, if any, of his elite quickness.
Seattle needs to rebuild its defensive line to some degree and part of this needs to be focused on creating a better pass rush. One thing that would help the edge rushers, though, is making an offense think Seattle also has interior pressure and Wyatt can help solve the issue.
Seahawks Round 3, pick 74
There are several reasons I have Pitre being drafted here. This is assuming he is still around, of course. At the Senior Bowl last week he impressed with his athleticism and versatility. Pitre might rise into the second round and just out of the reach of the Seahawks.
But Seattle might need to find an answer by 2023 of what to do at safety. Quandre Diggs is a free agent this year and might be re-signed. But even if he is maybe it is only a one-year deal. Depending on how 2022 goes, Jamal Adams might need to be traded by 2023 to help the future of the team. Or maybe Adams gets hurt again?
Seattle needs quality depth at safety in 2022 and a potential starter by 2023. And Pitre is a perfect player in a Pete Carroll system because he is ultra-aggressive and a great tackler and plays the run as well as the pass. Pitre also is versatile enough to play both free and strong safety so if either Adams or Diggs miss time or simply aren’t on the team, Pitre can replace them.
Think of him more as a smaller Kam Chancellor who hits hard, plays with a chip on his shoulder but has the speed to cover tight ends and slot receivers.
Seahawks Round 4, pick 106
I can feel the groans already. No, I am not saying get rid of Russell Wilson. But Seattle does need a young backup quarterback to groom in case Wilson does get injured again or is traded away in the next couple of years. Zappe isn’t ready to play in the NFL in 2022 and doing so would only hurt his growth.
But by drafting Zappe in the fourth round means the Seahawks will get a quarterback of quality who can learn how to be an NFL quarterback. Zappe was extremely productive in college (he set records for passing yards and touchdowns in 2021) and is accurate. He also throws a fairly accurate deep ball which would work well with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Seahawks Round 4, pick 112
The thing that the Seahawks will love about Paschal is his versatility. At 6’3″ and 280 pounds, he has the frame to play both inside and out. He is strong enough to play defensive tackle and hold the edge on runs while at defensive end. He isn’t Carlos Dunlap but he does play more like Michael Bennett.
While I am not saying Paschal is the next Bennett, it should also be noted that Bennett went undrafted out of college. Paschal doesn’t have elite speed to go sideline-to-sideline but he should develop a massive bull rush and add strength in the NFL to give Seattle an interior pass rush.
Seahawks Round 5, pick 151
Even if the Seahawks re-sign Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson returns healthy enough to play after having neck surgery this season, Seattle needs to find another running back who can take over if and when Penny and Carson get hurt again. Every season in the last four, Carson or Penny has been injured at some point and sometimes at the same time.
DeeJay Dallas flashed a bit late in 2021 and seemed to move piles when he couldn’t do that in 2020. But there is no proof that Dallas can be an every down back. Cook still might not be Week 1 ready but he is long-term better than anyone other than Penny or Carson.
Cook is fast and explosive. In his three years with Georgia, he never averaged less than 6.1 yards a carry in any season. In 2021, Cook averaged 6.4 yards a rush and had 728 yards but added 274 yards receiving. He scored 11 total touchdowns. And against a good Alabama defense in the NCAA championship game, Cook ran for 77 yards on just 6 carries. In the semi-final game against Michigan, Cook had 99 receiving on just 3 catches.
Cook needs to add muscle and weight but at 5’11” he can do that. He has the frame to add 20 pounds and still maintain his explosiveness. He can already outrun linebackers even at the NFL level but with added muscle, he can overrun them as well.
Seahawks Round 7, pick 227
The Seahawks have mostly had an issue at center since Max Unger was traded for Jimmy Graham after the 2014 season. Justin Britt was decent for a year but other than that Seattle’s presumed starting centers have been injured, non-productive or both. 2021 was no exception as Ethan Pocic was OK late in the year but once again missed a chunk of time with an injury.
Doug Kramer doesn’t get hurt. He doesn’t offer Seattle the versatility they normally like in offensive linemen but the time should have come that Seattle needs a good center and that may be all that player does well: Play center.
Kramer isn’t huge but he has lower body strength which allows him to be an anchor in the middle of the line. He is also smart so calling out alignments and picking up on defensive formations shouldn’t be a problem once he learns NFL concepts.
Kramer isn’t going to be a starter in the first half of the season but he will benefit from gaining mass and the Seahawks offense. This is a seventh-round pick, of course, so if he is a starter by 2023 and starts at center for the next several seasons after that, that would be a win, right?