Seahawks mock draft 7.0: Building the offensive line of the future

Round 2

Many people see Linderbaum as one of the best pure centers to come into the draft in many years. Personally, I don’t think he falls into the second round because even though he basically plays one spot, he is fantastic at that position. But PFN has him still around in round 2 so it would be stupid not to take him.

Like Ekwonu, Linderbaum plays with aggressiveness and doesn’t back down to anyone. He is great in zone-scheme blocking, which is what Seattle runs. He will gain more muscle in an NFL weight-training program and that will only make him better.

Choosing a quarterback in the second round of the 2022 draft is the right thing for Seattle if a potentially good quarterback is still around. Waiting until 2023 to get a QB is OK too. But Ridder might be the best fit of the quarterback group for Seattle this year because he is a point guard-type which is what Pete Carroll says he wants.

Ridder is a mature player, a fantastic leader, won’t turn the ball over much and has good arm strength. Maybe he plays little behind Drew Lock and Geno Smith this coming season but that only helps he and the team in the future as he can learn the Seahawks system.

Seattle needs a pass rusher and Mafe is as pure as they come in the draft. He is still a bit raw and needs to learn better technique but his raw skill is ridiculous. At the NFL combine, the 6’3″ and 255-pound Mafe ran a 4.53 40 and had a vertical jump of 38 inches. He is a physical freak.

Defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt knows well how to coach defensive linemen, though, and making made into a productive one is something at which Hurtt should excel. Mafe may not be great in 2022 but with a year of seasoning by 2023, he and Darrell Taylor should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.