As we move closer to the Super Bowl and farther away from the 2022 Seattle Seahawks season, the thrills of watching Seattle make the playoffs have been hit by anguish. The Philadelphia Eagles and division rival San Francisco 49ers have clearly separated themselves as the class of the NFC. It has been a painful reminder of the level of depth and star power that the Seahawks need to reach in order to get back to the big game.
How Seattle gets there is a little unclear, especially with the franchise-altering decision at QB with Geno Smith. What is clear, is that in a little over 90 days, the NFL draft will take place in Kansas City. The Seahawks are absolutely loaded with picks, including two top 20 picks, and four total selections in the top 52 picks. Some of these picks will be John Schneider and Pete Carroll’s last picks from the Russell Wilson trade from last offseason. This draft could lead to Schneider and Carroll’s defining moment to see if they can make one last championship run over the next 2-3 seasons.
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about potential mock drafts that could enhance, or completely reshape this roster. For drafting purposes, I used Pro Football Network’s rankings and mock simulator. Unlike PFF, PFN’s big board falls in line with the majority of the draft rankings you can find out there.
2023 Seahawks Mock Draft: Striking a deal with Carolina
This week, John Schneider and the Seahawks decide to trade back with an old friend and potentially strike gold in both 2023 and 2024.
Seahawks first-round draft picks
TRADE: Seahawks trade pick number 5 to Panthers for picks 9, 60, and a 2024 1st-round pick
Logic: The Seahawks find themselves missing out on Will Anderson Jr and Jalen Carter, the top two defensive prospects in the draft. With one of Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Will Levis left on the board and viewed as the top 3 QB prospects, this puts Seattle in an advantageous position. If Seattle wants to take a QB, they’ll get one. If they want to go defense, they can trade back and collect valuable picks, while a desperate team takes the number 5 and get their QB.
In this scenario, Geno Smith is Seahawks’ franchise QB, and they become open for business. Carolina is sitting at number 9 and views this draft as their opportunity to get a franchise QB. I’d ask for numbers 9 and 39, plus a 2024 1st rounder. I’d also view pick number 60 as a fair compromise. The relationship between John Schneider and Scott Fritterer gets this done, as Fritterer’s owner wants his QB to build around.
Now the Seahawks still have a top-ten pick, added a third 2nd-round pick, and continued to build off the Russell Wilson trade, adding Seattle another opportunity to get a blue chip player in what looks like a loaded 2024 draft class.
Round 1 Pick 9: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech
The 6’6″ and 275 lbs. edge rusher is the clear number 3 defensive prospect in my 2023 draft board. Wilson has massive size and an unreal 7-plus foot wingspan. With an above-average motor to go with his superhuman-like strength, Wilson is one of the most physically gifted edge prospects to enter the draft.
What makes Wilson so interesting is not just that he’s a fantastic all-American level edge rusher, but he’s logged successful snaps at defensive tackle and even as a middle linebacker. His versatility in the trenches reminds me of what Michael Bennett was able to do for Seattle a decade ago. I’d be happy selecting Wilson at #5, but to trade down and still get him was massive.
Round 1 Pick 20: Peter Skoronski, T/G, Northwestern
It’s not just the defense that needs a major talent infusion in the trenches, as Seattle drafts one of the best offensive linemen available in Peter Skoronski.
Skoronski, a 6’4″ and 315 lbs tackle for the Wildcats, would be a top pick and in real contention to go number 1 to Chicago if he didn’t have short arms. His arms would make it difficult for him to be a top-tier left tackle in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a dominant guard.
In this scenario, we’re able to take advantage of his slip, and Seattle gets arguably the best offensive lineman to help strengthen the interior offensive line.
Day 2 Seahawks draft picks
Round 2 Pick 37: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Did I say we’re trying to reload the trenches? At pick 37, the Seahawks selected the massive nose tackle out of Baylor. Ika, who’s 6’4″ and a monstrous 357 lbs, has been the best player on a fantastic Baylor defense for the past couple of years after transferring from LSU.
Ika brings an immediate size and strength advantage that opposing offenses have to throw bodies at. As one of the worst rush defenses in the league this year, Ika could immediately bring the Seahawks’ rush defense back up to respectability. After the Seahawks let teams like New Orleans, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Carolina run all over them, Ika could potentially turn a few of those games for Seattle.
Round 2 Pick 52: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
With Seattle adding an extra top 60 pick with their Carolina trade, we used pick 52 as a luxury pick, selecting the number 2 tight end in this draft class in Darnell Washington.
Washington had a wildly successful season for his back-to-back championship Bulldogs. The 6’7″ and 265 lbs. TE continued to be the best blocking tight end college football has seen in years, and that was expected. What wasn’t expected was seeing Washington steal 5-star prospect Arik Gilbert’s playing time as a receiving tight end. Gilbert caught 28 passes for 450 yards and 2 touchdowns. For not having played much of a role in the passing in the previous two seasons, his potential growth could make him special.
Round 2 Pick 60: Brandon Joseph, Safety, Notre Dame
With the second pick acquired in the Carolina trade, Seattle takes a slight gamble on a new safety in Brandon Joseph.
Joseph had dominant 2020 and 2021 seasons at Northwestern that had him on track to be a first-round pick, but after an underwhelming season after transferring to Notre Dame, Joseph’s draft stock is now in question.
The Senior Bowl, draft combine, and pro day will play a pivotal role in whether Joseph gets drafted on day two or day three in this year’s draft. With uncertainty at both safety spots for the Seahawks, I believe Pete Carroll can reach the untapped potential that Notre Dame failed to unlock in Joseph.
Round 3 Pick 83: Luke Wypler, Center, Ohio State
Completing our mission to fully rebuild the offensive line, we take the center behind one of the best offenses in college football the past two seasons. The redshirt sophomore allowed just one sack all season, and thoroughly outplayed Georgia’s Jalen Carter in their Peach Bowl battle.
The addition of Wypler completes an offensive line that is young, but extremely talented with Charles Cross, Damien Lewis, Peter Skoronski, and Abe Lucas ready to dominate.
Day 3 Seahawks draft picks
Round 4 Pick 121: Mike Morris, DE, Michigan
If the Seahawks are adamant about staying in the 3-4, then they need more muscle and size at the big DE position on the front 3, and Mike Morris is a perfect fit. At 6’6″ and 278 lbs, Morris might be an improvement over paying Poona Ford to play out of position. Morris also logged 7.5 sacks this season for the Wolverines.
Round 5 Pick 149: Daiyan Henley, LB, WSU
Henley is a tough read for the mock draft community. You’ll see him land in the early third in some mocks, or drop to the middle of the fifth round. He’s an undersized linebacker that is a tweener but has played like an all-American the past two seasons for Nevada and Washington State.
If you can find a hybrid home for him, like what we saw from Jamal Adams in 2020, he could be a great fit and an upgrade over Cody Barton.
Round 5 Pick 152 Parker Washington, WR, Penn State
Another player similar to Daiyan Henley, Parker Washington is a potential slot wide receiver/special teams star that could hear his name called in multiple rounds.
In Seattle, Washington could be a perfect number 3 slot receiver for the Seahawks. He’s a compact 5’10” and 212 lbs wide receiver that saw his number dip with Penn State committing strongly to running the football. He’s an excellent blocker that Seattle needs from their slot in the Shane Waldron scheme and would be a more durable option than Seattle has received from Dee Eskridge.
Round 6 Pick 185: Dylan Horton, DE, TCU
A name that many didn’t know before the college football playoff, Dylan Horton is a DE that has played interior defensive line and linebacker during his career at New Mexico and TCU.
Another tweener, Horton is likely going to make his mark as depth on the front seven while being a physical and athletic force in special teams. In the Horned Frogs Fiesta Bowl upset over Michigan, Horton was the best player on the field, accumulating 4 sacks in the win. He’s got the motor that can keep you in the league for a decade, and he brings an athleticism and physicality that this team needs if it wants to challenge the Eagles and 49ers next season.