NFL Mocks says Seahawks grab a QB and edge rusher in first round

12s should be really excited about the Seattle Seahawks offseason. There is cap money to spend and draft capital to take advantage of. And sure, what Seattle decides to try to do with quarterback Geno Smith will have a bearing on anything else (if you just woke up from a two-year slumber, I promise you that last bit is 100 percent true), even if Geno doesn’t return, the team should be good in 2023.

Seattle has several needs, though. The interior of the defensive line must improve next season over the production the unit provided this past season. Seattle needs a consistently good WR3, an edge rusher or three, another top linebacker, an offensive guard, and maybe a center. All of this should be addressed in one way or another.

But with nine choices, five of them coming in the first two days, in the 2023 NFL draft, the Seahawks should be able to address needs with future high-impact rookies. That is whether Seattle trades down in the first round or stands pat at pick number 5 overall. FanSided’s NFL Mocks has the Seahawks taking an edge rusher in the first round but also a quarterback. That is, after two trades in which the Seahawks choose lower than number 5 and move back up to pick 15.

Seahawks to take Florida QB in recent mock draft

So, let’s let the fun begin. We all know general manager John Schneider likes to trade down in drafts. Still, in 2022, Seattle did not and chose left tackle Charles Cross with the number 9 pick. That appears to have been a very wise move. But NFL Mocks says the Seahawks revert back to the old form and trade down from pick number 5 with the Carolina Panthers to number 9 overall. With that pick, Seattle chooses defensive end Myles Murphy.

Murphy might be a great choice for Seattle. He is 6’5″ and 275 pounds and is a true three-down player. Murphy could be excellent against the run but also supply pass rush production that Seattle hasn’t gotten out of a defensive end since Frank Clark wore a Seahawks jersey in 2018. The only question about Murphy is how well his game translates to the NFL, and, of course, that is a question that could be asked about any college player.

NFL Mocks thinks Seattle pulls off another first-round trade, however, and moves back to pick 15 overall and takes quarterback Anthony Richardson from Florida. Richardson has immense physical skill with a very strong arm and great athletic ability but he is also still raw in terms of passing ability. If the Seahawks choose him, it is probably wise to keep a veteran as the starter at least in 2023.