4 prospects the Seahawks must monitor at 2023 NFL Combine

Seahawks should monitor defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Georgia

I don’t mean to suggest Jalen Carter isn’t going to be taken near the top of the first round of the NFL draft because he most definitely will (barring some weird off-the-field issue before the draft). Carter appears to be as NFL-ready as any player entering the draft could be. He’s got good size at 6’3″ and 300 pounds and could even gain some more size in an NFL weightlifting regime and still be as quick as he already is.

But the top slots of the NFL draft could go lots of different ways. Most likely, two of the teams currently choosing in the top five picks – the Texans and the Colts – will take quarterbacks. That leaves two picks before the Seahawks at number 5.

But if the Bears or Cardinals trade down (those are the other two teams besides the Texans and Colts who choose before Seattle), then all bets are off. There could be another quarterback-needy team – let’s say the Panthers – who moves up and takes the Cardinals’ or Bears’ choice. This would mean Seattle would probably have a choice between Jalen Carter or Will Anderson or Tyree Wilson.

Carter is a fantastic prospect but he isn’t going to work out at the combine and instead will just take part in the interview process and undergo a physical. The top 10 prospects in this year’s draft should all be good so a player not working out at the combine might scare a team or two. Still, if Carter is around at pick 5, Seattle has to take him, right?