The Seattle Seahawks are no strangers to taking a chance on players who must rebuild their careers or themselves. Former head coach Pete Carroll appeared to make a living on those things. General manager John Schneider learned from him what makes someone unique, so Schneider is not opposed to risk either.
Seattle has many needs in the 2025 NFL draft, especially along the interior of the offensive line. The team could use another cornerback, a receiver with explosive ability, and possibly a safety. In a new two-round mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. has the Seahawks addressing all those positions except for safety.
One player in particular is an athletic cornerback, though he does come with some risk. He is coming off an ACL tear in September 2024. How fast he can return to 100 percent is anyone's guess, but the hope is he will be ready by the beginning of next season.
Mel Kiper projects the Seahawks to take cornerback Shavon Revel, Jr. in the 2025 NFL draft
The corner is Shavon Revel, Jr., who took an interesting college path. Due to his poor grades and various injuries, he had trouble finding a school he could get into. He worked as an Amazon warehouse worker. He finally found a home at East Carolina, and the school was better off for it. Revel turned into a star until he suffered a knee injury last year.
That is one worry about Revel. While he was mostly healthy in college until his last season, he had many injuries in high school. The NFL will be harder physically, so how well will he hold up?
Still, if he maintains his health, he has all the physical skills to be an elite corner. He is also 6'2" and 200 pounds with long arms. His speed allows him to catch up to receivers if he gets beaten. But he also needs to perfect his technique and will need some time in the NFL to adjust to what professional receivers can do.
There is little doubt that, based on his physical attributes, he is worth taking in the second round. This is where Kiper has the Seahawks choosing him. He also excels against the run and plays with the kind of aggressiveness that Richard Sherman did. All he needs to do is stay healthy.
Kiper also had the Seahawks choosing offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, Jr of Texas in the first round, and wide receiver Jayden Higgins of Iowa State in the second round. Banks can slide in at either guard spot. Higgins has the kind of physical receiver that DK Metcalf was in Seattle.