Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider weaves his trade magic on Day 1 and completely restocks the defense for head coach Mike Macdonald. Not to worry, the offense gets a couple of presents, too.
I don't think many 12s would be surprised to see the Seahawks go heavy on the defensive side of the ball in the 2024 draft. They did hire the league's best defensive coordinator as their new head coach, after all. They completely rebuilt the linebacker room and two-thirds of the core safety group, so we can certainly expect to see more changes. The fact that Seattle was only 25th in scoring defense last season underscores the need for more talent on that side of the ball.
For those thinking if the new players are so great, why do they need to draft even more defenders, take a look at the contracts involved. Two of the three core safeties - Julian Love and K'Von Wallace - have one year left on their deals. The same is true for new linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson. In fact, only 14 Seahawks are under contract after 2026. So whether the team needs a player at a particular position this season is immaterial. Only a fool would draft based solely on immediate needs.
Seattle Seahawks pull off a huge trade on Day 1
Yes, normally I'm the right fool for any job. But in this case, I looked to the future of the team, not just what they need in 2024. As we've repeated ad infinitum by now, the Hawks have seven selections in the 2024 draft, but none in the second round. I think we can all agree that Leonard Williams was well worth that pick, but with five picks in the fourth round or later, Seattle could use an upgrade in this draft.
Enter my impersonation of John Schneider. As discussed in my most recent mock draft, Schneider has never gone through a draft without making at least one trade. Typically the Seahawks moved down to obtain multiple picks. Hey, I'm not about to buck tradition again, so to the phones we go. In this mock draft, I swung a deal with the Colts, a pretty sweet deal at that. As with my previous mock drafts, I used Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
One of the reasons for this is that the software suffers no fools - that is, it won't accept bad deals. I traded Seattle's 16th overall pick for Indy's 46th, 82nd, 117th, 151st, 191st, and their second-round selection for 2025. That last detail was the cherry that made the sundae, of course. An interesting twist to this deal was that I had three paired selections: 81 and 82, 117 and 118, and 191 and 192. With that 46th pick, I hoped to land a defender projected to go early in the second round. I had much better luck than that.
Day 2 lands three perfect fits for the Seahawks defense
With the Hawks' first pick, the 46th overall, I chose Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske. PFF ranks him as 38th overall and the third-best defensive lineman. The 6'4" 292 lb tackle began his career at Western Michigan, then transferred to Tallahassee for his redshirt senior season. He hardly skipped a beat in his transition from the MAC to the ACC. In 2022 he racked up 12 tackles for a loss and six sacks. Last year he recorded nine TFL and another six sacks. That's despite getting almost 300 fewer snaps. Jarran Reed's contract expires after this year, as does Johnathan Hankins' deal. Hankins' usefulness may have already expired, so I was thrilled to land Fiske.
If I was happy about getting Fiske at 46, I was ecstatic to land Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper at number 81. The consensus big board at NFL Mock Draft Database rates him as the top linebacker prospect and the 40th overall prospect, while PFF ranked him as the second LB and 62nd prospect overall. NFL Draft Buzz ranked him first at LB, praising his versatility by comparing him to Fred Warner. The 6'2" 230 lb senior showed his versatility with eight tackles for a loss, five pass breakups, and one pick in 2022, followed by 17 TFL and eight sacks last season. He'll be a monster on special teams as a rookie, and could very well step into a starting role if needed in year one.
I feel like I swindled the Colts with my third selection, number 82 overall. Yes, there's some concern about a recent incident, but I'd still love to get DT T'Vondre Sweat on the Hawks. The consensus big board ranks him as the fifth defensive tackle prospect and 61st overall. When you absolutely positively have to stop the run, nothing fits better than a 6'4" 366 lb behemoth with an 82" wingspan. Sweat will tie up two opposing linemen on virtually every play. Make no mistake, the big man can collapse the pocket, too. In the past two seasons, he's logged 44 QB hurries and batted down 11 passes. At 366 pounds, he has a 26-inch vertical jump. I can't do that with a step ladder.
It's true that none of my first three selections met an immediate need; you know, like a guard. John Schneider took considerable pressure off the draft (and himself) when he signed Laken Tomlinson. The former J-E-T-S and Niners guard should be a solid starter for this year - the only year he's under contract, of course. So the Hawks will still need to bring in some reinforcements for the O-line. Fear not, good 12s; Day 3 approaches.
Seahawks add guards and more in round four
No, I didn't set out to write a silly rhyme for that headline, but when serendipity calls, I always pick up. Anyway, due to the largesse of the mock Colts - this is a mock draft, after all - I have three selections in this round. I'll make quite good use of it, too. But first, with the 102nd overall pick, I'll add a safety to the Hawks last line of defense with the 99th-ranked overall prospect, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson from Texas Tech. The consensus big board and PFF ranked him the same overall.
At 5'10" and 197 lbs, he may seem a bit undersized, but that's an exact match for Earl Thomas when he was drafted. His 4.41 40 time shows excellent speed for a safety. He led the Red Raiders in interceptions for the last three years, 10 in all, and broke up 23 passes in the same span. Both NFL Draft Buzz and the NFL's draft site note his versatility in multiple schemes. Sounds like Mike Macdonald's kind of player.
With the 117th selection, I had to address the offensive line. I know you didn't think I'd ever get around to the offensive side of the ball, but their time to shine has arrived. Spoiler alert: the next four picks are all on the side that snaps the ball. Whether it will be Olu Oluwatimi or Nick Harris starting the action remains to be seen. I can tell you that there's an excellent chance that by 2025, Cooper Beebe will be lined up to the center's left.
For an extended look at the 6'3", 322 lb guard, check out Lee Vowell's assessment of the bulldozer. For the tl;dr set: 2,490 snaps and one sack allowed in his last three seasons at Kansas State. NFL Draft Buzz both cite his great football IQ, with the former calling him the best interior pass protector in the draft.
There's nothing quite as sweet as a double dip, so with the 118th pick, I took Michigan's Zak Zinter. Fortuitously, the 6'6" 309 lb Wolverine played virtually all of his ball at right guard. His pass-blocking isn't quite as elite as Beebe's. However, he allowed just three sacks and 25 hurries in 2,511 snaps, so he isn't too far off the pace either. He excels in pulling and obliterating second-level defenders in the run game.
A broken fibula and tibia suffered in the Ohio State game may set him back a bit as a rookie, but he'll be a force once he's healthy. Oh, for you Buckeye fans, that meant he had a broken leg. Reminder: that was the only win you got that day. As for Zinter, he was trending as a mid to late second-round selection until his injury. At 118, he's another steal for the Seahawks.
Day 3 continues with a possible 2025 replacement
Nobody, but nobody, ever wants to see Tyler Lockett leave the Seahawks. Well, nobody but the rest of the NFC West. That being said, his cap hit in 2025 is $30.9 million - and yes, that is thirty-point-nine million dollars. The dead cap - the amount of money the Seahawks would still owe him if he's traded or released - will only be $4 million. Seattle would save almost $27 million by making 2024 Lockett's last in the Emerald City. We can all hope they'll restructure his deal yet again - but at some point, he's going to move on.
It certainly looks like Jaxon Smith-Njigba is ready to step into Lockett's role, but the Hawks will still need another receiver. Now tell me, 12s, who are the following scouting reports describing? His high football IQ allows him to find open spaces. Above average route acumen. Excels in off-script situations. Impressive win rate on contested catches. Strong ball-tracking abilities and hands make him a reliable target. Changes up speeds and makes route intentions a secret.
No, that's not Mr. Lockett they're writing about. Those are all paraphrased from nfl.com and nfldraftbuzz,com in their reports on USC's Tahj Washington. At 5'10" and 174 lbs, he's a little lighter than Lockett. He does possess many of the same traits, as you can see. Like our beloved number 16, Washington was an excellent punt return man in college. He caught 59 balls for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns last year, posting a phenomenal 143.9 passer rating when targeted. Yes, that's even higher than Marvin Harrison Jr.'s rating. For the 151st pick, yes, I'll take that.
Tight end Jaheim Bell is my pick at number 179. A teammate of Braden Fiske at Florida State, the 6'2" 241 lb redshirt junior can fly. His 4.61 40 time placed him at the 87th percentile among tight ends. Yes, I know DK is virtually the same size and is almost infinitely faster, but we're talking about mortals, here, guys. Bell often lined up in the slot or as an H-back. He's far from an exceptional blocker but has proven to be a considerable threat after the catch.
Three more defenders close out Day 3 for the Hawks
It's bonus draft pick time again; thanks Indianapolis! With the 191st overall selection, I added edge rusher Solomon Byrd. While I was tempted to go after James Madison's Jalen Green again, I went with the safer choice this time. I know, a sixth-round pick, go bold, right? Since I've already done that twice, I decided to take a Power Five player who isn't coming off a season-ending injury.
The 6'3" 255 lb fifth-year senior from Southern Cal played his first three seasons at Wyoming. He totaled 41 pressures last season, including 12 QB hits and seven sacks. A major reason I selected Byrd is his versatility. USC lined him up in the B gap (between the guard and tackle) or directly over the tackle for 138 snaps last year.
With the last of my twin picks, number 192 overall, I took Ohio State linebacker Steele Chambers. PFF likes him better than any other draft site, and even they rank him 201st. At 6'1" and 226 lb, he's on the small side for a linebacker. Nevertheless, he's shown a knack for finding his way to the ball carrier, at least according to nfl.com. His best skill set is dropping back into coverage, either in man or zone. His passer rating allowed last year was just 79.7, quite solid for a linebacker.
I wrapped up this mock draft with another safety, UDub's Dominique Hampton. The 6'2" 215 fifth-year senior bounced back from a problematic 2022 (a passer rating allowed of 144.1) to 82.1 last season. He allowed just 33 receptions on 55 targets. His strengths lie in run defense. He's no Kam Chancellor by any means, but Hampton can hit. The consensus big board sees him as the 193rd overall prospect, so I'll take that as one last win for the draft.