With NFL free agency beginning this week, and the 2024 draft six weeks away, it's time for another Seattle Seahawks mock draft. John Schneider and Mike Macdonald have been busy, cutting Will Dissly, Nick Bellore, Quandre Diggs, and Jamal Adams. (Seattle created a lot of cap room for itself in free agency.)
Questions remain as to who will return to the Seahawks. Which former Ravens might join Macdonald in Seattle, if any? Are there any surprise star additions given the massive amount of money that has been freed up?
I assume this roster will look a lot different over the next three weeks. Until then, we're going to take a unique spin with this mock draft. This will be only a 3-round mock, where we will look at how the Seahawks could have a successful draft, by not only trading back but then trading up as well.
Seattle Seahawks 3-round mock draft improves the defense
Round 1 pick 26, Seahawks select Johnny Newton, DT Illinois
Seahawks trade picks 16 and 151 to Tampa Bay for picks 26 and 57
The Leonard Williams trade will be viewed as a disaster if he suddenly digresses next season after being re-signed by Seattle. Even with re-signing Williams, though, the Seahawks need to continue to look at ways to get better, and younger in the trenches.
With no 2nd round pick, and the Buccaneers interested in grabbing one of the dynamic cornerbacks in this draft, we were able to strike a deal that matches up well on the NFL Trade Value Chart. Seattle gets back their 2nd round pick and is still in a position at number 26 to get trench help.
With the selection, Seattle grabs former Devon Witherspoon teammate Johnny Newton out of Illinois. The 6-1 and 304 lbs defensive tackle is an energizer bunny of mayhem against the run and the pass. He has a devastating spin move that has wreaked havoc on the Big Ten over the past two years. During that time, Newton has combined for 114 total tackles, including 22.5 for a loss and 13 sacks. If Newton was on a better team and wasn't trailing all the time, these sack numbers could be a lot higher.
There's a real chance Newton is gone by pick 26, and if so, the Seahawks should still look at trench help for pick 26. Guys to be looking at here, if not Newton, are Bryon Murphy, Graham Barton, or Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Round 2 brings the Seahawks a quarterback
After trading back to regain our lost 2nd round pick, Seattle is going to get aggressive again and move up in the draft to get their quarterback of the future. Sure, the team traded for Sam Howell this week, but Howell could be released with little detriment to the cap. Plus, Howell and Geno Smith are long-term options at QB in Seattle.
Round 2 pick 42, Seahawks select- Michael Penix Jr, QB Washington
Trade - Seahawks trade picks 57 and 2025 3rd to Minnesota for pick 42
This is a nice choice that should be loved in the Pacific Northwest, and feels like the right time, and player to take a shot on.
This is one of the deepest FA and quarterback groups in recent memory. We saw guys like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins switch teams, while five or six QB prospects could be drafted in the first 50 picks. It leaves open the door for someone in the draft to potentially slide, and that could very well be Michael Penix Jr.
Still sitting there at pick 42, I was stoked to select Michael Penix Jr. At 6-2 and 216 lbs, Penix has been arguably the 2nd best quarterback in college football the past two seasons. Finishing 8th in the Heisman in 2022, and the runner-up this year, Penix had awakened the sleeping giant that is Washington Huskies football.
The lefty gunslinger with an unusual throwing motion, there are mixes of Tua Tagovailoa and Philip Rivers to his game. In the past two seasons, Penix has done two things; win and throw absolute darts.
In his two years on Montlake, Penix has led the Huskies to a 24-2 record, an Alamo Bowl victory, a Pac-12 Championship, and the number 2 seed in the CFP. During that time, Penix has completed over 65 percent of his passes for nearly 9,000 yards and a 64/17 TD-to-INT ratio. What's more impressive is the difficulty of the throws he makes and his 9.2 average yards per attempt. His mobility is not what it once was, but he can manipulate the pocket and get first downs, and when given time, he's throwing for first downs and touchdowns.
If not for his injury history and funky motion, Penix could easily be the top pick in next year's draft. His “warts” to some should be used as an opportunity for the Seahawks to win the draft, and find a perfect replacement for when the time is right to move on from Geno Smith.
Round 3- Adding to Mike Macdonald's defense
Round 3 pick 76, Seahawks select Junior Colson, LB Michigan
Before leading the Ravens to a number 1 defense, Mike Macdonald had helped Jim Harbaugh resurrect the Michigan Wolverines in 2021. One of the talented freshmen on that roster was Junior Colson, who would eventually become the quarterback of that historic and National Championship-level unit. It only makes sense to reunite with Macdonald in Seattle.
An incredible story of heartbreak and perseverance, Colson was once an orphan due to the destruction of the Haiti earthquake in 2010, before being adopted and growing up in the United States. Now, Colson is one of the most talented linebackers in college.
The 6-2 and 238 lbs junior had a successful showing at the combine, ranking as the 4th best linebacker in this class. Colson is a hard-hitting tackler who needs to improve on actually finishing the tackles, but the potential is all there. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein has Willie Gay as Colson’s player comparison. I don't disagree with that, but a ceiling pro comparison I have for Colson is New Orleans LB Demario Davis.
Round 3 pick 78, Seahawks select Cole Bishop, S Utah
As we have seen not just in Seattle, but across the league, safeties are marked men right now. All-Pros, Pro Bowlers, and some really solid safeties have been cut all over the league, creating an extremely deep class at the position. This is great news for the Seahawks.
Mike Macdonald loved to utilize 3 safety looks in Baltimore last year, and I expect that to continue in Seattle. Julian Love finished the year strong so that is one safety spot that should be productive. The Seahawks should look to take a safety in the first two days of the draft as well My top safety in this class was available in Cole Bishop.
The junior captain for the Utes, Bishop was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award this season. In 11 games, Bishop amassed 60 total tackles (6.5 for loss) with 3 sacks and one interception. When watching film on Bishop, I see a guided missile consistently finding himself at the football at the right time, every time.
Any teams that chose to run to the outside were quickly met by Bishop, and he shut down the intermediate and middle of the field. While he needs work on better reading deep throws to the outside, there's a reason why some are comparing him to another special Utah safety. Bishop and Love as your starting secondary next year, alongside Devon Witherspoon, is a potentially elite secondary.