Seattle Seahawks 7-round mock draft lands a generational talent and a local favorite

Day three belongs to the defense - almost exclusively

The Seahawks would certainly open more than a few eyes if they used their first two selections on offense. I doubt there would be a single pair of eyebrows arched higher than those of new head coach, Mike Macdonald. Don't worry coach, I got your back on day three. Almost exclusively, as it turned out.

My version of the Hawks 2024 day three began by using the 81st pick on edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland from that perennial powerhouse, Western Michigan. The 6'3" 275 lb Kneeland is ranked as the ninth edge prospect by PFF, and the eighth-highest prospect according to the consensus draft board. There are a LOT of great edge rushers in this draft.

That's reflected by the fact that Kneeland is rated as the 61st overall prospect by PFF and 58th by the consensus board. In the past two seasons, he's racked up eight sacks and 50 hurries. He's rated just as effective against the run, too. Kneeland is the best Bronco to hit the NFL since John Offerdahl. Big shoes to fill, but Macdonald and his staff will certainly give him the best chance.

Sorry, coach, but if we're going to build on the offense Seattle put on the field last year, the Hawks need to beef up the offensive line. So I hopped off the defensive train for a moment and drafted PFF's fifth-ranked guard, Michigan's Zak Zinter. The consensus board rated him ninth among all interior offensive linemen, but they're a bit goofy as they lump centers in with the guards. PFF ranks the 6'6" 322 Wolverine as the 156th overall prospect, so getting him in the fifth round with the 151st pick worked out well. In three seasons at Ann Arbor, Zinter had just three sacks and five hits in 1,060 pass-block snaps. He gave up no sacks and no hits last season. Oh, and he's just as good in the run game.

We're in round six now, so it's hard to expect all gems here, gang. With the 194th pick overall, I went for Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony. PFF ranked the 6'0" 205 lb 14th among safeties, while the consensus rated him 22nd. In his first two seasons he played cornerback for Mississippi, but made the jump to safety as a senior. He still played 380 snaps as the slot corner, 162 deep and 150 in the box. His passer rating allowed was a solid 62.3, as he forced 10 incompletions and picked off three passes.

Here we are, 12s, the last pick of the Seahawks draft has arrived. With the 233rd pick, I took linebacker Darius Mausau of UCLA. The 6'1" 230 lb redshirt senior was the 19th-ranked linebacker according to the consensus board and 14th per Pro Football Focus. He may not have first-round talent, but nfldraftbuzz.com likes him quite a bit. He tallied 15 hurries and four sacks last year and was graded equally well in pass rush and run defense by PFF.

And that, dear 12s, wraps up my second mock draft of 2024. As with my first, I'd be a bit surprised if the Seahawks actually hit one of these picks. But as with my first draft, I didn't "game" the system or force any trades. So who knows? Maybe the real teams will be just as silly, and let the best tight end in years slip to number 16, all the way to the Seahawks.

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