In the 2025 NFL draft, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider added eleven new players to his roster. Four of them came in the top 100 picks. He was flush with draft capital after trading away veteran stars DK Metcalf and Geno Smith and had generally been very careful in handling the other picks in his arsenal.
In return, he got two vital players on his Super Bowl-winning squad – Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori – as well as a handful of others who could pay off in a major way down the road.
There is not nearly the same excitement around this year’s picks. Schneider has just four selections.
Seattle Seahawks add excellent depth in three-round mock draft
But he does still have his picks in the first three rounds. Because of the Super Bowl victory, all three come at or near the end of each round (the last pick in rounds one and two and – based on compensatory picks that are awarded beginning in round three – a few picks from the end of that third round).
This is not considered an especially strong year for draft prospects, but there will still be very good football players available when it comes time for Schneider to choose in those first three rounds. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) highlighted that in its latest three-round mock draft.
If Schneider can walk away with the three players PFF has chosen for him, it will be a successful couple of days indeed.
Round one, pick 32: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Many mock drafts agree that Schneider would like to grab a corner with his first-round pick. If Terrell is on the board, I think it would be a very easy decision for the Seahawks’ GM. Terrell does not have the size or length of Riq Woolen, who left for Philadelphia via free agency last week.
At 5’11”, 186 pounds, he is almost the same size as Seattle’s projected starting corners Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe.
But Terrell – brother of Falcons’ cornerback AJ Terrell – plays a lot bigger than his size. He is an excellent tackler. PFF graded him out at an outstanding 85.2 in run defense. His eight career forced fumbles are a record for all Clemson defensive backs.
And he is equally adept in coverage, especially in the zone schemes that Mike Macdonald likes to run. In many mock drafts that I have seen so far, Terrell has been gone at the 32nd pick.
For instance, in ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s most recent first-round-only mock, Terrell went to Buffalo with the 26th pick. Kiper had Seattle taking the next highest-rated cornerback, Colton Hood. Hood would also fit very nicely into the Dark Side secondary, but not as well as Terrell.
Round two, pick 64: Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa
Dunker was an extremely productive right tackle in the Big Ten, playing 47 games in his four-year career. By his final season, he was first-team all-conference on the Joe Moore Award-winning line (best offensive line in the country).
Dunker has exceptional power and leg drive. But his arms are slightly shorter than ideal, and his first-step quickness is mediocre by NFL standards. That means one thing to scouts. His professional future will be at guard and not at tackle. He did play guard a bit in college, and no one doubts that he can make the transition.
That fits perfectly with what Seattle may be looking for in a replacement for right guard Anthony Bradford. Dunker has the physical tools to step into a starting guard role from day one. Or he could apprentice behind Bradford for his rookie year and then take over should Bradford leave via free agency. He could even help out at tackle in a pinch.
Round three, pick 96: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
Burks is an astonishing athlete. His combine numbers were extraordinary - the only receiver prospect I know of who posted both a 40-yard dash time and a bench press number in the top 97% of his position group.
The problem is his size. He is 5’10”, 180 pounds, with arms measuring under 30”. That has scouts worried about whether he can translate that 4.3 speed and extraordinary vertical leap into on-field production against NFL corners.
Seattle already has two players in Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp who can line up anywhere on the field, and a very promising perimeter threat in Tory Horton, who is an ideal Z receiver. If they are looking for a high-ceiling slot-only player, Burks could carve out a productive role over time.
All three of these players could be starters or important rotational players in year one, but barring injuries, they won’t have to be. They all project to be productive starting caliber players within a couple of seasons.