After Senior Bowl Seahawks 2023 mock draft

[Seahawkwalt1967]

I would love Dawand at 20. He is huge, and can move. If we are to be bullies again, this is a great first step. Yes, Lucas would have to kick to RG tho. McDonald looks fantastic. I dont know enough about his instincts or shedding abilities. I would prefer Drew Sanders. He is my draft crush this year (along w Charlie Jones WR Purdue). Thumbs up to Dexter and Miller...Dont know much about the other guys.

 

[Chevy]

For a top 10 pick I want everything bro. I want good tape. Good Combine. Good interview. If he goes out and runs a 4.4 or 4.5 with his length then some team out there is going to fall for him. It will justify him going that high. Teams might be willing to overlook how inconsistent he looked in the 2022 season. He had a good Senior Bowl and reminded people why he's a first round pick. That's awesome but to propel him all the way up to #9?

I don't agree. I'm not saying I won't ever agree with you so slow your roll. You don't have to have this attitude that you're always right. I respect the work you do. You have clearly put in a lot of work. We can disagree. Put your mock out there and have a discussion. Don't get your feelings hurt when people want to dissect it or pick at it. That's the nature of a mock.

He checks everything the Hawks want so I'll give you that. It makes sense. It might even come true. To say he's already better than Taylor and Mafe is a little rich. Mafe is a really good run defender and Taylor is a good pass rusher. Yes...DT has work to do but at #9, I want a starter now or in the near future. I'm not sure McDonald is a better run defender than Mafe so he won't start on the strong side. The jury is out if he can displace Taylor. He ain't taking snaps from Nwosu...

This year is a bad year for everything you, me, and NFL teams want for a top-10 prospect. If you want the stats, the combine, and the interview then your prosect is probably going to be the player you mentioned...(DE) Tyree Wilson. For me Wilson and McDonald are the two I have the most confidence in at succeeding in the NFL as impact players.

 

[Chevy]

I don't dislike McDonald as a player, but I would much prefer they address the trenches/interior of the dline early rather than the edges. I think the Hawks are better than adequate, if not with some decent upside on the edges with Nwosu, Taylor, Mafe - that group is only going to get better with more reps and experience.

I like Dawand Jones, I don't like him as a first round pick for the Hawks. They need to do less moving positions of their young offensive linemen, not more. Let Lucas continue to develop into one of the better RTs in the NFL. Lane Johnson, Jack Conklin, Penei Sewell have been allowed to stick and develop at RT - Abe should be afforded the same opportunity; why derail his development trend? The Hawks have too often gotten cute with their handling of young olinemen - if you want a G/C then draft a G/C.

But really it is hard to give too much of an opinion on a mock draft without knowing who else was available with each pick.

I knew I would get a good amount of heat for the Jones pick. But again, it's an almost a weekly mock, so I put out different scenarios and prospects. I understand your worry about moving an offensive lineman around. Moving a RT to RG IMO is an easier transition than moving an RG to LG (it's like asking a right-side hitter in baseball to switch to hitting from the left side)

 

[Chevy]

Great work, but I don't know about Dawand Jones. He seems more like a late riser due to Senior Bowl practice and "wingspan." As opposed to a long tenured 1st round prospect.

And this worries me: [Dawand Jones] sat out on Wednesday due to undisclosed reasons. It was reported that he was potentially dealing with an injury after the first day of practice on Tuesday, and he was absent from the media breakfast and practice altogether.

There were a few guys that sat out the Senior Bowl game, even though they went the most of the practices. I think its more of a don't want to get hurt when you have already proven yourself...kind of like how a lot of 1st round/2nd round prospects sit out their bowl games.

 

[Chevy]

It helps with these kind of threads to interpret "In my opinion..." before every single statement. None of us really know anything, but it would be tiring to preface every single statement with that qualifier.

This draft fills most of what I see our needs to be. I'm not sure that Noah Taylor would be ready to start at ILB and so we'd probably be looking at FA for one or two guys that could play immediately.

McDonald will continue to creep up the boards as we continue the process. He was a good prospect before the season and slipped a lot due to the lack of stats, which as pointed out was partly because he was playing inside. However, picking him at #10 feels like we'd be reaching to address a perceived need when we'd actually be getting another speed OLB for passing downs who needs to improve considerably against the run. Nolan Smith a bit later on would be a more intriguing add to our OLB mix for me as a guy who's a bit smaller but also somehow a really physical run defender.

The Dawand Jones thing is very plausible but I wouldn't like it. Abe showed that he was a bit unexpectedly good in space and in pass pro, and I think with better RG play, a TE, and Walker's speed we can be very effective on stretch right runs without needing a huge road grader. If we want to hit interior stuff more consistently I think the answer is to add a power back.

Kendre Miller could fit that bill as a between the tackles guy, but we might want a guy with more explosion if Miller tests poorly at the combine. Alternatively, a guy like Kenny McIntosh would be pretty interesting as not only a short yardage back but also a third down back with sure hands and the frame to be a strong pass protector.

You may be right with the IMO for debates or not.... But I do get put off when I read/hear a definitive statement on any debate/subject that is made.

As far as a backup RB thought...McIntosh is the better prospect, but that is at probably at a two round cost vs Miller. McIntosh in the 2nd/3rd round or Miller in the 4th/5th round? I prefer the latter given our more pressing needs. But I may incorporate your back up RB concerns in a future mock and see how that plays out.

 

[CPHawk]

Tackle isn’t a need. Taking one in the first round would be a wasted pick imho. We need D or a qb depending on the Smith signing.

 

[BASF]

I think Torrence has a far better future than Jones. I doubt he becomes an all pro, but I can see pro bowls in his future. Also, choosing him does not mess with continuity of any of our linemen.

 

[GGotskill]

Tackle isn’t a need. Taking one in the first round would be a wasted pick imho. We need D or a qb depending on the Smith signing.

Beefing up the interior line should be a focus. Not sure how Lucas would fair moving inside. After watching Damien Lewis have a stellar rookie year, only to get shuffled around and look a little lost afterward leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The biggest need on the team (assume we sign Geno) is d-line, pretty much every position. Edge/DE, interior run stuffer that can also collapse pocket, just SOMEONE that can be a play maker on that side of the ball.

 

[Sun Tzu]

Tackle isn’t a need. Taking one in the first round would be a wasted pick imho. We need D or a qb depending on the Smith signing.

If he is the BPA at that point is it a wasted pick? The history of teams that stay competitive year after year points to BPA regardless of need being the best draft strategy. Fill the needs through free agency and pick BPA. Forcing a position because of need depletes the roster.

 

[CPHawk]

If he is the BPA at that point is it a wasted pick? The history of teams that stay competitive year after year points to BPA regardless of need being the best draft strategy. Fill the needs through free agency and pick BPA. Forcing a position because of need depletes the roster.

H

If he is the BPA at that point is it a wasted pick? The history of teams that stay competitive year after year points to BPA regardless of need being the best draft strategy. Fill the needs through free agency and pick BPA. Forcing a position because of need depletes the roster.

Our D is flat out terrible. We need all the help in the front 7 we can get. I’m hoping for a DE at 5 and a DL or LB at 20.

I get the BPA route, but we lost at least 4-5 games because our D just sucked at tackling. Lucas was a R, no need to replace him. Go get a G and C in FA.

 

[KinesProf]

I knew I would get a good amount of heat for the Jones pick. But again, it's an almost a weekly mock, so I put out different scenarios and prospects. I understand your worry about moving an offensive lineman around. Moving a RT to RG IMO is an easier transition than moving an RG to LG (it's like asking a right-side hitter in baseball to switch to hitting from the left side)

I totally appreciate the variety and effort you put in this exercise, so I hope it came across as respectful.

Nothing against Dawand, but I think he would have a very narrow needle to thread to be impactfully better at RT than Abe. I project Abe as a sub-elite tier 2 RT - in that group after Johnson, Conklin, Sewell. And it would be total guesswork to project Abe as a better Guard than a Guard you could draft between say 20 to 90 in the draft. And if Abe isn't good at Guard and Dawand isn't as good as Abe at RT, then the Hawks would have created a real mess for themselves.

Fair or not, and he looks to be in great shape, but I have concerns about the durability of someone that size. Mekhi Becton has had a really difficult time getting on the field.

I'm not sure where you have Skoronski in this draft, but I think him as a Zack Martin type of convert to the interior is a very safe projection.

 

[Hawkinaz]

Tackle isn’t a need. Taking one in the first round would be a wasted pick imho. We need D or a qb depending on the Smith signing.

The draft especially the 1st rd is more about collecting talent and free agency is for plugging holes. If a player is available who is high on your draft chart falls I would rather draft him vs a player in a position you want to fill that at that point would be a reach

I like Lucas but Jones would be an immediate upgrade. Jones reminds me a lot of Jonathon Ogden

 

[BASF]

The draft especially the 1st rd is more about collecting talent and free agency is for plugging holes. If a player is available who is high on your draft chart falls I would rather draft him vs a player in a position you want to fill that at that point would be a reach

I like Lucas but Jones would be an immediate upgrade. Jones reminds me a lot of Jonathon Ogden

O'Cyrus Torrence would be an upgrade and we wouldn't have to move anyone. If they are both there, I sincerely hope we take Torrence.

 

[IndyHawk]

I have the Seahawks trading down in the 1st round with the Panthers. Seahawks acquire #9 in the 1st round and additional 2nd round pick. This is with the assumption Coach Carroll and John resign Geno.

1st round #9 (from Panthers) - (OLB/DE) Will McDonald IV 6'3" 241 lbs. Iowa State: As you may already know I consider McDonald the best pass rusher in the draft, and after the Senior Bowl he is getting bumped up into the 1st round by draft analysts. McDonald will be a menace at OLB in a 3-4 with his elite pass rushing traits. He is not another Bruce Irvin, Bruce tried to win with elite quickness and then tried to bull rush at a little brother size (for DE). McDonald is a more refined pass rusher than Bruce, although he is still not a finished product. McDonald has an amazing spin move, which very few pass rushers have coming into the NFL or even develop into their pass rushing repertoire. McDonald has the best turn the corner bend in the last couple of drafts. He has 35-inch arm length! He will probably blow up the combine with his testing numbers, so I project him being a top-10 pick. I've seen so many comments as to why his production wasn't good, all I have to say is look at how he was played in the Iowa State scheme. He was a majority of the time playing DE in a 3-4 scheme! So yeah, bad fit, 50 lbs. too light for the position. If Will Anderson (Alabama) was playing mostly DE in a 3-4 for scheme, stat scouts would be asking the same question about him.





1st round #20 - (OT) Dawand Jones 6'8" 375 lbs. Ohio State: Jones is an elite prospect but is a one position only (RT) offensive lineman, which is why I think he could last to #20. He is a bully in the running game. In pass pro he has 36-inch arm length and a huge wingspan, so good luck trying to try to rush past him on the outside. I love Abraham Lucas, but Jones is such a stud at RT that I could see the Seahawks moving Lucas to RG. Lucas I believe could be a great RG with his athleticism and alpha dog demeanor. This pick of Jones would make us a right-handed team, so any time we wanted to impose our will on a defense...we'd run it to the right side of the offensive line. I was going to change this pick after I had seen Rob Staaton had made the same pick at #20 in his latest mock, but I feel it makes too much sense after the Senior Bowl & our need on the offensive line. Watch the RT in the video below, thats Jones.





2nd round #37 - (OC/LG) Steve Avila 6'3" 332 lbs. TCU: Aviala was a player I liked in round 3 before the Senior Bowl, but as of now I consider him a top of the 2nd round prospect. He took snaps at Center and that is where I have him playing for the Seahawks. The big man is a decent athlete and has a great anchor. He has ideal size for a Center and can play in both man and zone schemes. These last two picks would give the Seahawks an elite offensive line, so we could crush in the running game and give an average to above average QB chance to succeed as a game manager.

View attachment 57183



2nd round #39 (from Panthers) - (NT/DT) Gervon Dexter 6'6" 315 lbs. Florida: Dexter has amazing play strength and looks to have good arm length. I think he is more of a linear athlete, which is fine for a NT. He sheds blocks like a big brother disengaging from his little brother. With a supporting cast of pass rushers, he could contribute to sack/pressures. I think he is an elite run defender with upside as a pass rusher.





2nd round #52 - (DE/DT) Karl Brooks 6'3" 303 lbs. Bowling Green: Brooks is an athletic big man that can apply pressure. He has high upside and would be a great fit for the size and athleticism the Seahawks want at DE on their 3-4 defensive line.

View attachment 57184



3rd round #83 - (FS/SS/nickle CB) Sydney Brown 5'10" 213 lbs. Illinois: Brown isn't an elite athlete, but he is a baller. I think he could be a much cheaper version of Diggs and just as good as Diggs prime.





4th round #123 - (RB) Kendre Miller 6'0" 220 lbs. TCU: Miller has good size, power, and athleticism. For us he would be a legit backup RB or even really good starting RB if K-9 went down with an injury.

View attachment 57185



5th round #153 - (CB) Chamarri Conner 6'0" 205 lbs. Virginia Tech: Conner has good size although a bit short in arm length. He would compete for CB and Safety for us. He played both at VT.





6th round #156 - (ILB/OLB) Noah Taylor 6'5" 240 lbs. North Carolina: Taylor, when at Virginia, played Safety, nickel CB, ILB, OLB, and DE. He transferred to North Carolina so he could play at one position. So, he obviously has the athleticism, he just needs a position for coaches to stick him at so he can focus on. Givin his size, athleticism, and previous experience I think he would be a ILB for us. At the least he could be a situational pass rusher. Watch Taylor's highlight below!

Noah Taylor 2021 Regular Season Highlights | Virginia LB

Noah Taylor has been one of the top linebackers on the Cavaliers' defense for several seasons and 2021 was no different. Taylor's 8.0 tackles for loss led U...

youtu.be

You have some interesting players up there..Who would you take at #5 if there is no trade?

 

[Chevy]

I totally appreciate the variety and effort you put in this exercise, so I hope it came across as respectful.

Nothing against Dawand, but I think he would have a very narrow needle to thread to be impactfully better at RT than Abe. I project Abe as a sub-elite tier 2 RT - in that group after Johnson, Conklin, Sewell. And it would be total guesswork to project Abe as a better Guard than a Guard you could draft between say 20 to 90 in the draft. And if Abe isn't good at Guard and Dawand isn't as good as Abe at RT, then the Hawks would have created a real mess for themselves.

Fair or not, and he looks to be in great shape, but I have concerns about the durability of someone that size. Mekhi Becton has had a really difficult time getting on the field.

I'm not sure where you have Skoronski in this draft, but I think him as a Zack Martin type of convert to the interior is a very safe projection.

Becton maybe has his own issues that shouldn't be projected to other players his size. For example, Eagles LT Jordan Mailata is 6'8" 365 lbs. and is now one of the better LT in the NFL.

I understand your thoughts as to why basically why "if it ain't broke don't fix". It would be a gamble moving Abe to RG, and yes there is a chance of Dawand being a bust...but, that is a worst-case scenario. Our last worst case scenario GM Tim Ruskell...he was a high floor, low ceiling prospect drafting GM, which got him fired and never rehired as a GM.

 

[Chevy]

O'Cyrus Torrence would be an upgrade and we wouldn't have to move anyone. If they are both there, I sincerely hope we take Torrence.

Torrence is one of the most overrated players in this draft, and he doesn't fit our scheme.

 

[Chevy]

You have some interesting players up there..Who would you take at #5 if there is no trade?

If no trade down and we keep Geno, then either Texas Tech (DE/OLB/DT) Tryee Wilson or Georgia (DE/DT) Jalen Carter or Oregon (CB) Christian Gonzalez or Iowa State (OLB/DE) Will McDonald. As of today, Tryee Wilson would be my guy at #5.

 

[BASF]

Becton maybe has his own issues that shouldn't be projected to other players his size. For example, Eagles LT Jordan Mailata is 6'8" 365 lbs. and is now one of the better LT in the NFL.

I understand your thoughts as to why basically why "if it ain't broke don't fix". It would be a gamble moving Abe to RG, and yes there is a chance of Dawand being a bust...but, that is a worst-case scenario. Our last worst case scenario GM Tim Ruskell...he was a high floor, low ceiling prospect drafting GM, which got him fired and never rehired as a GM.

I am pretty sure that it was the Hutchitraitor fiasco that Ruskell was blamed for is what kept him from being rehired.

 

[Seattle Person]

I'm going to offer a different mock. Just to have a different perspective and something to talk about. I also think it will make a ton of sense and it might make the team better. It's not something I would personally do but it's different. Roll with it and have fun debating. Full disclosure: I'm trading down in this mock but didn't include the extra picks (too complicated for my tiny brain).

#5: I do think it makes sense to stay put but after thinking things over I think the #5 pick is going to be a hot-bed pick. I think multiple teams might want to trade up for a QB. I believe Young/Carter/Anderson and one of the Levis or Stroud are all gone in the top 4. Trading down to #7,#8, or #9 might be too good to pass up if teams want to get into a bidding war. I would pull the trigger on some surprising names. In this mock -- I'm going with Devon Witherspoon (CB) or Christian Gonzalez (CB). I don't see Tyree Wilson or the other Dline options are either fits or true impact players early on. I think Witherspoon and Gonzalez are both CBs that are worth top 10 selections. Crazy but it makes the secondary pretty scary.

#20: Tons of options here. Many will argue for a Dline player but I think I'm pulling the trigger on John Michael Schmitz (C). He's a really good center prospect. Fits the scheme. Might be high but you get a chance of a Center you can plug in for the next 4 years and a real chance for a 2nd contract. This will give the line 4 quality young linemen. Build a monster line! I'm taking him here because there is a real chance he doesn't last until #38.

#38: I'm just trying to blow up peoples' mocks at this point. I'm going Tank Dell (WR) here. Speed is pretty good. His separation skills are really really good. I get that he's small but I think he can play everywhere. I don't think he's someone that will be just a slot person. He can return punts and run those screens and Jet Sweeps. He's a real weapon. Makes our WR room pretty good. Bring back Goodwin and you'll have a solid #1-4. Dereke Young rounds out the WR room nicely.

#53: I have been avoiding Dline until now. Despite the line options -- I question the fit of most. Jalen Carter will go too high. Kancey is too small for the Seahawks. You have players like Keion White, Andre Carter, Myles Murphy and the NTs. I think the player that will actually make a huge impact for defense right away is Gervon Dexter Sr. (DT) Good motor (can get lazy at times though), plays the run well, long/big frame. I see him replacing Poona Ford pretty well on early downs. He actually can 2-gap and control the LOS. He's a monster at 5T, 3T, or 4i. Plus he can always work on his pass rush. He has the athleticism to do so.

#84: I really want Sydney Brown here but to be different. I'm going to mock Noah Sewell (LB) here. He might go earlier but here is where I think he should go. Despite people questioning his speed, he has been timed at over 20.8 mph. That's flying...What intrigues me about Sewell is that he's really physical and can shed blocks pretty well. That is something our LBs don't do well. If you start Brooks then you need to find a LB that can fill the A gaps and/or take on blockers. Sewell does this well. Even if you bring Barton back, I still think a player like Sewell is needed if you're going to play more 4-2-5 defenses. You need a physical LB that can blow things up.

#124: Josh Whyle (TE): He is more of a pass-catcher right now. He's going to remind people of Colby Parkinson. I love Will Dissly but I do think the team needs to plan for a potential exit plan for him. Probably after next season. Noah Fant is a good talent but is he really worth an extension for big money? I think Colby Parkinson can be a full time player at some point. Might as well get his clone.

#154: I'm still putting Roschon Johnson (RB) in this mock. Love him as a runner. Tough dude. Pretty good speed and he will compliment Walker well. Watch this clip. I mean...

#157: PJ Mustipher (NT). Dude is huge! 6'4 and around 330 lbs. He carries his weight pretty well and moves well for his size. He is the NT depth that we need to develop. We know Al Woods is getting up there but he's still playing at a really high level. He's not broken until he's broken....Mone is injured so might as well get his replacement. Mustipher is a huge locker room dude. He will remind people of a Tyler Lockett but on the Dline. I can see him having a future in the media. Just a natural speaker and full of charisma.

#199: I don't know yet...The later rounds are getting tricky for me...Need to do more research. Any suggestions for late round flyers?