Seahawks Seven-Round Mock Draft: Seattle Trades Down, Prioritizes Elite Athletes

After moving down from the 16th overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks trade down to get some extra draft capital and get a steal at 27th overall to replenish their roster under new coach Mike Macdonald.

Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson (44) celebrates after sacking Massachusetts quarterback / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

The NFL Draft is a wonderful event for many reasons. It's the ultimate reality show filled with drama and hope for fans of all 32 teams. There is nothing like the excitement of your team getting on the clock and seeing what they do to alter the future of their organization.

The Seattle Seahawks only have one first round pick this year after having two last season, but they did the most with it by selecting cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The are without a second round pick due to the Leonard Williams trade, but that move has worked out well for them thus far, as the veteran defensive tackle signed a new contract with the team this offseason.

Looking at this draft class, there is a wealth of depth at the end of the first round and into the second round, but without a second-round pick, the Seahawks will need to try and acquire one by trading down. In a final seven-round mock draft leading up to Thursday's first round, that mission is accomplished to acquire talented players in the process with a heavy priority on hyper athletes.

Round 1, Pick 27 - Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Still a developing prospect, Chop Robinson has a rare blend of size and athleticism that should translate to improved production with proper coaching in the NFL. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Contrary to popular opinion, Robinson doesn't just have the best name in the class, but he's also a top-five player and the best edge rusher as well. For my money, I'm baffled as to why teams don't have Robinson graded higher. He possesses an elite first step similar to that of Von Miller and can be disruptive in all phases of the game. He does need to work on his functional play strength, especially with consistency. However, that first step is so special that it's easy to build up the rest of his game and should translate to more sack production in the NFL.

Round 3, Pick 66 - Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State

The safety position is one that the Seahawks need to invest in, especially after moving on from both Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, and they take advantage early with a local product. In Mike Macdonald's defense, having versatility on the back end is vitally important. Hicks can do a little bit of everything for you. Last year, Brian Branch had a similar profile in which anything you ask him to do he can. Hicks also tested extremely well, which is especially nice for a player of his size. This makes him a mismatch weapon on the back end that Macdonald can do a lot of things with, potentially as a day one starter.

Round 3, Pick 81 - Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State

The interior of Seattle's offensive line needs some work in terms of starting caliber talent and depth. They did sign Laken Tomlinson to a one-year contract, but that is a stop gap at best and not a long-term answer. Beebe is a talented player who honestly should go a full round higher with his ability to play across the line. Normally, third round picks aren't day one starters, but Beebe has the production and ability to do so immediately after being a four-year starter for the Wildcats.

Round 4, Pick 1042 - Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

Tight end is a fascinating position to draft. There are some really intriguing palyers with athleticism and some who are great extensions of the offensive line. It's also really intriguing in that they can take 3-4 years to develop. In the scouting world, there is a saying: "you are drafting a tight end for their next team." If you are taking one, it's best to take a high-upside athlete who has real utility right away. Sinnott isn't just a great athlete who can thrive from multiple allignments but is also an elite blocker who can be a complement to Noah Fant from day one with the potential to grow into a true tight end one.

Round 4, Pick 104 - Christian Mahogany, OG, Boston College

Taking the same position in back-to-back picks isn't a bad idea when you need to fix a position. The Seahawks don't just need starters on the interior but they also need to add depth. Inexpensive depth with growth potential is key to have on the offensive line. Mahogany fits the bill and then some. A multi-year starter at Boston College, Mahogany is a mauler on the interior who also tested extremely well. Like Beebe, Mahogany could theoretically compete for a starting job out of the gate against either Tomlinson or Anthony Bradford.

Round 4, Pick 118 - T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas

Sweat is a fascinating player when it comes to his draft evaluation. On tape, he got a second-round grade from me due to his ability as a pass rusher and clog gaps. However, he struggles to take on and sense double teams, which is concerning for a player his size. On top of that, there is the issue of his
arrest on suspicion of DWI from earlier in April. There are some concerns about him being a party animal and the arrest isn't going to help things. It could cause him to slide down into day three when his talent is much higher.

Round 6, Pick 179 - Beaux Limmer, C, Arkansas

A third interior offensive lineman? Is that really a smart pick? Well, the difficult part about this class is that day three is very weak overall due to COVID-19 and the advent of NIL. Classes will level out in time and become stronger, but this year, it's just reality. Limmer is a really intriguing prospect in that he has a 100th percentile vertical jump at 36 1/2 inches and also benched 225 pounds 39 times. The Seahawks now have three intriguing pieces to fortify their offensive line with the likelihood that at least one of them will hit.

Round 6, Pick 192 - Beau Brade, S, Maryland

Double dipping for a second time at safety is more about strengthening the special teams unit rather than thinking that Brade is going to be a long-term starter for Macdonalds defense. He does have some versatility to his game when it comes to playing up at the line of scrimmage and playing deep. However, Brade does have some athletic limitations that will prevent him from being a high-end starter but a good depth player would be a good outcome at this stage of the draft.

Round 7, Pick 235 - Ryan Watts, CB, Texas

Shooting for the moon is what you are doing with Watts. He's similar to what Riq Woolen was coming out of UTSA two years ago, though he's not quite as good of an athlete. He's 6-3 tall with 34.5 inch arms and ran a 4.51 40-yard dash. That profile is really intriguing to work with. However, his tape at cornerback shows some potential issues. A move to safety could be in the works for Watts, but the size and length profile he possesses will work in his favor and he will have time to develop in Seattle behind Woolen and Witherspoon.