Post-Russell Wilson Trade Seahawks Seven-Round Mock Draft

For the first time in a decade, Seattle needs a quarterback with Wilson heading to Denver and also has a top-10 pick to potentially fill that void. Embarking on a trade frenzy in his latest mock draft, Corbin Smith looks at how the draft could play out if the team goes quarterback early.

On the heels of a blockbuster trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos, the Seahawks find themselves officially on the hunt for a new franchise quarterback for the first time since 2012.

Thanks to the Wilson deal that netted them five picks total, Seattle currently holds the No. 9 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, which opens the door for general manager John Schneider to potentially select a new signal caller early if there is a player or two he covets. The team also has a pair of second-round picks that could be used to address the position later if deciding to go in a different direction altogether with its newly-acquired top-10 pick.

At this point, it's anyone's guess what Schneider and the Seahawks will do, and the next few weeks will play a key role in determining the course of action in the draft. Much to the dismay of many fans, rumors continue to circulate about the franchise's apparent interest in Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who remains embroiled in legal issues. Other veteran quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins may be available for trade as well, giving the team plenty of options to consider if they prefer to reload rather than tear everything down to the studs.

Armed with three new picks, including two in the top 40, what might Seattle opt to do come April? In my latest mock draft, assuming a major trade for a veteran such as Watson doesn't come to fruition or proves too expensive to pull off, I embraced a full rebuild by finding Wilson's successor early and moving up and down the draft board with four trades to net a total of 10 new players.

Courtesy of the Draft Network's simulator, here's a look at my latest mock draft haul as the Seahawks adjust to life without Wilson and Bobby Wagner:

Round 1, Pick No. 11 - Malik Willis, QB, Liberty*

*Traded pick No. 9 to Washington for pick No. 11, pick No. 47, and a 2023 seventh-round selection

With this year's quarterback class not necessarily receiving glowing reviews from most experts, selecting one this early would be a major roll of the dice. But if the Seahawks can recoup another day two pick by trading down a few spots as accomplished in this scenario and the uber-talented Willis remains available, this is a worthwhile gamble.

A former top recruit at Auburn, Willis has the highest ceiling of any signal caller in this class due to a rocket arm and elite athletic traits unrivaled by his peers and reportedly met with Seattle at the combine. Coming from a smaller FBS school, he will likely need to time to learn before being unleashed on Sundays and needs to work on reading through progressions and throwing with better anticipation among other things. With that said, playing with a superior supporting cast will work wonders once he's ready to play and he has the tool box to be a great quarterback at the next level with proper coaching and development.

Round 2, Pick No. 41 - Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State

After passing over several talented edge defenders in the first round in favor of tabbing Willis as Wilson's successor, the Seahawks will want to capitalize on having multiple second-round selections to bolster their pass rush. Even after moving down with one of their two consecutive picks in the early 40s, they manage to snag Ebiketie as their future LEO defensive end.

While Ebiketie isn't the twitchiest edge rusher out there, he plays with fast, skilled hands and a refined set of counter moves unexpected from a player who only started playing as a sophomore in high school. At 250 pounds, he offers enough size to put his hand in the dirt as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme and packs good initial punch at the point of attack. He may start his career as a situational rusher and needs to strengthen his lower body to play the run more effectively, but eventually will settle into an every down edge defender with double-digit sack potential.

Round 2, Pick No. 46 - Daniel Faalele, T, Minnesota**

**Traded pick No. 40 to Minnesota for pick No. 46 and pick No. 155

While Brandon Shell heads to free agency, the Seahawks do have a young right tackle in Jake Curhan on the roster who played well down the stretch last season. Still, Carroll didn't necessarily give the most glowing of assessment's of Curhan's play at the combine and if a high-ceiling prospect such as Faalele is available in the middle of round two, they will be eager to pull the trigger.

A massive human being at 6-foot-8, 384 pounds, Faalele doesn't have the feet or lateral quickness to play on the left side. But thanks to his rugby background, he's surprisingly nimble for a player of his size working out of his stance and uses his sheer power to drive defenders off the ball, which suggests he should be able to succeed in either a zone or gap scheme as a run blocker. He also has only played competitive football for four years, so he's barely scratching the surface of his potential and should keep improving from a technical standpoint, setting him up to be a long-term starter with the chance to develop into a top-10 player at his position.

Round 2, Pick No. 47 - Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia*

*Traded pick No. 9 to Washington for pick No. 11, pick No. 47, and a 2023 seventh-round selection

Wilson isn't the only future Hall of Famer that the Seahawks will have to replace, as the team also released Bobby Wagner as a cap casualty, creating a huge hole at the MIKE linebacker spot. Drafting a player with athletic talents and instincts from the reigning national champions, Tindall stands out as an ideal candidate to fill the void left behind by No. 54.

A fluid athlete at 230 pounds, Tindall's 4.47 40-yard dash speed plays on the field as a run defender, blitzer, and in coverage. Though aided by a fantastic defensive front that kept him clean, he showed a penchant for making plays against the run sideline-to-sideline and was extremely efficient on his blitzing opportunities to produce nearly half a dozen sacks. His coverage prowess was on display at the Senior Bowl and that attribute alone would give him an excellent chance to be a day one starter alongside budding star Jordyn Brooks.

Round 2, Pick No. 57 - David Bell, WR, Purdue***

***Traded pick No. 72 and pick No. 151 to Buffalo for pick No. 57

At least currently, Seattle doesn't have a major need at receiver with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Dee Eskridge currently under contract. But the team has reportedly been doing some digging into free agent receivers and trade rumors surrounding Lockett have been floating around, so if a player of Bell's caliber remains available late in the second, packaging picks to move up to get him would be a shrewd move.

Production-wise, Bell played like a first-round talent at Purdue, amassing 232 receptions for 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns in only 29 games. He earned at least Second-Team All-Big Ten honors all three seasons on campus in West Lafayette. But he didn't test well in Indianapolis, which could lead to a slide on draft weekend. Putting his 4.65-second 40-yard dash and underwhelming agility tests aside, however, he has plus size at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, he's a crafty route runner who can win on the outside and in the slot to offset athletic limitations, and most importantly, he has reliable hands at all three levels.

Round 4, Pick No. 118 - Cole Strange, C, Chattanooga****

****Traded pick No. 107 to New Orleans for pick No. 118 and pick No. 213

After moving back into the second round to snag Bell, the Seahawks have to wait more than 50 picks before being back on the clock. But that doesn't prevent them from landing an intriguing prospect to fill one of their biggest needs at center in Strange, who reportedly met with the team prior to the combine.

The 307-pound Strange isn't a mauler and won't consistently bully defenders in the run game. He also can get drove back with power rushes on occasion. However, he's an excellent athlete for his size, as he finished first among linemen in the broad jump, finished in the top five in the 3-cone, and posted a respectable 5.03-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He excels at winning the positional battle with plus-lateral quickness and his footwork and hands work well in unison as a zone blocker. Since he played guard at an FCS school, he may need seasoning before he can play, but he flashed enough upside at the Senior Bowl to suggest he could be a future starter.

Round 5, Pick No. 152 - Hassan Haskins, RB, Michigan

While the results haven't been pretty, Carroll has loved selecting players from Michigan, where his old NFC West rival Jim Harbaugh now resides as head coach. Though Amara Darboh and Lano Hill didn't pan out, that shouldn't deter the Seahawks from pursuing another Wolverines standout and Haskins would be an excellent hedge for Rashaad Penny and/or Chris Carson.

Built with a muscular 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame, Haskins isn't going to hit many home runs with average speed and burst. But he's a doubles machine who combines quality vision with impressive power as a downhill, physical runner between the tackles and has a nose for the end zone with 20 touchdowns in 2021. He also never put the ball on the ground a single time in college while toting the rock 442 times in a run-centric offense and made plays in limited opportunities as a receiver. Depending on what happens with Penny in free agency and Carson's health, he could push for a large workload right away as a potential feature back found on day three.

Round 5, Pick No. 155 - J.T. Woods, FS, Baylor**

**Traded pick No. 40 to Minnesota for pick No. 46 and pick No. 155

Safety may not be an area of need if Quandre Diggs re-signs at the start of the free agency period. But after trading Wilson, the Seahawks have to be prepared for their own free agents to be less inclined to return to an organization in the midst of a rebuild. In the event Diggs doesn't re-sign, Woods checks off a number of boxes that would make him an ideal replacement option on day three of the draft.

Yielding too many big plays as a result of busted coverages, Woods will have to play with greater discipline on the back end to become a full-time starter in the NFL and he left more tackles on the field than his coaches would have liked at Baylor. But his aggressive nature paid off more times than not as he produced 104 tackles and eight interceptions in his final two seasons in Waco, displaying the excellent range and ball skills necessary to be disruptive force at free safety in the league. Even if Diggs re-signs, he would be a quality insurance policy to bring on board with immediate special teams value and he has the upside to be a quality starter in time.

Round 6, Pick No. 213 - Kyler McMichael, CB, North Carolina****

****Traded pick No. 107 to New Orleans for pick No. 118 and pick No. 213

If Seattle doesn't bring back D.J. Reed and/or Sidney Jones in free agency, it would be a major surprise if the team doesn't pursue a cornerback earlier. But Schneider and Carroll have typically waited until day three to address the position anyway and McMichael has many of the physical traits they have desired in the past for developmental projects on the outside.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 205 pounds, McMichael possesses excellent size and decent length with 31-inch arms. At his best in press coverage where he can use his physicality against opposing receivers, he has enough speed to turn and run with receivers on go routes. He's not super fluid changing direction, limiting him solely to the outside while creating questions about how effective he will be in man coverage at the next level. He also had minimal ball production at North Carolina with just one career pick, but he often had himself well-positioned to make plays on the football and could make major strides there with adequate coaching.

Round 7, Pick No. 226 - Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State

After acquiring Noah Fant as part of the Wilson trade, the Seahawks may move on from Gerald Everett. It's also possible Will Dissly could depart in free agency, leaving the team without its best blocking tight end. If that happens, Bellinger would be a solid late day three fallback option in a deep draft class at the position.

Coming from a pro style offense built around the run game, the 6-foot-5, 253-pound Bellinger would be a natural fit in Seattle as a Y-tight end on the line of scrimmage. His run blocking hasn't always been consistent due to technique issues, but he's flashed the physicality necessary to block at the next level in zone or gap schemes opening lanes for Greg Bell. the past two years. While he won't stretch the field as a receiver, he tested better than expected and he's a reliable target in the short-to-intermediate passing game, as he caught 31 passes for 357 yards last season.