Seahawks Mock Draft: Seattle Picks Christian Gonzalez at No. 5

The Seattle Seahawks hold the No. 5 and No. 20 picks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the franchise is expected to bolster the defense with its first pick.

The Seattle Seahawks will enter Thursday's 2023 NFL Draft armed with two first-round picks. Which way Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider will go remains a mystery.

With Georgia Bulldogs star Jalen Carter being heavily linked to Seattle with the No. 5 pick despite his "red flags," many say that the Seahawks will do defense in the first round.

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks also thinks so in his mock draft for NFL.com, but Carter isn't a part of the picture.

Instead, Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez gets the call from Seattle.

"Pete Carroll attempts to recreate the 'Legion of Boom' with Gonzalez joining Tariq Woolen to give the Seahawks a pair of super-sized corners on the perimeter," Brooks writes.

Adding a corner with the kind of blazing speed and physicality of Gonzalez to pair with Woolen is tempting for the Seahawks. He also grabbed four interceptions in his last college season at Oregon, as Seattle would seemingly have two ball-hawking corners for opposing teams to account for.

Will Christian Gonzalez end up being the best CB out of this Draft class? 🤔@chrisgonzo28 | @oregonfootball

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With Gonzalez, his fluid movement and ability to compete and match with some of the fastest receivers in the NFL make him a potential day-one starter for Seattle.

Paring him with Woolen, who grabbed six interceptions in his rookie season while making Pro Bowl and finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, gives Seattle a superb combination on the back end.

The want to go and grab Carter with the No. 5 pick is strong as the Seahawks could do with another pass rusher. But the idea of getting Gonzalez could give Seattle one of the best young cornerback combinations in the NFL. 

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