Seahawks Pursue Defensive Upgrades in Pre-Senior Bowl 7-Round Mock Draft

With improving their front seven a top priority after an unexpected run to the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks address their front line with a pair of first-round selections in a pre-Senior Bowl mock draft.

While the 2022 season has yet to conclude and four teams will be vying for a spot in the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and 27 other teams have already turned their attention towards free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.

Coming up next week, the pre-draft process will kick off with the annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The game will take place on Feb. 2 as over 100 prospects will aim to improve their stock and make some money in front of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts.

Thanks to their blockbuster trade sending Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos last March, the Seahawks currently hold the No. 5 pick as well as their native first-round pick. Overall, general manager John Schneider will have 10 picks in his arsenal, including a whopping four picks in the first 53 selections, creating plenty of flexibility to move up and down the board in April as he aims to continue building a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

With the offseason now in full swing and front offices working overtime to prepare for the upcoming draft, here's my first crack at a Seahawks mock draft courtesy of the Pro Football Network simulator:

Round 1, Pick No. 5 - Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

The complete package in the interior, Carter tortured opponents in the vaunted SEC with his blend of size and athleticism. Often commanding double teams and the statistical victim of a high usage of twist and stunt packages, he didn't produce many sacks or pressures in his three seasons at Georgia, but he wreaked havoc in ways not always evident on the box score.

Capable of splitting gaps as a penetrator while also possessing the power and quick hands to shed blocks and disengage as a one or two-gap defender, he can play anywhere along the defensive front alignment-wise and impose his will stuffing the run or collapsing the pocket to create opportunities for teammates. Still learning and developing a more polished pass rushing toolbox after being utilized as a rotational player in his first two seasons for a stacked Bulldogs defense, such versatility and game wrecking ability would be welcomed in the Seahawks hybrid 3-4 defense.

Round 1, Pick No. 20 - Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

A rapid riser as an early entrant for the draft, Van Ness became an instant star for the Hawkeyes defense after red-shirting a COVID-shortened 2020 season. Possessing excellent size at 6-5, 265 pounds, he has a surprising burst and uncanny ability to bend the corner on opposing tackles for a player who began his college career primarily playing inside as a defensive tackle.

His calling card remains turning speed into power as a bull rusher, however, and most of his 13.0 sacks at Iowa came via bullying opposing blockers. He has a lot of work to do developing counter moves and playing with more consistent run fits, but his natural tools should allow him to vie for playing time right away in Seattle.

Round 2, Pick No. 37 - Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

One of college football's best receivers in 2022, Flowers surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time and scored 12 touchdowns despite starring for an underwhelming Eagles offense.

Both speedy and elusive, he compensates for his lack of size at 177 pounds soaking wet with elite route running from the outside or the slot, often leaving defenders in the dust with his precise footwork and a strong understanding of how to attack specific coverages.

He's also better than expected hauling in contested catches in traffic and has grown some in regard to his ability to track the deep ball into his hands. Equally dangerous as a vertical threat and yards-after-catch weapon in space, he would offer the Seahawks an enticing mix of traits to complement DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in the passing game.

Round 2, Pick No. 52 - John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

A load of blocker at 6-4, 320 pounds, Schmitz plays to his massive size at the pivot position and earned a well-deserved reputation as a menacing, tenacious road-grader, opening up holes for running back Mohamed Ibrahim to surpass 1,600 rushing yards and score 20 touchdowns last season.

Playing with ideal leverage and powerful, active hands, he consistently created push off the snap on gap-run plays and showcased enough lateral quickness to excel on zone concepts as well. While his overall athletic profile may not be the best at his position from this class, he's difficult to overpower in pass protection and sets a heavy anchor, preventing defenders from bullying him back into the quarterback's lap.

After allowing only two sacks in his final season with the Golden Gophers, he would be an immediate upgrade over free agent Austin Blythe in the middle of Seattle's offensive line.

Round 3, Pick No. 83 - Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

While there may not necessarily be a lot of flash to Campbell's game, he was incredibly effective defending the run and dropping back into coverage while earning All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten honors for the Hawkeyes in 2022.

Built with a sturdy 245-pound frame, he's a bit of a throwback player with a traditional linebacker mentality plugging gaps as an aggressive, downhill defender and excels at stacking and shedding blocks to make plays in congestion. He also shined in coverage, handling zone/hook responsibilities and using his eyes to read opposing quarterbacks and take him to the football, leading to five interceptions in his final two seasons on campus.

He may not have the sideline-to-sideline burst of a Bobby Wagner or Jordyn Brooks, but as an active, hard-hitting thumper with quality coverage skills, he would be an excellent fit to bolster the middle of Seattle's 3-4 defense.

Round 4, Pick No. 121 - Chase Brown, RB, Illinois

A dynamic back with a track background who proved he can handle a large workload in his final season with the Fighting Illini, Brown racked up more than 1,600 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Though he's not a big back at only 200 pounds and won't bowl over defenders, he's a tough-nosed runner who will occasionally push the pile and creates extra yardage slipping through arm tackles.

He made substantial improvements running between the tackles and also added versatility to his resume by setting career-highs in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns as a junior. Pass protection has been an area of inconsistency for him, but he has the athleticism and physicality to develop into a quality third down back to complement Ken Walker III in Seattle's backfield.

Round 5, Pick No. 149 - Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State

Originally beginning his college career at Washington, Haener departed for Fresno State and quietly turned in a productive three-year run as a starter in the underrated Mountain West conference. A cerebral signal-caller, he consistently threw receivers open with plus-anticipation and accuracy from the pocket, completing nearly 69 percent of his attempts in four collegiate seasons.

Despite not having the strongest arm, he proved himself capable of delivering accurate strikes downfield while throwing 68 touchdowns compared to just 18 interceptions. His lack of size at under 200 pounds and average arm talent will likely lead to him being a mid day three pick, but there's enough upside here to be an intriguing developmental quarterback behind Geno Smith.

Round 5, Pick No. 152 - Matthew Bedford, G, Indiana

Moving to the Midwest after a stellar high school career in California, Bedford struggled in pass protection during his first two seasons with the Hoosiers playing multiple positions before settling in at guard in 2021.

Showing marked improvements protecting the quarterback, he allowed only 18 pressures and three sacks, including a strong outing against powerhouse Ohio State where he yielded a single pressure. Weighing a lean 316 pounds, his 6-foot-6 height may actually make him better suited to develop as a swing tackle, but he played at his best in the interior in the Big Ten, particularly in the run blocking department.

Assuming he has recovered fully from a torn ACL that ended his 2022 season after just one game, he could compete at either guard spot from day one and eventually have enough upside to develop into a starter.

Round 6, Pick No. 185 - Tykee Smith, S, Georgia

Coming to Georgia after two seasons at West Virginia, Smith never could crack the starting lineup for a stacked defense full of future NFL players and missed most of the 2021 season dealing with foot and knee injuries. But he carved out a rotational role in sub-packages for the Bulldogs last season, seeing the majority of his action working out of the slot in nickel sets.

Though he only has four career interceptions and isn't known for his ball skills, he's a physical, downhill player who isn't afraid to stick his helmet into the fight against the run and been proficient in coverage against tight ends and big-bodied receivers. Likely a core special teams player coming into the NFL with the potential to develop into a nickel player on Seattle's defense in his first couple of seasons.

Round 7, Pick No. 238 - Devin Haskins, CB, Holy Cross

A bit of an unknown coming into the draft process, Haskins checks off the size boxes Seattle looks for at cornerback. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 205 pounds, he had a remarkable career for the Crusaders and capped off his college career with a Second-Team FCS All-American selection after picking off three passes.

While athletic testing will play a big role in whether or not he hears his name called during the draft, his length and ball skills will create plenty of intrigue for teams looking to add competition at cornerback and Seattle would love the chance to develop him with hopes he could eventually battle for playing time across from Tariq Woolen.

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