Seahawks 3-Round Mock Draft: Seattle Trades Down, Passes on Elite WR

In a recent mock draft, the Seattle Seahawks keep their No. 5 overall pick but trade away their No. 20 selection to move out of the late stages of the first round.

The Seattle Seahawks have tons of decisions to make once the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around in April.

But in a recent three-round mock draft from USA Today, some of these draft-day decisions take a bit of a turn, as the Seahawks are projected to trade away their No. 20 overall selection to the New York Giants in return for a the No. 25 overall pick and a 2023 third-round pick.

First Round, No. 5 - Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

Wilson has been projected to the Seahawks at No. 5 a countless number of times this offseason, and it remains a real possibility to happen unless Seattle trades out of the top five.

Wilson was one of college football's most impressive pass-rushers this past year before suffering a late-season injury. At 6-6, 275, he's a physically-dominant presence that can win with both speed and strength. He totaled seven sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery last season.

First Round, No. 20  - TRADE, Giants Pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

In this projected trade, the Giants add some undeniable talent to their receiving corps with Smith-Njigba, who has had his name mocked to the Seahawks in recent draft projections as well. In this scenario, the Seahawks are passing up on adding a talented third receiver to their lineup in favor of other endeavors.

This appears to be the right move, as drafting a receiver in the first round wouldn't properly address the areas of need on defense that the Seahawks should be drafting for.

First Round, No. 25 - Drew Sanders, LB Arkansas

The former Alabama and Arkansas linebacker looked ready for the league this past season while playing in the SEC.

Sanders finished with an impressive 103 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, five passes defended, one interception and three forced fumbles. Getting a versatile defender of Sanders' caliber despite trading back just five should feel like a win for the Seahawks.

Second Round, No. 37 - Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

One of the more underrated defensive backs in the draft, Phillips III has first-round talent but falls a bit short of being a day-one pick in this scenario.

Adding him to a young secondary that's already spear-headed by young guns like Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant along with veterans like Quandre Diggs and (potentially) Jamal Adams makes for an interesting group next season.

This past season, Phillips III was a takeaway machine for the Utes. He totaled six interceptions after having just three in his first two seasons combined. In fact, he tied his previous career total in just one game, snagging a whopping a three interceptions in a win over Oregon State on Oct. 1.

Much like Woolen did this past season, maybe Phillips III becomes a rookie ball hawk as well.

Here are the three remaining selections for Seattle in this mock:

Second Round, No. 52 - Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan

Third Round, No. 83 - Nathaniel "Tank" Dell, WR, Houston

Third Round, No. 100 (from Kansas City via New York) - Jarrett Patterson, OL, Notre Dame

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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