In less than a week, the Seattle Seahawks will embark on one of their most anticipated NFL Drafts in years.
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After adding a pair of Day 2 picks in the Geno Smith and DK Metcalf trades last month, the Seahawks now hold five top-100 selections and 10 picks overall. According to Tankathon.com, the total value of their picks ranks No. 7 in the league, which is the highest of any team that finished with a winning record last season.
With a golden opportunity to continue reshaping their roster under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald, how could Seattle navigate its way through this draft? And who are some players that could be Seahawks when the dust settles next weekend?
Trying to answer those questions, of course, is a fool’s errand. There are seemingly an infinite number of ways the real draft could unfold, with all of its twists and turns and unpredictability.
But it’s mock draft season, so I fired up ESPN’s mock draft simulator and started experimenting with all sorts of different strategies, trades and pick combinations.
The mock draft below is one of my favorites that I ended up with, but I also made sure it was as realistic as possible.
According to ESPN Analytics’ model, four of the 10 players I selected had at least a 90% chance of being available at that pick. Six had at least an 80% chance. And nine had at least a 70% chance. The only pick below that 70% mark was Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams, who had a 61% chance of being available at pick No. 106.
Also, I used the Rich Hill trade value chart on DraftTek.com to ensure the trades were properly balanced. And to add an extra layer of realism, I specifically only chose trade partners that would have legitimate reason to accept the trade.
To be clear, this isn’t what I’m predicting the Seahawks to do. Rather, it’s simply a way to explore some of the potential options, pathways and difficult decisions that could lie ahead for Seattle next week.
With all that in mind, let’s dive in.
Rd. 1, No. 22 (via LAC): Grey Zabel, C/G, North Dakota State
* TRADE: Seattle acquires picks No. 22 and No. 86 from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for picks No. 18 and No. 172.
It’s generally not the best strategy to draft based on need rather than best available. But after doing little in free agency to address their glaring problems along the interior offensive line, they simply have to hammer this area in the draft.
In this scenario, Zabel, Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Alabama guard Tyler Booker are each still on the board at No. 18, so the Seahawks feel comfortable enough to move down four spots in a trade with the Chargers, who are desperate to move up for a wide receiver. That nets the Seahawks an additional third-round pick and still gives them the opportunity to grab Zabel at No. 22.
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The 6-foot-6, 312-pound Zabel has a combination of power and athleticism that could make him a perfect fit in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking scheme. He showcased those traits with a dominant performance at the Senior Bowl, where some analysts said he was the best player on the field. And at the NFL combine, he posted the third-best vertical jump by an offensive lineman in the event’s history.
Zabel also has a unique level of versatility, having played all five O-line positions at North Dakota State. He’s expected to play either guard or center in the NFL, which aligns perfectly with the Seahawks’ needs. His ability to play either spot could give the Seahawks flexibility to see how their other young linemen develop and then adjust accordingly.
Rd. 2, No. 39 (via CHI): Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
* TRADE: Seattle acquires pick No. 39 from the Chicago Bears in exchange for picks No. 52 and No. 92.
Just how vital are tight ends to Kubiak’s scheme? When Kubiak was the OC in New Orleans last season, the Saints used multiple tight ends on roughly 48% of their snaps, according to SumerSports.com. By contrast, Seattle’s rate last year was less than 23%. That makes it imperative that the Seahawks place an emphasis on upgrading their tight end room, especially with Noah Fant entering the final year of his contract.
Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland are rightfully getting most of the attention in this year’s tight end class, as both are blue-chip talents. But another tight end with game-breaking potential is the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Arroyo, who would be an excellent match for Kubiak’s scheme with his speed, athleticism and ability to stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. Arroyo missed most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with a knee injury, but led all FBS tight ends with 16.9 yards per reception in a breakout campaign last fall.
So in this scenario, with Arroyo looking like a legitimate candidate to go in the early to mid-40s, the Seahawks swing a trade with the Bears to move up and take the talented Miami tight end at No. 39. The Bears have another pick at No. 41 but no picks between 72 and 148, so they’re willing to move back and grab an extra third-rounder.
Rd. 2, No. 50: Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
The Seahawks have had success drafting second-round edge rushers in recent years, with Boye Mafe and Derick Hall both emerging as key pieces in Seattle’s pass rush. They dip into that pool once again, selecting a unique prospect in the 6-foot-6, 264-pound Jackson.
With his length, quickness and high motor, Jackson totaled 13 sacks and 24 tackles for loss over the past two seasons at Arkansas. He led all edge rushers with a 40.5-inch vertical jump at the combine. And he’s considered a good run defender, which gives him scheme versatility.
The Seahawks already have a good core of edge rushers in Mafe, Hall, Uchenna Nwosu and free-agent signee DeMarcus Lawrence. But with Nwosu and Lawrence both coming off injuries, Jackson adds valuable depth to the group and another young talent with good upside.
Rd. 3, No. 77 (via NE): Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia
* TRADE: Seattle acquires picks No. 77, No. 106 and No. 171 from the New England Patriots in exchange for picks No. 82 and No. 86.
Yes, that’s right. A third trade. With the interior O-line options starting to thin a bit, the Seahawks move up five spots to take the 6-foot-6, 308-pound Ratledge. The Patriots are a willing trade partner, as they already hold the No. 69 pick and would welcome the additional third-round selection in this deal.
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Ratledge had a strong track record of production at Georgia, where he won a national championship and consistently earned top-tier Pro Football Focus grades while manning right guard as a three-year starter for the Bulldogs.
And similar to Zabel, Ratledge has a level of quickness and athleticism that would fit nicely in Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme. Ratledge posted the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time among offensive linemen at the combine and plays with a “dirt-dog mentality,” as NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote.
Rd. 4, No. 106 (via NE): Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
Rounds 2 and 3 are the sweet spot for receivers in this year’s draft, so it was definitely a gamble for the Seahawks to trade up twice and do away with one of their five top-100 picks. But the hope was that one of those Day 2 wideouts would drop into the top of the fourth round, where Seattle now holds pick No. 106. And fortunately for the Seahawks, the gamble pays off.
Williams provides a much-needed jolt to Seattle’s remade receiving corps. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound wideout ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the combine and had a productive five-year college career at UNLV and Washington State, capped by two big seasons on the Palouse. In 2023, he racked up 843 receiving yards during the Cougars’ final season playing a traditional Pac-12 slate. And in 2024, he ranked eighth in the FBS with 1,198 receiving yards and fourth with 14 touchdown catches.
Along with fellow speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Williams gives the Seahawks another home-run threat who can stretch defenses vertically. He also adds some valuable depth in case Cooper Kupp’s recent injury issues creep up again.
Rd. 4, No. 137: Zah Frazier, CB, Texas-San Antonio
Three years after they drafted Riq Woolen as a fifth-round pick out of UTSA, the Seahawks pull a déjà vu and take another long, fast, athletic, high-upside cornerback from the same school.
The 6-foot-3, 186-pound Frazier spent time at the FCS and junior college levels before transferring to UTSA and experiencing a breakout 2024 campaign. He tied for second in the FBS with six interceptions this past season, while also recording nine pass breakups, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. He then showcased his impressive traits at the combine, where he ranked fifth among cornerbacks with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash.
Frazier is still very inexperienced, with just 10 career starts at the FBS level. But he’s certainly worth a pick at this stage of the draft, especially with Woolen heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
Rd. 5, No. 171 (via NE): Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
Thornton is another high-upside, Day 3 value pick who features a rare mix of height and speed. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Tennessee product ran a blazing 4.30-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which was the second-fastest time of any receiver and tied for the third-fastest regardless of position.
Thornton parlayed that height-speed combo into an FBS-leading 25.4 yards per catch last season at Tennessee, with 26 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns. His route tree is relatively limited, but he could join Valdes-Scantling and Williams as another vertical receiving threat.
Rd. 5, No. 175: Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
This year’s draft class is considered to be especially deep at defensive tackle, which benefits the Seahawks here as they grab the 6-foot-6, 328-pound Jackson with the second-to-last pick in the fifth round. With his massive size and strength, Jackson has potential to emerge as an early-down run-stopping force along the interior. He spent three seasons at Memphis and two at Florida, where he posted four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups this past fall.
Rd. 7, No. 223: Teddye Buchanan, LB, California
The 6-foot-2, 233-pound Buchanan has a good mix of size and athleticism, which he showed at the combine by posting a 40-inch vertical jump that was the best among all linebackers. Buchanan spent four seasons at FCS-level UC Davis before transferring to Cal and earning first-team All-ACC honors last year. He filled the stat sheet for the Golden Bears, racking up five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups.
Buchanan provides some much-needed depth in Seattle’s linebacking room, which is razor-thin behind Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight.
Rd. 7, No. 234: Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Georgia
The 6-foot-4, 327-pound Stackhouse brings plenty of high-level experience as a three-year starter at nose tackle in the middle of Georgia’s stout defensive front. Like Jackson, he isn’t much of a pass-rushing threat, but he can eat up blocks with his size, strength and power.
