When it comes to predicting which direction teams will go in the NFL Draft, some franchises are harder to gauge than others.
Count the Seattle Seahawks in as one of the harder squads to prognosticate for.
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During a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Tuesday, CBS Sports draft analyst Ryan Wilson expressed why general manager John Schneider always makes things tough when it comes to putting together mock drafts.
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“He always seems to zig when everyone else is zagging,” Wilson said. “A team like the Steelers, you sort of have a sense of what they’re going to do, whether it’s a running back or an offensive lineman. That always seems to be something that you can predict pretty early when your going through simulations as we get closer to the draft, but Seattle is always a wild card.”
Unexpected 1st-rounders for Seattle Seahawks
Like many draft experts, Wilson has the Seahawks addressing their clear need on the offensive line with the No. 18 pick in the draft, selecting Missouri tackle Armand Membou. But with Wilson’s comments about Seattle’s unpredictability during the draft in mind, he was asked about which direction the Seahawks could go if they go down an unexpected path like they typically seem to do.
Wilson had plenty of names of to share. He started with a pair of off-ball linebackers he feels have the capability of playing multiple roles.
“A young man that I absolutely love and is a freakish athlete, maybe a little undersized, but he’s going to get stronger … (is) Jihaad Campbell out of Alabama,” Wilson said. “He’s just 20, and if you watch Alabama, he just pops. He is all over the place and he can line up outside on the edge as well.”
Campbell, who stands at 6-foot 3 and 244 pounds, was a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection for the Crimson Tide this past season. The former five-star high school recruit totaled team highs of 117 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss, adding five sacks. He’s the No. 29 prospect on Pro Football Focus’ Big Board and its top-ranked linebacker.
Wilson also highlighted Georgia’s Jalon Walker. Walker was a third-team All-American and second-team All-SEC pick last season, amassing 60 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks. He’s the No. 32 prospect on PFF’s Big Board and its second-ranked linebacker.
“Another juiced up off-ball linebacker who feels more like the prototype of what Seattle looks for,” Wilson said of the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Walker.
Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant has recently started popping up as a first-round pick by the Seahawks in mock drafts, but Wilson highlighted Ole Miss D-lineman Walter Nolen as an intriguing prospect to pair with 2024 first-rounder Byron Murphy II.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Nolen earned first-team All-America and All-SEC honors in 2024. He was one of four Rebels defenders to reach a team-best 14 tackles for loss and had 60 total tackles and 6.5 sacks. PFF ranks Nolen No. 13 on its Big Board and as its No. 3 defensive tackle.
“If you told me they drafted Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss to line up next to Byron Murphy, as a Seahawks fan, I would be incredibly excited about that,” Wilson said.
Wilson pointed to two more names in the secondary as surprising picks Seattle could make in the first round: Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron and Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
Barron won the Jim Thorpe award and garnered first-team All-America and All-SEC selections in 2024. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound cornerback led the SEC and was third in the country with five interceptions and had a team-high 11 passes defended to go with 60 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. He is the No. 9 player on PFF’s Big Board and its second-ranked cornerback.
“Jahdae Barron is a guy that I mention for just about any team,” Wilson said. “(He) played at Texas (at) cornerback and can play in the slot. Extremely versatile. Reminds me a lot Brian Branch and what he does for the Lions.”
Starks, a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC pick, led Georgia with 77 tackles and added four tackles for loss, three passes defended and one interception. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Starks is the No. 6 player on PFF’s Big Board and its top-ranked safety.
“One of the smartest kids in the draft class and he can run. Even though he plays safety, don’t be fooled, don’t think he’s slow,” Wilson said. “(The Seahawks) have some speed in that secondary anyway with Riq (Woolen) and Devin Witherspoon. If you add someone like Malaki Starks that can line up just about anywhere, that’s one more weapon at your disposal in the secondary.”
