With just days to go before the 2025 NFL Draft, CBS Sports analyst Emory Hunt joined hosts Ryan MacMillan and Bryce Coutts on The HawksZone Rundown to break down the Seattle Seahawks’ draft strategy — and offer a few bold predictions that might surprise fans.
Sitting at pick 18, the Seahawks have plenty of options, but Hunt believes Seattle could go in a slightly unexpected direction. While wide receiver and offensive line have been popular mock draft picks, Emory floated the possibility of the team targeting players to make sure Sam Darnold is rock solid in the interior but don’t forget who you already have in the building.
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Quarterback still in play?
Even after signing Sam Darnold and Drew Lock this offseason, Hunt hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of the Seahawks drafting one — though not necessarily in the first round.
“You always want to bring in a guy to camp and get him in the mix,” he explained.
Fixing the offensive line
Seattle’s offensive line woes were a focal point of the conversation. Hunt stressed the importance of finding both starters and depth in this year’s draft.
“This is a deep O-line class,” Hunt said. “There’s real talent in the mid-rounds that could come in and compete right away — especially on the interior.”
Looking back to look ahead
Reflecting on last year’s draft class, Hunt sees untapped potential. While the 2024 rookies didn’t make a huge splash, he noted several players who could still develop into quality starters:
“It’s too early to write guys off — [Christian] Haynes could still be your guy,” Hunt said.
Under the radar Seahawks draft targets
Emory provided some of his draft gems and under the radar targets who could fit the Seahawks profile. These are players you may not be familiar with but are ones to watch out for in Day 3.
Car’lin Vigers, CB, UL Monroe: “Long corner. Had a really good Hula Bowl. He’s about 6’1, maybe a little bit over 6’1, 190 lbs, 4.4-4.5 speed. Good ball skills, good instincts. Go watch his game against Texas and we know the receivers Texas had. He had a really good game there. I thought he was excellent.”
A.J. Gillie, G, University of Louisiana: “Fantastic guard. And it’s fascinating when you think about the pedigree of the program. Max Mitchell, O’Cyrus Torrence before he transferred, Kevin Dotson, you also look at Robert Hunt. We know how to do offensive line talent at the University of Louisiana.”
Gabe Taylor, S, Rice: “If we’re talking about safety [...] Sean Taylor’s brother. Fantastic player. He’s shorter than Sean Taylor—he’s not 6’2, 230, he’s about 5’9 and 185-190. But he can move, he can tackle, he can hit, he can kind of be be that nickel guy. Has great ball skills, like, every time I look up the ball is in his hands. I’m surprised no one’s talking about him based on the story lone, but also based on the football side of things, Gabe Taylor’s an outstanding player.
The Lightning Round
To wrap things up, Emory took on a rapid-fire lightning round from Ryan and Bryce, answering quick-hitters like:
- Do the Seahawks draft a quarterback?
- One player Seahawks fans should hope falls to 18?
- Prospect most likely to be a Seahawk?
His answers? You’ll have to tune in to the episode for the full rundown — but let’s just say Seahawks fans might want to start Googling a few names they haven’t heard yet.
Show Topics (timestamps included)
- Intro (00:00): Introduction to Emory Hunt from CBS Sports
- What type of NFL Draft is this (02:00): What type of draft is this? Hunt discusses what kind of vibe this draft is.
- 18th Pick (03:50): Emory Hunt discusses what the Hawks might do at No. 18
- Seahawks Draft Blueprint (06:29): Emory ‘s thoughts on the defensive side of the ball in this draft for the Seahawks
- Under the Radar Prospects (08:45): Emory’s under the radar guys he can see the Seahawks pick up later on
- Sam Darnold (13:30): Emory’s ranking with Sam Darnold back in the 2018 draft and what’s his thoughts are about his fit in Seattle
- Lighting Round (17:20): Emory Hunt answers rapid fire from the guys
