The Seattle Seahawks have shuffled their roster quite a bit since our last mock draft. The most notable changes have come on offense, with Seattle essentially replacing Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett with Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The team has made other moves, too, but the offensive shakeup and the lack of additions along the offensive line will be top of mind as we dive into the second mock draft of the offseason.
This will be general manager John Schneider’s 16th draft with Seattle and coach Mike Macdonald’s second. They’re scheduled to make 10 selections, beginning with No. 18 in the first round. They have obvious needs up front and a few less urgent needs on both sides of the ball, based on the ages of some of their veterans and the players from the 2022 draft class entering the final year of their rookie contracts. With all that in mind, let’s get to the picks.
Round 1 (No. 18): Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
The Seahawks’ approach with their first pick should be to take the best player available who has a chance to make an immediate impact. Golden (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) fits that description.
He is an explosive, dynamic pass catcher who can make plays from multiple positions. Seattle’s wide receiver depth chart lacks field-stretching speed outside of the 30-year-old Valdes-Scantling, who is on a one-year, $4 million contract. Golden, who ran 4.29 in the 40-yard dash, can attack defenses at all three levels, and his speed would complement what Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba bring to the table as underneath weapons.
Golden could compete for playing time right away and serve as the long-term WR2 next to Smith-Njigba, who is currently Seattle’s only receiver under 30 years old whose contract goes beyond this season.
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Round 1 (No. 29, from Commanders): Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Projected trade: Seahawks acquire No. 29 from the Washington Commanders for Nos. 50, 82 and 234.
In this scenario, the Seahawks use the better of their second- and third-round picks to get back into the first round and address their need for an interior offensive lineman. The Commanders might charge a slightly steeper price than what’s being offered, but for the sake of this exercise, let’s assume they accept because they have only five picks and are without a third-round selection.
A college left tackle, Zabel (6-6, 312) projects as an interior player at the next level. He can play either guard or center, and the Seahawks have needs at both spots (he should start out at guard). Zabel would be the highest-drafted interior lineman of the Schneider era (James Carpenter was selected to play tackle). Seattle’s pursuit of veteran guard Will Fries in free agency demonstrated a willingness to be aggressive to address the interior of the line, and this would fit that approach.
Round 2 (No. 52, from Steelers): Bradyn Swinson, edge, LSU
The Seahawks selected Princely Umanmielen with the 50th pick in our first mock draft, and that would be a fine selection with the 52nd pick, but here we’ll project the team rolling with a different edge rusher from the SEC. Swinson (6-3, 255) began his career at Oregon before transferring to LSU. In his final season with the Tigers, he had 8.5 sacks, 13 total tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Seattle has a decent four-man lineup at edge rusher with Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu, who recently took a pay cut to lower his cap hit. Nwosu and Lawerence are coming off injury-shortened seasons, and Mafe is in the final year of his contract. Adding an edge rusher here would be about depth in the short term with hopes of becoming a regular in the rotation in Year 2.
Round 3 (No. 92, from Raiders): Jared Wilson, C, Georgia
The Seahawks could go any number of directions at this point in the draft, including quarterback, but the pick here is another interior offensive lineman to compete with Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell at center. Earlier this offseason, I spoke with analyst and owner of the Trench Warfare newsletter Brandon Thorn, who said Wilson (6-3, 310) was at worst the second-best center in the draft. Wilson was only a one-year starter at Georgia, so he might need time to develop, but he’s a good athlete who should fit in Seattle’s zone-based run scheme.
Round 4 (No. 137): Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson
The Seahawks have four tight ends on the roster: Noah Fant, AJ Barner, Brady Russell and Eric Saubert, who was signed Monday. Assuming Saubert signed a one-year deal, Barner would be the only player under contract beyond this season. This creates the need for a player like Briningstool (6-5, 241), who caught 49 passes for 530 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. The 2025 draft class is supposedly strong at tight end, so Seattle might select one earlier than the fourth round, but Schneider and his staff have had success finding capable players at the position on Day 3.
Round 5 (No. 172): Craig Woodson, S, California
Woodson (6-0, 200) was a standout at Cal, where he recorded 70 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and nine passes defended. His athletic testing numbers were very strong, matching what he showcased in college and at the Shrine Bowl. Woodson projects as a versatile chess piece in Mike Macdonald’s defense, which often utilizes three safeties. The third safety tends to play near the line of scrimmage, which is where I’d imagine Macdonald using a player like Woodson.
Julian Love is under contract for multiple seasons, but Coby Bryant’s rookie deal has just one year remaining. Behind them, Seattle has only Ty Okada, Jerrick Reed II and D’Anthony Bell, who signed a one-year contract on Monday.
Round 5 (No. 175): Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa
Higgins was an All-American defender who recorded more than 100 total tackles in each of the past two seasons. He tested poorly, though, which is why he might end up a Day 3 prospect despite being a productive player in a Power 4 conference. Higgins (6-0, 224) plays with high energy and effort, and he’s physical coming downhill. Those are traits Macdonald should be able to work with as a developmental prospect behind Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight.
Round 7 (No. 223): Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon
Jabbar Muhammad (5-9, 182) once looked like a very promising prospect at the University of Washington, but after a season at Oregon, he seems likely to be a Day 3 pick. His testing numbers likely won’t help his stock, either, but Muhammad is a tough, feisty cornerback who had 12 passes defensed last season and might have a role in the NFL as a backup nickel corner.
