The Seattle Seahawks are turning their attention toward the 2025 NFL Draft earlier than they expected after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
In his latest two-round mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projects Seattle adding young talent to its offensive and defensive lines.
Brugler mocked Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. to Seattle with the 18th pick in the first round. In Round 2, Brugler has the Seahawks selecting Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker at No. 50.
This would mark the second consecutive year in which the Seahawks used their first two selections on trench players. Last year, they took Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II at No. 16 and then drafted Connecticut guard Christian Haynes in the third round at No. 81 (they didn’t have a second-round pick because of the trade to acquire Leonard Williams).
Seattle’s best draft class in recent years came in 2022, another year in which the team used its top two picks on the offensive and defensive lines. Left tackle Charles Cross was selected No. 9, and outside linebacker Boye Mafe was taken at No. 40 in Round 2. The Seahawks’ other investments in the trenches over the last three drafts — which occurred after they picked up extra capital in the Russell Wilson trade — include right tackle Abe Lucas (third round, 2022), guard Anthony Bradford (fourth round, 2023), defensive tackle Cameron Young (fourth round, 2023), defensive tackle Mike Morris (fifth round, 2023), center Olu Oluwatimi (fifth round, 2023), guard Sataoa Laumea (sixth round, 2024) and offensive tackle Michael Jerrell (sixth round, 2024).
Despite all those attempts to shore up the front lines, it is understandable that Brugler has Seattle using a pair of top-50 selections on linemen. Those are once again the Seahawks’ most urgent needs entering the offseason.
Of Banks, listed as a tackle and guard, Brugler wrote: “There are plenty of differing opinions around the league on Banks. Some see him as a tackle; others as a guard. Some think he could sneak into the top 15; others see more of a late first-rounder. The Seahawks’ issues on the offensive line extend beyond their personnel, but Banks has ‘quality starter’ written all over him and would help stabilize things.”
Banks was a three-year starter at left tackle at Texas and was a unanimous All-American this year. Seattle has its left tackle of the future in Cross, who should be extended this offseason. But if the Seahawks view Banks as a quality starter at guard, this selection makes sense. They let left guard Damien Lewis walk in free agency last year, and the four-year, $53 million contract he signed with the Carolina Panthers sparked the discussion that led to general manager John Schneider declaring that guards are overpaid and overdrafted. Veteran Laken Tomlinson replaced Lewis on a one-year deal worth $1.2 million. One year later, Seattle needs a new left guard (Haynes and Laumea could be options there in 2025 as well).
Drafting Banks to play guard would go against Schneider’s stated philosophy — but perhaps that’s for the best.
Seattle could theoretically view Banks as a starting guard and as depth at either tackle spot, which could come in handy if Lucas continues to deal with injuries. Lucas has played in just 13 games over the past two years. On Jan. 6, he said on Instagram that he’s “heading into the offseason with no major health issues for the first time since (his) rookie year.”
That’s great for Lucas, but it would be hard to fault the Seahawks for investing in insurance, especially if they release George Fant as a cap-saving measure (Lucas is also entering the final year of his contract).
This is projected to be a strong interior offensive line class, which is good news for the Seahawks. If they don’t take Banks, there might be other viable options such as LSU’s Will Campbell, who went 13th to the Dolphins in Brugler’s mock, or Alabama’s Tyler Booker, mocked to the Texans with the 25th pick. As Brugler’s mock suggests, the Seahawks won’t be the only team searching for interior offensive line help in the first round. This offseason could challenge Schneider’s beliefs about guard value.
The Seahawks could go in any number of directions in the second round. They could add a quarterback, take a second offensive lineman (perhaps at center or tackle) or seek a long-term option at a premium position such as edge rusher, cornerback or receiver, considering Mafe, Riq Woolen and DK Metcalf are all entering contract years. Inside linebacker could be an urgent position of need, too, if Ernest Jones IV isn’t re-signed. All these paths would make sense for Seattle.
That said, I can see how Brugler landed on someone like Walker, a three-year starter at Kentucky who is listed on the team’s website at 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds. That’s the sort of big body Seattle could use in the middle of its defensive line if impending free agents Johnathan Hankins and Jarran Reed are not re-signed. And even if those veterans return, they’d be doing so at age 33 and 32, respectively. In that scenario, Seattle would still have an incentive to add a young piece to the defensive line.
In three seasons at Kentucky, Walker had 10 sacks and 23 total tackles for loss. But at his position, Seattle would want him to come and stuff the run on early downs, a skill that isn’t always reflected in traditional box scores. There’s value in continuing to invest in that spot.
While I don’t completely disagree with a defensive tackle selection here, the second round is where I believe the Seahawks should try to add another edge rusher or center. Oluwatimi was fine in the second half of the 2024 season, but some competition (or a potential upgrade) feels much needed.
Seattle has good edge players in Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Mafe, yet Williams was far and away the team’s most dominant pass rusher last season and just became the first Seahawk to record double-digit sacks since Frank Clark and Reed in 2018. Assuming Dre’Mont Jones is released as a cap-saving measure ahead of the draft, the Seahawks have plenty of motivation to bolster that pass rush in April.
