NEWSLETTER
The Seattle Seahawks are a team in transition. After trading away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos last off-season, Seattle turned to journeyman quarterback Geno Smith. They surprisingly competed, finishing 9-8 and making the playoffs as an NFC Wild Card Team. Geno was even named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, as he proved to have made serious progress from his earlier chances to start in the NFL.
As a result of the Wilson trade, the Seahawks have a whopping ten selections in the 2023 NFL Draft … and just as many questions to answer as well.
Seahawks Draft Selections
– Round 1, Pick 5 (from DEN)
– Round 1, Pick 20
– Round 2, Pick 37 (from DEN)
– Round 2, Pick 52
– Round 3, Pick 83
– Round 4, Pick 123
– Round 5, Pick 151 (from PIT)
– Round 5, Pick 154
– Round 6, Pick 198
– Round 7, Pick 237
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Seahawks Mock Draft Preview
When you comb through NFL mock drafts at this time of year, there are varying opinions regarding the true team needs of the Seahawks. However, it seems clear they have a glaring need for defense, as they couldn’t put enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks and had a secondary they had to rely upon far too often. In addition, they could need a future quarterback and more depth at wide receiver, running back, and tight end.
On defense, they need varying help at linebacker, rusher, and cornerback. To put it simply, this team has a lot of areas to improve.
When you look at the history of General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll, they are never immune to taking chances and have a history of trading back in the draft and nailing later-round picks (see Tariq Woolen and Tyler Lockett). With polarizing prospects like Anthony Richardson and Jalen Carter possibly available to them early in the first round, this could get really interesting.
Let’s get into our latest Seahawks Mock Draft.
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Seattle Seahawks 7-Round Mock Draft
Round 1 (No. 5 overall from DEN)
Pick: Jalen Carter, DT UGA
In this mock draft, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson, and Anthony Richardson were all off the board. There are some serious red flags with Carter, but he fills a clear need for the Seahawks that they also failed to address this offseason.
If you can get the second-rated player on the pro football network Big Board and a generational talent as a defensive lineman, you take the chance and deal with the rest. And Schneider and Carroll are two of the best at doing just that. This would be a controversial move for sure, but Seattle is not afraid of having the Seattle Times headline the next day say, “Seattle makes a splash in first round.”
Round 1 (No. 20 overall)
Pick: Bryan Bresee, DT Clemson
With no chance for Nolan Smith of Georgia and Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson unavailable, the Seattle Seahawks select the 6-foot-4 Defensive Tackle out of Clemson and further solidify their defensive line as part of this seven-round mock.
He was a dominant force in the 2022 season and a very easy player to root for. Seattle could go in a lot of different ways here, but this would be hard to pass up – even if Bresee isn’t a true edge rusher or sack artist. This pick just makes too much sense as the Seahawks add a high-character leader to their D-line and one who could help Carter create a tandem that produces a high number of tackles for loss.
Round 2 (No. 37 overall)
Pick: Brian Branch, S ALA
If the Seahawks pass on Carter or Bresee, Mazi Smith could be a possibility here. However, it would be unlikely they go 1-2-3 on their defensive line.
Still, Seattle’s defense was bad enough to merit using their first three selections all on defensive players. Branch would be a solid addition as the Seahawks could move on from Jamal Adams if he can’t stay healthy.
Round 2 (No. 52 overall)
Pick: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB ALA
In this exercise, Gibbs fell into this slot. It’s easy to look at a Seahawks roster that featured Kenneth Walker III and think there isn’t a need here. However, Pete Carroll loves competition and Seattle also lost Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer to free agency. Gibbs and Walker could create an explosive 1-2 punch for a Seattle team that loves to run the football.
Round 3 (No. 83 overall)
Pick: Owen Pappoe, LB AUB
Seattle would love to get tackle machine Nolan Smith in Round 1, but grabbing Pappoe with one of their first five picks would be a win.
Seattle may trade back, which is something the Seahawks are clearly known for, but Pappoe would be a solid get-at-linebacker and could help fill a long-term need alongside Jordyn Brooks. Overall, he mainly fits the physical profile of a player this team could take in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Round 4 (No. 123 overall)
Pick: Jonathan Mingo, WR Ole Miss
Seattle needs depth at receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. In this seven-round Seahawks mock draft, they wait until round four to pull the trigger. It’s a gamble that could pay off, as Mingo projects as a big and strong slot receiver who has improved in many areas over the past two seasons.
There are many quality receivers in the draft, so it could be a solid strategy to wait on the position. You might get a project player like Mingo, who you would need to perform more in 2024 than 2023, but that’s still a nice grab.
Round 5 (No. 151 overall)
Pick: Braeden Daniels, OT UTAH
It’s going to be hard to find any 2023 Mock Draft that doesn’t have Seattle addressing their offensive line, and this latest mock is no exception.
Here in Round 5, Daniels looks to be a solid addition. Seattle is going to need to continue addressing their line moving forward. They’d love to get someone like O’Cyrus Torrence, Peter Skoronski, Broderick Jones, John Michael Schmitz or a few others. However, Daniels is a high-ceiling prospect who could grow into a starter in time, even if he doesn’t turn out to be an elite left tackle.
Round 5 (No. 154 overall)
Pick: Cory Trice, CB PUR
The Seahawks used to be known for an elite secondary. Recently, they’ve been known as the team you could absolutely destroy with the pass. Trice would add some depth to the secondary and allow Seattle to continue to add on the back end of their defense.
Trice is a hot name after he dominated the NFL Draft Combine, proving you don’t have to dominate the Senior Bowl or East / West Shrine Game to shine as a senior prospect. Seattle needs cornerbacks, and Trice would be a solid choice over a project pass rusher or inferior skill position player.
Round 6 (No. 198 overall)
Pick: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB UCLA
If this 2023 NFL Mock Draft was to pan out in real life, the Seahawks miss out on the top-tier quarterbacks and pass on players like Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.
In this exercise, however, the Seahawks address the position later and DTR becomes the latest Seahawks QB project as a result. He needs work as a passer, but his athletic ability is very enticing. Seattle could look at a player like Hendon Hooker, using some of these picks to move back into round one, but Hooker is recovering from a torn ACL and isn’t a sure-fire prospect like some of the others, If this was the case, DTR would be a good, lower-cost consolation prize.
Round 7 (No. 237 overall)
Pick: Viliami Fohoko, DE San Jose State
In this full 7-round mock draft, this selection represents Seattle’s tenth of the draft. It’s highly unlikely they make all these selections. But, if they did, getting a project defensive end could make a lot of sense as they re-tool their D-line.
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