Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft: Seahawks Roll the Dice at No. 5

April 5, 2023, by Patrick K. Flowers NFL

The Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft will be a running mock draft that spans between now and round one of the NFL Draft. Each of the 31 picks (Miami forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering) will get a dedicated post. Here’s how it’ll work:

Every pick in the Mock Draft gets its own post. We will do one or two picks per day.
We will link back to previous posts with a running draft recap.
This feature will not include trades and will cover the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Seahawks are on the clock in the Bleacher Nation NFL Mock Draft …

The Pick Is In

DT Jalen Carter — Georgia

The Fit

For the longest time I was convinced that the Seahawks would roll the dice in this draft with one of the Russell Wilson picks. I still am. It will be on a different player since I have Anthony Richardson going to the Colts at No. 4 in this mock draft.

With Richardson off the board, I have the Seahawks taking a chance on defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Seattle spent money on defense this offseason, inking Dre’Mont Jones to a big contract, giving them Jones and Jarran Reed on the defensive line. Carter would be the perfect addition to Seattle’s line if he can live up to his potential.

Scouting Report

We saw two former Bulldogs (Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt) become the first two defensive tackles off the board in 2022. Georgia again has the best DT in the draft, and his talent level is so high that a GM will roll the dice on him despite a turbulent pre-draft process.

Carter posted a 92.3 PFF grade in 2022, ranking No. 1 among power five defensive linemen. Carter is explosive and versatile, and PFF called him the best DT prospect they’ve graded since Quinnen Williams and maybe even the best since they began grading college prospects in 2014. That’s pretty high praise.

Carter’s hands have incredible power, allowing him to manhandle any offensive lineman in front of him. Despite not seeing it in the pre-draft process, the tape shows amazing footwork. His versatility could have the Seahawks or any team that takes him lining him at the three-technique or anywhere on the interior defensive line.

These three plays in a row vs. TCU lastnight provide a snapshot of the positives with Jalen Carter as a prospect: pic.twitter.com/W7eTjk7WY5
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) January 10, 2023

Final Thoughts: The bottom line here is this: if not for the pre-draft process and the Bears-Panthers trade, Carter would have been in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Seattle has two first-rounders this year, and taking a swing on a generational talent at No. 5 makes plenty of sense.