The Seattle Seahawks have a handful of holes to fill on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball before the 2019 season kicks off.
Although they only have four picks in the upcoming draft, Seattle should be able to use those picks to fill some of those holes while keeping the roster competitive and primed for another playoff push.
A big hole is at the free safety position, where future Ring of Honor member Earl Thomas roamed for nearly a decade before jetting off the Baltimore on a four-year, $55 million dollar deal.
Seattle now has Tedric Thompson and Delano Hill set to share the free safety duties alongside strong safety Bradley McDougald. While Thompson and Hill looked okay last year, the Seahawks could use the draft to shore up that position and get another impact player into the mix.
Here are four players, each who might be around at Seattle’s four different draft spots, that they should consider drafting.
Round 1 (Pick 21): Deionte Thompson, Alabama
Thompson has been mocked to Seattle a handful of times already this mock draft season, and for good reason. Seattle needs to replace Earl Thomas, and while no player can step in and immediately give them the performance that Thomas can, Thompson comes the closest.
A rangey, athletic safety who packs a punch, Thompson dominated on Nick Saban’s defense at Alabama, and performed well at the NFL combine. He is one of the few players that Seattle should consider drafting at this spot, instead of doing their usual and trading down to acquire more picks.
Round 3 (Pick 84): Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State
Unlike Thompson, Abram would not be brought in as a Thomas replacement – but rather a replacement for Justin Coleman.
The big-bodied, physical safety has all the traits to be a ‘big nickel’ who is employed primarily on running downs.
His strength doesn’t lie in pass protection, but Abram has great sideline speed and packs a punch. He actually plays more like an extra linebacker, which could make him more of a situational player as opposed to being an every down starter.
His fiery demeanor and tendency to drop a big hit could make him a fan favorite in Seattle if they choose to pursue him.
Round 4 (Pick 117): Marquise Blair, Utah
If the Seahawks want to get themselves a big, physical safety, then Marquise Blair is their guy.
He’s a little underweight at six-foot-one and 195 pounds, but Blair’s aggressive style gives him almost a linebacker mentality with the speed and strength of a single-high free safety.
Discipline issues, namely getting ejected three times for targeting, are likely hurting his draft stock.
However, over-aggressiveness is something coach Pete Carroll will accept and address if he likes everything else about the player – which in this case seems entirely possible.
Round 5 (Pick 148): Sheldrick Redwine, Miami
Redwine is not just an exceptional name, but he is an exceptional athlete with the size, physicality and speed that coach Carroll looks for in his defensive backs.
A former corner, Redwine does need some polishing as a cover back, and is probably a year or two away from being an NFL starter.
Still, an athlete like Redwine is always worth a gamble in the fifth round, and Seattle would be happy to take the reverse Tre Flowers (corner to safety) at this stage of the draft.
After all, everyone knows that Redwine ages well.
