The Seattle Seahawks aren’t afraid to go against the grain in the NFL draft.
From trading out of the first round regularly, to taking players unexpectedly, to trading up to draft a punter, this team always keeps their fans and the rest of the league on their toes during draft weekend.
Expect more of the same this year. With seven draft picks in tow, including a late first round pick, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a lot of trades from Seattle once again in 2020.
However – let’s presume Seattle gets really weird. I’m not talking about taking a quarterback in the first round weird, or drafting another punter, since those two things seem too far outside the realm of possibility. But a late round quarterback? A fullback? Using an early pick on a safety even though they have four capable ones already? Yeah, that’s John Schneider’s music right there. Let’s explore:
Kelton Moore, Fullback, Nevada
The Seahawks have always had a fullback on the active roster, although they are rarely utilized on offensive sets. Tre Madden held the role for two years before linebacker-turned-fullback Nick Bellore was signed last season.
Fullbacks in Seattle’s scheme are basically just special teams contributors, although they sometimes get asked to run routes out of the backfield.
So, while it seems unlikely Seattle would use a draft pick on someone with that limited role, Carroll has stated he loves targeting rookies who can help right away on the special teams, and while Bellore is under contract he could be cut to save $1.05 million in cap space – clearing a spot for someone like Nevada’s Kelton Moore.
Moore was a beast for the Wolf Pack in 2017, carrying the ball 164 times for 855 yards and four touchdowns, while hauling in 19 catches for 189 yards and another touchdown.
He wasn’t able to replicate that success in his final two seasons, but his size (five-foot-eleven, 225 pounds) makes him a tough runner to take down, and his experience out of the backfield could make him an appealing fullback option for the Seahawks, if they are willing to move on from Bellore.
Bryce Perkins, Quarterback, Virginia
The Seahawks have drafted exactly one quarterback since 2012 when Russell Wilson came onto the scene: Alex McGough, a seventh rounder in 2017 who didn’t make the team out of camp.
However, it has long been thought the team will eventually draft a developmental QB to grow under Wilson, and while coach Pete Carroll seems to prefer experienced backups, it could make sense to give someone like Perkins a shot at the backup job – and try to stash him on the practice squad if he doesn’t win the position outright.
Perkins is a dual-threat quarterback who threw for over 3,500 yards for the Cavaliers last season, but with a rather pedestrian 22-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
His legs are a big bonus, but a lack of consistency and an inaccurate throwing arm will need to improve for him to ever take meaningful snaps at the next level. Who better to learn from than Wilson, a running quarterback who has blossomed into a star while perfecting his accuracy? This could make a lot of sense with Seattle’s final pick in the sixth round.
Antoine Winfield Jr., Safety, Minnesota
The Seahawks have a starting safety tandem of Quandre Diggs and Bradley McDougald locked up for the 2020 season, with 2019 draft pick Marquise Blair waiting in the wings.
Factor in Lano Hill and Ugo Amadi – a nickel who can play safety in a pinch – and it doesn’t look like the Seahawks need to be worrying about the safety position early in the NFL draft.
However – positional needs have not always been the most pressing concern for Schneider and company, and Winfield has drawn rave reviews from scouts and analysts for his range, nose for the football and overall athleticism.
“If we’re ever to see a reboot of the Legion of Boom, Pete Carroll and John Schneider are going to have to get another shot-calling safety with range, field smarts and a nose for the ball,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar wrote back in March. “Enter Winfield, the son of the former Bills and Vikings cornerback. The younger Winfield missed all but eight games in 2017 and 2018 due to injury, but he recovered brilliantly to pick off seven passes last season. I recently watched tape with Winfield, and he explained how he’s able to add to his already estimable athleticism by understanding what’s going to happen on the field even before it happens.”
Using a first round pick on perhaps Seattle’s deepest position would certainly be a surprise, but it’s not hard to see the appeal of Winfield as a short-term and a long-term piece of this Seahawks defense.
