The NFL offseason is in full swing despite the coronavirus outbreak and the league’s premier event is just a month away. As of now, the NFL draft is still scheduled for April 23-25, however, the format is likely to be much different, with reports of an in-studio broadcast and cameras at team headquarters replacing the live action.
Pundits are still pumping out their mocks, including ESPN draft analyst, Mel Kiper. In his latest Mock Draft 3.0, Kiper has the Seahawks selecting Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos with the No. 27 pick overall.
“This is a tough one for me because the Seahawks are still in the hunt to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney,” Kiper writes. “If they spend a bunch of money to bring Clowney back, they might not want to spend the capital on an edge rusher here, particularly after drafting L.J. Collier in Round 1 last year. Still, the 6-foot-6, 266-pound Gross-Matos makes a lot of sense, because we know that Pete Carroll likes big defensive ends who could move inside and rush the passer on passing downs.
“Offensive tackle should be an option here, and Seattle also has an extra second-round pick.”
The Seahawks and Clowney have yet to reach a deal and the silence on the progress of the negotiations has been deafening. Kiper is correct – until Seattle knows whether or not Clowney will be back in the lineup it needs to keep its options open.
