The Seattle Seahawks rarely do things conventionally, and that is particularly true of the NFL draft.
Trading down and out of the first round has become almost the norm for this team, and when they do make first round picks they are often players who many pundits didn’t consider first round caliber (L.J. Collier) – or were players that didn’t seem to fit Seattle’s positional needs (Rashaad Penny).
Thus, folks who are making mock drafts are trying their best to calibrate to Seattle’s unpredictability in the first round, a difficult task at this stage of the draft process when player values are still a long way from decided.
Still, CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson went with a rather unheralded selection in his mock draft, projecting the Seahawks to select Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike at No. 27 overall.
Madubuike certainly fills a positional need for Seattle as a versatile defensive lineman with the requisite strength and athleticism to excel as a gap penetrator and an interior pass rusher, but he is not often viewed as a first round talent.
Of course, a strong showing at the combine could change that.
Madubuike is an interesting name to keep an eye on in a draft that lacks elite talent across the defensive line.
