The NFL draft is just a few short days away, and the Seattle Seahawks are currently holding onto seven picks they will use to make the roster better in 2020.
The Seahawks Wire is releasing their fourth and final mock draft of the season. Using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator, we made a trade back (as per tradition) and selected eight total players we believe the Seahawks could or should target in the draft this year.
Stay tuned for an unexpected selection in the second round, and a wrap up at the end, which includes the rationale for not taking a receiver, despite the stellar crop of talent at that position in this class.
Round 2 (34): Ezra Cleveland, Tackle, Boise State
Seahawks trade pick 27 to the Colts for pick 34 and pick 193
The Seahawks love to trade back, and moving back seven spots from 27 to 34 while snagging another pick in the sixth round seems right up their alley, and is a trade I could definitely see happening if the Colts have their eye on someone around the 27th pick.
Using that 34th pick to snag Ezra Cleveland, a rising tackle prospect who many believe will end up in the first round, would be an excellent start to this draft for Schneider and company.
Cleveland is from nearby Spanaway, Washington, and became a lockdown starter at left tackle for the Broncos. He is smooth and quick in pass protection, and his footwork is well above average. He does lack strength, something he will need to work on at the next level, especially in a run-first offensive attack.
Seattle has made it clear they are looking to beef up the offensive line heading into 2020, and with both George Fant and Germain Ifedi on new teams, adding a tackle early in the draft definitely makes sense.
Right now, Duane Brown is the surefire starter at left tackle, and Brandon Shell and Cedric Ogbuehi will likely compete to replace Ifedi on the right side, with Jamarco Jones in the mix as well if he doesn’t stay on the interior.
There’s enough upside to imagine Cleveland as a replacement for Brown in a year or so, and he could even jump into the competition at right tackle right away if he adjusts well to the new position.
Round 2 (59): Josh Uche, EDGE, Michigan
Uche is one of the more difficult edge defenders to evaluate in this class. His athleticism is through the roof, and his burst, tackling and variety of pass rush counters make him a tantalizing pass rushing prospect, one that should appeal to coach Carroll straightaway.
However – he also has very limited experience, not starting until his senior season at Michigan. He’s also a tweener, having played some outside linebacker and some defensive end in college, and some scouts aren’t sure what his position will be at the next level.
Still, the Seahawks love their versatile, lengthy athletes off the edge, and Uche is just the type of player they could mold into a schematic fit for their 4-3 attack.
Whether they are willing to gamble on a player that needs some development remains to be seen, but Uche could end up among the best edge defenders in this entire class, and it’s worth the risk at pick No. 59.
Round 2 (64): Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
Okay so here’s the wild one. The Seahawks have taken exactly one quarterback since Russell Wilson was the 76th overall pick in 2012: Alex McGough, a seventh round dart throw in 2017 who never made the active roster, getting replaced by veteran Brett Hundley late into the summer.
Yet – perhaps it makes sense for the Seahawks to buck tradition this year? Jalen Hurts, if he’s around at No. 64 overall, would make an excellent backup to Wilson. He’s a pure dual-threat quarterback, throwing for over 9,400 yards and rushing for 3,274 yards and 43 touchdowns while at Oklahoma.
Scouts have given him comparisons to RGIII and Dak Prescott, and while there are some concerns about his skill set translating to the NFL – it’s not hard to imagine he’d be more prepared to lead an NFL team than say Hundley or Geno Smith or McGough, should anything happen to Wilson.
Wilson’s durability and the team’s pressing needs at other positions would certainly make this a controversial pick, but there’s reason to believe adding a talent like Hurts as their backup quarterback would prevent them from churning over veteran after veteran every season, and might give them a better chance of winning games if Wilson actually needs some time off.
Round 3 (101): Zack Moss, RB, Utah
The only holdover from mock draft 3.0, Moss is too obvious of a Seahawks-type draft target for me to let him go if he’s available when Seattle picks here.
A stout, bruising running back out of the University of Utah – one of coach Carroll’s often targeted programs – Moss would immediately give the Seahawks crucial depth in the backfield.
With Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny both nursing season-ending injuries, and with Travis Homer’s lack of experience as the feature back, it makes sense for Seattle to find another running back this offseason, either via free agency or the draft.
Moss just so happens to check a lot of boxes Carroll and his staff look for out of their backs, and if he’s around at this stage of the draft a connection between the two makes too much sense.
Round 4 (133): Leki Fotu, DL, Utah
Seattle doubled up on players from the University of Utah last year, why not do it again?
One of very few players known to have virtually met with the Seahawks during the pre-draft process, Fotu is a run-stuffing two-gap tackle who would fit well into Carroll’s 4-3 defensive front.
Although he’s not much of a pass rusher, Fotu could fill the role normally given to a veteran as a backup run-stuffer in the middle, and developing under guys like Jarran Reed and Poona Ford could do wonders for his development.
Teaming back up with Cody Barton and Marquise Blair, the Utah trio could become a big part of Seattle’s future defense.
Round 4 (144): Michael Ojemudia, CB, Iowa
If the Seahawks have a chance to take a lengthy corner in the middle rounds, you can bet they’ll take a close look. It’s not every day you land a Richard Sherman in the fifth round, but Pete Carroll has a reputation of getting the best out of his defensive backs, and Ojemudia checks a lot of this team’s boxes.
Standing six-foot-one and with 32 1/4 inch arms, Ojemudia possesses great length and physicality on the outside, although he has proven to be more useful in zone coverage – another reason he’s a good fit for Seattle.
Ojemudia would have the benefit of joining a team with Shaquill Griffin, Quinton Dunbar and Tre Flowers, so he would have a chance to develop under three strong talents while cutting his teeth on the special teams.
Seattle has had great luck with defensive backs in the middle rounds, and Ojemudia could add his name to the list if the Seahawks give him a chance.
Round 6 (193): Derrek Tuszka, EDGE, North Dakota State
This mock only has the Seahawks acquiring one extra pick after trading downward – something they usually do a handful of times per draft.
However, in this case they use their extra pick to acquire a small school stud by the name of Derrek Tuszka out of FCS champion North Dakota State.
Tuszka was an efficient playmaking pass rusher in college, racking up 29.5 sacks with a 22% pressure rate and a 91.8 pass rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, which would have been third among FCS pass rushers.
He also tested extremely well at the combine, another good sign his talent will translate from the FCS to the NFL.
However, Tuszka doesn’t possess the length the Seahawks typically require from their edge defenders, which could be a deterrent. He’s still not a bad option with a late round pick, as someone to stash on the practice squad while he adjusts to the NFL game.
Round 6 (214): Alton Robinson, EDGE, Syracuse
I’m not super confident Robinson will still be around with the 214th pick, but if he is this should be an immediate selection for the Seahawks.
Robinson is a developmental pass rushing prospect who had 14.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Syracuse and possesses excellent burst, bend and speed off the edge.
He also has serious footwork issues, and doesn’t have enough variety in his pass rush counters to be effective right away.
Still – if Seattle can snag a player with his kind of athleticism with their final pick, he’d be worth the wait while he hones his other skills in a year on the practice squad.
Wrap-up
I’m not sure I love a scenario where the Seahawks don’t take a wide receiver, especially with how good this draft class is, but perhaps the addition of Phillip Dorsett and the potential return of Josh Gordon will allow them to look elsewhere.
Taking a QB early is certainly the most notable piece of this draft puzzle, and while it may not be that likely, it’s nice to see how the draft could still come together and fill a lot of team needs, while also addressing the need for Russell Wilson’s backup in a fun, developmental way for the short term and long term.
