With the Tuesday news of the blockbuster trade that sends former Seahawks pass-rusher Frank Clark to the Chiefs for Kansas City’s 2019 first-round pick (the 29th overall selection), a 2020 second-round pick, and swaps of the teams’ third-round picks in the 2019 draft, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have far more flexibility that they did before, with only four picks overall in this draft.
Expect Seattle to entertain all kinds of offers from other teams looking to trade up—Schneider especially loves to trade down in, or out of, the first round to give himself more options in the second round and lower. And if the Seahawks say put with Kansas City’s first-round pick and their own 21st overall pick, here are a few of the players they might be looking to procure. We’ll stick with the defensive side of the ball in this case, as the Clark trade leaves Seattle woefully thin there, and there are other pressing needs on that side of the ball—especially in the secondary.
Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State
Sweat, the combine superstar who ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at 6’6” and 260 pounds, may be dropping in the draft due to an enlarged heart condition that some teams are okay with, and others are shying away. If he drops to the bottom of the first round as a result, it’s a risk the Seahawks should absolutely take. Sweat is more than just a workout wonder—he’s an outstanding pass-rusher with speed and power, and he’s one of the most underrated run-stoppers in this draft class.
Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan
One of the players who eventually replaced Clark in Michigan’s defensive line, Gary is absolutely the kind of player Carroll and Schneider love—he has rare athletic traits, but hasn’t yet managed to turn them into elite production. Carroll and his staff have enough experience getting the best out of young defensive linemen to believe they can do the same with Gary, who had just 26 total pressures in 2018 despite his impressive power and quickness at 6’4” and 277 pounds.
Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE, Louisiana Tech
The FBS all-time sack leader with 45, Ferguson isn’t the same kind of athletic freak as Gary is, but he brings a smooth bend around the edge, an elevated level of hand technique for a collegiate defensive lineman, a great inside counter, and the flexibility to work well on line stunts and games. Limited athletic profile here, but he’s as pro-ready as you’ll see in a pass-rusher who projects as a late first- or early second-round pick.
Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
Ya-Sin played just one season at the major college level, so he’s a bit of a work in progress as an NFL-level cornerback. But he absolutely fits Seattle’s paradigm for cornerbacks—a former state-champion wrestler, the 6’0”, 192-pound Ya-Sin ideally physical, has the trail speed and flexibility to move with receivers through their routes, will lay the hammer in run support, and might be the best cornerback coming out of this class if he cleans up his off-coverage. Historically, these are developmental issues Carroll has no problem dealing with.
Deionte Thompson, FS, Alabama
The loss of Earl Thomas to the Ravens in free agency leaves a massive void in Seattle’s secondary, no matter how positive Carroll has been about his stock of younger safeties. Thompson could do a lot to cure what ails the deep third of that defense at the moment. He flashes NFL-level potential at both deep safety and slot corner, and he’s as good as anyone in this class at closing to the ball. He doesn’t have Thomas’ flailing, go-for-broke playing style, but he’d add a lot to a safety group that was exposed last season.
Darnell Savage, DB, Maryland
Now, if the Seahawks want a guy whose kamikaze style echoes Thomas in his early days, there are few in this class who fit the bill more obviously than Savage, who lives up to his last name as one of the most ferocious hitters at his position—almost to a fault, as he’ll get himself out of position when he’s trying to cover huge patches of ground to lay the wood to some poor unsuspecting receiver. In the 2017 and 2018 seasons combined, Savage picked off seven passes and didn’t allow a single touchdown, and he is absolutely worth consideration in the late first round at a position this team really needs to upgrade.
Taylor Rapp, SS, Washington
Similarly to Thomas’ absence, the loss of Kam Chancellor to a group of injuries over the last few seasons, leave the Seahawks without a linebacker-level safety and lurk defender who can keep things together in the defensive backfield. As smart as everyone in the Legion of Boom was at its peak, it was Chancellor who made most of the coverage calls on the field. Rapp, who might be a top-10 pick if he was a bit quicker to respond to speed receivers up the chute, has every other safety attribute in spades—excellent diagnostic abilities, the ability to blitz and play in the box, and potential to develop as a high safety in certain zone coverages.
