2022 Draft Fits: Rounds 2 & 3
March 3, 2022 12:04PM PST
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After a disappointing 2021 NFL draft where the Seahawks only picked three times, the Seahawks are once again without a first-round pick due to their trade for Jamal Adams. Ahead of the NFL scouting combine, we take a look at which players the Seahawks could select with each of their draft picks.
Team Needs
First, we’ll take a look at which positions the Seahawks need to fill through the offseason while also acknowledging that Free Agency is not set to begin until March 16th. To make things easier, we’ll make a few assumptions about the team’s priorities during the offseason that seem likely. Yes, this could all COMPLETELY change once Free Agency begins, but for now we’ll assume that the Seahawks will make the moves below and nothing more.
1) Duane Brown re-signs on a 1-year deal.
Despite taking a step back in terms of his play, Brown still performed as an above-average Left Tackle. However, he’ll turn 37 years old just before the start of the regular season and it’s fair to question if 2022 will be the season Brown’s production falls off a cliff. After all, not every player can age as gracefully as Andrew Whitworth. While a 1-year deal is not Brown’s ideal contract, he publicly stated that he was open to a 1-year deal and has not been shy about his longing to stay with Seattle.
2) Quandre Diggs re-signs.
While nothing concrete has arisen, there have been multiple reports that both sides have a strong desire to find a middle ground to bring Diggs back to Seattle. While it may be tough for Seattle to imagine paying premium contracts for two safeties, it was not long ago that the Seahawks were paying BOTH Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. It becomes much more palatable to pay both safeties if the team believes they will have a Top-3 safety tandem.
3) Rashaad Penny prices himself out of Seattle and Chris Carson does not return from injury.
On a dimmer note, Penny’s historic end to the 2021 season encourages a team to take a shot on the oft-injured former first-round pick. Despite how much Pete loves Penny, the team finds it hard justifying paying for two starting running backs, especially when Carson isn’t even playing. Neck injuries are incredibly scary and are an unfortunate part of the violent game we love. It’s not a good sign that Carson sat out the whole season and given how previous Seahawks have handled neck injuries (e.g. Cliff Avril, Kam Chancellor), it would be no surprise to see Carson (unwillingly) walk away from the game for good.
4) DJ Reed comes back to Seattle in a loaded Cornerback market.
While some think DJ Reed will price himself out of Seattle, and deservedly so, it’s not clear just how much attention Reed will command due to a lack of acknowledgement from national media. Additionally, this year’s Cornerback Free Agency class is loaded with headliners like JC Jackson and Stephon Gilmore stealing the show. All this is to say that there is a good chance Reed comes back to Seattle for less than 10M APY. Sidney Jones could come back on a team-friendly prove-it deal as well and provide depth behind Reed and Brown.
With our hole at Left Tackle pushed out yet another year, our safety tandem secured, a gaping hole at Running Back, and DJ Reed returning, the Seahawks still find themselves with multiple holes in their roster. Below are the Seahawks’ biggest needs that should be addressed in the draft. Sure, there are other depth needs as well, but the six positions below are the biggest holes in the starting roster.
1) Right Tackle
What’s a better way to show Wilson that you’re committed to him and the team’s success than finding your Right Tackle of the future through the draft? Although the Seahawks don’t have a first-round pick, the team hasn’t picked this high in the draft since Russell Okung was drafted with the 6th overall pick in 2010. Plenty of Tackle talent should be left on the board when the Seahawks finally get to pick at 41.
2) Center
Sticking with the theme of keeping Wilson happy, the second biggest need is Center. While Ethan Pocic doesn’t deserve as much hate from fans as he received, Pocic is far from even a league-average starter. Aside from a brief Pro Bowl Alternate season from Justin Britt, the Seahawks have had trouble filling the Center position since Max Unger was traded to New Orleans as part of the Jimmy Graham trade.
3) Edge Rusher
On paper, the Seahawks should’ve performed better in pass rush than they did. After all, that’s how many fans and reporters felt entering the season – the Seahawks Defensive Line was talented and sneaky deep. However, the production failed to agree. Part of this was the scheme change and having traditional 4-3 Defensive Ends like Mayowa and Dunlap dropping into coverage. With Rasheem Green likely leaving Seattle and Mayowa/Hyder not performing in line with expectations, the Seahawks should be looking for an upgrade here. For what it’s worth, Pete said Darrell Taylor “couldn’t be more in line with what we’re looking for” in terms of pass rush.
4) Running Back
With Penny gone and Carson likely retiring, the Seahawks only have DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer as Running Backs. The team did also sign Darwin Thompson to a futures contract, but all three project more as third-down backs rather than true starting Running Backs.
5) Defensive Tackle
The Seahawks have taken a frugal (and mostly successful) approach to the position group ever since Jarran Reed left in a contract dispute by signing a low-cost veteran run stuffer (Al Woods) and finding undrafted gems (Poona Ford and Bryan Mone). And while we’re all excited for the potential for Ford to excel as a pass rusher, the truth is that the Seahawks lack a true difference-making 3-tech at the position.
6) Tight End
Despite one horrendous game, Gerald Everett was a solid contributor and is now hitting the open market, as is Will Dissly. That leaves 2020 draft pick Colby Parkinson as the next man up in the position. While it’s likely that the Seahawks address the position via Free Agency (OJ Howard!) or by re-signing Dissly/Everett, the team still lacks top-end talent at the position and depth is a concern.
Draft Fits
As aforementioned, the Seahawks lack a first-round pick, but are picking the earliest in each round since the 2010 NFL draft. Below are each of Seattle’s draft picks:
Round 2 Pick 41, Round 3 Pick 72, Round 4 Pick 107, Round 4 Pick 114, Round 5 Pick 152, Round 7 Pick 227
Yes, John Schneider will inevitably trade back one of his picks and acquire more, but for simplicity we’ll assume no trades will be made. Below, we’ll take a look at what players the Seahawks could be considering at each pick based on team needs and ADP. For ADP, we decided to use NFL Mock Draft Database’s Consensus Big Board, which aggregates a collection of Big Boards and Mock Draft to find consensus. We’ll also provide Big Board rankings from The Athletic, PFF, and The Draft Network (TDN).
As a reminder, the NFL Combine starts later this afternoon and will undoubtedly move players up and down boards, but this will be useful to track players to keep an eye on.
Round 2 Pick 41
To determine players who will be available when the Seahawks pick, we’ll use an ADP range of Pick 36 to Pick 64.
No. 38 Bernhard Raimann | LT | Central Michigan
PFF 15 | TDN 66 | Athletic OT5
Raimann is the 5th Tackle off the board according to NFL Mock Draft Database and likely won’t be there when the Seahawks pick at 41, but if he is still there then the Seahawks may have found their LT of the future. Raimann is a converted Tight End and is unexperienced but possesses all the physical tools to become a solid starter in the NFL. The pick makes a ton of sense as Raimann gets to learn from one of the best Left Tackles while he sits for a year to develop.
No. 44 Perrion Winfrey | DT | Oklahoma
PFF 92 | TDN 35 | Athletic DT5 | 6’4” 303 lbs.
Winfrey is a former JUCO transfer who transferred to Oklahoma in 2020 and has been a two-year starter used all over the defensive line. He’s billed as an athletic lineman with a quick first step, but struggles to hold double teams. Winfrey’s flexibility along the line is something that will likely draw attention to Pete Carroll. This Defensive Tackle class isn’t one of the strengths, but finding pass rush from the interior is one of the Seahawks’ needs.
No. 45 Drake Jackson | EDGE | USC
PFF 44 | TDN 70 | Athletic EDGE9 | 6’4” 250 lbs.
Drake Jackson’s draft stock has been falling ever since being billed as possibly the 2nd best pass rusher in this class. Jackson ended the 2021 season due to injury, but flashed athleticism and bend on the edge. However, his frame limits him in the run game and is likely best suited as a 3-4 OLB as opposed to a traditional Defensive End.
No. 46 Daniel Faalele | RT | Minnesota
PFF 83 | TDN 52 | Athletic OT6 | 6’8” 380 lbs.
First off, 380 lbs. was not a typo. Faalele is a MAMMOTH of a human and is more agile than you’d expect. Despite raw athletic talent and physical dynamics, Faalele’s game needs refinement and only has three seasons of football experience after opting out in 2020. Fun fact – Faalele is from Australia and was a former Rugby player. The Seahawks don’t have a great track record of developing Tackle talent, but Faalele is too fun of a prospect to let pass.
No. 49 Breece Hall | RB | Iowa State
PFF 66 | TDN 122 | Athletic RB3
This year’s RB class isn’t particularly top-heavy, but the top-5 or so Running Backs are fairly even and every draft analyst has each RB in a different spot. Consensus actually has Isaiah Spiller of Texas A&M one spot higher at No. 48, but Hall’s production at Iowa State is just too hard to ignore. Not a fan of picking an RB here this early with our first pick, but wouldn’t be surprising if Pete Carroll felt otherwise.
Favorite Round 2 Pick: Drake Jackson EDGE USC
The pick here just makes too much sense. Pete will probably love picking from his alma mater and the scheme fit couldn’t be more obvious. As stated earlier, Pete views Darrell Taylor as the premier mold at pass rusher and Drake Jackson is the exact same height and around the same weight. Jackson also had 2 INTs and a PBU in his career at USC, showing some ability to drop into coverage. This year’s EDGE class is one of the deepest in recent memory and it would be a shame not to walk out of Round 2 with Jackson to pair along with Taylor to form a fearsome 3-4 OLB duo.
While picking a Tackle like Raimann or Faalele would’ve also been nice, there are other Tackles further down in the draft that are in a similar tier. Both Raimann and Faalele possess rare athletic and physical traits, but are far from perfect and need development.
Round 3 Pick 72
To determine players who will be available when the Seahawks pick, we’ll use an ADP range of Pick 62 to Pick 96.
No. 72 Marcus Jones | SCB | Houston
PFF 93 | TDN 87 | Athletic CB8 | 5’8” 185 lbs.
Using an early Round 3 pick on a Slot Cornerback may not be the best use of capital and the position isn’t of dire need for the Seahawks, but Marcus Jones could be an impact player on day one. Jones is extremely quick and athletic and, despite his small stature, isn’t afraid of defending the run. Additionally, Jones brings game-breaking return ability, returning 6 touchdowns in college. Jones could push Amadi for his starting position while providing return ability not seen since Tyler Lockett was drafted in the third-round.
No. 74 Darrian Beavers | OLB | Cincinnati
PFF 71 | TDN 64 | Athletic LB13 | 6’4” 252 lbs.
Billed as one of the few true SAM Linebackers in this class, Darrian Beavers was an impact playmaker and leader on one of the best defenses in the nation. Beavers experience as a former WR and Safety and 4.0 high school GPA shows in his processing capability. His athleticism doesn’t pop on film, but isn’t limiting per se. Beavers feels like a SAM version of KJ Wright and could serve as a run stopping 3-4 OLB while being slowly groomed to be Bobby’s successor.
No. 75 Boye Mafe | EDGE | Minnesota
PFF 48 | TDN 49 | Athletic EDGE11 | 6’3” 255 lbs.
Mafe is likely going to test like a freak in the NFL Combine and his draft stock reflects it. Mafe has all the tools to be a pass rusher off the edge at the pro level, but needs more refinement and is billed as a high-ceiling developmental player. Concerns are there about his athletic ability not translating in-game and particularly in defending the run. Mafe fits as a rush OLB with an incredible ceiling in a 3-4 defense.
No. 88 Tariq Woolen | CB | UTSA
PFF 118 | TDN 76 | Athletic CB9 | 6’3” 205 lbs.
Pete Carroll may have lightened his physical requirements for Cornerbacks, but you can just see Pete drooling over Woolen’s 6’3” frame and reported 33 ½" arms. Woolen was recruited to play WR at UTSA and did so for three seasons before converting to Cornerback. His inexperience is clear on tape as is his raw athleticism. Carroll’s reputation for developing talent in the secondary could be tested with this pick as Woolen’s ceiling is sky high.
No. 92 Abraham Lucas | RT | WSU
PFF 70 | TDN 102 | OT9 | 6’7” 324 lbs.
Here’s a familiar face – Lucas played over two thousand pass blocking snaps for the Cougars over four years. Lucas is another larger-sized Tackle, but displays good control in pass sets. However, his frame doesn’t always translate in run blocking. Lucas is considered a fairly Pro-ready Right Tackle albeit with a lower ceiling than guys like Daniel Faalele.
Favorite Round 3 Pick: Abraham Lucas RT WSU
After picking Drake Jackson with their Round 2 pick, the Seahawks will look to shore up their RT spot and keep Wilson happy. In the past few years, the Seahawks have let homegrown talent slide past them in the draft and that stops here. Lucas fills in right away at RT and “competes” with whatever budget RT the Seahawks signed during Free Agency.
If the Seahawks went with a Tackle in Round 2, then picking Boye Mafe would’ve made a ton of sense as a 3-4 OLB to pair with Darrell Taylor. Marcus Jones would be a really fun pick as well and it shouldn’t be a surprise when he is returning kicks for touchdowns while holding his own in the slot.
We'll be back in a week or two with Day Three picks. By then, we should have more clarity into the Seahawks' situation entering the draft.