By Jared Stanger
This has been a hard year for me to get to study college football, and even less so to get to write about it. Even as I’m starting to write this I’m looking at the clock and thinking I’ve got maybe two hours to get it done, or it waits until next week. So let’s work fast.
Seattle currently sits at 8 draft picks for 2024. That’s 7 native picks, and the 3rd rounder they acquired from Denver for trading back in the 2023 draft. Some people are conflating that pick is related to the Russell Wilson trade. It is not. This is a separate transaction.
The Hawks currently sit in a playoff position after their first five games, and we can put them at roughly the #21 overall in the first round.
The interesting thing about mock drafts in October is that nobody really has a good feel for how 250+ players are going to still be valued in 6 months. I did a mock draft for the 2023 draft literally 364 days ago where I had Seattle drafting Devon Witherspoon at #2.44 overall, and Zach Charbonnet at #4.113 (check it out here). A big part of the reason for this is that, this early in the process, I’m not really putting a round value on players. I have a value in my head of what I think a player is worth, but I’m looking at a national source to set the price. I don’t really want to say this early that a player that other people are valuing in the 3rd is going to be in the 1st round when all is said and done. I would very much like Seattle to be able to get said player in the 3rd. It probably won’t happen, but let’s see. This also creates a documented paper trail to watch how players rise (or fall) throughout the process.
Okay, so here are the players I like at their current going prices.
#1.21 – QB, Louisiana State, Jayden Daniels
I really didn’t care for many of the players that are currently being valued in the late-1st round. The national source I’m using currently has him squarely in the middle of the 2nd round. But looking at draft media after Daniels’ game last Saturday; I think he’ll be getting a pretty big bump right quick.
Daniels is a nicely-proportioned 6’4″/210lb quarterback currently leading FBS in passer rating, while also being one of the top runners at his position.
I don’t know that Seattle will draft a QB this early with Geno continuing to play well, but they’re also coming up on Drew Lock being a free agent after this year. So, I do think they draft a QB this year, but I kinda doubt it’s in the 1st round. Personally, I’m watching, ironically, the current Missouri QB, Brady Cook, as a guy potentially draftable in like the 3rd round. But, for now, this is appropriate value in the 1st until other players rise in stock.
#2.52 – OC, Georgia, Sedrick Van Pran
In terms of the draft, nothing has frustrated me more about Seattle’s last, roughly, three drafts than the way they’ve handled the Center position. And not far behind that is the way they’ve handled the Guard spot. I’m not gonna get into the names, but there have been multiple pro bowlers painfully passed over.
Although they did finally draft a center last year; the fact that he isn’t starting right now, when guys like Cross, Lucas, Lewis were all day 1 starters following their respective drafts; is a redflag, to me. Also worth noting that Evan Brown will be a free agent.
So I’m going back to the well with a guy I very much liked in 2023 cycle, but who stayed in school. Van Pran is a 6’4″/310lb anchor for the defending national champs, and who are still the #1 in the country in 2023.
#3.70 – DT, Texas, T’vondre Sweat
This may be my worst pick in this mock due to need. Or lack thereof. Seattle, unless they cut somebody, is in pretty good shape going into 2024 in terms of the interior DL. They basically will return everyone (unless you count Mario Edwards as DT). And, if they do draft a DT, will it be a beefy nose tackle type, or will they want more passrush? If it’s the latter, maybe slot a guy like Notre Dame’s Howard Cross III in this spot.
I guess the reason I’m taking Sweat here is that he’s the rarer beast in this class. He’s listed 6’4″/362lbs. Most of this class of DT are in the 6’1″ range, and quite a few are sub-300 lbs. There’s still value to that profile, but it feels like a 2024 pick will have a better chance of taking reps from Cam Young than he will of taking reps from Jarran Reed or Dre’mont Jones.
#3.87 – OG, Kansas State, Cooper Beebe
For the third consecutive pick we reinforce the trenches. Well, maybe it’s not “reinforcing”…both 2023 week 1 starting guards, Lewis and Haynes, will be unrestricted free agents after this year. So we may need to replace one, or both. Anthony Bradford may continue as the RG, but I’m leaning toward letting both Lewis and Haynes go.
Beebe is listed at 6’4″/335lbs. There are reasons I think this isn’t a Seahawk pick, but I think Seattle is stupid for those reasons. Beebe is the type of player that I’m annoyed Seattle has passed on for three years. Please, don’t make it four.
#4.122 – LB, North Carolina, Cedric Gray
This pick already feels to me like the Zach Charbonnet pick last year. I’m only mocking him here right now because he’s available here nationally right now.
But also, linebacker is a huge need for the Seahawks for next year. Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush are all free agents. I would guess they keep Brooks. I’m like 60/40 they give Bobby another year. But they still need to plan for the future.
I liked Gray last year, but he stayed in school. Simultaneously, I don’t really think most of the more touted linebacker prospects have played great this year. I’ll take the lesser name, with the equal-to-greater production, at the two-round discount any day.
Gray is listed 6’3″/235lbs and has posted a season line of 52 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 6 hurries, 1 INT, 3 PBU, and 1 FF. It’s a very well-rounded line from a well-rounded player at the center of an undefeated defense.
#5.158 – DE, North Carolina, Kaimon Rucker
Kaimon Rucker might be my favorite player in this whole draft class (definitely in this mock draft), and he’s not even listed in most sites’ big boards under #200 overall.
He’s listed at 6’2″/265lbs, with 29 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 6.5 sack, 8 hurries for that same Tar Heel defense Gray comes from. I’m not going to get into all the reasons I’m liking him, as I’m trying to write fast, but here’s a highlight of him to whet your appetite.
#6.198 – TE, Minnesota, Brevyn Spann Ford
Seattle has a complicated history, and certainly present, with their TE room. They currently have three pretty good TE that, I feel, they woefully underuse. If you don’t know how, or don’t care, to use your TE…I can’t in good good conscience draft one early. But they did also just draft JSN in the 1st to catch three six yard screen passes per game. So who knows? Either way Seattle needs to add TE depth with both Fant and Parkinson coming into free agency.
BSF is a monster of a man at 6’7″/270lbs that has become a forgotten entity in the 2023 Minnesota season. He’s got 13 catches (2.2/gm) for 66 yards (5.08ypc) and zero TD. In 2022 with a different quarterback, Spann posted 42 catches (3.2/gm) for 497 yards (11.83ypc), and 2 TD. So we get him undervalued, and we put him in a system that doesn’t ask for much in a fantasy sense. Could work.
At this point, I’m going to wrap up. I’m pressed for time, and really a 7th rounder in October is less than a dart throw. But we got some good names in there that I’ll be bummed to lose out on as the year and draft stock evolves.
Seattle Seamocks 