Seattle at No. 3 overall was a team that I strongly considered for Georgia IDL Jalen Carter. But then I asked myself if Seattle was in the same shoes as Houston with the need to be patient. And I don't think that's the case. I think the defense will be pretty good (although they are young) and the skill positions are at a point where they're ready to compete. Oh, right, and they just drafted bookend tackles. Yeah.
So why CJ Stroud? I know the team has played with a shorter quarterback before in Russell Wilson, but do they want to go that route AGAIN with Bryce Young? Maybe not. And for that reason, I gave them Stroud.
Seattle getting a double dip of first-round choices in this NFL mock draft puts them in a position to address both sides of the ball and the team lands a tremendous fit for their physical front. Putting Gervon Dexter on the same line as Al Woods, Bryan Mone, Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, and Poona Ford (extension pending) gives Seattle the kind of tone-setting front that can consistently win the line of scrimmage.
The Seahawks have messed around with no real answers at quarterback, rookie, veteran bridge or otherwise after trading Russell Wilson. They need to target a franchise pocket passer who can make all the throws and lead their rebuild and Stroud would be the easy choice early.
Should the Seahawks draft Stroud as their franchise QB, they should continue upgrading their receiving corps to support DK Metcalf given Tyler Lockett is facing a potential fade soon with 30 looming. At worst, Addison and Metcalf would roll together well on the outside with Lockett kicking it up in the slot again.
The Seahawks have declared Geno Smith the winner of his quarterback competition with Drew Lock, but let's face it, neither Smith nor Lock is the long-term answer to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle. While Young is a bit undersized, the Heisman Trophy winner has the demeanor and composure to never let the moment get too big for him. Young threw for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions as he led the Crimson Tide to a national championship in his first season as a starter.
The younger brother of Lions tackle Penei Sewell, Noah is a physically imposing linebacker at 251 pounds. Despite his throwback size, he's not only powerful but he has good speed and better range than you'd expect for a linebacker his size.
Geno Smith and Drew Lock will have opportunities to stop this from happening. But easy money right now says they won't be able to. Frankly, if Smith works out as a capable starter and is able to bridge the franchise through the development of its next QB, maybe that works all the better. Lock would have to do something we've never seen from him at this level to change the math in his favor.
Like Stroud at Ohio State, Young's entire college career has come with the benefit of a totally stacked roster — including the most consistent offensive line situation in the country. The size concerns here (Young is 5-foot-11, 197 pounds) are going to be real. But Young sees the field as well as any quarterback here, he makes plays, and he does it all consistently.
Having already selected their quarterback of the future in this mock, the Seahawks continue to build their lines by putting a true space-eater in the middle of their defense. Right now, the Seahawks are playing 35-year-old Al Woods at nose tackle, so adding the ridiculously talented Ika would be an injection of youth to help keep the spine of the Seahawks' defense a strength. With the Seattle defense playing some flavor of a Vic Fangio-style defense, having a keystone player at the nose position would make the lives of other defenders — like burgeoning star Jordyn Brooks — easier.
Similar to the Falcons, the Seahawks are on the hunt for their new franchise quarterback and they find their man here in Bryce Young. The size concerns for Young are very real and because of that, he won't be for everyone. But if you like quarterbacks who are highly accurate, have outstanding instincts and feel for the game, and are flat-out winners, then Young is your guy.
Seattle's roster is ugly. I mean, there are no other words to describe it. I like a few of their young pieces in Charles Cross, the receivers, and Ken Walker III, but outside of that they need talent upgrades everywhere. In this spot it makes sense to draft one of the class' most talented players in Bryan Bresee.
Bresee is an interesting player as he is playing out of position at Clemson, primarily aligning at nose. If he's allowed to play more as a penetrating 3-tech, watch out. His blend of power, explosiveness, and length will allow him to be a mismatch against guards inside.
Seeking the most powerful EDGE in the country? Look no further than Clemson's Myles Murphy. He cinder blocks for hands, popping on contact and controlling nearly every encounter. Murphy can chase RBs sideline to sideline, possesses a relentless motor, and doesn't lack an exceptional first step. Complete packages don't come much bigger than 6'5" and 275 pounds.
Say what you will about Sean Clifford, but he forced Will Levis to transfer out of Penn State. That was the best decision of Levis' career, as he went on to dominate with Kentucky. In now-Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen's offense, Levis completed 66% of his passes for 2,826 yards and 24 TDs. His 13 interceptions are concerning, but I expect some positive regression in his turnover luck this season.
Levis has a howitzer attached to his right shoulder, hitting bombs all over the field. Still, his pocket presence and food habits are ... disturbing, primarily the latter. He must display a more consistent base and a better feel for pressure in 2022 to be worthy of a first-round selection.
With Stroud, Young and Levis off the board, Seattle might wait a on a quarterback. The Seahawks also have the Broncos' first-rounder, and they don't seem to be in a rush with the rebuild. Besides, the Seahawks need help in a lot of places. Smith is a powerful edge rusher with good burst and is aggressive against the run. Some evaluators were surprised to see him return for his senior season, but he still needs to add more pass-rush moves to his repertoire to unlock the next stage of his development.
With Geno Smith and Drew Lock expected to seesaw atop the depth chart this season, the Seahawks need to find a long-term answer at QB, and after going a different direction with their first Day 1 pick, Van Dyke is still here at No. 24. Despite an extremely small sample size (10 games, nine starts), he showed potential in those matchups and has excellent arm strength. But there were also too many moments in which he showed his youth last season. With more experience, Van Dyke certainly could make his way up the draft board.