Both Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are free agents after the 2023 season, and Will Dissly will count $10.1 million against the cap in a 2024 contract season. Sanders was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2022 with 54 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns. The former five-star recruit would provide Geno Smith and the offense with an athletic mismatch over the middle of the field.
A former five-star recruit, Taylor flashed during the 2022 season at Miami. Go watch his tape against Virginia to see what he can do -- Taylor had 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in that one. Seattle brought in Derick Hall on Day 2 this year, but it didn't fix the interior, and GM John Schneider will likely keep building up that defensive line. At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, Taylor can help. He has 10 or more tackles for loss in each of his two seasons with the Hurricanes.
Ohio State had three offensive linemen drafted this past weekend, but Jackson returns to Columbus with All-America potential. If he turns his flashes into more consistent high-level play, he has a chance to be a first-round pick.
The Seahawks feel they have one of the better tight end rooms in the NFL, but with former Denver Bronco Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson each entering the final year of their respective rookie deals (and presumably looking for raises), Seattle may need to get younger and cheaper at the position. Bowers, the Mackey Award winner as a true sophomore, is the best tight end I've seen at the college level. Ever.
Jeremiah Trotter's father was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and played 12 years in the NFL. Trotter Jr. does not have ideal size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds), but he has explosive speed and top-level change of direction ability. Scouts love Trotter Jr.'s instincts, awareness and production. He finds the football in both the pass and run game at Clemson, and he should continue to do so in the NFL.
In an exclusive interview with PFF, Newton revealed that he returned to Illinois partly because he wanted to be a first-round pick. He was the most valuable Power Five interior defensive lineman this past season and led that same group with 59 pressures. His 13 tackles for loss/no-gain were tied for the most among FBS interior defensive linemen as well.
Interior linemen weren't selected on Day 1 in 2023 and Colby might not be the best in class next spring — Alabama's JC Latham is a more athletic pick — but Colby's Iowa pedigree and rock solid performance despite the Brian Ferentz of it all makes him a safe bet. He's got quick feet and power and ruins linebackers at the next level in the run game. That'd be a boon for the Seahawks, even with their now-stacked receiving lineup.
A torn ACL wiped out Smith's 2022 season after his starring debut as a freshman. The 6-5, 300-pounder exhibits outstanding athleticism, however, and Pete Carroll might not be able to resist a superlative up front after passing on Jalen Carter this year.
