The Penultimate Mock Draft Before the Real Thing

Here is my second to last mock draft before the real thing gets underway a week from today.

Firstly, the inevitable trades -

18 to Cleveland for 2/1, 2/32 and 4/14

Earl to Cowboys for 2/18, 4/16 and a 2019 3rd rounder

Trade up with the Broncos to get 3/7 in exchange for 4/16, 4/20 and 5/9

Also traded up in the 4th with Tampa Bay using 4/14 and 5/31 to get to 4/2 after a player high on my board fell.

Draft board set at –

2/1

2/18

2/32

3/7

4/2

5/4

5/19

7/8

7/30

Here’s the selections –

2/1 – Maurice Hurst, DL, Michigan

Maurice Hurst slid into the second round so had to pull the trigger on him. He will add valuable depth on the DL. Seattle has lost out on 3 technique pass rushers in Malik McDowell and Sheldon Richardson. Hurst fills that void.

2/18 – Justin Reid, S, Stanford

When I selected Hurst at the top of the second round, it was a toss-up between him and Justin Reid, I didn’t expect Reid to fall as far down as the 50th pick so it was an easy decision to replace the now departed Earl Thomas for the long haul. Getting cheaper and younger with an ‘all football’ guy fits all the buzzwords from this front office.

2/32 – Sony Michel, RB, Georgia

Sony Michel was the last of the top 8 running backs available here so had to pull the trigger. He is fantastic in pass protection so will very likely be a day 1 starter for the Seahawks complemented by a variety of other talents already on the roster.

3/7 – Isaac Yiadom, CB, Boston College

Isaac Yiadom has good height and good arm length and, provided he has a good camp, will very likely be a day 1 starter opposite Shaq Griffin. A much needed selection for this roster.

4/2 – Equanimeous St, Brown, WR, Notre Dame

Amazingly Austin Corbett was still available here however I like to try and keep things at least with a level of realism and there is no reason to suggest Corbett would fall this far so I selected that big bodied wide receiver Seattle has longed for. With the departure of Jimmy Graham, Equanimeous could step right in as a red zone target, he is 6”5.

5/4 – Quin Blanding, S, Virginia

Quin Blanding is an elite run stopper but somewhat of a liability in the passing game. The team could easily scheme him onto the field, though. We know how Pete Carroll loves to stop the run, having Blanding on the field near the line of scrimmage does exactly that,

5/19 – Taylor Hearn, G, Clemson

Hearn is a smart guy who has played left guard most of his career. He is also 330 pounds so will likely be better in the run game and will have the benefit of having the best 2 Seahawks offensive lineman either side of him. He may be a bit of a liability in 2018, but expect him to absolutely flourish in year 2 much quicker than most NFL lineman do.

7/8 – Khaled Hill, FB, Michigan

Khalid Hill has been linked to the Seahawks and would surely upgrade the run game. Not a sexy pick by any means and there is a chance he will be available as an UDFA however I wanted to guarantee him via the draft to give him a shot to make the 53 man roster as the teams likely single fullback.

7/30 – Darius Phillips, CB, Western Michigan

Seattle takes a flyer on a cornerback prospect that would provide nickel insurance in case Justin Coleman gets injured. He likes to tackle and has a great backpedal. Formally a wide receiver so loves to pick off the ball, too.

You can now support Hawk Talk via Patreon, any support would be truly and greatly appreciated, thank you!