2010 Seahawks Mock Draft: Version 1

This is the first of four mock drafts. The first three are intended to be predicative. A player will only be featured once. The final is for fun. It's my own mock draft.

6. Russell Okung, OT: Rob Rang reports that Washington ranks Trent Williams above Russell Okung. I'm an avowed Williams supporter, but holy hell would this be sweet. Okung is a franchise left tackle. He has excellent footwork, and that allows him to pull and trap and negotiate the second level with ease. His contributions to the run game are small beer compared to his potential as a pass blocker. His thick, squatty build but preternaturally long arms make him a nightmare to achieve separation from. Pass rushers enter the world of Okung but never leave. He has the power to hold ground, the presence to stop the inside move and the length to neutralize the edge rush. Okung will be an above average starter as a rookie and will continue to improve for seasons to come.

Seattle will want to trade their 14^th pick and I think will be able to. A few first-tier talents should fall, and a team like Philadelphia has the resources to move up without blowing their draft. Seattle moves its 14^th pick to Philadelphia for the Eagles 24^th overall pick, the 70^th overall pick and the 105^th overall pick in the fourth. That is a fair exchange, fits what Seattle is doing, maybe allows the Eagles to draft C.J. Spiller, and allows Seattle to draft...

24. Taylor Mays, S: I've said plenty about Mays, but another fact worth mentioning is that by drafting Mays, Carroll fills a leadership position with a player that knows his system, and by being drafted by Carroll, Mays will continue in the system he knows best. I'm a fan of simplicity and repetition. Landing in Seattle may be Mays clearest path to success.

60. Brandon Ghee, CB: Ghee is big, toolsy corner that likes to lay the wood. He could push for the second corner position right away and maybe win it. All this talk about competition, plus Seattle's performance, age and contract status in the secondary, makes me think we will see a shakeup. Ghee might be a late bloomer or just mis-scouted, but I like his fit and love his potential.

70. Thaddeus Gibson, SDE: Gibson is a good athlete and has experience playing stand up end. He tore apart Fisch's Gophers, for what that's worth. Seattle adds another talent to its steadily growing pile of stand up ends. It's a vital position and I expect Seattle to load up on talent and emphasize competition. Gibson will start on special teams and eventually replace Rickey Foley or Chris Clemson.

104. Eric Decker, WR: Decker is a big, position wide receiver with excellent ball skills, good performance and strong ties to the coaching staff. His head coach last season was Jedd Fisch. He struggled with injury in 2009, and that will cause him to fall. Decker is kind of the anti-Deon Butler.

105. Selvish Capers, OT: Relying on Sean Locklear is foolish, and regardless of his former and future health, giving Sean Locklear competition is smart. Capers may not be an ideal left tackle for any team with aspirations of competing, but he could be an amazing right tackle in a zone blocking system. Either Capers or Locklear could move inside, meaning addressing right tackle helps Seattle address depth at guard.

127. Kevin Thomas, DB: Jordan Babineaux, meet your replacement. Thomas is one of my favorite prospects in this draft and has been since last season. He has struggled with injuries, but injury, like almost anything bad, is one way for a good player to fall father than their talent would dictate. Thomas keeps bouncing back, keeps being productive, and I think Carroll knows better than most just what kind of player he can be. He will start as a utility defensive back, but could beat out Babineaux before camp is over.

133. Gene Atkins, DT: Atkins is a short, thickly muscled athlete that knows how to disrupt and should replace Craig Terrill. Rotational guy, but with excellent pass rush potential.

139. Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, DE: Seattle needs another strong side end to complement and maybe replace Lawrence Jackson. Te'o needs to bulk up a bit to hold up against NFL double teams, but he has the skills and hustle to occupy blockers and fight his way back into the action.

176. Andrew Quarless, TE: Seattle filled its immediate need for a blocking tight end by signing Chris Baker, but Baker is nearing 31 and the team will need to replace him in the next couple years. Quarless is an underachiever with good talent but little to show from it.

245. Stafon Johnson, RB: Johnson has the vision and decision making ability to be productive in a zone blocking scheme. He doesn't have break away speed, but gets into the hole and nets positive yards.