Mike Mayock thinks Seahawks will prioritize offensive line at combine, compares Forrest Lamp to Zack Martin

On Monday, NFL Draft Expert Mike Mayock held his yearly pre-combine conference call, and he had a little bit to say about the Seattle Seahawks.

Q. I just wanted to know what positions do you think the Seahawks are going to focus on this week at the NFL combine and just in the draft in general, what areas you think they'll add more depth at?

MIKE MAYOCK: Well, I think you start with offensive line. They've spent a lot of years trusting Tom Cable to work wonders with defensive players converted and basketball players and all the rest. But I think priority number one has got to be to help Russell Wilson take less hits. It's not a good tackle class; however, who knows if [Ryan] Ramczyk or Garett Bolles was sitting there later in the first round. I think there are some really good interior offensive linemen that could be available.

One of the guys that I think would be a great fit for Seattle is Forrest Lamp from Western Kentucky. He's a left tackle. He had the best single offensive line game I've seen against Alabama in five years. He played left tackle there. I think he's going to be a guard in the NFL, like a Zack Martin-type guard, that's how good I think he is. Cam Robinson is another guy, but I think he's probably gone by then.

So I think first and foremost they've got to concentrate on drafts and a couple of offensive linemen and try and help Russell Wilson. After that, if you're looking at 26, I think the corner class would be really interesting. Who was it? [Deshawn] Shead I think got hurt at the end of the year, and they need some depth behind those two starters. You start to get down to 26 in the draft. I think you're looking at Darrion Wilson -- excuse me, Darien Conley, Quincy Wilson, Adoree' Jackson would be really intriguing at some point, first or second round. I think they're going to pay some attention to the defensive tackles, too, just to try to bolster that interior pass rush, Caleb Brantley, Malik McDowell, Larry Ogunjobi.

Bolles is the player we’ve been talking about for the Seahawks on 3000 NFL Mock Draft since at least the middle of the last college football season. He’s “old” for a draft prospect, turning 25 this year, but Rob Staton says he’s the best tackle in the nation. He played just one season at the division I level, meaning that there’s a little more mystery to him than most first round prospects, but if he simply keeps doing what he’s already doing and improves his strength and conditioning, Bolles could be a premier left tackle.

We’ve been less excited on the podcast about Ramczyk or Robinson. We’ll need to see how they do in the bench press, broad jump, and vertical, as well as how long their arms measure out to be.

Lamp’s been gaining more and more attention and if he’s the NFL’s next great guard, it’s less and less likely he’ll be available at 26. (Zack Martin went 16th overall.) If Seattle did snag Lamp, what would that mean for the future of Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi? Is Ifedi going to move to right tackle? Is Lamp going to play left guard and push Ifedi to right tackle? Those are questions you’ll be fine with answering if Lamp is that good and available, but questions nonetheless.

Later, someone asked about Colorado cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, and Mayock had this to say:

The Witherspoon kid, very quietly a lot of NFL teams like because of his length. He fits that cover one/cover three, Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco kind of style.

With Witherspoon listed at 6’3, and seemingly doing very well in coverage last season, it’s clear why the Seahawks could be interested and will be keeping a close eye on his arm length, 40 time, vertical, and broad jump. He could be a target for one of their three third round picks, because it seems unlikely he’d be available when they’re picking again in round six.

See Mayock’s full transcript here.