Report: Seahawks high on Zay Jones if he falls in the 2nd round

Every year as the draft gets closer, we start to hear more solid reports on which teams could be after certain players. One person who often has good insights, specifically when it comes to intel on the Seattle Seahawks, is Tony Pauline. In a report published on Sunday, Pauline says that the Seahawks will seriously consider East Carolina receiver Zay Jones if he’s available in the second round.

In our most recent mock draft, I have the Seattle Seahawks selecting receiver Taywan Taylor in the third round. I’m told that if Zay Jones happens to fall into their laps a round earlier in the second they would quickly scoop him up, omitting the need for Taylor in the third

Jones gets docked for playing at East Carolina, where his FCS-record 399 career catches often came against competition like Tulsa, SMU, and Navy. He broke the record held by former ECU teammate Justin Hardy, who himself is still trying to hang on in the NFL. But Jones has superior size and athleticism to Hardy, and most receivers. At the combine, he came in at 6’2, 201 lbs, ran a 4.45, 11’1 broad jump, 36.5” vertical, and he had the third-fastest 20-yard shuttle, coming in .01 seconds slower than first place.

He also comes from a football family, with his linebacker father Robert Jones winning three Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the nineties, and his uncle is former NFL quarterback Jeff Blake.

Seattle doesn’t appear to be that in need of a receiver at the moment, but as I wrote back in February, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they went after one early. Following his awful season as a number two, Jermaine Kearse could be released with a post-June 1 designation to save over $2 million next season. Tyler Lockett hopes to be back for training camp after suffering a broken leg last year, but there are no guarantees about that and it could take a little while for him to be psychologically recovered. Paul Richardson has never been the face of a guarantee. So it doesn’t take long before the Seahawks could be down to Doug Baldwin and Tanner McEvoy at receiver and they made no moves in free agency at that position, though there are still players available. Jones would be insurance at the position in 2017 with an eye towards becoming a full-time starter in 2018.

Some other interesting notes from Pauline in that piece:

• The Dolphins will take guard Forrest Lamp at 22 if he’s available and if there isn’t a pass rusher that they really value highly. If they take a pass rusher in round one, they’ll target Isaac Asiata and Dorian Johnson in round two. The Seahawks would be in talks for Lamp in round one if he’s available and definitely to Asiata later down the line. Pauline says Lamp’s floor is the Falcons at 31.
• Pauline writes that some teams have taken UW receiver John Ross off of their boards because of injury concerns, but that the Bengals will consider him at pick nine and have no qualms. Cincy may also be considering Joe Mixon in round two.
• Two teams have take Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster out of the top 32.
• BYU linebacker Harvey Langi is a fast riser and his elite workout at his pro day could get him into the third round.