The Seahawks add an EDGE and an O-lineman in The Draft Network’s latest mock draft

The Draft Network is one of my favorite sites this time of year.

This mock draft though . . .

Blech!

The problem isn’t just that they have the Seahawks taking Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson with the 5th overall pick . . .

No, it’s far worse that that.

At #1, the Draft Network has the Carolina Panthers taking Alabama QB Bryce Young.

They have a second Alabama player going to the Houston Texans at #2.

Note: This isn’t a surprise to me - I’ve been saying that Houston isn’t “locked into” taking a QB at #2 for a couple of months now.

Having QB2 on the board at #3 surprises a lot of team though, and the Arizona Cardinals get offered a MASSIVE haul for the #3 pick, with the Minnesota Vikings sending them their R1 (#23 overall), their R3 (#87 overall), a 2024 R1, a 2025 R1, and EDGE Danielle Hunter.

Hunter’s base salary this year is only $4.9M and even if he maxes out his contract, he’ll only cost the Cardinals $5.5M in 2023. He will, however, be a free agent after the season.

On the other side of the trade, the Vikings take on $18.86M in dead money which hits their books immediately and sucks $5.74M off their 2023 cap.

What’s interesting is that the Vikings currently only have $1,285,835 in cap space - which isn’t even enough to sign their draft class. So now, as a result of this trade, they’re under water (by roughly $4.45M) AND the cost to sign their 2023 draft class just increased by $3,150,655.

Why let a little thing like the salary cap interfere with a blockbuster trade though?

Financial malfeasance aside, the Vikings compound their incredible brashness by announcing to the world that they gave up the aforementioned “massive haul” and climbed 20 spots to . . .

. . . select Kentucky QB Will Levis.

No, I’m not kidding.

The Indianapolis Colts select Florida QB Anthony Richardson at #4 (which makes very little sense since they need a QB who can start for them THIS year).

And, just like that, Seattle is on the clock!

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud is sitting there for the taking.

So is Georgia DT Jalen Carter.

And what do John Schneider and Pete Carroll decide to do?

You know it!

They do what they always do in these mock drafts, which is to say that the Seahawks stay put at #5 and draft Tyree Wilson.

SIGH!

The write-up about the pick doesn’t help:

The Seahawks are blessed with this premium top-five selection as a result of the Russell Wilson trade. Seahawks general manager John Schneider is looking to stack more defensive line talent. Tyree Wilson is their type, a physically imposing quarterback hunter that possesses inside-outside versatility. Drafting Wilson would complete Seattle’s recent transformation at EDGE.

Um . . . no, it wouldn’t.

Making matters soooooooo much worse, the Detroit Lions send the next pick (#6 overall) to the Tennessee Titans for pick #11, pick #72 (R3), and Tennessee’s 2024 R1.

Note: If that trade sounds familiar, it’s because that’s the same offer the Titans made the Seahawks in my 4th mock draft (Field Gulls, 4/17).

Naturally, the Titans take C.J. Stroud with the #6 pick.

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Jumping ahead to Seattle’s second R1 . . .

Texas RB Bijan Robinson is off the board (#10 to the Eagles), as is Jalen Carter (#11 to the Lions), JSN (Houston at #12), Lukas Van Ness (#15, Green Bay), Michael Mayer (Detroit at #18), and all three of the top cornerbacks.

Three offensive tackles have also been selected:

• Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. at #9 (to the Steelers, via a trade with the Bears: #17, #49, and a 2024 R2)
• Georgia’s Broderick Jones (New York Jets at #13)
• Tennessee‘s Darnell Wright (Chicago, #19)

The obvious choice here is to TRADE BACK and add some draft capital, right? I mean, this IS the Seahawks we’re talking about . . .

NOPE!

The Seahawks select the 4th OT, Peter Skoronski from Northwestern.

To be fair, I don’t hate this pick.

Skoronski is considered one of the best OTs in the 2023 draft class, but . . .

PFN’s 2023 Consensus Big Board has him as the 36th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the #5 Offensive Tackle.

And because of his T-rex arms (32-1/4), he’s moving inside to Guard in the NFL, which means he’s competing with the likes of Florida‘s O’Cyrus Torrence and TCU’s Steve Avila - both of whom are still on the board and arguably better fits for the Seahawks.

Again, I don’t hate this pick.

I do hate the Draft Network’s write-up about it - in part because it proves that they have no clue about our offensive line (hint: Evan Brown is going to play Center in 2023):

Seattle successfully revamped their offensive line last season by drafting Charles Cross and Abe Lucas. General manager John Schneider can complete the transformation by drafting an instant starter like Peter Skoronski. There’s a hole at right guard where Evan Brown is capable of delivering league-average play at best. Skoronski would move the needle forward for a franchise that plans to contend for a postseason berth.

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For what it’s worth, the Dallas Cowboys take Steve Avila at #26, and Round One ends with O’Cyrus Torrence still on the board.

Go Hawks?