The Seattle Seahawks have a lot of work to do on their roster if they want to compete for a Super Bowl. The groundwork is there; now it will be about building it up even further following many departures and cuts. Let’s look at some of their potential targets in the upcoming NFL Draft and why those positions might be needed.
First things first, we should discuss the losses they’ve had in the past few days. They cut both of their starting safeties, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. This leaves them with an obvious hole to fill in the secondary. On top of that, Bobby Wagner hit free agency and isn’t expected to resign with them. Plus, fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks left to join the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Already, Seattle has lost two starting linebackers, and both are starting safeties. Adams didn’t get to play much due to injury, but when healthy, he was their starter. Other positions that could be needed are any offensive linemen, a potential new quarterback, or even some extra help on the defensive line.
In my mind, the first target for them will be Troy Fautanu, the guard/tackle coming out of Washington. Seattle recently hired Ryan Grubb as their offensive coordinator, and new head coach Mike Macdonald has openly said that Grubb will have complete control of the offense. That said, Grubb was previously on the Washington Huskies last season, where Fautanu was. Not only does it make sense from a connection standpoint, but Fautanu could help fill multiple offensive-line positions due to his flexibility. He’s shown great ability at left tackle and could transition to guard if need be. Seattle needs some extra stability upfront. This is especially true now that three different starting offensive linemen have become free agents, including Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, and Damien Lewis.
Another attractive draft day target would be Byron Murphy, the defensive tackle out of Texas. What’s interesting about Murphy is that he wouldn’t fill Seattle’s largest needs, though he would still improve their defensive line. Seattle recently struck an extension with Leonard Williams and last year inked Dre’Mont Jones. Drafting Murphy adds another dynamic rusher to this defensive line and gives them the type of strength that Macdonald had last season with the Baltimore Ravens. His plan moving forward could be to build the Seahawks’ defense similarly to how Baltimore got built, and with the cuts he’s made lately, this could be an easy direction for them to go.
Those previous two names seem to be getting linked with Seattle the most, but these next two should also be on their radar. The first is Jared Verse, the linebacker out of Florida State. I mentioned earlier how Seattle has a significant need at linebacker following the departures of Wagner and Brooks. Many have linked Seattle to free agent linebacker Patrick Queen, but even if they sign him, they’ll still have a need at the position. Verse could help fill that role, who has displayed a ton of explosiveness on the edge. Similarly, you could make an argument for Dallas Turner, another edge linebacker, this time from Alabama. Turner and Verse are both great options for the linebacker room, though it feels like the team will be looking to fill this position elsewhere.
Moving on, the Seahawks could possibly explore the quarterback position in the draft. While it feels very hard to believe that they’d target anybody in the first round, they could snag one at some point later on if they see somebody they like. Geno Smith will be sticking around as the starter, while Drew Lock signed a deal with the New York Giants. The top-tier quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will all likely be gone when Seattle is up in the first round. This leaves their options down to guys like Michael Penix, Bo Nix, and J.J. McCarthy. I find the idea of them drafting Penix incredibly interesting. Penix could easily be available at their pick; some think he could be a first-round quarterback, and he just had a great year on Washington. The connection is there, and he’d be able to learn behind Smith for a season before getting thrust into the job.
Finally, you’d have the safety group that Seattle could target. Safeties have fallen a bit in mock drafts lately, with cornerbacks overtaking them this year. However, there’s good talent at safety this year; it just might not be in the first round. Tyler Nubin is a name that comes to mind, as his stock took a minor hit when he didn’t perform at the combine. Nubin is a guy who could be a sleeper for whoever drafts him, and the Seahawks need the position. Nubin likely won’t be a first-round target for Seattle, but if he’s still sitting around later on, I could envision them trading in to swoop him up.
Now, those are a ton of the players that I believe the Seattle Seahawks will target in the upcoming NFL draft. With free agency still in its early stages, we could see this team fill a few of the holes we discussed earlier. I feel like they’ll add a linebacker or two and fill the safety role a small bit. The team will still attempt to add to those positions in the draft, though if they get talent in free agency, they won’t go after those spots early. The real draft day targets, I anticipate them going after Fautanu or Murphy, with Penix being a distant longshot. This will be a massive draft for this organization regardless, considering that Pete Caroll is no longer there, with a new coaching staff in place to set up the franchise’s future. They have too many positional needs to consider to whiff on a first-round draft choice, so they better be convinced of who they select.
