Mel Kiper mock draft: Seahawks picks extended into Round 2
What he said and how we add to it by continuing to go with more offense: Seaside Joe 1480
Today, Seaside Joe is going to *SHOCK* you!!!
ESPN’s Mel Kiper posted a mock draft on Tuesday and his two picks for the Seattle Seahawks were both on offense: QB Anthony Richardson at #5, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba at #20.
The first surprise, maybe, is that I don’t mind if the Seahawks decide to go with Richardson in that position. It’s not what I expect to happen and my stupid opinion is that the media has overrated his value relative to people in the league, but the last thing I’ll ever do is get upset over a mock draft.
I also think that if Seattle chooses a first round receiver, whether that’s Smith-Njigba or not, that’s at least a very interesting and entertaining move. I’m hardly against it.
The “shock” would be that as I move into possibilities for the Seahawks at picks #37 and #52 in the second round, which Kiper doesn’t get into but at least we know which players would be left on the board after this mock, I get enticed by the premise of Seattle continuing to stockpile talent on offense instead of balancing out their picks on day two with some defense.
That’s different than saying that the Seahawks should “draft offense and not defense”, it’s just exploring the possibilities that come with trying to infuse more talent on the offensive side of the ball if the team so happens to use their first pick on a quarterback who will sit out all of 2023.
I’ve long argued that teams shouldn’t overload half of their coaching staff with all of their top picks. If that sounds like kind of a meaningless or overblown concern, it might be because either nobody else has ever addressed it or…you’re right. Maybe I could be overthinking it.
But Pete Carroll emphasized throughout the 2022 season that even as talented as Seattle’s rookie class turned out to be, there were many aspects to playing professional football that they couldn’t be prepared for and that would add to the “growing pains” that an athlete goes through during his first NFL season. If too many of those guys play in the same area at the same time, without enough veteran experience, does it negatively impact that unit or those assistant coaches?
The part about drafting Richardson that might open the Seahawks to draft two or three offensive players right after him is that he’s pretty much an exception to any other rookie: Unlike other rookies, Richardson practically needs to be ushered off and sequestered after he’s picked like it’s the end of an episode of Intervention, off to a special facility where experts continue to develop him in a lab until he’s ready to hatch in 2024.
I do think that Richardson has the potential to immediately be a red zone threat in the NFL by 2023, probably scoring more rushing touchdowns than most running backs, but for the most part if the Seahawks draft a QB at #5—he has to just go into a private room with QBs coach Greg Olson and then join the rest of the team in 15 months.
Tuesday’s bonus article: 5 potential SURPRISE picks for the Seahawks at pick #5!
The Seahawks could then consider their “real” first pick to be whoever is selected at #20 (in this case, it’s JSN) and maybe just keep adding to the offense with pick #37, if it so happens that the best player available at that spot is an offensive player who could contribute immediately.
Here are some options at #37:
C John Michael Schmitz
I mentioned this in the comments of Monday’s bonus article, but if the Seahawks wanted to spend as much money on the center position in 2023 as they spent in 2022, then Pete has more cap space left to spend there: Specifically about as much as what Seattle has to pay a second round pick.
Seattle doesn’t tend to spend top-50 picks on interior offensive linemen. Perhaps they’ll buck trend this time. They didn’t pay Evan Brown enough money to guarantee that he will start and he might even be best setup for a split-role at guard with Phil Haynes, similar to 2022’s rotation with Gabe Jackson.
The Seahawks went to JMS’s pro day. Getting more talented bodies on the interior of the offensive line would be welcomed by ALL Seahawks fans.
You’d know that if you read Tuesday’s bonus article! So many bonus articles: Join the Regular Joes club today, it’s the best value on Planet Seahawks!
OT Anton Harrison
Getting a massive right tackle like Harrison (6’4, 315 lbs, 34” arms) who potentially pushes Abe Lucas inside or at worst gives depth at one of the game’s most important positions—if it’s that out of line, then why is Seattle meeting with offensive tackles before the draft? I can’t see the point of that as a smokescreen, but maybe I’m wrong?
OT Dawand Jones
Speaking of which, this is the offensive lineman who the Seahawks have had an official visit with and he’d still be available at the end of this mock.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
The Seahawks haven’t done anything yet to replace Rashaad Penny or Travis Homer. Back-to-back early second round picks on running backs? Pete is just the type to do it and not care what Twitter thinks about it.
Monday bonus article: What are the cap savings based on certain position selections in the draft?
TE Luke Musgrave
Kiper has three tight ends going in the first round, leaving Musgrave or possibly Sam LaPorta as the top tight end available. I’m cooling on the idea of the Seahawks drafting a tight end actually—though they will have to address the position in 2024, they don’t “have to” do it now.
Who am I pulling the trigger on for this article?
C John Michael Schmitz
Kick Evan Brown inside, give Geno Smith/Drew Lock/the future a legitimate long-term answer at snapper.
Here are some options at #52:
DT Mazi Smith
Now I will switch over to the defensive side of the ball.
He’s the “Bruce Feldman’s freak” guy, meaning he’s an exceptional athlete and we know that Pete likes those types too. If the Seahawks went QB-WR-C with their first three picks, I would expect them to go defense with their next two. In last year’s class, three of Seattle’s first four picks were on offense, with Boye Mafe as the exception. Then they turned to defense on day three. The Seahawks released Al Woods on Tuesday, further cementing that the defensive line rebuild was indeed what Pete intended to do this offseason.
DE Tuli Tuipulotu
I’m a fan. He’s a former TE, a good athlete, and productive… I’m interested!
LB Jack Campbell
Like the centers, Campbell is developing a Seattle fanbase already. The Seahawks are leaving the linebacker position open for grabs so far and we know that like Bobby Wagner once, it’s a position that could have a second ronud prospect start as a rookie. The question for Campbell, Trenton Simpson, Daiyan Henley would be “How late in the draft will they remain available?”
CB Kelee Ringo
He seems to be one of those “all-potential” athletes. Does Pete pull the trigger on the highest-draft CB in his tenure this year? Or wait until day three again?
S Antonio Johnson
Are the Seahawks actually set at safety or not really?
Who am I pulling the trigger on for this article?
DT Mazi Smith
Boye Mafe was that type of dude who the Seahawks felt needed time to harnass his talent into being a football player. If Mazi is available outside of the top-50, he *could* be the next type of dude like that.
That would leave these first four picks as: QB Anthony Richardson, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, C John Michael Schmitz, and DT Mazi Smith
What direction would you go in? Leave your thoughts in the comments (they’re open for ALL) and share Seaside Joe with other Seahawks fans. We’re nearing 1,900 subscribers! Plenty of bonus content ahead too!
Because of all the Jack Campbell buzz, I decided I'd start watching Iowa games I can easily find. The first one I found with a cursory Google was their 13-10 win over Minnesota. And holy shit he looks great! Forced 2 fumbles at the end on consecutive drives to save the game, outran the whole field! Should any prefer to watch a game condensed into 8 minutes, (feel free to remove if you'd rather me not link YouTube here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic_mnfIBFF0&ab_channel=BigTenNetwork , One player took over the 4th quarter, and of all positions a linebacker. The announcers called lots of names on both teams that will be drafted in a month.
My final analysis on Jack Campbell having only watched highlights, a couple of live games during his college career, and one condensed version of one game (although I've watched it three times tonight) is that we must not let another team draft Jack Campbell! I already see what all the Captain Jack fuss is about. He looks like the best athlete on the field. My only worry is durability. He's a hitter, and you can only throw your full body mass into men larger than you for so long before you hurt something.
I would be the world's worst scout because I can't find flaws in some players. Sometimes I'll watch a game to see one player and the running back for the other team is tearing it up. I'll look him up and he's got a 5th round grade on him. How anyone can grade out that Zay Flowers is a better receiver than Christian Gonzolez is a corner or whatever blows my mind. At least with like a dog show or something, there's a strict standard they're adhering to. Christian Okoye and Barry Sanders were hall of famers at the same position.
Okay this is getting fun. The Richardson logic is Richardson needs time to develop and Seattle has time. Nobody asks does Richardson strengths fit the Waldron offense Pete believes in. Answer no they do not. If I am Waldron I am saying look I made Geno Smith into all pro with this offense and my reward is a player who cannot run and very likely will never run the concepts I believe in. Russ was bad enough- I quit.
Now if the Seahawks draft Smith - a third receiver with Cooper Kupps’s skills I think Waldron is you ain’t seen nothing yet.