Seahawks mock draft: What I would do (3 rounds)
Orange you glad I didn't pick a running back?
I’m not a big “mock draft” guy anymore like I used to be, but I am still a “I wonder what the Seahawks could look like after the draft” guy and always will be. So I made Seattle’s first three picks from what I would like the Seahawks to do next week and this mock is only my unapologetic favoritism for certain types of “What does this guy eat?!?!” and “Man, this guy is NUTS!”/”No, I think he just really likes football” types of football-playing football players.
It has nothing to do with needs, so get that out of your head. It’s also not about being right, so forget that. These picks are both attitudinal AND aptitudinal. Three players for three picks intended to make the Seattle Seahawks a better all-around football team.
I made a “no trades” rule, so even if I would want to trade down, it wasn’t even possible because I said so.
1.32 - G/C Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
On Wednesday I supported the argument that Anthony Bradford will be Seattle’s starting right guard next season, but I also said he’d leave in free agency. Plus, I don’t just want to feel good about the offensive line. We deserve to feel great about them and this is a mock draft for fans.
The team that has the best offensive line is like a battle in Game of Thrones: Some armies want big numbers, but I’d rather roll in with big people.
So in lieu of drafting the eighth-ranked edge rusher or the fifth-ranked cornerback, positions that Mike Macdonald has already proven he can settle with free agents and day three picks, why not just more “big people”?
And what Chase Bisontis lacks in arm length, he makes up for in arm strength: Strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt, who has 30 years over experience and over two decades at LSU, famously called Bisontis “the strongest college football player I’ve ever coached”.
Even though Bisontis is a 21-year-old junior who was the 2nd-ranked guard recruit in the 2023 class, he started 35 games in three years, including 12 at right tackle as a true freshman. Compare that to 2023’s top guard recruit, D.J. Chester, a player with 14 starts in three years who just transferred.
It’s not easy for most four-star recruits to exceed the hype, but Bisontis has done it and then some, to the point that he’s now Dane Brugler’s 34th-ranked prospect overall and is 36th for Sam Teets.
In his draft guide, Brugler highlighted Bisontis’s run blocking and scheme versatility, a trait that could come in handy long-term as Mike Macdonald rotates through new offensive coordinators:
“In the run game, he is strong as an ox to torque defenders on down blocks and shows the efficient movements to seal the backside or pick off defenders as a puller. On the other hand, he has a tough time keeping long-armed defenders off his edges, which leads to losses. He does a nice job staying balanced as a pass blocker to absorb and cover up rushers. Overall, Bisontis is a burly, sawed-off blocker with the body quickness and core strength to get the upper-hand in all phases. He projects as an eventual NFL starter and has traits that will speak to both zone and power schemes.”
The Seahawks are paying Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas big money now, so the chances of Seattle re-signing Bradford or replacing him with a good free agent are pretty low. And Jalen Sundell has two accrued seasons, meaning that he could be up for an extension next year too.
The opportunity to draft a versatile, powerful offensive line prospect like Bisontis does not come around often. And when the Patriots had a dynasty their most consistently successful early draft picks were offensive linemen (Light, Mankins, Vollmer, Solder, Thuney).
Teets called Bisontis out as a potential surprise first round pick:
Bisontis is one of the cleanest-moving guards in this class. He stays balanced and redirects to mirror rushers at a high level. Bisontis displays arresting grip strength and deploys a polished snatch-trap. His anchor is stout enough to grind down bull rushes and maintain pocket integrity. Bisontis’ speed, movement skills, and leg drive make him a weapon on gap or wide zone runs.
There has been some talk about moving Bisontis to center.
I don’t think moving Bisontis or any player to a brand new position should be taken lightly. If the Seahawks do draft Bisontis, I believe they should do so knowing what position they want him to play for them long-term and then stick to it for as long as possible.
If Bisontis is meant to replace Bradford, it’s okay if he sits for a while until he’s ready. If Bisontis is meant to replace Jalen Sundell (including if Sundell is to move to right guard), it’s okay if he sits for a while until he’s comfortable at center.
I’m okay with the Seahawks using their first pick on a player who won’t start until 2027 if that’s what happens.
That being said, if Seattle drafts Bisontis, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he’s a Week 1 starter over either of those players.
Rob Rang wrote on Seahawks.com that Bisontis is the best zone-blocking guard in the draft:
Seahawks offensive line coach John Benton prioritizes agility and Bisontis is considered by many to be this year's best zone blocker. His quickness and balance while blocking on the move played a major role in the Aggies averaging 185 rushing yards per game in the mighty SEC. Most of his snaps came at left guard but he started at right tackle as a freshman and could handle the switch, if necessary.
As I wrote recently, even the slight chance that Lucas will retire or become a liability before his 30th birthday could be a disaster for Seattle. Bisontis wouldn’t be drafted as a right tackle because of 32” arms, but it’s just one more bullet in the chamber that makes him a little more valuable.
When people talk about who the Seahawks should draft, they always-always-always make it about Seattle’s 2026 needs. No matter how many times people say that they would draft the best player available, their actions speak much louder than those words:
“Take Jadarian Price” or “Take a cornerback” or “Take an edge rusher”.
These are quite literally direction reactions to players that the Seahawks parted with in free agency.
And that’s fine when the best player available is someone who could have an immediate role. But teams also have needs that wouldn’t be apparent in their current depth chart. There are also obvious needs for next year that should be filled this year. In Seattle’s case, that also includes the right guard position.
Bisontis is the only guard in the draft to only be three years out of high school because he has the chops to be the second-best guard in the 2026 class behind Vega Ioane. PFN’s Ian Cummings recently mocked Bisontis to the Seahawks at 32:
“Chase Bisontis is my 31st overall prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. And for a Seahawks team that doesn’t have a ton of glaring needs, attacking the guard spot opposite guard Grey Zabel is a sensible path in 2026.
“At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Bisontis is a stellar athlete with a hyper-dense frame, and he combines that physical talent with excellent pass protection technique and run block IQ. He’s synergetic, active with his hands, and quick to respond to stunts, and he offers range and physicality in the ground game.”
But even then, we could be talking about Bisontis as a player who the Seahwaks could potentially still draft even if they trade down first. Most big boards have him in the 35-45 range, so in theory if the guard position is being undervalued by teams then Seattle could trade down (as many of us want) and maybe grab Bisontis at the top of the second.
Two problems that teams want Bisontis to fix will be his penalties and his pass protection. That’s a mission for John Benton, one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL over the last 20 years, and something that could be done in the shadows for a while because the Seahawks are not desperate.
But then if Bradford doesn’t show enough improvement, Bisontis could step in and provide Seattle the likelihood for an upgrade that they’re probably not getting from Bryce Cabeldue, Christian Haynes, and Mason Richman.
Many people are looking at the Seahawks and thinking that their biggest problems are at cornerback, running back, and edge rusher because of what happened last month. But Seahawks fans will remember that their problems at right guard have gone back much further than free agency.
If there’s an edge rusher at 32 who changes Seattle’s defensive outlook, by all means do that. If there isn’t though then forget the edge: I’d rather run ‘em down straight through the middle.
If you want to know more about offensive line prospects, this was a great podcast dedicated to the position with Lance Zierlein and Brandon Thorn:
If the Seahawks swung for the fences with Kadyn Proctor instead and moved him to guard, that would be fine too.
2.64 - CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
In my interview with Alexandre Castro this week, and then the ensuing research of the prospects he mentioned liking, I came away confident that Ponds possesses the intangibles and mentality that would have Macdonald thinking that this could be his next second round All-Pro defensive chess piece.
And yes, he is similar to Devon Witherspoon, a player who at $30-$33 million per season on his next contract could put the Seahawks in a tricky situation as John Schneider looks to balance the cap commitments of a Super Bowl roster. I’ll throw my hand up for president of Witherspoon’s fan club, but if he’s asking for more than Seattle’s limit than trade talks have to happen.
Drafting Ponds to hedge your bets with Witherspoon, similar to drafting Ty Simpson for leverage with Sam Darnold, isn’t the worst way for the Seahawks to use their draft picks at a time when the team is already playing from the lead position and figuring out how to pay as many players as possible in a small window of time.
And if we were just comparing essences, Ponds — who Brugler said is the only player he will call a “baller” in his scouting report — is this year’s Witherspoon.
Both Todd McShay and his podcast partner said that they’d rather have Ponds in the second than Aveion Terrell in the first, calling him an “instinctive” and “consistent” “dog” and comparing him to the original Antoine Winfield, a 14-year NFL veteran.
At 5’8, his height will be tough to get past for some people. And yet another way to say that is that Russell Wilson’s height at the quarterback position was tough for just about everybody to get past in 2012. It’s not that 5’8 isn’t a “weakness” because it just has to be, but the fact that we’re even talking about a 5’8 CB in the second round — just as it was weird to talk about a 5’11 QB in the third round — means that he is already overcoming it.
And the way that people give Fernando Mendoza so much credit for Indiana’s 16-0 season, which is fair, if there’s a player who gets credit as the soul of a defense that allowed 11 points per game then couldn’t it be Ponds?
He has also not shied away from taller receivers, including high school teammate receiver Jeremiah Smith, a projected top-3 pick next year (and Geno Smith’s cousin). The two used to go at it in practice, then Ponds shut him down when Indiana faced Ohio State:
Ponds held Smith to one catch for nine yards on three targets during a Week 13 matchup last year. The former five-star prospect finished with only three catches for 34 yards in the contest — a testament to the former three-star prospect’s mentality.
“If he walked into my office and you were sitting in my office and looked at him, he doesn’t look like an All-American,” Cignetti said. “He’s not real tall. He’s not real big, but that guy goes a million miles an hour every practice, every game.
“He is a great cover guy. He’s got great ball skills, great ball in the air skills. He’s a good tackler, and in my opinion, he’s a great football player. He is an All-American football player... I’m sure he’s looking forward to the challenge.”
There are some fears that at 5’8 and facing better, faster, taller receivers than what he usually sees in college that Ponds will be at worst a backup and at best a fine nickel corner. Others would say that in a short period of time, Ponds will be a key cog in a top-3 defense just like Witherspoon.
If Ponds makes it to Seattle’s pick at 64, they might draft him even if they did take a cornerback in the first round already.
Because Macdonald isn’t looking for needs. He’s looking for football players. And Schneider is looking for options.
3.96 - DT Domonique Orange, Iowa State
My “What I would do” mock will be called the worst Seahawks mock draft of the year by some fans. I didn’t draft an edge, I didn’t draft a running back, and the cornerback I selected would be the Muggsy Bogues of the NFL.
But most appalling to some, the defensive tackle I chose only had 18 tackles and 0.5 sacks last year and will probably never be noticed on a box score.
So not only did I not take an edge rusher, I didn’t take a pass rusher.
Yet Orange aka “Big Citrus” is cited as the most important player on Iowa State’s defense as the nose tackle that opposing teams can’t run against. His movement skills and athleticism for a player around 325 lbs on gameday is considered elite and in this video the way he moves as a big man is compared to a poor man’s Ndamukong Suh:
When I look at the Seahawks defense and where Schneider could find help/value in the third round, I ignore edge rushers (those are gone by now) and consider where the real studs could be. The ones who lack positional value, but might be elite at something and contribute to a rotation or could develop into starters down the line.
In Orange, I would say this is Seattle’s missing piece from last year when the team was looking to Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohana for desperation help. Nothing against Pili, who is back again in 2026, but he might not make the team if they had Orange last year.
Lance Zierlein notes that Orange isn’t going to be a pass rusher and I think that’s okay in Macdonald’s defense:
“Orange is a sturdy nose tackle capable of muddying the middle of the field with his first-step quickness and take-on power. His reaction time makes it hard to reach-block him in zone and he has the anchor to play landlord over the A-gaps against double-teams. He gets bounced around on contact but is excellent in recovery and winning the final phase of the rep. Orange is a non-factor as a pass rusher, but his value versus the run should attract teams.”
Looking at Seattle’s future at defensive tackle, Jarran Reed is 33 and out of position at nose tackle. The Seahawks have Pili and a handful of former undrafted free agents. Byron Murphy can play heads up against the center but that’s not where Seattle prefers him if they can help it.
Then maybe Orange is the black hole in the middle of the defensive line, pushing back the center, stuffing the run game, and sucking up double-teams to free up Murphy, Leonard Williams, and Rylie Mills for sacks.
Orange has been on Bruce Feldman’s “Freak’s List” twice for benching 450 lbs and squatting 650 lbs, and Brugler says he is “immovable” when he wants to be. He has pretty long arms (33 3/8”) and big hands (10 1/4”) and he doesn’t need to be 340 lbs to be powerful. His conditioning in the NFL could get even better if he commits to it.
If there’s a problem with my pick, it’s not the position Orange plays, it’s that he probably won’t make it to 96.
Brugler ranks him 64th overall and he’s 55th for Teets.
So maybe Orange doesn’t get out of the top-70, although he still seems to be getting third round grades from most. But if the fact that he isn’t a pass rusher does cause him to slide, then yes for what I want with Seattle’s third pick, I want more really big, really good, and “really football” football players.