The Seahawks are the owners of just four picks in this year's NFL Draft, so consider them open for business at No. 21. I think moving down once is a virtual certainty, and I'd put the odds at better than even that they make multiple trades and wind up making their first pick in the second round.
Below, you can check out which picks the Seahawks currently have, along with our projection of their top positional needs. I'll then build a war-room big board based upon players I think have some kind of chance of making it to their first pick before sharing multiple draft classes that make sense for the team from myself, Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso.
As for the actual draft, you'll be able to stream our live coverage right here on CBS Sports HQ (or download the CBS Sports app for free on any mobile or connected TV device) breaking down all the picks and everything you need to know during draft weekend.!
Current draft picks
| Round | Overall | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | |
| 3 | 84 | |
| 4 | 124 | |
| 5 | 159 | |
Team needs
The CBS Sports NFL writing staff recently compiled positional rankings to identify needs for each team heading into the draft. A helpful guide: any position group that had an average ranking worse than 16.0 (on a scale of 1 to 32) was considered a "need," while any that ranked worse than 23.0 (bottom-third of the league) was considered a "pressing need."
| QB | RB | WR/TE | OL | EDGE | INT DL | LB | DB |
| 7.2 | 19.2 | 17.2 | 16.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 4.3 | 12.5 |
Needs: RB, WR/TE, OL
Pressing: N/A
Let's just say these rankings might change a bit if they can't lock down Russell Wilson by his April 15 deadline and end up having to move on for some reason. Still, the Seahawks rank surprisingly well for a team that has seen so many talented players leave for various reasons over the past several years. Their biggest area of need is probably still at the offensive skill positions, where they do still have Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Chris Carson, and Rashaad Penny. That's not a bad position to be in. Our mocks are heavy on safeties (Nasir Adderley, Juan Thornhill) and edge rushers (Clelin Ferrell).
War room big board
I think it's basically a lock that the Seahawks trade down from No. 21 and amass more picks, unless some top-10 talent manages to get to their pick somehow. Here's how I'd project the Seahawks' draft board for their first pick, considering only players I feel have some chance of making it in range:
- DL Rashan Gary, Michigan
- TE Noah Fant, Iowa
- DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
- CB Byron Murphy, Washington
- CB/S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida (trade down)
- OT Kaleb McGary, Washington (trade down)
- S Nasir Adderley, Delaware (trade down)
- WR N'Keal Harry, Arizona State (trade down)
- S Juan Thornhill, Virginia (trade down)
- WR Parris Campbell, Ohio State (trade down)
Seven-round mock drafts
| Round | Overall | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | to Kansas City | |
| 1 | 29 | CB Byron Murphy, Washington | from KC* |
| 2 | 63 | to Baltimore | from KC* |
| 3 | 84 | DE Anthony Nelson, Iowa | |
| 3 | 85 | WR Riley Ridley, Georgia | from BAL* |
| 4 | 113 | FS Marvell Tell III, USC | from BAL* |
| 4 | 124 | to Kansas City | |
| 5 | 159 | to New York Jets | |
| 6 | 174 | OT David Edwards, Wisconsin | from NYJ/ARI* |
| 6 | 214 | TE Tommy Sweeney, Boston College | from KC* |
| 7 | 217 | RB Karan Higdon, Michigan | from NYJ* |
The Seahawks enter the draft with only four picks, but they've shown they're willing to move back as much as possible on draft day, so I can definitely see them bringing in more talent than you'd think. They make just one of their original picks in my mock, with their first trade sending No. 21 and 124 to Kansas City for No. 29, 63 and 214. I'd expect they'd be willing to trade back again, but after another team makes the inevitable Daniel Jones trade-up ahead of them, they're content to stay put and take my favorite corner in this class in Byron Murphy, who doesn't have the prototypical size of a Seahawks corner but is so smooth otherwise.
With the second pick they got the from the Chiefs, the Seahawks trade down again, picking up No. 85 and 113. Now owning back-to-back picks in the third round, they scoop up Nelson, a big defensive end who can rush the passer or knock passes down with his long arms, then go with Ridley, who might not have the upside of his brother but is getting lost among a group of about a dozen or so talented players at the position this year.
The fourth round brings an athletic free safety in Tell who can try his hand at replacing Earl Thomas but may settle in as more of a depth option. The Seahawks trade down again with their fifth-round pick for two more selections, then take Edwards as an option at right tackle, possibly even as a rookie. Sweeney is a blocking tight end who serves as a backup plan if Will Dissly can't get healthy, while Higdon is a great find in the seventh round to compete for a committee role.
More seven-round mocks:
(*) indicates pick acquired via trade
Check out more first-round mocks from CBS Sports.