Seahawks Mock Draft: How Would DK Metcalf Trade Change Seattle’s Approach?
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Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf looking for a signal from quarterback Russell Wilson during a regular season game against the Washington Commanders. [/caption]
The Seattle Seahawks will enter a new era in 2025, one that appears to be without Tyler Lockett and maybe even DK Metcalf at the receiver spot for the first time since 2019.
That leaves Seattle with tons of question marks at receiver after Pro Bowler Jaxon Smith-Njibga. On the plus side, this also leaves the Seahawks with much more cap space to reshape the roster.
With the release of Lockett, Seattle currently has just over $32 million in cap space. Assuming the Seahawks also grant Metcalf's request for a trade as confirmed by the Emerald City Spectrum, that's an additional $11 million freed up (with the $21 million dead cap hit).
Given this new development, let's do a seven round mock draft that considers the Lockett release as well as a possible trade sending Metcalf out of town.
The mock draft itself will feature the projected trade for Metcalf. This is not reporting anything imminent, instead it's just a projection of what a trade might look like.
The trade in this scenario will be with the Los Angeles Chargers, who look to upgrade the weapons depot for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Trade
Seahawks get: WR Quentin Johnston, Second round pick (54th overall
Chargers get: WR DK Metcalf, sixth round pick (212th overall)
Without further ado, here’s a seven-round mock draft featuring the aforementioned Metcalf trade and how the Seahawks could attack the draft board without either of their star receivers on the roster anymore:
Round 1, Pick 18: Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas
A case can be made that Banks is one of the best offensive linemen in this entire draft. He allowed just one sack in 538 pass blocking snaps this past season. He even held Texas A&M and Clemson defenders without even a pressure in his matchups with them last year, all at left tackle. The Seahawks could slide him inside, where he would be their most athletic guard they have had in years.
Plus, Banks offers a hedge in case either Abe Lucas can't stay healthy on the right side or Charles Cross goes down at left tackle. He might even instantly become Seattle's most talented offensive lineman on the roster. He certainly earned that distinction in college football last year, when he won the 2024 Outland Trophy, given to the top lineman in all of college football.
Round 2, Pick 50: Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
Sawyer helped lead the way for the national champion Buckeyes on defense. He notched nine sacks and nine tackles for loss in those 16 games. He has athleticism for days. Who could forget his 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown to help seal the win over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal?
While he isn't the twitchiest athlete in the draft, Sawyer gets by with enough juice and mixing in his strength and football IQ. Unlike most Day 2 pass rushers, Sawyer does not sacrifice run defense to get after the quarterback. He is a well-rounded front seven player of which Seattle needs much more.
Round 2, Pick 54*: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State
*Acquired from Chargers
Porter might be one of the best pure athletes in this entire draft. Just look at his NFL Combine resume, where he posted the third-fastest 40 time (4.30) of any participant, the second-best broad jump, and best three-cone and shuttle results of any cornerback.
Porter isn't just a testing merchant either. His 4.7 passer rating allowed (yes, that's 4.7, not 40.7) ranked first among 498 qualified cornerbacks in all of college football last season. His elite length, speed, and size are reminiscent of Riq Woolen coming out of college. Imagine Porter manning the boundary opposite Woolen, letting Devon Witherspoon do his thing from the slot and moving all over the formation, to round out Mike Macdonald’s secondary.
Round 3, Pick 82: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
While the trade with the Chargers gave the Seahawks essentially the "replacement" for DK Metcalf in Quentin Johnston, they need to add more depth at receiver. That is especially true with the departure of franchise icon Tyler Lockett.
On a per game basis, there are few receivers more productive than Royals was at Utah State over the last two seasons. His 119.1 yards per game rate in 2024 ranks third best in all of the FBS. Unfortunately, an injury cut his campaign short after he was on a 1,500-yard pace. Skill set and size-wise, he might be Seattle's best replacement for Tyler Lockett they can find in this draft on Day 2 while immediately boosting their yards after catch ability.
Round 4, Pick 137: Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson
As of now, Noah Fant is still on the roster. Given Seattle's cap space purge, Fant could be next ($8 million in savings). Whether or not he is there to start the year, the Seahawks need more depth behind him and A.J. Barner, who will be coming off a solid rookie year and ready to take another step forward.
Briningstool certainly is more of a modern, sleek receiving tight end than a throwback bully type. He turned in back-to-back 500 yard seasons at Clemson while scoring 12 total touchdowns. He would be a welcome addition to the passing attack, adding another dimension for Kubiak’s tight end-friendly passing game.
Round 5, Pick 173: Jonah Monheim, OL, USC
While Banks mostly played left tackle and Seattle would try to slide him inside in this scenario, Monheim is a true jack-of-all-trades along the line right out of college. He spent the entirety of 2024 as USC's starting center. That was after he was the main left tackle for the Trojans protecting current Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in 2023. Overall, he has logged at least 750 snaps at left tackle, center, and right tackle along with 387 snaps at right guard.
Seattle needs more versatility and depth along the offensive line. Monheim is the perfect man for that job and has enough athleticism to perform in Klint Kubiak’s zone-heavy scheme.
Round 6, Pick 186: Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
It's time for the Seahawks to take a swing with a young quarterback. Seattle hasn't drafted a QB earlier than the seventh round since Russell Wilson. Still, this is just a sixth round pick, so hardly a huge investment. Yet, there is enough there with Rourke to give him a shot.
He was the 16th-highest graded quarterback in all of FBS by Pro Football Focus last season. He ranked eighth in completion percentage, fifth in yards per attempt, and 10th in passing touchdowns last college football season.
Then, it came out that Rourke did all of this playing on a torn ACL. Toughness is not an issue here. Athleticism isn't either when he is healthy, given his 793 career rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground between his time with Ohio and Indiana.
Let Rourke compete for the backup job against Sam Howell and learn under Geno Smith.
Round 7, Pick 236: Craig Woodson, S, Cal
In the seventh round, teams are looking for traits to try and develop and special teams players. Woodson played six years in college, all at Cal. There is something to be said about that loyalty in this day and age. He made 10 special teams tackles over his career with the Bears, showing his versatility and willingness to find ways to contribute.
Seattle could use more depth at safety as well as special teams, given the departures of Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace. Woodson at minimum would be a quality competitor to add to the mix for special teams reps and could still potentially turn into a rotational defender in the league.
Draft Summary
With this draft, Seattle could rejuvenate its struggling offensive line. Banks is an instant starter, while Monheim is a development piece and could provide needed depth and versatility. With the Metcalf trade, the Seahawks get former first rounder Quentin Johnston, who still has all-world talent if he can refine himself and avoid drops that have plagued him thus far in his NFL career. In this draft, the Seahawks added Royals and Briningstool to a talented pass-catching group that all of a sudden looks very young. Taking a late-round flyer on a quarterback rarely hurts a franchise in the long run and Rourke offers enough intrigue to give him a long look in camp assuming he’s healthy.
Defensively, Sawyer instantly boosts the pass rushing attack off the edge, essentially replacing Dre'Mont Jones. Porter has all the physical and natural gifts you want in a boundary corner. Having three young, physically gifted cornerbacks in 2025 could pay huge dividends. Woodson offers intriguing depth at safety while fighting to make the team via a special teams role.
