Seahawks Seven-Round Post-NFL Combine Mock Draft
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South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori celebrates in the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown. Credit: Nick Emmanwori/Instagram [/caption]
Ushering in the NFL offseason, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald got a firsthand look at a bevy of prospects during the annual combine in Indianapolis last week, setting the stage for a busy next few weeks leading up to free agency.
While the draft remains nearly two months away with plenty of other business left to attend to before then, the Seahawks planted the seeds for who they may pick come late April with formal and informal meetings with prospects behind the scenes, and with top-30 official visits commencing in the near future, it won’t be long until Schneider and Macdonald will be sending in their first pick at No. 18 overall in Green Bay.
Looking to close the gap on the Eagles and the rest of the NFC’s elite in coming weeks, who will the Seahawks select as part of their latest draft class? Following an exciting week in the Circle City, here’s my latest stab at a seven-round mock draft with eight selections, including a surprising first selection emphasizing best player available:
Round 1, Pick 18 - Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Immediately climbing into the Gamecocks’ starting lineup as a freshman after converting to safety from linebacker, Emmanwori put together three strong seasons playing multiple positions at a high level against SEC competition, including tallying 85 combined tackles in his first season on campus. After picking off two passes and eclipsing the 70-tackle mark as a sophomore, he garnered First-Team All-SEC distinction by totaling 88 tackles with four interceptions, returning two of them for defensive touchdowns, and three tackles for loss, posting those impressive numbers while seeing 400 snaps in the box, 190 snaps as a free safety, and nearly 100 snaps in the slot, demonstrating his immense versatility.
Built like a modern middle linebacker, the 6-3, 220-pound Emmanwori runs like a boundary cornerback with incredible speed for a player of his size, flying all over the field like a heat-seeking missile and rarely missing tackles when he gets his hands on ball carriers. Along with being capable of dishing out hit sticks near the line of scrimmage and excelling as a blitzer in limited opportunities, he has elite hands for the safety position and has a nose for the football with six interceptions and eight pass breakups over the past two years alone. He has been susceptible to allowing explosive plays in coverage from time to time, but his natural athleticism and playmaking traits give Kyle Hamilton vibes, making him too good of prospect to pass up in the first round for Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks.
Round 2, Pick 50 - Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State
A rare three-year starter for the Buckeyes given the amount of talent that comes through Columbus, Jackson garnered All-Big Ten distinction in 2022 and 2023 as a stalwart guard in Ohio State’s prolific offensive machine, yielding just three sacks during that span protecting C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord. He opened his senior season at left guard before an injury to tackle Joshua Simmons forced him to slide outside and initially, he struggled transitioning to left tackle, surrendering two sacks and five pressures in a rough start against Penn State. But after that point, he adapted smoothly and didn’t allow another sack in the final eight games of the season, showcasing better than expected athleticism and positional versatility for NFL scouts.
As demonstrated with his successful run at tackle, the 6-4, 320-pound Jackson has above average movement skills that allow him to consistently reach defenders on wide zone runs and flip his hips open to sprint out into space on pulling assignments with ease. He also has plenty of punch at the point of attack and can drive defensive tackles off the ball on gap runs, presenting scheme flexibility teams will covet. Late reactions recovering in pass protection when he gets beaten initially will need to be cleaned up blocking NFL defensive tackles for him to hold up in pass pro, but there’s a lot of polish in this prospect and given Seattle’s major struggles at guard in recent seasons, you could plug him in as a day one starter on the depth chart in permanent marker.
Round 3, Pick 82 - Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
Viewed as the top recruit in his class, Ewers enrolled early at Ohio State, but the presence of C.J. Stroud as the starter and a logjam of quarterbacks on the depth chart led to him eventually transferring to Texas, where he took over as the starter immediately in 2022. Helping guide the Longhorns to a pair of College Football Playoff berths and fending off highly touted Archie Manning competing for his job, he threw 68 touchdown passes and completed 64.9 percent of his passes in three seasons as the starter, though he did see an uptick in turnovers to close out his college career with 12 interceptions during his senior campaign.
Durability has been a bit of an issue for Ewers, who has a slight frame at 6-3, 206 pounds, but he can sling the pigskin with the best of them in this draft class and has a smooth, easy release with the ball flying out of his hand. When he’s locked in, he can carve up defenses in the intermediate game while being steady as a downfield passer, but there were too many games where he struggled to elevate the offense around him and transition through his progressions effectively, especially against top-tier opponents. There’s still starter potential here for the right team with the right system and his skill set fits well in Kubiak’s scheme, setting him up to be a fine successor for Geno Smith down the line in Seattle.
Round 4, Pick 137 - CJ West, DT, Indiana
Though a few Big Ten teams showed interest in him during recruiting, West opted to attend Kent State instead, becoming a starter during his redshirt freshman season and producing four sacks to pace the Golden Flashes’ front line on defense. After three stellar seasons in Kent, he hit the transfer portal and became a catalyst for a remarkable turnaround at Indiana, racking up 40 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two sacks as a nose tackle, helping the Hoosiers win 11 games for the first time in program history and advance to the College Football Playoff. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors and participated in the East/West Shrine Bowl.
Though West isn’t the prototypical 330-plus pound nose tackle, he’s compact and incredibly powerful at 6-1, 317 pounds, regularly winning the leverage battle with a low center of gravity and the ability to set anchor against double teams as well as penetrate gaps. At the next level, his lack of length and overall size may force him to play most of his snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and his modest pass rushing numbers in college cast questions about his capabilities as a three-down lineman, but he packs a punch athletically with a quick first step and boasts active hands, making him an intriguing day three prospect to groom behind Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy II in Seattle.
Round 5, Pick 173 - Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State
Recruited by the Spartans as a quarterback, Nash stayed at his native position for his first three seasons on campus, including throwing six touchdowns as redshirt sophomore in 2021. Transitioning to receiver the following season, he only caught six passes in 2022, but he improved rapidly with another offseason of training and by his senior season, he transformed into one of the country’s most lethal weapons on the outside with 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdown receptions to earn All-American honors. Possessing good size at 6-3, 195 pounds with an outstanding catch radius and the speed to inflict damage on opposing defenses both as a deep threat and after the catch, he led the nation with 10 touchdown catches traveling 20-plus yards and tied for third with 29 forced missed tackles.
Drops have been a bit of a bugaboo for Nash during his three seasons as a receiver, including failing to snag six catchable passes last season. He also had a pair of fumbles, so ball security in general will be an area he has to improve upon in the pros. But his combo of size, speed, and football IQ coupled with his ability to produce from the slot and outside would make him an ideal successor for Tyler Lockett pairing up with DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle’s receiving corps. Klint Kubiak also would have an opportunity to mix in some trickery with the former mobile quarterback in his arsenal.
Round 6, Pick 187 - Clay Webb, C, Jacksonville State
Originally committing to Georgia as a five-star recruit, off-field issues led to Webb being subject to a lawsuit and departing the program after his redshirt freshman year for a fresh start with Jacksonville State. Turning his life around and re-establishing himself as a viable NFL prospect, he thrived as a three-year starter at left guard for the Gamecocks, including allowing just two pressures and a sack on 350 pass blocking snaps in 2023. He finished his standout college career giving up just seven pressures and receiving an 82.7 run blocking grade as a senior while being named First-Team All-Conference USA and securing an invite to Mobile for the Senior Bowl.
While not the biggest prospect at 6-3, 310 pounds, Webb has a compact frame that has allowed him to hold up well against power rushes and create push in the run game against C-USA competition, though a lack of length and size could be far more problematic at the next level and may even necessitate moving back to center, his natural position. However, he’s a glider from the guard spot who has elite lateral quickness and excels on the move, which will be a major draw for teams running zone-heavy run schemes, and he’s smooth stepping into his pass sets as a protector. As long as character concerns can be alleviated during the meeting process, he has a chance to develop into a starter at guard or center, with the latter being his best shot to play early for the Seahawks.
Round 6, Pick 212 - Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech
Taking the road less traveled to the NFL, Hawes began his college career at Yale, playing three seasons for the Bulldogs while engaging in difficult academics at a prestigious Ivy League school as a business administration major. Though he didn’t have many targets as a pass catcher in New Haven, he did score four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2021 and averaged north of 10 yards per catch in his three years with the program. Transferring to Georgia Tech with one year of eligibility remaining, he made his presence felt as a run blocker for a Yellow Jackets squad that finished 26th in the nation in rushing yards and scored 29 rushing touchdowns on the season.
A punisher who craves the opportunity to block opposing defenders, the 260-pound Hawes regularly played bully ball as an inline tight end in the ACC, driving defensive ends and outside linebackers off the ball like few players at his position can. Physicality stands out as his calling card both as a run blocker and in pass protection, as Georgia Tech benefited from him functioning like an additional offensive lineman to keep the quarterback upright. He won’t offer much as a pass catching threat with a career 12 percent drop rate and only 51 receptions in four college seasons, so special teams will be key for him to stick around in the league, but Kubiak holds great value in blocking tight ends and he would be a solid reserve complement to Noah Fant and AJ Barner.
Round 7, Pick 236 - Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE, Boise State
Formerly a CrossFit standout in Egypt, Hassanein had never played organized football prior to signing with the Broncos in 2019, and his lack of experience showed in his first two seasons with teammates often having to tell him where to line up and not understanding the basics of the sport. But once he figured out what he was doing, Mountain West blockers had a tough time keeping him away from quarterbacks, as he broke out with 12.5 sacks in 2023 and followed up with 9.5 sacks as a senior, playing a starring role in Boise State’s run to the College Football Playoff. A two-time All-Mountain West selection, he wrapped up a fantastic college career by shining in the East/West Shrine Bowl.
In terms of splash plays, the 267-pound Hassanein won’t wow as a speed rusher who can quickly turn the corner and due to his lack of seasoning compared to most draft prospects, there’s a lot of work left to do technique-wise for him to succeed shedding blocks at the next level. But he possesses fun athletic traits from his prior CrossFit background, evidenced by his disruptive tendencies splitting gaps to rack up 33 tackles for loss in his final two college seasons and improving effectiveness converting speed to power off the edge to chase down quarterbacks. A high effort player who still is learning the game, there’s plenty of upside as a late round developmental flier for the Seahawks to mold behind Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe.
