Who will Seahawks select in 2017 NFL draft? Here’s an early look

There’s only one thing we know for sure about the Seattle Seahawks and the upcoming NFL Draft – there is almost no chance the seven picks they currently have will be the same and only seven selections they will actually make.

Since 2010, when coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider took over, Seattle has been as active as any team in the NFL in making trades with its picks – usually trading down but on a few occasions trading up.

And with just seven – which would be the fewest of the Carroll/Schneider era – it seems a given Seattle will try to acquire more.

Still, Schneider made some interesting comments last week about this year’s draft in interviews on ESPN 710 Seattle.

In one, Schneider said the draft “is not quite as deep as last year’s” and that there are a few places where the draft “has a couple of gaps and issues,” particularly in the rounds where Seattle doesn’t currently have picks – the fourth and the fifth.

Taking literally anything anyone in the NFL says in the run-up to the draft is, of course, fraught with danger. But who knows? Maybe this is one year when Seattle crosses everyone up and plays with a relatively pat hand in the draft.

And who could Seattle be targeting with the picks it has?

With the draft now less than three weeks away – it will be held April 27-29 – it’s time for our annual seven-round Seahawks mock draft.

FIRST ROUND, NO. 26

Defensive back Jabrill Peppers, Michigan

Comment: Peppers is one of the more intriguing, and somewhat hard-to-figure, players in the draft. Is he a safety? A nickelback? A boundary cornerback? Maybe even a linebacker? That position uncertainty – and that some wonder why for all of his evident playmaking ability he had just one interception in his college career – could lead to him sliding into the late first round. And if he’s there at 26, he could be the perfect fit for a Seahawks organization that has thrived on maximizing a player’s strengths rather than worrying much about what he can’t do. Peppers would also provide an immediate infusion of talented young depth in a secondary that suddenly needs some and also could be a dynamic returner and maybe take some of that load off of Tyler Lockett, if not simply providing another option.

SECOND ROUND, NO. 58

Cornerback Sidney Jones, Washington

Comment: This draft is loaded with talented cornerbacks and the Seahawks seem certain to take one or two along the way. Jones was regarded as just about a lock to go in the first round before suffering an Achilles injury during UW’s Pro Day last month. That could cause him to slip some in the draft and make him available in the second round. Jones doesn’t necessarily fit the Seattle prototype for cornerbacks – specifically, he has an arm length of 31.5 inches, just off the 32 inches of every cornerback the team has drafted since 2010. But the long-range potential Jones possesses might be too much for Seattle to overlook. Also, if Seattle hasn’t traded Richard Sherman, then its needs at cornerback are as much about the future as the present and the Seahawks might be able to afford letting Jones heal and develop for a year (and in this mock, I’m also already giving them Peppers who might also be a cornerback option).

THIRD ROUND, No. 90

Offensive lineman Isaac Asiata, Utah

Comment: I can already hear protests of Seattle waiting until the third round to address what might be viewed as its biggest need. But the Seahawks did sign two free agents who seem locks to make the roster this season, and have a bunch of young players from last season they still like (if more than everyone else might). This is also not regarded as an overly great year in the draft for OLs, and especially at tackle. There is more depth at guard, and if Seattle is serious about moving Germain Ifedi to right tackle, then it might want to add another guard in the draft. Asiata, who won the Morris Trophy last year given to the Pac-12 offensive linemen deemed the best in the conference by defensive linemen, is powerful – his 35 reps in the bench press led all OLs at the Combine – and at 24 years old, ready to contribute immediately. He also has some experience playing right tackle.

THIRD ROUND, No. 102

Receiver Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M

Comment: The Seahawks haven’t done much yet to add to the receiving corps so they may well dip into what is regarded as a good crop of receivers available in the draft. At almost 6-3, Reynolds is one of the biggest receivers in the draft, giving Seattle a potential contrast from the likes of Doug Baldwin and Lockett. And with the futures of Paul Richardson and Jermaine Kearse each uncertain past 2017, the Seahawks could also be looking to add depth for the future.

THIRD ROUND, No. 106

Defensive end Tarell Basham, Ohio

Comment: Teams can never have enough pass rushers, and even with the recent signing of Dion Jordan, Seattle can be expected to still try to add some. Basham was a big-time playmaker at Ohio regarded by many scouts as maybe a year away. Seattle, though, needs to look to the future as much as the present at the end spot with Cassius Marsh entering the final year of his contract and Cliff Avril now 31 and with two years left on his deal.

SIXTH ROUND, No. 210

Quarterback Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech

Comment: Seattle has not used a draft pick on a quarterback since taking Russell Wilson in 2012. But Wilson’s injuries last season as well as recent legal issues for backup Trevone Boykin could make Seattle take a more serious look at taking a QB it could groom as a dependable backup for the longterm. You wouldn’t think Seattle would use an early pick on a QB, however, and the Seahawks might be more inclined to again try the undrafted free agent route. But they might also be intrigued by a guy like Evans, who is big (6-2-3/4, 232 pounds) and athletic enough to have run for 846 yards last season.

SEVENTH ROUND, No. 226

Cornerback Brian Allen, Utah

Comment: Here’s a late-round cornerback who really fits the Seattle mold – 6-3-1/8, with 34-inch arms and also already possessing two college degrees. And like Richard Sherman, he began his college career as a receiver before moving to cornerback, leading to the idea that the best is yet to come.