Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Best-Case Scenario 7-Round Predictions

Free agent signings over the last week have helped add clarity to the draft needs of the Seattle Seahawks. Of particular note, David Hawthorne has signed a new contract with the New Orleans Saints, leaving Seattle woefully thin at linebacker.

Pete Carroll currently has just six picks to use on draft weekend. There is a lot of talent available in the 2012 NFL Draft, particularly on day two. If Seattle is going to fill their needs and field a contender in 2012, they would certainly benefit from adding another pick or two.

The Seahawks will set the mood for their draft with their first pick. They will almost certainly either grab a defensive end, draft Luke Kuechly or trade down.

There are merits to all three, and the rest of their draft picks will build from what they do in round one.

Round 1: Nick Perry, DE, USC

Facing a decision of drafting Quinton Coples or Luke Kuechly, the Seattle Seahawks trade down with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals get David DeCastro and Seattle secures picks 21 and 53 in the 2012 draft.

With their new first-round pick, the Seahawks select a player Pete Carroll is quite familiar with. Defensive end Nick Perry joined Carroll at USC and saw playing time at the hybrid elephant position in the Trojan defense as a freshman. 

Perry has an impressive blend of size and speed that will make him an ideal candidate to eventually replace Chris Clemons in the Seattle defense. He would be able to platoon with Red Bryant and spell Clemons in 2012 and would bring a needed edge to the unit.

Perry is currently being mocked anywhere from 18 to 26. There is a chance the Seahawks could miss out on him with this move, but that would open up options with other players and the potential to work another trade.

Nick Perry, USC, 6'3", 271 pounds

Draft Grade: 87.5

40 Time: 4.5

Bench Reps: 35

Vertical Leap: 38.5″

Broad Jump: 10’4″

3-Cone Drill: 7.25

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.66

Round 2: Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

Recent mock drafts have seen Lavonte David working his way closer to the first round. It is tough to know if he is doing the same on team draft boards, but it is possible he won't be available for the Seahawks with pick No. 43.

David is a fast, instinctive linebacker that always seems to know where the ball is going to be. He's valuable in pass defense and in stopping the run and would be a great addition for Seattle.

One factor that should keep David from entering discussions as a first-round talent is his size. At just 233 pounds, he could struggle in the NFL against larger blockers. However, an NFL strength and conditioning coach should be able to add a bit more bulk to his frame.

David succeeded in college because of his ability to read the field and read where plays were headed. His skill set will prove valuable in the NFL.

Lavonte David, Nebraska, 6'1", 233 pounds

Draft Grade: 87.7

40 Time: 4.56

Bench Reps: 19

Vertical Leap: 36.5″

Broad Jump: 9’11″

3-Cone Drill: 7.28

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.22

Round 2: Mychal Kendricks, ILB, California

David Hawthorne has signed with the New Orleans Saints, sealing the need for the Seahawks to add at least one linebacker in the draft. Unless the team is comfortable with Malcolm Smith starting and having little depth, they may need to find two players.

Mychal Kendricks would give Seattle an inside option with the size to shut down the run, mobility work to both sidelines, and the speed to handle running backs and tight ends in passing routes.

Kendricks isn't as tall as Gus Bradley might like, and he can get over-powered at times. He'll need to work on tackling techniques as well, but he has the flexibility to work inside or out in Seattle's 4-3 scheme.

Mychal Kendricks, Cal, 5’11”, 239 pounds

Draft Grade: 79.7

40 Time: 4.41

Bench Reps: 24

Vertical Leap: 39.5″

Broad Jump: 10'7″

3-Cone Drill: 

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.19

Round 3: Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State

To be clear, I believe Matt Flynn will be a good starting quarterback in the NFL. He has the potential to be great, but it is difficult to count on that level of production. With Tarvaris Jackson in the last year of his contract, the Seahawks need to be looking at drafting a quarterback that could back up and possibly end up outplaying Flynn. 

Brock Osweiler could be that quarterback. 

Osweiler has the size, athleticism, accuracy and quick release that could propel him to a great NFL career. He is also raw and undisciplined, and spending a year running the scout team as the third-string quarterback would serve him well.

After selecting Osweiler in the third-round of the Bleacher Report draft, Osweiler has started to get national attention as a potential first-round talent.

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Despite his height, (Osweiler) is very flexible and has a solid throwing platform. (Noel) Mazzone has worked with him to correct a tendency to drop his elbow, which Osweiler avoided doing on Friday.

Based on Friday’s workout, I think Osweiler vaulted himself into the first round on draft day. He will likely work out for a number of teams; there is a lot of excitement surrounding him. His showing Friday was somewhat surprising; I think he exceeded the expectations of everybody in attendance.

Gil Brandt, NFL.com

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Osweiler doesn't strike me as worth a first-round pick, but Seattle is certainly showing an interest. Pete Carroll, General Manager John Schneider and Darrell Bevell (offensive coordinator) attended his pro-day workout last week.

Osweiler gave the Seahawks and several other teams a solid show. He is sporting a new throwing motion, delivering a more traditional over-the-top motion instead of the partial sidearm throws he delivered at Arizona State. His 40-time met expectations in the 4.9 second range, but he showed great mobility in the pocket and threw very well on the run.

Some critics have expressed concerns with his footwork when he starts to work from under center, but that part of his practice was also impressive.

Osweiler's accuracy was very good for the most part, completing 66-of-75 passes with two drops. The one part of his game I've expressed concerns with many times is the deep ball. He consistently overthrew his receivers on go-routes, accounting for most of the incomplete passes.

Perhaps Ricardo Lockette can fix that issue.

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State, 6'7”, 242 pounds

Draft Grade: 83.5

40 Time: 4.91

Round 4: Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California

I do believe getting an offensive tackle with Mitchell Schwartz's talent in Round 4 is a bit of a stretch. However, he was available in that spot in the Bleacher Report community draft so I'm including him here.

It looks as though Seattle will move James Carpenter to left guard and Breno Giacomini signed a two-year contract at low-level starter money. Seattle needs a player that offers depth and can push Giacomini for playing time.

Schwartz offers enough size to make Tom Cable happy, and his intelligent play would sit well with fans that have become tired of false starts and holding penalties.

Mitchell Schwartz, Cal, 6’5”, 318 pounds

Draft Grade: 58.0

40 Time: 5.45

Bench Reps: 23

Vertical Leap: 26.5″

Broad Jump: 7'5″

3-Cone Drill: 7.86

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.87

Round 6: Terrance Ganaway, RB/FB, Baylor

This pick keeps coming down to Terrance Ganaway or Olivier Vernon (DE, Miami). Both could be available here, but neither figures to last until Round 7.

Ganaway would give the Seahawks another punishing ball carrier to spell Marshawn Lynch. At 6'0" and 240 pounds, he would be able to help wear down opposing defensive lines. 

The signing of Kregg Lumpkin could make Ganaway a bit duplicitous, though. This could prompt Seattle to wait until their final pick and target Bobby Rainey or Davin Meggett.

Terrance Ganaway, Baylor, 5’11”, 239 pounds

Draft Grade: 79.7

40 Time: 4.63

Bench Reps: 

Vertical Leap: 37.5″

Broad Jump: 9'11″

3-Cone Drill: 7.15

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.35

Round 7: Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame

Darius Fleming is a linebacker that has struck a nerve with me. He has a tough style of play that I feel would be a nice fit in Pete Carroll's defense.

He has good size and decent speed and could fill an outside-backer role or work in as the Leo defensive end. There is a chance he could slip to the ranks of the undrafted, but luring Fleming to Seattle may not be an easy task. 

Darius Fleming, Notre Dame, 6'2”, 245 pounds

Draft Grade: 59.7

40 Time: 4.72

Bench Reps: 27

Vertical Leap: 33.5″

Broad Jump: 9'6″

3-Cone Drill: 7.03

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.28

Undrafted Free Agents

The Seahawks showed us last season that the draft isn't over on Sunday. Granted, the 2011 version had an extra 90 days tacked between the end of the draft and signing undrafted players, but rookies Doug Baldwin, Jeron Johnson, Ricardo Lockette, Ron Parker, Josh Portis and Pierre Allen were all enticed to sign with the Seahawks.

Here are a few options Seattle may be able to target in May.

Elvis Akpla, WR, Montana State

I had the opportunity to watch Akpla several times during his collegiate career. He's a fast target that makes great moves with the ball. The biggest concern I have with him is he tends to round off his routes, which will make separation a bit more difficult in the NFL. With some work and dedication over the summer, he could be the Baldwin of 2012. 

Kavario Middleton, TE, Montana

Middleton has some work to do on his attitude and he didn't perform as well as expected at his pro day. He won't be drafted and would at least make a solid camp-body.

Anthony Miller, TE, Cal

Miller has good size (6'4", 260 pounds) and moves well. He was used as a blocker in Cal's offense, but tight end wasn't a featured receiving option. He has an outside shot at being drafted, but should he be available, he has the ability to do more than Cal asked of him.

Phillip Thomas, FS, Syracuse

Thomas is another borderline draft pick that could slip to undrafted status. He'd be a solid option to provide depth in the secondary.