Seahawks' Top 2021 NFL Draft Targets

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Unless some trades are on the horizon, the Seattle Seahawks won't be too active during the 2021 NFL draft.

The Seahawks don't have a first-round pick after it was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for safety Jamal Adams last July, as was their third-round selection for this year's draft. So Seattle only has one pick on Day 2—the No. 56 overall selection in the second round.

On Day 3, the Seahawks have a fourth-round pick (No. 129 overall) and a seventh-round selection (No. 250 overall). They traded their fifth-rounder to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for guard Gabe Jackson last month. And their sixth-round selection went to the Miami Dolphins during last year's draft in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick.

That leaves the Seahawks with three selections in this year's draft, which takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It's still an opportunity for them to some talented young players to their roster, but they'll need to be smart when deciding who to take, as well as when they're evaluating potential trade offers (or coming up with them).

Here's a look at three players who Seattle should consider taking with its limited picks.

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The Seahawks have had success drafting a Stanford cornerback around the middle of the draft before (Richard Sherman was a fifth-round pick in 2011). Why not try it again in 2021?

Paulson Adebo may have had first-round buzz had he decided to play in 2020, but he opted out of the season, which was played amid the coronavirus pandemic. Still, Adebo is likely to be a Day 2 pick, as he showed what he's capable of during his first two seasons with the Cardinal in 2018 and 2019.

Over that two-year span, Adebo had 97 tackles, eight interceptions and 27 pass deflections in 22 games, and he was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in both seasons. According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Adebo has the "size and ball skills [that] give him a distinct advantage when the ball is in the air," which makes the former Stanford standout a playmaker on the defensive side.

Seattle will likely have a chance to draft Adebo in the second round. And it could potentially even trade down a bit to acquire another selection to help improve its draft capital and still land Adebo, who has the potential to be a sleeper who greatly improves the Seahawks secondary.

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Seattle still has a top receiving duo in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, so its passing game has the potential to again be one of its strengths in 2021. But the Seahawks are lacking some depth at wide receiver, and it could benefit them to add a solid No. 3 option to utilize when Metcalf and Lockett get taken away by a defense.

Zierlein noted that Tylan Wallace "has the skill level and mental makeup to become a good starter as a plus WR2." With that high a ceiling despite being a probable fourth-round selection, Wallace could end up being a steal for the Seahawks early on Day 3 of the draft.

Wallace had 205 receptions for 3,434 yards and 26 touchdowns over four years at Oklahoma State. He had at least 903 yards and six touchdowns in each of the past three, with his best year coming as a sophomore in 2018, when he had 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns.

With experience and a solid skill set, Wallace is a receiver who could quickly become a contributor at the NFL level. That should be what the Seahawks are looking for, as they'll want to give quarterback Russell Wilson as many offensive weapons as possible.

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It can be tough to find players who may actually contribute in the seventh round. But Seattle's lack of draft capital means it's more important for it to maximize the limited selections it has, so it will likely be trying hard to find a solid player late on Day 3.

At this point, the Seahawks may not have had the opportunity to add some depth to their offensive line, which is something they still need to address. So that could lead to them drafting Josh Ball, who has the potential to still be available when Seattle is on the clock for the final time.

Ball began his college career at Florida State, but he left after his redshirt freshman season in 2017 before playing at Butler Community College (Kan.) in 2018. He finished his career by playing for two years at Marshall, which is where Ball put himself on the radar as an NFL draft prospect.

After being a reserve in 2019, Ball became a starter for the Thundering Herd in 2020. It may take a while before he develops into an NFL starter (if he does), but he could still be worth the Seahawks taking a chance on, especially because he can provide depth at tackle right away.