Seahawks flip the script in NFL analyst's mock draft
As we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft, fans will be presented with more and more mock drafts. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, recently did a mock draft 2.0 and the Seattle Seahawks did not go the conventional route that you see with many of their mock drafts. With their first pick at No. 5, […]
As we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft, fans will be presented with more and more mock drafts. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, recently did a mock draft 2.0 and the Seattle Seahawks did not go the conventional route that you see with many of their mock drafts.
With their first pick at No. 5, and with Jalen Carter still on the board, Prisco has the Seahawks selecting Texas Tech edge rusher, Tyree Wilson. Wilson is one of the most intriguing players in the entire class. He has unreal arm length (35 5/8, good for 96th percentile). The rest of his game is quite raw, however.
He has a decent tool-box of pass-rushing moves, and with his long arms, he is able to keep offensive linemen at bay and disengage from them. You see the beginning of a pass-rushing plan, such as varying the speed of his approach, but I'm not quite sure he attacks with a purpose yet. He doesn't have the lower body strength to anchor in against double teams on run plays. He is very versatile and has played all over from 2-tech, all the way to stand-up edge.
Wilson's film is borderline first-round tape, but his arm length will make defensive coordinators salivate and beg for him to be on their team. The highest arm-length player the Seahawks have on their defensive line is Darrell Taylor's 33-inch arms. Wilson will definitely be a unique piece on that defense.
For the Seahawks' second pick in the first round, Prisco has them selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. That is what makes this mock unconventional – usually you will see the Seahawks go Carter at the fifth pick and then add a different player at 20. Prisco has the Seahawks going defensive line for both picks and he has flipped the "conventional" order in which they're picked.
Mazi Smith would be a very intriguing option for the Seahawks. Mazi is first and foremost, a freak athlete. He tested No. 1 on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List after recording 22 reps of 325-pounds on the bench press, which is an extra 100-pounds than the combine's standard 225-pounds. He has a vertical of 33 inches and his broad jump is 9'2-1/2.
Smith's also very agile, evidenced by the fact that his shuttle time of 4.41 would have been best at the combine. He is powerful at the point of attack and can collapse the pocket with his bull rush. He can anchor in and withstand double teams against the run and can play 0-tech to 3-tech.
Smith would be a great complement for Jarran Reed, whom the Seahawks reunited with this offseason. Having Reed at 3-tech with Smith at nose tackle/1-tech is not a bad option, whatsoever. Smith can eat up double teams, freeing up Reed -and the rest of the Seahawks pass rushers- for some more one-on-one opportunities.
This really wouldn't be a bad couple of picks for the Seahawks – how they got he is just not what we've seen so far this offseason.