They don’t have a first-round draft pick. But curiosity remains about how the Seattle Seahawks will navigate the NFL draft next week.
With just three total picks — and none until late in the second round — the Seahawks will have to get creative to maximize their limited draft capital.
As such, the greatest intrigue — both near and far — entering the first round centers largely on one of the Seahawks’ chief NFC West rivals.
After mortgaging much of their future to move up nine spots in a trade with Miami, what will the San Francisco 49ers do with the No. 3 pick?
The Niners are going to take a quarterback. That much we know. But which one?
There are compelling cases to be made for Ohio State’s Justin Fields, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and Alabama’s Mac Jones, and it’s not an exaggeration to suggest the power dynamics of the entire NFC West hinges on the 49ers’ decision.
In our annual Seattle Times mock draft, the task of trying to figure out which QB the 49ers will take fell to Times columnist Larry Stone. In a random draw, Seahawks reporter Adam Jude received the first pick, followed by columnist Matt Calkins, Stone and then Seahawks reporter Bob Condotta.
After the conclusion of the first round, each made a prediction about what the Seahawks might do with their first pick, No. 56 overall in the second round.
Without further ado, the 2021 Seattle Times NFL mock draft:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Lawrence has been billed as the most polished QB prospect since Andrew Luck, and the Jaguars are pitting their future on him being a can’t-miss star. — Jude
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Wilson is a near no-brainer with Lawrence off the board. His combination of accuracy and mobility has the potential to rejuvenate the long-suffering Jets. — Calkins
3. San Francisco 49ers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
Yes, all the titans of NFL coverage — Schefter, Kiper, King — have the 49ers taking Alabama’s Mac Jones. But I refuse to believe they’d trade two firsts and a third to move up to take Jones. I think they’re playing it coy and going for the high-upside play with Fields. – Stone.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Sure, the Falcons could look for a replacement for Matt Ryan. But Ryan’s contract means he’s going to be their quarterback for two more years, and the Falcons may think they aren’t that far away from winning. So they’ll go with Pitts, who may be the most talented player in the entire draft, to give Ryan another weapon. — Condotta
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
On the one hand, protecting Joe Burrow ought to be the Bengals’ top priority. Ultimately, the lure of reuniting Burrow with one of his favorite LSU targets will be too much to pass up. — Jude
6. Miami Dolphins: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Regarded as the best offensive lineman in the draft, the former Duck will provide protection for second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who Miami hopes will blossom into the next star signal-caller. — Calkins
7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
The Lions lost their top two wideouts to free agency, after bidding farewell to Golden Tate the previous year. They won’t pass up the Heisman Trophy winner, who can be a dynamic playmaker. — Stone
8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Could the Panthers really take a QB even after the Sam Darnold trade? Some think so. But the view here is they will use the draft to build around Darnold and will take Slater to try to find their left tackle of the future. — Condotta
9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
There’s too much intrigue and upside for Lance to fall out of the top 10. Does he land in Denver, or does someone (New England?) make a move up to draft their QB of the future? — Jude
10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
He is the first defensive player taken in this mock draft, and will go to a team in desperate need of defense. Shouldn’t take Surtain too long to get adjusted to the next level. — Calkins
11. New York Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
The former Butkus Award winner can make an instant impact with the Giants. He is equally adept at coverage and rushing the quarterback. — Stone
12. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
It seems to make almost too much sense that the Eagles will draft one of the Alabama receivers in the first round to pair with one-time Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts. But he also would fill a huge need for a team starving for offensive playmakers. — Condotta
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
The Chargers could — and should — think hard about building a strong line in front of QB Justin Herbert, but new coach Brandon Staley won’t be able to pass on a lockdown corner like Horn. — Jude
14. Minnesota Vikings: Jaelan Phillips, edge, Miami
Phillips may be the most talented pass-rusher in the draft. Only concern is the health issues, namely concussions from his time at UCLA. That could give other teams pause. — Calkins
15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB, Patriots
There’s no doubt the Patriots would love to get a quarterback, and if Jones is still on the board when they pick, Bill Belichick will swoop in and take him. Cue the Tom Brady comparisons. — Stone
16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
After moving on from Patrick Peterson the Cardinals have some serious long-term questions at cornerback. Newsome, whose stock has risen steadily of late, would go a long way toward filling those. — Condotta
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
The Raiders had one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2020, and landing the consensus top linebacker here is a good place to start to shore things up. — Jude
18. Miami Dolphins: Kwity Paye, edge, Michigan
Besides having this draft class’ most fun name to say, Paye is as strong as he is speedy. This, however, is pick based on potential, as Paye’s numbers at Michigan (11.5 sacks in four years) were underwhelming. — Calkins
19. Washington Football Team: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
Washington needs an upgrade on its offensive line, and Vera-Tucker can play either tackle or guard. He should be able to make an instant impact. — Stone
20. Chicago Bears: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
The Bears kept free agent Allen Robinson via the franchise tag. But he can be a free agent following the 2021 season. Bateman could team with Robinson for a year as a potentially dynamic receiving duo, and then maybe take over for him as the Bears’ number one target down the road. — Condotta
21. Indianapolis Colts: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
The Colts are settled at QB after their big trade for Carson Wentz. Now they need to protect him, and Jenkins looks like a ready-made starter at right tackle. — Jude
22. Tennessee Titans: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss
Moore is explosive, and could bring balance to a run-heavy Tennessee offense that has relied on Derrick Henry. — Calkins
23. New York Jets: Azeez Ojulari, edge, Georgia
Ojulari, an elite pass rusher, would be a perfect fit for the defense of new Jets’ coach Robert Saleh. — Stone
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
Too early for a running back? Not for the Steelers, who are in clear win-now mode with an aging quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. Harris could give Pittsburgh the kind of consistent running game it hasn’t had since Le’Veon Bell’s last year in 2017. — Condotta
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Gregory Rousseau, edge, Miami
As tempting as it will be for new coach Urban Meyer to put more skill talent around Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars need more reinforcements on defense. They had just 18 sacks in 16 games last season, and Rousseau is the best edge rusher still left here. — Jude
26. Cleveland Browns: Jayson Oweh, edge, Penn State
The man ran an absurd 4.36 40 at nearly 260 pounds. That can’t be ignored, even if Cleveland did just sign Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year deal. — Calkins
27. Baltimore Ravens: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
Moehrig can play both safety positions and is a monster in blitz packages. He’ll fit right into the system of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. — Stone
28. New Orleans Saints: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
After an offseason of some pretty significant change, the Saints could go a lot of ways here — a receiver wouldn’t be a surprise. But the release of Janoris Jenkins left a big hole at cornerback that Samuel — who can play inside or outside — would help fill. — Condotta
29. Green Bay Packers: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Collins would be a steal for the Packers this late in the first round. Collins is big, fast and versatile, capable of playing either inside or outside. — Jude
30. Buffalo Bills: Joe Tryon, edge, Washington
At 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, the former Husky will provide length and strength for a Bills team that can contend for a title. — Calkins
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Farley is ranked as a top 10 overall talent in many mock drafts, and the Chiefs will be ecstatic that he’s still available at No. 31 — Stone
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
The Bucs were somewhat surprisingly able to keep pretty much the whole gang that won the Super Bowl together for another title drive. That leaves them in position to take the best player available here. Barmore was a standout in Alabama’s CFP games, and entices scouts with his potential to rush the passer from the inside. — Condotta
Second round: Seattle Seahawks, pick No. 56
Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
He is only 5-7 and 181 pounds, but spend two minutes watching his highlight tape and you’ll see Moore’s potential to help any NFL offense. The Seahawks need a third receiver, and Moore would be an ideal fit. With his versatility and speed, he flashes as a mix of Tyler Lockett and Golden Tate. — Jude
Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson
At 6-foot-5, 345 pounds, Carman is a giant even when standing next to other offensive linemen. He protected Trevor Lawrence during his three years at Clemson. Could he help protect the frustrated Russell Wilson, who’s taken more sacks than any other quarterback since entering the NFL? — Calkins
Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse
At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Melifonwu is exactly the type of long, rangy, athletic cornerback that Pete Carroll covets. Couple that with the Seahawks’ obvious need at the position and he’s a logical pick if still available. — Stone
Dillon Radunz, OT/G, North Dakota State
When John Schneider attended NDSU’s Pro Day, he may not have only been scouting Trey Lance and talking to the Bears about a trade for Russell Wilson, he was also surely taking a good look at Radunz. Radunz may need some time to develop, which makes him the perfect player to draft and let sit for a year behind Duane Brown and Brandon Shell — each of whom have just one year left on their contracts — and then ascend to a starting role in 2022. — Condotta
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.