3 way too early targets for Seahawks in 2025 NFL Draft

01/13/2025 05:53 PM

The Seattle Seahawks had a successful season in year one of the Mike Macdonald era, finishing with a 10-7 record and showing massive improvements from a season ago on the defensive side of the ball. Heading into next season, Seahawks fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the young pieces of this team and the direction of the franchise under Macdonald.

Unfortunately, those 10 wins weren’t enough to get the Seahawks into the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams ended up winning the division on a tiebreaker, and the Seahawks will think back to a number of missed opportunities during the season to pick up an extra win or two that would have made a difference.

Now, the focus turns to the offseason. While the Seahawks could have found themselves in the postseason with the ball bouncing a different way here or there, they still have plenty of holes to fill on the roster. Seattle can use improvements all across the offensive line, especially on the interior, as well as some improvements at linebacker and some more edge rusher depth. Another defensive back would also go a long way for the Seahawks next season.

Some of those needs can be addressed in free agency, but the easiest way to acquire young, cheap talent is through the NFL Draft. Here are three specific targets that the Seahawks should be looking for when they make the No. 18 pick in the first round.

Georgia EDGE/LB Jalon Walker

Jalon Walker is exactly the type of versatile defensive piece that makes him so easy to picture playing in Mike Macdonald’s defense. Walker is a twitchy athlete who will wow teams at the draft combine, and that could lead him to rise above where the Seahawks are picking in this draft. Regardless, he would be a perfect fit for the Seahawks.

Seattle got good production out of some of their edge rushers this season such as Boye Mafe, but they still need a difference maker at that spot and Walker has the explosiveness to provide that. He became a full-time contributor this season for Kirby Smart and the Georgia defense after being primarily used as a situational edge rusher on passing downs during his first two seasons there. Even with the various roles on the defense, Walker finished his Georgia career with 73 pressures and 13 sacks.

Smart and the Georgia coaching staff did all kinds of cool things with Walker this season. He played on the edge, he played in the box as an off-ball linebacker, and he even lined up inside as a pass rusher on some passing downs. That versatility is exactly what Macdonald likes to have on his defense.

Walker still struggles with some elements of being an off-ball linebacker, such as coverage responsibility and staying in the right gap in the run fit. However, a lot of that comes down to inexperience, so it’s fair to assume that a coach who turned Patrick Queen into an above-average player for a season in Baltimore can coach him up. Walker’s elite athleticism suggests that he can come along in those areas, making him a great fit in Seattle.

Alabama OG Tyler Booker

The Seahawks’ biggest weakness this season was at guard. Both guard spots were glaring holes for Seattle this season, and it made it difficult for the Seahawks to run the ball and protect Geno Smith in the pocket. This team has missed on plenty of picks on the interior of the offensive line in recent years, but it must keep throwing darts at the board until one lands.

Tyler Booker is one guard in this class who can help reshape the identity of this Seahawks team. He is a monster — listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds — who can absolutely pound people in the run game. Booker excels at getting downhill and driving defenders out of their gap while also possessing the mobility to get up to the second level or pull in the run game. He is an outstanding pass protector against bigger defensive tackles with his strong base and could immediately be a day one starter in Seattle.

Booker does struggle a little bit against some of the more athletic pass rushers that he runs up against, which is to be expected for someone of his size and build. Because of this, he struggles sometimes to pick up stunts and twists where edge rushers are looping inside.

Because of Booker’s position, he may fall in the draft, making him an attractive trade back target for Seattle if it chooses to go that route. Regardless, he can be an instant add that will immediately bolster this offensive line.

South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori

Macdonald loves a versatile secondary playmaker in his defenses, and that’s what the Seahawks could be getting in South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. Emmanwori was one of the top playmakers in the SEC this past season and would fit in perfectly to Macdonald’s scheme.

The Seahawks already do a lot of different things with Devon Witherspoon, and Emmanwori could fill a similar role as a safety. He is a monster for a defensive back at 6-foot-3, 227 pounds and would complement Julian Love perfectly as a safety who can play down in the box and fit the run. Emmanwori is a thumper who flies downhill and is a very good tackler in the run fit; he is unafraid to take on backs head-on in the hole to make key stops.

For such a big guy, Emmanwori is still a very good athlete and a great mover in space who can play zone coverage and be very disruptive, especially underneath. He can’t quite be a free safety, but that’s mostly Love’s role in this defense right now. He will likely struggle to cover true receivers in the NFL, but has the combination of size and speed to cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield.

Emmanwori is probably another player that the Seahawks can move back in the draft and still land with a later pick in the first round or early in the second, which makes him an even more attractive option for Macdonald and company.

The post 3 way too early targets for Seahawks in 2025 NFL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.