The count down has begun with 10 days to the draft.

In my last two posts I looked the current squad. Part 1 looked at the Offense and Part 2 at the Defense. Analysing what the Hawks have on the team also leads to seeing where the gaps are and what needs to be filled.

Before I explore that in more detail, however, I need to fully analyse what draft picks I think that the Seahawks will end up with and how they could maximise their draft capital.

This is where this article comes in where I will look at what moves the seahawks could make and what picks they could end up with.

 

Moves

The two hottest topics are Wilson out or in and Clark out or in.

I have already made my opinion very clear in my article about the Offense – that I think the Seahawks need to trade Wilson. A summary of why is here:

• the Seahawks realised 2017 at the latest that they need to go back to their roots. In step 1 last year they established the run. Step 2 means becoming a dominant defense again – the focus is not on a star QB in this scheme.
• which leads to my second point: it makes no sense to tie up so much money in one person. You have contract extensions coming up for Clark, Wagner and Reed, and how can you preach the “always compete” and “everyone gets the same shot” when one guy is earning so much more than the rest of the team.
• which leads us to the third point: this is the perfect draft to add where the teams needs to fill the last gaps and Wilson would give the Seahawks some great draft capital.

So that brings us onto number 2: Clark. While Wagner may be that central heart of the team, Clark is the leader of that DLine, which is starting to move in the right direction for becoming dominant again. Why move on from him now? you could literally give Clark AND Wagner top end contracts for the money it would cost to renew Wilson.

On slightly lesser notes I also think that it is time to trade Pocic – who just does not fit our scheme and team – and I also don’t think that there is a place for Mingo.

 

Player Trades

I will start with Mingo and Pocic, because they are easier. I think For mingo you could get a 6th round pick from a team because he has a lot of special teams value and is a decent backup LB. For Pocic I think that you could get a late 3rd or early 4th round pick, I will be conservative and go with the 4th round.

Wilson is a lot harder to evaluate. First of all you have to consider what he is worth. Last year there was talk of 3 first round picks, this year people are being more realistic and saying 2 firsts and some 2nd and 3rd round picks.

The second step is to evaluate what teams could be in the market for a QB, are a fit and also have the appropriate draft capital. I have been mulling this over in my head since the start of the offseason. Initially my favourites were the Raiders. They are a re-building team with a lot of first round draft capital and they love their offence which has really struggled. Now they have AB and who better to match him with than a premium QB.

But then I looked at the current mastermind behind the Raiders, who has been stocking up draft picks and is himself a draft whizz: Mike Mayock. Surely it would make more sense, when you have someone with so much knowledge, to use that draft capital to slowly rebuild your team when you are not in a Win Now situation.

And so I began to consider my second favourite team to trade for Wilson, and it all just makes so much sense: Wilson to the Giants. Here is why:

• starting off with the last point from the previous team: the giants are always win now.
• They have just got OBJ off their Cap and therefore have space for a new star.
• Wilson is not an unknown quantity in the big apple due to his time with the yankees.
• Wilson is not only a star player, with a star wife, he also has a great work ethic and could lead this young team of star offensive players into the playoffs. Because don’t kid yourself, with Wilson they would be an immediate Playoff contender.
• The giants have two first rounders this year, as well as 11 other picks. Even if they give the seahawks a 2nd and 3rd rounder along with a 1st rounder they would still have a pick on each day, including 10 on day 3 in a very deep draft. This package would also, obviously, include a first rounder 2020. And I think that would actually be a pretty good trade for both sides.
• It just makes so much sense!

So lets assume those trades happen like that. Suddenly the Seahawks are looking at their draft stock as follows…

Draft Picks after Player Trades

2019

Round 1 – No. 6 overall

Round 1 – No. 21 overall

Round 2 – No. 37 overall

Round 3 – No. 71 overall

Round 3 – No. 84 overall

Round 4 – No. 124 overall

Round 4 – No. TBC

Round 5 – No. 159 overall

Round 6 – No. TBC

2020

+Round 1 pick from Giants

Pick Trades

So by now the Seahawks have already more than doubled their draft capital. But that isn’t going to stop them from trading down. The reason: the strength of the draft is in the depth at key positions where the Seahawks are looking: mainly DT and since the trade QB.

Everyone is predicting for all of these elite defensive players to go in the top 10, but when all is said an don it will be like every year with at least 3-4 QBs going in the top 10. My bets are on Murray, Haskins, Lock and Daniels. Especially with 6 teams in the top 15 that could or should be considering picking up a QB: Cardinals, Raiders, Jaguars, Broncos, Dolphins and Redskins. This puts the Seahawks in a great position, because they can trade down and still get those premium players.

I see a trade from the 6th for Denvers 10th and 41st pick making sense.

Then if potentially there is a QB left on the board that Washington likes, they could hop the Dolphins – and Cincinnati – to get their guy, giving the Seahawks the 15th, 77th and 255th pick for the 10th.

I also see the Seahawks trading down on their 21st pick. The colts could make sense here if a pass rusher they really want is still on the board. In the trade the Seahawks get the 26th and the 90th pick. this could also go to a team trying to trade above the Ravens for a particular WR.

A second move the Seahawks could make is a trade with the Packers for the 30th and 115th picks. this could likely happen if an impact DB like deandre baker or byron murphy is still available and the packers want to grab him.

So in the end, this is what our Picks could potentially look like:

Round 1 – No. 15 overall

Round 1 – No. 30 overall

Round 2 – No. 37 overall

Round 2 – No. 41 overall

Round 3 – No. 71 overall

Round 3 – No. 77 overall

Round 3 – No. 84 overall

Round 3 – No. 90 overall

Round 4 – No. 115 overall

Round 4 – No. 124 overall

Round 4 – No. TBC

Round 5 – No. 159 overall

Round 6 – No. TBC

Round 7 – No. 255

 

Conclusion

I am a little biased because I love to draft and I want to get the option of making as many picks as possible, but I also think that this is in the Seahawks interest. Of course everyone else has to play along too to make this happen.

In my next posts I will be assessing the draft in terms of players I like at each position, before drawing up my board with picks pre-draft.