Seahawks take Michigan State DT Malik McDowell at No. 35 after 3 trades down
Apr 28, 2017, 4:42 PM | Updated: 10:40 pm
(AP)
RENTON – The third trade turned out to be the charm.
At least that’s what the Seahawks hope after making defensive tackle Malik McDowell their first choice in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Seahawks drafted McDowell out of Michigan State with the third pick of the second round, selection No. 35 overall. The selection came after Seattle made three separate deals, sliding down the draft order from the pick Seattle initially held at No. 26 to pick No. 35 while accumulating four additional picks in the process.
McDowell is 6 feet 6, 295 pounds and entered the draft after his junior season. He was the second defensive tackle chosen in the draft, going after Jonathan Allen from Alabama, who was picked by Washington midway through the first round.
Brock’s take | McDowell photo gallery | Seahawks draft tracker | 710 draft page
The selection of McDowell was a long time coming considering the trades Seattle completed dating back to Thursday evening before finally pulling the trigger.
First, Seattle went from No. 26 to No. 31, picking up an additional third-round pick and seventh-round pick from Atlanta. Then, the Seahawks went from No. 31 to No. 34, adding an early pick in the fourth round.
That put Seattle on deck when the second round began on Thursday afternoon, only to see Seattle slide back one spot in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, picking up a sixth-round pick.
After 34 players came off the board – and nearly 24 hours after the first round officially began – the Seahawks made their first selection.
Carroll and Schneider on Malik McDowell's inconsistent effort and a player he reminds them of when he's at his best: Calais Campbell. pic.twitter.com/mCx9pwBdfi
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 29, 2017
Seattle used a second-round pick on a defensive lineman in 2015, too. The Seahawks used that pick to select Frank Clark, the first player it had drafted after trading away their first-round pick to acquire Jimmy Graham from New Orleans.
McDowell is going to be compared to the players that Seattle could have had if the Seahawks had not traded down. Like Kevin King, the UW cornerback whom Seattle could have chosen on Thursday night instead of trading out of the first round. King was the first pick of the second round, selected by Green Bay.
Or Cam Robinson. That’s the offensive tackle from Alabama, who was chosen with the second pick of the second-round, the one Seattle began Friday with only to deal it to Jacksonville.
Seattle still has another pick in the second round and four picks in the third round, which will conclude Friday.