Salk: The 3 acceptable scenarios where Seahawks don’t draft OL at 18

Every year you hear it. “This is the most important draft in team history!”

It can feel like hyperbole, but in reality the NFL Draft is such an important tool in roster construction that every season truly feels like the most crucial.

Why Brock believes Seattle Seahawks will ‘move all over’ in draft

For the Seattle Seahawks, this April’s big event is the finishing touch on what has already been an active offseason. They’ve made their change at quarterback and wide receiver. They’ve bet on youth and saved money in the process. They’ve given themselves a ton of flexibility rather than committing to older players who wanted big money for past accomplishments.

The draft is a chance to make, remake or remodel your team for the future. And for the Seahawks, that should be simple. They are still in building mode. And like anyone constructing a home, they need to focus on the foundation.

In the NFL, that includes the quarterback and both sides of the line of scrimmage. Assuming they aren’t in a position to clearly upgrade the quarterback position in the first round of this year’s draft, they need to focus on the offensive line.

Yes, there are those out there who would like the team to replace their lost threat and find the next weapon at wide receiver. There is some value to the wide receiver position and I’m not so stuck in the past that I can’t see how quarterbacks need weaponry on the outside. But in my view, that’s a position that teams earn the right to focus on by first taking care of the foundational pieces up front.

The Seahawks haven’t done that. Their offensive line has been subpar for the better part of a decade. They chose not to expend significant resources there in free agency.

Two seasons ago, they opted to spend their two first-round picks on a cornerback (Devon Witherspoon) and receiver (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) – two positions that are decidedly not on the line of scrimmage. If they had made some different choices, I might be open to arguments this year about elite receiver talent from Tetairoa McMillan or Matthew Golden. I might be open to hearing what they can do for the new offensive system.

But as it stands, there is only one thing that should keep the Seahawks from drafting an offensive lineman in the first round: better talent on the defensive line.

Analyst: Why the Seahawks may not draft O-line in first round

Here are my three best scenarios for the Seahawks’ draft.

Acceptable non-O-line draft moves at 18

• 1. Trade up for Georgia edge linebacker Jalon Walker.

Admittedly, this is a long shot. Walker is the No. 2 rated edge player behind Abdul Carter and virtually every mock draft I’ve looked at has him going No. 8 to Carolina. If that occurs, this option disappears. But if he starts to slip… the Seahawks should pounce.

Edge is not, by definition, a need for Seattle. But it currently has four players at the position who are all “good” without being stars. I don’t think they should draft another edge player who isn’t likely to unseat one of the current starters, so Walker is really the only one in this draft that I’d want them to consider. But without the usual fervor around quarterback and stars in the first round, this could be a good year to trade up. If they can land an elite edge defender, it’s worth it.

The Seahawks have a chance to be an elite defense, which is exactly what head coach Mike Macdonald wants. If they think Walker is attainable and can help them reach that goal, they should find a way to get him here.

Could @JalonWlaker be the next great defender out of @GeorgiaFootball? 🐶 @MoveTheSticks

📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Ex66uhSdCd

— NFL (@NFL) March 30, 2025

• 2. Draft Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant at 18.

There are a few reasons to make this pick.

One, Grant has enormous upside. He is a physical marvel with exceptional quickness for someone with his size and strength. While it could take a year or so for him to develop, he would make a potentially dominant long-term tandem up front with Byron Murphy.

Second, the Seahawks’ biggest need is in the interior of the offensive line, and No. 18 is a little early to take a player for that position. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be against it, but the positional value and upside of Grant would override the need at center and guard.

Michigan DT Kenneth Grant weighs 340 pounds.

Watch big No. 78 show off the wheels on this tackle from behind. 👀@KennyGrant78 x @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/nUjeq5sBv3

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 12, 2023

• 3. Trade back a few spots (if possible), but still take an O-lineman.

And make sure that lineman is either Alabama’s Tyler Booker, Texas’ Kelvin Banks, or Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson.

My gut tells me this will be a hard spot to trade back from as teams won’t see a real need to move up without a quarterback to select. But if you can find someone who wants a receiver here (and there hasn’t yet been a run on linemen), it would be worthwhile to pick up some ammunition while still getting a player you want.

If that player doesn’t wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball, then it had better be someone who shores up the offensive side of it. I like these three linemen because of their size, physicality, and experience in the toughest conferences in college.

If the Seahawks opted for North Dakota State lineman Grey Zabel, I don’t think I could complain. But they need to leave this draft with a significant upgrade on the offensive line, and this seems like the optimal way to accomplish that.

That, of course, only offers suggestions for the first round. But what the Seahawks do on Day 1 of the draft should very much dictate their second and third rounds. If they go defense in the first, I would think drafting at least one (if not two) linemen in the second would be almost mandatory. Maybe they could trade up from No. 50 to select Jackson and try for Georgia center Jared Wilson at No. 52?

If the Seahawks address the line in the first round, the opportunity to consider a wide receiver, tight end or cornerback in the second round becomes much more realistic. After all, they have solid starters at defensive tackle and edge – any pick they make there should either be for a significant upgrade or later in the draft for depth.

But this should be a weekend with two simple goals: make the defense great and shore up the offensive line. Those have to be the top two priorities. Once the Seahawks do that, they can earn the right to snag a playmaker or two along the way.

Seattle Seahawks draft coverage

• Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: A ‘dominant’ guard from Ohio State
• Daniel Jeremiah: The ideal QB draft scenario for Seahawks
• Seahawks Draft Profile: Why Brock says ‘Draft Kelvin Banks’
• A surprise player who could fall to Seahawks at No. 18
• Seattle Seahawks GM: What QB Lock’s return means for draft plans

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