Mock Draft Roundup: Who will Seahawks take at No. 18?

Apr 13, 2025, 1:00 AM | Updated: 1:56 am

Seattle Sports

In less than two weeks, the Seattle Seahawks will be on the clock in the 2025 NFL Draft.

And with five picks in the top 100, it has the potential to be a transformative weekend for the franchise.

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Alabama’s ‘Swiss Army knife’ LB

Assuming they hold on to their first-round pick, what direction should the Seahawks go at No. 18 overall? Should they address their glaring needs along the interior offensive line right off the bat? Or with this year’s class considered to have good O-line depth, should they wait on the trenches and take a wide receiver with their top pick instead? Or what about adding another impact playmaker to Mike Macdonald’s defense?

There’s certainly no shortage of possibilities.

For our latest mock draft roundup, here’s a look at what 15 draft experts are projecting Seattle to do with its No. 18 overall pick. All of the mock drafts listed below were published within the past two weeks.

• Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/OG, Texas

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “Banks gave up three sacks over 42 career starts at left tackle for the Longhorns. He’s agile for 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, and he has some pop. The Seahawks have Charles Cross at left tackle, so Banks would help elsewhere on this lackluster offensive line. Right tackle Abraham Lucas has played in just 13 games over the past two seasons. The guard spots are both issues. Banks could fit in at any of those spots. New quarterback Sam Darnold ranked seventh in the NFL in QBR when he had a clean pocket in Minnesota last season (74.5). Facing pressure, he was 22nd (23.4). So it’s pretty clear Seattle has to address the pass protection to maximize the Darnold signing.”

• Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/OG, Texas

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso: “Banks is a premier pass-blocker who can begin his career at guard and kick out to tackle if either of Charles Cross or Abraham Lucas aren’t retained in coming years.”

• Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State

Pro Football Focus’ Mason Cameron: “Seattle is in serious need of an X receiver, but without one on the board in this range, they select a versatile option in Zabel to slot in anywhere on the interior of their porous offensive line that surrendered interior pressure at a bottom-five rate (16.9%) last season.”

• Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State

Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice: “I am drafting Zabel here to start at one of the Seahawks’ guard spots, since I see Olu Oluwatimi as a solid starter at center right now. For an offensive line that can never seem to stay healthy, Zabel’s versatility will allow the Seahawks to get their best five out there. Plus, his athleticism and easy moving ability are a great fit for the Seahawks’ zone- and boot-heavy scheme under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.”

• Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State

FOX Sports’ Rob Rang: “Similar to the Bengals a pick earlier, Seahawks GM John Schneider might see investing a first-round pick as the cheapest way to address the club’s much-maligned blocking. Zabel’s rare combination of size, athleticism and versatility make him a perfect fit in Seattle’s new wide-zone blocking scheme.”

• Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State

NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers: “Zabel is a multi-year starter with experience all across the offensive line. Adding a prospect of his caliber who can play either guard spot or center brings a massive upgrade to Seattle’s interior.”

• Grey Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State

USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: “With its evaluations on several free-agent options not resulting in any signings, Seattle’s problems along its interior line are as glaring as ever. John Schneider might be hard-pressed to use a premium pick on an area he has long resisted making a substantial investment in, but the smooth-moving Zabel would slot in as an enticing fit in new coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme.”

• Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner: “Booker’s not a perfect prospect. Scouts wanted to see more consistency from him as a junior, but they also understand that Booker’s been one of the SEC’s most physically impressive offensive linemen since the first game of his true freshman season. It feels like Seattle has been looking for a prospect like this for at least five years.”

• Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

NFL Network’s Rhett Lewis: “After investing in Sam Darnold during free agency, the Seahawks’ top priority should be enhancing the new quarterback’s comfortability. In a draft where many top offensive linemen are college tackles who project as NFL guards, Booker is a pure interior player who can provide what Seattle needs.”

• Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs: “The Seahawks’ offensive pivot needs at least one more piece to tie everything together. With so many middle-of-the-field winners in the wide receiver room, who is lifting the coverage? Matthew Golden can and would be a great different skill set to add to the mix.”

• Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher: “The Seahawks have the slowest wide receiver room in the NFL and desperately need to add another playmaker to their passing game. Matthew Golden doesn’t always play up to his 4.29 speed, but he could be a dynamic weapon who could play outside in Klint Kubiak’s offense.”

• Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: “Egbuka joins his former Ohio State teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njibga, and though he played primarily in the slot in college, Egbuka will be a playmaker on the perimeter if given the chance. In Round 2, I project the Seahawks to send 2025 and 2026 third-round picks to the Titans for the 35th (Round 2) and 141st (Round 5) picks this year. They use Pick No. 35 to grab quarterback Quinn Ewers, who would compete with Sam Darnold to be the long-term answer at the position.”

• Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards: “Mike Macdonald gets a versatile safety who he can use similar to how he used Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore. Nick Emmanwori is still a bit unrefined but there may not be a better athlete in this draft class.”

• Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman: “Seattle’s edge defenders ranked 23rd in PFF run-defense grade last season. While they acquired DeMarcus Lawrence on a sizable contract, the addition of Mykel Williams would further help that cause. Williams’ experience across multiple defensive line positions would also further allow Mike Macdonald to sustain creativity in his fronts.”

• Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson: “Hairston is comfortable in both zone and man schemes. He battled through midseason shoulder injury but he’s as tough as they come. A fluid mover at the top of the route, he can drive on balls in front of him. I get Devon Witherspoon vibes when I watch him.”