Draft Wire mocks first round TE ‘Baby Gronk’ to Seahawks

A full eleven weeks remain until the 2023 NFL Draft will take place in Kansas City in late April, but there has been no shortage of coverage and mock drafts. This in spite of the fact that three weeks remain before the Combine in Indianapolis, but for fans of the Seattle Seahawks, who hold four of the first 52 selections in the draft, the optimism for how the team will deploy its draft capital is high.

In a recently released three round mock draft from Luke Easterling of Draft Wire, the Seahawks selected some names that would leave fans scratching their head. Here are the five Seattle picks in Easterling’s mock:

• 1.5: EDGE Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech
• 1.20: TE Michael Mayer of Notre Dame
• 2.37: CB Clark Phillips of Utah
• 2.52: WR Josh Downs of North Carolina
• 3.83: C Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin

Wilson is a name that many have connected to Seattle at the fifth overall pick, but with the trio of Will Dissly, Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson all under contract for 2023, the selection of Mayer, known as ‘Baby Gronk’ in college, with the second first round pick is interesting. That is not to say the team wouldn’t make the pick, as Mayer is expected to be the type of player who can contribute as both a blocker and a receiver, but such a selection would likely come in conjunction with another move at the position as well.

The pair of second round selections are interesting. Phillips is a quality cornerback, but there is no need to go in depth on the track record, or lack there of, when it comes to Pete Carroll and John Schneider selecting a cornerback that early. Downs is interesting for another reason, as one of the most common NFL players to whom he is comped is Tyler Lockett, for a variety of reasons.

And when it comes to the selection of Tippmann in the third round, the biggest complaint from fans there would likely be that the team waited until the third round to address the interior of the offensive line.