Mock Draft: The Ringer has Seahawks taking Jalen Carter, Anthony Richardson

Feb 3, 2023 - 9:54 PM

Our numbers indicate that, at least for this particular offseason, Seattle Seahawks fans and Field Gulls followers love mock drafts. We’re going to have plenty of mock drafts either by ourselves or other major NFL sites over the next couple of months until the night of April 27th, when Round 1 of the draft kicks off in Kansas City.

On this Friday afternoon we’re taking you to The Ringer, which just launched its draft guide earlier in the week. Some fella named Danny Kelly, whom I’m told ran Field Gulls once upon a time, is the man in charge of this version 2.2 mock draft.

Danny’s mock draft has Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers in a trade up to #1), C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans), and Will Levis (Indianapolis Colts at #4) all off the board early. Where does that leave the Seahawks at #5? He believes they’re going with defense and the consensus best defensive player in the draft.

Seattle Seahawks - Jalen Carter, Interior Defensive Lineman, Georgia

With an early run on quarterbacks, the Seahawks land one of the best all-around players in the draft here in Carter. The former Bulldogs star provides a potentially massive boost for a defense that badly needs more impact players.

Shades Of Fletcher Cox

Interior penetrator who combines bulldozer power with shockingly nimble feet; he consistently forklifts offensive linemen and wrecks pockets.

Seattle’s defensive line has... not been the best over the past few seasons, and there will surely be efforts to retool this unit. The run defense woes seem more schematic than anything considering this was a much better run-stopping group last season, but the pass rush woes I believe are a long-time problem that talent is required to fix.

Now the fun part of Danny’s mock draft is #20. Three QBs already off the board and there’s expectation Seattle might/should go defense-defense in Round 1. Not so fast! Danny’s got the Seahawks taking Anthony Richardson, even if Geno Smith stays.

Seattle Seahawks - Anthony Richardson, Quarterback, Florida

It looks like the Seahawks will do whatever they can to re-sign Geno Smith, but that doesn’t totally preclude them from taking a quarterback. Richardson has some incredible tools and flashes high-level passing traits. But with a limited number of starts under his belt, he could use some time to develop—and doing it behind a veteran like Smith could be the perfect situation.

Shades Of Justin Fields

Big, ultra-athletic signal-caller with a strong arm and total-package traits—but limited starting experience.

Richardson might be the most raw prospect out of the projected first-round quarterbacks. He’s athletic, mobile, has a big arm, but didn’t have a lot of starting time in college and his decision-making in passing situations (coupled with inconsistent accuracy) make him someone who is not likely to be a Day 1 starter. But if you’re a believer that Richardson with pro coaching and a good offensive system can transform into a long-term franchise QB, then he might be your guy!

I gotta admit, I think shades of Cam Newton makes more sense than Justin Fields, particularly the physical stature of both Cam and Richardson. Of course, Newton was legendary in his lone season at Auburn, winning the Heisman and a national title, whereas Richardson was on a team that never had that sort of quality.

Anyway, Danny’s got the Seahawks going SEC-heavy and addressing both sides of the ball in Round 1. More mock drafts to come in the weeks to come!