Seattle Seahawks: Final 7-round 2019 NFL mock draft after Frank Clark trade
Round 1, Pick 21: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, DB, Florida
Remember when the Seattle Seahawks secondary was the unquestioned strength of their roster? Those days have since passed and the new-look group on the back end has few familiar faces. Richard Sherman is in San Francisco, Kam Chancellor is retired and Earl Thomas is now with the Ravens. And the new faces haven’t exactly proven themselves to this point, even if they’ve shown flashes.
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At safety, it would be the duo of Bradley McDougald and Tedric Thompson starting if the season began prior to the 2019 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the starting cornerbacks would likely be Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers. Again, these players have all flashed ability to contribute in a positive way, but they have not shown they can be consistently relied upon.
With no edge rushers available that wouldn’t be a reach to take at No. 21 in this simulation, the Seahawks instead address the issues in the secondary by taking Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The Florida Gators product is one of the most — if not the absolute most — versatile defensive backs in the draft class, having lined up in the slot, at corner and at safety throughout his time in Gainesville.
In his final season with Florida, Gardner-Johnson took a tremendous leap forward in terms of his discipline and general IQ on the back-end of the defense. Adding him to this Seahawks secondary would give Pete Carroll’s team a movable chess piece that can contribute immediately and boost the overall quality of a group that was once the team’s brightest spot.