Seattle Seahawks: 5 Biggest needs to address in 2020 NFL Draft
By Samuel Teets
Even after an 11-5 season, the Seattle Seahawks still have plenty of holes to fill. The team needs some immediate help from the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Seattle Seahawks own six selections in the 2020 NFL Draft. The team picks at 27th overall, the same as they did in 2018, and holds two picks in the second round. With three picks in the first 64 selections, the Seahawks need some instant impact players.
While the Seahawks went 11-5 in 2019 and made it to the Divisional Round, the team still needs a lot of help. Besides not looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, Seattle will lose several starters and rotational players in free agency. With key contracts expiring in 2021, the team’s window of opportunity could come crashing down soon.
Seattle should address positions where depth and offseason turnover pose issues with their limited selections in the 2020 NFL Draft. While the team may not land a superstar, at least they can fill season-threatening holes.
5. Interior offensive line
The Seahawks rely on Russell Wilson‘s Houdini-esque scrambling to make up for the team’s lackluster offensive line. Only left tackle Duane Brown, who the Seahawks traded for in the middle of the 2017 season, brings some stability to the unit. The other linemen are mostly interchangeable, as Seattle showed when they replaced J.R. Sweezy with Mike Iupati for the past season.
Seattle could lose several important interior linemen this spring. Iupati, who started 15 games for the Seahawks in 2019, will enter free agency again. The team’s backup center, Joey Hunt, also needs a new contract. Hunt started eight games in place of the injured Justin Britt this past season.
Pete Carroll’s squad should look toward the future as well. Britt’s current contract ends after the 2020 season. D.J. Fluker, the team’s starting right guard, also enters free agency after this coming season. Even the extremely underwhelming Ethan Pocic needs a new deal if he wants to stay with the Seahawks after 2020.
The best offensive linemen in the draft all play at the tackle positions, which means the Seahawks should get a clear shot at any guards they like in the first or possibly even the second round.