Mel Kiper Mock Draft Has Seahawks Taking Hendon Hooker In Round 1

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

There are a lot of thoughts about what the Seahawks could do in this year’s NFL Draft, starting with the 5th overall selection.

750 The Game’s Judah Newby has planted his flag with Anthony Richardson, the rising QB prospect from Florida.

“I’ll put it this way,” he said. “I don’t have much hair. But that I do have will be pulled out of my skull if he’s available at five and Seattle doesn’t take him. I will lose it.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. just released his latest mock draft and he has Richardson off the board at No. 3, with the Titans making a surprising trade with Arizona to take him there. With Bryce Young and CJ Stroud off the board at picks one and two, respectively, Kiper then makes it four QBs in a row with Indianapolis taking Will Levis from Kentucky at No. 4.

That would set up the Seahawks at No. 5 with the defensive player of their choice. Kiper has them going with Georgia defensive tackle, Jalen Carter, thereby passing up Alabama’s Will Anderson, Jr.

But perhaps the biggest buzzworthy take from Kiper is what happens later in the first round. Kiper has Seattle taking Clemson edge Myles Murphy with their natural first-round selection at No. 20 overall, but then getting a third first-round pick by trading back up with Philadelphia at No. 30.

And with that 30th overall selection? Kiper says this is where Seattle gets its QB of the future: Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker.

“There’s some buzz about Hooker rising into the first round and this could be the perfect landing spot,” says Kiper. “I have a second-round grade on him, but I can see why he might be appealing. He led the FBS in Total QBR (89.5) and yards per attempt (9.5) last season, and he threw just five picks over two seasons at Tennessee.”

But there are some obvious negatives. Hooker is coming off of a torn ACL in November. He was so good at evading the rush in college and either running the football or getting out and making a play outside of the pocket. Will the torn ACL affect that? And, Hooker is already 25 years old. That is concerning for a first-round pick.

The Seahawks have a good young roster with a lot of draft picks, but you could argue they need a quarterback of the future beyond Geno Smith. Will they address that need this year? Next year? Time will tell.

The NFL starts April 27th, and it can’t come quick enough.

@steven_von