Peter King released his 2011 NFL mock draft on Tuesday and it may make more logical sense than many I’ve seen this year, at least when it comes to the Seattle Seahawks. We’ve seen almost every name under the sun projected to be the No. 25 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, from Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett to Mike Pouncey. But King came up with an intriguing name for Seattle, and one that would fill an immediate need for the Seahawks.
The pick, according to King, is North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin. King says the Seahawks should pick Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt, but will pick Austin. However, King adds the Seahawks are trying to get out of the first round and are dangling the pick as trade-bait in the days leading up to the draft.
No team wants to trade down more than Seattle, which has seven big holes to fill, including two at guard and one at tackle, and that’s before we even get to quarterback. The Seahawks will probably lose Matt Hasselbeck to free agency, but I don’t see them taking a passer in the first two rounds unless they trade down. They’re willing to go with Charlie Whitehurst and a vet in ’11, while Austin, a penetrating DT, fortifies another need position.
King appears to be almost dead-on here as his words have gained traction recently. We’ve been hearing the Seahawks are looking to dump the pick and do damage in the middle rounds, though nobody has taken a bite so far. We’ve also seen Austin’s name floated for the first time in a few different reputable mock drafts, leading credence to King’s assertion the Seahawks will pick him.
You can find King’s full mock draft here or in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated. For more on the draft, check out the rest of our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream.