Seahawks draft quarterback, add two Washington Huskies in Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock

Try out this Seahawks mock draft for size.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic just revealed his full seven-round mock draft, with predictions ranging from Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears to former Washington Huskies running back Dillon Johnson as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ as the 257th and final pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

We (usually speaking) just care about the Seattle Seahawks, so let’s see what Brugler has planned for Seattle’s class of 2024. As projected across the mock draft world, Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is the Seahawks’ huge first-round pick. The anticipation is that Fautanu, a tackle in college, will play inside to guard.

What about the rest of the draft? Well the Seahawks aren’t done picking ex-Huskies, and they will also go for a developmental quarterback of sorts. For each pick, I’ll also include an excerpt from Brugler’s 2024 NFL Draft Guide.

Round 1, Pick 16 – Troy Fautanu, G/T, Washington

With his lower-body agility and flexible hips/knees, Fautanu displays athletic muscle twitch in his pass sets and when pulling and locating in the run game. Although he needs to become more disciplined with his technique, he flashes violence with his hands and makes defenders feel it when he connects. Overall, Fautanu is explosive on the move and at contact with the foot quickness, body control and temperament to stack wins in both pass protection and as a run blocker in the NFL. While he has the talent to remain at tackle, his skill set also projects well to guard and center and he offers legitimate five-position potential at the next level.

Round 3, Pick 81: Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah.

Elliss, a long, hard-working pass rusher, with quick and instinctive initial motions as a two-way rusher who can fit, rework, and use his big hands. However, he relies on effort rather than sophisticated counters and does not always play big versus the run (he lacks the stature of his NFL father). Overall, Elliss is an inconsistent edge setter in the run game, but he is dangerous with his upfield burst/motor and skilled in the pass rush. It’s encouraging to think of what he could become with a full bag of counters. His pro potential is as an Alex Highsmith-type edge defender, but a high-end subpackage rusher is his more likely NFL projection.

Round 4, Pick 102: Cedric Gray, LB, North Carolina.

Gray’s lateral agility and pursuit talents give him excellent playing range to the perimeter as well as downhill acceleration. He was a tackling machine at UNC (the only Power 5 player to average double-digit tackles per game in both 2022 and 2023), but he lacks functional take-on strength and frequently gets caught or swallowed. Gray may not be excellent in any one area, but he is both athletic and aggressive, and he is always close to the football. He is projected as a rotational NFL linebacker and special teamer who will vie for starter reps as a rookie.

Round 4, Pick 118 – Dominique Hampton, S, Washington

Despite not always playing up to his freakshow combine numbers, he is a high-caliber athlete with the balance to break down in smaller spaces and the range to cover a lot of ground. He doesn’t allow his long arms to go to waste, using them to work off blocks and influence the catch point, although he accounted for just three turnovers (two interceptions, one forced fumble) in 57 career games. Overall, Hampton is undisciplined with his man coverage responsibilities, but he is an impressive size/speed athlete who diagnoses well from zone and is an explosive striker as a tackler. He projects as a team’s third safety who can impact all three levels of the field and contribute as a gunner/special-teams standout.

Round 6, Pick 179 – Keith Randolph, DT, Illinois

A basketball-focused athlete most of his life, he developed into a legitimate NFL prospect with the Illini despite a disappointing senior season as he battled through an ankle injury (his pressures dropped from 32 in 2022 to 13 in 2023). With functional size and quickness, Randolph plays with purpose and relies on his body control to slip gaps or battle through engagements. His upfield burst is average at best and he must continue to develop his pass rush instincts and counters. Overall, Randolph is missing an explosive element to his arsenal, but he maintains gap integrity with his ability to lock out, track and do his job in the run game. He projects as an NFL backup who offers scheme versatility and depth at multiple positions.

Round 6, Pick 192: Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State.

Travis is a tough, burly athlete with exceptional scrambling abilities and daring decision-making. Though he improved as a quarterback each season, his inefficiencies with placement and processing are evident on every clip. Overall, Travis is a competitive and inventive dual-threat quarterback, but his inconsistent play and average size/arm restrict his NFL potential. He is projected as a No. 2 or 3 option, most suited to a rhythm attack.

Round 7, Pick 235: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan.

Barner’s route acceleration allows him to poke holes in zones and appears to be comfortable collecting the ball outside of his frame (see 2023 Michigan State footage). As a blocker, he lacks the necessary mass and sustain strength, but he generates a surge at the point of attack and has the balance to be an efficient backside puller. Overall, Barner is too light to be an every-down Y tight end and lacks the experience of a playmaking receiver, but he is a strong athlete with pass-catching potential and the play style to handle run-blocking chores. He can add depth to an NFL squad as a flex tight end

I’d choose Utah safety Cole Bishop over Elliss in the third round, which would eliminate the need to draft Hampton in the following round. Jordan Travis’ draft value was undoubtedly impacted by his season-ending ruptured ACL, but he was unlikely to be drafted in the same class as Penix, Nix, and others. If the Seahawks do not go after any of the major quarterback names or Spencer Rattler (or Michael Pratt, I suppose) in Day 2, he could be worth taking a chance on.

Only one offensive lineman being drafted would bother me, but that OL has All-Pro potential, so I wouldn’t complain. Your mileage may vary. We all know. There’s little chance that any of these mocks will accurately predict what the Seahawks (or any team) will do, but that has never stopped us from reading and dissecting them!