Under new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, the Ravens had the best defensive unit in the NFL this past season. The main reason they were so successful was a dominant pass rush, as Baltimore led the league in sacks. While Seattle didn’t have a bad pass rush by any means, there’s still a lot of room to improve to catch up with teams like the 49ers. Upgrading in this department should be one of the top priorities for the front office this year.

There are a few different ways they can do that. For one, Macdonald’s schematic innovations will have to account for at least some of the improvement. Getting better pass rushers will also have to be part of the equation. In our 10-point blueprint for the offseason we wanted the Seahawks to target former Ravens edges Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy in free agency.

While we still like that idea – especially considering how much they cost Baltimore in 2023 – there’s also a case to continue the team’s ongoing youth movement on defense at key positions like edge rather than signing veterans.

With that thought in mind, we went into our latest mock draft looking to boost the edge rush rotation as much as possible…

Pick No. 16: Trade down with Dolphins

Before we began to address the outside linebacker rotation, we set out to get back the second-round pick that the Seahawks lost to the Giants in the Leonard Williams trade. So, when we are on the clock at 16 and the Dolphins offered pick Nos. 21 and 55 in exchange, we gladly accepted.

Pick No. 21: Florida State EDGE Jared Verse

After trading down the plan was to take the best pass rusher available, regardless of position. Fortunately, one of the top edge prospects in the class was still on the board. That would be Florida State star Jared Verse (6-foot-4, 260 pounds). In just 25 games with the Seminoles he’s already totaled 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for a loss.

Pick No. 55: Washington EDGE Bralen Trice

Once we were back on the clock in the second round another name quickly jumped out – that of Washington edge Bralen Trice, who also checks in at exactly 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. His production as a pass rusher is equally impressive, as well. Trice has appeared in 34 games for the Huskies, racking up 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for a loss.

Pick No. 76: Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk

In Round 3 our plan was to take the top wide receiver available – all the better if he already knows offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s system. Washington was loaded at wideout this year and may see three receiver prospects drafted before Day 3. The Seahawks won’t get projected top-10 pick Rome Odunze, but they should have a chance to draft Jalen McMillan or Ja’Lynn Polk (6-foot-2, 190 pounds). Polk is coming off a breakout 2023 season, having posted 69 catches, 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns.

Pick No. 78: Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott

We didn’t go into this particular mock draft planning to take a tight end, but when we saw Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott (6-foot-4, 245 pounds) was still available this late we couldn’t resist. Originally Sinnott was a fullback, but since switching to tight end he’s dominated as a pass catcher, totaling over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two years.

Pick No. 118: Boston College G Christian Mahogany

One position Seattle will definitely have to address in the draft this year is guard. Here we landed one of the most-promising prospects at the position with Christian Mahogany (6-foot-3, 322 pounds) from Boston College. For what it’s worth, Mahogany earned high grades from PFF for his pass blocking (82.2) and run blocking (74.5) this season. Most of his experience is at right guard but he does have some at right tackle, which could come in handy given the chronic knee injury for Abe Lucas.

Pick No. 150: Washington RB Dillon Johnson

Running back probably won’t be high a priority in this draft. However, head coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear he wants to improve the run game and it could be useful to have one on the roster who knows what Ryan Grubb wants. Washinton’s Dillon Johnson (6-foot-0, 215 pounds) had a sensational season in 2023 as a rusher, totaling almost 1,200 yards (673 after contact) on the ground and 16 touchdowns. Johnson has also been productive as a receiver, totaling over 1,000 yards in college including his three years at Mississippi State.

Pick No. 193: UCF CB Decorian Patterson

Another position where the Seahawks are loaded is cornerback, but it never hurts to keep building on a roster strength – especially at a premium position. Adding some corner depth on Day 3 makes sense, so here we picked UCF’s Decorian Patterson (6-foot-0, 191 pounds). Patterson posted seven interceptions in his last year at Middle Tennessee State and 31 pass breakups all together in 60 college games. Patterson also has experience at safety.

Pick No. 232: Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs

With our final pick we decided to add more depth to the interior defensive line rotation with Jowon Briggs (6-foot-1, 310 pounds). Between two seasons at Virginia and three at Cincinnati, Briggs racked up 12 sacks, 21.5 tackles for a loss and 169 total tackles.

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Story originally appeared on Seahawks Wire