The current NFL draft has been around for so long that there's a tendency to consider it the only possible model for the allotment of new players. Of course, that's not true. Before 1936, all players were free agents. They could sign anywhere. The draft came into existence in part to level the playing field between rich and poor teams.
Neither was the form of the draft itself etched in stone. The NFL could have adopted a territorial model. This would have made players available to the Seattle Seahawks and other teams based on where the player lived.
In order to drum up support in local markets, NFL rival leagues like the American Football Conference and the United States Football League employed drafts with a regional component.
The NFL may not do that, but today we will. This week's mock draft will focus on players with a Washington state affiliation. We will restrict ourselves to players who either played college or high school ball somewhere in the state.
We are a little bit lucky this year. There are not all that many prospects likely to be selected this season from the Evergreen State.
Though the Seahawks did send scouts to watch as many as 30 hopefuls from Washington State and Eastern Washington at recent Pro Days, most of those players are considered more likely to wind up as undrafted free agents who any team can sign after the seven rounds of the draft.
With just four picks this year, John Schneider does not need to find a lot of players. He just needs to make sure the ones he does find offer quality. Fortunately, this is possible this year, even if we restrict ourselves based on geography.
The first player with local roots who will be drafted this season will be Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane. The Graham-Kapowsin grad will be off the board before the Seahawks pick comes at the end of the first round. They could turn to another Washington native, Denzel Boston, from South Hill. He played four years at the University of Washington.
The 6'4", 212-pounder poses serious matchup problems for smaller cornerbacks. Over his final two years with the Huskies, he was the model of consistency, catching 125 balls for more than 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He is not going to run past NFL corners, but his size and strong hands allow him to win in contested catch situations. He also uses his size well when called on to block, something that is crucial for Seahawks receivers.
Seattle's top four receivers are set, and they do not need another in round one. But Boston is the best local product on the board at this point, and Cooper Kupp's days are numbered. Boston would join Tory Horton to give Seattle a couple of physically gifted young wideouts to support Jaxon Smith-Njigba .
We aren't going to get a true picture of Seattle's backfield situation for a long time - perhaps not until the 2026 season is underway. I would prefer to find a back who could at least mimic the speed and explosiveness that the Seahawks got from Kenneth Walker III last year, but those backs are few and far between.
If Zach Charbonnet is healthy, Brian Fleury will have several tough between-the-tackles runners with whom he can control the ball.
But Charbonnet's injury is tricky. Running backs may come back from an ACL in less than a year, but it can often take another season before they regain their form. Drafting Coleman helps guard against a slow return from Charbonnet. He is a powerful runner who can get tough yards. He is good at moving the chains and finding the end zone.
And he does a lot of the little things very well. He is a fine receiver, a good blocker, and he never fumbles. Coleman has a role on the team regardless of Charbonnet's status, and it becomes a much larger one if Charbonnet's return is delayed.
What do you do when you lose a tall, fast perimeter corner like Riq Woolen to free agency? One option is to go get a very similar player. The 6'4" Davis was hurt in his only season with the Huskies, but he still showed off his skills with a couple of interceptions and solid coverage through seven games.
Like Jonah Coleman, Davis followed coach Jedd Frisch from Arizona . His last season in Tucson showed a complete player who was strong against the run in addition to being a very good perimeter corner.
In case you thought one tall cornerback would not be enough to replace Riq Woolen, we're going to get two. Prysock matches Davis in the athletic department, having surprising speed and agility for such a tall corner.
He may not be as effective a tackler as Davis, which is one reason such a gifted athlete could fall in the draft. His coverage technique is not as polished either.
But both issues are correctable, and a team like Seattle, with its dynamic secondary, is just the place for a young prospect to learn and grow. Davis and Prysock followed the same road from Arizona to Washington in their college careers, and our new mock has them sticking together, trying to play their way into the Dark Side secondary.
This article was originally published on www.12thmanrising.com as Seahawks mock draft leans into a bold homegrown team-building plan .
