2020 NFL Mock Draft: Dueling GMs mock sees Redskins make big move

Jacob: It is always so hard to figure out what the Seahawks are going to do at any given point in the draft. Pete Carroll and John Schneider have very specific traits they look for in prospects and they aren’t afraid to go after guys that aren’t necessarily considered to be first-rounders in the first round.

Just take a look at some of the guys they’ve drafted this decade in the first round; they’re few and far between because of the team’s penchant for trading early picks for proven veterans, but also few were projected to be first-round picks.

• 2019: EDGE L.J. Collier, TCU
• 2018: RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
• 2016: OT Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M
• 2012: DE/LB Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
• 2011: OL James Carpenter, Alabama

Of those draft picks, only Ifedi was considered to be a likely first-round pick in the lead up to the draft. Carpenter and Irvin both turned into capable pros, but they were considered reaches at the time. So too were Collier and Penny, but the jury is still out on them.

Anyway, with all that said, it’s going to be hard to figure out exactly what the Seahawks are going to do. They’re so unpredictable. But one of their clear needs is on the edge if Jadeveon Clowney doesn’t ultimately return to play for them. So, targeting Yetur Gross Matos would make sense.

Gross-Matos has enormous upside and potential. Though he’s still raw, he’s a great athlete who has totaled 17 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss during his collegiate career. He should be a first-round pick in a weaker edge rushing class. And while he may need time to develop into a full-time starter at the NFL level, he certainly has the traits that teams look for with his 6-foot-5, 266-pound frame, length, and athletic ability.

Gross-Matos seems like the kind of athletic playmaker on the defensive line that the Seahawks could covet. Maybe they’ll want him to bulk up a bit more, but he is a sensible option for the team.