2024 NFL Draft, Full 3-round mock draft post-Combine: Vikings, Chiefs trade up
- Vikings trade up for a quarterback
- Chiefs get aggressive to draft a Combine standout
- Steelers fill holes in all three rounds
16. Seattle Seahawks: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
If there was a linebacker worth selecting in the first round, then the Seattle Seahawks would be a great candidate to take that plunge. This is a defense that’s set to lose Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush to free agency this offseason. Yes, some of them could return, but the depth is going to be tested and there is a clear space to upgrade there.
Unfortunately, this draft class is lacking a bit there, so instead, they look to build more up front on defense after a strong 2023 from Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu with a different type of player on the edge in Jared Verse.
At Florida State after transferring from Albany, Verse proved that he’s a refined and powerful edge rusher, but that did raise some questions about how he would test at the Combine. It turns out, he more than passed with strong explosiveness numbers and good mobility.
Verse’s power profile would pair nicely with what the Seahawks already have in place with Mafe and Nwosu and could really help Seattle under Mike Macdonald diversify their looks up front and create havoc routinely for years to come.