Seahawks could part with first-round pick for pass-rush help

With two top-20 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks are in good position to address perhaps their biggest area of need: pass rusher.

Should the Seahawks go a different direction with the sixth overall pick, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine makes the case they could use their second first-rounder (20th overall) to land a premier edge rusher like Jacksonville’s Josh Allen.

“The Seahawks could use one more pass-rusher to push the group into the elite category,” Ballentine wrote. 

“Josh Allen could be that missing piece. He's entering the final year of his contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's due $10.9 million. If the Jaguars aren't interested in giving him a long-term deal, they might be willing to part with him for a first-round pick …

"The defense has a stud at linebacker in Jordyn Brooks. Tariq Woolen looked like a star as a rookie, and Jamal Adams is a unique weapon at safety. Putting a deep and talented crew in front of them who can get after the quarterback is the recipe for an elite defense.”

The move would clear $10.9 million for Jacksonville, which is $21.8 million over the cap. It would also give the Jaguars the 20th and 25th overall picks, which they could use to draft Allen’s replacement on the edge and perhaps address their need in the secondary.

With $24.73 million in available cap space, Seattle has plenty of room to take on Allen’s contract while bolstering a pass-rush unit that ranked eighth in sacks (45) but didn’t really offer much outside of Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu.

Allen, 25, led the Jaguars with 77 pressures, 49 hurries, 21 hits and seven sacks, and he contributed 11 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He had more quarterback pressures, hits and hurries than anyone on Seattle’s roster.