National Football League

Seattle Seahawks draft preview: Time to restock for NFC champs

Published Apr. 24, 2015 11:21 a.m. ET

Ross Jones

The Seattle Seahawks hold the No. 63 overall pick in the NFL Draft. In our 32-team preview series, FOXSports.com takes a look at their roster post-free agency and delivers a plan of attack for the last day in April.

The Seattle Seahawks haven't made a first-round pick since 2012. Unless they package up picks and/or players, they'll have to wait another year. Don't expect them to do so, however.

Trading for tight end Jimmy Graham, the Seahawks sent Pro Bowl center Max Unger and their first-rounder to the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason. It's not like Seattle will miss the pick, though.

General manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll built a perennial Super Bowl contender by acquiring overlooked talent. Pillars of the program such as quarterback Russell Wilson, cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor have all been selected in Rounds 3 or later. If anything, fielding players with chips on their shoulders only adds to the culture of competition Carroll has encouraged during his six-year tenure.

The Seahawks, however, are encountering an offseason of change. Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn accepted the head-coaching job in Atlanta. Former linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. took the defensive coordinator position in Oakland. Aside for the coaching changes, Seattle also lost some contributors in free agency. Guard James Carpenter, cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Malcolm Smith each participated as starters last season. Defensive end O'Brien Schofield and safety Jeron Johnson had roles on the team, too.

The Seahawks have 11 picks -- a second-rounder, third-rounder, three fourth-rounders, two fifth-rounders, three sixth-rounders and a seventh-rounder -- in this year's draft to supplement the departures of those players.

With quarterback Russell Wilson set to receive a large bump in pay, it's likely that the team allows offensive tackle Russell Okung, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and potentially outside linebacker Bruce Irvin to test free agency next offseason. Perhaps, Schneider and Carroll look to stock the cupboard full of talent.

Positions of need: CB, OT, WR

Three options to consider at No. 63

Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State: A year after spending a second-round pick on Missouri's Justin Britt, Seattle could go back to the well to find another bookend offensive tackle. Sambrailo, a 6-foot-6, 311-pound lineman, showed versatility by playing four of the five positions up front during his time in Fort Collins.

Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan: A 6-foot-4, 232-pound target for Wilson would certainly be the luxury. Funchess offers a big strike zone, but some question his long speed after he ran a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis. Combine Funchess with Graham on the same field and Seattle has an imposing red-zone threat -- other than Marshawn Lynch, of course.

Josh Shaw, CB, USC: Would Carroll take a chance on a former Trojan with towering upside? Shaw, a six-foot, 201-pound defensive back, will only get better with good coaching. Though Shaw is a bit raw, he has added value because he played both cornerback and safety at USC. Seattle does love those big DBs.