The Seattle Seahawks were projected to take Kansas State cornerback Julian Neal at No. 96 in the NFL Stock Exchange’s Day 2 mock draft, with Iowa guard Gennings Dunker going at No. 64. The projection gave Seattle a possible answer for cornerback depth behind Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe.
Neal was not the only player the Seahawks were tied to on Day 2, but his fit was the cleaner one. The mock draft still had Texas Tech edge rusher Romello Height on the board at No. 96, even as the Seahawks were described as needing help rushing the passer and replacing Boye Mafe’s speed-rush style in the rotation.
That is what made the pick matter in the mock. Seattle’s secondary has obvious names at the top, but the defense also has to survive the stretch of a season, and Neal was framed as someone who could help with that. At the same time, the pass rush remains a separate problem after the loss of Mafe, and the mock draft did not pretend one prospect would solve both issues.
The tension for Seattle is simple: the team has to decide whether to spend draft capital on immediate cornerback depth or lean harder into finding another burst rusher. The Day 2 projection chose Neal at No. 96, but the board still suggested the Seahawks may have multiple needs pressing at once.
