The Seattle Seahawks sit with just three draft picks entering the 2021 NFL Draft. Most of their draft capital went out the door with the Jamal Adams trade last offseason.
The swap for the All-Pro safety included the Seahawks' first and third-round picks in 2021.
Without a selection Thursday night, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said his team considers Adams its first-round pick.
"I would say, about the draft, our No. 1 pick is Jamal Adams, and that's a heck of a pick," Carroll said, via the team's official website. "He had a really good year leading into getting drafted by us No. 1, and it would have cost us another No. 1 to get that done, that incredible of a football player we saw last year, and we're really excited about the future too."
Adams doesn't come with the same roll-of-the-dice questions that accompany most draft picks, particularly as deep as Seattle had been slated to selected. However, he's also no longer on a bargain contract that accompanies rookies. Not only did the Seahawks shell out draft capital, but they'll also have to sign him long-term.
GM John Schneider offered no indication of contract talks at this stage or whether Adams is wary of playing on the fifth-year option. He did note, however, that Seattle still views the safety as a long-term piece of their defensive puzzle.
"Absolutely. We're going to be celebrating Jamal tomorrow evening," Schneider said Wednesday. "We want him to be a long time for sure. He's a great player. We're glad we made the trade to get him, and he's going to be a very important part of our future."
Given the uncertainty surrounding the 2021 draft evaluation process, if there were ever a season a club might not be so upset with having only three picks, it could be this year. Still, expect Schneider to make some moves during the draft to add more capital, even if the Seahawks are spectators Thursday night.
Want to create your own mock for the 2021 NFL Draft? Check outPFF's draft simulatorto play out countless scenarios for every team spanning all seven rounds.
