Seahawks Drafting DE Gross-Matos Could Be The End For Clowney

• Gross-Matos has -190 odds of being drafted under the 27th pick owned by the Seahawks.
• The Seattle Seahawks are favored to take a defensive player with their first-round pick.
• The Cowboys and Vikings have also showed heavy interest in Gross-Matos.

SEATTLE — The NFL Draft begins on Thursday and teams are likely finalizing their draft boards and preparing for the first ever virtual draft. One of the most talked-about prospects leading up to the draft has been Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos who has had one of the more triumphant paths to the NFL.

Gross-Matos has made it this far after experiencing a childhood where his father died in a boating accident and his brother was struck by lightning strike years later. Despite the hardships he faced he now finds himself almost a lock to go in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Coming off one of his most productive seasons for the Nittany Lions Gross-Matos recorded 40 total tackles including 9.5 sacks in his junior year. The 6 foot 5-inch defensive end’s athleticism and length has caught the eye of scouts for quite a few teams.

Among those teams vying for the services of Gross-Matos is the Seattle Seahawks who have the 27th pick in the draft.

Sportsbooks see a potential union as the defensive lineman’s draft odds have him favored at to go at or before the 27th pick with -190 odds. If betting on Gross-Matos to be a second-round pick, take the +145 odds for him to go Over pick 27. The Seahawks have a clear need at defensive end as they look to replace Jadeveon Clowney who remains a free agent.

The Seahawks have not closed the door on resigning the former No. 1 overall pick that they received in a trade with the Houston Texans last season.

“We made an effort to re-sign him,” said John Schneider, the Seahawks general manager. “The door is not closed, but we couldn’t wait any longer, we had to conduct business. Everything was very cordial, he’s a great guy, represented by a great guy. We’ve had great conversations. He’s just going to feel his way through this odd process, and we’ll see where that goes.”

Since the market for Gross-Matos seems to be heating up as the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings have shown heavy interest in the prospect as well. Nonetheless, the Seahawks may have to trade up to get the defensive end as the Cowboys have the 17th pick and the Vikings own the 25th selection.

If Gross-Matos is on the board when the Seahawks make their selection it's likely that Seattle will be his new home and Clowney would likely be on the outside looking in. However, Clowney resigning with the Seahawks cannot be ruled out.

“We’ll see if (Clowney) comes back around,’’ said Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. “We don’t know. We’ll find out in time. We’ll see where he is when he’s ready to make a decision.’’

Either way, the odds say the Seattle Seahawks will be taking a defensive player with their first round pick.

Winner: Defensive Player (-175). Although the offensive line is one of the biggest needs on the Seahawks, the team has glaring holes on defense. The -175 odds should be taken with confidence especially with the plethora of talent that can be found later in the draft on the defensive side of the ball. Replacing Jadeveon Clowney could be what this pick is used for but the Seahawks also need help in their secondary.