Seahawks Should Target Penn State's Yetur Gross-Matos as NFL Draft Replacement for Jadeveon Clowney

It's no secret that the Seattle Seahawks are in need of an edge rusher. Re-signing Jadeveon Clowney looked like the obvious call, but his reported asking price has proven to be a bridge too far, considering the team's current salary cap situation.

Fortunately, it's not all doom and gloom for the Hawks. They have the 27th overall pick in the NFL Draft, and they can use that pick an ideal Clowney successor: Yetur Gross-Matos of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Seahawks currently have an aging Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa as the their starting defensive ends. Assuming Clowney ends up gone, Seattle clearly needs to utilize their first-round pick on an a sack artist that can hassle every last QB. Yes, they did swing-and-miss on LJ Collier last year, but Gross-Matos is different.

The PSU stud is known for being a lengthy defender that uses his athleticism to work his way around offensive tackles. While he's still relatively raw, he can learn a ton from head coach Pete Carroll who helped build up the vaunted Legion of Boom and successive years of star-studded defenses that eventually reached the NFL mountaintop.

Gross-Matos' pro comparisons are tempting as well. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared him to retired Buffalo Bills edge man Aaron Schobel, while the Draft Network proposed Pro Bowler Carlos Dunlap as an NFL comp.

In his three seasons at Penn State, Gross-Matos recorded 111 tackles (36.5 for loss), nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Even though some experts project Gross-Matos to drop into the second round, the Seahawks can't afford to roll the dice and wait. If he's on the board, he needs to be their guy. With Clowney taking his sweet time making his free agent decision, Seattle should take matters into their own hands in the draft.