National Football League

Seahawks start final day taking pair in 5th round

Published Apr. 30, 2016 4:43 p.m. ET

foxsports

RENTON, Wash. (AP) John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks continued to check off needs on the final day of the NFL draft.

Seattle selected Maryland defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and Arkansas running back Alex Collins with a pair of fifth-round picks on Saturday. The selections came after the Seahawks took a pair of offensive linemen, added depth at running back and tight end and found a run-stuffing defensive tackle that slipped to the middle of the second round during the first two days.

Seattle gave up a 2017 fourth-round pick to New England in order to obtain another fifth-round selection this year that it used to select Jefferson. Seattle still had three more picks remaining in the sixth and seventh rounds after picking Collins at No. 171 overall.

Seattle continued to buck previous trends by trading up in the fifth round to draft Jefferson, giving up a fourth-round pick in 2017 and a seventh-round pick this year in the trade with the Patriots. It was the first time in seven drafts under Schneider that the Seahawks traded up twice after moving up in the second round on Friday to take Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed.

Jefferson was an all-Big Ten honorable mention selection but projects as a versatile defensive line option for Seattle, especially in passing situations. Jefferson had 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks during his junior year at Maryland and said he can play both defensive end and defensive tackle.

The 22-year-old Jefferson already has three kids- a 5-year-old daughter and twin 21-month-old daughters - but said the plans for leaving after his junior year at Maryland and entering the draft were put in place before last season started.

''I think I am very disruptive inside, with the run and the pass. I feel like I can really get after it on third downs, kick inside on sub packages and rush the passer,'' Jefferson said. ''That's a premium in this league right now.''

Collins rushed for 1,577 yards and 20 touchdowns last season at Arkansas and topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his three seasons with the Razorbacks.

Seattle has drafted two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two running backs and a run-blocking tight end through the first five rounds, and may look at outside linebacker, safety and potentially a backup quarterback with its final three picks.

Seattle could still use additional depth on the line of scrimmage, an outside linebacker and potentially a backup quarterback.

---

Online:

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL