A closer look at the positions the Seattle Seahawks could target at the NFL combine in Indianapolis:

Positions of need: There are many. In fact, one could make a case that the Seahawks have varying degrees of need or potential need at as many position groups as they have areas that are currently solidified. Such is life for a team with 16 unrestricted free agents and uncertainty with several other starters. Defensive line tops the list of needs. Sheldon Richardson is a free agent, Michael Bennett is a candidate to be released and both Cliff Avril (neck) and last year's top pick, Malik McDowell (concussion), might never play again because of injuries. Strong safety and cornerback are two other positions that could be addressed, what with Kam Chancellor (neck) in danger of never playing again and Richard Sherman coming off a torn Achilles tendon, though Sherman has a good shot to be ready by Week 1. Seattle needs a starting strongside linebacker and depth at all three spots. On offense, left guard Luke Joeckel is the only starting lineman who isn't under contract, but Germain Ifedi struggled in his first season at right tackle, making those two spots potential needs. Seattle's top two tight ends, Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson, are both UFAs. Oh, and Seattle definitely needs a kicker to replace Blair Walsh.

Three players the Seahawks should focus on at the combine:

Harold Landry, OLB/DE, Boston College: Landry led the nation in sacks with 16.5 to go along with 22 tackles for loss as a junior in 2016, but his numbers dipped last season (five sacks, 8.5 TFL), as he was limited to eight games because of an ankle injury. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rates Landry as the No. 1 outside linebacker in this year's NFL draft and the 25th-best prospect overall. He notes that at 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, Landry also could play defensive end in a 4-3 front. That versatility could appeal to a team like the Seahawks, who run a 4-3 and have needs at both positions. When he was with Seattle, Bruce Irvin played strongside linebacker on early downs and then put his hand in the dirt and rushed off the edge in passing situations. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com lists Irvin as an NFL comparison for Landry. Kiper doesn't have Landry going in the first round in his latest mock draft.

Geron Christian, OT, Louisville: The Seahawks could and arguably should move Ifedi back to guard, where he started as a rookie. That would open up the right tackle spot. Christian (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) played both left and right tackle while starting 39 games over his three seasons at Louisville. Kiper says that Christian, a stud basketball player in high school, is "going to be a riser after he shows his athleticism in drills" at the combine. Kiper rates Christian as the fifth-best tackle prospect but has him as the third tackle off the board in his latest mock draft, projecting him to go to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 30. So it seems conceivable that Christian could be available to the Seahawks, even if they trade back from No. 18.

Durham Smythe, TE, Notre Dame: Smythe's receiving totals won't impress you. In fact, his 24 catches for 356 yards and five touchdowns in his two seasons as a starter are pretty underwhelming. But Smythe (Kiper's No. 9-ranked tight end) is known as a strong blocker, something the Seahawks could use as they try to reverse the two-year decline in a running game that once was the strength of their offense. It's not something they had with Graham, even though he improved in that regard over his three seasons in Seattle. Zierlein writes that Smythe "plays like an offensive lineman" and that his "particular talent as a run-blocker should create an opportunity to become a solid starter for years to come."