Seahawks’ 2023 draft class earns high marks from draft analysts
The 2012 Russell Wilson-Bobby Wagner-Bruce Irvin Seahawks draft class famously fed off some of the poor grades received from NFL draft analysts and pundits.
The 2023 Seahawks draft class will have no such collective chip on its shoulder.
As the dust began to settle Sunday on the draft, the Seahawks’ 10-man class was graded as highly as any in the league.
A review of more than a dozen draft grades Sunday didn’t find anything lower than a B for the Seahawks, with the only dissenting word focusing on their choice of running back Zach Charbonnet in the second round. That’s not because of Charbonnet but because of the increasingly heated debate over using high picks on running backs.
Of course, that the Seahawks had two of the top-20 picks and four of the top 52 means there was a lot of draft capital to work with and increased the odds greatly of the class looking good. The general consensus seems to be that they didn’t blow it.
Of course, we’ll find out for sure in two to three years — or maybe sooner, as happened with the class of 2012, and last year’s, which also received high marks and immediately began living up to them.
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Here’s a look at some of what was said (with some comments edited for brevity).
Grade: A.
Kiper’s comments: “I really liked Seattle’s 2022 class and gave it a B+ last April, adding that “it’s not quite an A because the quarterback issue could linger into 2023.” Well, if I were doing a regrade, it’d have to be an A+, right?
“A year later, all the Seahawks had coming into this draft was … four more picks in the first two rounds, thanks to the last of the Russell Wilson trade haul. They hit a home run in Round 1 with cornerback Devon Witherspoon (5) and wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba (20), both of whom fill an immediate need. They’re going to make an early impact. Seattle landed two of my top 14 prospects.
“I’m more down on the value of the Seahawks’ two second-round picks, though, as I wrote Friday night. Edge rusher Derick Hall (37) had 16 sacks over the past two seasons, but he went over a couple of other better pass-rushers. And they had bigger needs to fill when they took running back Zach Charbonnet (57). There was a run on defensive tackles in Day 2, and I was surprised Seattle didn’t jump on one instead of taking a second-round running back in back-to-back drafts. In fact, after Pete Carroll & Co. added Kenny McIntosh (237), they have now selected 11 backs in the past 10 drafts, most in the NFL.
“This team made a surprise playoff run in 2022, and after it snagged two rookie starters in Round 1, it is primed to compete again in the NFC. While I didn’t love the two running back picks, I’m having a hard time downgrading the rest of this class much. Plus, maybe I owe general manager John Schneider an A after not giving him one last year.”
Comment: As noted, Polian called the Seahawks one of the four teams with the most impressive draft classes.
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Here’s some of what Polian wrote:
“The Seattle Seahawks maneuvered around and made good picks, as they almost always do. They’ve been a contending team for a long time, and that’s not an accident. Executive vice president and general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll did a terrific job, starting at No. 5 overall with Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who was a really good pick.
“Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who went at No. 20 had a hamstring issue during the 2022 season, but that is going to clear up, and when it does, he’s going to be a really good receiver.’’
“In the second round, they made two excellent picks. Derick Hall of Auburn is a name not a lot of people know, but he is an explosive straight-line edge rusher. The Seahawks, who took him six picks into the second round, will utilize him in the nine technique in their defense.
Grade: A.
Kelly’s comment: “The Seahawks had one of my favorite Round 1 hauls in Illinois corner Devon Witherspoon and Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, both of whom should be early contributors and big-impact playmakers. Seattle then did that thing they tend to do and took a probably-too-early running back in Zach Charbonnet in the second round, but overall, the rest of their class filled out nicely. They added a high-intensity edge rusher in Auburn’s Derick Hall, potential future starters on the interior offensive line in LSU’s Anthony Bradford and Michigan’s Olusegun Oluwatimi, and grabbed rotational interior defensive linemen in Mississippi State’s Cameron Young and Michigan’s Mike Morris. They picked Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh in the seventh round for good measure, filling out their running back room with a quality pass-catcher out of the backfield. All in all this looks like a group of players who should see the field for Seattle sooner than later. “
Grade: A-minus.
Reuter’s comments: “Seattle did a nice job on Day 1, using the No. 5 overall pick — acquired from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade — on the feisty Witherspoon and staying put at 20th overall to select Smith-Njigba, the top receiver in the draft. Hall is a gamer who should help the team’s edge depth, and Charbonnet is a power back with some wiggle, though using second-round picks at that position in consecutive years is unusual.
“I love Bradford’s power at guard, as well as Young’s ability to hold the line of scrimmage at nose tackle. Oluwatimi is another strong interior blocker who was a better value than many pivots selected before him. Seattle likes powerful edge rushers like Morris, even if he is not a quick-twitch athlete. McIntosh is a good seventh-round pick despite his lack of elite speed.”
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Grade: Rated second of all 32 classes with an A.
Davis’ Comment: “Seemed they continued to make the most of what increasingly looks like a lopsided trade of former QB Russell Wilson to Denver last year. First-round CB Devon Witherspoon and second-round pass rusher Derick Hall are direct byproducts of the megadeal and should fortify a 26th-ranked defense. Offensively, Seattle obtained Round 1 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Round 2 RB Zach Charbonnet with its own capital. And even if those two seem a bit redundant for a team that already had plenty of firepower, you can’t argue with the quality — a team that appears it might be one of the top four in the NFC now scarily deep. On the value side, keep tabs on fifth-round DE Mike Morris.”
Grade: B-plus.
Iyer’s comment: “The Seahawks filled some key defensive needs vs. pass with Witherspoon to complement Tariq Woolen and Hall to add rushing juice to newcomer Dre’Mont Jones. Smith-Njigba and Charbonnet were ideal depth pieces to make their offense more dangerous overall. Everything else was more like their typical deep digging with John Schneider and Pete Carroll.”
Grade: B-plus.
Comment: “For a second straight season, it appears Seattle drafted a handful of difference-makers to improve their roster. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon plays fast and physical. The Illinois product should improve an already good secondary that includes Pro Bowlers Tariq Woolen and Quandre Diggs. Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba gives Seattle another playmaker to work the middle of the field and UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet provides another physical runner to pair with Ken Walker III. The Seahawks also added a pass-rusher in Auburn outside linebacker Derick Hall.’’
Grade: B
Silva’s comment: “The results are in, and GM John Schneider wound up turning Russell Wilson into LT Charles Cross, EDGE Boye Mafe, DE Tyreke Smith, WR Dareke Young, Witherspoon, Hall, and Bradford, plus TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, and QB Drew Lock. I’m declaring Seattle the winner of that trade. The Seahawks’ pass rush remains a work in progress, but Hall should help there sooner rather than later, and they’re going to cover people with Witherspoon opposite Tariq Woolen. Smith-Njigba was a necessary addition with Tyler Lockett entering his age-31 campaign and nonexistent receiver depth behind him and DK Metcalf.’’
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Source: The Seattle Times
