Seahawks 2018 draft picks with the highest upside coming into 2019

The Seahawks 2018 draft class was probably their most exciting since 2012. After an exciting rookie season, some can look forward to an even better year in 2019.

Pete Carroll and John Schneider are known for their ability to draft hidden gems. But following their exceptional 2012 draft, they hit fault for a few years with less-than-exciting picks. But in 2018, it felt like they finally redeemed themselves with their draft choices. Maybe it was because they saw an end coming for some of their veteran players and knew they needed to draft for the future.

Thanks to this, the Seahawks have several players who will have the highest upside in 2019.

Rasheem Green

Seattle drafted Rasheem Green in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. His seven tackle, 1.5 sack performance in their preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts was exciting for the team. But he had the same stats (minus .5 sacks) for the entire regular season. His rookie season was underwhelming, to say the least, but his potential as an edge rusher, especially with Frank Clark now gone, leaves the door wide open for him in his second year.

Pete Carroll himself emphasizes the progression of players between their rookie and sophomore years and named Green as one he looks forward to seeing on the field.

Rashaad Penny

It was a bit of a shock when Seattle selected Rashaad Penny in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Maybe they weren’t expecting the surprising rebound of Chris Carson after his season-ending injury in 2017. Of course, Penny’s rookie year was overshadowed by Carson. Penny saw action in 14 of the Seahawk’s regular season games. But at times, he wasn’t even considered the RB2, with Mike Davis, earning snaps ahead of him. Penny’s first touchdown came in week 10 and he finished the season with 419 yards (4.9 average) and two touchdowns.

Since Mike Davis joined the Chicago Bears in free agency, Penny is most likely going into training camp as second on the depth chart. It’s unlikely that C.J. Prosise will beat him out for the spot and J.D. McKissic is now listed as a return specialist on the roster.

Tre Flowers

Tre Flowers had an exceptional rookie season. He started 15 games at right corner and finished the season with 67 total tackles and three forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Reference, Flowers allowed a passer rating of 51.4 on short targets, second-lowest in the league. Flowers was originally drafted as a safety out of Oklahoma State but transitioned to corner to fit Pete Carroll’s defense and ended up outperforming second-year corner, Shaquill Griffin.

Coming out of college, Flowers ranked fourth among draft-eligible safeties in tackling efficiency.

Will Dissly

Rookie tight end, Will Dissly, some great plays to start off the Seahawks 2018 season but he went down early with a season-ending patellar tendon injury. He caught eight passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. His longest reception went for 66 yards. Dissly was originally drafted to be a blocking tight end but he seems he can do just more than that. If he can return 100% healthy, the Seahawks could have a new TE1 on their hands to start the season.

Dissly’s performance for Seattle came as a bit of surprise because of his transition from defensive end to tight end in his final two years of eligibility. At the University of Washington, he only had 25 receptions and three touchdowns.

But whatever sparked his transition, it certainly paid off.

Jacob Martin

Although Jacob Martin didn’t start a game for the Seahawks in 2018, he played in every game and had three sacks and two forced fumbles. Clark and Jarran Reed were credited for half of the Seahawks sacks in 2018. But with Clark now gone, the Seahawks will be looking for someone to fill in the void left by Clark and it will likely be Green and Martin along with rookie L.J. Collier.

Now with the 2019 draft class joining them, the Seahawks should look forward to a strong year from their young players. Hopefully, other second-year players like Shaquem Griffin and Jamarco Jones will find success amongst all the competition coming in.