An early look at who the Seahawks should draft in 2022

Tight ends

This is the position that generally takes drafted players the longest to mature in the NFL. Accordingly, only nine TEs have been drafted in the first round in the last ten years.

In four of those years, no TE was drafted in the first round and the highest number was three in any one year. As a result, I am only highlighting two TE’s in my top 55, who are

1. Jalen Wydermyer (Texas A&M)

2. Brant Kuithe (Utah)

Both Gerald Everett and Will Dissly be free agents at the end of 2021. Dissly could well be allowed to leave and Everett is on a one-year prove-it contract, so the Seahawks could well look to acquire a TE via free agency or the 2022 draft.

Wydermeyer is the generally accepted top TE prospect going into the 2021 college season, but I really like Kuithe and think he could emerge as the leading TE prior to the 2022 draft. Wydermeyer is a junior and Kuithe a senior in 2021.

Offensive tackles

On average, four OTs have been drafted in the first round over the last ten years, with a high of six in any one year.

There are three or four high-quality prospects and a couple of other possibles at this stage.

1. Evan Neal (Alabama)

2. Zion Nelson (Miami)

3. Rasheed Walker (Penn State)

4. Cade Mays (Tennessee)

5. Charles Cross (Mississippi State)

6. Jaxson Kirkland (Washington)

Of these only Mays and Kirkland will enter their senior year this fall, Neal looks a potential superstar and could go well inside the first ten picks, Nelson is currently likely to go between picks 10 and 20. Walker and Mays look more like lower-half first-half picks at this stage whilst Cross and Kirkland need to have a strong 2021 season in order to be first round picks in 2022.

Duane Brown will be 36 before the 2021 NFL season starts, unless Stone Forsythe, Cedric Ogbuehi or Jamarco Jones show then can take over from the put of contract Brown at the end of the 2021 season then the Seahwks could well look to draft an OT in the next draft.

Offensive guard

Only 11 guards have been first round draft picks in the last ten years and no more than 1 has been selected in the first round for the past eight years.

And there only look like there are three candidates to be first round picks in the 2022 draft.

1. Kenyon Green (Texas A&M)

2. Nick Broeker (Ole Miss)

3. Darian Kinnard (Kentucky)

Once again only Kinnard is a senior this coming college season, but as long as Green and Broeker remain the leading candidates they are likely to enter the 2022 draft forfeiting their final year. The Seahawks would hope to be set at starting guard with Gabe Jackson and Damien Lewis, so drafting a guard would not appear high on the priority list at this stage.

Green could be a top ten draft pick and is the stand-out prospect at guard as it stands.

Center

This is the least first round drafted position outside of special teamer, with only 7 being selected in the first 32 picks during the last ten drafts.

There is only one viable candidate at Center to be selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, but I have added a second speculative candidate who has only has limited starts thus far.

1. Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa)

2. Chris Owens (Alabama)

With the never-ending questions over Ethan Pocic’s viability as starting Center for the Seahawks, these are the guys the Seahawks could be looking at in the 2022 draft.

Linderbaum is currently the clear leading prospect at this position, but Owens has only had a few starts for the Crimson Tide following the injury to Landon Dickerson who was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft by the Eagles. Owens could well have a big season for the powerhouse Alabama squad and challenge Linderbaum for the honor of being the first center drafted in 2022.