The Seattle Seahawks decided to move on from their franchise quarterback, Russell Wilson, this offseason. In a transaction with the Denver Broncos, the team acquired Shelby Harris, Drew Lock, Noah Fant and several draft picks and sent away Wilson.
Lots of people were quick to assume the Seahawks were big losers in the trade, but I don’t believe true grades can be assigned to both sides until we see these pieces in action.
Until the team makes its picks in the draft, we won’t be able to determine how those players fit the Seahawks plans for 2022. However, we can examine the three players the Seahawks added in the trade and attempt to figure out how they will be used to benefit the team in 2022 and beyond. These three players, while they may pale in comparison to a franchise icon like Russell Wilson, are nonetheless talented players.
How do the pieces from the Wilson trade fit Seahawks 2022 plan?
Acquiring these pieces, I believe, changed the Seahawks free agency and draft plans significantly. Without Wilson, quarterback became a huge position of need for the team. With Will Dissly and Gerald Everett entering free agency unsigned, tight end was also a need. Defensive end became a need as well when the team decided to shift to a defense based around 3-4 looks as opposed to the 4-3 of the past.
In rebuilding (or reloading, depending on who you ask), the team had many needs to address, and I feel like at least two of these players provide talent upgrades at these positions that can be developed in the future.
Tight end Noah Fant
Let’s begin with the easiest of the three players to decipher. Noah Fant is an athletic freak at the tight end, but not much of a blocker. I believe the acquisition of Fant singlehandedly shifted the plan at tight end for 2022. Without him, I’m fairly certain Gerald Everett would have been resigned.
Clearly the team loves Will Dissly and gave him a big-time deal this offseason, but that likely stems from the fact that Dissly is a locker room leader and a great run blocker.
The way I see Fant used in 2022 is as a great outlet/middle of the field receiver for whoever winds up starting at quarterback. If it ends up being Drew Lock (and don’t be surprised if it does), Fant has a rapport with him from Denver. If it’s a rookie under center, then Fant provides a big target closer to the line of scrimmage for that rookie.
Fant doesn’t have the surest hands, but he is certainly explosive. Like Drew Lock said at his introductory press conference, Noah Fant can do big things with the ball in his hands in terms of yards after the catch. He’s never had a season with under 550 receiving yards, even with subpar quarterback play. The last time the Seahawks had a tight end break 550 receiving yards? Jimmy Graham in 2016. I’m excited for there to be a new true receiving threat at the position.
Defensive lineman Shelby Harris
In 2022, the Seattle Seahawks plan to shift their defensive looks from mostly 4-3 to a mostly 3-4. Shelby Harris will be a key starter for this year as a 3-4 defensive end. Whether he remains a starter for the team for an extended time depends on what moves they make in the drafts of this year and next year, but he will certainly be a leader in a Fangio-style defense for 2022.
We will likely see Shelby Harris play 50-60 percent of the defensive snaps in 2022. He has had 14.5 sacks in the past 3 seasons, including 6.0 sacks in both 2019 and 2021 when he was able to play in every game.
I would guess that defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt decides to be conservative in playing Harris to keep him healthy for all 17 games. If the Seahawks make a move on a rookie 3-4 end in the 2022 NFL draft, I love Shelby Harris as a mentor for that player considering it probably won’t be a first-round selection the team spends.
Harris is a great locker room presence and I can only find positive sentiments about him, so I’m glad he was a part of the deal.
Quarterback Drew Lock
Drew Lock has had every possible speculation thrown out surrounding his name, and I can’t say anything for certain, but I think there’s a chance Carroll isn’t bluffing and truly believes Lock is the guy for the future of the Seahawks. DK Metcalf also pitched in on social media showing his support for Lock, and John Schneider continues to back up the narrative that the Seahawks loved Lock coming out of college.
I believe Lock is gifted physically and makes some sense as a starter option in 2022. By no means does having Lock mean the Seahawks can stop looking for the next franchise quarterback, but I’d much rather have Lock under center for a transition year than Cam Newton or Geno Smith. At least there’s a part of Lock that we don’t know what his full potential might be.
Of course, if the Seahawks draft a quarterback this year (even one as late as Carson Strong from Nevada), that should be their primary plan at starting quarterback on day one. Don’t be surprised, though, if we see Drew Lock under center in 2022.
If he’s terrible, the Seahawks end up with a high draft pick in 2022 to pursue a new signal-caller, and if he’s good then we have to reevaluate next season. At the very least, we can have a little fun watching the team with no high expectations set.