Seahawks score big with their second pick, edge rusher Boye Mafe
The Seahawks came into the 2022 draft with a lot of needs. They came up big with their selection of dominating edge rusher Boye Mafe.
The Seahawks lost two of their greatest players ever this offseason. Despite the holes on their roster at quarterback and linebacker, Seattle had even more pressing needs to address. Pete Carroll and John Schneider solved one of those needs at tackle, hitting big with their selection of Charles Cross in the first round.
They struck gold again with their second pick, selecting edge rusher Boye Mafe with the 40th overall pick.
You’ll find the 6’4″, 265 Mafe listed as both a defensive end and linebacker. No matter where he lines up, the former Golden Gopher gets to the quarterback. Mafe’s stats improved with every year at Minnesota. He had seven sacks and 10 tackles for a loss his senior year, leading his team in both categories.
Seahawks strike gold(en gopher) with Boye Mafe
Mafe was generally considered to be third-best prospect at his position in this draft. He’s explosive – well, duh, he better be if he’s going to be inserted on passing downs. I absolutely love the pick. The Seahawks have brought in plenty of talent to boost their pass rush already. They’ve already added Quinton Jefferson, Uchenna Nwosu, and Shelby Harris. I like all those additions, but Mafe could be an absolute beast. The Hawks definitely struck gold with this pick.
Pete and John's five best overall drafts. dark. Next
It’s early (obviously), but at this point, the Seahawks 2022 draft looks like it could easily sneak into their top five. The Hawks have supercharged their team with their picks so far. A lot of 12s may have been clamoring for Malik Willis, but they had deeper issues than the quarterback. Between Charles Cross and Boye Mafe, they’ve taken two big steps to pushing their way back into the playoffs.
Grade: A