Three quick thoughts from Seahawks 2022 season so far

The Seahawks have certainly been a nice surprise so far this season. What was expected to be a tank of a season has turned into a 4-3 start after a Week 7 victory and a potentially playoff-contending year. Seattle is sitting in a fairly weak division with an unexpectedly good team and plenty of football left to play.

Seattle leads the NFC West right now. Maybe that will change over the coming weeks. But this team also seems to be gaining momentum.

Nearly halfway through the 2022 NFL season, are the Seahawks where you thought they would be? Most didn’t expect 4-3 at this point. Let’s take a look at a few quick thoughts through the first seven weeks.

Quick thoughts on the Seahawks

A Close Division

Seattle is currently in first place in the NFC West after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 37-23. The Rams are in second place at 3-3 (had a BYE in week 7) with the 49ers and Cardinals following at 3-4.

I don’t think anyone expected the division to be this close this season, albeit, there are still 10 football games left in the year. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Arizona all made the playoffs last season at 12-5, 10-7, and 11-6, respectively. The Cardinals were eliminated in the Wild Card round while the Rams beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game to advance to and ultimately win the Super Bowl.

All three teams were expected to be very good this year while Seattle was expected to be at the bottom of the barrel. In a turn of events, it may actually seem like the Seahawks have a chance to win the division after all.

Geno Smith for MVP

Geno Smith is playing smart football right now. He isn’t trying to do too much or too little; he’s playing the system just right. This is exactly what the Seahawks need him to do, and exactly what they knew he would do. They have an offense right now that doesn’t need elite quarterback talent, they just need someone to make the right decisions and the right throws.

While not every play has been perfect—through seven weeks, Smith has completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 1,712 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He currently has one of the best performances by a quarterback so far this season.

Rookie Draft Class Impact

The Seahawks have been known to draft well under Pete Carroll and John Schneider. And while the last few years have felt like a hit or miss, the 2022 NFL Draft may have been their best yet. Seattle ended with nine selections in the draft and got SIX (in bold) starters out of their first six picks.

• Round 1, Pick 9: OT Charles Cross
• Round 2, Pick 40: LB Boye Mafe
• Round 2, Pick 41: RB Kenneth Walker III
• Round 3, Pick 72: OT Abraham Lucas
• Round 4, 109: CB Coby Bryant
• Round 5, Pick 153: CB Tariq Woolen
• Round 5, Pick 158: DE Tyreke Smith
• Round 7, Pick 229: WR Bo Melton
• Round 7, Pick 233: WR Dareke Young

Each of these six draft packs has had an immediate impact at their respective positions and is helping turn this franchise around. When Seattle traded away Russell Wilson, all felt lost. But Schneider and Carroll knew exactly where they were doing and the results have been quite noticeable.