Seahawks draft: Top 50 Seahawks Big Board for 2023 NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks hit a home run with their 2022 draft class. The majority of the picks have had an extremely positive impact this year. Heck, even seventh-round pick Dareke Young has had several good plays on kick coverage. In Week 8 alone, he had 3 tackles against the Giants and that’s quite a bit just playing special teams.

And while general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll have taken a lot of criticism about a lot of their post-2015 drafts, a big reason the drafts haven’t produced a ton of Pro Bowlers is that Seattle was largely successful on the field. This meant Seattle didn’t have any really high draft picks and some years didn’t even have a first-rounder.

Still, Seattle somehow remained good on the field. And 2022 hasn’t been the falloff from pre-2021 seasons (most people thought there would be a precipitous one) even though Seattle let go of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner last offseason. National pundits expected Seattle to be awful but they were wrong. Even if Seattle doesn’t make the postseason this year (and they still have a chance to do so), they have already exceeded the number of wins most people thought they would have.

Top-50 Big Board for the Seahawks 2023 NFL draft

Seattle, however, has gotten unexpectedly spectacular play out of quarterback Geno Smith. And that might cause the Seahawks to ask themselves, “Do we want to take a quarterback in the first round or pick up potential impact players at other positions?” Smith is only 32 years old and should have many years left to be good.

But with at least five choices in the top 100 of the 2023 draft, including three in probably the first 37 picks, Seattle should add quite a bit more young talent to add to the 2022 class. If all goes right for Seattle, the team could be in Super Bowl contention by no later than 2024. That is especially true if the 2023 draft class is as good as the 2022 one.

A massive shoutout needs to go to Hunter Haas, the Site Expert at NFL Mocks. I asked him to come up with 50 targets for Seattle’s 2023 draft and he gave me about double that. There is no Big Board for this article without the assistance of Hunter.

Seattle Seahawks 2023 draft picks

Seattle currently has nine picks in the 2023 NFL draft. That will probably change, of course, one way or another. Seahawks general manager John Schneider never stands pat during a draft and usually makes at least a couple of moves. One of the biggest questions about Seattle’s draft next year is what they will do with what will probably be a top-five draft choice.

Seattle has two picks in the first round right now and another that will likely be very high in the second round. Seattle can thank Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos for their lofty draft status. Denver has been absolutely horrible this year so far and still has to play the Chiefs again along with the Rams and the Chargers.

While the exact placement of where Seattle will choose in 2023 won’t be known until the season is done, these are the rounds and how many picks they have in each one right now:

First round – 2

Second round – 2

Third round – 1

Fourth round – 1

Fifth round – 2

Sixth round – 1

Seventh round – 0

But who should Seattle actually take with all those picks? Should they take a quarterback in the first round or try to build around Geno Smith? Here are the top-50 prospects for Seattle as things currently stand.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: High first-round targets

As difficult as it might be to believe, there is a very real chance the Seahawks have a high enough pick to choose Will Anderson. The Broncos aren’t suddenly going to improve much. But Seattle might only end up with the number 3 pick at the highest.

If the season were to end today, the Bears would have the second pick and their schedule is murderous the rest of the way so expecting the Broncos to end up at number 2 might be too much to ask. But who knows what any team might do in the draft?

1 Edge rusher Will Anderson, Alabama

The Seahawks struggle mightily with quality pass rush depth. Uchenna Nwosu is having a nice year but that’s about it. Anderson, though, is a game-changer. He plays both the run and pass extremely well. His size, power, and speed will translate extremely well to the NFL.

Anderson’s college statistics are no joke. He played in the SEC and was constantly going against well-coached and high-end offensive blocking. Still, he destroyed opposing defenses with regularity. If Seattle gets Anderson, he instantly improves the defense greatly.

2 Quarterback Bryce Young, Alabama

So let’s say Seattle actually does want to choose their quarterback of the future in 2023. They could still re-sign Geno Smith for a year or two and have the rookie learn. Young has good arm strength and extremely great accuracy with the ability to move around in the pocket and break off a long run if needed. His size might be an issue, though, if Seattle doesn’t want to go back to a Russell Wilson-sized QB.

3 Cornerback Joey Blount, Jr.

Seattle already has one long-term shutdown corner in Tariq Woolen. But if Pete Carroll decides he wants to rebuild his defense the same way he did in the early 2010s by building from back to front, then Porter might be who Seattle takes. Woolen and Porter? Wow. And Porter is a long and rangy corner who can tackle, just like Carroll likes.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: High first-round targets cont.

The Seahawks have to make their defense better. The offense in 2022 has been good enough to win a lot of games while the defense has kept the team from winning at times (see Week 12 versus the Raiders). Going with two first-round picks on the defensive side would not be a surprise.

4 Defensive lineman Jalen Carter, Georgia

One area where Seattle must get more production next year is its defensive line. The shame is that this unit was a strength of the team in 2021. But the interior pass rush has been very inconsistent and run defense has been putrid. Carter, at 6’3″ and 300 pounds, fixes both.

5 Edge rusher Myles Murphy, Clemson

Murphy might be just one step behind Carter but Murphy still offers elite size at 6’5″ and 280 pounds and has excellent quickness. While he struggles to wrap up when tackling sometimes, he isn’t a one-dimensional player and can play the run and pass.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1599094134555697153

6 Wide receiver Quentin Johnston, TCU

Choosing a receiver high in the first round would be a very Seahawks-y thing to do. Seattle likes to zip when the expectation is to zag. But taking a WR might make sense, especially if Johnston is the guy because he is special.

Tyler Lockett is a great player but he is also going to turn 31 years old early in the 2023 season. Johnston has the ability, even though he is 6’4″, to do all the things Lockett can do. Basically, Johnston is Lockett but in DK Metcalf’s body.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Mid-to-late first-round targets

Seattle has two first-round choices in 2023. Heck, maybe they end up with three if Schneider decides to trade back with the first pick. This will definitely be a fun draft to watch for 12s.

7 Wide receiver Jordan Addison, USC

If Seattle does go with a  receiver in the first round, taking one with their second of two choices makes more sense. Whether the Seahawks are thinking about the future or the now, they need to find a third option at receiver to help Metcalf and Lockett. Addison has decent length but great quickness and good hands.

8 Cornerback Kelee Ringo, Georgia

I would love for Seattle to get a high-end corner in this draft. Tre Brown, who has been injured most of the year, might be fine, but Seattle needs a sure thing. Shutdown corners change defenses and Seattle already has one in Wooten. Ringo is 6’2:” and 210 pounds so another big corner that Seattle loves. He also isn’t afraid of hitting opponents with ferocity.

9 Linebacker Trenton Simpson, Clemson

So linebacker has been an issue this year. Jordyn Brooks is good but Cody Barton is inconsistent. After those two, there’s not much at inside linebacker. Simpson would be a perfect compliment to Brooks. He is 6’3″ and 240 pounds and can run a sub-4.4 40. And he is a violent tackler.

10 Quarterback Anthony Richardson, Florida

We’ve written about Richardson a bunch on this site because we like his potential. But he is also a bit of a project. He’s basically the DK Metcalf of quarterbacks but does he have the accuracy that an NFL quarterback must have? If he does, he will be a superstar.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Mid-to-late first-round targets cont.

11 Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, Clemson

OK, so back to the defense. While the Seahawks offense hasn’t been as great as it was earlier in the season, it’s still been good enough to win games had it had help from the defense. Seattle especially needs help on the interior of the defensive line and this is where Bresee comes in. He is 6’5″ and once in an NFL-type weight training program could play about 315 pounds. He is quick for his size and will be a force against the run.

12 Wide receiver Zay Flowers, Boston College

Back to the offense. It will be interesting to see what the Seahawks’ offense looks like with the injured Tyler Lockett for maybe the rest of 2022. But Seattle needs a good WR3 or a WR2 to eventually replace Lockett. Flowers has elite quickness and speed, and he is extremely versatile. And according to Hunter Haas, he will be a superstar in the NFL.

13 Edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

Seattle must absolutely have a better and more consistent pass rush beginning in 2023. Anudike-Uzomah is a pure pass rusher and a fast one. In the last two years combined at Kansas State, Anudike-Uzomah has 19.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. He also isn’t bad against the run but there is one reason for Seattle to draft him: To chase QBs.

14 Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has the ability to be a WR1 in the NFL and move Metcalf to WR2 once Lockett moves on. Smith-Njigba has decent size at 6′ and 200 pounds but plays with intelligence – he knows where to find the open parts of a field – has strong hands and excellent speed. The only question is if he can stay healthy. He was limited to only three games in 2022.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: High second round

The gift the Denver Broncos’ bad season is giving to the Seahawks for the 2023 draft goes beyond the first round. Seattle also acquired Denver’s second-round choice in the Russell Wilson trade and that means a pick so high in the second round that it should merit a player of first-round quality. Here are some players Seattle should take with their first second-round pick.

15 Safety DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama

One thing about Alabama players is you know they have been well-coached in college. Seattle has a huge decision about what to do at safety as well. Jamal Adams is always hurt and Quandre Diggs hasn’t been nearly as good in 2022 as he was in either 2020 or 2021. Hellams is excellent against the run and plays more like Kam Chancellor than Earl Thomas. This means he is an easy replacement for Adams.

16 Defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

Clearly, I am beginning to go defense-heavy in this draft because that is by far where Seattle needs the most help. Tuipulotu is 6’4″ and 290 pounds but with excellent athletic ability. He even played a little linebacker for the Trojans this year. But what jumps off the page is his 21 tackles for loss.

17 Linebacker Noah Sewell, Oregon

Sewell hasn’t had a great year (compared to 2021) but he still has high-end athletic ability. He is capable of taking over for Cody Barton who has been inconsistent with Seattle in 2022 and is a free agent this offseason.

18 Defensive lineman Siaki Ika, Baylor

Honestly, if the Seahawks don’t take Ika if they have the opportunity then someone needs to lose their job. Priority number one to fix Seattle’s defense is to fix the run defense. Ika would go a very long way toward remedying the problem. He is a massive human at 6’4″ and 355 pounds but is enormously strong with surprising quickness. Seattle needs Ika. Period.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: High second round cont.

Seattle has a bunch of young talent but that talent needs to continue to mature. But Seattle also has positions of need. WR3, another outside corner, a run stopper at DT, and running back depth. This can all be found high in the second round.

19 Running back Devon Achane, Texas A&M

Achane doesn’t exactly fit the mold of a Pete Carroll back as he isn’t 220 pounds or more. But Seattle needs more versatile running backs and depth behind Ken Walker. Achane is a very fast back who can also catch.

20 Edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

Foskey has great athletic ability for his size. He is 6’4″ and 260 pounds and is probably capable of adding 10 more pounds without losing any athleticism. He can get to the passer but also help against the run by setting the edge and the Seahawks need both of those things.

21 Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Witherspoon is a smart corner and quickly figures out the tendencies of opposing receivers. He has decent length at 6 feet tall and good quickness. He also isn’t afraid to be a force against the run and had 8 tackles for loss in 2021. He won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award in 2022 as the best DB in the Big Ten.

22 Wide receiver Josh Downs, North Carolina

The only question about Downs is his health. He missed a few games for the Tar Heels this season and was banged up in several others. He isn’t the biggest receiver at 5’10” and 180 pounds but he has great quickness and excellent hands.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Low second round and third round

Seattle has five draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2023 draft. There is no reason several of those should not be battling to start next year. But late in the second round and the third round is where Seattle finds long-term starters but might not start Week 1.

23 Edge rusher Bralen Trice, Washington

A Seattle draft without taking a Washington player? It happens but the Seahawks do love U-Dub players. And Trice is a player the team needs. He is mostly a pure pass rusher but he has the speed to beat NFL tackles. He just needs to learn better technique.

24 Defensive lineman Byron Young, Alabama

Young is a 6’3″ and 290-pound defensive tackle who can gain 20 more pounds and still have the same impact. He has a good burst off the snap but his value for Seattle lies in his ability to stop the run. He should be able to do this excellently in the NFL once he gains more strength.

25 Defensive back Malachi Moore, Alabama

Another Alabama guy? Why not. Those players turn into good pros because they are treated as pros in college and taught well. Moore is a bit iffier than most Tide players as his last seasons haven’t been great but he still has good athleticism and decent size.

26 Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

Benton is another defensive tackle with great size to stop the run but also the ability to supply interior pass rush. He is 6’4″ and 320 pounds and if available, the Seahawks have to take him. He can play immediately but will be better in the future once he develops more pass-rushing moves.

27 Tight end Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State

Kraft is a bit more of a developmental prospect but one with a huge upside. In 2023, Seattle is set at tight end with Will Dissly, Noah Fant, and Colby Parkinson. But in 2024, Parkinson and Fant are free agents. Kraft has a great ability to catch the ball but isn’t a bad blocker and could be ready in 2024 to take on a lot of reps.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Low second round and third round cont.

28  Linebacker Nick Herbig, Wisconsin

Wisconsin produces good defensive players and Herbig should be able to get valuable reps right away. He needs to add weight, however, as he only weighs 230 pounds but he can certainly chase down opposing quarterbacks.

29 Wide receiver Cedric Tillman, Tennessee

Coming into the 2022 season, Tillman was considered Tennessee’s best receiver. He was overtaken this year by Jalin Hyatt and a big reason for this was Tillman was injured for much of the year. Still, he has great hands and is a big target whose game should translate well to the NFL.

30 Offensive lineman McClendon Curtis, Chattanooga

When the season was young, the Seahawks’ offensive line looked OK. But the interior of the line looked worse as the year wore on. Last year, Chattanooga produced Cole Strange who the Patriots took and Strange has had a very good season. UTC is doing something right. Curtis could play center for Seattle and he would instantly give Seattle girth – he is 6’6″ and 328 pounds – that they currently lack.

31 Cornerback Garrett Williams, Syracuse

Williams won’t be a starter Day 1 but he could develop into a very solid NFL corner. The great thing about Williams is there are no extreme highs or lows so he plays with uncanny consistency. He is very good in coverage, though not a ballhawk, and is good in run support.

32 Running back Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

Vaughn is tiny by NFL standards at just 5’6″ and 170 pounds but he is an electric runner. Plus, he may be just as good of a receiver as he is at running back. Any team that drafts him, and hopefully that will be the Seahawks, will need to use him in a multitude of ways – placing him at running back, putting in the slot as a receiver, having him return punts maybe – to get the most out of him.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Fourth and fifth rounds

On Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft – rounds four through seven – the Seahawks have four choices. This likely will change as Seattle likes to add later-round picks through draft trades. And as 12s all know, round five can bring in a very important player. Some examples are Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, and Tariq Woolen.

33 Edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

Tupuola-Fetui is a bit of a project but with the right usage, he could be a better pro than he was at U-Dub. He had an up-and-down career at Washington as he had 7 sack in 4 games in 2020 but then only had 1 sack in 2021. Basically, he doesn’t have a ton of reps under him and played in only six games combined in 2020 and 2021. This season he had 4.5 sacks but in 12 games. Still, he has good potential to be a disruptive player who has extremely strong hands in the NFL.

34 Quarterback Jake Haener, Fresno State

It’s been a bit since I talked about a quarterback on this list. This Seattle draft will be a bit of a mystery all the way up until draft day. If the Seahawks don’t take a quarterback early there could be a long time until they do. Haener is an accurate passer who doesn’t turn the ball over much but he doesn’t have a cannon for an arm.

35 Quarterback Tanner McKee, Stanford

McKee is a tough read. He has good arm strength and is an intelligent player but he lacks high-level athleticism. At Stanford, his offensive line was horrible so he didn’t have time to throw, and when he did have time didn’t have very good weapons. He might be better in the NFL than in college.

36 Safety Demani Richardson, Texas A&M

Richardson is kind of like the Coby Bryant of safeties. He doesn’t have elite speed but has a good football IQ and tends to put himself in good positions. The question is whether his lack of speed will mean opposing offenses toast him with deep passes.

37 Defensive lineman PJ Mustipher, Penn State

Mustipher is a pure run-stopper who isn’t going to sack quarterbacks very often. But Seattle needs run-stoppers and Mustipher would be a solid part of any interior defensive line rotation.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Fourth and fifth rounds cont.

38 Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State

Ji’Ayir Brown isn’t that big but he is a true free safety. He has decent speed and should run a 40 at the combine a bit above 4.4. He also isn’t afraid to help in the run game and attack the line of scrimmage. The issue is if his size – he is 5’11” and 205 pounds – will allow him to hold up physically in the NFL.

39 Linebacker Owen Pappoe, Auburn

Pappoe is an excellent athlete who may take a bit of time to make an impact in the NFL. He is a little undersized and is sometimes a bit overly aggressive. Seattle has struggled with missed tackles in 2022 so choosing Pappoe, who can miss a tackle or two, might be scary. But he is also a capable pass rusher.

40 Edge rusher Robert Beal, Jr., Georgia

Beal was crazy good in 2021 in limited time as he had 6.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. But in 2022, in about the same amount of playing time, Beal was nowhere close to that kind of productivity with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. But there is no question he will have been well-coached at Georgia and about as ready for the NFL as any player.

41 Cornerback Mekhi Garner, LSU

Garner has the length that Pete Carroll likes in a corner as he is 6’1″ and 220 pounds with 33″ arms. He doesn’t have a nose for taking the ball away but is very good in coverage and doesn’t allow for open windows for quarterbacks.

42 Edge rusher KJ Henry, Clemson

Henry is likely a situational player who can be used on obvious passing downs. His size is good at 6’4″ and 255 pounds but he isn’t overly explosive. Still, he is OK in pass coverage (he had 6 passes defended in 2022) and would be a decent part of a pass-rushing rotation.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Sixth and seventh rounds

Currently, the Seahawks have only one pick between the sixth and seventh rounds. This is likely to change as Seattle will trade around a bit and probably end up with two or more picks late in the draft. If they do, here are some players worthy of choose who fit what Seattle likes to do.

43 Wide receiver De’Corian Clark, UTSA

Why not get a friend for Tariq Woolen> Woolen, of course, was a fifth-round choice in 2022 and played at UTSA. Clark is tall at 6’2″ and weighs 210 pounds. He also has strong hands. The issue is he is a bit of a raw prospect who might not contribute right away. But then everyone thought that about Woolen too.

https://twitter.com/FriscoBowlGame/status/1599795738950746116

44 Quarterback Stetson Bennett, Georgia

Stetson Bennett is a game manager as a QB and that’s OK because it works for him. Sure, he also plays with elite talent at Georgia and that makes him look better as well, but Bennett doesn’t turn the ball over and makes accurate throws. He’d be a solid backup.

45 Cornerback Arquon Bush, Cincinnati

How talented was the Bearcats’ secondary in 2021? Sauce Gardner was one corner, Seattle’s Coby Bryant was another, and Bush yet another. No wonder Cincinnati had so much success. Bush is a decent size corner who is versatile enough to play anywhere. He also had 9 interceptions in his college career.

46 Safety RJ Moten, Michigan

Moten is a solid safety but isn’t going to create a lot of turnovers. He definitely could help in the run game once he gets used to the speed of the NFL, though. Maybe that doesn’t make him a long-term starter but he definitely could work his way into one.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Sixth and seventh rounds cont.

There used to be a time when Seattle would find some gems in the undrafted free agent market. That seems less likely now but Poona Ford was a UDFA. Of course, players like Doug Baldwin were too so maybe some unknown diamond will find their way to Seattle after the draft. But for now, these are the best remaining targets that Seattle might choose.

47 Defensive lineman Trajan Jeffcoat, Missouri

Jeffcoat isn’t explosive but if he can add weight and muscle – about 20 pounds of it – he could turn into a decent rotational pass rusher along the interior. He is projected to go anywhere from the 6th round to UDFA.

48 Running back Re’Mahn Davis, Vanderbilt

In 2022, Vanderbilt was slight better than they normally are and a lot of the credit for that can be the strong running of Davis. He is more of a guy who will crank out a few yards at a time than an explosive back but he would be good depth for Seattle.

49 Edge rusher Brenton Cox, Jr., Florida

Cox will likely only ever be a pure pass rusher as he doesn’t have the girth to stop the run. That said, if he refines a move or three, he could help pressure quarterbacks on third down. The Seahawks can use all the pass rushers it can get.

50 Linebacker Mohamoud Diabete, Utah

Utah seems to just produce glue-type players and that is OK. Seattle loves those kinds of guys, especially on special teams.