Some might have doubted whether moving on from former head coach/Vice President of Football Operations Pete Carroll after the 2023 season was a wise move for the Seattle Seahawks. Last year's free agent group was a disappointment, and the draft wasn't much better. But 2025 is looking much different.
Of course, we won't know how well either the free agents or draftees turn out for a couple of years. They have to gel with a new team and new systems. That takes time. (Unfortunately, 12s found out far too quickly in 2024 that some free agents were busts, such as Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson.)
But let's be (mostly) positive. Most pundits have given the Seahawks excellent grades for their draft class, so at least most people expect the class to turn out exceedingly well. General manager John Schneider also appeared to have a better idea of what might work in free agency for head coach Mike Macdonald's defense.
As for the draft, some of the prospects expected to do well may not, and some who are not likely to produce much may. Some veterans might be upset either way, and some of those players are part of the winners and losers from Seattle's draft.
Winners and losers from the Seahawks' 2025 NFL Draft
Winner No. 1
John Schneider - Seahawks general manager
Schneider has been the team's GM since 2010, but only last year did he have the final say over all the roster moves. He finally got his chance to be the guy in charge in 2024, and he seemingly fell straight on his face. His hire of Mike Macdonald was a good move, but one of the few.
With another bad free agency group coupled with another bad draft, there could have been an argument that Schneider should be on the proverbial hot seat after 2025. With what he did in the draft, he likely bought himself another year or three.
The general manager did things differently in 2025. He took an interior offensive lineman in the first round, something he had never done before, and he drafted just the third quarterback in his tenure. Schneider also took a tight end in the second round. Nearly every guy Schneider chose in the first four rounds is expected to contribute, and almost all could be starters by 2027.
If quarterback Jalen Milroe turns out to be great, then Seattle could be set up for a Super Bowl run for many years. None of that would have been possible had Schneider not been a bit braver in the 2025 draft compared to previous years.