5 draft picks the Seattle Seahawks gave up on too soon

Center Max Unger (drafted in 2009)

My intention in this article was not to point out how much Seattle has failed to hold on to good offensive linemen, but that is the way it has worked out. Unger is unlikely to be a Hall of Famer like Hutchinson and Mawae, but he was an extremely important part of the Seattle identity in the early 2010s. Unger had the kind of mentality along the offensive line that Marshawn Lynch did in the running back group.

Worse, though, Unger only left the Seahawks because he was traded to the New Orleans Saints for tight end Jimmy Graham after the 2014 season. Seattle added a weapon in Graham they did not have the design to use but Unger leaving left a hole that Seattle is still trying to fill. Unger made three Pro Bowls and was First-Team All-Pro in 2012. He sustained excellence, however, as one of his Pro Bowls was in his final season of 2018.

Edge rusher Frank Clark (drafted in 2015)

With Clark, things get a little wonky. He did not become a full-time starter until 2017 because Seattle still had players such as Michael Bennett. Even as a part-time starter in 2016, though, Clark still had 10 sacks. He had 13 in 2018 which would be his final year with the Seahawks. He was going to be expensive to sign so Seattle worked out a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs where Seattle would franchise tag Clark and then trade him to the Chiefs.

With KC, Clark truly took off. He made three straight Pro Bowls between 2019 and 2021 and while he never reached double-digit sacks again, he would excel in the playoffs where he is among the all-time sack leaders. Clark played big in the big moments and that many times is what matters most. Seattle did bring Clark back in the 2023 season as a free agent, but Clark seemed to have aged quickly and is nowhere near the player he once was.

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