Grading every Seattle Seahawks first-round draft pick since 2010

Seattle Seahawks 2022 Round 1, Pick 9 - LT Charles Cross

The 2022 NFL Draft was a pivotal turning point for the Seattle Seahawks. Moving off Russell Wilson, which is why the Seahawks had the 9th overall pick in this draft, it seemed as if they were on their way to a rebuild. However, the selection of Charles Cross along with the remainder of this draft class allowed Seattle to turn things around rather quickly. For the first time picking in the top 10 since 2010, the Seahawks followed suit in selecting a tackle.

Like Russell Okung, Charles Cross was inserted into the anchor position of this offensive line immediately, and delivered. Injury concerns popped up early on in his sophomore season, but upon returning, he picked up where he left off. Entering his third year in the NFL, Cross has shown promise and I expect him to continually get better.

Grade: A

Seattle Seahawks 2023 Round 1, Pick 5 - CB Devon Witherspoon

This was an unorthodox pick in the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era. But, I am sure happy they selected Devon Witherspoon, also known as Spoon. Making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, Spoon was one of the bright spots on an otherwise struggling defense. Coming out of Illinois, Spoon was primarily known as a boundary cornerback. Meaning, he played the outside, like a true CB1.

Due to the depth of this secondary, Spoon started off the season at the nickelback position and seemed to have found his true calling. I think it has been massively understated how hard that transition was. It's possible that it got overlooked because of how smoothly he played. Nonetheless, the Seahawks found a true cornerstone of this defense in Devon Witherspoon.

Grade: A+

Seattle Seahawks 2023 Round 1, Pick 20 - WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Just looking at the names of the last three first-round selections for the Seattle Seahawks, you can see why many are excited about the future of this franchise. In another surprising first-round pick, the Seahawks completed their three-headed dragon wide receiver room with the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. On the surface, the pick made perfect sense. Njigba added a layer of route running and expertise in the short to intermediate passing game that was missing in this offense.

Although he got off to a slow start, it felt as if the Seahawks discovered how to use him later on in the season. Of course, the highlight of his rookie campaign is the walk-off touchdown against the Eagles. More importantly, though, Njigba answered a lot of questions about whether his route running and ability to get open would work against NFL defenses. A reliable target on 3rd down, I expect Njigba to take a big leap under Ryan Grubb in year two.

Grade: A+

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