10 sleepers to cap the Seattle Seahawks 2023 draft

The Seahawks are in a position to have their best draft ever in 2023. Even with two picks in the first round, it's those late-round sleepers that will go a long way to defining Seattle's success.

Calm down, 12s. I'm not suggesting for a moment that it doesn't matter if the Seahawks get it right on their first-round picks. Of course they have to get the right players. They can ill afford another L.J. Collier or Germain Ifedi misfire. Those were hardly at the level of the Malik McDowell fiasco, but neither lived up to expectations.

They certainly fell short when you compare their careers to the contributions of some of the sleepers the Seahawks have landed in the past. No, I'm not about to say DK Metcalf was a sleeper; he just fell a bit further than expected. But the Hawks landed Phil Haynes almost 100 picks after Collier. I think it's pretty clear who's had the better career so far. I don't even have to mention a certain seventh-round running back, or a fifth-round corner, now do I? One of the great things about Seattle's history is they can boast a pair of fifth-round All-World cornerbacks.

Seahawks are in great position to land great sleepers

Can the Hawks do it again this year? Considering that they have 10 picks in all, Yes, they certainly have the draft capital to make it happen. As John Schneider said regarding the draft process, “In general, we just do a much better job when we just pick the best player.” You can listen to his entire discussion on The John Schneider Show on Seattle Sports. The fact that Seattle has needs at virtually every position makes it easier to subscribe to that philosophy as well. As I already wrote, they don't need to draft a tackle and move him to guard, not with their first pick. Once we get to those later rounds, anything can happen. And that's where we'll find the sleepers

Let me preface my list with a couple of clarifications. If a huge talent slides down to day two, that's not a sleeper. If anything, that's a waker, as in that player got a wake-up call, and needs to prove they belong. The reasons they dropped may have been out of their control - hi, DK - but they still had what was regarded as first-round talent. Furthermore, for me, a sleeper is a day three pick. Have there been thrid-round picks who overachieved? Oh, I think Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and Abe Lucas are all amazing players. But they didn't fly under the radar, either. No, a sleeper is a player like another Hawks fifth-round legend, Kam Chancellor. That's the type of player we hope Pete Carroll and John Schneider identify on day three of the draft.