Seahawks draft: 4 best fits for Seattle on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft
By Lee Vowell
With the first round of the 2023 NFL draft over, the Seattle Seahawks still have plenty of players to choose from that would be great fits for the team. And not just players who will eventually help the team. There is a very real chance Seattle takes a couple of guys who are starters at some point during the 2023 season.
In the first round, Seattle chose two players who could be Week 1 starters. With pick number 5 overall, Seattle took cornerback Devon Witherspoon. And with pick 20, Seattle chose wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
In the second round of the 2022 draft, the Seahawks chose running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker, of course, became a starter a few weeks into the season and was fantastic after taking over. My point is that it is likely that the players the Seahawks take on Day 2 will also be immediately impactful.
4 great fits for the Seahawks on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft
Great fit No. 1: Seahawks should take center John Michael Schmitz
Seattle did sign a center this offseason in former Lions center/guard Evan Brown. Brown was just OK as a guard for Detroit in 2022, but he was a very good center for them in 2021. But Brown was only signed to a one-year deal and there is no guarantee he was even signed to be a center. He might simply be a versatile backup offensive lineman.
The bottom line is Seattle needs a center for now and well into the future. There are a couple of good ones still on the board, but Schmitz would be a great fit for the Seahawks. He is 6'3 1/2" and 300 pounds with a frame where he could add 15-20 more pounds and be just as athletic.
And Schmitz is athletic for a center, but also has enough strength to play early in his NFL career. Once he gets his hands on a defender, he doesn't let go. But what makes Schmitz good is that he is Abe Lucas-style tenacious and very intelligent. There should be a smooth transition for Schmitz between calling alignments in college and in the pros.