The Seattle Seahawks appear to have had another successful draft. Seattle started by taking who they thought were the best players available and not just players at positions of need. Sure, Seattle got players who play units that have issues, but Seattle wanted talent first. Nothing wrong with that.
Seattle ended up with 10 picks. There seemed to be an effort to simply take potentially great players first despite what positions they play (not counting quarterbacks here, by the way) and then focus on players that might help resolve problems that Seattle had in 2022. For instance, the defensive line was not good last season so Seattle got rid of most everybody and brought in new players.
Some of the players added were in free agency but some ended up being in the draft. About halfway through the draft there were a number of social media vocal 12s that were upset by Seattle not taking a certain player or two and wondered what the team was doing. This is a bit like complaining halfway through a movie before knowing the ending.
Grading each pick for the Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL draft
In the 2023 NFL draft, Seattle appears to have reshaped its secondary and made its receiving group elite. And that was just with the first two choices. After that, Seattle made picks that further corrected its defensive line and offensive line. Hopefully in two seasons, 12s will be forgiving for the Zach Charbonnet pick, for example, if the players taken in round 4 and beyond are helping in the trenches.
No matter, overall Seattle seems to have gotten a lot of the players they liked and fit what they want to do. Plus, if the two picks end up being as good as they appear they could be, Seattle could be a Super Bowl team by 2024. If nothing else, Seattle got better for 2023 based on the picks taken. Here are the grades.
Grading the Seahawks first round picks
Round 1, Pick 5: Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
On our pre-draft podcast, we talked about how great Witherspoon would be with Seattle's first pick in the 2023 draft. We didn't want Jalen Carter, and while edge rusher Will Anderson, Jr. would have been a fantastic choice, we didn't think he would be around at 5. Witherspoon, though, brings a level of talent combined with a ferociousness that Seattle hasn't had since Richard Sherman wore a Seahawks uniform.
Witherspoon is a great coverage corner but will also help in run defense. He loves to tackle hard too much to not be a force against the run as well. He might be a slightly smaller corner, but he has good technique in coverage and when tackling. Paired with Tariq Woolen, he could give Seattle one of the best corner duos in the league.
Grade: A
Round 1, Pick 20: Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Smith-Njigba does have his concerns. One is that he dealt with a hamstring injury through almost all of 2022 and he missed most of the season. He isn't huge like DK Metcalf but he is bigger than Tyler Lockett and Lockett has had himself a pretty good career. Maybe Smith-Njigba chose to not play a lot last year as he was so good in 2021 that his draft stock was cemented already.
Smith-Njigba runs routes with ease and has excellent hands and quickness. He will immediately be the Seahawks' WR3 and should see a lot of one-on-one coverage and be productive. Now he just needs to show he can stay healthy.
Grade: B+
Grading the Seahawks Day 2 picks
The Seattle Seahawks traded their third-round choice so they ended up with just two Day 2 picks, both in the second round. One pick was roundly applauded by 12s. The other pick appears to be a love it or hate it choice.
Round 2, Pick 37: Edge rusher Derick Hall, Auburn
Hall wasn't a name at the top of lots of pre-draft lists when it came to edge rushers because that group was so overshadowed by the names Will Anderson, Jr. and Tyree Wilson. But make no mistake that Hall is a baller. He is extremely athletic with good size at 6'3" and 254 pounds. If he had played on better teams in college, he would have been more of a household name.
Hall ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at the combine as well as a 33.5" vertical jump. He had 12 tackles-for-loss and 7 sacks for Auburn in 2022. Initially, he will likely be a part of the pass-rush rotation, but he can help stop the run. Hall could simply be a replacement for Darrell Taylor as Taylor is set to be a restricted free agent in 2024.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 52: Running back Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Here is the Seattle pick that might be the most under pressure to start his career. And that is no fault of Charbonnet's. He appears to be an excellent person so he deserves a bit of a break. He also seems to be a good running back so maybe 12s should watch him play in the NFL a bit before they judge him too harshly.
But that Seattle did spend a second-round choice on a running back could be viewed as too high. Seattle did have other needs to address, like the interior of both offensive and defensive lines, but depth at running back was also a need. Plus, quality depth is extremely important at skill positions like running back and since the Seahawks have a recent history of nearly every running back getting hurt, adding Charbonnet makes sense. Seattle only had two running backs on the roster prior to the Charbonnet pick.
Grade: B
Grading the Seahawks fourth-round picks
Round 4, Pick 108: Right guard Anthony Bradford, LSU
Offensive tackles go high in the NFL draft, but guards and centers usually do not. It's the same reason more edge rushers go high in drafts compared to defensive tackles. It's all about who can get to the quarterback and which players can protect the QB. Bradford is a near-perfect pick for the Seahawks at right guard, however.
Bradford fits Seattle's system well. He is big at 6'3" and 330 pounds and more athletic than he looks. He can pull, if needed, but is more comfortable just mashing defensive tackles in front of him. He is strong enough to play right away and he just might.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 123: Defensive tackle Cameron Young, Mississippi State
Young, like Bradford, fits a position of need for Seattle. He is 6'3" and 305 pounds but with a super strong lower body. He isn't easy to move off his base, even for an NFL player. Young isn't explosive and likely won't collect many sacks, but he should be excellent against the run. He should slide in between free agent signees Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed and help stuff the run.
Seattle has certainly tried to address its run defense issues from 2022. They signed linebackers who can tackle and run and added a safety who loves to move up into the box and attack the running back. Young is just another useful tool to have to force opposing teams to throw passes toward Tariq Woolen and Quandre Diggs as those teams can't run well against the Seahawks.
Grade: B
Grading the Seahawks picks rounds 5 through 7
Round 5, Pick 151: Defensive end Mike Morris, Michigan
Morris is a big defensive end who should also be stout against the run. He is 6'5" and 275 pounds and will likely add more weight once in an NFL weight-lifting program. Morris might even add enough girth to move inside to tackle. But he has enough strength to get reps as part of a rotation for Seattle in 2023 and Morris can be used on any down.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 154: Center Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
Seattle needed a center and they found one with the 6'2 1/2" and 310 pound Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi is strong enough to play in the NFL, but he lacks great balance. He is made better by the players around him on the offensive line than him elevating the line as a whole. He is a smart player, though, and should be able to call out the line alignments well.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick 198: Safety Jerrick Reed II, New Mexico
Reed might be a sixth-round pick but in a few years he could prove much more valuable. He has the speed to play in the NFL and is a very good tackler for his size. He also isn't shy and doesn't back away from hitting hard. He is a little small at 5'10" and 195 pounds, though, so the question is how well he can hold up in the league.
Grade: B (but could be an A+ one day)
Round 7, Pick 237: Running back Kenny McIntosh, Georgia
With the Seahawks' final pick, they chose their second running back of the draft. McIntosh, at the stage of the draft he was chosen, could not have been a better choice. He can catch well, block well, and create yards in short-yardage situations. He is capable of being a three-down back, though he will simply be depth in Seattle. Still, Seattle rebuilt its running back room in this draft and McIntosh will be a key to the unit in the future.
Grade: A+