The Seattle Seahawks have the world open to them as they prepare for the 2023 NFL draft. With so much high-end draft capital Seattle has no excuse of not improving the roster a great deal. In the 2023 draft, it should be expected that Seattle drafts at least four potential starters with at least two of them being Pro Bowlers sooner than later.
But it could all go wrong. 12s got used to saying the Seahawks didn't draft well, it seems (and it also wasn't true), but then the 2022 draft happened and that appeared to be some kind of miracle. Seattle got what turned out to be five starters in the last draft. That may not have all happened in Week 1, but for most of the season Kenneth Walker III, Abe Lucas, Charles Cross, Tariq Woolen, and Coby Bryant were starters and good at their jobs.
With even better draft capital in 2023, should the expectation not be that the Seahawks get better production from the upcoming draft class long-term? Ideally, the 2022 and 2023 draft classes build the nucleus of a team that wins a Super Bowl or two. So which Seahawks should be worried about the 2023 draft?
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is on the hot seat
Mind you, Smith has done nothing wrong in the last year or so. But he was only signed to a three-year deal this offseason and the contract seems to imply Seattle will be happy with him as QB1 in 2023 but after that? Maybe not so much. Therefore, Smith is on the proverbial hot seat ahead of the draft and he can only change what happens in the future after the draft.
If Smith is really good again this coming season then if Seattle takes a quarterback high in the 2023 draft that QB might just need to take a seat for a couple of years. Which kind of stinks because high draft capital spent on a QB that doesn't play for two years is basically a waste of a pick. Smith helps the team by being great this year and beyond but also hurts the team if he is as well.
But let's assume the Seahawks choose at quarterback at number 5 or 20. If Smith isn't good in 2023, he will be gone by 2024. But if Seattle passes on a quarterback in the first round, Smith's job is probably safe through at least 2024.
Seahawks edge rusher Darrell Taylor is on the hot seat
Darrell Taylor was chosen in the second round of the 2020 draft but he missed his first season after recovering from an injury issue suffered in college. In the two years he has played (2021 and 2022), he has a combined 16 sacks and 26 quarterback hits. He has the speed and a couple of pass rush moves to get to the quarterback. But it says a lot that through two seasons, he has 16 sacks but only 15 tackles for loss.
This indicates Taylor can do one thing somewhat successfully and that is pressure opposing quarterbacks. But he doesn't play the run at all well and is extremely inconsistent even getting to the quarterback. It feels like if Taylor could be consistent and perfect about three pass rush moves, he could get to 14 or 15 sacks.
Maybe he still will get there. But 2023 is a bit of a break or make year for Taylor. The Seahawks took Boye Mafe in the 2022 draft and one should expect him to take on a larger role in 2023. Seattle also has enough high draft capital where they should be able to take at least one edge rusher who can sack quarterbacks while also being a force in run defense. Taylor might simply lose his place in a pass rush rotation if other players are capable of doing more.
But year three could be huge for Taylor. He must know he is being pushed by whomever the Seahawks take in the 2023 NFL draft and maybe Taylor has to find another team sooner than he hoped. That said, if Taylor can be a lot more consistent and get to 13 sacks in 2023, he might be a must-sign for the Seahawks next offseason.
Seahawks guard Phil Haynes is on the hot seat
Haynes will likely get a chance to start ar right guard in 2023. Seattle released Gabe Jackson this offseason due to Jackson's bloated contract and his digression as a blocker. Haynes split snaps with Jackson in 2022 and Haynes was the better player of the two anyway. Even if Jackson hadn't been released, Haynes likely would have started in front of him.
But Haynes has not proven in his four seasons with the Seahawks that he can stay consistently healthy. He did play in 15 games in 2022 but played no more than five in any of his previous seasons. Haynes is only 27 years old and could have several more years to play at a decent level, but he also needs to stay healthy this coming season.
Seattle could also draft a guard, maybe Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence,, decently high in the 2023 draft and that player steps in right away to start. Even though Haynes was better than Jackson last season, he still only graded out as the 56th best overall guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Seattle might do with an upgrade at the position Haynes currently plays.
Or Haynes could take total advantage of the opportunity he has this year and be the starter in Seattle for seasons to come. He's got the size and strength to succeed. But does he have the talent of staying healthy?
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is on the hot seat
This isn't a make-or-break draft for Schneider. He has been too successful for too long with the Seahawks. But he could also make enough bad decisions with the high draft capital that Seattle has to affect his future in a couple of seasons. If things don't go well, Seattle is going to not be good in a few years and he might need to find a new job.
This is especially true if the team is sold in 2024. The current ownership has a built-in relationship with Schneider, of course. He's been good for the organization and the organization has been good for him. But let's say someone like Jeff Bezos buys the team. Bezos won't care so much about the past but the future.
Schneider had a great draft in 2022. But there have been a few years where maybe Seattle brass overthought the draft and traded back when they shouldn't have. Picks like Malik McDowell and L.J. Collier hurt the team long-term. Those kinds of bad picks can't happen in 2023. Seattle can get away with a couple of mistakes in the second round, as long as they have a couple of first-round choices, but Seattle can't afford to miss with the first-round selections.
But I will be positive and assume Schneider helps pick another great class. If that happens, the Seahawks should be championship contenders by 2024. Heck, Seattle might even be set up to go to multiple Super Bowls.