Seahawks' 2023 draft class comes of age against Cardinals in Week 14

The Seattle Seahawks will have some important roster decisions to make next offseason. The team has no money to spend, so some key players will probably have to be released or restructured. This means the team will have to decide on whether to move on from players such as Dre'Mont Jones and Uchenna Nwosu to open up some cap room.

Fortunately, some players who are becoming very important to the success of the team won't have any financial decisions made about them for a couple of seasons. The 2022 Seahawks draft class appears to have been a very good one with players such as left tackle Charles Cross, cornerback Riq Woolen, and edge rusher Boye Mafe, among others, playing like borderline Pro Bowlers.

The 2023 draft class is now making a statement, too. In fact, there is a decent chance that the group is just as good as the one from the previous year's draft.

Seattle Seahawks' 2023 draft class making an extremely positive imprint on the 2024 season

The imprint that the 2023 guys had on Week 14 in Seattle's victory over the Arizona Cardinals cannot be understated. The team does not win if many of the players from the class are not on the team. They are also making the Seahawks a dangerous team moving forward as well.

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the team's best receiver now. He certainly has been over the last half-season. Against the Cardinals, he had five catches for a team-leading 82 yards and a touchdown. He also pulled off a ridiculously difficult catch on a low throw from quarterback Geno Smith that JSN turned into a first down.

Running back Zach Charbonnet had his best game as a professional just when Seattle had to have it. Starter Kenneth Walker III missed the game with calf and ankle injuries. Charbonnet finished with 193 total yards, 134 of them rushing, and two touchdowns. He also exploded for a 51-yard touchdown, something he did not appear capable of before that.

Fellow running back Kenny McIntosh did not get as many reps as Charbonnet, but nearly all of those he did get turned into positives. He rushed for 38 yards on seven carries. And those players were just the offensive standouts.

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon was once again a burden for an opposing offense. He had a quarterback pressure, and while he allowed three of his four targets to be completed, those receptions went for only 15 yards. Much of what Witherspoon does does not show up in the box score as his reactions to plays many times help another player pick up a pressure or tackle.

Derick Hall, who has taken a massive leap in efficiency and productivity in his second season, had three more pressures. He now has 36 on the season, tied for third on the team. His six sacks are second.

The Seahawks are currently 8-5, which is better than most expected when the team skidded earlier in the season by losing five of six in one stretch. But the quality of the team is going to be good for a few years, at least. The 2022 draft class is a good one, and the 2023 class is just as productive.

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