The Seattle Seahawks were the best team in football last season. On top of having an explosive, well-balanced offense, their rotation-heavy and complex defense kept opposing teams in shambles for 60 minutes.
Watching the best team in football win the whole thing doesn't happen very often. Injuries, misfortune, a wrong matchup, or a bad decision can derail an organization's season in the blink of an eye.
However, given how general manager John Schneider carefully assembled this roster, it's become pretty clear that the Seahawks' Super Bowl run started long before they took down the New England Patriots in 2025. It all started in their draft room back in 2023.
The Seattle Seahawks changed their franchise through the draft
Considering that, it's not much of a surprise to see NFL analysts Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers choose Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon among the 10 best first-round selections since 2023.
In the latest edition of the NFL Stock Exchange podcast, Connor had JSN and Witherspoon at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, behind only Will Anderson Jr. Sikkema, on the other hand, had Smith-Njigba at No. 4 behind Anderson, Drake Maye, and Jared Verse. Regardless of where anyone ranks one or the other, April 23, 2023, was clearly a pivotal point in franchise history.
Everybody expects first-round picks to make an immediate and big impact, and having two top-20 selections clearly made it easier. Then again, we've seen how many projected stars have failed to live up to the expectations for whatever reason, and Schneider found not one but two building blocks for his roster, one for each side of the field.
He also found two major contributors in Zach Charbonnet and Anthony Bradford in the following rounds.
The Seahawks took things slowly with Smith-Njigba. They could afford to be patient with him, relying on DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to handle the bulk of the work. Then, as soon as he looked ready to break out, they didn't hesitate to make him the focal point of the passing game, and he responded with an Offensive Player of the Year campaign.
As for Witherspoon, he didn't need much time to prove that he was special. He's made the Pro Bowl every year he's been in the league, and it should be just a matter of time before he resets the cornerback market with an extension.
He was Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) highest-ranked cornerback in his third year in the league, and having two players from the same class break out in the same campaign will obviously work wonders for any team's Super Bowl chances.
Granted, an NFL roster has 53 players, plus practice squad guys, dozens of coaches, and a head coach. That said, the Seahawks are fortunate enough to have two franchise-caliber guys, one on each side of the gridiron, and that's extremely rare.
Taking them in the draft wasn't the only thing that ultimately made them the team to beat in the NFC. Schneider made many pivotal decisions along the way, such as moving on from Geno Smith, drafting Nick Emmanwori, and hiring Mike Macdonald. In this league, the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts.
However, in an era of sports that rarely rewards patience, building through the draft, and executing a vision over multiple years, the Seahawks have defied the odds. They're built, not bought, and while their Super Bowl parade began three years ago, they will continue to reap what they sowed for years to come.
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