The Seattle Seahawks were one of the league’s biggest surprises of the 2022 NFL season. With two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, how did John Schneider and the Seahawks grade out?
Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Grades
Round 1, Pick 5: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Although it seems silly in hindsight because the Seahawks have an obvious need at cornerback opposite of Tariq Woolen, we never really considered one going to Seattle with the fifth-overall pick. While Seattle has preferred longer CBs over the past decade-plus, they also love themselves some physicality and presence, which Devon Witherspoon provides without fail on film.
The undersized man-to-man quarterback is a gnat in coverage. Witherspoon has never made a qualm about lowering his shoulder when defending the run, and he has an innate ability to slice a hand through to disrupt the ball at the catch point. Although he’s not of prototypical size, Witherspoon’s worth the high selection.
Grade: A
Round 1, Pick 20: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best receiver in the class, and we did not believe he’d be around when the Seattle Seahawks made their second pick. Smith-Njigba will slide into the slot to pair with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, giving the Seahawks three distinctly different pass catchers.
MORE: 100% FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Ohio State WR coach Brian Hartline ranked Smih-Njigba over Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Wilson himself said JSN was better. Geno Smith was very efficient a season ago as a passer, and he gets a quarterback’s best friend in a slot receiver who simply gets open. Seattle gets a guy who is already a professional WR.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 37: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
Derick Hall has an 83-inch wingspan and the versatility to play the outside linebacker position in Seattle. He loves converting speed-to-power and has some good upside as a technical pass rusher, even if he lacks the type of flexibility and bend that often comes with high-caliber pass rushers.
Grade: B-
Round 2, Pick 52: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
It wouldn’t be the Seattle Seahawks if they didn’t draft a running back at some point in the NFL Draft at a higher spot than we thought. Zach Charbonnet is a really good football player who has three-down potential.
And while having two backs in the modern league is far from an issue, using early Day 2 picks on them in consecutive drafts with other needs remaining is an interesting decision. While Kenneth Walker III has the explosiveness to consistently be a big-play threat, Charbonnet will be a bit more consistent as a player who gets one to six yards at a time.
But with other needs remaining, it’s hard to see Schneider’s vision here.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick 109: Anthony Bradford, G, LSU
An ascending talent, Anthony Bradford returned to action in 2022 and was physically dominant at times for LSU. His best may be yet to come, as he flashed during the fall last year. He’ll need to refine his pass-blocking sets before he even sniffs the starting lineup.
Grade: B-
Round 4, Pick 123: Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
There isn’t much to Cameron Young’s game besides disrupting rushing lanes as a heads-up defensive tackle. A big reach at this point of the draft considering the talent still available on the interior, Young is an early-down run stuffer at best to start his career with Seattle.
Grade: D+
Round 5, Pick 151: Mike Morris, DL, Michigan
After swinging and missing in Round 4 on the defensive line, the Seahawks hit a home run with Mike Morris. A proverbial “movable chess piece,” Morris can move all around the defensive line and win all the same. Deploy him wherever he finds his comfort spot as a situational pass rusher to start his career as he continues to ascend as a three-down player.
Grade: A
Round 5, Pick 154: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
A home-run selection yet again for Seattle in Round 5. Olusegun Oluwatimi was the College Football Network Offensive Player of the Year last season and one of the top overall players in the entire country.
MORE: 2023 NFL Draft Team Grades
A mauler on the ground and terrific in pass sets, Oluwatimi is pro-ready from Day 1 after dominating at the University of Virginia before transferring to Michigan in 2022 and replicating that dominance on the biggest stage.
Grade: A+
Round 6, Pick 198: Jerrick Reed II, S, New Mexico
An underappreciated athlete with four years of high-quality experience at New Mexico, Jerrick Reed II was a Combine snub and has intriguing tools. He improved his game in each of his seasons with the Lobos and flashed with some sound ball skills. Size isn’t his game, but speed and game-breaking burst is.
Grade: B-
Round 7, Pick 237: Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
Arguably the top pass-catching back in the draft not-named Bijan Robinson, Kenny McIntosh bet on himself and paid himself back in spades with a terrific performance in 2022.
McIntosh is a dynamic runner and an even better option out of the backfield. He’ll lose no speed in his breaks and is as elusive as they come. Top-end speed is the only concern in his game, as he won’t outrun anyone.
Grade: B-
What Were the Seahawks’ Biggest Needs Entering the Draft?
- G, C, CB, DT, WR
The interior of Seattle’s offensive line needs an upgrade, but that’s really nothing new for Seattle, is it? Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, Joey Hunt, Greg Eiland, and Jake Curhan is not a legitimate unit to run on the field with on the interior.
Adding a third wide receiver could also be a priority for the Seahawks. But with two picks in the first round and multiple outs in Geno Smith’s contract, there’s a chance that Seattle could also look at the future of their franchise at QB.
Defensively, Seattle needs a cornerback to play opposite of Tariq Woolen, who broke out as a rookie fifth-round pick a season ago. Adding Julian Love allows for more versatility defensively, but they need a starter on the outside.