Grades For Every Seahawks Pick in 2022 NFL Draft

Ty Dane Gonzalez hands out his grades for each of the Seahawks' picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Life without Russell Wilson is in full swing for the Seahawks. Now comes their first big opportunity to lay the groundwork for the next era of their organization as the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off down in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The three-day event will be crucial for general manager John Schneider, head coach Pete Carroll and the rest of their staff after essentially betting on themselves to course correct in the wake of a regime-worst 7-10 effort a year ago. That put Seattle dead-last in the NFC West for the first time since it joined the division all the way back in 2002, further sparking the need for significant change this offseason.

With $26 million of Wilson's contract still on the books for 2022, accounting for the majority of the team's $44.5 million in dead money, Schneider and company were unable to accomplish much in free agency this spring. Instead of rebuilding their roster from the ground up, the Seahawks focused most of their energy on retaining their own free agents and were successful in that endeavor more often than not. But major needs, including the quarterback position, are still littered throughout this roster.

Some will be supplemented via the draft this weekend and Seattle is already off and running by making its first of eight scheduled selections at pick No. 9 on Thursday night. Following the conclusion of each portion of the event, this page will be updated with grades for all of the Seahawks' choices. 

UPDATE: The 2022 NFL Draft is now in the books and grades for all nine of Seattle's picks have been added down below. 

Round 1, Pick No. 9: Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State

Cross is arguably the best pass protector coming out of this class and should be able to wipe away any concerns about his skills in the run game soon enough. To say he survived the gauntlet that is SEC competition would be selling him far too short; he thrived in it, allowing just 2.0 sacks on a meager 16 pressures in 2021. There is legitimate All-Pro upside here and he won't turn 22 until Thanksgiving time, giving the Seahawks a potential cornerstone for many years to come. 

Grade: A

Round 2, Pick No. 40: Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota

The Seahawks are quietly building themselves an interesting stable of young pass rushers, teaming the highly-athletic Mafe up with the budding talents of Darrell Taylor and newcomer Uchenna Nwosu. Mafe was one of the top testers in his position group and showed out at the Senior Bowl following a breakout season with the Golden Gophers. He's still a bit raw and may have been Seattle's fallback option after Arnold Ebiketie went to Atlanta, but the tools are loud and fun to dream on. 

Grade: B

Round 2, Pick No. 41: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State

The decision to go running back this high is undoubtedly weird, but it's not as inexplicable or unwarranted as some claim. Chris Carson's recovery from neck surgery is a legitimate concern for the Seahawks, as is Rashaad Penny's injury history. Walker was electric out of Michigan State's backfield during his lone season in East Lansing, earning practically every accolade a college running back could ever strive for. He's a unique talent who thinks well on his toes, packs a punch and runs with rockets strapped to his heels. But with all that said, given the state of Seattle's roster and what was left on the board at the time, it's hard to feel as if his selection was the best use of resources in that particular spot.

Grade: C+

Round 3, Pick No. 72: Abraham Lucas, T, Washington State

Nabbing their second tackle in as many days, the Seahawks have bookended their offensive line of the future. Lucas was widely regarded as a second-round talent after testing off the charts during the pre-draft process, but he wound up sliding to the benefit of Seattle. Landing this kind of talent as late as pick No. 72 is excellent value, especially for one of the draft's top pass protectors. He and Cross should keep a lot of pockets clean together. 

Grade: A

Round 4, Pick No. 109: Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati

With D.J. Reed now in New York and Tre Brown recovering from a serious patellar tendon injury, the Seahawks needed to lengthen their cornerback ranks and afford themselves some long-term options. Despite being somewhat lost in the large shadow of former teammate and Jets first-round pick Ahmad Gardner, Bryant was a leader for one of the top programs in the country last year and ascended to the top of his position group by winning the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award. That kind of pedigree is rare to find as deep as the fourth round; and while Bryant has some technical issues to work through, there's a lot to like with this fit and the value of the pick. 

Grade: A-

Round 5, Pick No. 153: Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA

Going right back to the cornerback well, the Seahawks nabbed one of the most extraordinary athletes you'll ever find at the position. Woolen is still incredibly raw after transitioning from receiver just two years ago, but his unprecedented size and speed combo is what dreams are made of for a defensive backs guru like Carroll. Considering Woolen's tools alone were garnering him day two buzz, Seattle being able to call his name this late on day three is a massive win. 

Grade: A

Round 5, Pick No. 158: Tyreke Smith, EDGE, Ohio State

Injuries have hampered him some and the production⁠—at least as far as sacks go⁠—has not been there. But over the last two years, Smith has ranked in the upper echelon of college football edges in pass rush win rate and has done so playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country. If he can stay on the field, Seattle fans should be very excited. 

Grade: B

Round 7, Pick No. 229: Bo Melton, WR, Rutgers

Rutgers is not a very pass-happy team, but Melton was still able to put up respectable numbers in his three years as a full-time starter for the Scarlet Knights. He's struggled with drops some and is fairly limited as a route runner, but he's a threat with the ball in his hands and has top-end speed to do damage. Additionally, he's a quality special-teamer and should immediately help out on punt coverage as a gunner. Returning punts and kicks could also be in the cards for him as the Seahawks continue to look for more explosiveness in that department. 

Grade: B+

Round 7, Pick No. 233: Dareke Young, WR, Lenoir-Rhyne

Young is a bit of an enigmatic figure at this time, hailing from Division II school Lenoir-Rhyne. The Seahawks hosted him on a top-30 visit in mid April and were apparently blown away by his testing and physique. He's 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and looks like he was chiseled out of marble. He plays fast, physical and has a good head on his shoulders—all of which is necessary to make it out alive in the uphill climb he's set to embark on this summer. That said, let's wait and see if he can endure the significant uptick in competition before getting too excited. 

Grade: C