Analysis: How Have Seahawks Fared Historically With 8 Scheduled Picks For 2022 NFL Draft?

Entering a critical 2022 draft, Seattle will have eight selections, including four picks in the first 72 selections. From a historical perspective, how has the franchise drafted at each slot respectively?

After adding three selections courtesy of a blockbuster trade shipping quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos earlier this month, the Seahawks will have eight total picks at their disposal in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Coming off the heels of a disappointing 7-10 season, Seattle will hold a top-10 pick for the first time since general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll conducted their first draft together 13 years ago. The team will also have four picks in the first 72 selections, including back-to-back second-round choices at 40 and 41 overall, providing plenty of ammo to kickstart a rebuild effort.

Looking back at their previous 46 drafts, how have the Seahawks fared historically with each of their scheduled eight selections for next month? Here's a look at how many times the franchise has picked at each slot, the best players chosen with each pick, and the best player selected by any NFL team all-time with each respective pick.

Round 1, Pick 9

Total Selections: 2 (1978, 2001)

Best Pick: Keith Simpson, DB, Memphis

Best Player Selected All-Time: Bruce Matthews, G, USC

While 2001 first-round pick Koren Robinson has a slightly higher approximate value thanks in large part to a 1,000-yard season in 2002, Simpson had a far better career overall. Playing all eight of his NFL seasons in Seattle, the versatile defensive back started 70 out of 108 games played at strong safety and cornerback, intercepting 19 passes, registering 10.0 sacks, and scoring three defensive touchdowns, including tying for the league lead in that category in 1984. Often overlooked by the presence of cornerback Dave Brown, Hall of Fame safety Kenny Easley, and safety John Harris, he was one of the unsung contributors for the Seahawks first couple of playoff teams.

Round 2, Pick 40

Total Selections: 1 (2001)

Best Pick: Ken Lucas, CB, Mississippi

Best Player Selected All-Time: Michael Strachan, DE, Texas Southern

Finding his way into the starting lineup midway through his rookie season, Lucas became a staple for a rapidly improving Seattle secondary during his first four NFL seasons. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2004, picking off six passes and recording 21 passes defensed, helping lead the Seahawks to an NFC West crown. He departed in free agency to join the Panthers the following season and unfortunately, his former team got the last laugh by beating his new team in the NFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XL. He wrapped up his career playing one additional season in Seattle, producing 62 passes defensed and 12 interceptions in 78 games.

Round 2, Pick 41

Total Selections: 1 (1977)

Best Pick: Terry Beeson, LB, Kansas

Best Player Selected All-Time: Andre Tippett, LB, Iowa

Immediately installed as a starter at middle linebacker, Beeson finished second in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting and set a new franchise record with 153 tackles. That mark held for nearly 40 years until Bobby Wagner broke the record in 2016. He led the Seahawks in tackles in each of his first three seasons before eventually being relegated to a reserve role in 1981. A knee injury cut his NFL career short, but he was one of the first standout players for the franchise during its early years.

Round 3, Pick 72

Total Selections: 0

Best Player Selected All-Time: Jeremiah Trotter, LB, Stephen F. Austin

Interestingly, Seattle has never made a selection at No. 72 overall. The franchise has picked 71st overall once and 73rd overall twice, with the most notable pick being running back Lamar Smith in 1994. The former Houston standout rushed for 1,286 yards and 10 touchdowns in four seasons as a reserve behind Pro Bowl starter Chris Warren.

Round 4, Pick 109

Total Selections: 1 (1985)

Best Pick: Tony Davis, TE, Missouri

Best Player Selected All-Time: Don Maynard, WR, Texas El-Paso

A promising tight end coming out of Missouri, Davis never played a single down for the Seahawks due to injuries and spent his two seasons with the organization on injured reserve. He announced his retirement in 1987 after undergoing knee surgery and transitioned into coaching.

Round 5, Pick 152

Total Selections: 1 (1999)

Best Pick: Charlie Rogers, RB, Georgia Tech

Best Player Selected All-Time: Bruce Laird, S, American International

The 5-foot-9, 18-pound Rogers didn't log a single carry and caught one pass for seven yards in three seasons with the Seahawks. But the former Yellow Jackets standout made his mark as a dangerous return specialist, returning 73 punts for 925 yards and a touchdown along with 134 kick returns for 3,214 yards and a touchdown from 1999 to 2001. To this day, he ranks fifth in franchise history in punt return yards and third in kick return yards. Joining Tyler Lockett and Nate Burleson, he's also one of only three players in team history to return a punt and kickoff for a score.

Round 5, Pick 153

Total Selections: 3

Best Pick: Eddie Anderson, S, Fort Valley State

Best Player Selected All-Time: Dante Hall, WR/KR, Texas A&M

Joining a team loaded with safety talent and headlined by Easley and Eugene Robinson, Anderson only dressed for five games in his lone season with the Seahawks before being cut in 1987. That move proved to be a bad one for the franchise as he latched on with the Raiders and eventually became a quality starter. From 1988 to 1993, he intercepted 17 passes and returned three of them for touchdowns while racking up over 550 combined tackles. Though he never made a Pro Bowl, he turned in a stellar 12-year career mostly away from the Pacific Northwest.

Round 7, Pick 229

Total Selections: 0

Best Player Selected All-Time: Tom Day, G/DE, North Carolina A&T

Somehow, Seattle has never picked within three picks of No. 229 overall. The two closest instances came in fairly recent history with the team drafting fullback Kiero Small at No. 227 overall in 2014 and linebacker Ty Powell at No. 231 overall in 2013. Neither player ever appeared in a regular season game for the franchise.