Analysis: Best/Worst Case Scenarios For Seahawks 2022 Draft Class

With OTAs starting on Monday, training camp and the preseason are right around the corner for the Seahawks. Taking a glimpse into the crystal ball, what would be the best and worst-case scenarios for each of the team's nine draft choices in 2022?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
May 22, 2022

Starting on Monday, the Seahawks' 2022 draft class will get their first taste of real life in the NFL when the team kicks off the final phase of their offseason program with organized team activities.

Unlike rookie minicamp earlier this month, Seattle's incoming rookies will now face competition from returning veterans - some more than others. The next several weeks will be critical learning plays, making the most of limited reps on the practice field, and adjusting to a fast-paced, highly-competitive environment.

With their first training camp nearly two months away, what are the best case scenarios for each of the Seahawks nine draft picks entering their rookie seasons? And what would be the worst case scenario?

Charles Cross

Best Case Scenario: Taking the same path as Walter Jones did way back in 1997, Cross jumps right into the starting lineup protecting the blind side without a hitch and quickly adjusts to playing in a pro-style scheme with his hand in the dirt. Allowing only four sacks and improving as a run blocker as the season progresses, he earns All-Rookie Team honors from the PFWA while starting all 17 games and emerges as one of the best young tackles in the NFL.

Worst Case Scenario: Struggling to acclimate to a new scheme after excelling in an Air Raid offense at Mississippi State, Cross gets bullied in the run game and technique-related issues hamper him in pass protection working against the likes of 49ers standout Nick Bosa and Rams edge rusher Leonard Floyd. While he starts from day one, he endures a challenging rookie campaign and doesn't improve much over the course of the year, creating questions about his future.

Boye Mafe

Best Case Scenario: Building off a strong finish to his final collegiate season, including a dominant performance at the Senior Bowl, Mafe goes on a quarterback-hunting rampage early in the season as a situational reserve behind Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu. Unable to keep their most productive rusher off the field, he enters the starting lineup full-time by Week 8 and continues to wreak havoc off the edge, eventually breaking Steve Neihaus's unofficial team record with 10.5 sacks as a rookie.

Worst Case Scenario: Entering the league with fewer than 15 starts under his belt in the Big Ten, Mafe gets off to a slow start in training camp transitioning to facing NFL tackles and remains behind Alton Robinson in the rotation behind Taylor and Nwosu. Primarily seeing the field on special teams, he plays sparingly on defense in the first half of the season before finally carving out a more extensive role in the final eight or nine games, wrapping up a disappointing rookie year with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Ken Walker III

Best Case Scenario: When the injury bug inevitably nips Penny again during training camp, Walker vaults into the starting lineup and never looks back, exploding for a 100-yard performance in his NFL debut. Becoming an immediate starter, the dynamic runner stays healthy for all 17 games and joins Curt Warner as only the second back in franchise history to eclipse 1,000 yards and score double-digit touchdowns as a rookie, putting him squarely in the running for Rookie of the Year honors.

Worst Case Scenario: Picking up where he left off late last season, Penny racks up multiple games with 150-plus yards to open the season and a healthy Chris Carson returns running with a vengeance as a complementary backfield weapon. With the two talented runners managing to stay healthy most of the season and only so many snaps to go around, Walker logs just 45 carries for 225 yards and a touchdown as the third wheel in limited action.

Abraham Lucas

Best Case Scenario: Entering the NFL more pro-ready than anticipated after starting for four seasons at Washington State, Lucas outclasses Jake Curhan in training camp to earn a Week 1 starting nod at right tackle. While he battles growing pains early, including a rough Week 2 outing in Santa Clara, he maintains his starting spot over the course of the season and gradually improves in all facets of his game, creating optimism in the trenches Seattle hasn't known since the days of Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson.

Worst Case Scenario: Overwhelmed by NFL speed off the edge and unable to consistently create push run blocking out of a three-point stance, Lucas struggles mightily early in training camp and Curhan beats him out for the starting right tackle job. Stuck on the sidelines aside from special teams, he endures a "redshirt" year while Curhan plays at a high level, casting questions about where he fits into the team's long-term plans.

Coby Bryant

Best Case Scenario: Showing off the skills that made him the Jim Thorpe Award winner as college football's best defensive back last season, Bryant steals the show in the preseason with a pair of picks, helping him beat out Tre Brown and Artie Burns for a starting nod in Week 1. Thriving in coordinator Clint Hurtt's defense working across from Sidney Jones, he leads all rookie cornerbacks with four interceptions and adds 10 pass breakups to his stat line, earning All-Rookie Team honors and a Pro Bowl alternate selection.

Worst Case Scenario: Overmatched by the speed and quickness of NFL receivers, Bryant's instincts and ball-hawking ability can't compensate for his average athleticism as he gets toasted during training camp and the preseason. While he maintains a roster spot as a special teams contributor, he doesn't see any action on defense as a rookie while Brown or Burns shines in the starting lineup and his athletic limitations point to a low ceiling in the league.

Tariq Woolen

Best Case Scenario: Following the same path as Tre Flowers did back in 2018, Woolen takes to coach Pete Carroll's coaching quickly and unable to resist his freakish athleticism and rare size, the Seahawks shockingly naming him a Week 1 starter. Though he allows four touchdowns in coverage and leaves some tackles on the field, his speed helps eliminate the deep ball and he snags two interceptions in the final five games, putting the rest of the league on notice as one of the NFL's ascending young stars at the position.

Worst Case Scenario: Nowhere close to being ready to see the field defensively on Sundays, Woolen looks out of his element in training camp and the preseason and struggles to grasp the techniques taught by Carroll and his staff. He also fails to stand out on special teams, putting Seattle in a tough spot heading into final roster cuts. Due to fear of losing him off waivers, he makes the team as the last corner but remains very much a long-term project.

Tyreke Smith

Best Case Scenario: Making an easy transition to 3-4 outside linebacker, Smith avoids the nagging injuries that hindered him at Ohio State and flashes as a pass rusher in August. Surpassing Alton Robinson on the depth chart, he and Mafe both see meaningful snaps in a rotational capacity during their rookie seasons and the ex-Buckeyes starter finishes with a trio of sacks and nine quarterback hits, signaling a bright future in Hurtt's defense.

Worst Case Scenario: Lacking the burst to be an impact rusher in the NFL, Smith fails to stand out in training camp and also gets bullied in the run game during exhibition games. With Mafe and Robinson outperforming him by a wide margin, Seattle waives him during final roster cuts with hopes of sneaking him onto the practice squad and claims a pass rusher off of waivers from another team before the season opener.

Bo Melton

Best Case Scenario: In a stunning turn of events, Melton explodes during the preseason catching passes from Drew Lock and Geno Smith, outperforming former second-round pick Dee Eskridge. Surfacing as the Swiss army knife Seattle thought Eskridge would be, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron inserts him into the lineup as a gadget weapon early in the year and he finishes with 17 receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, he takes over as the Seahawks' new kick returner, adding special teams value.

Worst Case Scenario: With Eskridge bouncing back from a concussion-impacted rookie season and Freddie Swain taking another step forward, Melton receives few opportunities to shine on offense and drops plague him during the preseason. Unable to stand out on special teams either, he loses out on a roster spot at a crowded position and winds up on a practice squad in Seattle or with another team.

Dareke Young

Best Case Scenario: Unfazed by the jump from Division II to NFL competition, Young becomes the latest preseason star to emerge at receiver for the Seahawks and thanks to a couple long kick returns in August, he secures the final roster spot behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Eskridge, and Swain. Though he plays sparingly on offense as a rookie, his size comes in handy in red zone situations and he wraps up his rookie season with 12 catches for 118 yards and a pair of scores. On special teams, he sees action as a return man and a gunner on punt coverage.

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Worst Case Scenario: Quickly realizing he's not at Lenoir Rhyne anymore, Young struggles to adjust to the level of competition and fails to create separation against NFL cornerbacks, leading to a very quiet training camp and preseason. Remaining an intriguing developmental prospect due to his size and athletic gifts, Seattle waives him with hopes of bringing him back on the practice squad.