Seahawks Draft History: Best Day 2 Selections Since 2010
After trading their 2021 and 2022 first-round selections to the Jets for safety Jamal Adams, the Seahawks will have to make the most out of the second and third days of the next two drafts. Thankfully for them, the latter rounds of the draft have been rather kind to them in the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era.
Today, we're looking at 10 players they've drafted on day two since 2010. They've undeniably dominated this day historically, hauling in a pair of future Hall of Famers, including a franchise quarterback, and a handful of other significant contributors to their recent success. Let's dive in, going by chronological order.
2010, No. 60: WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
Once on the cusp of being cut by the team, it took a while for Golden Tate to get his NFL career kicked into high gear. It all finally came together for him upon the arrival of quarterback Russell Wilson in 2012, in which he became the rookie passer's second-most targeted receiver. That year, he also turned into a household name for being on the receiving end of the controversial 'Fail Mary' play in Week 3 against the Packers. Over his last two seasons with the Seahawks, he caught 109 of his 167 targets for 1,586 yards and 12 touchdowns with a Super Bowl XLVIII ring to show for it before departing for Detroit in 2014.
2012, No. 47: LB Bobby Wagner, Utah State
One of the first picks of Seattle's historic 2012 draft class, Bobby Wagner quickly went from "second-round reach" to one of the greatest players to ever play the linebacker position. Now entering his 10th campaign with the Seahawks, Wagner continues to reaffirm his case for the Hall of Fame by consistently staying atop the NFL leaderboards in tackles while remaining a constant force in the middle of a defense that has undergone great change over the past few seasons. Set to play at the age of 31 this fall, Wagner may still have a few years left in him to tack onto his already stellar career stat sheet that includes 1,213 combined tackles, 22.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, and three touchdowns.
2012, No. 75: QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
As if the Wagner pick wasn't sensational enough on its own, the Seahawks somehow outdid themselves with their very next selection. With what will forever go down as their greatest hit in their rich draft history, the Seahawks took a chance on Wisconsin's "undersized" quarterback Russell Wilson despite signing Matt Flynn to a lucrative contract a month prior. Wilson, of course, went on to win the starting job over Flynn that summer and never looked back. From Week 1 of the 2012 season onward, he's started in every game Seattle has played, throwing for a franchise-record 33,946 yards and 267 touchdowns and counting.
2014, No. 64: C Justin Britt, Missouri
After their extraordinary draft success in 2010 and 2012, the Seahawks hit a bit of a dry spell heading into the mid 2010s. There isn't a whole lot of substance to either of their draft classes from 2013 or 2014, but one player who does stand out from the latter class is Justin Britt. Starting at three different spots in three years, Britt finally found a home at center in 2016. He earned Pro Football Focus grades of 77.0 and 66.3 at the position, and Seattle rewarded him for his efforts with a three-year extension that he saw two seasons of before suffering a torn ACL in 2019.
2015, No. 63: DE Frank Clark, Michigan
Despite entering the NFL with a controversial past, the Seahawks took a chance on Michigan defensive end Frank Clark and hit big in the second round of the 2015 draft. While he found some success working as a rotational pass-rusher in his first year behind the likes of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, Clark really broke out in his second season with 10.0 sacks. Putting up an additional 22.0 sacks in his final two years with the team, Seattle traded him to the Chiefs for a 2019 first-round pick and a 2020 second-rounder.
2015, No. 69: WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
Just six picks after taking Clark, the Seahawks traded up in front of the Texans to the No. 69 spot in order to snag multi-faceted wideout Tyler Lockett. Immediately, the rookie made an impact both in the return game and as a reliable target for Wilson through the air. Following Doug Baldwin's retirement in 2019, Lockett and Wilson have become a nearly unstoppable duo, with the former eclipsing the franchise's single-season record for receptions with 100 in 2020 on his way to signing a massive four-year, $69.2 million extension last week.
2016, No. 49: DT Jarran Reed, Alabama
For the second year in a row, the Seahawks traded up on day two of the draft. This time, it was for a player who had fallen well out of his expected draft range: Jarran Reed. Coming out of Alabama with fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in 2016, Reed went on to be a nice get for Seattle, bringing stout run defense and upside as a pass-rusher to its front line. His play earned him a second contract with the team, though he would only play out a year of it after recently being cut by the team in order to create much needed salary cap space.
2017, No. 90: CB Shaquill Griffin, Central Florida
Beginning his career as the Seahawks' starting right cornerback opposite Richard Sherman, Shaquill Griffin soon became the future Hall of Famer's heir apparent. While it was unfair to expect him to live up to the legacy Sherman had built in Seattle, Griffin proved to be more than capable of handling the responsibility as the team's new top corner. He was inconsistent at times, but played well enough to earn Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and a big payday from the Jaguars this offseason.
2019, No. 64: WR DK Metcalf, Mississippi
Although it's far too early to say the Seahawks have found three Hall of Famers on day two of the draft, it's hard not to be excited about DK Metcalf's chances to join the club after seeing his first two seasons in the NFL. Falling all the way to the very last pick of the second round in 2019, Metcalf finally heard his name called once Seattle traded up with the Patriots at No. 64. Since then, the extraordinary athlete has taken the league by storm, making good on his promise to make the 31 other teams who passed on him regret their decision. Last year, he broke the Seahawks' single-season record for receiving yards with 1,303 and found the end zone 10 times. Looking at his profile and who's throwing him the ball, that may only be scratching the surface.
2020, No. 69: G Damien Lewis, LSU
The jury is still very much out on the Seahawks' 2020 draft class, but one player they've seemingly hit on is guard Damien Lewis. The rookie out of LSU started all 16 games at right guard last season, earning a 70.2 overall grade from PFF and All-Rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers Association. While interior offensive line has been an area of focus for the Seahawks this offseason, they won't have any concerns about Lewis after the season he just put up—perhaps putting him in the driver's seat to establish himself as the best offensive lineman the organization has drafted under Carroll and Schneider.
