Seattle Seahawks 1st-Quarter Report Card: Grades for Devon Witherspoon & Rookies
Only a game behind the San Francisco 49ers heading into their bye week with a 3-1 record, the Seattle Seahawks have once again received quality production from their latest draft class on offense, defense, and special teams to fuel the strong start.
Now a quarter of the way through the 2023 season, how have each of Seattle's 10 draft picks and undrafted rookies performed so far? Here's my first rookie report card of the season based on film and statistics:
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Devon Witherspoon - Round 1, Pick 5
Grade: A-
Due to a hamstring injury, Witherspoon missed the whole preseason and didn't play in Seattle's season opening loss. But since making his debut in Week 2, the top-five pick out of Illinois has lived up to the hype as an all-around playmaking maestro in the secondary. In his first three games, the Florida native has allowed 11 receptions on 22 targets for 114 yards with a 97-yard interception returned for a touchdown and three pass breakups, with his lone blemish being tricked on a flea flicker in his debut for a 32-yard touchdown against the Lions.
Devon Witherspoon has made an instant impact not only in coverage, but as a pass rusher and run defender since jumping into Seattle's starting lineup in Week 2.
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Showcasing his unique skill set, Witherspoon slid into the slot against the Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 4 and registered his first two career sacks. A physical tackler at the point of attack at 185 pounds more than happy to stick his helmet into the fight, he also has made four stops netting one yard or less against the run, making positive contributions to the Seahawks much-improved top five ranked rushing defense.
Jaxon Smith-Njibga - Round 1, Pick 20
Grade: C-
Following a fantastic training camp, Smith-Njigba has yet to have his coming out party as Witherspoon did the past two weeks. Primarily catching short passes around the line of scrimmage, his average depth of target sits at 3.3 yards through four games, as the Seahawks haven't been able to get him going in the intermediate passing game.
So far, he has caught 12 passes for just 62 yards, only has converted those receptions into a pair of first downs, and has yet to score his first NFL touchdown. The soft-handed wideout also has uncharacteristically dropped a pair of passes.
If there's reason for optimism, Smith-Njigba underwent wrist surgery late in the preseason before debuting in Seattle's season opener and he's still working on building in-game chemistry with Geno Smith.
Nobody should be surprised if the former Ohio State star has his breakout performance brewing in the near future after the team enjoys a Week 5 bye.
Derick Hall - Round 2, Pick 37
Grade: B-
Out of the gate, Hall got off to a slow start rotating in behind Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Darrell Taylor, registering a single tackle and no pressures in his NFL debut. But over the past three games, the second-round pick out of Auburn has started to make an impact as a rotational rusher, generating seven pressures and three quarterback hits, including smacking Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter on Monday Night Football that led to an errant pass intercepted by safety Quandre Diggs. He also has pitched in three run stops according to Pro Football Focus.
The next step in Hall's progression will be finding a way to turn a few of his pressures into sacks, as the rookie has yet to notch his first one as a pro. Given his ascending production in recent weeks, he should continue to see 20-plus snaps per game playing off the edge on both sides, presenting ample opportunities for him to emerge as a key cog in an improving pass rush.
Zach Charbonnet - Round 2, Pick 52
Grade: B
Though Ken Walker III has received the lion's share of carries so far this season, Charbonnet gradually has taken on a larger role in Seattle's offense in the first four games of the season with encouraging results. Rushing for north of 100 yards and averaging a healthy five yards per carry on 21 touches, he has been a tackle-breaking battering ram with the football in his hands, forcing five missed tackles, manufacturing 68 yards after contact, and averaging more than three yards per carry after contact in his first NFL action.
Emerging as a complement to Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet has been excellent in pass protection while running angry with 104 yards on 21 carries.
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In the passing game, Charbonnet has yet to hit his stride as a receiver, catching four passes for 22 yards with a pair of drops. But the ex-UCLA star has been outstanding picking up blitzes in pass protection, allowing no pressures on 11 pass blocking snaps and consistently stone-walling defenders out of the backfield to keep Smith clean in the pocket.
He should continue to see ample work as a third down back and an increasing workload as a ball carrier complementing Walker moving forward.
Anthony Bradford - Round 4, Pick 108
Grade: B+
With the Seahawks battling numerous injuries along the offensive line, the team threw Bradford into the fire against the Panthers with his first career start replacing a banged up Phil Haynes at right guard. The 332-pound mauler helped Ken Walker III rush for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns, making several key blocks off the line of scrimmage in the run game and not allowing a pressure in pass protection. Thrust into action again against the Giants after Haynes re-aggravated his calf injury, he delivered a key block on another Walker touchdown at the goal line.
Facing off against a talented New York defensive line headlined by Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, Bradford did give up a trio of pressures and a big hit on Smith while also drawing two penalties. But he still has posted a quality 97.6 pass protection efficiency in his first two NFL games while bringing some physicality and nastiness in the trenches as a run blocker, demonstrating qualities that could push him into the starting lineup full time in the near future.
Cameron Young - Round 4, Pick 123
Grade: B
Rebounding from a calf injury that kept him out of the preseason, Young has gradually worked his way into an important rotational role at nose tackle behind Jarran Reed over the past few weeks. Stout at the point of attack, he has recorded three tackles on run plays netting two or fewer yards, including narrowly missing out on his first career sack bringing down Jones on a scramble attempt on Monday night. His effort has also been noticeable, as he snuffed out a screen for a two-yard loss against the Lions and has been more active in the pass rushing department than expected with two pressures on limited snaps.
Doing a fine job picking up the slack with veteran Bryan Mone still recovering from a torn ACL on the PUP list, Young should continue to see extensive snaps in a reserve role moving forward.
Mike Morris - Round 5, Pick 151
Grade: C+
One of the few bright spots in a season-opening loss to the Rams, Morris registered a trio of tackles in a promising NFL debut while dealing with a bum shoulder that bothered him throughout training camp. But unfortunately, the Seahawks won't get to see what he can offer their defensive line for the remainder of the season after he underwent surgery and landed on injured reserve last month.
Olu Oluwatimi - Round 5, Pick 154
Grade: B
Like Bradford, Oluwatimi has been forced into action earlier than expected due to injuries up front and made the most of his first opportunities. While he only played three snaps against the Lions when starter Evan Brown banged his knee, he dished out a key block at the goal line on a touchdown run by Walker, driving his defender backward to create a crease for the back. After Haynes and Damien Lewis exited in Week 4 and Brown slid to left guard, he didn't allow a single pressure on 19 pass blocking reps, thriving as he did winning the Rimington Award as the nation's top center at Michigan.
With Haynes and Lewis likely to be back after the bye, Seattle can take solace in the fact Oluwatimi has looked more than ready to play if needed and he may still be the franchise's long-term answer at center.
Jerrick Reed - Round 6, Pick 198
Grade: B+
Jerrick Reed II has provided encouraging early returns as a sixth-round pick for the Seahawks.
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Building off a strong preseason finale in Green Bay, Reed has quietly started to find his way onto the field in sub packages for Seattle in the secondary, playing 20 defensive snaps in the past two games with a tackle and one reception allowed for seven yards.
The sixth-round pick out of New Mexico has made his greatest impact on special teams, however, currently leading the team with five tackles on kick and punt coverage. This includes blowing up returner Kalif Raymond for no gain during the Seahawks win over the Lions in the Motor City, which stands out as one of the notable special teams highlights for the team thus far.
Kenny McIntosh - Round 7, Pick 237
Grade: N/A
After impressing early on in his first NFL training camp, McIntosh unfortunately sprained his knee late in Seattle's annual mock game scrimmage and missed the entire preseason. Unable to recover quickly enough to return to action for the start of the regular season, he remains on injured reserve and has yet to make his team debut.
Jake Bobo - Undrafted Free Agent
Grade: B
The darling of the preseason earning himself a roster spot for the Seahawks, Bobo only has caught two passes so far, but one of them resulted in a five-yard touchdown with acrobatic footwork along the back of the end zone to help finish off the Panthers in Week 3.
Meanwhile, the 6-4 receiver has been a consistent bright spot as a run blocker on the outside with a team-best 89.1 grade from PFF, which has helped him carve out a significant role with 81 offensive snaps so far.
Chris Stoll - Undrafted Free Agent
Grade: A
Kicker Jason Myers has gotten off to a rocky start making only nine of his first 13 field goals, but don't blame his rookie long snapper. Stoll has delivered perfect snaps throughout the first four games and hasn't been noticeable, which is always a good thing at a position that normally only draws attention when major mistakes are made.
