Report Card: How Did Seahawks Grade Out in 2023 NFL Draft?
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Sticking to the script that provided immense success last April, the Seattle Seahawks prioritized picking the best player available while still addressing several key needs during the 2023 NFL Draft, bringing 10 new players on board to join an ascending squad.
As to be expected with general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll calling the shots, the Seahawks made a few surprising moves this past weekend, including bypassing talented defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Tyree Wilson in favor of cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick. They also didn’t pick an offensive or defensive lineman in the first three rounds, instead attacking the trenches seeking late round value on day three rather than using premium early-round picks to shore up major deficiencies on their roster.
While time will tell how Seattle’s latest draft class performs on the field, it’s never too early to evaluate selections made by Schneider, Carroll, and company. Assessing all 10 selections made over the past three days, here are my initial grades for each pick based on positional value, overall talent, team need, and college production by round:
Round 1, Pick 5 – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Grade: A-
Though Witherspoon doesn’t look like an enforcer weighing under 180 pounds, few cornerbacks in the NFL offer more physicality and toughness than the First-Team All-American, who delivers bone-rattling hits to running backs, receivers, and tight ends alike. He’s also sticky in press and off-man as well as zone coverage, demonstrating instincts well beyond his six years of experience playing football diagnosing routes and frequently getting his hands on passes for interceptions and pass breakups as a result. After hitting a home run selecting Tariq Woolen in the fifth round one year earlier, the Seahawks should have another potential Rookie of the Year candidate in the secondary to form one of the best one-two cornerback punches in the league.
Round 1, Pick 20 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Grade: A-
Hoping to finally land the complementary third target to pair with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks wisely took the best player available on their big board in Smith-Njigba, a savvy route runner with rare change of direction and agility traits to wreak havoc from the slot. Along with occasionally snagging deep balls down the seam or on post routes, he makes a living carving up defenses in the intermediate passing game on digs and crossing routes, using his powerful lower body to break arm tackles and acceleration to pick up chunks of yardage after the catch. A first down machine, his strengths should give Geno Smith a quality possession target out of the gate while also opening up more opportunities for Metcalf and Lockett on the outside.
Round 2, Pick 37 – Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
Grade: B
Athletically and schematically, Hall fits Seattle’s hybrid 3-4 defense like a glove. Weighing north of 250 pounds with an explosive first step from his track background, his motor never runs cold and that relentless effort helped him produce 24 tackles for loss in the backfield over his final two years with the Tigers. His raw power off the edge created problems for top tackles in the SEC and should translate to the NFL, particularly in the pass rushing department, though he will have to add supplementary counter moves to his repertoire and become more comfortable in coverage to reach his ceiling. For now, he should be a viable rotational outside linebacker in a by-committee arrangement with Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, and Boye Mafe.
Round 2, Pick 52 – Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Grade: C+
Stylistically, Charbonnet checks off every box the Seahawks look for from a three-down back. Averaging more than four yard per carry after contact as a senior for the Bruins, he run with tremendous contact balance and physicality, regularly bouncing off defenders and breaking through ill-fated arm tackle attempts. He also demonstrated soft hands out of the backfield with steadily improving production after transferring from Michigan, boosting his NFL stock, and has prior experience on special teams. Drafting a running back with a premium selection this early one year after doing the same with Ken Walker III may be a bit rich, especially with talented players in the trenches still on the board. But at a position with a high injury rate and short shelf life, there’s no such thing as too much depth and having two legitimate starting-caliber backs on the roster shouldn’t be viewed as a luxury either.
Round 4, Pick 108* - Anthony Bradford, G, LSU
Grade: B
Addressing their interior offensive line first thing on day three, Bradford brings extensive starting experience against top SEC competition and an intriguing blend of size and athleticism to the Seahawks. He allowed four sacks as a senior, sometimes struggling to keep rushers in front of him with heavy feet when forced to slide laterally and mirror in pass protection. He will need to improve quickly in that capacity to beat out Phil Haynes for the right guard job out of the gate, but his nasty demeanor and power knocking defenders off the ball in the run game could work to his advantage playing significant snaps early.
Round 4, Pick 123 – Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
Grade: B-
Without a healthy nose tackle on the roster after releasing veterans Al Woods and Shelby Harris, Young immediately fills a gaping hole by providing a stout, powerful run defender who throws concrete hands into blockers and can be difficult to move at the point of attack. From that standpoint, he has a chance to be a major factor on early downs for a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL defending the run last season. What puts a cap on this selection, however, is his lack of bite as a pass rusher compared to other nose tackle options in this draft class, as he produced one sack in four seasons for the Bulldogs and generated limited pressure on quarterbacks.
Round 5, Pick 151 – Mike Morris, DE, Michigan
Grade: B+
If the Seahawks intended to play Morris off the edge as a standup outside linebacker, this selection would be a far more debatable one, as his below-average speed and twitch would have made the fit a peculiar one. However, with the team planning to use him as 3-tech defensive end at a bulked up 295 pounds, his strengths as a power interior rusher and underrated burst between the tackles should be accentuated, providing the team with another viable option to plug and play in pass rushing situations from the outset. Assuming he continues to grow as a run defender, the positional fit could project him as a quality starter in the not-so-distant future.
Round 5, Pick 154 – Olu Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
Grade: A
In terms of value, the Seahawks could not have fared much better finding a potential day one starter to anchor their offensive line than landing Oluwatimi, a highly-decorated player who won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman and Rimington Award as the nation’s top center in 2022. An outstanding leader who has ample experience making line calls in the run and pass game, he logged over 3,500 snaps at the college level with Virginia and Michigan, blossoming into a top-notch pass protector and spearheading a dominant ground game in his lone season with the Wolverines. Set to compete right away with Evan Brown for the starting job, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see him in the lineup when the regular season opens in September.
Round 6, Pick 198 – Jerrick Reed II, DB, New Mexico
Grade: C+
Beyond under the radar, Reed somehow wasn’t ranked by major outlets such as The Draft Network, Pro Football Focus, and Pro Football Network despite putting up superb numbers in four seasons with the Lobos. His lack of size and the fact he struggled with missed tackles against inferior competition in the Mountain West conference could work against him trying to make Seattle’s roster, especially at arguably the deepest positional group on the team at safety. But his ability to play slot cornerback, both safety spots, and special teams at a high level coupled with elite speed and explosiveness should give him a chance to vie for a reserve role as a rookie with enough upside to develop into something more.
Round 7, Pick 237 – Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
Grade: B+
Doubling up in the backfield, McIntosh’s late selection could be argued as the more valuable one compared to Charbonnet on several fronts. For one, the ex-Georgia standout shares some similar qualities as a runner, including the ability to shed tackle attempts in bunches due to a strong lower body and good contact balance. While he isn’t quite as fast or quick as Charbonnet, he may have been the best pure receiving back in this draft class, finishing second in the country last year in receiving yards and third in receptions amongst his peers. Such tools could open the door for him to take over as Seattle’s third down back in quick order, giving him a tangible role on offense alongside Walker and Charbonnet that would make him a home run in the final round.
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