Who Would Fans Pick If They Conducted Seahawks 2022 Draft?

On April 28, the 2022 NFL Draft will kick off in Las Vegas with the Seahawks holding eight selections, including four in the first three rounds. Two of those selections arrived as part of a blockbuster deal that sent quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos last month.

Armed with more draft capital than Seattle has had to work with in years, including a top-10 pick for the first time since 2010, there's no question this is a critical draft for general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll as they aim to reload the roster in quick order. If they fail to land impact players with most of those selections, it's not an overreaction to say the team could be set back for several years and jobs could be on the line.

Keeping that in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise at all that Seahawks fans have been even more active than usual doing their research on prospects and conducting hundreds of mock drafts looking at every possible outcome for their team. Which begs the question: what would they do if they were in Schneider's shoes?

Putting that question to the test, I polled fans via Twitter with four prospects to choose from for each of Seattle's eight selections, giving them 10 minutes to vote on who they would select and chat with others before making a final decision. Along the way, several trades were pitched through the Draft Network simulator, but none of them were approved with fans tending to want to sit pat to pick the best players available.

How did the draft wind up turning out? Offering up personal grades and insight on each selection, here's a look at the Seahawks 2022 draft class as selected by the dedicated fans themselves.

Round 1, Pick 9 - Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

Pick Grade: A

Heading into the draft, there's a strong possibility the Seahawks will invest their top 10 selection in a marquee tackle prospect to replace Duane Brown. However, in this particular mock, Alabama's Evan Neal, North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu, and Mississippi State's Charles Cross were all taken in the first eight picks, all but eliminating the possibility of a tackle being picked this early.

With all three tackles and pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Travon Walker off the board, many fans wanted to trade down four spots with the Ravens to recoup a third-round selection. But in the end, 51.9 percent of voters couldn't pass up on the chance to pick Gardner, a lengthy, athletic 6-foot-3 cornerback prospect who didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage at the college level for the Bearcats. Equally adept in zone and man coverage with plus-ball skills, he would be an instant starter for the Seahawks in the secondary with the potential to be an All-Pro talent.

Can’t pass up on Sauce, an extra third rounder isn’t going to amount to what he can bring.
— New Era Seahawks (@CoffeeSneeze) April 10, 2022

Round 2, Pick 40 - Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

Pick Grade: A-

While it's possible the Seahawks could love a quarterback enough to draft one in the first round, seeing a promising talent such as Ridder fall into the second round would be an ideal situation as the team seeks out a long-term replacement for Wilson. With that said, many fans remain skeptical about picking a quarterback in the early rounds of this draft given the lukewarm evaluations for this year's crop of players at the position and he wasn't selected by a landslide.

With bolstering the pass rush still a significant need for Seattle, 35.2 percent of voters opted to pick Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie to team him up with Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu as a hybrid 3-4 edge defender. But with both players neck and neck for the most of the time the team was on the clock, Ridder pulled away late to receive 44.9 percent of the vote, ensuring the athletic signal caller would be tabbed as the next potential franchise quarterback. Arguably the most pro ready quarterback in this class, he would be ready to compete against Drew Lock for a Week 1 starting nod right away.

Want Ridder, think he's a 1st round talent.
— PNW1251 (@PNW1122) April 10, 2022

Round 2, Pick 41 - Arnold Ebeketie, DE, Penn State

Pick Grade: B+

If there's an advantage to having back-to-back second round picks as the Seahawks do thanks to the Wilson trade, fans had the luxury of selecting Ridder while knowing Ebeketie could be chosen one pick later. However, many voters remembered the lingering concerns at tackle with Brown and Brandon Shell both unsigned, which opened the door for significant debate about drafting Washington State prospect Abraham Lucas. Standout Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean was also still available as a possible successor for Bobby Wagner.

Initially, Ebiketie raced out to a pretty big lead, only for Lucas to come storming back in the final minutes on the clock. That early cushion proved crucial as the intriguing Penn State star wound up edging the pass blocking maestro by a little over three percent in a race that went down to the wire. While Ebiketie checks off a major need and could be a double-digit sack producer in the NFL, his selection puts Seattle at risk to potentially miss out on Lucas and other quality tackle prospects with two glaring holes standing out like a sore thumb along the offensive line. As many fans noted, a player of Dean's skill may have been too good to pass up here as well.

Dean not getting nearly as many votes as he should. Best player available and a position of need.
— Justin Melendez (@JustinM250) April 10, 2022

Round 3, Pick 72 - Abraham Lucas, T, Washington State

Pick Grade: A-

Sometimes when it comes to the draft, it's better to be lucky than good. Despite being projected as a second rounder, after being passed over in favor of Ebiketie, Lucas somehow remained available when the Seahawks went back on the clock 31 picks later. While Penn State's Rasheed Walker was preferred by some, this turned out to be one of the more lopsided picks in the draft with the former All-Pac 12 selection receiving 62.7 percent of the votes.

Looking at where Lucas fits into Seattle's plans, he played right tackle exclusively for the Cougars and likely will remain there in the NFL. He won't be given a job immediately and questions about his run blocking skills coming from an Air Raid offense will persist until he can show what he can do on the field, but after starting for four seasons collegiately, he would be an instant favorite to beat out Jake Curhan for the job and could be a fixture in the trenches for years to come.

I selected him at 41. No brainer for 72 even though he will most likely be gone.
— Greg Haugsven (@SeahawksHaug) April 10, 2022

Round 4, Pick 109 - Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida

Pick Grade: A-

Even with Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson returning, the two veterans have lengthy injury histories and will be free agents next March, making the position a fairly significant need. Fans didn't rush to draft a running back in the first three rounds, but with several centers and pass rushers flying off the board after pick 72, the fourth round emerged as a sweet spot to add Pierce.

Earning 37.7 of the votes to edge out Arizona State center Dohnovan West, Pierce checks off all of the boxes the Seahawks tend to look for at running back. He's well-built at 5-foot-10, 218 pounds, runs like a wrecking ball seeking out contact, possesses surprising wiggle for a power back, and excels catching the ball and picking up blitzes in pass protection. While he's not the fastest back in his class, if they can get him this late in the draft, this has a chance to be a steal down the road snagging a potential feature back.

Among fan comments, many were pleading for Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith with this selection, but he only received 18.2 percent of the vote.

Brandon Smith is a KJ Wright clone; would be such a good pick.
— Scott my cup of tea (@scottinthe503) April 10, 2022

Round 5, Pick 152 - Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson

Pick Grade: B

Courtesy of a huge gap between picks, none of the other players in consideration at 109 lasted into the fifth round and another run on centers left limited options at the position. Nonetheless, Wake Forest's Zach Tom - who started games at center and tackle in the ACC - looked poised to be the pick here. Then, fans became enamored by a former can't-miss receiver prospect in Ross, who overcame a significant deficit to earn the selection by a four percent margin.

Only a few years ago, Ross was a surefire first-round pick after helping lead the Tigers to a national championship. But he missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing spinal surgery, and though he had a solid comeback season while playing with subpar quarterbacks last year, his health history has put his draft value in question. There's risk with this pick when taking about a prospect with spinal concerns. If his medicals check out, however, the athletic 6-foot-4 target would be a fun complementary piece to team up with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Dee Eskridge.

Good with both Tom and Ross back to back, Tom has experience at C and can move around the line, Ross is basically another DK but can actually high point the ball and catch it
— Kash with a K 💵 (@kashifndm12) April 10, 2022

Round 5, Pick 153 - Zach Tom, T/C, Wake Forest

Pick Grade: A-

Just like the second round, holding consecutive picks eased the decision-making process for many fans. After picking Ross over him one selection earlier, Tom grabbed 51.6 percent of the vote to earn a landslide victory over LSU linebacker Damone Clark and the rest of the field.

An outstanding athlete, Tom ran a 4.94 40-yard dash and posted a 33-inch vertical at the combine. While he played tackle his last two seasons for the Demon Deacons, he played 1,200 snaps at the pivot position earlier in his career and likely will have his best shot at sticking in the league in the interior. With the Seahawks, he could compete against Austin Blythe and Kyle Fuller at center right away with a chance to develop into a starter in time. This is excellent value for this stage of the draft.

Round 7, Pick 229 - Luke Wattenberg, C, Washington

Pick Grade: C

By this stage of the draft, teams often look for players with specific traits who might be able to develop into a quality reserve or even a potential starter. In the case of fans, well, fun names also become part of the equation. Auburn safety Smoke Monday, for example, became known for his hard-hitting ways in the SEC and enters the draft with special teams upside and a great name on top of it. He was among the four candidates for this pick to add depth behind Jamal Adams and Ryan Neal, but ultimately, fans voted for a local product by selecting Wattenberg at 37.2 percent.

On its own, this isn't a bad pick in the mid-seventh round. Wattenberg started for four seasons for the Huskies, seeing snaps at center as well as guard. But he's under 300 pounds and isn't going to knock defenders off the ball at all in the run game, which creates questions about his ceiling beyond being a capable backup. With Tom already being selected, this one feels a bit redundant, though some fans argued for Tom to play tackle and under that logic, this selection makes more sense.

Even if he doesn’t win Smoke Monday is the best name in the draft only barely ahead of Sauce Gardner. As in nicknames
— Jayce (@Jayceplays06) April 10, 2022

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