The Morning After: 2023 Seahawks Draft Complete

Overall Draft Rating
Upside
Addressed Needs
Positional Value
Reader Rating47 Votes
4

There are a few different ways to assess the pivotal 2023 draft for the Seahawks. You can look at the quality of the players they added. You can look at the price they paid for the players they selected, giving bonus points for bargains. You can look at whether they addressed needs. Finally, you look at how it fits with the rest of offseason to assess whether key weaknesses have been addressed. How about we do all those things?

Quality: Grade B/B+

If you exit a draft with just one All-Pro player (e.g., top 2-3 at their position in the league), it has been a successful draft. Even grabbing a Pro Bowl player (e.g., top 5-12 at their position) is close to making a draft good on its own. Seattle drafted two players in the first round who both could have All-Pro ceilings. Pro Bowls seem almost likely. To put it another way, they will have underperformed my expectations if they both do not make a Pro Bowl.

Anthony Bradford is other player who has the athletic profile to become one of the best at his position in the league. He is far more of a project, with far less probability that he will reach that ceiling, but his potential is tantalizing. His athletic traits at 332 pounds are eye-popping, ranking 28th of 1,382 guards ranked for Relative Athletic Score (RAS) since 1987. He is a mover who is excellent in pulling and targeting guys in space, which is a perfect fit for the Seahawks offense.

I could possibly talk myself into Zach Charbonnet having Pro Bowl potential. I love his style and fit here. This was a guy who some had as the second best featured running back in this draft after Bijan Robinson, and was always expected to go in the second round even if not all of us believe that is a good place to draft running backs. He is big and has just enough shift to his game to avoid and break tackles. He was a guilty pleasure pick in some of my mock drafts leading up to this week. Given how much Seattle runs the ball and how well he compliments Kenneth Walker, I doubt Seattle will ever regret the choice.

I do not see a lot of other top-shelf potential in this class. I do see some guys who could become quality starters.

Derick Hall is a try hard athlete with a lot of power and speed. If absolutely everything comes together for him, maybe he can become something like Frank Clark. His more realistic ceiling is someone like Bruce Irvin. He is a pretty one-dimensional straight line pass rusher, but that one dimension is good enough that he could be someone who collects 5-8 sacks in a season. I have some question of where he will get snaps relative to Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu, and Darrell Taylor, which impacts the probability of hitting a high ceiling.

Olu Oluwatimi has the potential to become a starter early in his career. His athletic traits are modest enough that it is hard to project him as a top-shelf starter. He is a technician and is a true center who has played in a pro style offense where he had to make the line calls. There is a pretty clear path to him finding snaps should he either beat out Evan Brown this year or take over next year once Brown’s contract ends.

Cameron Young feels almost identical to Jarran Reed. He is a stout 300-pound defensive tackle, who projects as a good run defender with limited pass rush. He could work his way into starter snaps, but would be a rotational player who would only be on the field for early downs. He could play an important role, even if there will not be many accolades for doing it.

Mike Morris is an interesting one. He has played different positions at different weights. He revealed in his press call yesterday that he was up to 295 from 275 at the combine. Seattle wants him to play on the line instead of as an outside linebacker. There are flashes on his tape that are intriguing, especially as someone going up against a guard. He is not the quickest guy, but plays with good power and motor. I do not see elite traits to indicate he could be a Pro Bowl player, but I do see something there that could develop into a valuable rotational player. Something like Rasheem Green comes to mind.

Jerrick Reed has the nastiness to his game to make him easy to root for, and Kenny McIntosh has everyone rooting for him after that emotional conference call following his 7th round selection. I usually prefer elite athletic traits with lesser college production in the very late rounds (think David Moore or Chris Carson) in the hopes you win the lottery. I do not believe either of these guys fit that category. Reed may have what it takes to become a starting safety or nickel corner. He is probably a special teams guy, if he makes it. McIntosh was one of the slowest running backs at the combine. He is a great receiver out of the backfield, and could be some competition for DeeJay Dallas on special teams and as a third down back.

Most likely, the Seahawks will get two high-end starters out of this draft. That’s a very good thing. Bradford is a key to determining the overall quality. If he becomes a Pro Bowl level player, this draft automatically leaps into elite territory. Hall becoming something like Clark could do the same, even if I see that as pretty unlikely.

Mostly, it feels like the Seahawks added a number of solid role players after round one.

Value: Grade S

Trying to grade whether a team got a good bargain on their picks based on pre-draft rankings of folks who have a fraction of the access that team’s do is stupid, so I give it a grade S. The only thing I will really say here is that taking a running back in the second round, especially two years in a row, is really questionable strategy. I will add that the difference between Oluwatimi in the 5th and some of the centers that went before him in the 2nd and 3rd rounds is slimmer than most would think which makes it a solid value pick.

The picks with the highest potential to make their draft position look like a steal are:

  • Smith-Njigba
  • Bradford
  • Hall
  • Oluwatimi
  • Reed

Some would say McIntosh, but I just don’t generally see running backs as a steal when you draft them late. That’s where you should try and get them.

Addressed needs: Grade B-

The biggest need on this team was on the interior defensive line, and it was not close. There were limited options at defensive tackle in this draft, and Seattle came out with very limited upside there. Fans and media are clamoring to bring back guys who played on the line last year when it was a disaster. That’s objectively a bad sign.

Young will help. Morris is more of a project. The Seahawks defensive line has a high potential to be one of the worst in the NFL again. That is a bitter pill.

Inside linebacker is another area of concern that got zero attention in the draft. Again, the options were very slim, but the team painted itself into a corner by betting on Devin Bush in free agency over other, better, options knowing this was a bad linebacker class. Bobby Wagner is gone after this season. Jordyn Brooks had ACL surgery this year. It is looking more and more like Jon Rhattigan is going to have a larger role than people expect.

Third receiver was a sneaky big need, especially if it was a guy who had upside to move outside and replace Tyler Lockett in a year or two. Smith-Njigba is the absolute ideal pick to do exactly that. Home run. Hand in glove.

Putting an elite corner opposite Tariq Woolen was a need the way that new Maserati you’ve been eyeing is a need. Very few teams have Pro Bowl players at two corner spots. Seattle may wind up with three. Witherspoon, Woolen, and Tre Bown have tremendous upside. Coby Bryant and Michael Jackson cannot be slept on. If you are going shopping for a pickup and come home with a Maserati, can you really be that upset?

It was hardly a need to add another edge player to a room with Nwosu, Mafe, Taylor, Tyreke Smith, and Alton Robinson. That said, Nwosu and Taylor are entering the last years of their contracts. Mafe was just okay as a rookie. Taylor struggled mightily in everything that was not rushing the passer. Mafe was limited a pass rusher. A guy like Hall could wind up being a better combination of skills that fits a nice role on certain downs or against certain teams.

Young fits a clear need in the middle of the line as a run stuffer.

Bradford is a very good option for guard, even if there were a few guys I would have preferred earlier in the draft with higher floors.

Oluwatimi hits the spot at center, where Seattle has been mediocre or worse for a decade.

Charbonnet and McIntosh help fill out a running back room that was paper thin before this draft.

I think tight end was a bigger need than most realize with Colby Parkinson and Noah Fant entering the final years of their deals. This draft had some great tight end options. That said, you cannot hit every position, and this was a logical omission.

Creating strength / Addressing weaknesses: Grade B

Fixing the defense

Seattle had one of the worst defenses in football last year, and that’s been the case for a few years. Their run defense, in particular, was a disaster. Their best run defender was Al Woods, and he was released. The defensive line, in general, was completely lacking any dynamic athletes that gave opposing teams headaches. They added Dre’mont Jones, but added nobody else threatening around him, reducing his upside since teams can focus on him.

Taylor was a major issue in run defense on the edge. Hall may be better, but the scouting reports were that he struggled in run defense. Mafe was already getting snaps and was not enough of a factor to address the issues.

Wagner should definitely help against the run on early downs, but also is more of a liability in coverage at this point than some of the guys Seattle ran out there last year. I have very low expectations of Bush, who may wind up being worse than Cody Barton.

If I want to make my most optimistic case for an improved Seattle defense next year, it is that an elite secondary will help them commit more players to the run and possibly blitz more often to create favorable matchups for pass rushers. Julian Love could be a very valuable addition and if Jamal Adams and Jordyn Brooks can somehow actually contribute, there are some pieces to play with.

Seattle almost certainly will hit the free agent market again after they figure out how to clear cap space. Akiem Hicks is a name to watch. Maybe even someone like Jadeveon Clowney would make some sense.

As it stands, this defense has a number of guys who do one thing well and other things quite poorly, which makes scheme and personnel groupings tough. I do not yet see a team that can dictate a lot to offenses. The hard truth is we may be another offseason away from rebuilding this defense. I absolutely hate that thought.

Interior offensive line

Another weakness later last season was the play of the interior offensive line. This had a major impact on the play of Geno Smith and the run game. There is a better chance this has improved. Gabe Jackson was doing nothing for this team. Austin Blythe was losing steam and retired. I like Evan Brown getting his first real shot as a starting center and Oluwatimi pushing him. I like Phil Haynes coming in as a starter with Bradford pushing him. Damien Lewis quietly had the best PFF grade of any Seahawks offensive lineman.

Elite units

While it is important to patch weaknesses, it is also critical to create true areas of elite strength. A team with no weaknesses and no elite strengths has a very low ceiling in the NFL. You need to be so damn good at some things that other teams have no answer for them. Seattle now has a few that could be reaching that status.

The cornerback room is loaded. There is a chance this group could be among the top 3-5 in the league, and stay that way for years to come at very affordable prices.

The secondary as a whole could become one of the best in the league as Love provides much more certainty that safety will be a position of strength.

Wide receiver is another group that has to be in the top 2-3 rooms in the league. I cannot imagine how teams will cover all three of these guys.

The running back room could be young and elite.

The offensive line has the potential to become one of the best if the tackles take a big step forward and the interior options work out. They are young and affordable as well.

Many Seahawks fans will question this, but the quarterback position already demonstrated it was among the best in the league, and certainly among the top 2-3 in the NFC. Smith has more weapons, better protection, and a full offseason to prep as a starter. There is every reason to think he will be one of the best again.

Consider that last season there were no position groups that could have been reasonably been projected as elite heading into the season outside of maybe safety. There was an elite duo at receiver but nothing after them. You cannot go from bare cupboards to overflowing talent overnight. I would rather see the team create true strength by taking great players than forcing picks to address their biggest needs.

Seattle almost undoubtedly got better in this draft. I have some questions about upside beyond the first round. There is a lot riding on Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba. It will be great to see these guys on the field and against NFL competition. Until then, it is all guesswork.

Founder, Editor & Lead Writer
  1. A move-the-chains offense, with quick-strike capabilities. IF Geno delivers.

    Meanwhile, A quarterback, a quarterback, my kingdom for…

    Apparently, a trade up for AR was, “Too expensive.”

    Well, we’ll get a QB next year, John. I hear they grow on trees.

  2. Great article Brain. Straight accurate shooting. Thanks for all the work you’ve done with the draft the past several months. In regard to Witherspoon, very exciting no doubt. But despite my best efforts to try and see what everyone is talking about, I just can’t see him as a shut down outside corner in the NFL like a Revis to Sherman’s batman (but both on the same team now with Woolen as the Sherman role). I see untenable vulnerabilities the NFL will exploit. However, I can see him doing a great job as he packs on a bit more bulk to become the eventual replacement for Quandre Diggs. I can see him as the long term Earl Thomas role for LOB 2.0 (aka the new “Legion of Doom”). Brian, am I badly missing something here? Do you see a bit of what I’m seeing here in this respect?

    1. what are you looking at when you say you can’t see him as a shutdown corner in the NFL? Have you seen his 2022 tape for Illinois? He absolutely shut down everybody and his stats are insane (he only gave up 13 passes for 130 yards all year on 250 coverage snaps!!). He’s got great athletic traits and not to mention he plays like his hair is on fire. If anybody has an opportunity to be a shutdown corner, it’s this guy.

      1. Fist of all, I really want to be wrong here on what I’m seeing. I’d love to have “Sherman and Revis” (Woolen & Spoon) on the same team. Would be AWESOME. But I need to be realistic too and consider the odds of such in the face of the characteristics that exist. How many lockdown corners in NFL history have had similar traits/measurables to Spoon in NFL history? Translating college “coverage” tape to NFL is sketchy at best. Otherwise lockdown corners would be everywhere. Lots of exciting draft corners from year to year who people think will be “lockdowns” but who never come close to lockdown status in the NFL. NFL exploits and defeats a lot of what the college schemes and players can’t. So, gotta take the Illinois 2022 “lockdown” tape with grain of salt. Why did Spoon not do the combine drills? Likely wasn’t gonna be good enough to be kosher for “#1 corner lockdown conventional wisdom” and he wouldn’t have gone top 10. This says something that must be taken into consideration. Tariq last year got away with a lot of problematic issues by having elite catch-up speed and length. Doubtful Spoon has that. And this is one initial problem for the immediate “lockdown” status that will be expected of him. Next, availability is the best ability. And his style of play from the 2022 Illinois tape will highly likely make an “unavailable” Spoon in the NFL. This is a massive problem that Hawks fans are already weary of with situations like Jamal and Eskridge (etc). Even more so with it being with an investment of pick #5. On the plus side, and why I suggested a more likely better success odds as the future Quandre/Earl role, Spoon seems to do really well in situations that translate well to roving safety skills/needs, and seems to like that dynamic. He likes to attack and finish. He has excellent coverage instincts in space. These are reasons why an Earl Thomas role is a good possibility if the assumed “lockdown” status never materializes. And this is a good thing. Versatility is positive. Would love to have Revis 2.0, but those are long odds with the things I’m seeing on the tape. And as such, taking Spoon at #5 will likely end up being a “reach” pick if that pick was taken with assumed “lockdown” corner expectations. I badly want to be wrong.

        1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I agree on some of these points, but others I think are just assumptions that we’ll have to see how things play out (such as If his play style will lead to injuries). I’m not at all worried about his traits because the measurements we’ve gotten show him to be a top tier athlete. Also, I think his skills will translate better to the NFL because he’s not just a product of a good system – his numbers are best when he’s in press coverage on the other teams best WR.

          I think both of us agree that we do wish for him to succeed, for me though I’m just very bullish on his potential.

          1. To be clear, I’m not saying Spoon won’t be good. But a “lockdown outside corner” and a “good” solid corner are two very different things. You don’t draft good solid corners at #5. Look at where all the other corners in the draft went (mid-to-late 1st and 2nd rnds). Seemingly universal expectations are sky high for Spoon and seem to be targeted at “lockdown outside corner”. This is usually a big warning sign if history is any guide. My contention is that the odds are against pick #5 for Spoon producing a “lockdown outside corner” for the Seahawks. I’m contending that a roving Earl/Quandre type safety is where he can do his very best work in the NFL. Spoon’s seeming versatility in various potential roles is a big positive, and maybe partly why Seahawks could justify the #5 pick, knowing he would be gone by the next pick @ #20.

  3. “Many Seahawks fans will question this, but the quarterback position already demonstrated it was among the best in the league, and certainly among the top 2-3 in the NFC. Smith has more weapons, better protection, and a full offseason to prep as a starter. There is every reason to think he will be one of the best again.”

    There is no reason to think any such thing. After playing well above his standard for 9 games, Geno returned to the pumpkin he’s been his entire career. He had so many turn-over worthy plays that didn’t become turnovers, and, if they had, even at the normal rate for QBs, he would have led the league in turnovers. Like 25 INTs.

    The team was 3-6 in its last nine games, including playoffs, barely beating only the hospital ward Rams (twice) and a QB-less Jets team that had finally quit. Otherwise they were punked and punked hard by marginal teams like Carolina and looked like they didn’t belong on the same field with the Niners 5 out of the 6 halves they played. And Geno was a big part of all that. It was his turnover that changed the momentum in the playoff game, for example.

    Geno is what he is. A marginal, below-average QB that can win you a game as a backup but has no business starting. If the Rams have Stafford, Donald, and Kupp in their games and win the final OT game– or if GB simply beats Detroit– this team and Geno would be seen for what they actually are. A team that took a promising 6-3 start and then imploded. Instead, they got to pretend like they were really a serious playoff team and just a couple of pieces away from truly contending… rather than being 2 years away, at best.

    There is a lot to like in this draft, but the reason I only give it a B is because we didn’t do the one thing we needed to do– what every Seahawks fan knew we needed to do after we traded Wilson– find his replacement. Now we’ve spent all the extra draft capital and will be just decent enough to keep us out of the running for an Anthony Richardson or CJ Stroud like talent at the position. We should have traded up at the start to get our guy, whomever that was. Now we’re in mediocre QB hell forever. Ask teams like the Browns and Niners and Jets and Denver, all teams that recently had brilliant defenses, feel about wasting those teams on crap QBs.

    Not paying it this year means next year, once Geno shows the world again he’s still Geno, we will have to be one of those teams that spends massive amounts of draft stock on a QB. When we could have gotten one this year at a fraction of the cost.

    But either way. The idea that Geno will be one of the best QBs again this year…?

    When was he ever?

    1. You’re not entirely wrong. But… Geno is gonna play even better this year than he did last year. Watch out!! Root for him (it’s okay… the water’s fine).

      1. In the last 2 years we have drafted 2 offensive tackles, a center, and a gaurd, so 4/5 of the line is on a rookie contract for 3+ years.
        We got a nose tackle, and end, and 2 outside linebackers. Again that 4/5 of our d line (from a 3-4)
        We also have a new platoon of running backs, a new star reciever, a safety and 2 star corner, and a solid nickleback.
        The entire team has been rebuilt in 2 years. Now we can find a new QB. Everything is in place. In the meantime, maybe we can win a superbowl. We got 2 years. Then we can let the next coach find their QB

    2. I agree with parts of your comment, but I think we do need to level set a bit here. For the first half of the year everybody agrees that Geno played way beyond expectations and was playing like a top 7 QB in the NFL (stats agree). He clearly regressed to the mean in the second half, but I don’t think that is all on Geno. Some of it was bad play from the internal OL, some of it was injuries, and some of it was Geno’s luck running out (like you mentioned on turnover worthy plays). It’s worth mentioning that the 1 half of football we played against the Niners where it looked ike we actually belonged, was mostly because of Geno’s play.

      I believe next year we’ll get a Geno somewhere in between the first half and second half. He has a better team around him next year (offense and defense), he has more experience under his belt, and he has a ton of financial incentives to play well (similar to last year when he was hunting a big contract). I do think that he’s not the QB of the future though. I think we can likely ride the Geno train for at most 3 more years and in that time we better have some other option available outside of just “hope and pray Lock becomes the next man up like Geno did”.

  4. 2 questions that will be forgotten in the time it takes to answer them:

    1. Was W. Levis a victim of NFL group-think?

    2. IF AR dominates was he, “Too expansive?

    1. I don’t want this to seem too much like I’m slagging on Geno. Smith is who Smith is. He’s what he always was, a decent backup who can spot-start, who, lest we forget, occasionally will drink and drive. Last year he had the advantage of playing a VERY weak schedule, third easiest, and he sort of took people by surprise, including his opponents. (Got lucky in some games too. Denver kicking that long FG attempt. Etc.) But by mid-season, especially after the Giants game, the NFL had caught up with him and what the Seahawks were doing.

      Not entirely his fault, but Geno was never able to take it to another level after that. It’s important to note just how bad the Seahawks were the second half of the season. They were literally two drives against the practice squad Rams from being 1-7 in their last 8 games, ending 7-10, and missing the playoffs after a 6-3 start. And if that went that way, which it very well could have, is anyone thinking Geno Smith can lead this team to the playoffs and beyond? Or is that delusion bleeding out on the rocks.

      The bottom line is if Geno is even mediocre this year and meets some of his incentives we are on the hook next season for paying him 30 million. We have no extra draft capital in which to get a special rookie QB and will have to settle for, at best, the 4th or 5th guy out there. He won’t be ready to start right away, or maybe ever, and now you’re in average QB hell. Worse, you’re tied to a guy who’s a cut-rate Kurt Cousins making most of what Wilson was making–and how much talent are you going to lose because of that?

      This all could have been solved by simply trading up and getting Stroud or Richardson. And all it probably would have cost you is one of those 2nds and next year’s first. Now it will cost so much more. Including some of the prime years for DK and whatever is left for Lockett. Meanwhile, Pete isn’t going to live, let alone coach, forever.

      As for Lock, I have even less faith in him than I do Geno.

  5. An accurate evaluator of QB talent/potential is, therefore, worth his weight in gold. (Or what a GM makes).

  6. Seems like you give the draft an A except for drafting 2 running backs. In your view, we should have paid Travis Homer 5 million dollars, and then what, 8 million for an established running back, with a lot of milage to back up Walker? I don’t understand your reasoning, we got the 3rd best running back in the second round. We got the 7th best, and the best receiving back in round 7. And we are paying less for them than we paid for penny last year. If you don’t like that, find us 12 million dollars. Then tell us, do you really want to spend that on a punt returner, and an old running back instead of say, a legit nose tackle? I’d rather bring back Puna and Woods

    1. If I was drafting for an NFL team, I would draft a RB relatively high most years. ALL the value for a RB is in the first 4/5 years of his career. After that, he not only tails off in performance but also costs much more. People who get upset about drafting RBs don’t understand team building. Especially this team, which relies so much on the run. For instance, almost all of Geno’s success last year was on play-action. And you can’t get the defense to bite on play-action with Travis Fricken Homer.

      I love both RB picks in this draft and knew going in we’d draft one early and one late. My only disappointment is that GB stole Lew Nichols right before we drafted in the 7th. I like Kenny McIntosh, and will outplay his draft position, but Lew Nichols was a guy who can be an every down back. Total steal.

      (Oops, put this in the wrong place earlier.)

  7. I am trying to get in touch with the graphic designer who designed the Seattle city horizon line in the coffee cup! Kevin Gamache…can you pass along my information? BasilsVeil@gmail.com & 408-598-9184 I am looking for someone to build me an art website–only for photographs!

    1. If I was drafting for an NFL team, I would draft a RB relatively high most years. ALL the value for a RB is in the first 4/5 years of his career. After that, he not only tails off in performance but also costs much more. People who get upset about drafting RBs don’t understand team building. Especially this team, which relies so much on the run. For instance, almost all of Geno’s success last year was on play-action. And you can’t get the defense to bite on play-action with Travis Fricken Homer.

      I love both RB picks in this draft and knew going in we’d draft one early and one late. My only disappointment is that GB stole Lew Nichols right before we drafted in the 7th. I like Kenny McIntosh, and will outplay his draft position, but Lew Nichols was a guy who can be an every down back. Total steal.

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