Last year I gave the Seahawks an A+ grade for their 2022 draft haul. It proved to be a deserved grade, with many of the picks having an immediate impact while laying the foundations for the future.
This year, they’ve built on that success and taken the roster to another level — adding talent at various positions while improving the overall depth, quality, violence and leadership on the team. It deserves another A+.
It’s always easier to achieve success when you have more picks, especially in the early rounds. Yet the Seahawks have executed a plan well and deserve credit for the additions they’ve made over the last three days.
High character, high talent
A week ago I spoke to someone who’s been in the Seahawks locker room and asked what he expected from this 2023 class. Here’s what I wrote in a corresponding article, discussing the answer:
The source suggested Seattle was seeking the ‘next wave’ of leadership. That the way they drafted a year ago, plus the decision to bring back Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed, had been a concerted effort to create a particular dynamic in the locker room.
It’s felt that the pick at #5 will need to add to that. It’ll need to be someone who can come in and fit into that culture. The description used was ‘firebrand’ — someone with the grit, energy and tone-setting qualities that can help elevate this team. The attitude has to match the talent.
Devon Witherspoon completely fit the bill at #5 and alongside Derick Hall could be the future soul of this team. They are physical and aggressive on the field, helping to set a tone. Off the field they are driven and focused. They’ll lead by example and drive the culture for the future.
All of the other picks fit in behind this. They didn’t take any character risks. They’re determined to create a locker room that can come together with a common goal, support each other and drive towards a Championship run in the future.
It’s not a surprise — they’ve stated their intentions multiple times over the last 12 months. It wasn’t difficult to project they’d continue with that plan, having put the success of the 2022 class down to a renewed focus on character.
The roster is coming together, on and off the field.
Best player available is the right approach
Free agency is for addressing key needs, the draft is for adding talent.
That should always be the approach. The Seahawks would probably admit that, for several years, they didn’t follow this plan. They nickel and dime’d certain positions in the veteran market then forced needs in the draft.
This is the second year in a row where the plan has been on point. They made a big free agency splash to add Dre’Mont Jones — a much needed impact defensive lineman. They followed that up with Jarran Reed before adding the likes of Bobby Wagner and Julian Love. Talent was acquired at every level of the defense and their big investment in Jones added a quality player at a good age.
That set up the draft for BPA. They didn’t force anything. They picked players where the value was high, rapidly upgrading their talent across the board.
This is a more physical team in 2023
Devon Witherspoon was the most violent player in the draft. Derick Hall is very aggressive and tough. You’ll get a shift up front from Anthony Bradford and Cameron Young. Zach Charbonnet is a classic Seahawks runner who drives through contact. The Michigan duo had a lot of success on a BIG-10 winning team.
The Seahawks are set up to be far more competitive, including in the trenches. There’s still work to do but it took the 49ers nine years and seven first round picks to create their excellent defense. Rome wasn’t built in a day (or two off-seasons).
Finally, a commitment to the pass rush
For years they talked about fixing the unit and then resorted to band-aid players like Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin. Now, there’s serious investment in the rush:
Derick Hall — R2
Boye Mafe — R2
Darrell Taylor — R2
Uchenna Nwosu — Big money FA
Dre’Mont Jones — Big money FA
There’s a real chance to get after teams now and improve the unit once and for all.
Stop moaning about running backs
As noted yesterday, plenty of teams spent high picks on the position again this year despite already having primary runners. The Seahawks now have a fantastic 1-2 punch and insurance against injury issues. They have Zach Charbonnet and Ken Walker on cheap contracts for the next few years. The Seahawks want to run the ball and they’ve never been any good relying on plug-in players at the position. They need talent and they’ve added talent.
Don’t sleep on Kenny McIntosh either. That guy can play. He was integral to Georgia’s National Championship win last season.
The Seahawks have a loaded offense
Young book-end tackles. Three legit receivers. Depth at tight end. Two top running backs. Geno Smith must be salivating at the weapons he has to work with. This could be the most explosive and dynamic offense this team has ever had. They are stacked.
Deep into day three they are finding contributors
Last year it was Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen. This year, the six players drafted in rounds 4-7 can equally come in and compete, provide depth and potentially have a significant impact. That was the foundation of their great drafts between 2010-12 and it’s happening again.
Value across the board
In my mock I had Devon Witherspoon at #6 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at #20. They were drafted at #5 and #20. I had Derrick Hall as a high second rounder and Zach Charbonnet in the top-50. They were taken at #37 and #52. Anthony Bradford and Cameron Young both had third round grades on my horizontal board and they got them in round four. Olu Oluwatimi was a fourth rounder, taken in round five. I had Mike Morris in round five. I had Jerrick Reed II in round four, they got him in round six. I had Kenny McIntosh graded in round three, they took him in round seven.
No reaches, nothing forced. Pure talent acquisition.
A nice bonus
Despite filling out their roster with a cluster of picks, they also managed to add an extra 2024 third rounder courtesy of the Broncos. They did it by trading out of round three, then taking a player (Anthony Bradford) I had graded as a high third rounder anyway.
The deal is all the better because per the draft trade chart, Seattle was only due approximately a sixth rounder in return. Getting a 2024 third rounder is daylight robbery.
What are the concerns?
The simple fact is Geno Smith is in a prove-it year. He can earn a minimum of $32.1m next year and millions more in incentives. With an obvious out on his contract, he’ll need to justify the deal. He’s capable but it’s no given.
If he fails this season, it’s a concern. Drew Lock is only contracted for a season and there’s currently no long term plan. They don’t want to end up in a situation like the Colts, going year-to-year at the position. Neither do they want to let down a good roster with issues at the most important position. Desperation in 2024 to get a QB will be a recipe for potential disaster.
Even then, there’s not a lot they could do this year. There was no obvious option to trade up for the top-three quarterbacks and they clearly didn’t rate Will Levis or Hendon Hooker enough to draft them.
It will be a source of some discomfort that the Seahawks are in basically the same situation as last season but with a greater financial outlay on Smith and Drew Lock. I think they would prefer to have a longer term plan in place, ideally.
I talked more about this subject here.
Elsewhere, they are still a bit light at defensive tackle. They’ve upgraded this off-season but they need more depth. It won’t be a surprise if they now create some cap room (somehow) to bring back Poona Ford and possibly one of Al Woods or Shelby Harris.
Conclusion
As with last year, I just wanted to see a proper plan. With free agency and this draft, the plan is obvious. They are building a team, not reaching for needs, they’re adding talent across the board and the roster is taking shape nicely.
The discipline and approach has been admirable. The Seahawks continue to head in the right direction.
My instant reaction notes on every pick
#5 Seattle — Devon Witherspoon (CB, Illinois)
The most violent player in the draft. His tape is incredibly fun to watch. He levels people. He is a total throwback to the LOB days. He has shown so much grit in his career as a no-star recruit going to the JUCO’s, then Illinois and then progressing rapidly. He can be a tremendous NFL cornerback. I think this is a good addition and signifies two things. The Seahawks ARE focusing on BPA and they ARE focusing on character. Witherspoon was one of only nine legit first rounders on my horizontal board.
Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Devon Witherspoon:
“I love the kid,” said one scout. “I love his interview. I love the way he plays. He’s got this presence to him. You know he’s locked in, he’s all about ball. He doesn’t care that he’s 185 pounds. He carries himself like he’s a bigger dude, almost like he’s invincible. If Witherspoon had Gonzalez’ size you’d have a top-10 corner.”
“Faster than everybody thinks,” said a second scout. “Wants to play the best man on the field. Got change of direction, acceleration, feel for the game. Very good tackler for the cornerback position. Top 15. He’s got everything you want.”
“I think he should (be drafted in the top 10),” another scout said. “He had a sensational senior season. He contested everything. He’s got a lot of fight. He’s on the borderline height-weight. His speed is good.”
“Hell of a football player,” a fourth scout said. “All he did was press. That’s all they did.”
There were no negative comments on Witherspoon.
#20 Seattle — Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio State)
I find this pick very interesting, intriguing and a bit surprising. I thought his lack of great speed would be an issue in Seattle. However, his agility testing is remarkable. Before his injury-hit season last year, he was very highly regarded. A lot of people had JSN as a top-15 pick so again, it’s another sign that the Seahawks are very much in BPA mode. They haven’t used either first round pick on the D-line. It’ll be exciting to watch JSN and see how he gets on. If he delivers, what an offense this could be.
Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Jaxon Smith-Njigba:
“I thought he was Adam Thielen,” one scout said, referring to Smith-Njigba. “He can get deep because of his route-running ability, whether it’s a double move or a little shake. His 40 was fast enough for me. He may be the most consistent out of the bunch. He can do some outside stuff, but he’s mainly best in the slot.”
“I do like him,” said a second scout. “He can be a good pro. More in the vein of a big slot kind of guy. He catches the ball. He’s competitive. You just wonder if he has the top-end juice.”
“I’m really concerned about his speed,” said a third scout. “The (4.52) is not real good nowadays, and I don’t think he plays that fast. He plays like 4.6 to me. He’s a really good player. I just don’t see that explosiveness.”
“He’s one of the most overrated players in the draft,” said a fourth scout. “He’s got good hands, not great hands. He’s got good vision and run after but he doesn’t run away from anybody and he’s not particularly elusive. He can find holes in zones, and he’s tough. He’ll take a hit to make catch. I don’t see special traits. Has to be a slot. Not fast enough to play outside. I’d rather have (Zay) Flowers because he’s really fast and really good after the catch. Sounds like he might be a solid second-round pick, and I didn’t see that.”
#37 Seattle — Derick Hall (EDGE, Auburn)
The Seahawks didn’t waste any time making their pick. They take Derick Hall, the top remaining edge rusher on my board. I had him with a high second round pick so this fits. He is an alpha dog and an absolute culture-setter. This fits perfectly what they have been saying, and I have been constantly repeating, that character is king. He also ran a 1.55 10-yard split and a 4.20 short shuttle. He has long arms. These are ‘Seahawk’ traits and a ‘Seahawk’ personality. Big fan of the pick. Seattle is finally loaded at the edge.
Here’s Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Derick Hall:
“Love the kid,” said one scout. “High-effort, motor guy that isn’t athletically gifted enough to play outside linebacker. He’s got to be a 4-3 defensive end, an undersized 4-3 defensive end.”
“Makes out-of-position plays,” a second scout said. “Does all kinds of things to make plays. Has a hump move, the Reggie White move. That’s pretty good for a guy that’s 252. Very athletic with great acceleration. Is effective with his long arms. Can outrun the drop-back of the tackle and backdoor the quarterback.”
“He was the leader, the bright light in the dark room with (coach Bryan) Harsin and all that controversy,” said a third scout. “It’s a disaster of a year, and he held it together. He’s a hard-charging guy. He’s not going to be a premier 12 sacks-a-year guy, but he’s going to get six to eight. You’re going to know exactly what you’re getting. He’ll raise the level of the guys around him. Very, very hard worker. Vocal leader. One of the few legit leaders that you find. There just aren’t that many of them. Everybody’s on their phone or scared to speak up.”
“Try hard,” said a fourth scout. “Gets swallowed up at the point of attack. More of a straight-line, effort (rusher). Tweener.”
I don’t think he’s a tweener, for what it’s worth. I think he can be Carl Lawson.
#52 Seattle — Zach Charbonnet (RB, UCLA)
I’ve been a big fan of Charbonnet for a long time. He was the third running back on my board behind only the two guys taken in the top-12 yesterday. He’s so tough and physical and will run through contact. He’s explosive and has ideal size for the Seahawks. This is the range I thought he would go in and for a team determined to run the ball as a priority, this creates a thunderous, dynamic one-two punch.
Bob McGinn scouting sources on Zach Charbonnet:
“He’s so subtle and smooth and effective and athletic,” said one scout. “Just got great feet. Knows how to run the football. Smart. Catches the ball. He’s going to be undervalued. This guy’s way more athletic than AJ Dillon.”
“He’s been kind of the heartbeat of that team for the last two years,” said a second scout. “He had a really good game two years ago when they beat LSU (38-27). He’s done really, really well for himself. He fits any scheme. Not the fastest guy but a good, patient runner. He’s powerful. What will hurt him a little bit is he’s not a huge threat in the passing game, but I think he’s good enough. He probably gets drafted lower than he should. His production was obvious. He’s got a lot to offer.”
“Straight-line speed, vision, tough, gritty. Stiff in change of direction. Upright runner. Does run hard but with less power because he’s too stiff and upright. Non-elusive. He’s not as good as Hassan Haskins was in a similar kind of role. Haskins was a better athlete.”
R4 (#108) — Anthony Bradford (G, LSU)
I really liked Anthony Bradford and had a high third round grade on him. He reminded me a lot of Damien Lewis. He’s an explosive tester with a 3.17 TEF score and an outstanding 105.2 weighted TEF mark. Clearly, explosive traits are still a big focus for Seattle. He also ran a very good 5.08 forty at 333lbs and he has the length they like. Just a really good pick and he has the potential to be a long-term starter at guard. Excellent pick. I would’ve been happy to take him at #83.
Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Anthony Bradford:
“Kind of an interesting guy,” said one scout. “He’s a big guy that runs well. Big body with strength. He had a nice strength match vs. (Georgia’s Jalen) Carter. He matched strength against him. Most of the time Carter just grabs the guard and would throw him aside. Adequate movement and quickness. Has body control and balance. With that size and speed he’s probably up to the fourth round.”
“He could (start) in the right scheme,” a second scout said. “He’s more of a gap-scheme player. Early-to-mid Day 3.”
R4 (#123) — Cameron Young (DT, Mississippi State)
The Seahawks are smashing this out of the park and have taken two blog favourites to start day three. Cameron Young had a fantastic Senior Bowl and like Abraham Lucas a year ago, received no attention. It was bizarre. He is very powerful with long 34.5 inch arms. He can control blockers with that length and he can anchor down or barge his way through contact. He is better than some of the other defensive tackles already taken. This is a home-run selection and what a round four for the Seahawks.
R5 (#151) — Mike Morris (DE, Michigan)
There was a time where people wondered whether Morris could be a second rounder. He started to receive a lot of buzz and was being touted as the next big pass rusher out of Michigan, following in the footsteps of David Ojabo. I thought he was outstanding against Michigan State in the rivalry/revenge game — playing with his hair on fire and the bit between his teeth. I also thought in other less important games he played well within himself. At the combine, he was still an interesting prospect but he laid a total egg running a poor 5.04 and then following it up with a 5.08 at his pro-day. There’s something there and the Seahawks are banking on bringing it out of him. I had him in round five.
Bob McGinn described Mike Morris as a ‘scouts nightmare’:
A first-year starter, he led the team in sacks with 7 ½ and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Before the combine, one personnel man predicted he’d be a Top 50 pick for sure. Then Morris (6-5, 274) ran 5.04 at the combine and even slower (5.08) at pro day. “I think he ran himself out of that (edge) position,” said another scout. Perhaps Morris’ best chance now would be to bulk up to 295-300 and try as a defensive end in a 3-4.
R5 (#154) — Olusegun Oluwatimi (C, Michigan)
I like Oluwatimi and praised him several times during the season for his solid performances. He won the Outland trophy and played on a double-award winning Michigan O-line. However, he has impossibly small hands (8.5 inches) for a 309lbs blocker which is a little bit odd. He’s explosive (9-2 broad jump, 29 inch vertical) rather than agile (4.68 short shuttle) which again hints at Seattle maybe returning back to explosive interior blockers rather than outright copying the Rams’ system. He will be able to compete quickly, he’s played a lot of football and he’s a solid pick. I had him in round four.
Bob McGinn’s scouting sources on Olusegun Oluwatimi:
He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy but just about everything else: the Outland Trophy, the Rimington Award and consensus All-America honors. “I don’t know how he got the award as best lineman,” one scout said. “That was wild to me. He’s an undersized center only. Average athlete, quickness, strength and instincts. Lacks power and finish. He does a lot of good things but you wouldn’t want him out there full-time.”
Began his career in 2017 at Air Force and redshirted. Spent 2018-’21 at Virginia, starting 35 games at center his last three seasons. Moved to Michigan in ’22. “I’m not sure if there is a lot of love for him out there but he can play,” a second scout said. “It seems people either really like him or they hate him. I’d take him over Schmitz. He’s athletic enough. He’s strong, plays hard, plays smart.”
His 29 on the Wonderlic paced the top six centers. “I’ve seen him at Virginia and Michigan,” said a third scout. “He’s got high pad level. He’s got no strength. Doesn’t know how to use his hands. He does have some quickness and can get to the second level. He plays so high and they just push him all over. I didn’t like the guy.”
Arms were 32 5/8, hands a minuscule 8 5/8. “He’s going to go on Day 2,” a fourth scout said. “He crushed the interview process. He’s not like a wow-you athlete but more than athletic enough. Smart as shit. He’s a great communicator. He kicked ass at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to start next year.”
R6 (#198) — Jerrick Reed II (S, New Mexico)
I had Jerrick Reed graded in round four. He’s very aggressive running downfield and attacking ball-carriers. His testing is good and he has positional flexibility at safety and nickel. He can get around the field with range. Reed should be able to provide immediate special teams value and he’s a good candidate to replace Ryan Neal.
R7 (#237) — Kenny McIntosh (RB, Georgia)
What an end to the draft! I had McIntosh graded in round three. Kirby Smart called him a ‘BAMF’ and you see it on tape. He’s so physical and competitive. He drove Georgia’s running game last year. He’s a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. He has an incredibly engaging personality. This is a seventh round pick that could look like a steal in the future.
Video reaction on each pick between rounds 1-5
Live stream with Robbie (including live reaction to the Kenny McIntosh pick)
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