I’m 90% sure the Seahawks will draft these 4 positions early next year
Seaside Bonus, 8/29/22: We know QB is one of them, but what about the other three when Seattle is on the clock so many times?
While I know it can be jarring to talk about the draft on the eve of final cuts, the conversations being had in this morning’s episode of Seaside Joe only further highlight that many Seattle Seahawks fans are expecting to carefully spy on their Christmas presents early this season.
I remember as a kid all of the “clever” tricks I had to peek into what Santa had delivered, from carefully placing tape back onto the ripped wrapping paper to knowing all of Mom’s hiding spots weeks ahead of schedule (and to this day still feeling incredibly guilty about it, sorry Mom), and that’s a fair metaphor for all the questions and speculative scenarios that Seahawks fans will begin conjuring up…as soon as the team forces them to do so.
If the Seahawks play anything like they did in the preseason against the Broncos and 49ers, we won’t have to wait long for weekly updates on draft order and “what to do with the picks” as the most sought after topics of conversation.
However, I know that not all of you are supremely interested in the draft, either now or in the future. Today’s look at the draft will be a Seaside Bonus article for Regular Joes, featuring the four positions that I see rounding into shape as Seattle’s top-four priorities as they head into next year with two picks in round one and two picks in round two.
It was just before the 2022 draft that I made this prediction: Seahawks should select LT or Pass Rush with first pick, then take care of the one they didn’t pick in the first round in the second round, plus either a RB or a CB.
Basically with their first three picks, I expected LT, EDGE and either RB or CB. The Seahawks picked Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, and Ken Walker III.
Next, I said that Seattle would likely double-down on tackle and edge rusher, potentially also cornerback. The Seahawks doubled down on all three positions. If nothing else, I feel that I have as good of a grip on what Pete Carroll is likelier-than-not to do with his first rounders—assuming that indeed Pete is still making the calls in 2023.
Everything about ownership’s current situation—owner Jody Allen may indeed sell the team but the contract stipulates a huge penalty if that happens earlier than 2024, and Pete seems to be the stabilizing force that ownership won’t want to fuss with before then—suggest that he will be the one calling the shots again next year.
The 14th time that he and John Schneider will have run a Seahawks draft together.
For today’s bonus article, I see four positions standing out above the others. Upgrade to premium to read Seaside Joe’s bonus section not only so you can receive new content, but to support a mom-and-pop Seahawks newsletter and to vote for journalism that strives to be as upfront as possible; no clickbait, no advertisements, no more bullshit!
I will start off with the most obvious position of all and then move onto the other three, as well as why I’ve left out some other big needs.
Quarterback
After two years of running the newsletter on Mailchimp exclusively, I added Substack as a complementary site where I could mainly focus on quarterback draft prospects. I am amazed at what great quarterbacks can do and while many fans have pleaded for an NFL minor league over the years…we already have it! It’s college football. And now they’re getting paid too!
So there’s no shortage of coverage on quarterback prospects at Seaside Joe and that’s always been the case. I am definitely NOT a scout, an Xs and Os expert, and I can’t break down all the mechanics for you…but I feel that my track record for picking my favorites and the ones to stay far away from is better than average.
In 2020, I was the highest on Justin Herbert and I said to stay away from Tua Tagovailoa.
In 2018, I definitely supported picking Baker Mayfield first, but was also shocked to see Lamar Jackson fall so far behind the four ahead of him.
In 2016, I would have never traded up for either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz.
Nobody’s track record is perfect and people get paid a lot of money to make those decisions for NFL teams. But better than average? I like to think so. My bets in 2022 are Zach Wilson to be the breakout star for the league, and of course Grayson McCall has been Seaside’s Star since early 2021. McCawww!!!
The reasons that I was adamant that the Seahawks would not draft a quarterback this year were simply that the a) the class was terrible and b) Seattle can’t support a good quarterback prospect yet anyway.
Both a) and b) will NOT be true in 2023. I’ve written it before but Pete Carroll will buck his trend and draft a quarterback early because of three reasons above all else: a) the class is great, b) the Seahawks now have their supporting cast in place, and c) he’s never had a chance to draft a great QB before.
Look at what Nick Saban has done at Alabama over the last decade: He caught up with the times and now a school that never had any quarterbacks drafted for decades is lining up to get the 5-star recruits and send them into the NFL as first round picks.
Pete will “catch up” with the times too.
There will be a ton of quarterbacks to talk about over the next eight months and once we know Seattle’s draft positions, we’ll have a much better idea of who makes the most sense for the Seahawks given their draft capital. While Seattle could choose to fortify a couple of other positions, maybe target McCall later in the draft, there is also the distinct possibility that the Seahawks could do something they’ve only done twice in franchise history:
Draft a quarterback in the first round.
Not since Rick Mirer and Dan McGwire has it happened but 2023 seems to be shaping up as the start of a new era. And if I’m right, McCall will be a first rounder anyway. Here is my QB top-five from not long ago and a consensus ranking of QBs.
That’s only one of the four positions that I see as a priority going into the year and the quarterback will need help from the others.