Seahawks Day 3 picks, reactions
Pete Carroll adds 5 more players to the roster
I will have much more to say in the coming days. Please subscribe to Seaside Joe and tell a friend that “Yeah, uhh, the draft coverage was half-decent over there” if you like what you’ve read so far!
4.108 - CB Coby Bryant, Cincinnati
It’s remarkable that Coby Bryant is described as a “poor athlete” and Derek Stingley is called “one of the best athletes in this class” when you consider that the two corners tested practically neck-and-neck at the combine and their pro days.
Bryant may not be near the prospect that Stingley is, but the reality of Bryant and Stingley’s supposed levels of athleticism probably winds up somewhere in the middle of “great” and “poor”. The Seahawks are not getting a Derek Stingley prospect with Bryant, but their supposed adoration for the former five-star recruit who went third overall to the Texans at three may have been confirmed by Seattle’s selection of Bryant at the onset of the fourth round.
5.153 - CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA
One of the fastest players in the NFL from the moment he steps on the field. Woolen ran a 4.26 and did so as the heaviest CB in the draft (204 lbs) and with a 6’4 frame that features these things called 33.6” arms. He’s one of the “freakiest” athletes ever scouted as an NFL cornerback.
Weaknesses: Can’t tackle, can’t cover, not good in zone coverage, not good in man coverage, and he was bad against bad competition.
Really, Woolen is not a player who can be expected to contribute until 2023 at the earliest, and he might not even be a project who can be added to the defensive until 2024. If ever. This is the Malik Willis of cornerbacks, so if you support Seattle taking complete projects with boom-or-bust potential, you’re over the moon for Tariq Woolen.
Tell me in the comments what YOU think of the Seahawks 2022 draft class!
5.158 - EDGE Tyreke Smith, Ohio State
Smith is on the lighter side for edge rushers—6’3, 254 lbs—but he’s got solid length at and at 22, has plenty of room to get a little bigger and develop his game as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His 1.72 10-yard split is just plain awful, he’s faster than you but slower than most NFL draft prospects (4.86 ranks near the bottom for edge), however he’s inexperienced and didn’t start learning the game until his junior year of high school.
It was in those two years though that Smith raised his stock to become a four-star recruit in 2018, choosing Ohio State over Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, and USC. Unfortunately, Smith was merely a backup as a freshman, then missed three games due to injury in two of the last three seasons.
That has only resulted in 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks over 41 career games and 17 starts despite playing alongside a handful of talented college defensive linemen like Haskell Garrett and Zach Harrison. Obviously there is a monumental difference between Smith and someone like former teammate Chase Young (21 TFL, 16.5 sacks, 7 FF in 2019) but the hope for the Seahawks is that a couple years of development and being properly utilized in a rotation (he can’t do the run defense thing) will result in the defense adding a quality piece to the puzzle.
However, I would be very surprised if Tyreke Smith ever becomes more than a part-time edge player and fits in a role similar to that of Benson Mayowa. If you’ve got BENSON MAYOWA EXPECTATIONS, then you can’t be disappointed by this pick.
7.229 - WR Bo Melton, Rutgers
I saw Bo Melton’s name getting some late day two love, but the Nebraska receiver was available to Seattle in round seven. Will he be the next David Moore? That’s about the BEST possible value to expect out of a seventh round receiver. Past seventh round receiver steals include Donald Driver, Marques Colston, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Julian Edelman, Steve Johnson, and Kevin Walter…they are the best of the best.
Melton ran a 4.34 in the 40-yard dash with a very nice 1.48 10-yard split. Of course, at 5’11, 189 lbs, he’s a bit smaller than some guys who ran a big slower, and at 23 he’s older than most of the receivers drafted in 2022. But he was Dane Brugler’s 20th-ranked receiver and given a 4th-5th round grade.
Making 32 starts over the last three seasons, Melton caught 132 passes for 1,683 yards with 11 touchdowns in that period of time. Brugler did not 12 drops over the past three seasons, which is not desirable from a potential slot player who you’d like to have sure hands to match insane speed.
Melton also posted a 38” vertical, 121” broa, 4.1 in the short shuttle, and 6.98 in the three-cone. He had 18 reps on the bench, which is more than some big men. The Seahawks are hoping that like DK Metcalf, Melton’s lack of college production had more to do with his quarterback and his offense than a lack of ability or an inability to develop and improve as a receiver.
But Melton is a little less projectable, a lot smaller, and it’s always surprising when a receiver makes an NFL team out of the seventh round as anything more than a special teamer. With Seattle, he’ll compete to be a rookie punt returner and that’s probably his ceiling within the next two years. At 23, he’s not much of a project, but perhaps he does have more offensive value than it’s possible to see in a Rutgers’ passing offense.
7.233 - WR Dareke Young, Lenoir-Rhyne
The Seahawks met with Young during the pre-draft process and when they traded down in the fifth to add a pick in the seventh, it was likely so that Pete Carroll could secure Young without having to fight for him as a UDFA. Unless that’s what he did for Melton. Either way, Seattle doubles down on receiver though these players are different and will have different roles in training camp this year.
Young is 6’2, 220 lbs, ran a 4.47 with a 1.57 10-yard split. His 37” vertical is great, but his 136” broad jump is INSANT. He’s got huge hands and will also be able to run jet sweeps in Shane Waldron’s wide zone offense. Young was another Senior Bowl standout and he will be competing against the likes of Penny Hart, Aaron Fuller, Matt Cole, Cade Johnson, Cody Thompson, and Melton for one of the final receiver spots on the roster. But perhaps instead he could sneak in as a running back?
Tell me in the comments what YOU think of the Seahawks 2022 draft class!
I love this draft class. Probably would have picked a few different players, but I'm thrilled with the positions they filled and who they filled them with. High ceilings across the board. Huge potential talent to build on for the future!
My advice for the last few picks is show out really well on special teams and you could have an NFL career. All in all I think this was a good draft with some projects later on.
I was very surprised and happy to get a right and left tackle. These two players both have great futures if they pick up the run game in a hurry, they will be good year one starters.
Kenneth Walker lll was my pick for best in class runningback. With his stumpy height and packing 211 pounds he will be a tough tackle. The only thing that disappointed me, was many of these well paid pundents saying this was a bad pick. Are they so weak on their team knowledge or have they just fallen into the lazy narrative that you should never take a runninback before round 5. I can't think of a single Super Bowl winner that didn't have an above average back. This is a skill position that needs the mindset of a boxing champion. Walker 3 is well above average and if he can run some routes and catch passes watch out. Does anybody know how good he is in pass blocking ???