Do the Seahawks keep having the best draft class?
Reviewing 2019-2023 Seahawks draft classes by position: Seaside Joe 1677
It is too soon to say that the Seattle Seahawks did “this well” or “found a steal” or “clearly reached” on any of their picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, but there are definitely signs of encouragement with some players and one major reason for optimism with the entire class which is: The 2022 NFL Draft.
Two immediate standouts are Devon Witherspoon, who was the top cornerback in the class and has played like it in his first three NFL games, and Zach Charbonnet. The 2023 running back class has two clear standouts in the earlygoing, one of course being Bijan Robinson (452 total yards, 4 plays per game of 10+ yards) and the other being Miami’s Devon Achane, a player with 353 yards and six touchdowns…just in the last two weeks!
But in almost any other context, Charbonnet is off to a really good start with the Seahawks and he has 14 carries for 77 yards (5.5 YPC) in the last two weeks, having to share the backfield with one of the NFL’s other most exciting running backs besides Robinson and Achane.
And two Seattle rookies who have outplayed their draft status already are fourth round pick Anthony Bradford and undrafted free agent Jake Bobo.
Bradford has played 125 snaps in the last two games and been able to not only hold his own, but to make his case as the near future successor to Phil Haynes. Bobo has just two catches for eight yards—Pete Carroll chuckled when asked about Bobo’s impact and my take on it was because maybe the media has run with that story more than the Seahawks have internally, even though I know that they also LOVE Bobo—but his 82 offensive snaps is more than a lot of guys who were drafted. Bobo’s run blocking and special teams contributions have not gone unnoticed, he should have been drafted.
This is not to disparage Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Derick Hall, or anyone else in Seattle’s rookie class. We know that Seaside Joe doesn’t feel that way based on Tuesday’s newsletter. I’m just pointing out what we already know, which is that the Seahawks are 3-1 with plenty of gratitude for that owed to some players who were in college last year.
It would be incredible if the Seahawks got as much of a contribution from this class as they got from their 2022 class, especially from the “steals” like what Seattle found in rounds two, three, and five, which is what I’m going to cover today: A review of the Seahawks draft picks (and some guys who they didn’t pick but are now on the roster) since 2019 and how they stack up based not on the round they were picked in, but instead how they measure against other players at that same position in the same class.
For example, is Ken Walker III the best running back in the 2022 class? It sure appears that way so far.
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2019
WR - DK Metcalf, 64th overall, ninth receiver
Did the Seahawks get the best receiver in the 2019 draft?
Metcalf ranks third in the class in career yards (4,486) but he’s only seven yards behind second-place Terry McLaurin and he has scored 15 more touchdowns than McLaurin. College teammate A.J. Brown leads the class with 4,905 yards and is tied for the most touchdowns with Metcalf at 37. Metcalf’s 324 career catches is the second-most behind Diontae Johnson’s 343.
It will be a debate that goes on for a while as to who is the best receiver in this class between Metcalf, Brown, McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel. There are other quality receivers to consider too, like Marquise Brown, Johnson, Hunter Renfrow, and Darius Slayton. A talented class, although the Seahawks also picked Gary Jennings in the fourth and John Ursua in the seventh and they combined for one catch and 11 yards.
Some people thought Metcalf would be a top-10 pick and he’s usually played that way, especially if you consider that this top-10 included Clelin Ferrell, Daniel Jones, T.J. Hockenson, and Devin Bush. Nobody would have batted an eye if the Lions had picked Metcalf at eight and they probably should have.
G - Phil Haynes, 124th overall, ninth guard
Is Phil Haynes a steal?
Not a steal, not a reach or a bust. Haynes isn’t someone who stands out and there were a couple of guards who went after him who have been more reliable. As a fourth round pick, what the Seahawks have gotten out of Haynes is fine and certainly better than many of Pete’s other choices in the same round. People forget (I forget) that Haynes was even cut and failed to make the 53-man roster one time, so the fact that he’s still on the team and starting when he’s healthy is a little bit remarkable.
To have any guy you picked in the fourth round starting for you five seasons later, that’s better than average.
The Broncos Draft for the Seahawks
First Round - TE Noah Fant
Second Round - QB Drew Lock
Third Round - Dre’Mont Jones
It’s like every year, Pete is making the Broncos draft picks…