Seahawks fan survey: Draft grades, reactions

Share your feelings on Seattle's 2023 draft class today! Seaside Joe 1524

For months, it felt like the draft would never get here and now it’s already been a week since the Seahawks selected Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round. Now we transition into the three-month wait before training camp, but those of you who were subscribed to Seaside Joe last summer know that we didn’t take a break and together we became intimately familiar with Ken Walker III’s game (and we knew that he was going to be a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year), predicted DK Metcalf’s contract down to the dollar, and that we highly-rated Pete and John’s offseason even if ESPN said it was the worst of any team in the NFL.

If you’re new to Seaside Joe this year, I recommend browsing the archives into last summer because much of it remains relevant today. This morning I found this article from August predicting which four positions the Seahawks would target in the 2023 draft, and though I was wrong about quarterback and cornerback, clearly I was comfortable adjusting my expectations by not focusing on quarterbacks once Seattle made their intentions clear and then predicted that Witherspoon would be the pick at #5.

I’m much happier that Seaside Joe was wrong about something and willing to admit it later, than to double-down on being wrong because of ego. If you’re not subscribed to Seaside Joe yet, I’m not exaggerating when I say entering your e-mail will be the best decision you’ve ever made as a Seahawks fan.

Prior to the draft, Seaside Joe posted a survey and opportunity to write your PRE-actions and expected draft grades for the 2023 Seattle Seahawks. What would the national media be saying about Seattle after the draft? The answers were mostly split between “A” and “B” with an understandable expectation that the media would say that Pete and John “reached” at certain points of the draft.

That was fairly prescient, although analysts were hard-pressed to criticize getting the top-ranked corner and receiver in the same class, so the Seahawks have been close to unanimous with “A” grades, although Pete and John did make sure to select Zach Charbonnet just to satisfy those writers and unpaid tweeters out there who were hoping that they could pound fists over choosing a running back.

Now is your opportunity to speak up again on the quality, emotions, and expectations of the Seattle Seahawks 2023 draft class, as this was the culmination of Pete and John exercising their right to administer and wield the most draft capital in franchise history.

How’d dey do?

I’ll post some polls and then we’ll review the results next week! To be sure you don’t miss the answers, please subscribe to Seaside Joe, a FREE daily Seahawks newsletter!

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Day One — Witherspoon and JSN

There isn’t one team in the NFL that wouldn’t reserve a space on their defense for Devon Witherspoon and a role on their offense for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Their career success is yet to be determined, I know that, but as prospects the Seattle Seahawks couldn’t be happier to have added these two rookies to their 2023 roster.

I don’t want to pit them against each other (GOOD NEWS: YOU GET TO LOVE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME…FOR FREE!) but that is kind of what’s going to immediately happen in rookie minicamp and then training camp and the Seahawks will be better for it. I know I can be an influence on this poll because we hyped Witherspoon up for weeks, but make no mistake that if I knew JSN would have been available at #20 that something similar would have transpired on this newsletter for him.

Try not to worry about whether you feel equally excited for both—I know that’s how I would feel—and just click a button with your gut. If you don’t have a gut, eat something before you vote.

Day Two — Hall and Charbonnet

I felt that the Seahawks very well could go against tradition and draft Witherspoon not because he plays cornerback, but because of who he is as a player and as a person. The Witherspoon pick was about so much more than position. However, I think that the next three picks—even if they could also qualify as “best player available”—were much more about position.

The tiebreak between JSN and other very-good prospects left on the board at #20 could very well be that receivers are more expensive than other positions, harder to find, and often cost teams first round picks. Same with Derick Hall at #37, as Seattle doesn’t have a good pass rush and those players are often found on the edges of the defensive line.

For Zach Charbonnet at #52, the Seahawks saw that only two running backs had come off the board and that they only had two running backs on the roster; Pete and John ran at their opportunity to get a running back prospect who eclipsed all others for them except Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs (and they may like Charbonnet more than Gibbs) and to fortify a position that has consistently seen key players injured year after year, since Marshawn Lynch’s initial retirement and exit.

If Hall pans out, he could play run defense at a high level with a mix of pass rushing value that would make him a very valuable player, up there with the likes of edge rushers who make $20-$25 million per season.

If Charbonnet pans out, he could be a fan favorite and an important second set of legs that keeps Seattle’s offense moving into December and January, but his ceiling most likely never comes close to the ceiling of and edge rusher. However, his floor and the likelihood that he will contribute in 2023 and for all four seasons of his rookie deal is much higher than Hall’s.

Day Three — Six more draft picks

In 2022, the NFL made it through four rounds and change before the Seahawks selected cornerback Tariq Woolen. For the franchise that selected Richard Sherman in round five, Kam Chancellor in round five, and Byron Maxwell in round six to help solidify the core of the Legion of Boom, it felt like more than coincidence that Pete Carroll was able to steal a secondary player in Rounds 5-6 once again.

You don’t have to look far to find fans of Witherspoon, JSN, Hall, and Charbonnet. But I’m not sure yet if there are any immediate tingling sensations for the six players who Seattle selected on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft. Let’s find out.

If you need refreshers, here are my posts on Rounds 4-5, and Rounds 6-7. Unfortunately, Substack polls max out at 5 answers, so I’m having to split this up into two polls:

And…

Finally, how much did the results of the 2023 draft change your expectations and outlook of the 2023 Seattle Seahawks?

2023 Seahawks — Super Bowl expectations?

We know that Pete Carroll believed that the 2023 Seahawks could win the Super Bowl, even if that’s not something that you or I may have thought realistic. However, I did hope that the 2022 offseason would be good enough to set Seattle up for Super Bowl expectations in 2023 at the earliest and 2024 at the latest. There was no plan that, “Oh, I hope these four draft picks from the Russell Wilson trade help the Seahawks content in 2027!”

No, let’s get off the pot as soon as possible, my legs are numb.

Well, the Seahawks improved their record from 7-10 to 9-8 in 2022, seemingly kept the players who they wanted to keep, including Geno Smith and Drew Lock, then added the likes of Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Julian Love, Evan Brown, Bobby Wagner, and Devin Bush in free agency. We’ll see how second-year players show development and improvement this season, that will largely determine how “elite” Seattle could be this year; the Seahawks need more superstars and maybe that’s what Walker, Boye Mafe, Charles Cross, etc. could turn out to become in 2023.

Then there’s the possibility that Witherspoon, JSN, or other rookies could be immediate impact players, as Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson were for the Jets in 2023. Seattle’s success will also heavily depend on improved play at the quarterback position, as well as from their coaching staff and coordinators, to be fair.

I do actually think, looking at the wide angle view now, that if the Philadelphia Eagles falter, if the San Francisco 49ers keep getting bit by the injury bug, really which NFC team is all that threatening and standing in Seattle’s way?

I guess we will find out. In about four months, which could really fly by.

If your answer isn’t here, throw it in the comments!

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