Seattle Seahawks: Recent first round draft picks have disappointed

2018 – Rashaad Penny

Okay, so maybe it’s too soon to put Penny on this list. Any player deserves at least three seasons before we even consider slapping the bust label on them, but Penny was a pick that caught most people by surprise. In a class loaded with running backs who will define the league for the next decade, Penny was the second running back taken, only behind Saquon Barkley. That comes with expectations.

The Seahawks used the 27th overall pick on Penny making him one of only three backs taken in the first round. Despite this honor, Penny ended up only being the third best runner on the Seahawks. Chris Carson emerged as a potential future Pro Bowler and Mike Davis outplayed Penny for most of the year. The rookie did have a stretch of successful games from Week 10 through Week 14, but five weeks of production doesn’t validate using a first round pick.

My issue with Penny isn’t just that he was taken ahead of more talented runners such as Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Kerryon Johnson and Phillip Lindsay, but the Seahawks didn’t even need a running back!

Carroll praised Carson back during the 2017 season, he knew he liked his running style. I know Carson was coming off of an injury, but if Carroll really liked Carson, why did the team go after Penny? Clearly, they didn’t love Carson that much, but he ended up being the answer at running back, not Penny. If the Seahawks used a first-round pick on a second string running back, that would be the ultimate waste of a pick.

The Seahawks have the 21st overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. With the team stuck in a limbo between rebuilding and being Super Bowl contender, Carroll and general manager John Schneider need to draft an immediate, significant starter. The team needs a good draft to put them over the top and become real contenders.