2023 NFL Draft: Instant Analysis and Grades for Every Team’s Picks
Seattle Seahawks
- 5. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
- 20. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
- 37. Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
- 52. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
- 108. Anthony Bradford, G, LSU
- 123. Cameron Young, DL, Mississippi State
- 151. Mike Morris, DL, Michigan
- 154. Olu Oluwatimi, OL, Michigan
- 198. Jerick Reed II, S, New Mexico
- 237. Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
The Seattle Seahawks, for the second consecutive year, enjoyed the luxury of having a top-10 pick thanks to the Denver Broncos. They also enjoyed the luxury of selecting an extra time within the top 10 picks of the second round.
That Russell Wilson trade has yielded some major building blocks for the Seattle franchise (this is not every player included in the trade):
- OT Charles Cross
- EDGE Boye Mafe
- CB Devon Witherspoon
- EDGE Derick Hall
Of course, the jury is still out on most of these players. It looks like Cross is going to turn out to be a good player, but the highest pick in this haul from the Broncos is Devon Witherspoon, the first cornerback the Seahawks have taken in round one since 2006. Witherspoon is a big, physical player who will pair up with Seahawks second-year sensation Tariq Woolen to give this team an enviable group of corners going forward.
I don’t know that there’s anyone in this business who didn’t like the fit of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are established. This Seattle team now has a legit third option who has outstanding hands, who knows how to win his matchups in the slot, and who is one of the best in this class at creating after the catch.
Derick Hall is super on-brand for Seattle in terms of a long edge who is slightly one-dimensional at this point, but he’s an incredible story and someone I think they’ll be able to rely on to consistently get after the QB.
Zach Charbonnet paired up with Kenneth Walker is really fascinating. Charbonnet transferred to UCLA, and that was all that prevented this Seattle draft class from having about 19 Michigan players in it.
Getting both Cameron Young and Mike Morris for the middle of that defensive line is literally and figuratively huge for this team.
Overall, this draft will be defined by how those top two picks hit. The Seahawks took players at premium positions with each of their last three first-round picks, none of which were QBs. They didn’t necessarily need to be, either. Seattle wasn’t in position for the top 3 QBs in this draft, and they passed.
Grade: B+