2023 NFL Draft: Texans, Eagles, Seahawks lead top 3 storylines
Seahawks continue recent NFL Draft success
2022 was a great year for the Seattle Seahawks. After making one of the best trades in NFL history by shipping Russell Wilson off to Denver for multiple picks and players, Seattle was still able to make the playoffs with Geno Smith.
Because of that trade, Seattle positioned itself with a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, while also having its own pick at 20th overall.
The Seahawks used those two picks to grab arguably the best cornerback (Devon Witherspoon) and best wide receiver (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) in the draft class.
Witherspoon is a hard-hitting, ballhawk cornerback that also is great in pass coverage. Seattle is adding the former Illinois defensive back to a group led by Tariq Woolen. Seattle now has a cornerback tandem that should be able to contain the top pass-catching option on opposing teams.
The Smith-Njigba selection reminded me of when the Cowboys picked CeeDee Lamb in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Lamb was entering a receiving room with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. It was a head-scratching decision by Dallas at the time because there were other needs on the roster. Now, Lamb is the clear WR1 on the Cowboys.
Smith-Njigba will be the WR3 heading into the 2023 season behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. There is a chance he is the WR2 by the end of the season, as Lockett will be 31 years old in September.
Why this pick is sneakily smart is the fact that Smith-Njigba will be able to operate from the slot because of Metcalf’s and Lockett’s ability to play on the outside. With so much attention on those two, the 21-year-old receiver should cut up defenses in the middle parts of the field.
In addition to accumulating an extra first-round pick in 2023 from the Wilson trade, the Seahawks also possessed an extra second-round selection. Seattle would grab Auburn defensive end Derrick Hall at pick 37. Hall should be able to help the Seahawks’ pass rush in 2023.
A puzzling pick at 52 caused many to wonder what the thought process was in the selection. Taking running back Zach Charbonnet did not seem to make a lot of sense, as the team selected Kenneth Walker a year ago in the second round.
Seattle’s running back position has been marred by injury in recent years, and that was prevalent last year with Rashaad Penny going down with a fractured fibula against the Saints.
Charbonnet not only gives insurance if Walker suffers an injury, but he also provides a potentially powerful 1-2 punch in the backfield with Walker.
After giving Smith a three-year, $105 million extension in the offseason, Seattle is giving the 32-year-old quarterback every opportunity to succeed. The offense should be more than formidable in 2023.
The NFC West seems to be the 49ers and everyone else, but because of Seattle’s strong offseason, and San Francisco’s glaring question mark at quarterback, there is a world where Seattle can win the division this upcoming season.