Seahawks draft grades: Grading Seattle's selections in the 2023 NFL Draft

The Seahawks had an unexpectedly good 2022-23 season led by backup quarterback Geno Smith and rookie running back Kenneth Walker. Instead of a full rebuild. they're now building around this foundation. Let's take a look at who they picked in the 2023 NFL Draft.

We break down the Seahawks' draft class and assess the potential impact on fantasy football in the coming season.

Seahawks picks

Round 1: No. 5 (from Broncos) – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Round 1: No. 20 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Round 2: No. 37 (from Broncos) – Derick Hall, DE, Auburn
Round 2: No. 52 – Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Round 4: No. 108 (from Broncos) – Anthony Bradford, OG, LSU
Round 4: No. 123 – Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
Round 5: No. 151 (from Steelers) – Mike Morris, DE, Michigan
Round 5: No. 154 – Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
Round 6: No. 198 – Jerrick Reed II, S, New Mexico
Round 7: No. 237 – Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

Grade: A-

The Seahawks came into this draft in a much better position than they expected to be, and thanks to that Russell Wilson Broncos trade, they had a of early draft stock. They used it well, picking up some of the most highly-touted guys at various positions in this class. Witherspoon will fit right in with Pete Carroll's defense, and Smith-Njigba will be an exciting addition to Geno Smith's rotation of targets. In a somewhat confusing move, they grabbed two running backs just a year after Kenneth Walker was an OROY finalist.

Their second-round pick of Hall was a good choice to fill a void at edge rusher, though they could have filled out more at the inside linebacker and defensive tackle positions. Smith-Njigba was a great get for any team with a pass-heavy offensive scheme. They filled several of their needs, but seemed to neglect some defensive openings to draft a running back in the second round – an odd choice, given Walker's clear success on the field this year after being a second-round pick in 2022. Why mess that up?

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the best fantasy prospects to come out of the draft, and will be especially promising if Geno Smith keeps up his production numbers from last season. Charbonnet might, as well, though it's unclear how they plan to use him and build the run game around Walker this season after that unexpected selection.

Smith-Njigba was an excellent selection and will help fill out the receiving corps of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. He will be able to make an immediate impact. Hall and Witherspoon were also very solid defensive choices. The Seahawks used those first three picks very well.

  
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