NFL Draft Grades - Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks' 2025 Draft Selections

2024 Pick 16. (R:1 P:16) - Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Grade: A+
Another A+ defensive grade. You have to love the value. The Bears could have drafted Byron Murphy at No. 9, and there wouldn't have been any complaints. The Vikings loved Murphy enough to take him at 11 if they didn't need a quarterback so badly. Murphy is an immense talent, and the Seahawks are definitely upgrading their defensive line, which is something they've needed to do for a while.

2024 Pick 81. (R:3 P:17) - Christian Haynes, G, Connecticut
Grade: A-
No one should be surprised that the Seahawks are addressing the interior of the offensive line, given that they lost all three starters from last year. Christian Haynes fits the range here in the middle of the third round, and he fills a big need. There are some size limitations with him, but he's a tough player.

2024 Pick 118. (R:4 P:18) - Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP
Grade: B+
The Seahawks lost so many linebackers this offseason, so it's not a surprise to see them address the position with this pick. Tyrice Knight was a very productive player out of UTEP,a and he's considered by some as a mid-round sleeper.

2024 Pick 121. (R:4 P:21) - A.J. Barner, TE, Michigan
Grade: B
The Seahawks lost a couple of tight ends this offseason, as two of them inexplicably signed gargantuan contracts elsewhere. Here's a cheap replacement. A.J. Barner makes sense as a fourth-round prospect as a solid Y-tight end prospect for the NFL.

2024 Pick 136. (R:5 P:1) - Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
Grade: A+
Is this the next great Seahawks cornerback to be chosen in the middle rounds? I love the value, as Nehemiah Pritchett easily could have gone in the third round, and maybe even the second. Pritchett can cover tall receivers well, so he fits here for the Seahawks. If you haven't visited the site in a while, you may have noticed the new look. Yes, after nearly two decades, we've finally re-designed our site to be more modern. This was not done on a whim, but rather out of necessity because of what occurred during the 2023 NFL Draft. Our site crashed during the entire first day of the draft, which was disastrous for our revenue stream because we make more money during the draft than any other time. The site crashed because a line of code conflicted with the old format of the site, so we had to transition to this new look. Because we lost so much money during the draft, I want to point out that you can really help support the site by paying for the ad-free version of it at the top. It's $7.99 per month, but you'll get a super-fast site with no ads. If you don't want to pay, please spread the word about the site through word of mouth. That would also be a big help! Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal. Take a look:

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2024 Pick 179. (R:6 P:3) - Sataoa Laumea, OT, Utah
Grade: B+
Sataoa Laumea spent most of his time at tackle while playing for Utah, but he may have to move to guard in the NFL. This is fine for the Seahawks, who lost several interior blockers in free agency. We had Laumea in the fifth round, so this is a decent value.

2024 Pick 192. (R:6 P:16) - D.J. James, CB, Auburn
Grade: B-
D.J. James is known for a blown coverage against Alabama that resulted in a loss. He makes sense in this range though, so perhaps he can redeem himself in Seattle. The Seahawks do know what they're doing with cornerbacks.

2024 Pick 235. (R:7 P:15) - Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah
Grade: B
The Broncos have receiver depth issues, so addressing this position makes sense. Devaughn Vele is a huge receiver, but there are some separation question marks.

Past Grades and Selections

2024 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2024 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2023 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2023 Pick 5. (R:1 P:5) - Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois D Uhh, what? Did the Seahawks forget that they're experts at drafting cornerbacks in the middle and late rounds? Did they also fail to remember that they have a talented No. 1 cornerback? Seattle really needed to improve its pass rush. Picking Witherspoon here over Jalen Carter seems ridiculous.

2023 Pick 20. (R:1 P:20) - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State A+ How in the world did Jaxon Smith-Njigba drop to Seattle? I understand the Seahawks have D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but the latter is in his 30s and won't be on the roster much longer. Besides, Seattle needed a better third receiver in the short term. This is a tremendous pick.

2023 Pick 37. (R:2 P:6) - Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn C+ Derick Hall doesn't have great athleticism and upside, so I thought he should have been slated in the third round. I don't think this is terrible value, however, and Hall fills a big need for a team that couldn't get to the quarterback last year.

2023 Pick 52. (R:2 P:21) - Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA D I don't understand this pick. Kenneth Walker had a tremendous rookie year, so a running back was one of the last things the Seahawks needed. I like Zach Charbonnet as a receiving back, but the Seahawks pretty much wasted this selection.

2023 Pick 83. (R:3 P:20) - Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
C- The Broncos needed a cornerback, but this is too early for Riley Moss. The Iowa prospect has some speed concerns and a checkered injury history, so I thought he would be chosen around the fifth-round range.

2023 Pick 123. (R:4 P:21) - Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
B The Seahawks were terrible against the run last year, so they needed to make a pick like this. Cameron Young will help them stuff the rush. He makes sense in the middle of the fourth round.

2023 Pick 151. (R:5 P:16) - Mike Morris, DE, Michigan A- Mike Morris isn't a high-upside player, but is a powerful end who can stuff the run and get to the quarterback. He should have been chosen earlier than this, so I love the pick.

2023 Pick 154. (R:5 P:19) - Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
A Olusegun Oluwatimi is a solid center prospect and I thought he would be chosen earlier than this, perhaps late third or early fourth. The Seahawks needed a center, and they're getting great value.

2023 Pick 198. (R:6 P:21) - Jerrick Reed, S, New Mexico
B+ A safety makes sense for the Seahawks, especially one whom I had in the fifth round. Jerrick Reed is a good athlete, but size limitations dropped him. He's still a good pick here in the sixth frame.

2023 Pick 237. (R:7 P:20) - Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia A- Another running back? This would be much better if the Seahawks didn't waste a much earlier pick. Kenny McIntosh is a great receiver out of the backfield, and I thought he would go way earlier than this

2022 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2022 Pick 9. (R:1 P:9) - Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State A- Grade
I would've preferred Jermaine Johnson, but Charles Cross is an excellent pick as well. The Seahawks have needed to spend a premium pick on an offensive line for quite some time, and they've finally done so. It's funny that it finally happens when Russell Wilson is gone, but Seattle needs better blocking without Wilson's mobility.

2022 Pick 40. (R:2 P:8) - Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota B Grade
Teams were torn on Boye Mafe. Some believed he would go in the first round, while others thought he was a vanilla day-two left end. It looks like Mafe fell somewhere in between. I imagine he'll help the Seahawks' horrible pass rush, which sorely needed to be upgraded.

2022 Pick 41. (R:2 P:9) - Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State B+ Grade
I'm torn on this pick. I love Kenneth Walker, as his balance and run-after-contract ability is off the charts. He's my top running back. However, the Seahawks could've addressed their huge hole at quarterback and failed to do so with their two selections. They could have taken another running back later on Day 2. Still, I don't hate this pick because Walker was one of my favorite players in this range.

2022 Pick 72. (R:3 P:8) - Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State B Grade
Wow, still no quarterback? This Drew Lock versus Geno Smith camp battle is going to be lit. The Seahawks will at least be able to protect for Lock or Smith with Charles Cross and now Abraham Lucas. The Washington State product is very athletic and fits what the Seahawks look for in blocking prospects. I like the fit, but come on, this had to be Malik Willis.

2022 Pick 109. (R:4 P:4) - Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati
B Grade
Coby Bryant is a solid prospect I had in the fourth round for most of my mock draft updates, so I like this range for him. He also fills a need the Seahawks had at cornerback. I just wonder why Seattle hasn't addressed quarterback yet. The team has no chance with Geno Smith or Drew Lock.

2022 Pick 153. (R:5 P:10) - Tariq Woolen, CB, Texas-San Antonio A+ Grade
This is a classic fifth-round cornerback pick by the Seahawks. Tariq Woolen is tall and athletic like other corners Seattle has drafted. Woolen would've been taken much earlier if it weren't for health worries, but this is incredible value that fills a need. I love this selection.

2022 Pick 158. (R:5 P:15) - Tyreke Smith, DE, Ohio State
B+ Grade
The Seahawks entered the draft desperately needing to upgrade their horrible pass rush. Tyreke Smith, joining Boye Mafe, should help make that happen. Smith was someone I expected to be drafted in this range, so I like this pick.

2022 Pick 230. (R:7 P:9) - Chris Paul, G, Tulsa
B Grade
I mocked Chris Paul eight picks after this one, so I like the range for this prospect. Adding offensive line help makes sense as well, given that the Redskins currently don't have a great blocking unit to shield Carson Wentz or Sam Howell.

2021 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2021 Pick 56. (R:2 P:24) - D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan F Grade
There are so many reasons to hate this pick. First of all, it's a shock that the Seahawks didn't trade down because they had just three selections in this draft. Second, Russell Wilson complained about offensive line help, yet Seattle didn't address it. Third, Dwayne Eskridge was someone I've had in the third or fourth rounds. And fourth, this doesn't fill a need at all.

2021 Pick 129. (R:4 P:24) - Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
A- Grade
There was a stretch last year when the Buccaneers lost some games because they didn't have any healthy receivers. They're making sure that doesn't happen again. Jaelon Darden is a legitimate sleeper. He'll be able to see more of the field in 2022 when the Buccaneers inevitably move on from Antonio Brown.

2021 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2020 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2020 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2019 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2019 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2018 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2018 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2017 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2017 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2016 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2016 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2015 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2015 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD

2014 NFL Draft Selections and Grades

2014 Seattle Seahawks - Prospect:TBD