Fueled by Russell Wilson trade, Seattle Seahawks own the first 3 rounds in 2023 NFL Draft

Photo by: 2019 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

With QB flexibility and 5 Top-84 picks, including 2 first-rounders, the Seahawks control the draft.

If I were to tell you at this time last year that the Seattle Seahawks would be picking in the top-5 and then in the 20s in the 2023 NFL Draft, you would assume that Seattle was as bad as expected post-Russell Wilson trade and that they’d be in desperate need of a quarterback.

Needless to say, it didn’t work out that way.

The Denver Broncos’ season from hell gifted the Seahawks the 5th overall pick, while Seattle’s unexpected run to the postseason slotted their own pick at 20. Add in the extra second-round pick from the Wilson trade and Seattle boasts a league-high five selections in the top 83.

Off the back of an exceptional 2022 class that helped propel Seattle to a surprise playoff berth, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider find themselves in the spotlight again for a draft that may be one of the most important in franchise history. Seattle has not held two first-round picks since 2010—the first draft under Carroll and Schneider—making the Seahawks War Room one of the biggest storylines in Kansas City.

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The Seahawks don’t have to get a quarterback... but will they?

Seattle re-signed quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year contract worth up to $105 million, emphasis on “worth up to.” Geno may have had a tremendous 2022 season on his way to winning Comeback Player of the Year, but the way his contract is structured effectively provides the Seahawks with the ability to move on from Smith before the 2024 season.

Even though the Seahawks have huge holes to fix defensively, the Geno contract extension does not rule out Seattle from entering the quarterback sweepstakes. Perhaps more than any other QB in this class, the Seahawks appear to be enamored with Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

Richardson is a unique Round 1 talent given his lack of production in college, but it’s not difficult to envision him in a Seahawks uniform. His rocket arm, his fantastic mobility, and his almost superhuman athleticism may be too much for Seattle to ignore. Based on past reporting, Seattle had shown interest in Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes while Russell Wilson was still under contract, and while both quarterbacks had far more college productivity and accolades than Richardson, they were considered to be raw players with tremendous athletic traits. Seattle never was in position to pick Allen or Mahomes, but at No. 5 they are in range to select one of the more polarizing “boom or bust” quarterback prospects in recent memory.

Trading down... or trading up?!

Seattle has just 52 players under contract entering minicamp, and while they have ten total picks right now, they could leverage at least one of No. 5 or No. 20 for trading down to acquire more picks in this year’s draft and possibly next year’s. It’s historically been in Pete Carroll and John Schneider’s nature to trade down in the earlier rounds, but they didn’t do that in 2022, couldn’t really do it in 2021 due to a lack of picks, and stood firm with their first-round pick in 2020.

It stands to reason that the Seahawks’ current roster situation necessitates trading down at least once, but one variable is how high they are on Anthony Richardson. If they are uncertain that Richardson will be on the board at No. 5, trading up is not entirely out of the question. The Seahawks have never traded up or back into Round 1 under Carroll and Schneider, so this would be unprecedented.

The first defensive player off the board?

This offseason the Seahawks substantially overhauled its defensive line, letting go of Al Woods, Quinton Jefferson, and Shelby Harris, while signing Dre’Mont Jones from the Denver Broncos and bringing back Jarran Reed. The Seahawks’ struggles in the trenches on defense were glaring, and the scant depth on the roster indicates Seattle will be looking at bolstering the d-line via the draft.

It wasn’t too long ago that Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter was thought to be the possible No. 1 overall pick, but the Chicago Bears trading out of the top spot put an end to that speculation. Add in Carter’s recent legal troubles, as well as his struggles at his Pro Day, and even with his outstanding on-field performance it is far from certain where he’ll be picked. Most likely he’ll be available at No. 5, and while the Seahawks may be wary about “character concerns” given this was a situation they faced with Malik McDowell in 2017, he fills a position of dire need as a fearsome interior pass rusher.

There’s also Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr, the widely recognized best EDGE rusher of the class and someone who could boost a unit that has ranked no better than 20th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate over the past three seasons. Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson is another option given his high-end athleticism and strength, not to mention his versatility as an EDGE rusher and run defender, but he may not necessarily be an ideal fit in Seattle’s 3-4 scheme.

Finally, while Seattle hasn’t taken a cornerback any earlier than Round 3 under Carroll and Schneider, the options are more plentiful for the Seahawks than in typical drafts where they’ve picked in the lower-half of the first round. Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon was among those who had a top-30 visit with Seattle, and his downhill, physical, aggressive style of play fits the mold of what the Seahawks want from that position, even if he doesn’t have the typical tall, long-armed frame of most Seattle corners over the years.

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As ever with the Seahawks, no one can say with great confidence what they’re going to do on draft night.