Who will the Seahawks pick at fifth overall?
When Seattle traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos last March, they surely would not have expected to be possessing a top-5 pick in the 2023 draft.
The Seahawks’ pick at number five is one of the more intriguing picks in the first round, especially with their history of making left field moves and trading down for value.
Is QB an option?
Despite signing Geno Smith (and Drew Lock for that matter) to a new deal this offseason, the Seahawks have held meetings with all of the top QB prospects in the draft. Smith’s contract has been structured to give Seattle an out at basically any point, and the $4 million contract handed to Lock is small fry when weighing up drafting a potential franchise quarterback.
With rumours that Frank Reich would select Anthony Richardson with the first overall pick if it was solely his decision, CJ Stroud may just fall into his favourite team’s hands.
A lot of targets for the trenches
The defensive line and edge positions are an area in which the Seahawks could improve massively. Will Anderson Jr would be great pick out of Alabama, though it is highly likely that the Cardinals will select him at fourth overall, or trade out of that slot for another team to take him.
Jalen Carter then becomes the obvious choice for the Seahawks and is currently expected by many to be playing in the Emerald City in 2023. Although Carter’s off-field issues have been well documented, as has his worrying pro day performance, there is undoubtedly a star player there.
Pete Carroll would be an ideal mentor for Carter, and it has been reported that the player will be hosted by the Hawks for a visit before the draft.
The Seahawks may well take everyone by surprise and draft an offensive player at number five. They could look to further bolster their offensive-line, and Peter Skornorski would make a great addition. Skoronski could be moulded into a guard to give Geno Smith the time to deliver more of the beautiful throws we saw last season.
Best player available?
Seattle has very little depth at running back behind Kenneth Walker. In recent years they have reached for their desired ball carrier, taking Rashaad Penny with the 27th pick of the 2018 draft when most expected him to be a day-two prospect. Penny did show glimpses of being a great talent despite his injury-plagued time in the Pacific Northwest.
Bijan Robinson is likely the only RB that will be taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With over 1500 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, Robinson comes off an incredible final college season and will look to slot into a starting role from year one in the NFL.
A tandem of Walker and Robinson would make the Seahawks’ rushing attack one to be feared in 2023. Pete Carroll loves a run-first offense and may not want to wait for Robinson to fall to their second pick at 20th overall to make his move.
All-in-all, Seattle have plenty of options to choice from at the 2023 NFL Draft. If they play their cards right, they could really be on course for a huge year this season.
