Seahawks snap up elite talent in Round One of 2023 NFL Draft
It was an outstanding opening night for the Seattle Seahawks at the 2023 NFL Draft.
The off-field issues surrounding Jalen Carter may have presented too big of a risk for Pete Carroll and John Schneider, as they opted to complete the assembly of the Legion of Boom 2.0 with the selection of Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick in the draft on Thursday night.
Witherspoon joins Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams and 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Tariq Woolen in the Seattle secondary. If Adams can stay injury free and reach the heights he achieved with the Jets, the Seahawks will undoubtedly have one of the best sets of defensive backs in the league.
A stud at cornerback
Though the selection of Witherspoon comes as a shock, Seahawks fans should be excited for what’s to come from the top DB prospect in 2023. Comparisons to Hall of Fame players are not thrown around lightly, but when Coach Carroll sees a resemblance to his former player Troy Polamalu in a prospect then it’s time to take note.
Bolstering Geno’s options
Seattle still had their pick of all the wide receivers in this draft class with the 20th pick, and they drafted Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Injury may have curtailed this 2022 college season; however, his previous season will go down in Buckeyes legend.
Smith-Njigba set school records with 95 receptions and 1606 receiving yards in 2021, whilst competing for targets with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. This incredible season was capped with a monster Rose Bowl performance where he chalked up 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. Geno Smith just got another serious weapon to add to an already strong receiving corps.
Defensive line still needs to be addressed
The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to draft Jalen Carter, who ultimately fell to the ninth pick. Carter joins a terrifying front seven in Philly, as does his Georgia teammate Nolan Smith who was taken 30th overall. This leaves the Seahawks still in need of defensive line improvement as we head into Rounds Two and Three of the draft tonight.
This draft class is still loaded with talent at the edge positions with BJ Ojulari and Keion White among the players that should be on the board for Seattle to select with their 37th overall pick. White’s proven ability to line up across the defensive line may make him the preferred option here.
Back up for K9?
The Seahawks are still light on options at running back should Kenneth Walker suffer an injury or struggle to make an impact against a particular defensive scheme.
With the surprise pick of Jahmyr Gibbs by the Lions with the 12th overall pick, Texas A&M’s Devon Achane looks to be the top remaining prospect in this position and there is a good chance Seattle can wait for him to drop to their second pick in round two at 52.
Protect the QB
Despite reports linking Anthony Richardson to the Seahawks, he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth overall pick. Geno Smith’s position in Seattle now looks more secure in the long term, and Pete Carroll and John Schneider could look to add more depth on the offensive line. Dawand Jones is a monster tackle that should be a target for any team looking to strengthen this area.
The Seahawks aced the first round of the draft with the selection of two standout prospects at their position in Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. A few shrewd moves in the remaining rounds of the draft could see this team become a serious NFC contender in 2023.
