2022 NFL draft: 6 questions for the Seahawks going into Day 2
The Seattle Seahawks opened their 2022 NFL draft class with a pleasant surprise last night. Instead of reaching for a linebacker or a running back that was on exactly nobody’s radar, they took the top left tackle still on the board with their No. 9 overall pick.
Even though Mississippi State’s Charles Cross was a popular mock draft pick for the Seahawks in recent weeks, taking him there went against the grain for what this team has done in the draft over the last decade. In fact, they hadn’t taken an offensive lineman that early since Russell Okung all the way back in 2010.
The Cross selection is a promising start for this team in the draft. Now, let’s see what the major questions are for Seattle going into Day 2. For the sake of this exercise, we’ll focus on the premium positions only.
The dawn of a new day?
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
One of the late-breaking 2022 NFL draft clues that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll shared yesterday evening was the title of a song: “New Rules” by Dua Lipa. What Carroll actually means by that is open to interpretation. For now, our best guess is that this team may be intentionally taking a different strategy in the draft than they have in past years. If that’s true, it would be the most encouraging development that Seattle fans have heard from this franchise in a very long time.
Not only did Pete Carroll and John Schneider target a premium position with their top pick, the specifics matter, as well. Cross is far from the first offensive lineman they’ve taken but he definitely goes against type. Unlike Germain Ifedi or a handful of other early-pick OL washouts over the years, Cross comes into the league ready-made as a high-quality pass blocker. Some analysts even call him the best pass protector in this draft. That’s a dramatic shift for a franchise that has always prioritized mindless maulers for the run game up front.
Not putting enough emphasis on pass protection is one of the major reasons why the Seahawks haven’t been back to the NFC Championship since the 2014 season. So, it’s extremely encouraging that this was seemingly No. 1 on their list.
Hopefully this is the start of a new chapter in this team’s draft history and not just a fluke…
Are the Seahawks done at OT?
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Taking a left tackle at some point was an absolute necessity given the situation with Duane Brown (who’s 36 and a free agent) and the lack of depth behind him on the roster last year. However, this team also has a pretty dire need on the other side of the offensive line at right tackle.
Last year’s starter at this spot Brandon Shell is currently a free agent. While undrafted rookie Jake Curhan performed well as a run blocker in 2021 after a season-ending shoulder injury for Shell, he had plenty of issues in pass protection.
There are still a lot of other holes to address, but that means right tackle should still rank pretty high on their to-do-list.
For what it’s worth Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele is one of our favorite targets for this spot and he’s still available going into Day 2. Like Patriots OT Trent Brown – who Seattle tried to sign in free agency – he’s a massive physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and over 380 pounds. On the downside, Faalele’s game is really raw as he’s only been playing the sport a handful of years, so it would be understandable if PC/JS would rather pass and stick with Curhan for now.
Time to draft a QB?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest question heading into Day 2 of the draft is whether or not the Seahawks will take a chance on one of this year’s top quarterback prospects.
Another one of Carroll’s 2022 draft clues could indicate that they won’t – his first clue was “Next Year” by Macklemore, perhaps a suggestion that this team will wait to target their next franchise quarterback in the 2023 draft – which is supposed to be much deeper at QB.
That said, the hottest name connected to Seattle throughout the draft process has been Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder, who’s drawn a high-end comp to Ryan Tannehill, who general manager John Schneider was obsessed with going into the 2012 NFL draft. If he feels that’s a good comp for Ridder, there’s a strong chance he’ll be one of the picks at No. 40 or No. 41 overall.
The consensus QB1 prospect Liberty’s Malik Willis is also still on the board, as is North Carolina gunslinger Sam Howell – a prospect that ESPN has reported the Seahawks like on Day 2. Matt Corral from Ole Miss remains available, as well.
In fact, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback that was taken in Round 1 – going to the Steelers at No. 20 overall. Seattle never really seemed interested in him anyway, though.
What about Baker Mayfield?
(AP Photo/David Richard)
These Seahawks haven’t had to put up with a developmental QB for a long time, though. Odds are both Pete Carroll and this fanbase won’t have the patience to wait around for a prospect like Ridder or Willis to grow into a viable starter. There’s a good chance the team will either stick with Geno Smith as their projected QB1 or make a trade for another veteran.
If that’s the path they choose, the best name on the trade block is Baker Mayfield of the Browns. He’s currently in limbo after Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson then signed Jacoby Brissett, making it clear Mayfield is no longer in their plans. That put them and their former franchise QB in an awkward position. With a fully-guaranteed salary in 2022 over $18.5 million, it’s highly unlikely any team will want to deal for Baker unless the Browns agree to pay a huge percentage of that cap hit.
If they’re willing to do that, offering the No. 72 overall pick for Mayfield seems like a pretty good idea. If it works, Mayfield could get back to the level he was playing at in 2018 and 2020. If it doesn’t, he’s only under contract for one year and they can try again in 2023.
Should Seattle wait to take an EDGE?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
While a lot of the top EDGE prospects heard their name called last night, this is still considered the deepest position group in this draft class.
The Seahawks also have a major need for more help at this spot after cutting Benson Mayowa, Kerry Hyder Jr. and Carlos Dunlap – who they’re open to bringing back. Even if they do, it would be wise to use at least one draft pick on a promising edge defender this year. The question is whether they should pull the trigger right away and take the best one still on the board at 40-41 or if they can wait until Round 3 or even Day 3 to pick one.
If they’d rather take one right away, a few EDGE prospects to watch that fit the physical profile Seattle generally looks for include Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie, South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare and Minnesota’s Boye Mafe – who’s met with the team and drawn a comp to Michael Bennett.
When's the right time to target WR?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After QB, the most-important position for the modern game is wide receiver. Seattle is relatively well set at this spot, though. With Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf they have a 1-2 punch that’s the envy of all but a handful of teams around the league. Still, the best offenses are at least three-deep at this position, so we should expect a WR pick at some point.
While they have had their issues at other positions, this is one that Carroll and Schneider have consistently gotten right over the years. From Golden Tate in 2010 on down to D.K. Metcalf in 2019, they have a fantastic track record of finding quality receivers on every day of the draft – and even afterwards in some cases like 2011’s UDFA gem Doug Baldwin.
The Seahawks can also probably wait until Day 3 to address this position. However, if they want to take one earlier a few names to watch include Georgia’s George Pickens, Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore and North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, who was one of their pre-draft visits.
[listicle id=88258]
1
1
1
1
