The Seahawks have mostly gotten high grades from the national media for their picks in the 2022 NFL draft. There have been exceptions – mostly from analysts who believe they made a mistake by not using one of their selections on a quarterback prospect. For example, Chad Reuter at NFL.com gave Seattle a C+ grade.
Not everyone agrees, though. A couple of different writers from the league’s official website liked what they saw from the Seahawks and matched our assessment by giving them an A- overall grade. They ranked Seattle’s draft class No. 6 out of 32. Here’s what Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr had to say about the haul this year.
“No, the Seahawks did not draft a quarterback. Yes, they still earned a lofty draft grade. How? Well, let’s take an honest look at where this franchise stands right now… And in this process, there’s no need to prematurely draft a quarterback just to draft a quarterback. Does anyone seriously believe Seattle’s poised to compete in 2022, playing in a division with the reigning Super Bowl champions and two other double-digit-win playoff teams? No. Just draft good players. And that’s exactly what the Seahawks did, filling numerous high-need areas along the way.”
We liked the strategy of doubling down at premium positions – especially since Seattle had a desperate need at some of them. The decision to pass on the 2022 quarterbacks is a risky one, for sure. By forgoing this group the Seahawks may have made the right decision – but it also forces them into a corner for next year.
Unless Geno Smith or Drew Lock suddenly become a top-10 quarterback this season, chances are this team will need to use an early pick on a QB prospect next year. If they get that choice wrong it could put them into a downward spiral. Teams that find themselves in need of a new franchise quarterback can spend decades looking for them – the Bears and the Browns are two recent examples of just how long that can continue.
