The Seahawks haven’t been back to the Super Bowl since the disaster at the one-yard line down in Arizona. There are a lot of reasons for that, but at the top of the list has to be two deadly sins: refusing to embrace a pass-first kind of offense despite having an elite quarterback and declining returns in the NFL draft.
While the organization seems more determined to run the ball than ever, the good news is that this past weekend Seattle may have finally figured things out in the second deparment.
Eschewing their traditional strategy of reaching for off-ball linebackers and other low-value positions, the Seahawks doubled up on four premium positions in the draft – selecting two prospects each at offensive tackle, EDGE, cornerback and wide receiver.
How well those picks will work out in the league is anybody’s guess at this time. However, this represents a much better process in the draft than what we’ve become accustomed to since 2013.
According to an analysis by Warren Sharp, Seattle got the fifth-best value overall in the 2022 NFL draft.
best value NFL draft classes:
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Las Vegas Raiders
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. New York Jets
7. Baltimore Ravens
8. Arizona Cardinals
9. Philadelpha Eagles
10. Atlanta Falconssee pic for 1-32 plus methodology pic.twitter.com/JbFjPEWN1Y
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 30, 2022
In addition to the sharp strategy, the Seahawks have gotten high marks for picking a few potential late-round gems.
UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen was taken in the fifth round, very close to the same spot where Richard Sherman was drafted 11 years ago. Woolen comes to the Seahawks with the same size and length as Sherman. However, he also has far more athleticism than No. 25 ever had – having clocked a 4.26 second 40-yard dash time and posting a 42″ vertical jump at the combine.
In the seventh round the Seahawks took Rutgers wide receiver Bo Melton, who’s also considered one of the top sleeper picks in this draft class. Melton was extremely productive in college and should project as the team’s top kick returner this year.
