3 predictions for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft

While the NFL season is not yet over, draft season is starting to heat up for teams like the Seattle Seahawks with the Hula Bowl being played two weeks ago, and the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl coming up this weekend.

Over the next few months, anything is subject to change in regard to the draft and nothing is for sure until Roger Goodell steps up to that podium. Despite that, I will be making three BOLD predictions for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

3 early predictions for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft

1. The Seahawks will draft a cornerback with the fifth overall pick

Now I know I’m coming in hot here, as just about everyone expects the Seahawks to go D-line here with the fifth pick. However, beyond Jalen Carter and Will Anderson, who in all likelihood will be gone by the time the Seahawks are on the clock at pick number five. I don’t believe the other top edge prospects like Myles Murphy or Tyree Wilson are worthy of a top-five pick.

Murphy and Wilson are both supreme athletic prospects, but despite that, they have never been able to produce high sack numbers at the collegiate level. Last season Murphy finished with 6.5 sacks while Wilson totaled 7. Additionally, they are both not refined pass rushers at this point in their career and have a limited number of pass rush moves in their arsenal.

Therefore, I think the Seahawks would be much wiser to go to one of the strengths in this year’s class and potentially get the top player at that position. That position in my mind is cornerback, where the Seahawks desperately need someone reliable to line up opposite of Tariq Woolen.

If the Seahawks elected to go corner here they would have their choice between Devon Witherspoon from Illinois and Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon, who I believe are the top two corners in the draft.

Witherspoon is someone who just straight up STANDS OUT on tape, in a massive way. Last season at Illinois he was PFF’s highest-graded corner with an overall grade of 92.0. Furthermore, he was targeted 63 times last season but allowed just 22 catches for a ridiculous 206 yards and three interceptions. Oh ya, he also had 14 pass breakups, didn’t allow a touchdown all season, and only allowed a passer rating of 25.0 when targeted.

While Gonzalez is a premier athlete for the corner position. Last season at Oregon, Gonzalez was clocked at 23.3 MPH on a GPS tracker, confirmed to have a vertical jump of 42″, and a power clean of 325 pounds. Keep in mind, Gonzalez does all this while being 6″2 200 pounds. Gonzalez is also a very scheme-versatile player and could be a star in both a man or zone-dominant scheme.

2. John Schneider and the Seahawks will draft a quarterback at pick number twenty

This is something I have actually started to believe could happen more and more the closer we get to the draft. If the Seattle Seahawks were to look at quarterback with the 20th pick I think there is only one legitimate option to look at. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Will Levis are expected to be drafted within the top ten picks, and there is only one other quarterback I have a round-one grade on, and that is Anthony Richardson.

Now this may come as a shock to Seahawks fans, and something they are opposed to, but Richardson might just have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this class. He stands at 6″4 235 pounds and reportedly runs a sub 4.5. He was also a redshirt freshman last season at Florida and is only 21 years old.

He also has the strongest arm in this class and can push the ball 50+ yards down the field with ease. He flashed elite accuracy at times last season with Florida and showed the ability to fit balls into tight windows that only a QB with his arm talent could.

The knock on Richardson is his consistency and his ability to read and diagnose coverages. Last season at Florida he threw for 2,549 yards 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions but had a horrible 53.8 completion percentage. He also added 654 yards and 9 scores on the ground.

However, if the Seattle Seahawks were to draft Richardson, I think it would be the perfect situation. They could sit him for a season or two behind Geno Smith while he develops and learns more about being a quarterback, with Geno Smith and Pete Carroll as his mentors.

3. The Seahawks will draft another star playmaker outside of the top 150 picks. 

Last season with the 153rd pick in the draft the Seattle Seahawks selected cornerback Tariq Woolen from UTSA. He had six interceptions in his rookie season and was named to the Pro Bowl.

This year, the Seahawks have two draft selections right around pick 150 again, with picks in the fifth round at 148 and 151. With one of those selections, the Seahawks will select another star outside playmaker to add to their already strong roster. This time though, it is on the offensive side of the football in the form of a wide receiver.

This is an underrated need for the Seahawks as Tyler Lockett is getting older and the front office will be having major discussions about keeping him under contract past the 2023 season. Additionally, the Seahawks have missed on receivers in the past few drafts with the selections of D’Wayne Eskridge, Freddie Swain, and Gary Jennings Jr.

A solution to that? Draft someone this season who can serve as the WR3 until Lockett either retires or leaves the team and then they become the WR2 behind DK Metcalf. Some options for who the Seattle Seahawks could draft here include Rakim Jarrett, Xavier Hutchinson, Cedric Tillman, Ainias Smith, and many others.