Coming off a 10-7 season where the Seattle Seahawks narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, they looked to rebuild through free agency, adding pieces such as Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and Demarcus Lawrence, while losing DK Metcalf and Geno Smith.
Coming into the draft with glaring holes, such as the offensive line and pass catchers, the Seahawks look to expand on their strong start in free agency. Here’s how they did.
Round 1, Pick 18 – Grey Zabel, OT, North Dakota
Grade: A
It’s no secret that the Seahawks’ offensive line was one of the worst in football last year.
Ranked a measly 29th by PFF, they lacked talent at one of the most important positions in football. Zabel is a flexible lineman who can play most positions along the line, but is primarily a guard. Because around eighty percent of the Seahawks’ selections in this draft were on the offensive side of the ball, it is clear they want to improve their attack, and there is no better way to start than through Zabel.
Round 2, Pick 35 – Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Grade: A+
In The Lead’s mock draft, I selected Emmanwori with the Seahawks’ first-round pick, so you can imagine my excitement when John Schneider traded back up at the top of the second round to take Emmanwori.
The South Carolina safety profiles as an absolute beast: He clocked a 10.00 RAS (Raw Athletic Score) at the combine, and is a physical, downhill safety who makes his presence felt across the field.
Sound familiar? While Kam Chancellor’s shoes are large ones to fill in Seattle, Emmanwori could come pretty close.
Round 2, Pick 50 – Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Grade: B
While Noah Fant is a serviceable pass-catcher and AJ Barner is a solid blocker, neither poses a threat to opposing defenses.
Considering Fant could even be a cap casualty this offseason, Arroyo will hopefully add a more dynamic element to their offense as both a pass catcher and a blocker. He gets knocked a couple of grades because Arroyo might not have the potential to become a threatening pass catcher, something the Seahawks have been sorely missing since Jimmy Graham.
Round 3, Pick 92 – Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Grade: B+
It’s hard to be more shocked about a Seahawks draft selection than when Milroe’s name was called.
While exciting, Milroe is an incredibly raw prospect with great athleticism and a leader’s mentality. If developed correctly, he could be the Seahawks quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, there is approximately a 15% chance Milroe pans out to his skillset’s full potential. However, we could see him as a Taysom Hill-esque player under Kubiak’s system in year one.
Round 5, Pick 142 – Rylie Mills, DT, Notre Dame
Grade: B-
Mills looks like an excellent rotational piece, providing depth at edge and defensive tackle for starters.
He’s a strong rusher, but concerns lie with his ACL injury. He won’t play until midseason, and there is no guarantee he will return to his pre-ACL form. He’s a great player, but it’s an unfortunate situation.
Round 5, Pick 166 – Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
Grade: A-
While it’s unclear where Tory Horton will fit into the offense, whether as an outside X receiver or more of a speedster slot role, it’s exciting what he could bring to the table. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are much more technical WRs, and Horton’s unique skillset and 4.4 speed will hopefully open up a new dimension of the Seahawks’ offense.
Round 5, Pick 175 – Robbie Ouzts, FB, Alabama
Grade: C+
This pick, if anything, indicates that Mike MacDonald wants to establish a stronger run game than last year.
Ouzts is a strong blocker, but this pick was confusing with Brady Russell’s recent conversion to fullback. Hopefully, he can pan out into a solid blocker, but this pick could have been spent elsewhere.
Round 6, Pick 192 – Bryce Cabeldue, G, Kansas
Grade: B
Cabeldue is a strong, physical interior lineman who will hopefully join the Seahawks’ mix of options.
The Seahawks don’t have a super strong track record with developing late-round offensive linemen, but hopefully Cabeldue can break the trend.
Round 7, Pick 223 – Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
Grade: C
The Seahawks were right to take a running back during the draft, considering that Kenneth Walker has struggled to stay healthy throughout his rookie contract.
However, Martinez profiles closer to Zach Charbonnet, who has already proven himself as a physical runner. I don’t hate the pick, but the Seahawks would have been better off choosing a possible successor to Walker, rather than Charbonnet.
Round 7, Pick 234 – Mason Richman, OT, Iowa
Grade: B
Another late-round piece that will hopefully make an impact among the throng of offensive linemen the Seahawks have. Not much to say here.
Round 7, Pick 238 – Ricky White III, UNLV
Grade: B
White profiles as mainly a special-teams guy, with concerns cited over his 4.61 40-yard dash. With the Seahawks’ receiver room becoming more crowded, he can make an impact, but he will likely stick around for a little bit as a depth piece.
Overall Grade: A-
I’m in love with the Seahawks’ first two picks and think they put the team in a great direction for next year. Considering nine of their 11 picks were offensive, it is clear that the Seahawks want to reshape their offense into a more physical running team, but the defensive additions were strong as well.
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