Without a doubt.
As the preseason goes on there are a few potential signs that JS is quietly assuming more personnel control. Initially the players when they were drafted they were spoken to first by JS. I can recall that in the past it was PC who spoke to them first. This might be meaningless and nothing more than how things happened this season.
For sure however this latest draft was better than some others over the past 5 years and perhaps it is a reflection that the FO control is slightly shifting with JS taking more personnel control.
The team has not been overly aggressive in FA this year and yet JS appears to be steadily bringing in castoffs or players missed in drafts or college UDFA calculus in the hopes of finding incremental improvement to competitive situations.
It seems PC then coaches the players and talks up those who attract his interest.
Watching draft day videos from the past several years, it has always been JS talking to them first and then handing off to Pete. Your recollection is incorrect.
How do you ("for sure") know that this draft was better than others over the past 5 years? Do you have some knowledge or foresight that we are unaware of? Are you a more skilled talent evaluator than the entire Seahawks front office, coaching staff, and scouting division? Or...by better than the past 5 years, do you simply mean that it lined up with talking head draft boards?
I would expect this year's draft and free agency to be different than previous years. The Hawks just had a losing season (their first in a while) and they traded a franchise QB. Both of the above, combined with the current year's and next year's cap situation, create a natural reset year. I think it is likely that your
perception of a shift in personnel control is the result of your personal bias against PC rather than any actual evidence. And, your
perception of a better draft is the result of increased draft capital and picks aligning with draft boards rather than any actual evidence that this draft was better than drafts of the last five years.