Please rate our drafts, round 1-3.

[Sports Hernia]

No reaches. That alone bolsters their score a level or two!

This, no reaches, projects or QB’s so far.

My homeristic opinion says A, on the first 4 picks.

 

[Zerovoltz]

I'll give you my worthless 2 cent view (as in, I am not a Seahawks fan so I have no bias. I also don't hate them either...so no reverse bias)

Cross - A - I think the best tackle in the draft. It was the correct pick at 9.
Mafe - C+ - I personally don't regard Mafe as highly as some others...but there weren't realy any better EDGE guys to take at 40.
Walker - D - Whatever you might think of Walker...he's probalby a fine RB....for a rebuilding team, that isn't competing for a title, this is a bad pick. So many other guys to fill much more valuable positions available...RB's, especially those who simply aren't special...and this player is NOT special...are a dime a dozen...and you already are paying for two RB's as it is...poor use of resources.
Lucas - A - a very talented guy who can play RT from day one and who will grow up with Cross....the OT position is locked down. Great pick.

Overall this is a C draft. Because of Walker. Again...probably nothing wrong with the player himself...I'm sure he's a very good RB. That's not something you had to spend a 2nd on right now. Also...it's a little disappointing that right ahead of you all at picks 34-39, some really good players I think would have been great additions to Seattle....could have been had with a slight move up. It seems like after Gordon at 39, there was a definative cut off in the talent teir. Maybe they did try and move but had no takers...

 

[Scout]

Early grade is definitely an A so far.

Two bookend tackles, a RB that can become a primary back, and an edge rusher to help with the 34 transition.

 

[Zybot]

Getting Abraham Lucas in the third was a steal. Which puts this draft pretty close to an A for me. Cross was not my favorite but getting 2 starting tackles is very solid. Walker is both a need and a value where he was at. I know some like to bemoan any picks at RB before the third round but he will be a really good player for us and the drop off from him to the next RB was huge. He is an elite player, the other RB's not so much.
Boye Mafe has really good traits, hopefully he can mold them into a starting caliber D end.

I have watched lot of Walker tape. He looks complete to me. His running style kind of reminds me of Shaun Alexander. He is a very patient runner and he is able to move the pile. He can protect the passer. I think he has all of the tools to be a three down back if the hawks want him to be. I agree there was a huge drop off at RB once he was taken.

 

[RunDownhill]

I give it an A

 

[Natethegreat]

Very happy with this 'boring' draft. A+

I don't think of our tackles as pass pro specialists as much as 'move' specialists. They're going to fit the outside zone run game really well.

Yeah, I was initially unhappy with Cross at 9 but I believe the Seahawk scouts and coaches like his ability to run block in our scheme. If he can Cross could be a very good tackle for us.

 

[sutz]

I'll give you my worthless 2 cent view (as in, I am not a Seahawks fan so I have no bias. I also don't hate them either...so no reverse bias)

Cross - A - I think the best tackle in the draft. It was the correct pick at 9.
Mafe - C+ - I personally don't regard Mafe as highly as some others...but there weren't realy any better EDGE guys to take at 40.
Walker - D - Whatever you might think of Walker...he's probalby a fine RB....for a rebuilding team, that isn't competing for a title, this is a bad pick. So many other guys to fill much more valuable positions available...RB's, especially those who simply aren't special...and this player is NOT special...are a dime a dozen...and you already are paying for two RB's as it is...poor use of resources.
Lucas - A - a very talented guy who can play RT from day one and who will grow up with Cross....the OT position is locked down. Great pick.

Overall this is a C draft. Because of Walker. Again...probably nothing wrong with the player himself...I'm sure he's a very good RB. That's not something you had to spend a 2nd on right now. Also...it's a little disappointing that right ahead of you all at picks 34-39, some really good players I think would have been great additions to Seattle....could have been had with a slight move up. It seems like after Gordon at 39, there was a definative cut off in the talent teir. Maybe they did try and move but had no takers...

You are obviously not a Seahawks fan. If you were you would know our recent history at RB. While it may not be an obvious need to an outsider, most of us consider bolstering our RB room with a qualified guy is a plus, not a minus.

 

[jammerhawk]

Very happy with the picks so far. I agree with the consensus, a solid A.

At 72 the pick of OT- Lucas was a personal favourite.

Am excited to see what Day 3 brings.

 

[audioeffects]

So we have finished drafting round 1-3, John wasn't the trader this year.

Ist 9 - Charlie Cross LT
2nd 40 - Boye Mafe OLB
2nd 41 - Ken Walker III RB
3rd 72 - Abraham Lucas RT

I am giving our class '22 an A, what about you?

When you rebuild a team for the long term, you start with bookending your O-line with capable tackles in the first three rounds. Everything else is a bonus A -

 

[JerHawk81]

B+, but maybe I'm just a hard grader..

Cross was a good pick, and the right pick given how the board fell. But, the top 8 didn't go great for us, and I had hoped that one of my top 6 (2 CB, 2 OT, 2 DE) would be there at 9. So, I think taking Cross was the right option, and the team did well avoid a mistake.

Mafe really fits the bill for me - a pass rush specialist with upside. He fills a role in both position and skillset. He also provides great value here and was one of the BPA at this spot. A great example of where need, BPA, fit, and a bit of luck came together. Our best pick.

Walker is a good player, and I'm higher on this pick than most. I think the pendulum has swung too far, and when arguably the best RB can be had at 41, the league may be undervaluing them too much. A decade ago, he's probably a top 20 pick - and given that we're stuck in the past as a team, there's good value here. I would have rather traded down or gone CB or LB here, but this is still a solid pick.

Lucas is another good pick. He wasn't in my top 10 of players I wanted here, and OT wasn't in my top 4 positions to draft here. But, he's a good player as a position that we still need talented bodies, so I'm happy. But, passing on NT, LB, CB, or even QB here means it wasn't a homerun for me.

All told, I expect for three of these guys to play a major role on the team, and be a starter at the beginning of year two.

 

[AgentDib]

this player is NOT special...are a dime a dozen...probably nothing wrong with the player himself...I'm sure he's a very good RB

I appreciate a contrary opinion but this doesn't sound like you've researched Walker that much. He has the potential to be a very special runner with the most yards after contact of any prospect in addition to 4.38 speed. There are questions about his third down capabilities but we have a number of players who can already fill that role.

It's also worth mentioning that the two first down backs you mention have serious questions surrounding them. Carson is recovering from a neck injury that could be career threatening and Penny has a lengthy injury history. Both are also free agents after this year. A first down RB was one of our bigger needs.

 

[had2bhawk]

Looks like there is new life on the board, thank you Russ!

 

[Appyhawk]

I am elated the staff didn't do a bunch of trades but instead picked their BPA AT POSITIONS OF NEED! To me that is the most important aspect of getting back to winning again ASAP. I missed nearly the entire draft last night due to storm but when I got connections back and saw what we had accomplished I was elated.

I agree with those above that consider Mafe sort of 'prove it' pick, but he has definitely shown ability as an outside rusher in one on one situations. If he can master dropping in cover he'll be a great fit. I think the work they did pre-draft bolstering our CBs is already paying dividends. We are looking pretty solid on D and I am encouraged that we have become overall better with 4 more picks to come.

 

[GemCity]

A- and I’m not even a fan of PC nor JS. The Mafe pick raised my brows a bit but, I trust they’ve done their homework.
Best draft in the last several years.

I haven’t said “WTF” at all (Collier…Eskridge over Creed, etc.)

 

[Zerovoltz]

I appreciate a contrary opinion but this doesn't sound like you've researched Walker that much. He has the potential to be a very special runner with the most yards after contact of any prospect in addition to 4.38 speed. There are questions about his third down capabilities but we have a number of players who can already fill that role.

It's also worth mentioning that the two first down backs you mention have serious questions surrounding them. Carson is recovering from a neck injury that could be career threatening and Penny has a lengthy injury history. Both are also free agents after this year. A first down RB was one of our bigger needs.

....I've seen plenty...He's a fine player...just like so many other RB you can get throughout the draft.

I will say that RB, for a run first team like Seattle....is a bit more valuable than RB is to other teams that don't use them as much. I can understand the logic of the pick. I just think you could have gotten another hole filled in round 2 and still found a very good RB later on instead.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

For me, I would say B

Don't get me wrong, I like most of the players and they should be productive. But when I grade, I grade based on who we picked vs. the alternative options.

Cross - A+. I feel like he is the kind of OT we should have been targeting when we were shifting away from the run game. Unlike most, I think he can easily develop as a run blocker and in particular thrive in a zone run blocking scheme. As a pass protector, he's top three that I've seen coming out the last 5 draft classes. I liked Okung because of his excellent feet in 2010. Cross looks like Baryshnikov by comparison. He doesn't have the brute strength/bulk of a typical top 10 pick and that's going to be a problem in the NFL.

Alternatives: Jordan Davis, Kyle Hamilton, Trevor Penning, Tyler Linderbaum. I'd have preferred Davis because he's a unicorn. But positionally speaking Cross is a no brainer. And if Cross is even a good LT, that's worth more than a unicorn IDL whose forte isn't pass rush.

Boye Mafe - D. Wasn't and still isn't really convinced he's a starter grade NFL pass rusher. Good athleticism, but stiff. Doesn't play like he's fast and not real twitchy. Not an edge bender. Likes to get into the pads and use hands. Looks destined to play patty cake at the LOS against NFL caliber OTs.

Alternatives: David Ojabo (injured), Tyquan Thornton, Cameron Jurgens, Alec Pierce, Trey McBride, Sam Williams, Troy Anderson, Abraham Lucas, Nik Bonitto. Would have preferred every one of these to Mafe.

Kenneth Walker - B+. He could and maybe should be a pretty good back. Positional value aside, I desperately hoped we'd take Jonathan Taylor when he dropped to us in R1 in 2020 despite having just taken Penny a few years earlier. So I'm not averse to taking a special back high. Walker doesn't have that pedigree. But he's kind of 'par' for the slot. Definitely has tools to grow into an A quality pick.

Alternatives: David Ojabo (injured), Tyquan Thornton, Cameron Jurgens, Alec Pierce, Trey McBride, Sam Williams, Troy Anderson, Abraham Lucas, Nik Bonitto. Would have preferred most of these to Walker. But not because they are better, just harder to come by.

Abraham Lucas - A+. If the draft had been Cross/Lucas/Walker/Mafe it probably makes more sense. Lucas in the 3rd kind of saves the draft for me. He seems to me wildly undervalued. I suppose time will tell.

Alternatives: Travis Jones, Greg Dulcich, Christian Harris, Jelani Woods. I'm not sure I wouldn't even have preferred any/all of these to Mafe at 40. But here, I think Lucas compares well.

An A draft would have been Cross/Williams/Jurgens/Lucas. Or Cross/Lucas/McBride/Jones

Getting 2 quality OT prospects in one draft is chef's kiss. But left a lot of value on the table.

The Mafe pick was our Collier selection. Taking a limited guy to 'address a need'. Which is not the same thing as solving a need. When I see/hear anyone utter address a need, I read that as 'invited him for a tryout'. They are semantically the exact same thing. I expect we'll be in the market for a DE in 2023 every bit as much as we were 24 hours after taking Collier.

 

[jlwaters1]

I loved the draft and these first 3 rounds especially. I think Kenneth Walker is the wildcard, I think he has a chance to be a game changer/tone setter early on. I love the pick at 41 to get the best RB in the draft.

The amount of grief and annoyance some are having about drafting a running back 41 overall is so befuddling to me. They act as if RB's are easily available in rounds 4-7, which they are not. We've gone that route most drafts.. DJ Dallas, Homer, Turbin, Ware, Collins, Zac Brooks (remember him, I don't) Carson, Carson being the best of that lot by far. Rawls had a hot minute of production and then nothing. After Carson the best of that bunch was Turbin who had a role but was never a feature back or showed he had that kind of ability.. Now Granted Seattle hasn't had great luck at the top end of the Draft with Christine Michael and Penny in the 2nd and 1st round respectively but Penny did show flashes of greatness late last year.

To draft THE best RB in the draft at pick 41, to have a potential tone-setter (like Marshawn) and consistent TD producer, I think it's good value. People are acting like they took him #9. 41 seems to be the sweet-spot. As Dalvin Cook of the Vikings and Jonathan Taylor for the Colts-- Both ELITE RB's were also selected 41 overall. If Walker becomes at the level of these 2 then it well worth the pick.

Again those critical of the pick, it's as if they have amnesia and forget just how important Marshawn was to the team and it wasn't just about stats, His hard hitting style would fire up and inspire the defense, even if he had 75 yards on the game. KW3 has all the tools and I think help establish the run-game, so important to PC's scheme and philosophy. Taking pressure off of Luck.

 

[hoxrox]

Anyone grumbling about the Walker pick at 41 due to "positional value" just pretend we drafted Lucas at 41 and Walker where Lucas picked. Instant "value" created.

Value is a bit overrated anyways. You take the impact player that can help establish the identity this team has been missing.

 

[RiverDog]

I'm good with our #1 selection, although it's a bit of a gamble being that he comes from Mike Leach's Air Raid offense so he hasn't played a lot with his hand in the dirt. I was fearful that we were going to select a QB, so anything but was a relief.

I really like Mafe and feel he could be the next Von Miller. Initially I didn't like our #41 pick as I don't like spending high draft picks on running backs for several reasons: They are at a very high risk of injury, there's not many that are 3 down backs and frequently come out in passing situations, and good ones can quite often be found in the later rounds (see Chris Carson). However, with Walker being so short and stocky, he might not be as prone to injury as other RB's, and looking at his resume, he could be one of the best value picks in the draft.

I loved our 3rd round pick. After years of neglect, we're finally dedicating some draft resources to the OL. The other picks I was generally OK with.

I would have liked to have seen us go after a center, but there might not have been a decent one that was available when we selected. There were no reaches, no Bruce Irvins, James Carpenters, Cristine Michaels, LJ Colliers, or Rashaad Pennys that were projected to fall in lower rounds. We also didn't trade down past good talent for multiple lower picks that ended up turning into training camp fodder.

I always thought that Pete and John had this chip on their shoulders, that they thought their system was so superior that they didn't need high draft picks to find talent that fit their system, that they could spin straw into gold. This draft was a welcome change from that mindset.

Bottom line is that I really liked this draft, and would give us a B+.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

I loved the draft and these first 3 rounds especially. I think Kenneth Walker is the wildcard, I think he has a chance to be a game changer/tone setter early on. I love the pick at 41 to get the best RB in the draft.

Could be. I do agree such a back is worth 41. Even 11 overall. I just don't think Walker is close to that kind of back.

The amount of grief and annoyance some are having about drafting a running back 41 overall is so befuddling to me. They act as if RB's are easily available in rounds 4-7, which they are not.

Ok, I'll try to clarify.

Nobody I know thinks that RBs of Walker's quality are easily available on day three. In fact it's decidedly rare.

It is more relative in nature. There are RBs of Walker's quality in literally every single draft in the 35-75 range. Many times there are multiple backs of this exact quality. Let's review:

2021 (a bad RB draft)
Javonte Williams 35
Michael Carter 107
Rhamondre Stevenson 120
Chuba Hubbard 126
Kenneth Gainwell 150


2020
D'Andre Swift 35
Jonathan Taylor 41
Cam Akers 52
JK Dobbins 55
AJ Dillon 62

2019
Miles Sanders 53
Darrell Henderson 70
David Montgomery 73
Devin Singletary 74
Damien Harris 87
Alexander Mattison 107

I could go further. But it's basically the same song. Every single year.
So actually yeah, they grow on trees. That doesn't necessarily mean they aren't 'worth' the pick. Each of these backs all have a lot of value. Most are mainstays in any fantasy league and are household names of sorts. Before someone goes on a 'fantasy isn't real football' tangent, I only mean so say that even casual fans know these guys are good even though they aren't familiar to them like their hometown team.

Walker is as good or better than half the names on this short list. That I do believe. But the fact that they are ridiculously common in every draft means that if you pass on a rarer talent for a generically available running back in that same range every year -- then that is bad drafting.

We've gone that route most drafts.. DJ Dallas, Homer, Turbin, Ware, Collins, Zac Brooks (remember him, I don't) Carson, Carson being the best of that lot by far. Rawls had a hot minute of production and then nothing. After Carson the best of that bunch was Turbin who had a role but was never a feature back or showed he had that kind of ability.. Now Granted Seattle hasn't had great luck at the top end of the Draft with Christine Michael and Penny in the 2nd and 1st round respectively but Penny did show flashes of greatness late last year.

I'd say Penny flashed that. The last six weeks, Penny was the best player on the field for either team that was playing. He absolutely dominated.

I think the disconnect here, is that when one criticizes a running back selection, you extrapolate that to mean we also think that drafting in R5 or later is appropriate. It is not. Those are two different statements -- one of which was never forwarded. So I think this is maybe a you hearing what you want to hear problem at best. Or a bad faith embellishment at worst. I see all those late round flyers in the 'We addressed the need' realm. Addressed. Not solved.

Any pick R5 or later is basically a hope you strike gold. At any position. In almost all drafts, there are maybe 5 of the 40ish players taken in the 5th round that are legitimate starter players (legitimate to me means able and worth getting a second starter grade contract).

Running backs seem to fare better than most positions. But I would argue that has more to do with the absolute brutal attrition that the position exacts. There is more opportunity for a 3rd/4th string RB to elevate and shine because the players ahead of him are likelier to get injured or get rested.

To draft THE best RB in the draft at pick 41, to have a potential tone-setter (like Marshawn) and consistent TD producer, I think it's good value. People are acting like they took him #9. 41 seems to be the sweet-spot. As Dalvin Cook of the Vikings and Jonathan Taylor for the Colts-- Both ELITE RB's were also selected 41 overall. If Walker becomes at the level of these 2 then it well worth the pick.

I would agree. I just don't see that as likely. I agree -- Taylor was worth that pick. I stumped for him at 27. Cook is much better than I thought. I figured he was a generic 2nd round back. He's probably Walker's best case scenario. Marshawn was a special back. And worth his draft position easily.

Again those critical of the pick, it's as if they have amnesia and forget just how important Marshawn was to the team and it wasn't just about stats, His hard hitting style would fire up and inspire the defense, even if he had 75 yards on the game. KW3 has all the tools and I think help establish the run-game, so important to PC's scheme and philosophy. Taking pressure off of Luck.

I really hope you are right. I don't see that. But I'd gladly be wrong about it. I don't think it's amnesia though. Marshawn was a special back. He was also a first round worthy back. There really aren't many backs in the league that are so dominant that they tilt the field and imprint their style onto a franchise. Penny in his healthy form, is actually one of those backs now. Even if Walker doesn't light it up in a timeshare role, if he can extend Penny's ability to stay on the field that would be added value.

As I stated earlier, I see the Walker pick as a par pick. Given that I think there were special players that would have been true standouts for this team at rarer/harder to find positions -- it means he has to be much more than I give him credit for today. Let's hope that's true.