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Seattle Seahawks NFL draft picks 2021: Analysis for every selection

The 2021 NFL draft was held April 29 through May 1 and every Seattle Seahawks' draft pick will be analyzed here.

After last season's virtual draft, Cleveland played host to festivities this year with a handful of potential draft picks present and socially distanced because of COVID-19.

Here's a pick-by-pick look at how each player Seattle has selected will fit.

Analysis of every NFL pick | Updated NFL depth charts


Round 2, No. 56 overall: D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan

My take: For all the surprises the Seahawks tend to pull off early in the draft, Eskridge wasn't much of one. A third receiver is a need for Seattle and Eskridge carries obvious appeal with his speed and big-play ability. He's small (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) but ran a 4.39 40 and averaged around 19 yards per catch over five college seasons. His return ability might have added to his value in the Seahawks' eyes as they've tried to take some of those duties off Tyler Lockett's plate.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Eskridge averaged 213 all-purpose yards per game in 2020, second in the FBS, and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player. Lockett, DK Metcalf and Eskridge might give the Seahawks the fastest trio of receivers in the NFL, assuming Eskridge beats out Freddie Swain for the No. 3 job. Russell Wilson will like that speed, even if the Eskridge pick does nothing to help his pass-protection. Eskridge could be an intriguing option for gadget plays in new coordinator Shane Waldron's offense.

The Seahawks have long gone heavy on three-receiver sets, as did the Rams when Waldron was there. So investing this type of pick in another receiver makes sense even if Seattle already has one of the league's top duos in Lockett and Metcalf. One drawback with Eskridge is his age: he's 24 years old.


Round 4, No. 137 overall: Tre Brown, CB, Oklahoma

My take: Drafting Eskridge and Brown means the Seahawks have used their top two picks on what many would agree were their top two needs. The surprise with Brown is that he's not the prototypical Seahawks cornerback. He's listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds and with 30 3/8-inch arms. The Seahawks plan to play him on the outside, where he played in college, even though he doesn’t have the length they usually prefer at that spot. Then again, neither does D.J. Reed, who played well in a starting role on the outside late last season despite a similarly small frame. Cornerback still does not look like a strength for the Seahawks, but they have plenty of options for the two outside starting spots between Reed, Ahkello Witherspoon, Brown, Tre Flowers, Damarious Randall, Pierre Desir and others.

Brown described himself as "scrappy" and said, "size has never meant anything to me." Brown had 33 passes defensed and four interceptions over the last three seasons and played in 51 games over four seasons at Oklahoma. There was a lot of game tape for the Seahawks to evaluate in a year when that isn't the case with many draft prospects.


Round 6, No. 208 overall: Stone Forsythe, OT, Florida

My take: Forsythe joins Cedric Ogbuehi as depth options at tackle behind Duane Brown and Brandon Shell. He played left tackle last season and also played right tackle during his four years at Florida, starting 28 of 40 games. Brown turns 36 in August. He, Shell and Obuehi are only signed through 2021, so it makes sense to restock that position. While sixth-rounders aren't assured of even making the team as rookies, let alone developing into starters, some projections had Forsythe getting drafted much earlier. Seattle might have gotten nice value by getting him this late.