SEATTLE -- The 2023 NFL draft ended Saturday in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The Seattle Seahawks made 10 of the draft’s 259 picks, and began with cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 on Thursday night.
ESPN's pick-by-pick analysis of each of the Seahawks’ selections are below.
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 5 overall (from Denver): Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
My take: Witherspoon generated next to no buzz as a potential Seahawks pick at No. 5, with most projections giving them a quarterback or a front-seven defender. The latter is clearly the biggest hole on their roster, so taking Witherspoon instead of an interior defensive lineman or an outside linebacker means the Seahawks took the best player on their board, which is usually the best strategy even if it doesn't plug immediate holes. Witherspoon doesn't have the length of a prototypical Seahawks cornerback -- he's 5-foot-11 ½, 181 pounds and has arms that don't meet their usual preference of 32 inches -- another reason why he wasn't heavily linked to Seattle. But cornerback is a premier position and he's widely regarded as the best one in this draft, so it's a justifiable pick even if it isn't the expected one.
Key stats: Witherspoon had more career interceptions (five) than career passing touchdowns allowed (four), according to ESPN Stats & Information. He allowed the second-lowest QBR (5.2) and second-fewest yards per attempt (3.3) in the FBS as the nearest defender in coverage last season. The Seahawks allowed 13 receiving touchdowns last season on throws that had at least 3 yards of separation at the time of pass arrival. That was the fifth-most in the league, per NFL Next Gen Stats. So they could use a sticky corner to play opposite Tariq Woolen.
Will he start as a rookie?: Barring an injury, it's a virtual lock. Mike Jackson was solid as a first-time starter last season at left cornerback, but Witherspoon is a clear upgrade -- and the Seahawks aren't drafting him fifth overall to sit on the bench. He played on both sides of the field at Illinois, regularly matching with the opponent's top receiver. The Seahawks like to keep their cornerbacks to one side, but Witherspoon's background gives them some flexibility.
Round 1, No. 20 overall: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
My take: As with Witherspoon at No. 5, the Seahawks went with the best player on their board as opposed to the one that filled the biggest need. While both players are major upgrades over what they had at those positions, neither fills holes as big as the ones they have up front on defense. That said, they didn't have any obvious candidates on their roster to fill the No. 3 receiver role behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, so they had to address this position at some point early in the draft. Getting what's widely considered this year's No. 1 receiver with the 20th pick is nice value, but it means that a lot of work remains to be done on defense.
Key stats: Before a hamstring injury sidelined him for all but three games last year, Smith-Njigba was massively productive in 2021. He set a Big Ten single-season record with 1,606 receiving yards, leading a Buckeyes receiving corps that also featured 2022 first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. He had 816 receiving yards after the catch in 2021 -- the second-most in FBS, according to ESPN Stats & Information -- so he's plenty capable of running away from defenders despite the questions about his top-end speed.
Will he start as a rookie?: Smith-Njigba said he's 100% healthy. So he should replace free agent departure Marquise Goodwin as Seattle's WR3 barring another injury, which means he'll play considerably even if he isn't technically a starter. The question is whether he'll play primarily in the slot or if he'll also play out wide. Smith-Njigba had 1,421 receiving yards from the slot in 2021, the second-most in FBS. That looks like the spot where he'll have the biggest opportunity to make an impact. Seattle's 1,130 receiving yards from the slot last season were eighth-fewest in the NFL, per ESPN Stats & Information.
Round 2, No. 37 overall (from Denver): Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn
My take: After taking the best players available with their two first-round picks, the Seahawks had to take care of their biggest needs on Day 2. And while interior defensive line remains the biggest hole on their roster, they also needed another starting outside linebacker opposite Uchenna Nwosu, with Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe better suited for situational roles. Taking Hall at No. 37 -- the final selection they acquired from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade -- indicates the Seahawks believe Hall can be that starter as opposed to a situational player. At 6-foot-3, 254 and with experience dropping into coverage in college, he fits the profile of what they want in an OLB. He was a team captain at Auburn.
Key stats: Hall ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and recorded a broad jump of 10 feet, 7 inches. Both rank in the top 10% of edge defenders since 2003, according to Next Gen Stats. Those results helped Hall earn the fourth-highest athleticism score (84) among edge defenders in this year's class. He recorded 19.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in 33 games over the last three seasons while playing all over the Tigers' defensive front.
Round 2, No. 52 overall: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
My take: You might think the second round is too early to draft a running back, but the Seahawks clearly don't. A year after they found their RB1 in Kenneth Walker III with the No. 41 overall pick, they get their RB2 in Charbonnet at No. 52. Running back was a position the Seahawks were going to address at some point in this draft, given that their depth chart consisted only of Walker and DeeJay Dallas, whom they like to use in situational roles. But the second round was earlier than most expected, given that they didn't need a starter and still have that glaring need in the interior of their defensive line. Another surprise: the Seahawks, who love to move around the draft order, haven't made any trades with their first four picks.
Key stats: Charbonnet broke or evaded 124 tackles over the last two seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That was second-most in FBS behind Texas’ Bijan Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick. No wonder Charbonnet (6-0, 214) described himself as a physical, downhill, one-cut runner. He rushed for 27 touchdowns and just under 2,500 yards the last two seasons after transferring from Michigan to be closer to home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also a productive pass-catcher with 61 receptions in that span, and he averaged 152.7 scrimmage yards per game in 2022, third-most in FBS.
Round 4, No. 108 (from Denver): Anthony Bradford, G, LSU
My take: The Seahawks are well aware they need a lot of work in the interior of their defensive line, but they haven't reached in order to address that hole, instead taking care of less-pressing needs with higher-rated players. That trend continued here with Bradford, whom they view as a guard. The Seahawks are set there in the short term with Damien Lewis and Phil Haynes, but Lewis is in the last year of his rookie deal and Haynes only re-signed for one year, so there was a need for immediate depth as well as a potential long-term replacement in the starting lineup. Bradford played with Lewis at LSU and is slightly bigger than his former teammate, listed at 6-4 and 332
Round 4, No. 123 overall: Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State
My take: The Seahawks didn't go into this draft thinking they'd wait until the fourth round to address their most glaring roster hole. It just worked out that way, with interior defensive linemen they liked in the earlier rounds vanishing from the board before they had a chance to get them. That led them to Young (6-foot-3, 304), who should be in line for significant snaps in the Seahawks' defensive line rotation, given how thin they are there. With Bryan Mone coming off a serious knee injury, the only other interior D-tackles/D-ends on their roster who will be ready by Week 1 are Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed and Myles Adams. So they still need more help there.
Round 5, No. 151 overall (from Pittsburgh): Mike Morris, DE/DT, Michigan
My take: We're officially in the "big man" portion of this Seahawks draft. They began Day 3 with an offensive guard (Bradford) and an interior defensive lineman (Young) in Round 4, then added more beef to their D-line with Morris. He's listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, but said he's bulked up to 295 pounds since the combine in anticipation of playing D-line in the NFL, as opposed to outside linebacker. At that size, Morris looks like he could play end and/or tackle in Seattle's 3-4 defense. Those were the thinnest spots on their roster entering this draft, so the Seahawks are going to need to get significant snaps out of a pair of Day 3 rookies in Morris and Young, which is a bit of a dicey proposition. Morris, who had 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 12 games in 2022, said he's healthy again after battling a high-ankle sprain late in the season.
Round 5, No. 154 overall: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
My take: It's another big man and a second straight Michigan Man for the Seahawks, who have taken an offensive or defensive linemen with four consecutive picks. Center has been a revolving door for Seattle, with 11 different players starting at least one game over the past 10 seasons. So this was a position they were expected to target at some point in the draft. Doing so this late suggests that veteran Evan Brown is the clear favorite to start after signing a one-year, $2.25 million deal in free agency. Oluwatimi gives them immediate depth and a long-term option to take over. Oluwatimi spent one season at Air Force and started for three years at Virginia before grad-transferring to Michigan. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he allowed two pressures and no sacks last year while anchoring an offensive line that finished third in FBS with 1,687 rushing yards up the middle.
Round 6, No. 198 overall: Jerrick Reed II, S, New Mexico
My take: As is usually the case in the sixth and seventh rounds, this pick is all about adding special teams and defensive depth as opposed to a front-line need. The Seahawks' top three safety spots are set with Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams and Julian Love, so Reed will compete with Joey Blount to be the fourth safety. Blount is coming off a knee injury and Reed -- who's a hair under 5-10 and 196 pounds -- also played slot corner in college. He'll have a legitimate shot to not only earn a roster spot but be active on game day as a special teamer and versatile backup, especially if Adams isn't ready by the start of the season as he comes off surgery for a torn quad tendon. Reed is from Olive Branch, Mississippi, the same home town as Seahawks legend K.J. Wright. Reed said he knows Wright and that their families are close.
Round 7, No. 237 overall, Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
My take: While Seattle's selection of Zach Charbonnet drew some criticism from those who believe the second round was too early to draft a No. 2 running back, no one will quibble about the Seahawks adding more depth at that position by taking McIntosh with their final pick. In fact, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy, called McIntosh the best value pick of the draft. And it was a clear need considering starter Kenneth Walker III, Charbonnet and DeeJay Dallas were the only other running backs on Seattle's roster. At 6-foot and 204 pounds, McIntosh is built like Charbonnet and had similar college production a pass-catcher; which should make him another option on third down. During a conference call with reporters, an emotional McIntosh said he knew he ran a slow 40 at the combine (4.62) but didn't think he'd go this low. He was on the phone with his agent, preparing to become a UDFA, when the Seahawks called. "Thank god I got drafted," he said, fighting back tears. "I'm going to prove a point like I did at Georgia, man."