Seattle Seahawks: Grading the 2022 Draft
The Seattle Seahawks selected nine players in the 2022 NFL Draft. We grade how the team did selecting their draft class.
After all the hope, hype, and speculation, the 2022 NFL Draft is in the books. The Seattle Seahawks selected nine players over seven rounds; some of the picks were hits; others were misses. We look at their newest players and grade the performance of General Manager John Schneider.
Round 1, 9th overall pick
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Bulldogs
There were three tackles in this draft class who were a cut above the rest. Depending on who was evaluating them, Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal, and Charles Cross could have gone in any order. The Seattle Seahawks got Cross.
Cross is a great pass blocker with long arms and solid technique. He has some work to do as a run blocker, but with his talent and coachability, it shouldn’t be a problem.
His selection is the first step in revitalizing Seattle’s offensive line. Look for Cross to anchor the offensive line and be the next quarterback’s blindside protector for the next decade.
It would have been better if the Seattle Seahawks drafted:
Nobody, great pick.
Round 2, 40th, and 41st overall picks
Boye Mafe, OLB, Minnesota – 40
Things went so well for the Seattle Seahawks on Day 1, and then they pulled this set of clunkers. Let me be clear; I really like Boye Mafe as a football player. Just not for the Seahawks and especially not with this valuable pick.
It’s not fair to say Mafe is raw because he isn’t. A better description would be that he lacks the finishing touches the players selected above him have. He’s an athletic freak, which shows up on film. His size, speed, athletic ability, and explosiveness are right there with the top of this draft class.
Unless the Seahawks coaches and scouts know something no one else knows about Mafe’s ability to play three downs, he’s a situational pass rusher that plays the same position as Darrell Taylor. Despite their issues getting to the quarterback, there were bigger holes to fill. If the Seahawks were going to draft a linebacker, better choices were available.
Coming to a backfield near you 😤 @boye_mafe
📺: 2022 #NFLDraft – Saturday 9am PT on NFLN/ESPN/ABC https://t.co/MRcIm5rOrw
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 30, 2022
Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State – 41
It doesn’t matter if there are questions about Chris Carson‘s fitness to continue as an NFL player. In this day and age, it’s a mistake to draft a running back this high in the draft. It’s a lesson Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll should know after taking Rashaad Penny in the first round a few years ago.
Also, while Kenneth Walker might be the top pure running back in this draft, he isn’t what they need. His all-around skill set and production won’t be much better than Dameon Pierce, Isaiah Spiller, or Zamir White, who were all drafted in the fourth round.
It would have been better if the Seattle Seahawks drafted:
How the Seattle Seahawks on cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (twice) when they are so desperate for cornerback talent is unfathomable. If a pass rusher is what they wanted, then David Ojabo was their man. Once he fully heals from his Achillies injury, Ojabo will be a Pro Bowler.