Back in April, when initial grades were being issued in the wake of the 2022 NFL draft, there wasn’t enough noise being made about the Seattle Seahawks’ class.
NFL.com gave them a C+, Sports Illustrated gave them the same, and they earned a C from USA TODAY Sports.
Touchdown Wire gave them an A, and they got an A- from us here at Draft Wire.
At the halfway mark of the 2022 season, it looks like even those A grades might not have been high enough for the stellar crop of rookies the Seahawks just brought it.
First-round pick Charles Cross and third-round pick Abraham Lucas have immediately entrenched themselves as one of the NFL’s best offensive tackle tandems from Day 1, protecting quarterback Geno Smith in his breakout campaign. They’ve combined for six sacks allowed through the first half of the season, which isn’t too shabby for a pair of rookies. Both have been stellar as pass-blockers, and have helped spearhead a dominant run game.
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Speaking of the run game, second-round pick Kenneth Walker III has made sure the offense hasn’t missed a beat since Rashaad Penny went down with an injury, showing everything we saw from him at Michigan State was real. He has dominated on the ground, averaging a ridiculous 6.1 yards per carry so far this season, quickly becoming one of the Seahawks’ most dangerous offensive weapons.
On defense, Seattle ended up with a pair of starting corners in Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant. Both have been big-play magnets, with Woolen tied for the league lead with four interceptions, and Bryant leading the NFL with four forced fumbles.
This is all without mentioning the efforts of Boye Mafe, the edge rusher Seattle found with the pick right before Walker. The Minnesota product has shown continued growth, nabbing half-sacks in back-to-back games, and showing a consistent effort to get into the backfield. Like others, he Mafe has shown the potential to grow into a reliable starter at least, and a potential star at best.
It’s still early, but this is looking like the kind of draft class that could quickly turn the Seahawks back into perennial contenders.
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