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The Seattle Seahawks are having a very interesting offseason. They made one of the absolute biggest moves in the NFL when they traded away quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. In return, the Seahawks got quite the haul. They landed quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, tight end Noah Fant, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick. But that wasn't the only franchise-shattering move. They also released future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner. Wagner is still only 31-years old and likely has at least a few more very good years left in him. But Seattle decided to save the cap space and go full-rebuild. That will all start with the number nine pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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So, let's get to it and dive into the three players the Seattle Seahawks should be looking at to draft #9 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
3 Best Players Seahawks Should Look at Drafting Number 9 Overall in 2022 NFL Draft
3. Charlie Cross OT Mississippi State
Charlie Cross, the offensive tackle from Mississippi State, is not Evan Neal out of Alabama. But he is likely the next best thing. The Seahawks have been looking for an offensive lineman to be an anchor for a very long time. Ever since the Seahawks traded away Pro Bowl center Max Unger for Jimmy Graham, the offensive line has been a revolving door of players shuffling around. There's been no consistency and no elite level play an any of the positions.
Enter Cross. He was a first-team All-SEC selection this season and became one of the conferences most respected tackles. Coming out of the SEC where Alabama, Georgia and LSU play, that's saying something.
Cross helped protect quarterback Will Rogers lead the SEC in passing in 2021. He also grades out very highly with his ability to run block. Seattle needs that as much as anything. They re-signed Rashaad Penny who broke out at the end of the season last year. As the team will be looking for a quarterback to help them grow into the future, being able to provide a stable running game around whoever that will be, is paramount offensively.
2. Devin Lloyd LB Utah
After the departure of Wagner, obviously the Seahawks are going to be looking for some linebacker help. They should look no further than Devin Lloyd. Lloyd played himself into the conversation as a top-10 pick with his play in 2021.
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Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham heaped some high praise on the star linebacker, as noted by 247 Sports. “He could have come out last year and been a first or second round draft choice… I think he's probably played his way into the top 10 or 12 in the first round… He came back and he was a man on a mission.. He wanted to be an All-American. He had these goals. He sat down and told me all of his goals when we had the meeting about a year ago. ‘I'm coming back and here's why and here's what I want to accomplish'. He's checked every box.”
The 33rd Team, a combination of scouts, coaches and executives, compare Lloyd to Indianapolis Colts' superstar Darius Leonard.
Devin Lloyd Scouting Report — @RealTannenbaum pic.twitter.com/8x4Be63OzS
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) March 30, 2022
Lloyd is pro-ready and can make an immediate impact on the Seahawks defense.
1. Jermaine Johnson DL Florida State
Seattle will also be looking to improve their defensive line in this draft. I would not be surprised at all if they selected defensive lineman Jermaine Johnson out of Florida State. He was initially expected to be a mid-to-late first-round guy, but his performance at the Senior Bowl, and then at the Combine in Indianapolis, has skyrocketed his stock.
Johnson's continued his ascension at Florida State's Pro Day recently. He illustrated his strength that comes with his 6'5”, 254 pound frame by benching 225 pounds 27 times. That tied him with Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux who did that at the Combine last month.
The Seahawks finished tied for 21st in the NFL in sacks in 2021. They also were among the worst rush defenses in the league, spelling the very obvious need on the line. Johnson's strength and size should be able to help in both department but particularly in the pass rush.
As a senior, he finished the year with 12 sacks. Arguably more impressive was the fact that of his 36 tackles (as a defensive lineman that's a lot), 34 of them were solo. That is crazy. If Johnson gets his hands on you, you likely are not going anywhere.
Seattle has a lot of holes to fill in the draft. Thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, they have a lot of picks. It all starts with getting the right guy at number nine and they should be looking at these three and take whichever is available.
