The Seattle Seahawks were at the center of plenty of rumors leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. After signing Geno Smith to a new contract, it sure looked like they would consider taking a quarterback, and Pete Carroll confirmed the Anthony Richardson hype. However, Richardson went one pick before to the Indianapolis Colts. Overall, the Seahawks had a decent draft and should feel good about returning to the playoffs this season.

Let us examine the draft grades for each of the Seahawks' picks.

Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft grades 

Round 1, Pick 5: CB Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) 

Grade B+

This was a mild surprise, especially with Jalen Carter and other high-profile players available. However, the Seahawks grabbed the top CB on the market, and you can't fault them for that. Witherspoon is a terrific player, and while they could've gone with others here, there's a reason he was pegged as the best CB in this class.

Round 1, Pick 20: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) 

Grade: A+

Another wide receiver? Yes, and JSN was the first WR taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Ohio State star likely would've been a top-1o pick if he wasn't injured for the 2022 season. In 2021, he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns, including that ridiculous 15-catch, 347-yard, three-touchdown outing against Utah in the Rose Bowl.

JSN joins DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and the Seahawks' WR group will be fun to watch with Geno Smith slinging the football.

 

Round 2, Pick 37: OLB Derick Hall (Auburn) 

Grade: B

The Seahawks needed a linebacker, and Jalen Carter at No. 5 had to be a genuine possibility. Nonetheless, they ended up with Derick Hall in the second round, which is quite the Seattle selection. Hall had 19.5 total sacks in four years at Auburn, and he had 41 solo tackles with 6.5 sacks and an interception in his final season.

Hall should immediately be a rotational player for the Seattle defense. Oh, and the draft call was pretty neat. The only reason this gets a B is because there were other quality options on the board.

 

Round 2, Pick 52: RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA) 

Grade: C

This was the most surprising pick of the entire draft for the Seahawks. Why? It's because Kenneth Walker III is on the roster and was selected during the 2022 NFL Draft. On the flip side, Charbonnet is an impressive player, and he is a perfect pass-catching back, something that Walker struggles with. Pete Carroll's comments on a Charbonnet-Walker backfield have fans concerned, but the depth at the position was an issue last season.

The two-man game with Walker and Charbonnet will be fun to watch, although the Seahawks could've waited for a round or two to grab a running back. This isn't a reach — Charbonnet is a stud. But it just felt like a luxury pick at the moment.

Round 4, Pick 108: G Anthony Bradford (LSU) 

Grade: B+

The Seahawks desperately needed to improve the offensive line, and they began by taking LSU guard Anthony Bradford. He is a bit inexperienced, but when he played, he showed his dynamic ability and was known as a pancake machine.

Phil Haynes signed an extension with the team, but Bradford can come in and have a chance to earn a starting spot on the OL from Day One.

 

Round 4, Pick 123: DT Cameron Young (Mississippi State) 

Grade: A

One big thing Seattle needed was toughness on the defensive line, and they got that at the end of Round 4. Cameron Young played four years at Mississippi State, including 24 games combined in the final two years. He finished his career with 74 total tackles and nine for loss. Young is more of an old-school, nose-to-the-ground nose tackle, which is precisely the type of players Pete Carroll loves.

 

Round 5, Pick 151: DE Mike Morris (Michigan) 

Grade: B+ 

Do you sense a theme here? The Seahawks are adding quality players that will contribute from the get-go. Mike Morris was electric at Michigan, although he flew under the radar of a talented Michigan team. He played 12 games in his final season, finishing with 23 total tackles and 7.5 sacks as an absolute force for the Wolverines.

 

Round 5, Pick 154: C Olusegun Oluwatimi (Michigan) 

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Grade: A

The Seahawks got an absolute steal in the fifth round and grabbed a second straight player from Michigan. Oluwatimi was an All-American and one of the best centers in college football a season ago, and this is another significant addition to the Seahawks offensive line.

His Senior Bowl time really helped his draft profile as well.

Round 6, Pick 198: S Jerrick Reed II (New Mexico) 

Grade: B

The Seahawks sure invested a lot into the secondary over the past few seasons hoping to find another Legion of Boom type of group. Reed played for lowly New Mexico in the Mountain West, so he is a lesser-known name. However, he finished with 163 total tackles and seven interceptions in four years with the Lobos. For starters, he likely fits in as a depth piece, but a lot can change over the next couple of years.

 

Round 7, Pick 237: RB Kenny McIntosh (Georgia) 

Grade: C 

Another running back? Yes, which was another surprise. Kenny McIntosh played all four years at Georgia, and he ran for 829 yards with 10 scores and caught another 43 passes for 505 yards and two more scores in his final year in Athens. Again, the Seahawks needed depth at RB, but it feels like they could've waited and grabbed a UDFA. Nonetheless, a seventh-round pick is hardly something to scoff at.

Overall, the Seahawks had one of the best drafts from top to bottom.