Are the positions available for Seahawks to repeat 2022 draft success?

It was abundantly clear last April that John Schneider went after position of need, and consistently took players widely accepted as one of the best available. The result was a rookie class that stood alongside only the New York Jets as the best in the NFL by a wide margin.

With extra ammo once again, could they do it again?

Here’s a quick run down of last year’s needs heading into draft day:

Everything.

Okay fine:

• Running back
• Offensive tackle (x2)
• Cornerback
• Wide Receiver
• Defensive Tackle
• Defensive End

As we well know, Schneider crushed tackle twice, running back, cornerback, and added a bit to the pass rush group but it needs much more.

However, three position groups remained unimproved, while several others took a step back due to injuries, departures or unmet expectations.

2023 needs:

• Running back, but not a starter
• Center or right guard, but not tackle
• Wide Receiver
• Defensive Tackle
• Defensive End
• ...Safety?
• Linebacker

In other words, yes. It’s completely improbable to assume they’ll find another entire class of starters, but they’ve got the needs and capital to draft by need, without reaching.

The Seahawks have nine total picks in this draft. At No. 5, only defensive line or QB wouldn’t be a reach. At 20, they could probably look at C John Michael Schmitz, a receiver, or defensive line again. After that, every position comes available. Although I suppose if they did go running back in the second round for a consecutive draft we’d never hear the end of it.

The difference between last year and this, however, is the expectations for rookies are somewhat elevated. 2022 was given up as a lost cause long before camp, and only Charles Cross was the immediate presumed starter coming out of the draft.

This time around, they have more pressing needs in the middle of the D-line, at linebacker, and wide receiver. Whereas Boye Mafe, Kenneth Walker and Tariq Woolen had time to develop (though Walker and Woolen didn’t need much of it), you can see the more typical trajectory in Mafe contributing while not being absolutely relied on as a two-or-three-down player.

All it really means is that Schneider would find success traveling a similar path to last year’s draft. The Seahawks have the versatility both in need and pick volume to continue pegging best player available at whichever position they deem necessary in each round.

Unless they’ve decided to develop the quarterback of the future, the priority should be guys who’ve got the potential to win starting jobs at OL, interior DL, linebacker, WR3, and RB addressed either very late or through free agency.

For symmetry, it’d be fun if Schneider nailed two defensive tackle picks a year after successfully finding two offensive tackles.