The Seattle Seahawks will have some interesting decisions to make this offseason as they attempt to put together a roster capable of winning another Super Bowl.
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Many of those decisions will be on players who are set hit free agency when the new league year begins March 11. Seattle has a handful of key players set to hit the market, including running back Kenneth Walker III, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, edge rusher Boye Mafe, safety Coby Bryant, and cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe.
The decisions on those players could be impacted by the talent available in the NFL Draft.
During his Blue 88 segment on Tuesday, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard looked ahead to the upcoming draft, which begins April 23. It’s shaping up to be one that aligns with the Seahawks’ needs.
“Just kind of reading the tea leaves and talking to some of (the draft analysts) a bit, I think there’s three position groups that are kind of the strength of this draft. It’s gonna be edge guys, it’s gonna be wide receivers and it’s gonna be cornerbacks,” Huard said. “Out of the top 100 players, those are probably the three position groups that got the most depth.”
Those positions account for nearly 40% of ESPN’s top 100 board, with 13 players apiece at each position on the list. Offensive tackle was the only position with more players (14) in the top 100. Additionally, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, a regular guest on Brock and Salk, has 11 wide receivers, eight edge rushers and five cornerbacks in his top 50 prospects.
“So if you’re looking at, man, we’ve got to replenish some spots in the first, second, third round, you do have three top-100 picks,” Huard said. “… You’re looking at three positions of need, and not that they’re gonna go into this and draft (based of) need. They’ve learned that we draft the biggest, best, most talented player, period. But those are three areas where it may very well align (with) when you do pick or you do trade down. The supply chain is a little more rich in those three areas, and I think that’s a positive for the Seahawks.”
If the Seahawks are to address wide receiver, edge and cornerback in the draft, they’ll likely have to do it early. After their three picks in the top 100 (Nos. 32, 64 and 96), they have just a sixth-rounder as it currently stands. Their fourth- and fifth-round picks were used in the midseason trade with New Orleans for Shaheed, and their seventh-rounder was used to acquire center Nick Harris from Cleveland in 2024.
“They know what’s coming,” Huard said. “I think that’s why they traded a fourth and fifth as well, because after the top 100, the fall off is very real. There’s not going to be much difference between a fifth-rounder and a seventh-rounder from a grade standpoint in this upcoming draft.”
“Finding a difference making end or receiver or corner (in the top 100 picks) I think will be a big part of this draft,” he added.
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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