The Seahawks finished the 2021 season at 7-10, marking the team’s first losing season since 2011. It marked the end of an era too, with franchise icons Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner moving on to Denver and L.A. respectively. This has left Pete Carroll to begin the process of rebuilding this roster and get them back to competing in the NFC West once again.
Offseason additions and losses
This offseason marked the end of an era in Seattle as Russell Wilson was traded to the Broncos. In exchange the Seahawks landed a handful of draft picks, as well as three players from Denver. Drew Lock comes over to compete with Geno Smith for the starting quarterback spot. In Noah Fant they land a very good receiving tight end and picked up a solid defensive lineman in Shelby Harris. There were some notable extensions too, with Quandre Diggs inking a three-year, $39 million extension.
Aside from Russell Wilson there were some other big departures. Bobby Wagner walked in free agency before heading over to the Rams. They also suffered a sizeable loss in their secondary with the departure of DJ Reed. Reed was the team’s best cornerback in 2021 and will be sorely missed. Edge rusher Carlos Dunlap left after just over a year with the team, whilst Duane Brown departed after holding down the left tackle spot for the last four seasons.
2022 NFL Draft
The Seahawks came away from the draft with a very solid class. In Charles Cross they get a left tackle who can be their starter for years to come. Their next selection of Boye Mafe was good too and gives them some much-needed reinforcement along the defensive line. Mafe is a toolsy pass rusher with rare traits that should allow him to translate well to the NFL. Kenneth Walker gives them another excellent running back to work alongside Rashaad Penny and they have their potential right tackle of the future in Abraham Lucas. They somehow even managed to land two talented receivers in the seventh round.
Offense
Things might not look great for the Seahawks in 2022, but there is some real talent on this offense. Wide receiver is their most obvious area of strength. In DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett they have two excellent receivers who are capable of stretching the field and winning downfield. They have now added a solid receiving tight end in Noah Fant. The selections of Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas have revamped this offensive line and they have a backfield capable of making some noise.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the lack of quality at quarterback means that all of this is immaterial. Both Drew Lock and Geno Smith are competing for the starting job. Smith appears to be the frontrunner but that isn’t saying much. He has kicked around the league as a backup for the last six years, never seemingly threatening to compete for a starting role. As for Lock, he has more turnovers than games played. The decision to roll with this duo suggests the Seahawks are already looking ahead to 2023.
Perhaps more concerning is that this team doesn’t have a clear identity. They have two outstanding deep threat receivers on the roster in Metcalf and Lockett. Despite that they have decided to roll with two quarterbacks who both struggle to work the deep ball. They also drafted two Air Raid offensive tackles, but are likely to take a run-heavy approach because of the inadequacy at quarterback. None of this bodes well for 2022.
Defense
If the offense isn’t great, the defense in Seattle is a real problem. Finding positives with this unit proves very difficult indeed. Quandre Diggs is one of those rare positives as one of the better free safeties in the NFL. Diggs allowed just 251 yards in coverage last season, giving up a passer rating of just 77.9. Opposite him they have Jamal Adams who, whilst limited in terms of his role, can be a good box safety.
After that things look very rough. The rest of the secondary is noticeably thin on talent. The projected starting cornerbacks for 2022 are Sidney Jones and 2021 fourth round pick Tre Brown, who played just 255 snaps as a rookie. They also have Justin Coleman returning to play in the slot. Coleman was solid during his last stint in Seattle, but has struggled for playing time in both Detroit and Miami since. At linebacker they have a hole to fill with the departure of Bobby Wagner alongside third year Jordyn Brooks. Brooks was one of just two players in the NFL to allow over 1,000 yards in 2021.
Things don’t get much better when you look at the defensive front. Darrell Taylor looked solid in his first full season at edge rusher in 2021, but still managed just 36 pressures. The rest of the line consists of some combination of Shelby Harris, Uchenna Nwosu, Poona Ford, and Quinton Jefferson. Boye Mafe could give them something more, but there will be an inevitable adjustment period in his rookie season.
Prediction
2022 has the makings of a tough year for the Seahawks. They have retained several good players, but without talent at the key positions they are not going to be able to compete in a strong NFC West. Their draft class will give fans hope for the future, but it could get worse before things get better. Don’t be surprised if this team is picking inside the top five next April.
