Day 1 grades

[Michael K.]

I don’t know how much stock to put in these, but this one gave us an A+

https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-draft ... l-32-teams

[SeattleAddict]

oh no. we don't want A+ grades from "experts". Our best draft was an F. Come on, Kiper, tell us we suck!

[Michael K.]

oh no. we don't want A+ grades from "experts". Our best draft was an F. Come on, Kiper, tell us we suck!

I feel there were some that liked that draft. I still thought Irvin was a reach, but they made up for it with the rest. And, not that I am going to go look now, but I don’t remember there being a lot after Bruce, even looking in hindsight.

[SeattleAddict]

oh no. we don't want A+ grades from "experts". Our best draft was an F. Come on, Kiper, tell us we suck!

I feel there were some that liked that draft. I still thought Irvin was a reach, but they made up for it with the rest. And, not that I am going to go look now, but I don’t remember there being a lot after Bruce, even looking in hindsight.

I looked it up for ya. There were some good players after Irvin, but all had similar career success (Melvin Ingram, Riley Reiff, Kevin Zeitler, Harrison Smith).. Chandler Jones was the only one I would've really loved to have, but I think DeCastro might have been the guy people wanted us to pick. Was a long time ago, though, so I might be confusing that with him turning down the Huskies.

[D-train]

I don’t know how much stock to put in these, but this one gave us an A+

https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-draft ... l-32-teams

CB a position of need. ha love the hindsight.

[Michael K.]

oh no. we don't want A+ grades from "experts". Our best draft was an F. Come on, Kiper, tell us we suck!

I feel there were some that liked that draft. I still thought Irvin was a reach, but they made up for it with the rest. And, not that I am going to go look now, but I don’t remember there being a lot after Bruce, even looking in hindsight.

I looked it up for ya. There were some good players after Irvin, but all had similar career success (Melvin Ingram, Riley Reiff, Kevin Zeitler, Harrison Smith).. Chandler Jones was the only one I would've really loved to have, but I think DeCastro might have been the guy people wanted us to pick. Was a long time ago, though, so I might be confusing that with him turning down the Huskies.

Yes, great call. I remember a lot of us being high on DeCastro. And I forgot all about Chandler Jones going in that draft. Jee, even would have played pretty much the same position as Irvin, right?

Don't get me wrong, Bruce had his moments. Didn't he have eight sacks as a rookie? Like half of those in the first two quarters of the Monday Night Fail Mary game against the Packers?

[SeattleAddict]

I feel there were some that liked that draft. I still thought Irvin was a reach, but they made up for it with the rest. And, not that I am going to go look now, but I don’t remember there being a lot after Bruce, even looking in hindsight.

I looked it up for ya. There were some good players after Irvin, but all had similar career success (Melvin Ingram, Riley Reiff, Kevin Zeitler, Harrison Smith).. Chandler Jones was the only one I would've really loved to have, but I think DeCastro might have been the guy people wanted us to pick. Was a long time ago, though, so I might be confusing that with him turning down the Huskies.

Yes, great call. I remember a lot of us being high on DeCastro. And I forgot all about Chandler Jones going in that draft. Jee, even would have played pretty much the same position as Irvin, right?

Don't get me wrong, Bruce had his moments. Didn't he have eight sacks as a rookie? Like half of those in the first two quarters of the Monday Night Fail Mary game against the Packers?

If we took Chandler Jones he'd probably have been a bust... since like 75 of his sacks were against the Seahawks. Or did it just seem that way??

[Michael K.]

If we took Chandler Jones he'd probably have been a bust... since like 75 of his sacks were against the Seahawks. Or did it just seem that way??

I don't know that you are that far off!

[D-train]

Here’s a sampling:

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Grade: A-plus

Analysis: Seattle’s trade of Russell Wilson appears to have been the right move, at least after one season. They used the fifth overall pick gained from the Broncos on Witherspoon, which was not a surprise, though he is not as big as some of the corners Seattle has selected recently. He plays larger than his size might suggest. Grabbing the top receiver in the draft in Smith-Njigba will pay dividends. He will slice and dice defenses over the middle and sneak downfield for big plays. These were two very good picks at positions of need.

Pro Football Focus

Devon Witherspoon Pick Grade: Very Good

The Seahawks surprise everyone and take Witherspoon at No. 5 overall. The Illinois product was the Power Five’s highest-graded cornerback last season. In press coverage for 107 snaps, he allowed just one yard in coverage on those plays.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba pick grade: Elite.

The Seahawks leave Round 1 with two of the top 10 players on the PFF big board. With a 91.7 PFF grade in 2021, Jaxon Smith-Njigba outproduced 2021 first-round draft picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson that year at Ohio State on a per-snap basis.

ADVERTISING
Charles McDonald, Yahoo.com

Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois — Witherspoon isn’t the biggest cornerback, but he has all the skills to be a top-flight cornerback for the Seahawks. Tariq Woolen and Witherspoon is an uber-talented young pairing and now the Seahawks have a loaded cornerbacks room, which is never a bad thing. His swagger, physicality and ball skills will instantly make the Seahawks tough to beat through the air. Grade: A+

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State — Great pick for the Seahawks at this point. In the present, they have arguably the best wide receiver trio in the NFL with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and now Smith-Njigba. The pick of Smith-Njigba will keep their receivers room strong even after Lockett moves on from the Seahawks in the coming years. Grade: A

Chris Trapasso, CBSSports.com

5. #Seahawks — Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois — In-your-face, lockdown CB type. Nasty downhill hitter but missed tackles appear often. Some questions about his overall athleticism and size. Plus ball skills. Is this a major need? Grade: B-

20. #Seahawks — Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State — Good value here. Nifty mover from the slot. Tracks the ball outstandingly. YAC ability is there too. Not ridiculous athletically or crazy fast. Love he’s going to O with Metcalf + Lockett. Grade: A

The 33rd Team

On Witherspoon: “This seems a little high for Devon Witherspoon (scouting report), but he has minimal bust potential in a class that lacks blue-chip players. He will likely play nickel corner and bring a needed attitude to their secondary. His size (5-foot-11, 181 pounds) is a little bit of a concern given how physically he plays, but the 12th-man crowd will love the swagger and confidence he plays with. He is going to be a great complement to Tariq Woolen, who the Seahawks stole in the fifth round last year.”

Grade: B-plus

On Smith-Njigba: “One would say it’s easy to nail the draft when you have two first-round picks, and then you see how the Lions executed this year’s draft. Seattle did much better for itself. The Seahawks nabbed a plug-and-play nickel corner with attitude, and now they add Jaxon Smith-Njigba (scouting report). He will complement DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to perfection, providing Geno Smith with a middle-of-the-field separator and chain mover.”

ADVERTISING
Grade: A

Scott Dochterman, The Athletic

On Witherspoon:

“The Seahawks needed major help along the defensive line and instead chose to go with Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Seattle was 26th in total defense and against the run and lost three key players up front. Perhaps Seattle believes it can pick up a D-lineman at No. 20 overall, which eliminates some criticism considering Witherspoon is outstanding.

“Nobody was better in coverage this year for Illinois, which led the FBS in yards allowed per game. Opponents caught just 22 passes on 62 targets for 206 yards and no touchdowns. He allowed only one touchdown in 2021. Even with two other talented defensive backs in Sydney Brown and Quan Martin, Witherspoon was the most dominant defender on the field.

“Former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters put Witherspoon on the opponent’s best receiver rather than lining him up to the boundary or field. Opposing quarterbacks still combined for a 25.3 passer rating against Witherspoon, who intercepted three passes and had 17 passes defensed. Witherspoon (5-11 ½, 181) didn’t run at the combine but he recorded a 4.43 in the 40 at Illinois’ pro day. Though he doesn’t have elite length or weight, his play and dimensions are comparable to five-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay.”

Grade: B-

On Smith-Njigba:

“In Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks found the perfect complement to their receiving corps, and they will force defenses to cover every blade of plastic grass.

“On perhaps the greatest receiving corps in college football history, Smith-Njigba still found a way to stand out. In the COVID-altered 2020 campaign, Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes alongside eventual NFL first-round selections Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jameson Williams. Then in 2021, Smith-Njigba broke out with a Big Ten-record 1,606 receiving yards on 95 catches and nine touchdowns. By then, Williams had transferred to Alabama, but Olave and Wilson remained at Ohio State. Both opted out of the Rose Bowl following the season, which allowed Smith-Njigba to shine on his own. He caught 15 passes (on 16 targets) for a Rose Bowl-record 347 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-45 win.

“A hamstring injury limited Smith-Njigba to just three games last season. He didn’t run the 40 at the combine but posted the best shuttle time (3.97 seconds) since 2019, and his 3-cone was just as fast as Tyreek Hill. At Ohio State’s pro day, Smith-Njigba ran 4.52 in the 40, proving he’s more quick than straight-ahead fast. With Smith-Njigba, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks boast one of the best trios of receivers in the league.”

[D-train]

1 yard in 107 snaps?????????????????

Devon Witherspoon Pick Grade: Very Good

The Seahawks surprise everyone and take Witherspoon at No. 5 overall. The Illinois product was the Power Five’s highest-graded cornerback last season. In press coverage for 107 snaps, he allowed just one yard in coverage on those plays.