San Francisco 49ers: Analyzing NFC West draft classes from 2023
Seattle Seahawks
Draft class
- No. 5: Devon Witherspoon, Cornerback, Illinois
- No. 20: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
- No. 37: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
- No. 52: Zach Charbonnet, Running Back, UCLA
- No. 108: Anthony Bradford, Guard, LSU
- No. 123: Cameron Young, Defensive Tackle, Mississippi State
- No. 151: Mike Morris, EDGE, Michigan
- No. 154: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Center, Michigan
- No. 198: Jerrick Reed, Safety, New Mexico
- No. 237. Kenny McIntosh, Running Back, Georgia
Overview
The trenches were paramount for the Seahawks to upgrade, but they surprisingly went in a different direction on Thursday night.
Devon Witherspoon is an excellent prospect, but eyebrows were raised on why defensive tackle Jalen Carter wasn't the pick. They also didn't use their second first-round selection on an EDGE or defensive tackle but did get the top wide receiver prospect in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Hawks did land some very 49ers-like picks as well. They double-dipped at running back despite no real need at the position which was questionable. However, the overall goal was clear because the rest of their selections, save for a late pick of safety Jerrick Reid, were used to bolster the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Derick Hall and Mike Morris were selected to help get to the quarterback, while Cameron Young is a big run-stuffing nose tackle who will help a Seahawks team from being trampled by the Niners' elite running back corps.
Offensively, there were questions on the interior, so it wasn't surprising to see two picks spent on interior blockers. They'll be needed against the elite interior duo of Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave. Overall, while there were some questionable running back selections, the Seahawks improved their roster and addressed needs.
The real question is, will it be enough to bridge the gap to San Francisco in the NFC West?