And it might not last long, but the Drew Lock era will officially commence in just over 4 months.
By Adam Jude and Bob Condotta
RENTON — The 2022 NFL draft is over.
What did Seattle Times Seahawks beat writers Bob Condotta and Adam Jude think of it?
Condotta and Jude address some of the key questions in this special post-draft version of Four Downs.
1. What grade would you give this Seahawks draft overall?
Jude: B+
In the Seahawks’ most important draft in a decade — the first as the team tries to build another winner without Russell Wilson — this might have been the most sensible draft of the John Schneider-Pete Carroll era. It helps, to be sure, to have a top-10 pick, and by all accounts the Seahawks nailed it with the selection of left tackle Charles Cross at ninth overall. And they not only addressed significant needs at offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback, they doubled up at each position, too. The Seahawks need those picks to turn into productive players, of course, but they ought to feel good about the first major steps in this new era of Seahawks football.
Condotta: A-minus
Not to repeat what Adam said, but this was definitely a draft where you can’t really question the Seahawks’ approach. Cross was the easy and obvious pick — and he’d better be good for their reloading plan to work. But if not, it’ll be hard to blame the Seahawks as Cross went right where everyone figured he would, and you can’t pass on a potentially generational left tackle. Seven of the other eight picks all addressed obvious needs — a right tackle, cornerback competition and depth, receiver depth, edge rushing depth — all going right where the consensus had them pegged. The one pick anyone questioned is whether running back Kenneth Walker III was taken too high at 41. But he was the second-best running back on the board and went five picks after the first and wasn’t going to be available for Seattle at 72.
2. Who is the Seahawks’ most intriguing pick?
Jude: RB Kenneth Walker III.
The Seahawks selected Walker with their second second-round pick (No. 41) overall, and many rank Walker as the second-best running back in this class. Considering how the position is valued in today’s NFL, anytime a running back is drafted this high it’s going to spark hearty debate — and that was certainly the case on Seahawks Twitter the past couple days. I think that’s overthinking things. It’s a solid pick in general, and a better pick in the context of the Seahawks offense. You can argue all you want that Carroll is stuck in the past, but he has a vision for what he wants the offense to be in the post-Wilson era — which, well, is a lot like what it was with Wilson. They want to run the ball, control the clock, limit turnovers and win behind a dominant defense. They drafted two offensive tackles and snagged Walker as insurance behind Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson, both of whom, we know, have a lengthy injury history.
Condotta: CB Tariq Woolen
Woolen seemed like such an obvious Seahawk target for how they like cornerbacks that more than a few seven-round mock drafts had them taking him somewhere along the way (he went in the fifth round). Woolen is, as Schneider said after the draft, “athletically just a total freak.’’ Woolen, from the University of Texas-San Antonio, stands 6 foot 4 and ran a 4.26 40 at the combine with a 42-inch vertical leap. His height, length and that he began his college career as a receiver draw obvious comparisons to Richard Sherman. But as Carrol noted, Sherman (4.56 at the combine in 2011) didn’t run anywhere near as fast as Woolen. Woolen’s relative lack of experience was a significant reason he was available at 153 (Sherman was taken at 154 in 2011). But his tangibles will make him one of the most interesting rookies to watch.
3. Who is the most puzzling pick?
Jude: Abe Lucas.
I like Lucas as an athlete, and the Seahawks have to love his four years’ experience as a starter at Washington State. I think he has a good chance to step in immediately as the Seahawks’ starting right tackle. But some analysts view Lucas as a developmental project, and his lack of experience in prostyle run schemes makes you wonder if he’s a good fit for what the Seahawks want to do offensively. There are similar questions about Cross, who also played in the Air Raid in college. But Cross is widely considered an elite athlete and Carroll has shrugged off any concerns about Cross’s ability to adapt to run-blocking schemes. Perhaps Lucas can quickly dispel any such concerns, but until he actually does it those questions will persist.
Condotta: Kenneth Walker III
To outside observers, Walker was the biggest question mark of the Seahawks’ picks. The Athletic gave it a “D,” writing, “It’s impossible to believe that spending a high second-round pick on another running back is an optimal use of their resources.’’ Here’s another way of looking at it — of the top-12 rushers in the NFL last season, 11 were drafted before pick 72, which was the next pick the Seahawks had after taking Walker. Each of the top 12 rushers last year were drafted in the third round or earlier — two at exactly 41 where Walker went (Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing, in 2020; and Dalvin Cook, who was fifth, in 2017). Seven went higher than 41. You can debate where running backs should be taken. But you can’t debate that they aren’t all created equal. To me, if the Seahawks hadn’t addressed two other really big needs first then you could question it more.
4. Can we draw any conclusions about the Seahawks’ QB situation?
Jude: At the very least, the Seahawks have shown they are comfortable with the QBs on the roster — Drew Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Eason. If they weren’t, they would have added another QB by now. Scouts and analysts didn’t think highly of this QB rookie class, and that proved to be true during the draft. Carroll continues to talk up Lock every chance he gets, and Smith is back as an insurance policy of sorts. Lock has a lot to prove, and it’s certainly possible the Seahawks are eyeing the 2023 draft as the best place to find their long-term answer at the position. For now, though, it’s Lock’s job to lose.
Condotta: It may have been easy to dismiss some of the team’s optimism about Lock as just the usual optimism that greets any big trade — especially from the uber-positive Carroll and especially about a trade in which the Seahawks have as much on the line as the Wilson deal. But their actions since prove they are committed to giving Lock a shot. They could have gotten Baker Mayfield at any time in the last month. They could have taken Sam Howell in the fourth round if they’d wanted to draft a QB, and that would come without much of an investment. As Adam said, this is Lock’s job to lose. It could be that only if that happens would they make another move to add a QB.
