The Seattle Seahawks did not have a ton of draft capital, but they also didn’t do much with it
Is it fair to give a greed to the Seattle Seahawks? Serious question — is it?
Seattle entered the 2021 NFL Draft with a mere three picks. Keep in mind that its first-round and a third-round pick was sent to the Jets for safety Jamal Adams. The next offseason, John Schneider added Las Vegas Raiders standout Gabe Jackson in return for its fifth-round pick.
So, three selections huh? Best make the most of it right? That’s going be up for debate at least for the rest of the 2021 season.
To give credit to Seattle, there aren’t many holes should young talent continue to prosper. Names liker LJ Collier, Jordyn Brooks and Damien Lewis all are expected to be cornerstones for the future. The Seahawks also have the most important position nailed down with Russell Wilson — albeit the waters are murky.
Three picks though gives little wiggle room to mess things up. Here’s the three mistakes Seattle made draft weekend.
3 mistakes the Seahawks made in the 2021 NFL Draft
3. Addressing cornerback late
As mentioned, what can you do with three picks in a draft? That said, adding Tre Brown was a smart investment late by Schneider. The Oklahoma product is best use inside the slot, but he can be functional when asked to play on the outside.
Given the fact that Seattle lost Pro Bowl corner Shaquill Griffin, adding a corner was a necessity. Still, was waiting until the sixth-round a bit too late?
Names like UCF’s Aaron Robinson and Syracuse’s Ifeatu Melifonwu were two cornerbacks that both fit defensive coordinators Alex Grinch’s zone-based defense coming out of college. They also have better size that will allow to play the perimeter instead of limiting them in the slot.
Brown is a good pick, but the cornerback position only was addressed with the addition of Ahkello Witherspoon. Is that enough to make the No. 31 pass secondary better?
2. Adding the offensive tackle position too late
Why is it always that you like Seattle’s later round picks than there early picks? D.K. Metcalf was the final selection in Round 2 of 2019, but he’s been the top selection over names like Collier. Rashaad Penny has been abysmal, but Tre Flowers has at least be decent as a later-round option.
Something about Stone Forsythe falling to the 12th Man with the last pick seems smart. A high-upside right tackle with great ability to bulldoze defenders against the run, the former Florida tackle should be viewed as a potential upgrade over Brandon Shell and the long-term option for Duane Brown.
Alas, seventh-round picks don’t usually start Week 1. Forsythe is no exception.
We’re looking at names who could’ve been immediate contributors, someone like BYU’s Brady Christiansen would have been a perfect addition in Round 2. The same could be argued with Michigan Jalen Mayfield’s should they had been looking for a guard.
Wilson has been sacked 40-plus times each season since 2013. Forsythe was a slam dunk selection, but that’s not the only one Seattle should’ve settled on last weekend.
1. Selecting WR Dwayne Eskridge in Round 2
Some think the best way to make a quarterback happy is by building him up with weapons. For Wilson, it could be that way, but they also are hoping to build an offensive line.
Adding a slot receiver in Eskridge is a baffling move, primarily because the slot position was one area that didn’t need an upgrade.
The 5-foot-9 Bronco is a talented target with great speed up the middle. In just six games, Eskridge caught eight touchdowns while averaging 23.3 yards per reception. However, when looking at the snap count, he played over 75 percent of his snaps inside at the slot position.
Why is this a problem? Pro Bowl target Tyler Lockett played over 63 percent of snaps on the inside. This offseason, Seattle gave him a four-year, $69.2 million extension weeks before the draft.
In a deep wide receiver class, adding a pass-catcher is far from ideal. Carroll said this offseason he hopes to be a more balanced offense. As of now, neither the run or passing game is completely fixed just due to the status of what could happen in the trenches.