After a 10-year drought in the NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks hit a grand slam with their class of 2022. While it may not have the starpower of Seattle's 2012 class - it might have more depth than any other draft in league history. Up until now the New Orleans Saints' spectacular 2017 draft - which included four great picks - has held the standard in that department. However, the Seahawks have done them one better - drafting five prospects who could all be long-term starters.
For most NFL teams getting even two starters in any one particular draft class is considered a win, so Seattle's success in this draft puts them in a category all their own. To varying degrees, left tackle Charles Cross, right tackle Abe Lucas, running back Ken Walker, cornerback Riq Woolen and defensive back Coby Bryant are all worth contract extensions. Now comes the hard part - deciding who they can pay - and who they can't.
If we're going by relative value then it makes sense to prioritize the Seahawks' two starting offensive tackles. According to Mike Dugar at The Athletic, Seattle should have the room to pay both Cross and Lucas and it makes sense to do so.
"Schneider has shown a willingness to have multiple highly-paid players within the same position group, so the team wouldn’t have to choose between Cross and Lucas. There’s room to keep both tackles — and there’s a strong argument for doing just that given the team’s underwhelming track record finding offensive linemen worthy of long-term investment."
No argument here - provided that Lucas can start at least 13 games at right tackle in 2025 and his knee doesn't slow him down.
As for the rest, Walker is an exceptional talent who might go to waste if the Seahawk can't improve their offensive line. No matter how they feel about him, a trade might be their best option - especially if they're not inclined to give a running back a big contract with a strong backup already waiting.
Bryant is a really, really late bloomer for this category - as he totally bombed in his first two seasons in the league. While he won the Jim Thorpe award as a boundary cornerback in college, it didn't work out for him at the NFL level. Bryant also struggled mightily in coverage as a nickel corner. However, he seems to have found his calling when the Seahawks made him their new starting free safety. Bryant enjoyed a breakout season, including three interceptions and a career-best 77.3 passer rating allowed. They won't break the bank for him, but a deal similar to the ones Quandre Diggs and Julian Love signed in recent years should fit just right.
The biggest question mark is of course Riq Woolen, who has hit higher highs than the rest of his rookie class, as well as lower lows than anybody who's still on the roster defensively. Woolen's athletic profile and ball skills make him a truly rare commodity at a high-leverage position, but he's also erratic and inconsistent - and sharp offensive play-callers have turned him into a target in big games.
It's brutally hard to say which way the Seahawks should go, here. Even with his flaws, re-signing Woolen is an easy case to make. This might be a great time to sell high, though - especially because Seattle will have to give Devon Witherspoon a big new long-term deal in the foreseeable future. Doubling up with multiple big contracts at OT as well a CB could make building out the rest of the roster difficult.
One thing the Seahawks cannot do is suffer a case of indecision and allow Woolen to leave in free agency next year without getting anything in return. By the trade deadline they should either have Woolen locked up for the long run or ready to ship out.
