Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft picks, analysis and prospect spotlight

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. After a flurry of selections from Thursday to Saturday, 259 players were selected to join the NFL.

With that, we give you our full recap of the Seattle Seahawks‘ draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.

For more information on the players your favorite team drafted, it’s not too late to get the 2023 NFL Draft Guide, which includes expanded scouting reports, draft grades, offseason reports, unique advanced data, PFF grades and much more.

More PFF draft content:

LIVE Draft Tracker | Mock Draft Simulator | 2023 NFL Draft Guide
Top 200 Big Board | PFF Mock Drafts | Measureables & Workout Data
NCAA Premium Stats | Draft Rankings By Position | Prospect Superlatives

2023 NFL Draft Picks

R1 (5): CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
R1 (20): WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
R2 (37): EDGE Derick Hall, Auburn
R2 (52): RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
R4 (108): G Anthony Bradford, LSU
R4 (123): DI Cameron Young, Mississippi State
R5 (151): EDGE Mike Morris, Michigan
R5 (154): C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
R6 (198): S Jerrick Reed II, New Mexico
R7 (237): RB Kenny McIntosh, Georgia

Day 1: The Seahawks surprise everyone and take Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5. Witherspoon was the highest-graded cornerback in the Power Five last season. In press coverage for 107 snaps, he allowed just one yard in coverage on those plays.

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

Day 2: Hall was one of the SEC’s most productive pass-rushers throughout his time at Auburn, earning a pass-rush grade above 80.0 in each of the past three seasons. While his run defense is a bit of a concern at the next level, he works speed to power exceptionally well. He has the quickness, bend and length to sustain his pass-rush production in Seattle.

The grade is not for the player here, but for Seattle using the No. 52 overall pick on a running back after selecting Kenneth Walker III early in the second round previously. Charbonnet earned elite rushing grades in back-to-back seasons, racking up over 4 yards after contact per attempt and 24 carries of 15-plus yards, which ranked ninth in college football.

Day 3: Bradford fits well in a gap scheme by bringing strength in the run game to Seattle, filling a position of need with an athlete that tested very well for his size. However, Bradford will need to develop as a pass protector, as he finished with a 51.7 pass-blocking grade.

Young projects as a rotational, early-down run defender. He has the length to hold down two gaps in the run game, but it doesn’t translate to the passing game, as he put up just a 55.5 true pass-rush grade in 2022. The hope is likely that he turns into something comparable to Folorunso Fatukasi.

Morris profiles as a powerful option on the edge who wins with strength and length. He never had an extensive role in the Michigan defense, given their talent along the defensive line, but put up 37 pressures and a career-high 86.6 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2022.

Oluwatimi is good value at this stage of the draft and fills an area of need at center for Seattle. He’s a high-IQ, strong prospect with four years of starting experience — most recently anchoring the Joe Moore Award-winning Michigan offensive line in 2022. Oluwatimi put up PFF grades of at least 80.0 in each of the past two seasons.

Another strong safety/slot hybrid, Reed was a bright spot for the New Mexico defense. His consistency was evident as he only posted two game grades under 63 this past season. There also isn't a ton of high-end play, with just two game grades above 80 in his career. Reed played nearly 600 special teams snaps in his career, which may be his best path to playing time.

The Packers add another running back after drafting Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet in the second rounds of each of the past two drafts. McIntosh was a consistent producer in a rotational role in Georgia’s backfield, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry and putting up 80.0-plus PFF rushing grades in each of the past three seasons.

DRAFT GRADE: A

Prospect Spotlight: CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois

Witherspoon produced one of the best seasons we've ever graded at the cornerback position. He was targeted 63 times in 2022 and allowed only 22 catches for 206 yards with three picks and 14 pass breakups. That comes out to 3.3 yards per target. He's one of the feistiest cornerbacks in the class.

Strengths, weaknesses and NFL role

Where he wins: Processing Speed

You want 11 defenders that see the game the way Witherspoon does. With 2,334 snaps to his name, Witherspoon has seen it all, and it shows on tape. Expect him to get his hands on a ton of footballs in the league.

What's his role? Island No. 1 CB

Witherspoon has the kind of reliable man coverage skillset that enables him to play on an island consistently. Due to his ball production, you may think he's a boom-or-bust type of cornerback, but he's not that by any means.

What he can improve: Penalties

This is a very minor gripe, but I could see Witherspoon's play style leading to a lot of illegal contact penalties in the league. He already accumulated six penalties in 2022 and five in 2021.