2022 NFL Draft

[RiverDog]

It's close enough to where I felt that it would be best to start a thread for all draft related discussions. First, the basics of which most of you already know but is worth a review.

Location: Las Vegas, NV. Dates: April 28-30th. Times: Thursday 4/28: 5pm PDT (Round 1); Friday 4/29: 4pm PDT (Rounds 2-3); Saturday 4/30: 9am PDT (Rounds 4-7).

Thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, the Hawks currently have the #9 overall pick in the first round, the first time since 2010 and Pete's first draft that we've had a selection in the top 10. Here are our 8 total picks by round with the overall selection:

Round 1: #9 (from the Broncos)
Round 2: #40 (from the Broncos), #41
Round 3: #72
Round 4: #109 (from the Jets)
Round 5: #152 (from the Broncos), #153
Round 6: None
Round 7: #229

Here's a link that has the full draft order for all 32 teams:

https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-draft ... ven-rounds

[Agent 86]

Nice, thanks for all the info River. I am starting to get pumped for it now that April is here and we are back into the 1st round. Even though I don't watch a lick of college football but I get a month now to read up on all the mock drafts and learn the players. Good times!

[NorthHawk]

I like how they show the Comp picks. Sometimes these types of articles just provide the
teams natural picks. It’s good for discussing potential trade compensation.

[RiverDog]

Just curious. Is there a particular mock that you guys follow? I like Walter Football as it has a good explanation of their logic, pretty detailed bio on the players.

Since we have a #1 pick this season, and a top 10 one at that, I'm a little more interested in the draft than in past seasons.

[c_hawkbob]

"The best" mock draft is a fluid concept as every year different sources have the best success. The Huddle Reprot tracks not only who had the best mock last year but lists the past 5 year averages which, IMO, is the better list.

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/mock.scores.shtml

[RiverDog]

"The best" mock draft is a fluid concept as every year different sources have the best success. The Huddle Reprot tracks not only who had the best mock last year but lists the past 5 year averages which, IMO, is the better list.

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/mock.scores.shtml

That's a great site, allows you to compare a lot of mocks with one click. Thanks, CBob!

[NorthHawk]

It shows at a glance what people are thinking, but it also shows that many of the "mockers" don't put a lot of work into it other than to look at at team
and see a need then attaching a player who fits that position.
For many years, there were lots of mock drafts that had us taking a CB in the 1st round, even though we had never taken one earlier than the third when
we selected Griffin - and that was in 2017. That was 7 drafts of not taking a CB early and it didn't matter to those mocking for us because they didn't
do their homework before putting out a mock draft.
In the end, it seems that mocks are interesting in that it builds a consensus of the better players in a relative range, but they don't usually work when
considering team fit.

[RiverDog]

Yesterday the Eagles and Saints shook hands on a big trade involving multiple draft choices that shakes up the order of this year's first round:

The Eagles on Tuesday traded two of their three top-20 picks in this year’s draft – No. 16 and No. 19 – along with their 6th-round pick (No. 194 overall) to the Saints in exchange for the 18th pick overall in this year’s draft, a 2023 1st-round pick, a 2024 2nd-round pick and two additional picks in this year’s draft: No. 101 overall, which is a late 3rd-round pick, and No. 237 overall in the 7th round.

Got all that memorized? There's a pop quiz at the end of class today.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/ ... -huge-deal

The link I posted in the OP updates automatically, so it reflects the current draft order.

[NorthHawk]

Wow. That sure came up fast - it's only a little more than 3 weeks away.
A lot can happen before then, and we have a couple of critical positions to fill at OT so does that make OT a priority in this draft?
I would think we would draft one OT, and maybe sign in FA Eric Fisher or re-sign Duane Brown at LT.
As well, on Defense going to a 3-4 or using it more often will mean we need DL that can play both types of defenses. More hybrid
types I suspect but pass rushers have been a need for about 5 years. This draft looks like it's heavy at LB so maybe one of those
who has the speed to create a pass rush as well as cover depending on the defense that's called.
There's also QB, CB, and OC/OG to name a few.

[tarlhawk]

We don't need to plug all the roster "holes" to be competitive this year. We didn't have a fire sale...we just have serious talent depth to remedy. Our 2022 schedule "had" some soft spots...but the AFC West exploded with free agency acquisitions and now those four games coupled with our own six divisional games will be quite challenging enough just to reach even. We'll have the benefit of decreased expectations and improvements from the draft. No visions of SB but playoffs should become a reality starting in 2023 and finding our quality QB will determine how quickly we "rebound". The great thing is we do not come across as a team standing still...Drew Lock seems more attuned to Waldron's offense than the one he left in Denver...so who knows?

[NorthHawk]

We had a dearth of talent last year so there are a whole bunch of improvements necessary to
become competitive. Losing a top QB doesn’t help but it necessarily means others have to
play better or talent upgrades are needed to improve. To think just a few positions need to
be upgraded is short sighted at best. We need a serious infusion of talent if we want to compete.

[RiverDog]

We don't need to plug all the roster "holes" to be competitive this year. We didn't have a fire sale...we just have serious talent depth to remedy. Our 2022 schedule "had" some soft spots...but the AFC West exploded with free agency acquisitions and now those four games coupled with our own six divisional games will be quite challenging enough just to reach even. We'll have the benefit of decreased expectations and improvements from the draft. No visions of SB but playoffs should become a reality starting in 2023 and finding our quality QB will determine how quickly we "rebound". The great thing is we do not come across as a team standing still...Drew Lock seems more attuned to Waldron's offense than the one he left in Denver...so who knows?

I'm not clear as to your POV regarding our current status. On the one hand, you say that "We don't need to plug all the roster "holes" to be competitive this year" ie 2022, but on the other hand, you say that "No visions of SB but playoffs should become a reality starting in 2023"

What's your definition of 'competitive'? I always thought that if you didn't make the playoffs in a system where 14 of the 32 teams qualify meant that you weren't competitive. Am I that far off base?

[RiverDog]

Here's a QB that's been flying under our radar a bit, and he's scheduled for a visit to our facility:

“I personally believe that the guy that is the best fit for the Seahawks in this draft is Desmond Ridder,” Heaps said. “I believe Matt Corral is very high on their board and they really like him, as well. I think it could come down to either Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder (being taken) in the late first round or maybe even the second round. But if I’m picking a guy that I feel comfortable with and that I believe could compete and start for them right away in this competition, I think it’s Desmond Ridder.”

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1602576/ ... rafts-qbs/

[Hawktawk]

Bears out what I said earlier in the week about Willis climbing . Never heard of this kid before although I never heard of Wilson before the draft either . A tale of caution about drafting the next Russell Wilson .
There isn’t one . Teams have been trying it for 10 years . I’m just not sure why a 63% completion % should excite anyone or a pick for every 3 TDs . Again though I’m relatively uninformed on the draft . It’s why I rely on you guys to educate me.

[RiverDog]

Bears out what I said earlier in the week about Willis climbing . Never heard of this kid before although I never heard of Wilson before the draft either . A tale of caution about drafting the next Russell Wilson .
There isn’t one . Teams have been trying it for 10 years . I’m just not sure why a 63% completion % should excite anyone or a pick for every 3 TDs . Again though I’m relatively uninformed on the draft . It’s why I rely on you guys to educate me.

I haven't followed CFB closely for years, either. But Ridder had a really good senior season at Cincinatti, led his team to an undefeated regular season and a playoff bid. He's been the starter there for 4 years.

It's hard to say what the Hawks see in him or if they are even that interested. A lot of times teams will feign interest in order to cover their real intent. My guess is that they wouldn't spend their #9 overall on him, or at least I hope not. But if he falls into the 2nd round, I wouldn't be surprised to see us burn one of those two 2nd round picks on him.

[tarlhawk]

I'm not clear as to your POV regarding our current status. On the one hand, you say that "We don't need to plug all the roster "holes" to be competitive this year" ie 2022, but on the other hand, you say that "No visions of SB but playoffs should become a reality starting in 2023"

What's your definition of 'competitive'? I always thought that if you didn't make the playoffs in a system where 14 of the 32 teams qualify meant that you weren't competitive. Am I that far off base?

Maybe my version of competitive in an NFL setting is too watered down...but I call it as a team that wins the games it is expected to win while also winning or coming very close to winning games everyone expects you to lose. The NFC/AFC West divisions this year are loaded with teams with realistic visions of being playoff bound. Talent wise we are lacking sadly when compared to any of them...a competitive team might win a third of them...our team has some glaring holes that even optimism begins to fade.

Having 4 picks in first three rounds in a draft deep in O-line/D-line studs has the potential of filling 4 starting positions while the remaining 4 draft spots can add depth either at RB/WR/CB/LB or perhaps a QB able to give Lock a serious reason to give it his all in competition. For pure logic I don't give Baker Mayfield trade rumors much merit because it would steal the true advantage of roster building while paying your QB on a rookie salary.

The play of our secondary and the sustaining of Penny's explosiveness will play a huge role in shaping our 2022 season. Our new defensive focus on a flexible 3-4 alignment with blended man coverage from our secondary holds promise for reversing the time of possession that doomed our 2021 season.

[RiverDog]

I'm not clear as to your POV regarding our current status. On the one hand, you say that "We don't need to plug all the roster "holes" to be competitive this year" ie 2022, but on the other hand, you say that "No visions of SB but playoffs should become a reality starting in 2023"

What's your definition of 'competitive'? I always thought that if you didn't make the playoffs in a system where 14 of the 32 teams qualify meant that you weren't competitive. Am I that far off base?

Maybe my version of competitive in an NFL setting is too watered down...but I call it as a team that wins the games it is expected to win while also winning or coming very close to winning games everyone expects you to lose. The NFC/AFC West divisions this year are loaded with teams with realistic visions of being playoff bound. Talent wise we are lacking sadly when compared to any of them...a competitive team might win a third of them...our team has some glaring holes that even optimism begins to fade.

Naw, nothing wrong with your definition of the term. It's very subjective, and we all have our own opinions. I just wanted some clarification. My personal opinion of being competitive, and my satisfaction level, is set quite a bit higher than yours.

Having 4 picks in first three rounds in a draft deep in O-line/D-line studs has the potential of filling 4 starting positions w'ers vhile the remaining 4 draft spots can add depth either at RB/WR/CB/LB or perhaps a QB able to give Lock a serious reason to give it his all in competition. For pure logic I don't give Baker Mayfield trade rumors much merit because it would steal the true advantage of roster building while paying your QB on a rookie salary.

Agreed about Mayfield. First of all, I think he's over rated, and apparently a lot of other teams think so, too, or else one of them would have made a play for him. Not that I give any of the other candidate much of a chance into becoming our QBOTF. But as far as our draft goes, I'm not holding my breath. Except for the occasional nugget, PC and JS have done a pretty poor job of utilizing our draft capital. But we'll see.

The play of our secondary and the sustaining of Penny's explosiveness will play a huge role in shaping our 2022 season. Our new defensive focus on a flexible 3-4 alignment with blended man coverage from our secondary holds promise for reversing the time of possession that doomed our 2021 season.

I'm not holding my breath on Penny, either. He had a nice final 6 games or so, but was it a portent of things to come or was it just a flash in the pan? He also has to stay healthy, something he hasn't done in the previous 4 seasons, and he needs to develop into a 3 down back by improving his blocking and pass receiving.

Going to the 3-4 is going to look strange. I don't think I've ever seen it from any Seahawks team in the past. It's a reason to be excited, but not necessarily optimistic.

[NorthHawk]

In reading what has been said, it seems to me we aren't going exclusively to a 3-4 Defense, but will use it at times depending on the opposition
(and I suspect if injuries arise). I take that to mean we will require a different type of DL players at the DE and LB positions. As well, good CB's
are important for the success of a 3-4 as they are often left on an island more often that what we've done in the past.

[tarlhawk]

Agreed with the above two posts from RD/NH...Penny reflects what confidence can do with God-given skills. Injury plagued early on? ...sure but related to the one serious injury from the start. The NFL is not a sport for the timid. Conditioning with the fervor of what RW does is essential so Penny has a golden opportunity to sustain a highly elevated climb out of obscurity.

The 3-4 is more of a blend to our 4/3 without embarassing the use of traditional DE pass rushers into coverage roles...hence athletic outside LB who look comfortable in both coverage and pass rushing...disguising the intent of who is dropping in coverage and who is boring in on the pass rush. Our early model of this blend was Bruce Irvin and now its Uchenna Nwosu/Darrell Taylor. Your box safety Jamal Adams has a strength in this type of dual/roles. This new alignment being suited to our West coast opponents...but still need traditional 4-3 player roles so hopefully we re-sign Carl Dunlap.

[Hawktawk]

Agreed with the above two posts from RD/NH...Penny reflects what confidence can do with God-given skills. Injury plagued early on? ...sure but related to the one serious injury from the start. The NFL is not a sport for the timid. Conditioning with the fervor of what RW does is essential so Penny has a golden opportunity to sustain a highly elevated climb out of obscurity.

The 3-4 is more of a blend to our 4/3 without embarassing the use of traditional DE pass rushers into coverage roles...hence athletic outside LB who look comfortable in both coverage and pass rushing...disguising the intent of who is dropping in coverage and who is boring in on the pass rush. Our early model of this blend was Bruce Irvin and now its Uchenna Nwosu/Darrell Taylor. Your box safety Jamal Adams has a strength in this type of dual/roles. This new alignment being suited to our West coast opponents...but still need traditional 4-3 player roles so hopefully we re-sign Carl Dunlap.

I agree with you Tarihawk it’s no fire sale . It needs tweaking and a qb who is bought in and plays within the system . Penney has the ability to lead the league in Rushing . DK takes the top off on anyone . I saw many good things from our defense last year in spite of injuries and Norton’s schemes . I’m optimistic and looking forward to the draft . I hope Pete and john shut some mouths .

[NorthHawk]

Just watched Stingley’s Pro Day workout.
Since we are going to play some 3-4 Defense we need a corner who can dominate.
If he’s there at #9, I wouldn’t be mad at selecting him. As a freshman he covered
Chase in practice and Burrow said he was like a blanket on any receiver. As well
most scouts suggested he would have been the first CB off the board if he was
allowed to enter the draft his freshman year.
A shutdown corner would help the Defense a lot and address another of the many
areas we are deficient at.

[TriCitySam]

Just curious. Is there a particular mock that you guys follow? I like Walter Football as it has a good explanation of their logic, pretty detailed bio on the players.

Since we have a #1 pick this season, and a top 10 one at that, I'm a little more interested in the draft than in past seasons.

Well, as we all know - outside of the top 10 or 15, these mocks are wildly inaccurate. A lot of that goes back to what I've commented on earlier: from 15-64 (sometimes more) the grades on the players are extremely close. To many teams #64 is just as good a pick as the guy you might get at #20. Each team views them differently and has different strategies.

This one should be more fun that what we've witnessed in past years - unless we keep trading down. I look at a bunch of them. As mentioned, The Huddle Report rates mocks and has Brendan Donahue as the most accurate over the past 5 years. For the Seahawks, I've always felt Rob Rang (now with Fox Sports) has historically been pretty accurate - but the HR says he's #42. Rob Staton does the Seahawks Draft Blog, and he is #10 in the Huddle's 5 yr average. I look at PFF, Sporting News and Daniel Jeramiah for player ratings.

There are several options at EDGE and OT, any (I say any, but I do read some inconsistent reports on Thibodeaux) of which would be great additions (Rang now has OT Ekwonu), I saw one that had CB Sauce Gardner falling to us - that would be a good one.

[TriCitySam]

Here's a QB that's been flying under our radar a bit, and he's scheduled for a visit to our facility:

“I personally believe that the guy that is the best fit for the Seahawks in this draft is Desmond Ridder,” Heaps said. “I believe Matt Corral is very high on their board and they really like him, as well. I think it could come down to either Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder (being taken) in the late first round or maybe even the second round. But if I’m picking a guy that I feel comfortable with and that I believe could compete and start for them right away in this competition, I think it’s Desmond Ridder.”

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1602576/ ... rafts-qbs/

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar has us taking him:

#9: Charles Cross OT; #30: Desmond Ridder QB; #41 Kyle Gordon CB; #72 Abraham Lucas OT; #153 Tyreke Smith EDGE

Scot McCloughan has predicted that there will be 3 QB's drafted in the 1st round, and all three are Rd 3 talent. Doesn't mean he's right - not too many folks were high on RW other than JS. Athlon Sports (you know the expensive draft preview book) rated the 2012 draft with Wilson, Wagner, etc a "D".

[NorthHawk]

Each draft is a little different and the tiers are different as well.
This year it looks like there should be impact players up to maybe #11, then from 12 - about 25 or so another tier, then there is a big gap between the late first and mid to late 2nd where the talent looks like
it's similar. Having said that, at some positions starters should be available into the 4th round - like Guards or Centers. At least that's the way I see it.
But all it takes is a few teams to have wildly differing views on players and it's a real scramble from what is expected.

[NorthHawk]

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar has us taking him:

#9: Charles Cross OT; #30: Desmond Ridder QB; #41 Kyle Gordon CB; #72 Abraham Lucas OT; #153 Tyreke Smith EDGE

The problem with Cross is he's from an Air Raid system where he didn't play much with his hand in the dirt and may not be a good run blocker.
He probably has good pass protection skills, but it's a big chance to take another Ifedi at #9.
I think that speaks more to the people mocking players at spots where they don't know the teams but see a need and plug in the next player on their board
that fills that position. However, with PC/JS and their inability to build an OL, it's not beyond possibility.

[TriCitySam]

The problem with Cross is he's from an Air Raid system where he didn't play much with his hand in the dirt and may not be a good run blocker.
He probably has good pass protection skills, but it's a big chance to take another Ifedi at #9.
I think that speaks more to the people mocking players at spots where they don't know the teams but see a need and plug in the next player on their board
that fills that position. However, with PC/JS and their inability to build an OL, it's not beyond possibility.

I've read the same stuff on Cross - as for Dugar he is a writer for the Athletic, assigned to covering the Seahawks and attends all the pressers. I'm not saying he's any good, but that's his job.

[Rambo2014]

And with the 9th pick in the 2022 NFL draft the Seattle Seahawks take

drumroll

A backup punter

[RiverDog]

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar has us taking him:

#9: Charles Cross OT; #30: Desmond Ridder QB; #41 Kyle Gordon CB; #72 Abraham Lucas OT; #153 Tyreke Smith EDGE

Scot McCloughan has predicted that there will be 3 QB's drafted in the 1st round, and all three are Rd 3 talent. Doesn't mean he's right - not too many folks were high on RW other than JS. Athlon Sports (you know the expensive draft preview book) rated the 2012 draft with Wilson, Wagner, etc a "D".

#30 is the Chiefs selection, so Dugar must have us making a trade. Metcalf, maybe?

[tarlhawk]

Not likely (I know) ...but if somehow Evan Neal falls to us because some QB/WR/CB get drafted before us I feel we could then resign D. Brown for LT and use Neal at RT (as heir apparent to Duane Brown at LT)...or we could trade down to mid 1rst if sold on Tyler Linderbaum.

[NorthHawk]

Here's a QB that's been flying under our radar a bit, and he's scheduled for a visit to our facility:

“I personally believe that the guy that is the best fit for the Seahawks in this draft is Desmond Ridder,” Heaps said. “I believe Matt Corral is very high on their board and they really like him, as well. I think it could come down to either Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder (being taken) in the late first round or maybe even the second round. But if I’m picking a guy that I feel comfortable with and that I believe could compete and start for them right away in this competition, I think it’s Desmond Ridder.”

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1602576/ ... rafts-qbs/

I mentioned him a few weeks ago and what stood out for me was a comment that he’s crazy about football
much like Wilson was. He has some good physical talents but what usually sets QBs apart is what’s between
their ears and if they have the desire to pay the price it takes to improve. Some players don’t want to put the work in.

[NorthHawk]

I’m wondering if they are planning to go heavy on Defense this draft. It would make some sense
as Pete was somewhat embarrassed by his defensive production the last few years. They turned
it around but at times we were on track to be the worst Defense in league history. For a Defensive
coach, that had to hurt. As well, early success with this regime was in a large part due to the
defense and with a big question at QB, maybe they think that it’s best to build that side up first.
That would give them the best chance at being competitive. As well, there is supposed to be a big
influence from Desai who’s a Defensive coach so if you connect the dots we may have a defensive
draft at least early.

[Aseahawkfan]

I really want a monster scary defense again. I personally like Pete's style of ball and I believe it is the best way to win, but it's hard to execute because of the salary cap. You really have to hit strong in the draft on defense and pick up some nicely priced free agents. You also need a good run game on offense to grind down the clock and keep the ball safe. Then an opportunistic passing game that can put up points. If you put it all together, you can beat nearly any team you face in any weather conditions.

Bottom line is it all starts with the lines. D-line for run stuffing and pressure and O-line for run game to grind clock. Hard to find all that in one draft.

[mykc14]

Please let FSU or UO EDGE be available to us at #9... that is what all of us need to hope. If not hopefully one of top two CB's.... if those 4 are unavailable trade down and do not take a QB in the top 25.

[RiverDog]

Please let FSU or UO EDGE be available to us at #9... that is what all of us need to hope. If not hopefully one of top two CB's.... if those 4 are unavailable trade down and do not take a QB in the top 25.

I wouldn't mind if Michigan's edge rusher fell to #9, either. I'm not holding my breath, though.

[NorthHawk]

Who knows how it's actually going to fall, but of those listed above, Johnson from FSU might be the best bet to be there at #9.
But there is talk of Thibodeaux falling because there's a narrative out there that he takes plays off and maybe not all in. This
time of year it's probably a smoke screen but if it actually is something GMs are concerned about he might be there. I remember
Warren Sapp fell to around the middle rounds because of stories about him smoking weed. It turned out that he was a bargain
pick at around 12 or so for TB so things do happen.

[mykc14]

I wouldn't mind if Michigan's edge rusher fell to #9, either. I'm not holding my breath, though.

Yes if any one of Michigan, Georgia, Oregon, or Florida State Edges fall I'd be very happy. Michigan and Georgia are just less likely, but you never know.

[tarlhawk]

This is the time of year that rumors circulate with bad intentions...1983 Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh fell all the way to the lower cellar regions of the draft where Miami snapped him up. He fell not because of ability concerns but rumors of drug use never confirmed but still effective made his draft desires plummet.

[RiverDog]

This is the time of year that rumors circulate with bad intentions...1983 Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh fell all the way to the lower cellar regions of the draft where Miami snapped him up. He fell not because of ability concerns but rumors of drug use never confirmed but still effective made his draft desires plummet.

As far as drug use goes, the NFL does a very comprehensive drug screen on any viable candidate, including marijuana, cocaine, and PED's. I'm pretty sure that they didn't do that back in early 80's when Marino was a rookie, so the scenario you mentioned is unlikely to happen. But I get your point.

[RiverDog]

I thought this analysis was interesting. It's a ranking of draft capital. Sorry for my inability to make it more readable. If you click the link below the image then scroll down a little then click on the chart in the Twitter feed, you can see it a little better.

Examining the draft capital of every NFL team, from the Jaguars (1,400 points) to the Dolphins (63 points), using the excellent pick value chart developed by @PP_Rich_Hill

Draft.jpg (348.18 KiB) Viewed 8664 times

https://www.thecoldwire.com/nfl-insider ... lue-chart/




.

[Hawktawk]

On my I phone and far to complicated to cut and paste etc so I’ll address posts from a few days ago regarding Penney and the possible need to upgrade the position . I’m all for upgrading any position and it sounds like there are lots of backs in this draft .

but I saw where a poster said he had a nice last 6 games or so and that he also needed to develop into a 3 down back . First of all I see a 3 down back . I saw him stuff pass rushers last year. As for being a good receiver ironically his devastating knee injury occurred as he was in the middle of an explosive catch and run and the guy targeted his knee joint . I’d say he was 20 yards downfield gaining steam . And 6.7 YPC over 6 games is better than nice . It’s ridiculous .

Yes injuries are always a concern . It sounds like Carson may be done for .

But my optimism is based on a healthy Penney getting 20+ touches a game and someone else can be the change up . If he’s healthy 1700 yards and 20 TDs next year .