Next month, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll will conduct their 13th NFL draft together. After trading away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and releasing linebacker Bobby Wagner earlier this month, stakes couldn't be higher as the duo enters their most critical draft in a decade.
At one point, Schneider and Carroll were viewed as two of the premier talent evaluators in the NFL. Helping transform a sub-.500 team into a perennial contender in the process, they built a powerhouse roster through shrewd drafting, particularly finding gems in later rounds during their first several years at the helm.
Unfortunately, while Seattle did manage to win its first Super Bowl in 2013 and nearly pulled off a repeat the following year, lackluster drafting has been a key ingredient in the team's lack of postseason success ever since. Despite making the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons, the franchise hasn't gotten past the Divisional Round once and Carroll's teams have produced one playoff win since 2018.
Looking back at Carroll and Schneider's previous 12 drafts calling the shots for the Seahawks, how do the classes stack up against one another?
Best Pick: Luke Willson
Worst Pick: Chris Harper
Grade: F
One year after picking a pair of future Hall of Famers and five key contributors for an eventual Super Bowl champion, Schneider and Carroll laid a huge egg in 2013. After lighting it up at the NFL combine, Seattle viewed Christine Michael as the backfield heir apparent for Marshawn Lynch and picked him with its first selection in the second round. But it became clear quickly he wouldn't be able to fulfill that expectation and after two stints with the franchise along with several other stops, he finished his forgettable career with 1,089 rushing yards.
Looking at the rest of this extremely underwhelming draft class, Harper didn't even make the Seahawks roster out of training camp competing at a crowded receiver position and never caught a pass in an NFL game. Third-round pick Jordan Hill's once-promising career as a rotational defensive tackle ended up being derailed by injuries and aside from Willson, who managed to carve out a successful eight-year career and caught 111 passes, not a single one of the team's other 10 selections started more than eight games in a Seattle uniform.
Best Pick: Chris Carson
Worst Pick: Malik McDowell
Grade: D
Unlike 2013, the Seahawks did unearth a couple of multi-year starters in this draft class. Coming out of nowhere as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma, Carson's rookie season ended abruptly with an ankle injury after just four games, but he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards each of the next two seasons. Third-round pick Shaquill Griffin emerged as a starter early in his rookie season and eventually earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019, helping him cash in as a free agent to sign a multi-year deal with the Jaguars in March 2021.
But away from those two gems, Seattle didn't have much luck finding difference makers, starting with a huge whiff picking McDowell at No. 35 overall. After being involved in an ATV accident, he never played a single down for the franchise. Fellow second-round pick Ethan Pocic started 40 games at guard and center but also missed 23 games with a plethora of injuries and never developed as hoped. Making matters worse, only one of the team's four third-round picks (Griffin) amounted to much, with defensive tackle Naz Jones, receiver Amara Darboh, and safety Lano Hill starting a combined eight games. Only three players from this class earned a second contract with the team and as of now, only Carson remains on the current roster.
Best Pick: Justin Britt
Worst Pick: Kevin Norwood
Grade: D+
One year after Schneider and Carroll dropped the ball with a terrible 2013 class, 2014 ultimately wasn't that much of an improvement. None of the four players selected in the fifth round or later by the Seahawks that year started a game for the team and three of them never even played in a single regular season for them. Whiffing on multiple fourth-round picks, Norwood caught nine passes for 102 yards as a rookie and then was traded to the Panthers after just one season, while defensive end Cassius Marsh contributed a grand total of 3.0 sacks in three seasons with the organization. On top of that, Paul Richardson's inability to stay healthy prevented him from emerging as the dynamic playmaker on the outside Seattle envisioned he would be when the team used an early second-round pick on him.
On the plus side, Seattle's other second-round pick Justin Britt became an immediate starter at right tackle as a rookie for an eventual NFC Champion. Eventually transitioning to center by his third season, he started 86 total games in six seasons with the franchise, turning in a solid career for a late second-round pick. Richardson also turned in one decent season before hitting free agency with 703 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2017, turning that lone season of production into a big free agent deal with Washington.
Best Pick: Tre Brown
Worst Pick: Dee Eskridge
Grade: C-
After only one season, trying to assess this draft class isn't easy, particularly because injuries prevented Seattle's top two selections from playing in more than 10 games as rookies. On one hand, Brown performed well in five games before succumbing to a patellar tendon injury, allowing a 47.1 completion rate and 59.7 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. But Eskridge never truly got untracked after missing seven games with a severe concussion, ending a rough first season with only 10 catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, sixth-round tackle Stone Forsythe played a grand total of 14 offensive snaps last year, so the jury is still out on whether or not he can be a starter down the road.
This small three-player class still has plenty of untapped potential and if Brown rebounds from his injury, Eskridge makes a big sophomore leap, and Forsythe becomes a fixture on the offensive line, this group could be viewed much more favorably a year from now. In the present, early returns haven't been good though.
Best Pick: DK Metcalf
Worst Pick: L.J. Collier
Grade: C-
In some ways, this may be the most bizarre of the 12 drafts conducted by Carroll and Schneider. With two first-round picks, they reached selecting Collier at No. 29 overall and that pick did not pan out well, as they voluntarily held him out as a healthy scratch for seven games in 2021 and he has 3.0 career sacks. They traded down multiple times with their other first-round pick before eventually selecting safety Marquise Blair, who has exhibited great potential but missed most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons with knee injuries.
Looking beyond those first two picks, however, Schneider landed one of his biggest draft coups by trading back into the second round to select Metcalf, who became only the seventh receiver in NFL history to produce more than 3,100 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in his first three seasons. Third-round pick Cody Barton has been a key special teams player and will have a chance to carve out a starting role at middle linebacker in 2022, potentially improving the grade for this class in the future. Collectively, however, Metcalf and fourth-round pick Ugo Amadi have been the only players from an 11-player class who have played substantial starter-worthy snaps through three seasons and the misses at the top further drag down this group.
Best Pick: Jarran Reed
Worst Pick: Rees Odhiambo
Grade: C
In terms of a truly average draft class, Schneider and Carroll's 2016 haul deserves the cake. There was some misfortune thrown into the batter in the pre-baking process, as third-round running back C.J. Prosise flashed immense potential in the brief moments where he wasn't injured and had starter upside. At the same time, neither of the team's other two third round picks accomplished much with Odhiambo struggling in seven starts at left tackle and Vannett catching a total of 48 passes in four seasons with the team. Like the 2017 class, there simply wasn't enough production after having ample draft capital on day two.
Looking at the positives from this group, though fans loved to pile it on him due to his penalty issues and inconsistencies in pass protection, tackle Germain Ifedi was a serviceable starter in four seasons with the team. That's not necessarily the ringing endorsement a franchise wants for a first-round pick, but he wasn't as bad as some fans believe either. One round later, Schneider traded up for Reed, who turned in 10.5 sacks in 2018 and produced 22.0 sacks and 58 quarterback hits in five seasons with the team. As far as day three values, Quinton Jefferson has turned in a stellar career as a former fifth-round pick, posting four straight seasons with 30 or more quarterback pressures while offering great positional versatility.
Best Pick: Michael Dickson
Worst Pick: Alex McGough
Grade: C+
Prior to last season, this draft class might not have received a passing grade due to several players being negatively impacted by chronic injuries. But running back Rashaad Penny finally played to his first-round talents with a clean bill of health late in the season, leading the NFL in rushing over the final six games and earning himself a new contract. Third-round pick Rasheem Green also picked a great time to enjoy the best season of his career with 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits, while Dickson continued his dominance as one of the premier punters in the game.
What keeps this class from a higher ranking, however, is the lack of true difference makers. Fifth-round pick Tre Flowers became an instant starter at cornerback, but he never made the big step forward Carroll believed he would and ended up being released in the middle of the season last fall. Jamarco Jones flashed in spot starts at guard and tackle, but he battled persistent injury problems that kept him from ever being a viable starting option. Will Dissly started off his first two seasons red-hot as a receiver before suffering devastating lower body injuries and while he's been healthy the last two years, he hasn't been a factor in the passing game. Add in the fact they weren't able to get much out of Shaquem Griffin and Jacob Martin developed into a solid rotational rusher after being traded to the Texans as part of the Jadeveon Clowney trade in 2019 and this is a ho-hum class overall.
Best Pick: Tyler Lockett
Worst Pick: Terry Poole
Grade: B-
As a whole, Seattle's 2015 draft class can be best described as top-heavy. Though the pick was controversial at the time given the player's dismissal from Michigan's football program, defensive end Frank Clark contributed as a rotational rusher in his first two seasons, including posting 10.0 sacks in 2016 despite starting only five games. From there, he racked up 22.0 sacks and 48 quarterback hits in his final two seasons with the franchise before being traded to Kansas City for draft picks, standing out as arguably the best pass rusher the team has had in the Carroll/Schneider era. After trading away four picks to move up in the third round, the team also landed Lockett, who earned First-Team All-Pro accolades on special teams as a rookie and evolved into a perennial 1,000-yard receiver.
While those two selections alone make this class stand out compared to many of the others from the past 12 years, the rest of the Seahawks picks didn't work out. Poole never played a down in the regular season as a fourth-round pick before washing out of the league and Mark Glowinski wound up becoming a viable starter for the Colts after the team inexcusably released the young guard midway through the 2016 season. As for the rest of the group, none of the other four players drafted by Schneider and Carroll that year started a single game and two of them never even dressed for a game.
Best Pick: Jordyn Brooks
Worst Pick: Colby Parkinson
Grade: B
Much like the 2021 crop, it's still very early to make a true assessment of Seattle's 2020 draft haul. With that said, there's a great deal to be excited about with this group potentially being a foundation for the next franchise's next contender. Arguably their best first-round selection since Earl Thomas, Brooks racked up a franchise record 184 tackles last season and the former Texas Tech star looks poised to take the All-Pro torch from former teammate Bobby Wagner. After missing his entire rookie season recovering from leg surgery, second-round pick Darrell Taylor showcased his potential at strongside linebacker last season by finishing tied for second on the team with 6.5 sacks and his future appears awfully bright.
Away from Brooks and Taylor, third-round pick Damien Lewis became a starter on day one for the Seahawks and despite dealing with some injuries last season, his trajectory remains upward as one of the better young guards in the league. Running back DeeJay Dallas has chipped in on special teams and as a third down back, while fifth-round defensive end Alton Robinson has produced as a pass rusher albeit in limited opportunities. Sixth-round pick Freddie Swain also has exceeded expectations and doubled his numbers in receptions, yardage, and touchdowns last season compared to his rookie year. Overall, this is a pretty impressive class that could be even better if the 6-foot-7 Parkinson can stay healthy and become a bigger factor as a red zone weapon moving forward.
Best Pick: Richard Sherman
Worst Pick: John Moffitt
Grade: B+
In the midst of Schneider and Carroll's golden years of drafting, the 2011 class had more noticeable misses than the two classes sandwiched around it. Guard James Carpenter never lived up to his first-round selection, but he did start 39 games in four seasons with the team, played significant snaps in a Super Bowl XLVIII victory, and remains in the NFL in the present. Off-field issues prevented Moffitt from becoming a long-term starting option and he quickly got dealt to Denver, while receiver Kris Durham caught a whopping three passes in his only season in Seattle before getting cut the next year.
But based on how the rest of the draft class fared, Schneider and Carroll can be forgiven for those couple of misses. Becoming a starter early in his rookie season, fourth-round pick K.J. Wright would spend the next decade with the Seahawks, racking up 941 tackles, 54 passes defensed, and 13.5 sacks starring alongside Wagner at linebacker. In the secondary, cornerback Richard Sherman emerged as one of the best fifth-round picks in NFL history, picking off 32 passes and earning All-Pro honors four times in seven seasons with the franchise. Additionally, sixth-round cornerback Byron Maxwell became a plus-starter across from Sherman and seventh-round pick Malcolm Smith etched his name in franchise lore by earning Super Bowl MVP honors by returning an interception against Peyton Manning 69 yards for a touchdown.
Best Pick: Earl Thomas
Worst Pick: E.J. Wilson
Grade: A-
Out of the gate, Schneider and Carroll had a prime opportunity to start of their rebuild efforts in Seattle with a bang while holding two first-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft. Addressing the trenches first, they drafted Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, who started 72 games over the next six seasons and earned one Pro Bowl selection despite persistent injury issues. Eight picks later, they snagged Thomas, who became an instant starter and quickly turned into household name as one of the NFL's premier safeties. Starting 125 games in nine years with the franchise, he racked up 664 tackles, picked off 28 passes, and earned All-Pro distinction five times. To varying degrees, both first rounders proved to be building blocks for a title team.
As for the rest of the draft, second-round pick Golden Tate got off to a slow start. But the former Notre Dame star turned things around with more than 1,500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in his final two seasons in Seattle, helping bring a Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest in the process. In terms of value, fifth-round safety Kam Chancellor stands out as the best pick from this outstanding class, as he became the unsung leader of the "Legion of Boom" delivering bone-jarring hits to opponents and leading to substantial changes in how teams scouted the position. In eight seasons with the Seahawks, he recorded 607 tackles and 12 interceptions while earning All-Pro recognition twice. He also turned in several of the most iconic plays in team history, including a pick-six against the Panthers in the 2014 NFC Divisional Round.
Best Pick: Russell Wilson
Worst Pick: Winston Guy
Grade: A
It's well-documented that the majority of draft experts panned the Seahawks for their draft class in 2012. ESPN's Mel Kiper gave the class a C- mark, while Bleacher Report infamously gave Schneider and Carroll a flunking grade. A decade later, those post-draft assessments look comical in every sense. First-round pick Bruce Irvin, who most analysts viewed as a major reach at No. 15 overall, produced 22.0 sacks and three interceptions in his first four seasons with the team and has 52.0 sacks for his career to this point. In the next two rounds, Schneider snagged a pair of future Hall of Famers picking Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson, who combined to earn 17 Pro Bowl selections and led the team to eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons. Wagner owns the franchise's all-time tackles record and was named First-Team All-Pro six times, while Wilson owns every significant passing mark.
What truly makes this one of the best draft classes in NFL history is the value Seattle found in later rounds after picking Wagner and Wilson. Cornerback Jeremy Lane played in 70 games during six seasons with the franchise, receiving substantial snaps working out of the slot and on special teams. Seventh-round pick J.R. Sweezy made the rare transition from defensive line to guard and entered the starting lineup full-time by his second season in 2013. He started 64 games total in five seasons with the organization, proving to be a home run late-round selection. Each of those players deserves props for being key contributors for both Super Bowl squads in 2013 and 2014.
