The Seahawks have had some questionable drafts in the recent years, and you could add this one to that resume. The Seattle regime is trying to get their franchise back on track after an underwhelming 2017 season, but this draft haul will raise some questions nevertheless. The 12th Man did not address some glaring needs in the draft when they had opportunities to do so, especially in round one. Their swinging gate offensive line has been downright bad and has had the uber-athletic Russell Wilson running for his life. They didn’t address that need until the fifth round! Let’s dive into the picks.
| Round/Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1/27 | Rashaad Penny | RB | San Diego State |
| 3/79 | Rasheem Green | DE | USC |
| 4/120 | Will Dissly | TE | Washington |
| 5/141 | Shaquem Griffin | LB | Central Florida |
| 5/146 | Tre Flowers | DB | Oklahoma State |
| 5/149 | Michael Dickson | P | Texas |
| 5/168 | Jamarco Jones | T/G | Ohio State |
| 6/186 | Jacob Martin | DE | Temple |
| 7/220 | Alex McGough | QB | Florida International |
Seattle Seahawks 2018 NFL Draft Grade
Best Pick: Michael Dickson
You might laugh out loud because my best pick for the Seahawks draft is a punter, but I am dead serious. This guy is a legit weapon when he punts the football. I have watched numerous Texas games this past year, and Dickson is special.
He has a booming leg, along with pinpoint accuracy with his kicks. Watch the tape of the Texas Tech game, every time he punted the ball it would land inside the 20-yard line. Punters don’t go high in the draft, and rightfully so, but Dickson is a special punter and is easily the best pick of the Seahawks draft class.
Best Value/Sleeper: Shaquem Griffin
The feel-good story of the draft, I was honestly surprised Griffin lasted until the fifth round. Yes, he has one hand which does lead to some missed tackles, but I love this guy’s motor and passion for the game.
Pairing up with his twin brother in Seattle is a great story but I see a day one contributor in Griffin. Gifted with 4.38 40 yard dash speed, Griffin is immediately going to contribute on special teams. He can also be used in situational pass rushing situations. He is going to be a rookie which means he is going to need time to adjust to the NFL game, but Griffin has potential to develop into something special. He already has something to prove and I would watch out for Griffin in the future.
Biggest Reach/Head-scratcher: Rashaad Penny
Listen, let’s not take anything away from Penny’s sensational 2017 collegiate season. He was truly prolific and amassed 2,027 rushing yards to go along with 19 touchdowns combined with a silly 7.4 yards per carry. Penny has true workhorse qualities that will translate smoothly to the NFL, however, the Seahawks overlooked major offensive line needs to draft a smallish running back with pass catching and blocking issues.
Penny was a reach in the first round and although he does have ability, the Seahawks should have addressed their biggest need late in the first round, the offensive line.
Biggest Need Filled: Rasheem Green
With Michael Bennett getting traded in the offseason, Green was a need that was easily filled for the Seahawks. He is a raw defensive end with qualities to become a great pass rusher in both 3-4 or 4-3 schemes. His initial quickness off the ball is impressive and if he can just get his legs under him and adjust to the NFL game, he can easily become what Michael Bennett was. The good thing about Green is he has potential, and with the right coaching, defensive end won’t be an issue for the Seahawks anymore.
Projected Day One Starters: Rashaad Penny
You don’t reach on a running back in the first round to make him your back up. Penny will be thrown right into the fire alongside Russell Wilson and will be tasked with doing much more than just running the ball.
Penny must improve his pass-catching ability as he totaled only 142 yards on 18 receptions last year. He must prove he is a three-down running back for the Seahawks. His blocking ability must be addressed as well as he is the last line of defense for Wilson. Penny is going to step in week one as the starting back, but he has his work cut out for him.
The Rest: Will Dissly, Tre Flowers, Jamarco Jones, Jacob Martin, Alex McGough
Will Dissly is strictly a blocking tight end and as we know, Seattle can use any blocker it can get.
Tre Flowers is an interesting long-term prospect at corner as he has the size to press at 6’3” and interesting 4.45 speed.
Jamarco Jones totally bombed the combine but had a solid career at Ohio State. Pretty scary that it took until the fifth round for the Seahawks to address the offensive line.
Jacob Martin is a long shot to make the roster and might be a practice squad guy.
Alex McGough has interesting developmental traits at QB, but it would surprise me if he turned into something we didn’t see during the draft process.