RENTON, Wash. — There was a sixth when they started. There was a ninth last time they did this. There have been a slew of selections in the 20s, and a couple in the 30s.
But this is the first time in the Pete Carroll-John Schneider era that the Seahawks have had a top-five pick. They’ll tell you about how exhilarating that is. They probably won’t tell you about the pressure, though.
There is something about “top five” that juts out at you. Nobody names their top six movies, albums or athletes of all time. The Seahawks landing that fifth pick via Denver puts the most potent magnifying glass we’ve seen on the team’s brass in more than a decade. Its choice could change the franchise … or lead to years of mockery.
It’s doubtful Carroll and Schneider are feeling the same stress that a fledgling coach or general manager might in this situation. The pair have built Super Bowl rosters by way of some of the most acclaimed draft classes in league history — particularly from 2010-2012. Earl Thomas in the first round, Bobby Wagner in the second, Russell Wilson in the third, K.J. Wright in fourth, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman in the fifth. And then there was the 2022 draft that produced five starters and two players (Tariq Woolen and Kenneth Walker III) that finished in the top three in their respective Rookie of the Year categories.
Carroll and Schneider know what they’ve done, and the fans that pay attention do, too. But they’ve never quite been in a position like this. What’s it like?
“I would say way more exciting. There’s so much more research that goes into it,” Schneider said. “Being up there with a fifth pick, I think, is just really exciting — and you have way more coverage and accessibility to all the prospects.”
Twelves surely remember the Seahawks’ selfie tour that took place a few weeks back, when the staff took pictures with coveted quarterbacks such as Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. And all that speaks to a dilemma the team is likely facing right now: If one is available, do we take a potential franchise quarterback? Or do we build around recently-signed Geno Smith and hope for a Super Bowl run?
It’s a tough one — and not something that was on Seattle’s mind last April when it had the sixth pick in a down year for QBs (the first one taken was Kenny Pickett at No. 20 to the Steelers). And it’s an option that has to be weighed against the fact that a bevy of highly-touted defensive linemen should be available up high for a team in desperate need of depth in that area.
Carroll was blunt when asked about the D-line Wednesday, particular when it came to the interior.
“We’ve got some work to do. We’ve done some work here in free agency, and we’re going to continue in the draft, and we’ll just keep battling throughout to put it together,” the Seahawks coach said. “We made some big commitments that have gotten us to this point, and we’re really excited about it, but it has left us with a few question marks we’ve got to get filled out.”
The asker of said question likely had Jalen Carter in mind when posing it. The defensive tackle out of Georgia was considered the No. 1 overall pick in some mock drafts before charges of reckless driving that resulted in two people dying surfaced last month. He pleaded no contest and won’t serve jail time — but there are still character concerns surrounding an elite talent who showed up overweight to his pro day and reportedly struggled throughout.
These are the types of issues that probably have the Seahawks’ front office as anxious as it is amped. It was one thing to throw away a pick on 35th-overall selection Malik McDowell in 2017, when the defensive tackle ruined his career via an ATV accident three months after the draft. It would be another for the fifth overall to go to waste.
Of course, it’s not only the Seahawks’ first pick that has fans salivating at what could come. They also have the 20th, 37th, 52nd and 83rd selections, among others. Schneider emphasized those first five on Wednesday, underscoring the extensive draft capital at the front office’s fingertips.
A lot to work with. Also a lot that could get away from them.
Carroll and Schneider are among the most accomplished team builders in the NFL. They deserve all the praise they’ve received. But they’ve also had prolonged stretches in which they failed to hit on significant assets in the draft, and have made trades and free-agent signings that ended as flops.
When addressing the media Wednesday, Schneider joked that “we have a lot of general managers in this building right now and head coaches,” implying that everyone thinks they’re an expert this time of year.
No, the experts were up on the podium Wednesday, but posterity always has the final say. Excitement abounds among the Seahawks brass these days. Rest assured, though — nerves do, too.
