The Seahawks struck it rich in the 2022 NFL draft, getting promising long-term starters at several key positions. If all 32 teams were to redraft knowing what we know now, it’s a sure thing that a few Seattle picks wound wind up coming off the board much sooner than they did.
One example is right tackle Abe Lucas, who was picked at No. 72 overall out of Washington State. According to one redraft, he might even be a top-10 pick in a do-over scenario. In their new 2022 NFL dre-draft, The Athletic has Seattle taking Abe Lucas with the No. 9 overall pick instead of left tackle Charles Cross:
“Well, this is awkward — Cross and Lucas are teammates in Seattle. That happened because the Seahawks grabbed Lucas at No. 72, and that has been a real steal. Wherever you slot him among the 2022 rookie tackles, you have to admit that Lucas massively outperformed his draft slot. The case could be made that Seattle would still take Cross here, as his upside could still be better, but Lucas was the better of the two last season. Either way, it’s great news for the Seahawks, who still have both guys in real life.”
Awkward, maybe. Definitely a great sign for Seattle’s future that they have those two critical spots locked down.
Or do they?
Heading into the 2023 NFL draft, the Seahawks have held official meetings with a couple of offensive tackle prospects: Ohio State’s Dawand Jones and Alabama’s Tyler Steen. The latter is a swing tackle who would provide great depth behind both Lucas and Cross.
However, Jones is a projected second-round pick and exclusively a right tackle – they wouldn’t pick him unless they intended to start him. If they do pick Jones there’s a chance they could plan to slide Lucas inside, where he’d instantly become one of the most athletic and feared right guards in football.
In any case, the draft is now 10 days away, so silly season is almost over.
