Dear Seahawks Fan,

I will be the first to admit this, I didn’t want the Seahawks to draft a left tackle at pick 9. I wanted them to go for behemoth Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who ran a ridiculous 4.7 forty at an impressive hulk-ish size of 6-6 340 pounds.

I wanted Jordan Davis badly, and I didn’t care if he wasn’t an edge rusher. I got caught up on his size and traits and what Pete Carroll could mold out of that.

My concern was that Seattle was going to pass him up for a left tackle, but the guy I was convinced they would grab with Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa, who is another size/speed freak, but my concern on Penning was how raw he seemed as a pass blocker, and that would feel very on brand for Pete Carroll to go for a guy like that. I was bracing for that reality, and had accepted it for days.

Seahawks played a brilliant smokescreen game of leaking out their interests over the last few days leading to the draft in both Davis and Penning. As I weighed both, I wanted Davis so much more. I just felt like, if you are going to pick at 9, take the guy who has the chance at being the more impactful pro, and it felt like Davis had the it-factor over Penning.

But alas, Seattle took neither. They took left tackle Charles Cross instead, who I hadn’t much considered, not because he’s not a good player, but because he played in an air raid style offense as far removed from a Pete Carroll offense in college as you can get.

You see, Cross wasn’t asked to run block much for Mike Leach at Mississippi State. Not that he didn’t run block, but that wasn’t his calling card. He’s a pure pass protector.

Seahawks did the right thing here. This is the first pick to set the rebuild post Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. They needed to get a left tackle capable of protecting the blind side of the next quarterback for the next decade of Seahawk football, and they grabbed the guy many considered the best pass blocking tackle in this draft. Maybe not an explosive run blocker, but the guy who will protect, and get it done.

I applaud this pick. I sorta suspect it signals a shift in philosophy towards more of what Shane Waldron wants as an offensive coordinator as opposed to what Pete Carroll wants as a defensive minded (and run the ball at you) head coach.

I like that the Seattle Seahawks did the very grown up thing and drafted the most important position in football outside of quarterback with their first pick in this draft, and got what looks like a really good one, instead of doing what I would have done, and drafted a freakish defensive tackle who may or may not be more than a two down player in the league.

Time will tell if Charles Cross is a pro bowl left tackle. The Seattle Seahawks certainly think he’s on that trajectory.

All I know is that when I watch his tape, I see great balance and footwork, and someone with the skilled athleticism to play basketball who can stay with a rusher and redirect. This is pretty much what you want out of a left tackle.

This feels like a solid pick and a great start to this all too important 2022 draft for the Seattle Seahawks. They got the left tackle and there is still plenty of talent to be had in early round two and three.

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows what I think they should do. Go get Baker Mayfield, and use picks 40 and 41 elsewhere outside of quarterback. It’s not that I don’t like Malik Willis, or Desmond Ridder, or Matt Corral, it’s just that I don’t think any of these guys are likely to be better than what Mayfield is, and Mayfield won’t cost a high pick due to how stupid Cleveland handled his situation.

My Wishlist for Days Two and Three of the Draft

Here is the short order wish list of players moves I would love to see the Seahawks do over the next few days. I do’t expect all these moves to happen. This is just merely guys I would love to see as Seahawks and think there’s a great fit here for.

Baker Mayfield via trade. When healthy, he’s a top fifteen quarterback in this league who probably hasn’t reached his full ceiling yet as a player. I would also be willing to wager that, with the chip on his shoulder he will have coming to Seattle, he would be a fun player for fans to watch, and I think Pete Carroll would be the perfect head coach for him to be more comfortably himself.

Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas would be an outstanding complement Charles Cross, and would give Seattle the potential for an outstanding offensive line for the next several years.That’s an exciting thought.

An edge rusher with dynamic upside like Sam Williams out of Ole Miss, or Minnesota’s Boye Mafe to mix in with Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu and Alton Robinson would give Seattle a bright young rotation of edge rushers to reshape this defense into a top ten one.

Washington cornerback Kyle Gordon would be a outstanding fit for this defense, and if he slides to 40, he would make tons of sense. He’s got good size and great natural athleticism.

Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal is an old school throwback middle linebacker with size, speed, and strength to be a true enforcer inside when Seattle plays more 3-4 looks in its base defense. Seattle could use a thumper like this to pair with Jordan Brooks, and he’s a great blitzer.

Connecticut defensive tackle Travis Jones is a size/speed monster not too for off from Jordan Davis, and he offers interior pass rush potential. He would be an exciting addition to the front four of this defense who could play nose, big 3 tech, and 5 tech.

Cam Jurgens is solidly the second best center prospect in this draft and would be a great fit for Waldron’s zone blocking offense. He’s a tough dude, as well. I would be thrilled if Seattle drafted him.

In the later rounds, I really like Washington State running back Max Borghi to the Seahawks as an underrated runner and a great pass catching running back. He would be an immediate fan favorite here, too.

Finally, if Seattle were to take a quarterback with pick 40 or 41, I think Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is the best system fit for what Shane Waldron would want his quarterback to do, and I think he likely has higher upside over Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell, and he won’t likely be as much of a project as Malik Willis. For me, Corral is a mixture for Jimmy Garoppolo and Jalen Hurts who were both second round picks that have become functional NFL starters. I think Corral has more talent than both, and is worth a shot in the second round, if they want to go QB.

If Seattle lands any of these dudes, or combination of these dudes, I am to be pretty fired up for the potential of this team in 2022, and beyond. If they can snap up two or three guys off of this list, I will do cartwheels in my backyard and terrify my family.

Will they make any of these moves????

It’s going to be fun to find out!

Go Hawks.