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Friday Round-Up: Seahawks Receive Top Grade For 2023 Offseason From Pro Football Focus

Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson breaks down why Seattle did well addressing needs and why they’ll be even more dangerous in 2023.

May 19, 2023 at 09:42 AM

Maliik Obee

Seahawks.com Contributor

Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Friday, May 19— about your Seattle Seahawks.

Pro Football Focus Raves About Seahawks Offseason Moves

With NFL teams league-wide preparing for OTAs and offseason workouts, the final touches are being made to rosters in preparation for the 2023 season. Following the early stages of free agency and the 2023 draft, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus breaks down why the Seahawks earned an A for their major moves this offseason.

The sky is the limit for JSN and the Seahawks offense 📈 pic.twitter.com/pTlaaBR5b6
— PFF (@PFF) May 11, 2023

The 2023 offseason kicked off with Seattle active in free agency, finding talent on both sides of the ball and bringing Seattle's favorite linebacker Bobby Wagner back.

Last week, Dalton Wasserman and Jim Wyman of Pro Football Focus ranked Seattle as the 11th best roster heading into the 2023 season, predicting the team to win more than nine games.

Biggest strength in 2023: Vertical Passing

Geno Smith was the NFL's premier deep passer in 2022, carrying a 99.2 passing grade on 20-plus yards throws. He made 32 big-time throws to just seven turnover-worthy plays on deep balls. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Marquise Goodwin all finished with 95.0-plus receiving grades on deep balls, as well. This was a big-play offense that now adds dynamic rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba and is supplemented by a healthy Kenneth Walker III. This could be a really dangerous offense again in 2023 if Smith keeps the momentum going.

X-Factor for 2023: QB Geno Smith

The Comeback Player of the Year had an excellent 2022, but there are signs that regression could be coming. It's challenging to repeat outlier-level deep ball performance year over year. The Seahawks should lean more on the run game and easier throws if they want to improve on last season's success. Smith will also have to be more consistent. His passing grade in Weeks 1-8 last season was 84.4, third best in the NFL, but that number dropped to 64.0 in his last 10 games.

Rookie to watch: CB Devon Witherspoon

The fifth pick in the draft creates a potentially fearsome duo with Tariq Woolen. Woolen led the league with six interceptions last year. Witherspoon brings rare aggression on the outside and fits seamlessly into a defense that generally operates with one high safety. Witherspoon's excellence in man coverage was nearly unmatched in this draft class. Seattle could have the best pair of cornerbacks in football very soon.

Monson breaks down why Seattle’s extension of quarterback Geno Smith was a great move, and the value they gained in free agency and the draft.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Offseason Grade: A

Seattle deserves credit for finding the fairway in terms of a middle-class quarterback contract with Geno Smith after his exceptional 2022 season. They struck the balance between rewarding and retaining Smith but also not overcommitting to a player who could easily regress hard in the future.

Defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and defensive back Julian Love were good additions, but the real magic happened in the draft. With their top two picks, the Seahawks drafted the consensus No. 1 cornerback and No. 1 receiver in Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, respectively. Running back Zach Charbonnet in the second round raised eyebrows given they already have Kenneth Walker III, but now the team has one of the best backfields in football.

Now, it's all about building chemistry, as the rookies prepare to get their first work with the veterans, as OTAs begin Monday.