Matt Calkins: Seahawks' John Schneider rediscovered his NFL draft touch

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Dec 11, 2025

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — They say that comparison is the thief of joy, but sometimes it can be the source of it.

Nobody here is arguing that the Seahawks will ever see a three-year draft stretch like the one that spawned the Legion of Boom era, but these past few springs might not rank too far behind.

There was a little lull regarding what this team accomplished in the war room between the championship days and the turn of the decade — a noticeable lack of Pro Bowl game-changing talent being selected in the draft.

But based on what we’re seeing now, it’s safe to say that Seahawks general manager John Schneider rediscovered his touch.

It’s not that Seattle (10-3) stopped being competitive after winning a Super Bowl for the 2013 season and returning to the Big Game a year later. They were almost always above .500 and regularly stacked double-digit win seasons.

Much of this was due to Schneider’s ability to offload talent before it became too expensive and make key offseason (or midseason) acquisitions. However, the difference between a first-round playoff exit and a legitimate run at a title always seemed to lie in who they failed to acquire during the draft.

It wasn’t necessarily disastrous. Yes, there was No. 35 overall pick Malik McDowell ending his Seahawks career via an ATV accident shortly after being selected in 2017. And there was first-round pick L.J. Collier playing just one season in which he was a starting defensive lineman.

But there was also Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf and Michael Dickson — Pro Bowlers that tangibly helped this football team.

Still … first- or second-team All-Pro position players? Sorely lacking. An appearance in the NFC Championship Game? Nonexistent. Seattle has just one playoff win since the 2016 season. The draft had a lot to do with that.

Now they look on pace to win lots of playoff games for the next several years. The draft has a lot to do with that, too.

The standouts:

— Left tackle Charles Cross, taken ninth overall in 2022. Linemen rarely prompt a lot of jersey sales. They aren’t typical TV pitchmen. But they are essential, and Cross has proved himself indispensable.

ESPN has Cross with the No. 12 Pass Block Win Rate in the NFL, basically dubbing him as one of the best dozen pass blockers. Sam Darnold has thrived at quarterback here while Geno Smith — tied for the league in sacks taken — has nose-dived. Cross is a major factor in that.

— Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, taken 20th overall in 2023. You don’t often say that a first-round pick vastly exceeds expectations, but JSN is doing just that. In his first year as Seattle’s No. 1 option, he blew by Metcalf’s team single-season receiving yard record, leads the NFL in receiving (1,428) and is on pace to fall 84 yards short of Calvin Johnson’s NFL record for most receiving yards in a year.

I wondered if he’d be able to get as much separation once Metcalf left and stopped drawing defenders. Turns out DK’s departure is what set Smith-Njigba up to be the top pass catcher in the NFL.

— Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, taken fifth overall in 2023. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald had been saying for weeks that “Spoon” had been remarkable between the lines despite his work not showing up on the stat sheet.

In Sunday’s 37-9 win over the Falcons, though? The Illinois product had seven tackles, a fumble recovery, a QB hit, an interception and a pass defense that turned into a pick for teammate Nick Emmanwori. It was his best, most menacing day of the year — but reflective of the impact he’s had in all three seasons when healthy.

— Emmanwori, the safety taken 35th overall in 2025. The trading of Metcalf to the Steelers this offseason set this one up. And though first-round rookie guard Grey Zabel has played well this season, Nick has been the star of this Seahawks rookie class.

Sunday, Emmanwori had six tackles — two for a loss — a sack, a pass defense, an interception and a blocked field goal. He is currently listed second in the sportsbook odds for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

— Byron Murphy II, defensive tackle taken 16th overall in 2024. He had half a sack his rookie season and already has seven this year. Pro Football Focus has him as the 27th of 128 interior defensive linemen in the league. No doubt it took him a second to get going, but he has been living up to his billing as a first-rounder this season.

There have been other moves Schneider and Co. have made to turn this team into a Super Bowl contender. Bringing on Darnold in the offseason. Trading for Leonard Williams in 2023 and Rashid Shaheed this year. Hiring Macdonald two seasons ago. There aren’t many weak spots on the roster or sideline.

But the difference between this team being good and elite is what took place in the draft. That’s where Schneider built his reputation. He maintains it today.

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