Doug Baldwin Gives His Take on 2022 Seahawks Draft Class

Getty SEATTLE, WA - OCTOBER 01: Wide receiver Doug Baldwin #89 of the Seattle Seahawks kneels on the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at CenturyLink Field on October 1, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks are getting their rookies from the 2022 NFL Draft settled in with offseason workouts, but former greats like wide receiver Doug Baldwin are pretty excited with some of the players the team brought in.

Baldwin took some time before giving out his thoughts on this year’s draft class instead of giving a knee-jerk reaction. After a couple of weeks, he took to Twitter to let Seahawks fans know that he’s excited about the rookie class and what they could bring to the table.

That’s high praise from the two-time Pro Bowl receiver. It’s too early to know if this draft class will help the Seahawks remain playoff contenders in the post-Russell Wilson era, but former players like Baldwin are excited to see what the rookies can do.

Seattle’s Offensive Line Gets Huge Lift

After years of not heavily investing in the offensive line around Wilson, the Seahawks double dipped and took two starting-caliber tackles in the 2022 draft.

Seattle’s first pick was the team’s future left tackle in Mississippi State’s Charles Cross. A former high school All-American and 5-star recruit, Cross developed quickly for the Bulldogs and became one of most reliable linemen in pass protection in all of college football. His size and athleticism made him a great selection with the ninth overall pick.

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The Seahawks took another offensive tackle in the third round, this time taking an in-state prospect in Washington State’s Abraham Lucas. The former Cougars tackle also shined in pass protection, and after playing right tackle in college it’s likely that he’ll play that same position in the pros.

Adding rookies to the offensive line will help whoever plays under center, but it will also be huge for second-round pick Kenneth Walker III. The running back out of Michigan State was an explosive playmaker for the Spartans, and having two dominant young tackles should help him as he starts as an early favorite for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Defense Also Gets Some Exciting Playmakers

While the Seahawks added some help on offense, they also did a great job of finding help on defense, striking a nice balance of finding help on both sides of the ball.

Boye Mafe out of Minnesota was the team’s second pick, going 40th overall. Although his college production was limited, Mafe is an explosive athlete that showed legitimate pass-rush potential as a third-down specialist for the Golden Gophers.

Not only did the Seahawks add a pass rusher on defense, they also added a pair of intriguing cornerbacks. Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant was a polished prospect that fell to the fourth round, but was the Jim Thorpe Award winner in 2021 for the nation’s top defensive back in 2021.

Tariq Woolen was arguably the most interesting prospect of the draft. A converted wide receiver, Woolen has only played the cornerback position for a couple of years. However, coming in at 6’4″ and running the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds, Woolen has an extremely rate combination of size and speed that few cornerbacks have ever possessed.

With all of this help on defense, the Seahawks are hoping that the lack of a superstar quarterback won’t keep them out of the playoffs in 2022.