Getty The Seahawks could land the next great edge rusher in Isaiah Foskey.
The Seattle Seahawks could beef up their core with another playmaker.
As predicted by Bleacher Report’s scouting staff, the Seahawks are predicted to land Notre Dame edge rusher Isaiah Foskey in the 2023 NFL draft. BR projects Seattle to select Foskey with the 10th overall pick — the pick acquired from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade.
After spending high draft picks on the offensive line during the 2022 draft — the Seahawks selected tackle Charles Cross with the ninth pick and tackle Abraham Lucas with a third-round draft pick — Seattle should now aim for a play-making pass rusher, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder.
“Much like Notre Dame’s season as a whole, Foskey has been up and down in 2022,” Holder noted. “He had a chance to establish himself against an NFL-quality offensive tackle in Week 1 against Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. but was held without a sack. Then Foskey had at least a half-sack in the next three games before getting blanked in the next two contests. Now, he has four sacks in the last two games. He’s shown plenty of flashes as a pass rusher, but consistency will be key for him moving forward.”
Seahawks Lacking Viable Pass-Rushing Threats
The addition of Foskey would give the Seahawks the pass-rushing threat they’ve been lacking in recent seasons. Through the first eight games of the season, Seattle’s best threat along the front seven is Uchenna Nwosu, who has a team-leading five sacks. While the free agent addition has been a pleasant surprise — his career single-season high is five sacks — the Seahawks could use another specialist to really fortify their pass rush.
“Foskey, paired with Uchenna Nwosu, gives the Seahawks a highly athletic and flexible duo to work off the edges as bookends.”
Foskey may have his issues with consistency, but there’s little doubt that he’s a defensive playmaker. The 6-foot-4, 257-pound athletic freak forced six fumbles during the 2021 season, leading the NCAA in that category last season.
In fact, Foskey was actually a tight end in high school, playing as a two-way athlete. As Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network mentions, Foskey has “elite explosive capacity.”
“At his size, Foskey also brings visibly elite explosive capacity,” says Cummings. “He’s an immediate accelerator off the snap who covers ground with awe-inspiring quickness out of his stance. His fast, long strides can be very hard to match. It also helps that Foskey reacts quickly to the snap. He gears up instantly and puts sudden pressure on blocking angles.”
Seahawks Should Beef Up Front Seven in 2023
Considering the Seahawks’ offensive line is now settled with franchise tackles — according to Pro Football Focus, Seattle ranks a respectable 13th in pass-blocking grade — their objective should now be upgrading the front seven next offseason.
According to PFF, the Seahawks rank 22nd in pass-rushing grade this season. In other words, Seattle is lacking a dominant pass rush in a division featuring accomplished quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyler Murray.
Bringing in a high-quality athlete in Foskey can go a long way towards cementing Seattle as an annual contender in a tough NFC West division.