Seahawks’ 2022 draft class leaves behind Super Bowl legacy
The Seahawks’ 2022 draft class – which was aided greatly by first- and second-round picks acquired from Denver in the trade for Russell Wilson – proved pivotal in leading Seattle to a Super Bowl win last month.
Seven players from that draft were either starters or played key roles, including running back Kenneth Walker III, who won MVP honors.
Five have moved on to other teams over the last four days as the NFL’s free agent negotiating period opened this week.
That leaves just two members of that draft class on the current roster – left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas.
Cross and Lucas each signed extensions since the beginning of the 2025 season – Cross a four-year, $104.4 million deal that keeps him with the Seahawks through the 2029 season, and Lucas a three-year, $46 million deal that keeps him in Seattle through the 2028 season.
Four of those who moved on got significant deals and each could give the Seahawks a parting gift in the form of a compensatory draft pick in 2027.
Each created a lasting legacy with the Seahawks before leaving.
Here’s a look at the full draft class:
First round
Left tackle Charles Cross (9th overall): Cross was the first of the players picked in a selection the team got via the Wilson trade and immediately became a starter at left tackle and is set to do so for at least another four years.
Second round
Rush end Boye Mafe (40th overall): Mafe was the second player taken in a pick the Seahawks got via the Wilson trade and he had 20 sacks in four seasons before earning a three-year deal reported to be worth up to $60 million with the Bengals.
Running back Kenneth Walker III (41st overall): Walker rushed for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns in 58 regular-season games for the Seahawks and rushed for 135 in the Super Bowl win over the Patriots before getting a three-year deal worth up to $43.050 million with Kansas City.
Third round
Right tackle Abraham Lucas (72nd overall): The former Washington State standout brushed off two injury-riddled seasons to start every game in 2025 and help solidify an offensive line whose improvement was vital to winning the Super Bowl.
Fourth round
Safety Coby Bryant (109th overall): Bryant played in 58 games for the Seahawks and started 34, including 15 at safety in 2025 when he was one of the steadying forces of a secondary that battled injuries throughout. He got a three-year deal with the Bears reported to be worth up to $40 million.
Fifth round
Cornerback Riq Woolen (153rd overall): Woolen missed just four games in four years for the Seahawks and made 53 starts and set a team record for interceptions by a rookie with six in 2022. He agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with the Eagles on Tuesday.
Linebacker Tyreke Smith (158th): Smith was acquired with a pick the Seahawks got when it traded the 145th selection – which it had received in the Denver trade – to the Chiefs for 158 and 233. Smith played in just one game for Seattle in 2023 and two for Arizona that same season. He returned to the Seahawks but was released in the cutdown to the 53-man roster last August. He spent most of last season on the practice squad of the Chiefs but did not appear in any games.
Seventh round
Receiver Bo Melton (229th overall): Melton was signed by Green Bay off the Seahawks’ practice squad late in the 2022 season before he appeared in a game for the Seahawks. He has been used as a receiver and cornerback with the Packers the last three seasons appearing in 38 games with two starts.
Receiver Dareke Young (233rd overall): Young was taken with the other pick that the Seahawks got from KC for pick 145, making him technically a product of the Wilson trade. Young played in 42 games with the Seahawks, mostly on special teams, and made his biggest impact with a recovery of a fumbled punt that led to a touchdown in the NFC title game win over the Rams at Lumen Field in January. Young agreed on Thursday to a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
In all, the members of this draft class who moved on this week received deals totaling $224.4 million (plus Young’s salary, which had yet to be revealed) after playing four seasons with the Seahawks and earning a Super Bowl ring.
And as noted, their departures could give the Seahawks four compensatory picks in 2027 for free agents lost – a fourth and three fifths, according to OvertheCap.com.
Two others – Cross and Lucas – signed deals to remain in Seattle over the last year worth a combined $150.4 million.
That only two players from that class will play longer than four years with the Seahawks means this class may not leave as deep of an on-field imprint as the 2010, 2011 and 2012 groups on which the LOB was built.
But its importance in turning the Seahawks around in the post-Wilson era is legacy enough.