SEATTLE — General manager John Schneider and the Seahawks face a pivotal decision in the 2023 NFL Draft.
With two selections in the top 20 picks, the Seahawks have a chance to bring in a pair of elite talents to bolster a roster that was good enough to qualify for the postseason in 2022.
If Schneider and company make the right choice, Seattle will be set up well for years to come. Make the wrong one and it could set the franchise back years.
In a KING 5 Youtube poll, we asked what Seahawks fans believe the team should do with that especially valuable No. 5 overall draft choice.
After 24 hours, the results were clear. 57% of respondents said Seattle should improve the defensive line, while 26% said the Seahawks should bring in a quarterback.
The Seahawks had one of the NFL's most porous run defenses in 2022 and fortifying the front seven will go a long way to making that group better.
The most common player going to the Seahawks in mock drafts of late has been embattled Georgia product Jalen Carter.
It's easy to find the positives when it comes to Carter. Arguably the best defensive player on a back-to-back national championship Georgia team, Carter wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, producing eye-popping highlights game in and game out.
It is not blasphemy to say Carter might be the best single talent in this draft. While the positives are obvious, so too are the negatives.
Carter was arrested earlier this year in connection with an alleged street racing incident that ended with a Georgia football staffer and player dead in a car crash.
He put together a poor workout at his pro day for Georgia, coming in nine pounds heavier than he was days earlier at the NFL scouting combine.
Edge rusher Tyree Wilson also was linked to the Seahawks frequently in mock drafts earlier on in the process but seems to have slipped down most draft boards.
Much less is known about Wilson away from the field, but the Texas Tech product presents a raw physique and skillset that could be molded into an elite pass rusher in the NFL.
If Seahawks fans get their wish, we could see significant improvement in Seattle's run defense in 2023.