The first post-Russell Wilson draft class has been a good one. How many will the Seahawks extend?
One of the storylines for the 2025 Seattle Seahawks is what they do with their 2022 NFL Draft class, which was their first draft following the monumental decision to trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. I think it goes without saying that a really bad 2022 draft would’ve likely cratered the Seahawks and we might have a completely different coaching and front office situation right now.
Of the nine draft picks made, seven are still on the roster, although Tyreke Smith is on a reserve/future deal after being previously waived and eventually brought back to the practice squad. Dareke Young is also on the roster but his limited presence on the offense (but a presence on special teams) means he is not really up for any serious extension talks.
On the latest edition of the HawksZone Rundown podcast with hosts Bryce Coutts and Ryan MacMillan, yours truly hopped on and we all assessed the likelihoods of contract extensions for the key members of the Seahawks’ 2022 draft class. After all, look at all that cap space the Seahawks have in 2026! They have a lot of room due to the lack of extensions and having so few players under contract next season. That changes the minute they get to extending this draft class and adding players through this year’s draft.
Here’s a mini-summary of our thoughts on the top three picks in Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, and Kenneth Walker III.
Charles Cross
Mookie: “We can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Yeah, Charles Cross is not a top three left tackle right now. Maybe he never will be. But I’d rather have some level of continuity and have positive offensive line play than having to constantly replace through the draft, free agency, or the trade market. I think that Cross will get extended.”
Bryce: “Unless he completely falls on his face this year, Charles Cross is getting extended. They may bypass that fifth year and extend him before the regular season starts or part way through like they’ve done in the past with other players.”
Ryan: “I got him at 99% [to be extended]. It’s one of those things where if you let him go, then what do you do? It’s different if this guy had a string of injury problems. He’s been a solid guy for us. I think you just have to [extend him.]”
Boye Mafe
Mookie: “He has emerged as a two-way outside linebacker. Not only is he a quality pass rusher, he’s also a much-improved run defender. I don’t think any of these contract extensions would involve top two or top three money. Mafe isn’t getting Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett money. But in that other tier where it’s Josh Sweat or Jonathan Greenard or Greg Rousseau? I think that’s perfectly reasonable.”
Bryce: “I don’t think we’ve still seen the best of Boye Mafe yet. If you look at it and you gave him a $60-$70 million extension, that’s a reasonable number to me for a good but not great pass rusher, but a great two-way player that can play against the run and can give you some upside in the pass rush. And you’re not necessarily breaking the bank for a guy that could have a 12-sack season next year if he puts it all together. ”
Ryan: “He’s good! You’re going to let a guy like that walk? When you look at the edge play and you look at Derick Hall on the other side and you say Derick kind of emerged, but where is he at? I think Boye has really solidified himself. […] I feel like an extension will happen and possibly again before the season starts.”
Kenneth Walker III
Mookie: “I’m leaning toward that he doesn’t get extended. When we think about his injury history—I’ll stop short of calling him injury prone, but he certainly picks up a lot of short-term injuries. […] I know that the offensive line was a mess and they generally didn’t like to run the ball that much, but I think what concerned me about Walker is he really did not look like an explosive back the way that we saw the first couple of seasons. His longest carry all season was 28 yards. Geno had a longer run than that and so did Zach Charbonnet. HIs longest receiving play was 21 yards, so all of those explosive plays we’ve come to expect weren’t really there.
Bryce: “That’s the reason I put it at 50-50. I really do think it depends on Walker’s season and Walker comes asking for. Saquon Barkley reset that market a little bit with his two-year deal, but I don’t think Ken’s a guarantee. This running back group—I would be shocked if Seattle didn’t take a running back. And I mean like a running back in potentially fifth-sixth round and they’re still get a quality player that fits this scheme for what they want to do. I love Walker, I love what he brings, but the injuries are what are concerning to me.”
Ryan: “Do you want to give him that money and you’ve got two other running backs in that room and a loaded class coming out in this NFL Draft? John possibly could pick up a back later on in the draft. Does that make Ken expendable? It’s a tough one for me. It’s a coin flip for me. You talk about this system with Kubiak can really suit Ken Walker, but does that mean you pay this guy? Can you get another guy that’s suitable enough and you can get him on the cheap? This is a 50-50 one for me. If I had to really think about this one, I’m going to lean towards that they don’t extend him.”
The three of us generally agreed that an Abe Lucas extension is dependent on his health, debated Riq Woolen’s future, and had a lively discussion about Coby Bryant and how he could be a cheaper extension compared to others mentioned here. Bryce only had Walker and Lucas at 50/50 for an extension, whereas everyone else was at least 60 percent.
You can listen to the full show in the video below! It basically comprises most of the podcast outside of some John Schneider offensive line remarks and a seven-round mock draft toward the end. If you’re impatient, go to about the 5:00 mark for the start of our discussion.
Video
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Ryan MacMillan: @RMac1090
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