Inside the Seahawks' Draft Room: What Really Went Down Behind Closed Doors

You want to know what the Seahawks were actually thinking in the draft room? Some insider details just surfaced, and they paint a pretty interesting picture of how Seattle's brain trust was evaluating talent this year.

According to reporting from John Boyle's breakdown of draft room activity and ESPN's Brady Henderson, we're getting some genuine tidbits about which players the organization loved, which ones got away, and which picks they viewed as reaches by other teams.

The Ones That Got Away

When there were 10 picks left in the first round, the Seahawks had exactly two players remaining on their board with first round grades. Beyond that, there were a handful more right on the line between late first and early second round value. The thing is, at least one defensive player the Seahawks liked ended up going off the board late in round one, and it clearly drew a reaction from the room.

Based on Henderson's reporting that Seattle was prepared to select Chris Johnson, it seems like Johnson being taken by the Dolphins is what disappointed the Seahawks. That's a guy they wanted in the worst way.

The Second Round Blueprint

Here's where it gets interesting. After the 55th pick, Boyle reported that the Seahawks had two players left on their board with legitimate second round grades. One was a pass rusher. The other was Bud Clark. The fact that Seattle didn't give second round grades to Emmanuel McNeil-Warren or Anthony Hill Jr. tells you something about how they valued the board differently than the national media did.

The Seahawks had pass rushers like Keyron Crawford in for visits, and that intel lines up with who actually came off the board in that range. They also had eyes on defenders like Derrick Moore, R Mason Thomas, and Jaishawn Barham, with Barham ultimately getting taken by Dallas at #92, right before Seattle was on the clock.

What becomes clear from all this? The Seahawks had a collection of similarly graded players they were comfortable with at multiple spots on the board. Guys like Beau Stephens, Treydon Stukes, and Jadarian Price all seemed to fall into that conversation.

What This Tells Us

These draft room details matter because they show you how Seattle's evaluators think. They weren't chasing names or national rankings. They had their own grades, their own convictions, and they stuck to them. Some players got away. Others fell to them. That's the game.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.