One of the most overlooked teams going into the 2022 season was the Seattle Seahawks. After trading away Russell Wilson, most people expected the Seahawks to struggle, but instead, they surprised everyone by getting to the playoffs.
This year, the Seahawks won't be sneaking up on anyone, especially the San Francisco 49ers. During an interview this week with KNBR in San Francisco, 49ers general manager John Lynch praised the Seahawks and admitted that he absolutely views them as a threat in the NFC West.
"We feel the Seahawks coming," Lynch said, via 49ers Zone. "They're really good. They had a really good draft last year. I think they've repeated it this year."
If the Seahawks' 2023 draft class is just half as successful as their 2022 draft class, then they should be in good shape heading into the upcoming season. Last year, they drafted two starting tackles (Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas) along with a Pro Bowl corner (Tariq Woolen) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Kenneth Walker).
This year, the Seahawks got an extra first-round pick thanks to the Wilson trade and they used that on cornerback Devon Witherspoon at fifth overall. They also drafted wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 20th overall. The Seahawks have drafted pretty well over the years and Lynch definitely seemed to recognize that.
"Well, I'll say this, [Seahawks GM] John Schneider is as good at this job as anybody in our league," Lynch said. "And so you always know you're going to have competition with he and Pete Carroll, the way they work together, and they do it really well. They've kind of reinvented themselves numerous times."
Although Lynch will be keeping his eye on Seattle, he said the most important thing the 49ers can do is take care of their own business.
"The most important thing is that we continue to focus upon ourselves, and I think we continue to make our roster better," Lynch said. "I think this draft class will only add to that. And we're excited about our football team."
If you're wondering who had the better draft class in 2023, CBSSports.com draft guru Ryan Wilson says the 49es had a much better class than the Seahawks. In Wilson's ranking of all 32 teams, the 49ers ranked fourth overall while the Seahawks were near the bottom, ranking 29th overall.
The 49ers general manager also offered an update on Brock Purdy and it's expected that the QB will be able to throw in June, just three months after undergoing surgery on his elbow.
