Here's what Seahawks said about incoming rookie class after NFL draft

In assessing lessons learned from how the Seahawks handled the aftermath of their first Super Bowl win 12 years ago, general manager John Schneider said recently that one stood out.

Specifically, he said there were times the team drafted players in the years following the 2013 season who might have arrived in awe of the likes of big-name players such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner rather than feeling like they belonged on the same team.

So as the Seahawks prepared for their first draft in the wake of another Super Bowl win, Schneider said identifying players with the requisite competitiveness was a necessity.

In fact, Schneider said if the Seahawks didn't sense a player had that needed confidence "they weren't going to be on our (draft) board.''

Odds say that it won't be easy for the five players Seattle selected on the final day of the draft Saturday - all in rounds five through seven - to make the 53-man roster this fall.

But at least one, nose tackle Deven Eastern of Minnesota taken in the seventh round, spoke as if he'd gotten the message.

"Understand that I have a job to do and these are my teammates,'' he said of coming to Seattle and trying to win a spot on a team that returns all but five players who saw action in the 29-13 win over New England in the Super Bowl in February. "Being able to give everything I've got to help this team do it again. That's my goal. I want to help this team be as impactful as possible. I want to do my best to help them do that."

Eastern was one of three players Seattle selected in the seventh round Saturday, all with picks Schneider acquired with deals made to add extra selections.

Seattle entered the draft with just four picks but ended up with eight.

Seattle also entered Saturday's final day with just two but finished with five by pulling off three separate deals during the day

The five selected Saturday were: guard Beau Stephens of Iowa (fifth round, 148 overall); receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. of Kansas (sixth, 199); cornerback Andre Fuller of Toledo (seventh, 236); Eastern (seventh, 242); and cornerback Michael Dansby of Arizona (seventh, 255).

Those five added to the three players Seattle picked in the first two days - running back Jadarian Price of Notre Dame (first, 32); safety Bud Clark of TCU (second, 64); and cornerback Julian Neal of Arkansas (third, 99).

The addition of Fuller and Dansby meant Seattle ended up using three of its eight picks on cornerbacks to add to the five who were already on the roster.

"You can never have too many corners,'' coach Mike Macdonald said.

All also could help on special teams, and that appeared to be just as big of a factor in why Seattle added picks to take Fuller and Dansby, as well as Henderson, who each had either significant return or coverage experience, or both.

The Seahawks appeared likely to try to sign each as undrafted free agents had they not been drafted, and Schneider hinted that one reason for making trades to draft them was to assure they got them.

Schneider also has noted that it became more difficult following the 2013 Super Bowl win to attract some UDFAs who might have preferred to sign instead with teams where they figured they'd have a better chance to make the roster.

The three seventh-round picks were all acquired in trade downs.

The most significant trade Seattle made Saturday, though, was a trade up, dealing a fourth-round pick in 2027 to Cleveland for the 148th pick in the fifth round this year to take Stephens.

Seattle hadn't been expected to pick until 188 and figured there was no shot to get Stephens there.

But as Stephens continued to be available, Schneider said the Seahawks decided to get aggressive and assure getting him. "Too much talent there,'' Schneider said of Stephens, saying "we were pretty surprised'' he was still available but didn't think he'd last to 188.

"There was too big of a gap,'' Schneider said.

Seattle also felt comfortable dealing a 2027 pick because the Seahawks are projected to have 12 selections in that draft when taking into account four expected compensatory picks for free agents lost this year.

"We did have a plan to kind of play the compensatory game,'' Schneider said, "… We were like, ‘All right, we have the 12 picks next year.'''

Seattle had Stephens in for a 30 visit before the draft and more than a few analysts had mocked him to the Seahawks in the third round after a career in which he started 35 games at Iowa, 13 last season when he was named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press and part of a unit that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top offensive line.

At Iowa, he was also a teammate of current Seahawk guard/tackle Mason Richman, a seventh-round pick a year ago. Stephens said Richman will be party of the wedding party for his planned July 4 celebration.

Stephens was also regarded as one of the best zone blocking guards in the country, which the Seahawks think will make him a good fit for their outside zone rushing scheme.

Stephens said his visit to Seattle convinced him that the Seahawks were "going to be the right fit for me.''

Stephens played left guard the past two seasons but played right guard earlier in his career. Macdonald said the team will "figure it out later'' which side Stephens will play with Seattle.

But the best odds are that he plays at right guard, where he would compete with Anthony Bradford, who is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract. The 2025 first-round pick Grey Zabel seems entrenched on the left side for years to come.

Stephens, too, appeared to have gotten the message about coming in to compete, no matter which side of the line he ends up.

"You're going to get a mauler in the run game; technical in the pass game,'' he said of what he brings to Seattle. "Love to go in to hit. I'm not one to shy away from contact, for sure.''

If there were a surprise on the weekend it's that the Seahawks did not add an edge rusher, specifically someone to help replace the departed Boye Mafe, who signed with the Bengals.

Schneider said one reason the team didn't feel an urgency to draft a rush end is the young players at that spot already on the roster such as Jamie Sheriff, Connor O'Toole and Jared Ivey, all entering either their second or third year.

"We're really excited about those guys and they worked really hard last year,'' Macdonald said. "I think all of them were ready to go if need be to go play in a game, it's just that's the way the roster worked out on a week-to-week basis. We're fired up about those guys.''

But another reason could be that the Seahawks might be planning to sign veteran Dante Fowler, who was in for a visit this month.

There is likely to now be a rush of free-agent signings because the draft also marks the time when signings no longer count against teams for getting compensatory picks next year,

Asked if the Seahawks could sign a free agent now at that spot, Schneider said, "Yeah, we may.''

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