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Seattle Seahawks Rookie Class Rankings: Best in NFL?

The Seattle Seahawks boasted one of the NFL's best rookie classes in 2023.

Jeremy Brener

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The Seattle Seahawks have returned to the couch for the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, which is an all-too-familiar feeling for the veterans. However, for the rookies, it's their first taste of true disappointment as professionals.

The Seahawks had one of the better rookie classes in the NFL, led by their two first-round picks in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Those two, along with the rest of the class, landed the Seahawks at No. 7 in ESPN's rookie class rankings.

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USA TODAY

"The Seahawks' two first-round picks were their two most valuable rookies in 2023. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon ranked as the No. 2 defensive rookie in Total Points behind Branch of the Lions," ESPN writes. "He had a better than average minus-12% DVOA in coverage plus three sacks and a pick-six on his way to the Pro Bowl. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns, though he graded out as slightly below average in receiving DVOA."

On top of that, the Seahawks got some production from players like running back Zach Charbonnet and receiver Jake Bobo. The offensive line brought two starters in right guard Anthony Bradford and center Olu Oluwatimi. However, the rookies weren't all shiny.

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"One disappointment was second-round edge rusher Derick Hall, who had no sacks and only five pressures while playing roughly 25% of Seattle's defensive snaps. But this was the second straight strong rookie class for the Seahawks, who were the top-ranked team in this piece a year ago," ESPN writes.

If this rookie class can continue to develop, perhaps they can be playing meaningful football well into mid-January a year from now.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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