Inside the Seahawks Draft Room on Days 1 and 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft

It’s 6:45 p.m. Friday night and West Coast Seahawks scout Josh Graff is standing on a table in the middle of the Derrick Jensen Draft Room at the request of general manager John Schneider.

It’s not uncommon in NFL scouting circles to hear the phrase “stand on the table” for a prospect, meaning a scout is so convinced the team should select that player that he would rise on a table to plead his case. That phrase isn’t taken literally too often, in this case Graff was indeed atop a table as the Seahawks were set to select Washington State tackle Abraham Lucas with their third-round pick, n ° 72 in total.

And it wasn’t that Graff needed more persuasion at this point to sell his colleagues on Lucas, an athletic right tackle who was a four-year starter for the Cougars, but rather that Schneider and company wanted to let it all go. everyone in the room, and especially Graff — who not only scouted Lucas but also attended the same high school, Archbishop Murphy in Everett — enjoy the moment the Seahawks made their final four picks in the top 72 that , they hope, will help lead the franchise to years of future success.

Before and after this year’s draft, Schneider and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll drew comparisons to 2010, their first draft together and the last time Seattle held a Top 10. Some of the players acquired in that draft, including first-round picks Russell Okung and Earl Thomas, second-round pick Golden Tate and fifth-round pick Kam Chancellor, helped lay the foundation for the most successful decade in franchise history, and if the Seahawks will quickly rebound from their first losing season in more than a decade and embark on another string of sustained success, they are counting on the players selected in this year’s draft to become fundamental elements of this next series as well.

The Seahawks had more draft capital this year than they have since that 2010 draft, adding the ninth overall pick and a first second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in the trade that sent Russell Wilson in Denver, and came out of the weekend with nine new players, making the draft a great opportunity to help shape the future of the team.

With that in mind, Seahawks.com spent the first two days of the 2022 NFL Draft in the Seahawks draft room to give you a behind-the-scenes look as the Seahawks acquired four players: tackle Charles Cross, outside linebacker Boye Mafe , running back Ken Walker III and tackle Abraham Lucas in rounds 1-3.

For more behind-the-scenes Seahawks coverage, check out “The Sound,” a story focused on the 2022-23 Seattle Seahawks access. Fans can expect monthly episodes that highlight key main characters throughout the season. This series serves as a window into Virginia Mason Athletic Center for all 12, highlighting the highs and lows that come with being on an NFL team. You can watch new episodes and catch up on previous ones on YouTube.com/Seahawks.

The first episode of “The Sound” follows the 2022 NFL Draft and the Seahawks’ mini Rookie camp. From inside the draft room to exclusive reactions from newly drafted players, “Fresh Seattle Air” shows what it’s like to draft and be drafted. Tune in to the first episode on Wednesday, May 25 via the Seahawks YouTube channel.

As the New York Jets select Sauce Gardner with the fourth overall pick — the second straight cornerback on the board after Houston’s pick of Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 3 — Schneider is on the phone with the Giants GM Joe Schoen to talk about a possible trade for New York’s pick at No. 7 (Giants hold picks No. 5 and 7). The call ends so the Giants can make their pick, Oregon passes rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, and then Schneider and Schoen resume the conversation, ultimately deciding not to make a deal. The Giants will pick at No. 7 and the Seahawks will wait for the ninth pick, hoping that one of the players at the top of their roster will still be available.

With three teams still ahead of them, the Seahawks still have several players with first-round ratings on their roster, so they’re going to have a player they like, the only question now is which one and if they can get one on one. position of need.

Carolina picks NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, one of three tackles the Seahawks have near the top of their roster. Jack Schneider, John’s youngest son, climbs a stepladder to remove Ekwonu’s name from the board.

The Giants use their second first-round pick on Alabama tackle Evan Neal, another of Seattle’s top tackles, but not the one who remains top-rated. That would be Charles Cross from Mississippi State.

The Seahawks are on deck and the player they want is still there, but you have to sweat the Falcons’ pick at No. 8 first. These are tense times, and John Schneider asks Jack to turn the music down, soft reggae that was playing throughout the evening.

Could the Falcons take a tackle here? Could they trade him to another team looking to overtake Seattle, a team for whom tackling was an obvious need before the draft?

The choice is made and the Falcons select USC receiver Drake London.