Field Gulls
Seahawks Draft Blog contributor Curtis Allen goes through the remaining players on Seattle’s 2022 draft class to see who could be in line for an extension.
On a recent episode of the HawksZone Rundown podcast, hosted by Bryce Coutts, Seahawks analyst Curtis Allen of SeahawksDraftBlog.com discussed the Seattle Seahawks’ 2022 draft class contract extensions and key training camp priorities for 2025. With critical roster decisions looming, the focus was on which players from this pivotal draft class will earn long-term deals and what Allen will observe at training camp.
As a reminder, here are the Seahawks from the 2022 class who are extension eligible:
(Note: Tyreke Smith returned to the team after being waived and thus no longer on his rookie deal)
The 2022 draft class, a cornerstone of Seattle’s post-Russell Wilson rebuild, includes players like Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, and Kenneth Walker III. Allen and Coutts highlighted that left tackle Charles Cross is the only true lock for an extension, given his consistent performance and the team’s need for offensive line stability.
However, with only three of the potential extension candidates likely to be retained, others like Mafe, Walker, and Riq Woolen must deliver strong 2025 seasons to secure deals. Walker, a dynamic running back, faces uncertainty due to injury concerns and a deep running back market, which could push Seattle to draft a cheaper alternative. Mafe, a versatile edge rusher, shows promise but needs to prove consistency for a significant contract.
“Mike Macdonald has said several times, if you listen to him, they want Boye Mafe to be a three-down player,” Allen said. “So, it’s they’re still waiting for him to kind of fully blossom into that [player] you can’t take him off the field to make a better scheme adjustment. He’s got to have a player that he can be on the field all on all three downs and he can be consistent.”
“What’s happening is you’ll find players that get seven or eight or nine sacks, but they don’t get a ton of money in the market. Kind of like Benson Mayowa, if you remember. You just don’t get a lot of money because—I don’t want to say they get empty sacks—but they get sacks and then they disappear for a few games, and they get a couple of sacks and they’re not around and they don’t contribute to that “on the game” presence.”
“The Seahawks would be really smart in my opinion to wait on Boye Mafe, see where he goes and see if he develops into a further rounded player.”
As a regular at Seahawks training camp, Curtis Allen outlined his 2025 priorities.
He will closely monitor the wide receiver battle behind top targets Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, evaluating which players, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tory...
