Though they were routed in the Wild Card round of the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers, at the end of the 2022 season the Seattle Seahawks could afford to be very optimistic about their draft class from that year.

First-round left tackle Charles Cross Jr. and third-round right tackle Abe Lucas had displayed great promise. Second-round running back Kenneth Walker III had over 1,000 yards rushing and Tariq Woolen emerged as a fifth-round steal, his six-interception season putting him in the mix for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

But 2023 represented a step back for several members of what initially looked to have the hallmarks of a home-run draft class.

Lucas was limited to just six games due to injury, while Cross gave up 42 pressures, tied for 13th among tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Cross had a blown block rate of 5.2% across pass blocking and run blocking, per Sports Info Solutions, putting him 83rd among 108 tackles with at least 100 snaps.

Woolen had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions, but his completion percentage allowed went from 51.5 in 2022 to 57.7, while his passer rating allowed went from 48.7 to 79.8. He also came out of the lineup in Week 15 having endured issues with his tackling. His 10 missed tackles last season were tied for the most among cornerbacks, per PFF.

Walker still had over 1,100 yards from scrimmage, though he fell short of 1,000 on the ground, and second-round edge rusher Boye Mafe took a step forward with nine sacks. However, as a class, the 2023 season felt like one in which their progress stalled.

And, as the Seahawks transition to a new era under a new head coach in Mike MacDonald, it is crucial they get back on track and make progress to help his first season be a success.

Only five quarterbacks were pressured more often than Geno Smith (219) last year, underlining the importance of Cross and Lucas staying healthy and taking a step forward to facilitate an uptick in passing-game production from an offense blessed with immense talent in the form of receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Walker was much less of a boom-bust runner in year two but will still want to improve on a success rate of 46.6% that was 33rd among qualifying runners. If he and backup Zach Charbonnet can improve their efficiency, that will take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Smith and, more importantly, the O-Line.

Woolen getting back to his best after something of a sophomore slump would be extremely useful to Seattle in giving the Seahawks a bonafide top-tier starter on the outside to enable them to use the versatile Devon Witherspoon in a wide-ranging role in MacDonald's complex defensive scheme.

The Seahawks will have better odds of quickly and successfully transitioning to that scheme if they have a potent pass rush. The onus won't be entirely on Mafe in that regard, however, if he can build on his 2023 efforts and provide a solution at an edge rusher spot that has been a long-term issue for Seattle, the Seahawks will be in a much better position to slow down the high-powered offenses they face in the NFC West.

Progress in the NFL is rarely linear, so the Seahawks' 2022 class experiencing some bumps in the road was not exactly a surprise. Yet, if Seattle is to threaten to get back into the postseason in year one, it needs those third-year players to prove 2023 was indeed just a blip.

ESPN way-too-early mock draft would see Seahawks remain among NFL’s best at key position group

He could strike fear into opposing defenses.