Seahawks Rookies Who Will Make Instant Impact in 2021 Season

Al Goldis/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks did the best they could to find quality prospects from their three 2021 NFL draft picks.

Seattle made one selection in the first three rounds and used that to get some extra help for Russell Wilson in the form of wide receiver D'Wayne Eskridge.

The Seahawks used their fourth-round pick on Oklahoma cornerback Tre Brown and took Florida's Stone Forsythe with their final selection in the second round.

The additions of Brown and Forsythe add depth to positions of need, but how much they will contribute remains to be seen.

Brown has a chance to compete for the starting cornerback spot left vacant by Shaquill Griffin. Forsythe is likely more of a long-term prospect with Duane Brown and Brandon Shell starting at offensive tackle.

Al Goldis/Associated Press

Seattle did not have to add another wideout to the offense in the second round, but they did get a darn good one out of the MAC.

Eskridge put up 768 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during Western Michigan's six-game 2020 slate. His 23.3 yards per catch was three yards better than the average he recorded in 2018.

He has a chance to put up similar totals in his rookie season beneath D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

In the best-case scenario, Eskridge will be an improvement over David Moore at the No. 3 wide receiver spot. Moore had 417 yards and six touchdowns in 2020.

Eskridge's production is important to Seattle's offense since the NFC West side only had Moore achieve over 400 receiving yards beneath its pair of 1,000-yard players.

If the second-round pick makes the most of his targets in the first few weeks, he could take some pressure off of Metcalf and Lockett by attracting more defensive interest.

If the Seahawks get 400-500 yards out of tight ends Will Dissly and Gerald Everett as well, they could be much deeper offensively than they were in 2020.

Jeffrey McWhorter/Associated Press

Seattle filled its cornerback void by signing Ahkello Witherspoon in free agency and taking Brown in the fourth round.

Brown should have more of an opportunity to start than other fourth-round picks because of the situation he enters.

The Seahawks need to replace Griffin, who was their best corner in 2020, and they might have to platoon Witherspoon and Brown throughout the season to get the best out of that spot.

Brown had 40 or more tackles and over 10 passes defended in 2018 and 2019, and he set a career best in interceptions with three in 2020.

Witherspoon has not started 16 games in a season during his four-year career. He has 24 passes defended and four interceptions in that span.

The former San Francisco player made 12 starts in 2018, but he only played in 21 contests over the last two seasons.

If Brown impresses enough in training camp, he could beat out the fifth-year player for the spot opposite Tre Flowers or D.J. Reed.

Statistics obtained from Sports Reference and Pro Football Reference.