The Seattle Seahawks have the 16th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 25 in Detroit. The Seahawks own seven total picks in the seven-round draft.
Seahawks’ draft picks
RoundPickOverallNotes
1
16
16
3
17
81
From Saints via Broncos
4
2
102
From Commanders
4
18
118
6
3
179
From Commanders
6
16
192
7
15
235
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 25, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 26, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 27, noon ET
All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
About the Seahawks
• Head coach: Mike Macdonald (first season with team)
• General manager: John Schneider (15th season with team)
• Last year’s record: 9-8 (missed playoffs)
After Pete Carroll’s departure, Macdonald inherited a team that just barely missed the playoffs last season, so the expectation is that he’ll get the Seahawks over the hump in 2024. Schneider made changes to the roster in the offseason but the kept most of the core intact without spending heavily on any notable free agents. This suggests that Schneider and the front office believe overhauling the coaching staff will be the change this franchise truly needs to get back to championship contention. Unlike some of the other coaches hired during this cycle, Macdonald is walking into a situation in which he’s expected to win big, and do it immediately.
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Seahawks’ key position needs
Interior offensive line: Seattle’s projected starting interior offensive line is currently left guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (one career start), either Nick Harris (four starts) or Olu Oluwatimi (one start) at center and right guard Anthony Bradford (10 starts). That’s setting up to be an inexperienced offensive line with players who haven’t put much on film to suggest that they’ll be elite players at their respective positions. Offensive line coach Scott Huff has his work cut out for him in his first year coaching the position in the NFL, even if Seattle uses its first-round pick on a guard.
Linebacker: Free-agent signees Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker are capable starters, but they’re both on one-year contracts, so Seattle would be wise to draft at least one inside linebacker to have depth in 2024 and a potential starter in future seasons. And that assumes Dodson and Baker continue to play like capable starters in Macdonald’s scheme. Baker was a consistent player in Miami, but Dodson is coming to Seattle after only one year of production in Buffalo, so there’s no guarantee he blossoms into a star right away.
Safety: Seattle swapped Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs for K’Von Wallace and Rayshawn Jenkins. On paper, that’s not an upgrade when all parties are healthy, but Adams’ injury had to be a legitimate concern for Seattle, which appears to be of the belief that versatility at safety will be the key to improving the defense. Julian Love, Wallace and Jenkins have overlapping skill sets: box safeties who can, in certain situations, play the deep part of the field. But this unit could use another game changer in the draft, because only Jenkins is under contract beyond this season.
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Mike Macdonald’s vision for the Seahawks’ defense starts with one thing: Versatility
Interior defensive line: The need here isn’t as urgent after the re-signing of Leonard Williams on a three-year deal. Dre’Mont Jones is still under contract for two more seasons as well. Nose tackles Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins will be free agents after this season, and 2023 fourth-round pick Cameron Young is unproven. Seattle hasn’t effectively defended the run for the last two years, and although that’s not entirely the fault of the nose tackles, it’s worthwhile for Seattle to keep searching for upgrades at the position until it hits a home run.
Seahawks draft analysis
What’s next for the Seahawks? Free-agency moves put draft pressure on front office
Seahawks mock draft reaction: The pros and cons of trading down
Seahawks want to take a QB in the draft. Is Michael Penix Jr. the answer?
The Athletic’s latest mock drafts
March 25: Round 1 mock: QBs go 1-2-3-4
Even with a top offensive tackle sliding, Ben Standig has the Seahawks opting for a local product with more versatility.
March 21: Beat writer mock draft 2.0
Michael-Shawn Dugar lands Seattle’s versatile Washington OL Troy Fautanu in Round 1.
March 5: Dane Brugler’s post-combine mock draft
Brugler has the Seahawks trading down and still filling one of their biggest needs in Round 1.
Seahawks’ last five top picks
2023: CB Devon WitherspoonNo. 5 — The highest-drafted player of the Carroll-Schneider era, Witherspoon became an immediately impactful player last season, making the Pro Bowl and finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Witherspoon played nickel and left cornerback and recorded 16 pass breakups, an interception returned for a touchdown, three sacks, five additional tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
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2022: OT Charles CrossNo. 9 — Cross is a good athlete who has developed into a reliable left tackle, which is exactly what the Seahawks were hoping for when drafting him with the initial first-round pick they received in the Russell Wilson deal. Cross’ ceiling is still unclear, but he’s undoubtedly a successful pick for Seattle’s front office.
2021: WR Dee EskridgeNo. 56 — Seattle drafted Eskridge believing he’d grow into a reliable No. 3 receiver. Because of injuries and inconsistent performance, he has just 17 career catches for just 122 yards and one touchdown. Schneider’s staff hasn’t given up on Eskridge, but he has fallen down the depth chart beyond Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo.
2020: LB Jordyn BrooksNo. 27 — Brooks ranks sixth in tackles over the last three seasons and just had a career season by some measures. Seattle wanted to try to keep Brooks, but the combination of prioritizing Williams’ deal and the Dolphins operating with more urgency resulted in the Seahawks losing Brooks in free agency.
2019: DL L.J. CollierNo. 29 — The Seahawks needed a pass rusher after trading Frank Clark, so they used a first-round pick on the guy who was likely the highest-rated edge defender on their board. But in four seasons, Collier never had a clearly defined role and recorded only three sacks in 45 games.
(Photo of Troy Fautanu: Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)
2024-04-01 20:14:53
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