Round 1: Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas (No. 16 overall)
Round 3: Christian Haynes, OG, Connecticut (81)
Round 4: Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP (118) | AJ Barner, TE, Michigan (121)
Round 5: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn (136)
Round 6: Sataoa Laumea, OT, Utah (179) | DJ James, CB, Auburn (192) | Michael Jerrell, OT, Findlay (207)
Without Pete Carroll in the war room for the first time in almost 15 years, this was always going to be an interesting draft for the Seahawks. How would John Schneider, originally hired as general manager one week after Carroll arrived in Seattle back in 2010, work with new head coach Mike Macdonald? Well, if the first pick is any indication, swimmingly. Byron Murphy II is the perfect tone-setter for the inaugural draft of the Macdonald era, as a compact 3-tech disruptor who wins with quickness, strength and leverage. Macdonald just had one of those in Justin Madubuike, and he helped make the Baltimore defensive tackle a very rich man. Pre-draft buzz had Murphy potentially going in the top 10, so ‘Hawks brass had to be thrilled when an unprecedented run on offensive players pushed the top DT right into Seattle’s lap.
After that slam-dunk selection to fill a need in style on Thursday night, Seattle had to wait 65 picks before coming back on the clock late Friday evening. Yet, the Seahawks still were able to fill another need with offensive guard Christian Haynes. A model of dependability, Haynes has been in UConn’s starting lineup for the team’s past 49 games, earning third-team All-American honors in each of the last two seasons — no small feat, considering the Huskies went just 9-16 in that span. UConn coach Jim Mora, who actually preceded Carroll as head coach of the Seahawks, gushes about his former team captain’s character.
On Saturday, Seattle continued to address soft spots on the roster, starting with the linebacker position, which lost both Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks in free agency. Now, the Seahawks took Tyrice Knight higher than many draftniks expected the ‘backer to go, but he just led the FBS with 84 solo tackles this past season. Not to mention, my esteemed colleague Charles Davis “pounded the table” for him. Meanwhile, after premium blocking TE Will Dissly signed with Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers in free agency, Seattle scooped up A.J. Barner, the tight end who was a mauling blocker for Harbaugh’s previous team in Ann Arbor. And lastly, I appreciate how Seattle cornered the market on Auburn cornerbacks, taking Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James in back-to-back rounds. James, in particular, feels like a potential steal at No. 192.
2024-05-01 16:57:00
#Cardinals #clean #Rams #Seahawks #beef #trenches
