Seattle’s only pick in the opening eighty saw new Seahawks Head Coach Mike MacDonald address a key area of their game in which they fell short last season: stopping the run.
Murphy has been drafted to do exactly that, despite his small frame at only 6’0 and 297lbs, the former Texas Longhorn was regarded as one of the best defensive talents in his entire draft class having been named as the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the year as well as First Team all Big 12.
Despite growing up in Texas, Murphy is said to have always been a fan of the Seahawks, having grown up in the era of the Legion of Boom. Even having said to have looked up to former Defensive Tackle and Seattle Legend Michael Bennett.
Murphy finished his junior season with 29 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. As well as this, he claimed his goal is to wreak havoc for offenses as his great hands, small frame and explosive nature all lend themselves to him being a future star in the Emerald City.
Unusually, Murphy is not only a star on defence, he can also be an asset to the Seahawks offence, having two offensive touchdowns to his name, one was when he rushed for a touchdown against the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl and the other was when he caught a touchdown pass in a win over Oklahoma.
Christian Haynes | Guard | Connecticut | Round 3 Pick 91 -
Having had to wait until the end of the third round to make their next pick, the next pick they made was to address another area the Seahawks have looked to fix over recent years, their offensive line.
Despite having addressed some areas over recent years, having drafted stars such as Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, there is still room for improvement and new Offensive line coach Scott Huff will be hoping Haynes will be the next piece of the puzzle.
Haynes is a no nonsense Guard from UConn who has an impressive highlight reel and was a player the Seattle draft room were waiting for with their third round pick, despite some nerves when four offensive linemen went between the 73rd and 79th pick, the Seahawks eventually got their guy.
General manager John Schneider has used words like ‘smart, nasty and reliable’ to describe Haynes who was a four-year starter and two-year captain for UConn, where he started 49 consecutive games, earning third-team AP All-Pro honours each of the past two seasons.
Tyrice Knight | Linebacker | UTEP | Round 4 Pick 118 -
Knight is the first defensive player since 2008 to be drafted from the University of El Paso at Texas.
Knight joins free-agent additions Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker as new linebacker acquisitions for Seattle after Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks both signed elsewhere in free agency.
Versatility was an area of his game that the Seahawks were particularly fans of when Knight made the pre-draft visit to Seattle. His incredible football IQ is key in producing an elite level linebacker. At pre-snap he is great at commanding his defence and then is quick to diagnose plays which could be crucial in the run defence game Seattle has struggled to stop over recent years.
Knight himself achieved 55 run-stops in 2023 alone. In the same season he managed, 84 solo tackles, 140 total tackles, including a team-leading 15.5 tackles for loss, he also had 4.5 sacks, seven passes defended and a forced fumble, and was named first-team All-Conference USA.
AJ Barner | Tight End | Michigan | Round 4 Pick 121 –
When the pick was announced by the Seattle Seahawks representatives in Dortmund, many fans were surprised to see the name of a Tight End be announced, considering the depth Seattle have in this position, and in their receiving core in general.
An area Barner is especially prolific in however is his run blocking ability, which when paired with the pass catching ability of Noah Fant, could prove to be a particularly effective one-two punch and provide different options in the offensive game.
In his lone season at Michigan, Barner won a national championship, took the Big Ten Conference Title and was a finalist for the John Mackey award, an award for the best college tight end.
As a Michigan Wolverine, Barner started eight games, appearing in 15, and caught 22 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown. He also featured on special teams for current Seahawks special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh.
Nehemiah Pritchett | Cornerback | Auburn University | Round 5 Pick 136 –
The first of two Auburn cornerbacks to be selected by the Seahawks in the 2024 NFL draft, Pritchett is the latest to join a secondary that has been coined “the Legion of Zoom” joining speedsters Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon.
Pritchett ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. And despite being known for his speed, Pritchett also takes pride in being a physical cornerback. Claiming, “I'm not going to shy away from contact”.
In his four seasons as a starter, Pritchett recorded 24 passes defended, as well as three interceptions, 111 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
However, he must work on his tackle consistency and his ability to assist the run game.
Sataoa Laumea | Tackle | Utah | Round 6 Pick 179 –
The first of three selections by Seattle in the third round, Laumea is expected to add depth to the Seahawks offensive line for the upcoming season.
Laumea was a four-year starter for Utah. Starting 44 straight games, where he will bring versatility to the line, having started at right guard for his first two seasons before moving to right tackle for the past two seasons.
The ability to play a number of positions as well as his focus on physicality within his game is undoubtedly what led the Seahawks to make the pick. Laumea has been able to harness this physicality to form himself into a competent drive blocker and possesses the agility to help exploit holes for Running Back Kenneth Walker III in lateral positions.
D.J. James | Cornerback | Auburn University | Round 6 Pick 192 –
James became the second Cornerback to be drafted out of Auburn in the 2024 NFL Draft, following in the footsteps of teammate Pritchett.
Beginning his college career at Oregon, where in 2021 he started 11 games, making 46 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended. He then moved to Auburn for the last two years of his college career.
James started 22 of his 24 games at Auburn, leading the team for passes defended last season with 10. He also totalled 75 tackles and three interceptions over his two seasons in orange.
Michael Jerrell | Tackle | Findlay | Round 6 Pick 207 –
The eighth and final of Seattle’s 2024 NFL Draft picks was Jerrell. Having been a multi-sport athlete in High School, playing both football and basketball, however he only started on varsity for one year which lead to him going under the radar for college ball.
This is what led to him going to Division II Findlay where he became the G-MAC Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2023. He also started 40 straight games to end his college career, and in 2023 was part of a line that allowed only 17 sacks.
