The Seattle Seahawks are 7-7 and could make the playoffs if they win out and get a little help. If Seattle finished with the same record as the Los Angeles Rams, for instance, they are cooked. The Rams hold the tie-break.
As things stand now, Seattle could choose anywhere from pick 12 to 20 in the 2024 NFL Draft. A lot depends, of course, on how well Seattle finishes the season. Should the Rams finished with the same record as the Seahawks, Los Angeles would also have a lower 2024 first round pick.
Mel Kiper has released his latest Big Board for the 2024 NFL Draft. Among the players are ones Seattle should definitely think of taking, and all three that follow are not quarterbacks. That said, all three players are not necessarily first-round picks either. Seattle could do a little trading and move back into the second round and possibly grab one of these potentially devastating prospects.
No. 1 - Seattle Seahawks should look at taking offensive lineman Troy Fautanu
The Seattle Seahawks need to rework the interior of their offensive line some. Evan Brown has played center in 2023 and hasn't been overly good since Week 2. Fautanu is not going to play center, however, and Seattle might have chosen their center of the future in 2023 NFL Draft pick Olu Oluwatimi.
Seattle might also have to replace left guard Damien Lewis. Lewis has been one of the Seahawks best offensive linemen the last four years but he is a free agent this coming offseason and he might not have sold Seattle well enough to re-sign. He could potentially ask for $10 million on the open market but has he been good enough to merit paying him that? Right guard has been a mess this year between rookie Anthony Bradford and veteran Phil Haynes.
Fautanu has spent most of his career at the University of Washington at left tackle, but he does have a bit of time at guard. Mel Kiper projects him as a guard in the NFL as well. Fautanu is 6'4" and 317 pounds so he already has good size for the league. He also has a high motor and a nasty streak.
No. 2 - Defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat
While the Seattle Seahawks run defense is a little better this year overall, they still might face an issue in 2024 along the interior of the defensive line. Leonard Williams has been terrific since he came over in a trade midway through the season, but he is a free agent this coming offseason. Dre’Mont Jones is signed through 2025, but he has an out in his contract after this year and he hasn’t been the player general manager John Schneider hoped when Jones was signed last offseason.
Jarran Reed is also signed through 2024 and he started off the season brilliantly but has digressed some. His backup is rookie Cam Young who hasn’t yet proven he can be a full-time starter in the NFL. Neither has fellow rookie Mike Morris who has missed most of the year with an injury.
T’Vondre Sweat is a mammoth human being at 6’4 and 360 pounds and he has surprising quickness for his size. Seattle needs someone in the middle of their line who can eat up blocks and allow players like Jones, assuming he returns, and Williams, assuming he is re-signed, to wreak havoc. Sweat, though, is also strong enough and skilled enough to be an impact player on his own.
Seattle could probably get Sweat in the second round if they trade back up into the round. This might mean moving down from wherever they are slated to choose in the first round and adding a second-rounder. Sweat will probably need to shed a few pounds as well to get into NFL shape, but he has the ability to help stop the run and get occasional quarterback pressure from the middle of the defensive line.
No. 3 - Safety Kamren Kinchens
I think that the Seattle Seahawks should move on from both Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. While they are both under contract through at least 2024, releasing them would save the Seahawks a bit over $17 million. Had either player done as well as expected this year, I wouldn't want to move on from them but Adams has been an issue on and off the field and Diggs seems to have lost half a step.
Letting go of Diggs and Adams, however, means Seattle would just have Julian Love as a veteran safety. Coby Bryant also returns but he doesn't have that many snaps at safety and many more at slot corner. Bryant is just good enough to be a decent backup but does not appear to be good enough to be a quality starter anywhere on the field.
Kinchens is a versatile safety who covers the field extremely well and can also crunch the offensive line on run plays. He has more of the size of a free safety at 6' and 205 pounds but he has the physicality to play strong safety as needed. The safety class for 2024 isn't elite, but Kinchens is definitely the best of the group. Seattle might even be able to get him if they trade back into the second round.
Kinchens also would give Seattle a ball-hawk. He has 11 interceptions combined in his last two years at Miami and has returned 2 of those picks for touchdowns. He is a very good athlete with a high motor. The only thing to really worry about is that he doesn't go all Jamal Adams or Marquise Blair and tries to be too aggressive and gets toasted on deep passes.