Normally it is hyperbole to say the following phrase, but it fits for the Seattle Seahawks. A new era has dawned in Seattle. Out is former head coach Pete Carroll who also had the final say in all roster decisions. In is first-time head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider will have the final say over roster decisions.
Because of the above, 12s cannot really know what to expect Seattle to do in free agency or the NFL draft in 2024. The team is tight against the salary cap so there is not much money to spend. That makes the draft even more important and Seattle cannot afford to miss on too many choices.
In the following mock draft, I used Pro Football Focus's (subscription required) mock draft simulator. I received a post-mock grade of B+ for the picks. I did not see the point in going back and trying to earn an A because that would be cheating the system and my honest decisions at the time of whom I chose. Still, I did go defense early as that side of the football needs the most help for the Seahawks and because Macdonald is a defensive-minded coach.
Seattle Seahawks draft edge rusher Laiatu Latu with 16th overall pick
The most logical choice in the first round of Mike Macdonald's first draft as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks would seem to be a defensive one. Maybe Seattle goes with the best available interior defensive lineman or am inside linebacker instead, but choosing a versatile and athletic edge rusher makes the most sense. Latu is 6'5" and 260 pounds and fast.
If not for a neck injury when Latu was still at the University of Washington in 2020, Latu would have played more in college and likely be an even higher pick in the 2024 NFL draft. But Latu is healthy and Seattle will get the benefit of him dropping to pick 16. Her had double-digit sack totals in each of his final two seasons in college, both of which were at UCLA, and in 2023 he had 21.5 tackles for loss. He also intercepted 2 passes and forced 2 fumbles. There is nothing that Latu does not do well on the field.
The only issues Latu might have to begin his career are all fixable. Like most rookies, he needs to gain a bit of muscle, specifically for Latu in his legs. He also needs to consistently have better technique when setting the edge. But Macdonald would probably find various ways to make Latu an impact player beginning in his first season.
Seahawks third round picks
Seahawks draft guard Christian Haynes with 78th overall pick
Haynes lacks great height - he is only 6'2" - or otherwise he would likely be a much higher pick. He has the agility and strength to play in the NFL and weighs 320 pounds so he won't need to gain much more, if any. Technically, Haynes is already ready for the next level as he takes excellent angles and anticipates what a defensive player is going to try to do against him.
Even though Haynes did not play at a Big 5 school, Connecticut still played a decent schedule with games against Tennessee, Maryland, and Duke. I bring that up because Haynes allowed just one sack this year and only 3 sacks in the last three seasons. He also allowed just 4 total quarterback hits in three years. Seattle might need to replace left guard Damien Lewis and Haynes could step in sooner than later to do so.
Seattle drafts defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro with 81st overall pick
The Clemson product has good size at 6'4" and 290 pounds. Plus, the Seahawks certainly need defensive line help as Leonard Williams is likely to leave in free agency and so could Mario Edwards, Jr. Orhohoro isn't quite ready to take up all the reps lost by Williams or Edwards, but he has the raw skills to develop into a player who could.
The biggest issue for Orhorhoro immediately is that he has to develop better pass-rush moves. He only seemed to learn how to bluu-rush. He has good strength, but not enough strength yet to battle NFL offensive linemen. The guess is that Macdonald will know how to get him ready and productive earlier than most coaches.
Seahawks fourth and fifth round choices
Seahawks draft safety Beau Brade with 118th overall pick
The Seahawks might need to address the losses of Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams if both are released to create cap room. Adams hasn't been able to stay healthy and hasn't been very good when he is on the field. Diggs digressed this season and will be 31 years old in 2024. Not old, but not young for a free safety either. Diggs appeared to lose half-a-step in 2023 anyway.
Brade is big enough to play safety in the NFL at 6'1" and 210 pounds and the Maryland product does not shy away from physicality. But he also sometimes resembles former Seattle safety Marquise Blair in that Brade does not quite know when to cool down. He is often overly aggressive which can cost him against bigger NFL players and in coverage. Still, the want to succeed is there and he has decent speed.
Seattle takes tight end AJ Barner with 154th overall pick
Like with the safety group, Seattle might also have to remake its tight end room. Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are both free agents. That leaves only Will Dissly as the Seahawks' only proven tight end and even Dissly contract is bloated. Plus, Dissly seems to be more of a blocker than a receiver at this point. Seattle will need a tight end who can block, of course, but also be a dangerous pass receiver.
We know Barner is a very good run-blocker as that is what he was mostly asked to do in Michigan's run-heavy attack. Michigan also played a pro-style offense so Barner should not have much time adjusting from college to the NFL in that aspect. He does appear to have the ability to catch and run, however, as the 6'6" and 245 pound tight end averaged a decent 11.3 yards per reception in 2023.
Seahawks sixth and seventh round selections
Seahawks draft linebacker Jaylan Ford with 194th overall pick
Another iffy position for Seattle. Every single proven linebacker is a free agent this offseason. That seemed like bad planning, didn't it? At least prior to the draft 12s will know if Seattle needs to take a linebacker to help the free agents they have signed or have an absolutely dire situation at the position. If the latter is true, forget Ford. Seattle will need to address the situation much higher in the draft.
Texas product Ford has good athleticism but not great. He will need to show he can offer Seattle something else in order to get lots of reps. He tackles well enough but does not have the outright speed to cover receivers overly well. He also might not have the burst to chase down NFL ball carriers in the open field.
Seattle takes quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa with 236th overall pick (seventh round)
Tagovailoa (the brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, of course) was hoping to get another year to play in college but the NCAA denied his appeal. This forces him into the NFL draft where there is a decent chance he does not get taken at all. He is a different quarterback than his brother. Taulia is good on short passes but has nowhere near Tua's ability to throw the ball down the field with velocity and accuracy.
The former Maryland QB is smart, however, and that might be enough to land him as a backup on an NFL team or two for several years. He knows where the ball needs to go if he does not have the physical skill to always do that. In limited snaps in a conservative offense, he might do well, though.