5 players Seattle Seahawks can draft to make Mike Macdonald's life easier

Defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois

Adding another Illinois player high in the draft for the second year in a row would be a smart move for Seattle. In the 2023 draft, the Seahawks chose cornerback Devon Witherspoon at pick number five and he was a Pro Bowler in his first season. He likely is only going to get better and could be on All-Pro teams soon. Witherspoon should be able to help his former teammate transition to the NFL.

Newton likely needs to gain a little weight as he is 295 pounds but 6'2" but this should not be an issue in an NFL weight-training program. He also seems a little stiff in his movements, but those are possibly his only two issues. Otherwise, he is certainly strong enough to join a defensive line rotation early in his career while he still develops. His technique is excellent and he knows how to use his hands to move his blocker where he needs him to go.

Newton also has alignment versatility. He does not have to play just a 3-4 base or 4-3. While Seattle will move back to a 4-3 with Mike Macdonald in charge of the defense, the coach will still not allow his defense to be predictable so having a player such as Newton that can be moved around some is an advantage.

Seattle might even be able to move back a few places in the draft and still get Newton while hopefully picking up a second-round pick. Not that Newton is not worthy of being taken in the top 20 of the draft because he is. Other teams just might have greater needs than choosing a defensive tackle.