The 2024 NFL draft is just a bit over two weeks away. This means 12s will learn who the new Seattle Seahawks players are. Get ready to buy those jerseys once the numbers are assigned!
But what will general manager John Schneider decide to do in the draft? This is one of the more exciting parts for Seahawks fans because, for the first time since 2010, Schneider will have full control over the roster moves instead of former head coach Pete Carroll. Schneider could take a player or three that Carroll would not.
Schneider will also want to take players that fit new head coach Mike Macdonald's scheme. Or maybe new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme. No matter, the draft is going to be must-watch viewing for 12s everywhere.
Seattle Seahawks should avoid edge rusher Chop Robinson from Penn State
Robinson is going in the first round in many mock drafts and some have him going to the Seahawks. There is little doubt he has fantastic athleticism and he proved that at the NFL Combine where he ran a 4.48 40 and 34.5" vertical jump. But simply being a physical freak does not mean that a player is going to succeed in the NFL. There are many other attributes one has to have in order to be worthy of being taken in the first round.
There are major concerns about Robinson. One is that even though he probably had better raw physical ability than most everyone he faced in college, that skill did not translate to high production in terms of sacks. He had 5.5 sacks in 2022 and 4 in 2023. He did get decent pressure on quarterbacks, but he could not finish. Why?
Part of the problem is that he doesn't have a lot of pass-rush moves. Robinson's athleticism is not going to turn him into a good NFL player as pro offensive linemen know how to easily overcome someone with just raw skill. Robinson also lacks length in both arms and legs so while he has a first quick step, he lacks the long legs it takes to make up ground quickly if he doesn't get close to the quarterback nearly immediately after the snap.
Seahawks should not take edge rusher Laiatu Latu from UCLA
As opposed to Chop Robinson, Latu was extremely productive in his final two years of college as he was credited with 23.5 sacks, 34 tackles for loss, and he forced 5 fumbles. Those kinds of numbers jump off the page to an NFL scout. Plus, Latu is big enough to play right away in the NFL as he is 6'3" and nearly 260 pounds. He has a wide variety of pass-rush moves and prepares for different blockers each week.
So what is not to like? The major concern is probably not that he thought he might have to quit playing football altogether because of a neck injury he suffered at the University of Washington prior to transferring to UCLA. Teams will worry about a neck injury, of course, and as they should, so should the player. Without the neck injury, Latu might even go in the top 10 of the draft.
The biggest issue with Latu is he appears to only be very good at pressuring quarterbacks. He would be a liability against the run as he failed to hold his run lane quite a lot in college and he doesn't win at the point of attack very much. Latu is not a well-rounded edge rusher and head coach Mike Macdonald likes players who can play on any down because that helps him disguise his scheme more.
Latu might turn out to be a slightly higher-level Darrell Taylor. Latu might consistently getter pressure on quarterbacks, but if Latu and Taylor are not good against the run then the Seahawks would have a group of edge rushers where half of the group can only play on obvious passing downs. That is not going to work.
Seattle should avoid safety Kamren Kinchens from Miami
The Seahawks likely need a safety in the 2024 draft. Julian Love and K'Von Wallace are only signed through 2024 currently, and Rayshawn Jenkins has an out in his contract that would save Seattle over $5 million next offseason. The problem for Seattle is that the safety class this year is not particularly deep and seems to be getting less deep with each passing pro day.
Minnesota's Tyler Nubin and, potentially, Iowa's Cooper DeJean could both be good safeties in the league, but DeJean (assuming a team wants to play him at safety instead of cornerback and he could likely succeed at both) might be gone before Seattle chooses in the first round, especially if John Schneider trades back. Nubin could be around in the second round, but Seattle has bigger positional needs than safety so not taking a safety high is likely.
One safety who could fall into the third round or later is Kamren Kinchens, but the reasons he falls are the reasons Seattle should avoid choosing him. He is the kind of safety who is built to get torched often on deep passes. He is not overly big at 5'11" and 200 pounds and he only ran a 4.65 40 at the NFL Combine and had a broad jump of only 9'2". That last number is the worst among the safety group at the combine since 1999.
He looked solid in college against players who are not going to ever play in the NFL. Kinchens has good instincts, at least, and that will help him get drafted and hang around with a team, but he will probably start as a special teamer and might develop into a slot corner.