This Seahawks player should be over the moon about Seattle's first-round pick

The Seattle Seahawks had several needs heading into the 2024 NFL draft. One was to add youth and talent along the defensive line. Seattle can check that off their list as general manager John Schneider took Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II with the number 16 pick in the draft. Murphy should be a Week 1 starter playing next to Leonard Williams, Dre'Mont Jones, and Jarran Reed.

Seattle had a number of other options, of course. They could have traded back and tried to pick up extra picks in the draft, including potentially adding a second-round selection back. In essence, however, Seattle's choices in the first and second rounds ended up being Murphy and Leonard Williams. Seattle gave up their second-round choice in the 2024 draft by trading for Williams midway through the 2023 season.

With those added picks, Seattle might have decided to take a couple of offensive linemen. One may have been a guard and another might have been a center. The Seahawks could have traded back and chosen a player such as Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson would then likely have started at center and Seattle could then later on - and still might be able to - take a guard such as Michigan's Zak Zinter.

Olu Oluwatimi should be psyched that the Seattle Seahawks chose Byron Murphy II

But Powers-Johnson will probably be gone by the next time Seattle chooses, which is not until the third round. The team is not going to take a player now that is a pure center. Taking Murphy in the first round means no more high-round picks which means Seattle might be looking more for depth now instead of a guaranteed 2024 starter.

No player should be happier about this than Olu Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi was taken in the 2023 draft and is not going to ever play anything other than center. Because Seattle did not take a center high in 2024 likely means Oluwatimi is going to be the Week 1 starter. He will get his chance then to prove he can be Seattle's long-term starter at the position.

The hope, of course, is that he will be. He was excellent in college though it took him a bit of time to acclimate. The trend might be following Oluwatimi in the NFL which means he is not only going to be a starter but a very good one. After Seattle did not trade back in the first round, Oluwatimi better be good or the Seahawks will need to find his replacement in the 2025 draft.

Read more from 12th Man Rising