Seahawks' strongest and weakest position groups after the 2024 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks addressed serious needs in the 2024 draft. While they now have true positions of strength, they still have work to do at others.

The Hawks came into the draft with serious question marks at multiple positions. Back-to-back 9-8 seasons with just one playoff appearance in the last three is the unfortunate proof of that, That being said, John Schneider took some strong steps to rectify the situation. While most 12s expected him to move back from the first round, he stayed put and got the best defender in the draft. Don't take my word for it; just check the reaction on Twitter. Byron Murphy II is that guy,

From there, Seattle surprised again and stayed at the 81st overall pick. They knew they needed to address the last hole left on the offensive line, and they waited for the best pure guard in the draft to fall to them in the third round. Christian Haynes was the top projection at guard on almost all boards and was seen as a second-round talent. He's equally adept at blocking for the run or the pass and should push for a starting role immediately.

Seattle Seahawks strengthened two defensive squads, did nothing at a third

The Hawks' poor record in run defense over the past two seasons can be blamed as much on the scheme as on the talent. Running a 3-4 with the undersized Jarran Reed at nose tackle didn't turn out to be the answer anyone wanted. He graded poorly according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) at 53.0 vs the run, but he simply doesn't have the size to play nose. Dre'Mont Jones was also miscast in the 3-4. His performance improved drastically after the Hawks moved him to the edge after week 9. His overall PFF grade for last year was 61.7, but from week 10 on, he was graded at 66.1. Not amazing, but a far cry from the sad grade of 57.0.

With the addition of the ridiculously strong Murphy, coach Mike Macdonald has the ability to move his Jones, Reed, the stalwart Leonard Williams, and his prize rookie all over the line. Reed and Jones are better outside the tackles, true, but their ability to play inside will only help confuse opposing offenses on their assignments. New addition Johnathan Hankins may be past his prime, but he'll be a valuable role player at one tackle spot. I doubt that Coach Mike will drop him back into coverage very often; he doesn't seem to have a lot of Ken Norton Jr. traits.

The biggest takeaway here is that the Seahawks had an established core on the D-line with Williams, Reed, and Jones. That group was already going to take huge strides forward with better coaching. Murphy has been compared by multiple analysts to Aaron Donald and Geno Atkins, holy terrors who gave opposing linemen nightmares throughout their careers.

Hawks also added a pair of cornerbacks to a room that was already pretty full. I really liked the draft of Auburn's Nehemiah Pritchett in the fifth round. He can definitely challenge for a spot as the third CB on this team. The following selection in the sixth round of Pritchett's teammate, D.J. Jones, is more than a bit puzzling. Perhaps Seattle sees Pritchett as someone who could move into more of a rover role, similar to Kyle Hamilton's role in Baltimore. Except that Hamilton is 6'4" and 220 pounds. Adding two corners and no safeties seems like an odd strategy to me.

The safeties, then, have to be seen as a relative weakness in terms of proven ability. Julian Love is an exceptional player who will only improve under the new coaching staff. I believe Rayshawn Jenkins will thrive as well, and K'Von Wallace will be a very important third man in heavy rotational use. But neither Jenkins nor Wallace are proven top-flight players. I think they will show themselves to be a very dangerous group, but the Hawks added nothing in the draft to enhance the safety room.

As for the offensive line, yes, Christian Haynes is a definite boost to the roster. But Abe Lucas is still a large question mark entering the year. I believe Olu Olawatumi is ready to step in as the Hawks anchor at center, but he isn't proven. Laken Tomlinson is a solid addition at guard, but is he that much better than the departed Damien Lewis? The line will certainly be better than it was last season, but it's too early to say it's a strength. So overall, I'd say the D-line and CBs are now a definite strength, while the safeties made no strides to improve on an unproven group.

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