Seahawks veterans marked safe after what Seattle did in 2024 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks might have implied they were lying ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. If so, good on them. General manager John Schneider should have kept what he was planning on doing to himself.

The thought from most 12s might have been to assume Schneider would do what Seattle normally does and choose the best player available when their turn to make a pick came to be, but Schneider seemed to choose based on need. At least until late in the draft.

Several Seahawks veterans should be happy with the outcome of the draft. Their jobs should be safe for at least a season if not two. These players should have thrown parties based on what Seattle did.

Seattle Seahawks veterans who should feel safe about their jobs after the 2024 NFL draft

Quarterback Geno Smith should rightfully feel happy

Geno Smith deserves to be the Seahawks' starter at quarterback until he proves he can no longer do so. He led the NFC in touchdown passes and the league in completion percentage in 2022, and in 2023 he led the league in fourth quarter comebacks. He is good, and he should have better offensive coaching this coming season. That coaching should also know how better to improve all of the weapons Seattle has, such as Noah Fant. That is going to help Smith be even more productive.

Seattle decided against taking a quarterback in the first round. Maybe the decision was a little easier because six quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 selections.

There was also a rumor - true or not, who knows - that Seattle might have wanted to trade up to take Michael Penix, Jr. Taking Penix would not have displaced Smith, though, and Seattle not choosing a quarterback at all means the team rightfully believes in Smith.

Running back Kenny McIntosh should be ready to play

Seattle also did not take a running back. This might be a little odd because only two running backs currently on the roster have carries in the NFL. Kenneth Walker III has a bunch and is entering his third season, while Zach Charbonnet has far less and will be entering year two. As Seattle has a history of RBs getting injured, adding another running back at any point in the draft might have been a smart move.

That Seattle passed on running backs might signal that the team thinks McIntosh is worthy of taking on a much bigger role in 2024. Or maybe Seattle plans to bring back Rashaad Penny. Either way, McIntosh should get quite a few reps this coming season as Seattle has no other choice. Plus, McIntosh could be really good.

Wide receiver Tyler Lockett is not going anywhere

The Seahawks clearly wanted to focus mostly on the trenches in the 2024 draft. Besides two cornerbacks, every player taken plays on the line or near the line of scrimmage. No quarterback, no wide receivers, and no running backs. Seattle wanted to get bigger and stronger.

But drafts are meant as much for the long-term future as the immediate future. Rookie receivers do not normally do overly well. If Seattle wants to think about replacing Lockett, they might do so in the 2026 draft. The receiver is signed through 2025 and the Seahawks are probably not going to replace his production with a receiver in the next draft.

Lockett being a part of the Seahawks through 2025, even though his cap hit gets to $30 million next offseason, might have been signaled by a lack of taking a receiver in 2024.

Edge rusher Darrell Taylor must be happy

Edge rusher was another area Seattle chose not to address even though the team could have early with Dallas Turner or Jared Verse. Maybe Taylor, who has been atrocious against the run, was helped by a couple of things. One is that he is not a starter as Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe are and Seattle would not take a player for depth with their first pick.

Taylor might also be helped by better direction from the new coaching staff. He should be physically skilled enough to be a consistent pass rusher and big enough to help stop the run. Maybe his issues have not been his fault completely but simply a lack of excellent coaching. 12s and the Seahawks' coaching staff will know the answer to that in the 2024 season.