The Seattle Seahawks are currently undertaking their most exciting offseason since 2010. Scary? Sure. Very much so. But while there is a possibility of doom with the choices that are made, at least there are choices to be made.
This will also be the first draft since 2010 where former head coach Pete Carroll does not have any input on who the Seahawks should choose. General manager John Schneider has full control. Therefore, we really have no idea what to expect from the draft.
For the picks that follow, I used Pro Football Network's draft simulator. I like this simulator because it offers trades. I took a couple and this is why I ended up with nine overall picks plus the second-round choice that the Seahawks lost in a trade to get defensive lineman Leonard Williams during the 2023 season. Seattle does not currently hold a second-round choice but they need one and when the simulator offered me a trade to move back from pick 16 to pick 18 but pick up a second-rounder, I took it.
Seattle Seahawks take defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton with first round pick
Illinois' Newton could very easily be taken in the top ten of the 2024 NFL draft and many mock drafts have him going higher than even pick 16. If the Seahawks do move back to 18 and Newton is still there, he seems like a no-brainer to choose. He still needs to add maybe 10 pounds simply to hold up to NFL punishment, but he is already strong enough and athletic enough to make an immediate impact.
Just like last offseason, the Seahawks are going to have to remake their defensive line a bunch. Jarran Reed was signed for two years and he should return. Mario Edwards, Jr., and Leonard Williams will be free agents. Dre'Mont Jones likely will be back but he is less expensive to release than to keep and he wasn't that good this year.
Newton has the ability to be versatile. He can play any spot along the defensive line. Should Seattle move on from Edwards, Jones, and Williams, Newton could play any of their spots and do well against the run and supply interior pass rush. He would need help, however. If the Seahawks were able to come up with three Newtons they might just be capable of making a deep run in the playoffs next year.
Seattle takes quarterback JJ McCarthy in the second round
Mel Kiper, Jr. mocked McCarthy to the Seahawks in the first round in Kiper's first mock draft of the season. But Kiper even admitted to not having a first-round grade on McCarthy. There is a decent chance the Michigan product falls to the second round. Because of the trade that Pro Football Network offered in their simulator, I was able to get pick 49 overall and McCarthy was still available and I chose him.
McCarthy has a good arm and is able to make strong throws to any part of the field. The issue is that he is still a little unproven. He didn't have to win games for Michigan; the team overall was good enough to do that. But McCarthy made all the plays he was asked to and he proved he could run when needed. He might only be at the cusp of his potential and he also has a hockey-like toughness.
Seahawks choose linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in the third round
The Seahawks might have to rebuild their linebacker room this offseason. Starters Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks are free agents, and so is backup Devin Bush. Other than players who have very few snaps in the NFL, the Seahawks literally have a void of unknowns at linebacker. Hopefully, Brooks will be re-signed. Bush hopefully will not be. Wagner now has no connection with the head coach with Pete Carroll gone so why would he come back?
Cooper might already do one thing better than Wagner and Brooks, however. He proved at Texas A&M that he can cover tight ends and running backs really well so he should be able to close that massive hole that seems to exist in the middle of the Seahawks defense on third-and-longs. Cooper needs to add a little muscle and weight, but he should be capable of being good against the run once he does that.
Seattle takes tight end Cade Stover in the fourth round
Just as with linebacker, Seattle might need to replace key pieces of its tight end group. Only Will Dissly is currently under contract for next year who has played any high level of snaps. Dissly could also be released as doing so would save the Seahawks $7 million in cap room. Dissly has not been active in the passing game the last couple of years and has simply become more of a glorified offensive lineman.
Ohio State's Stover has good size at 6'4" and 250 pounds and he would have learned well how to block in college. But Stover as a receiver is closer to Noah Fant than Dissly and that is a good thing. Stover offers explosiveness and good athleticism. He needs to learn to run routes a bit better but he should be able to be coached to do that in the NFL.
Seahawks pick guard Joshua Gray in the fifth round
I am fairly over Seattle trying to find good interior offensive linemen in the middle rounds of the NFL draft instead of just taking one or two in the first couple of rounds, but the 2024 NFL draft offers fixes at other spots where the Seahawks have needs. Gray needs to gain a bit of weight to play in the NFL as he is 6'4" but 305 pounds. He has the frame to easily gain 25 or so more pounds, however.
Gray is better in run blocking currently than pass blocking. He needs time to season a bit. But he could be a capable backup to begin with. Let's just hope that Seattle does not see him as a potential replacement for Damien Lewis as Lewis is a free agent this offseason.
2024 NFL draft sixth and seventh rounds
Seattle choose safety Josh Proctor (Ohio State) in the sixth round
Proctor is a good tackler and solid against the run. His biggest issue is in coverage where he can get lost in zone coverage. Most teams no longer play man-to-man, and while the Seahawks have two cornerbacks in Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen who are probably better in man-to-man, I don't see a new coach changing to that scheme.
Seahawks also take linebacker Tatum Bethune (Florida State) in the sixth round
Bethune is a good athlete and has a high football IQ. He would be a good player to bring in on third down on obvious passing downs. But he lacks the height (he is 6'1") to be great in pass rush and to get his hands up to bat balls away. He would be terrific on special teams, however.
Seattle picks defensive tackle Jamree Kromah (James Madison) in the seventh round
Kromah was a standout on a surprisingly good James Madison team, but he needs to gain a lot of weight before the Seahawks would count on him to be productive along the defensive line. He is only 275 pounds and needs to get closer to 300. He is a decent enough athlete, though.
Seahawks choose tight end Isaac Rex (BYU) in seventh round
Rex is a very good athlete who needs to gain mass to play in the NFL. He was a high-jump champion in high school so he could definitely be a red-zone threat. He also was asked to block a lot at BYU so he should understand what he is doing in that capacity.