4 Seattle Seahawks players with soaring stock ahead of 2024 NFL draft

Julian Love - Seattle Seahawks safety

Love was mistreated by Clint Hurtt and Pete Carroll for a lot of the first part of the 2023 season. The safety was signed as a free agent last offseason to a two-year deal. He appeared to be insurance in case Jamal Adams was not fully healthy, but even though Adams was knowingly not at full strength - Pete Carroll and John Schneider have both said that Adams might need a full season to get closer to full strength in 2024 - the team still preferred to play Adams over Love.

This, of course, would make Carroll and Hurtt look bad because, by the end of the season, Love had been voted to the Pro Bowl while Adams was missing games due to poor play and not being healthy. Between Weeks 6 and 10, however, Love only had one game where he played more than 67 percent of the snaps, and in three of the games he played 44 percent or fewer. What exactly were Hurtt and Carroll thinking in not playing Love?

Now, Love is still with the team and will definitely be a starter in Week 1 of 2024 while Adams was released and Carroll and Hurtt were relieved of their duties. While no ill will should be wished upon Adams, Carroll, and Hurtt, the Seahawks are better off having Love and not having the other three. Love can help win football games and the other three could no longer do so.

Seattle did sign a couple of safeties in free agency, Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace, but neither is meant to replace Love but simply play next to him. Love has gone from an underused player to one of the team leaders on defense. Macdonald's scheme will probably also help Love get back to another Pro Bowl in 2024.