Updated Seahawks roster and depth chart ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The 2024 NFL draft is a little over a week away and clearly, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider will be looking over his roster and see where he has needs. Of course, Schneider might then forget all about that as he is more likely to take the best player available until at least late in the draft. This means while Seattle needs a guard early, Schneider might choose a quarterback.

The list that follows exceeds 53 players. This article isn't about who will make the active roster in 2024 but about the current depth chart. With seven picks in the draft right now, some of the players on this list could be released soon after the draft depending on who Seattle takes.

Seattle is fairly set as far as starters go at most spots, so that obviously is a positive. The offensive line still is an area of concern even after the recent signing of Laken Tomlinson. Here is what the depth chart looks like currently.

Seattle Seahawks depth chart ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

Quarterback

Starter: Geno Smith
Backup: Sam Howell

This position seems set for the 2024 season unless Seattle somewhat unexpectedly selects a quarterback in the draft. As Seattle has other positions of greater need, taking a QB in rounds one or two (assuming Seattle adds a second-round choice back somehow) would seem more like a John Schneider vanity project. Smith is the starter, though releasing him next offseason would save the team $25 million.

Running back

Starter: Kenneth Walker III
Backups: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh

Walker and Charbonnet should be a good duo at the top, but McIntosh only played in three games in 2023 so will basically be a rookie in 2024. The Seahawks need to find depth here, however. Only going with three running backs would be a mistake as we can assume an injury or two during the season. Taking a late-round running back would be smart.

Wide receiver

Starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Backups: Jake Bobo, Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young, Laviska Shenault, Jr., Easop Winston, Jr., Cody White

Taking a wide receiver at any point in the 2024 draft would seem illogical. Seattle actually has too many wide receivers at this point. Bobo should hang on to the fourth spot and could be even more productive under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, but there will be a battle for the fifth spot. Seattle likely won't keep six receivers on the active 53-man roster unless two of them are kick returners.

Tight end

Starter: Noah Fant
Backups: Pharaoh Brown, Tyler Mabry, Brady Russell

Fant is the clear starter and will hopefully see a huge increase in production in 2024. He was re-signed this offseason to a two-year deal so clearly the Seahawks trust him. Brown is more of a blocker so is more of a direct replacement for Will Dissly. This is one spot Seattle could target in round three.

Offensive line

Starters: LT Charles Cross, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Olu Oluwatimi, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abe Lucas
Backups: George Fant, Nick Harris, Tremayne Anchrum, Jr., Stone Forsythe, McClendon Curtis, Raiqwon O'Neal

The line is still a huge question mark due to not knowing how well Bradford and Oluwatimi will play, but the Tomlinson free-agency signing does help quite a bit. Lucas will be the starter if healthy, but George Fant might be a sneaky great signing this offseason because he would be solid at right tackle if he needed to play a lot. Seattle should still grab a guard or center high in the draft, however, even if that means Bradford or Oluwatimi moves to a backup role.

Defensive line

Starters: Leonard Williams, Johnathan Hankins, Jarran Reed, Dre'Mont Jones
Backups: Mike Morris, Cam Young, Myles Adams, Matt Gotel

This is where things could change quite a bit. Head coach Mike Macdonald will switch back to a 4-3 from Seattle's recent 3-4. Macdonald will likely toy with alignments quite a bit and even have Boye Mafe play some at defensive end. Williams, Reed, and Jones will start, but if Seattle chooses a player such as Byron Murphy II in the first round, Murphy will take the place of Hankins.

Inside linebackers

Starters: Tyrel Dodson, Jerome Baker
Backups: Jon Rhattigan, Drake Thomas, Patrick O'Connell

The starters could be quite good under Macdonald, but after that, there is a precipitous fall. Should Rhattigan, Thomas, or O'Connell be forced to play a lot of reps, there could be issues with the overall defense. Seattle will probably take a linebacker in the first three rounds.

Edge rushers

Starters: Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu
Backups: Darrell Taylor, Derick Hall, Levi Bell, Joshua Onujogu

This could be a boom-or-bust group after Mafe and Nwosu. Mafe should be even better this coming season since he will get Nwosu back to help and better defensive direction with Macdonald. Taylor and Hall could see great improvement but one might not expect that. If they are much better, this is a near-elite group.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen
Backups: Tre Brown, Mike Jackson, Artie Burns, Jonathan Sutherland, Lance Boykin, Andrew Whitaker

The cornerback group and the safeties will be fluid through the season as Macdonald likes having three safety sets quite a bit and that means Witherspoon could play more as an outside corner than he did in his rookie year. If Woolen can be closer to his 2022 level, this could be a fantastic group of corners.

Safeties

Starters: Julian Love, Rayshawn Jenkins
Backups: K'Von Wallace, Coby Bryant, Jerrick Reed II, Ty Okada

Wallace might see a lot of playing time as the third safety. Or Seattle might draft Cooper DeJean and Wallace rarely plays. Jenkins may not have the upside of Quandre Diggs, but hopefully, he will be better than Diggs was in 2023. Love could be a Pro Bowler again in 2024, and Reed, if he returns healthy from a knee injury, could be excellent again on special teams.

Special teams

Kicker: Jason Myers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long-snapper: Chris Stoll
Kicker returner: Dee Eskridge
Punt returner: Unknown/Easop Winston, Jr.

The only question about this group is the returners. Eskridge flashed the ability to be good as a kick returner in 2023, but he cannot stay healthy. Winston is here as the punt returner for now, but he is unlikely to make the active roster.

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