Tag: stn

Seahawks pick UConn G Christian Haynes at No. 81 overall

Seattle has selected UConn guard Christian Haynes at No. 81 overall.

After waiting nearly three and a half hours, the Seattle Seahawks have finally made their pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

According to Jordan Schultz, Seattle has selected UConn guard Christian Haynes at No. 81 overall.

Haynes (6-foot-2, 313 pounds) was arguably the top interior offensive lineman still on the board at the time.

In three seasons, Haynes played right guard for the Huskies at a consistently respectable level, earning solid grades of 72.0 in 2021, 83.9 in 2022 and 80.2 overall in 2023 from Pro Football Focus in his college career.

Haynes should project as the team’s Week 1 starter at right guard for this coming season. However, he may have to beat out 2023 fourth-round draft pick Anthony Bradford over the summer for it to be official.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Every pick made in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft

Complete updated order of picks for Day 2 of draft

Twitter reacts to Seahawks picking Byron Murphy II

2024 NFL draft: Updated order of picks for Rounds 2 and 3

Here’s how the new draft order shapes up heading into Day 2.

The 2024 NFL draft will kick into high gear this evening when the second round kicks off in front of a raucous Detroit crowd. Every year the order of picks going in changes pretty dramatically thanks to trades during the draft.

Let’s reset and see where all 32 teams stand going into the second day of the draft. As for the Seahawks, they did not trade down from their No. 16 overall spot in Round 1 as expected, so they’ll have to wait until No. 81 overall (Round 3) to pick tonight unless they move up. Here’s what the full updated order of picks looks like heading into Day 2.

Twitter reacts to Seahawks picking Byron Murphy II in Round 1

Every pick made in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft

Here’s how all 32 picks went down on the first night of the draft.

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft played out exactly as expected… for about seven picks. When the Atlanta Falcons came on the clock at No. 8 overall all hell broke loose as they made an all-time stunning pick, selecting Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. despite already having signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal just last month.

From there, the offensive picks continued all the way up to No. 15, which helped set the Seattle Seahawks up to land the top defensive line prospect in this class. Here’s how all 32 picks went down on the first night of the draft.

2024 NFL draft: Updated order of picks going into Day 2

Seahawks pick Texas DT Byron Murphy II at No. 16 overall

With the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks have picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

With the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks have picked Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

Jordan Schultz was the first to report the news.

Murphy (6-foot-1, 308 pounds) is just the second defensive prospect taken so far after the Colts selected UCLA edge Laiatu Latu with the previous pick. All together, Murphy totaled eight sacks and 15 tackles for a loss in three seasons with the Longhorns.

Murphy is considered the best defensive line prospect overall and the top interior pass rusher in this draft class, earning a nation-best 91.5 pass rush grade at his position last season. Overall Murphy improved significantly each year at Texas, posting a 73.3 grade in 2021, followed by an 82.7 grade in 2022, then a 91.1 in 2023.

Murphy should project as a starter right away.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Everything we know about Seattle going into 2024 NFL draft

Best fits for the Seahawks at every position in the 2024 class

Tyler Lockett to announce third-round draft pick for Seahawks

Lockett was of course a third-round pick himself back in 2015.

The NFL typically has team legends announce the picks on Day 2 of the draft. The full list of legends was just announced.

Ari Meirov just shared the list, which shows Tyler Lockett will be announcing the Seahawks’ third-round pick this year (No. 81 overall).

Lockett was of course a third-round pick himself back in 2015 when Seattle sent four draft picks to Washington in order to move up to No. 69 overall, where they picked Lockett.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5375″ ]

Having taken a paycut this offseason, Lockett will return for his 10th season in Seattle. He projects as the No. 3 wide receiver on the depth chart, which may be the deepest in the league at the position – especially if the Seahawks use one of their picks this weekend on another one.

More Seahawks Wire stories

2024 NFL draft: Updated order of picks going into Day 2

Everything we know about Seattle going into 2024 NFL draft

Expectations for all 14 NFL teams picking ahead of Seahawks

Best fits for the Seahawks at every position in the 2024 class

Biggest need for Seahawks improving offensive or defensive line, per PFF

In Seattle’s case they picked improving the offensive or defensive line.

We are expecting a trade down from the Seahawks when they are on the clock in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft later tonight. As far as who they’ll actually pick their best bet is taking the best lineman on the board. Pro Football Focus seems to think so, anyway.

Heading into the draft PFF has named the biggest need for all 32 teams. In Seattle’s case they picked improving the offensive or defensive line.

“Seattle ranked 28th in pass blocking grade last season and lost two starters from their offensive line in free agency. Selecting Jackson Powers-Johnson, the draft’s best center, would make plenty of sense. They also desperately need an edge player to pair with Boye Mafe. UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, college football’s highest-graded defensive player in 2023, would be an ideal fit.”

Uchenna Nwosu might have something to say about that as he returns from his pectoral injury, but the point stands that the Seahawks need depth on the edge as well as the interior defensive line, to say nothing of the far more desperate need for guards and centers as well as depth at tackle.

Picking Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson would probably improve their roster more than any non-QB pick could, but doing so at 16 would be a reach. If they trade down into the 20s that’s a more ideal spot to target JPJ or another interior lineman. If they stay put at 16 expect Florida State’s Jared Verse, Texas’ Byron Murphy II or another DL.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Everything we know about Seattle going into 2024 NFL draft

Expectations for all 14 NFL teams picking ahead of Seahawks

Best fits for the Seahawks at every position in the 2024 class

Mel Kiper: Michael Penix Jr. won’t fall past Raiders at No. 13 overall

Mel Kiper at ESPN has shared a bunch of predictions going into the draft, including one that says Penix won’t last past No. 13 overall.

Here at Seahawks Wire we have been on Michael Penix Jr. watch even before the team hired Ryan Grubb as their offensive coordinator. For a long time the conventional wisdom was that Penix would still be available at the start of Round 2. However, thanks to his performance at the combine and Washington’s Pro Day, he’s now expected to be taken before Seattle is on the clock at No. 16 overall. Here’s more evidence pointing in that direction as the draft arrives.

The original draft guru, Mel Kiper at ESPN has shared a bunch of predictions going into the draft, including one that says Penix won’t last past No. 13 overall, where the Raiders are slated to pick:

“The Washington quarterback is liked by several teams with picks in the teens, but I don’t think he’ll last past the Raiders at No. 13. That’s a little rich for my tastes — he finished No. 24 on my Big Board — but there are several teams looking for their quarterback of the future in this class, and his accuracy, experience and moxie make him appealing.”

Already missing a second-round pick thanks to the Leonard Williams trade, the Seahawks simply don’t have the capital to move up from 16 for Penix or anybody else. Unless he falls, the Penix-Seattle connection will stop tonight.

However, the good news is that the 2024 draft class is deep at quarterback and they might still be able to land a quality prospect as late as Day 3. The other big name we will be keeping an eye on is Spencer Rattler from South Carolina, who’s projected to get drafted in Round 2 or Round 3.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Everything we know about Seattle going into 2024 NFL draft

Expectations for all 14 NFL teams picking ahead of Seahawks

Best fits for the Seahawks at every position in the 2024 class

Devon Witherspoon says he’s ‘very high’ on Michael Penix Jr.

Witherspoon made it clear that he’s a big fan of his game, complimenting his pocket presence and ability to make every throw.

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a guest last night on the NFL Draft Week space on Twitter, and he was asked for his opinions on some of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 draft class – some of whom he competed against personally. On the subject of Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, Witherspoon said he sees his skillset translating well to the NFL, especially his mobility.

As for Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., Witherspoon made it clear that he’s a big fan of his game, complimenting his pocket presence and ability to make every throw. You can listen to the full recording at the link below:

Penix is easily the best fit for Seattle in this draft class given his experience with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. The only question is if he’ll still be available when the Seahawks are on the clock at No. 16 overall. Our best guess is that he won’t be – the x-factor being the Raiders, who pick at 13. While they signed Gardner Minshew in free agency his contract is far from a long-term investment and Penix has been heavily connected with them throughout draft season.

Nothing is certain, though. Far weirder things happen every year in the draft than a prospect like Penix sliding a few spots lower than he’s projected for. We’ll find out tomorrow night if it’s meant to be for Penix to stay in Seattle.

More Seahawks Wire stories

2024 NFL draft: Best fits for the Seahawks at every position

4 prospects who are trending for the Seahawks in Round 1

5 big questions for Seattle going into the 2024 NFL draft

2024 NFL draft: Washington OT Troy Fautanu has medical flag

However, there’s a late flag regarding Fautanu’s health.

One of the prospects who has been most frequently connected with the Seahawks has been Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu. He is by far the most popular mock draft pick at No. 16 overall and at least in theory would fit in like a glove with Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff, who he worked with the last two seasons.

However, there’s a late flag regarding Fautanu’s health. According to Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, Fautanu has a knee issue that could affect his longevity in the NFL:

“Washington OT Troy Fautanu’s knee was flagged. That one was described to me as the sort of issue that shouldn’t be a problem in the short term, but could wind up impacting his longevity in the pros…”

This is pretty far from ideal, especially considering that Seattle’s starting right tackle Abe Lucas has a long-term knee problem of his own that kept him on the sidelines for 11 games last season.

Fautanu is still an excellent prospect overall and a great fit for what Seattle wants to do, but this could be disqualifying – especially considering the depth at offensive tackle in this draft class there’s no need to roll the dice on a prospect with a medical red flag.

More Seahawks Wire stories

2024 NFL draft: Best fits for the Seahawks at every position

4 prospects who are trending for the Seahawks in Round 1

5 big questions for Seattle going into the 2024 NFL draft

Texas DT Byron Murphy II grew up on Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch

Sometimes a prospect just seems destined to go to a certain team.

Sometimes a prospect just seems destined to go to a certain team. With one day to go before the draft, it seems possible that the stars are aligning for Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and the Seattle Seahawks.

We learned a lot about Murphy via a piece earlier this week from Greg Riddle at the Dallas Morning News, including the nugget that he grew up wanting to play running back and emulated Marshawn Lynch. Murphy was also a fan of the Legion of Boom era Seahawks despite being in Cowboys country.

“I used to love watching Adrian Peterson, and I used to love Marshawn Lynch. I used to try to model my game after them… When he met Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Murphy says, ‘They loved me, they love how I play.’ But even though he’s from DeSoto, the Cowboys weren’t his favorite team growing up. ‘I used to like the Seattle Seahawks,’ Murphy said. ‘The Legion of Boom era, with Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch, Michael Bennett.’”

For most of draft season Murphy has been projected to be a late first-round pick, generally projected to come off the board in the 20s. However, his stock has risen fast late in the game and now some analysts believe he could be a top-10 pick.

Murphy says he has been told that he won’t slip past No. 16…

More Seahawks Wire stories

2024 NFL draft: Best fits for Seahawks at every position

4 prospects who are trending for the Seahawks in Round 1

5 big questions for Seattle going into the 2024 NFL draft