Seahawks NFL Draft 2024 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs (2024)

“The Beast,” Dane Brugler’s expansive guide to the NFL Draft, is here.

The Seattle Seahawks have the 16th pick in the NFL Draft when Round 1 begins April 25 in Detroit. The Seahawks own seven total picks in the seven-round draft.

Seahawks’ draft picks

Full draft order

Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.

NFL Draft details

• Round 1: April 25, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 26, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 27, noon ET

All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

About the Seahawks

• Head coach: Mike Macdonald (first season with team)
• General manager: John Schneider (15th season with team)
• Last year’s record: 9-8 (missed playoffs)

After Pete Carroll’s departure, Macdonald inherited a team that just barely missed the playoffs last season, so the expectation is that he’ll get the Seahawks over the hump in 2024. Schneider made changes to the roster in the offseason but he kept most of the core intact without spending heavily on any notable free agents. This suggests that Schneider and the front office believe overhauling the coaching staff will be the change this franchise truly needs to get back to championship contention. Unlike some of the other coaches hired during this cycle, Macdonald is walking into a situation in which he’s expected to win big, and do it immediately.

Seahawks’ key position needs

Interior offensive line: Seattle’s projected starting interior offensive line was left guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (one career start), either Nick Harris (four starts) or Olu Oluwatimi (one start) at center and right guard Anthony Bradford (10 starts). Even after the signing of Laken Tomlinson, a likely starter at left guard, it’s setting up to be an inexperienced offensive line with players who haven’t put much on film to suggest that they’ll be elite players at their respective positions. Offensive line coach Scott Huff has his work cut out for him in his first year coaching the position in the NFL, even if Seattle uses its first-round pick on a guard.

Linebacker: Free-agent signees Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker are capable starters, but they’re both on one-year contracts, so Seattle would be wise to draft at least one inside linebacker to have depth in 2024 and a potential starter in future seasons. And that assumes Dodson and Baker continue to play like capable starters in Macdonald’s scheme. Baker was a consistent player in Miami, but Dodson is coming to Seattle after only one year of production in Buffalo, so there’s no guarantee he will blossom into a star right away.

Safety: Seattle swapped Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs for K’Von Wallace and Rayshawn Jenkins. On paper, that’s not an upgrade when all parties are healthy, but Adams’ injury had to be a legitimate concern for Seattle, which appears to believe that versatility at safety will be the key to improving the defense. Julian Love, Wallace and Jenkins have overlapping skill sets: box safeties who can, in certain situations, play the deep part of the field. But this unit could use another game changer in the draft, because only Jenkins is under contract beyond this season.

Interior defensive line:The need here isn’t as urgent after the re-signing of Leonard Williams on a three-year deal. Dre’Mont Jones is still under contract for two more seasons as well. Nose tackles Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins will be free agents after this season, and 2023 fourth-round pick Cameron Young is unproven. Seattle hasn’t effectively defended the run for the last two years, and although that’s not entirely the fault of the nose tackles, it’s worthwhile for Seattle to keep searching for upgrades at the position until it hits a home run.

Seahawks draft analysis

Dugar: Why this draft, fair or not, will shape GM John Schneider’s legacy

Seahawks big board: 35 players to consider, including 11 in Round 1

Seahawks mock draft analysis: Should Seattle trade back instead?

Seahawks personnel execs: Discussing chain of command, draft strategy, trade options

Under Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have new needs at safety. Who makes sense?

Seahawks need a long-term answer at linebacker. These draft prospects might fit.

Seahawks 2024 NFL Draft big board: 18 prospects to watch in rounds 1-3

Seahawks draft trade scenarios: 3 paths John Schneider might take

Seahawks depth chart: Resetting the roster after free agency and before the draft

What’s next for the Seahawks? Free-agency moves put draft pressure on front office

Seahawks mock draft reaction: The pros and cons of trading down

Seahawks want to take a QB in the draft. Is Michael Penix Jr. the answer?

The Athletic’s latest mock drafts

April 24: Beat writer mock 3.0
Michael-Shawn Dugar finds a trade partner to move down, adding a second-round pick and still bolstering the defense.

April 22:Seahawks 7-round mock draft
Dugar makes multiple trades and still addresses the Seahawks’ biggest need in Round 1.

April 19:NFL analytics mock draft
Our projection model and consensus big board point to a popular pick for Seattle.

April 17:Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock draft
Brugler picks all 259 picks, with the Seahawks landing help on the offensive line but also defensive playmakers and a QB.

April 8: Nick Baumgardner’s three-round mock
Baumgardner has the Seahawks landing a perfect fit on the offensive line before adding a pass rusher in Round 3.

April 4: Bruce Feldman’s Round 1 mock
With insight from rival college coaches, Feldman has Seattle taking a “mauler” to bolster its offensive line.

April 3:Seahawks seven-round mock
After a trade-back in Round 1, Dugar has Mike Macdonald landing a defensive chess piece before the team addresses its O-line.

March 21: Beat writer mock draft 2.0
Dugar lands Seattle the versatile Washington OL Troy Fautanu in Round 1.

Seahawks’ last five top picks

2023: CB Devon Witherspoon, No. 5 — The highest-drafted player of the Carroll-Schneider era, Witherspoon became an immediately impactful player last season, making the Pro Bowl and finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Witherspoon played nickel and left cornerback and recorded 16 pass breakups, an interception returned for a touchdown, three sacks, five additional tackles for loss and one forced fumble.

2022: OT Charles Cross, No. 9 — Cross is a good athlete who has developed into a reliable left tackle, which is exactly what the Seahawks were hoping for when drafting him with the initial first-round pick they received in the Russell Wilson deal. Cross’ ceiling is still unclear, but he’s undoubtedly a successful pick for Seattle’s front office.

2021: WR Dee Eskridge, No. 56 — Seattle drafted Eskridge believing he’d grow into a reliable No. 3 receiver. Because of injuries and inconsistent performance, he has just 17 career catches for just 122 yards and one touchdown. Schneider’s staff hasn’t given up on Eskridge, but he has fallen down the depth chart beyond Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo.

2020: LB Jordyn Brooks, No. 27 — Brooks ranks sixth in tackles over the last three seasons and just had a career season by some measures. Seattle wanted to try to keep Brooks, but the combination of prioritizing Williams’ deal and the Dolphins operating with more urgency resulted in the Seahawks losing Brooks in free agency.

2019: DL L.J. Collier, No. 29 — The Seahawks needed a pass rusher after trading Frank Clark, so they used a first-round pick on the guy who was likely the highest-rated edge defender on their board. But in four seasons, Collier never had a clearly defined role and recorded only three sacks in 45 games.

(Photo of Troy Fautanu: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

Michael-Shawn Dugar is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Seattle Seahawks. He previously covered the Seahawks for Seattlepi.com. He is also the co-host of the "Seahawks Man 2 Man" podcast. Follow Michael-Shawn on Twitter @MikeDugar