Analysis: How Seahawks’ 2024 draft class fits into 2025 season
SEATTLE – While there is understandably a lot of excitement about the Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 draft class, a key to the team’s success this fall rests in getting more production out of its Class of 2024.
With the bulk of the roster for 2025 set, let’s review the members of the Class of 2024 who remain on the roster, how the new additions could impact their futures and the role each could play during their second NFL season.
Defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, first round (16th overall)
By most outside assessments, Murphy had a middling rookie season when factoring in his status as the second defensive player taken in the draft.
He had just half a sack, that coming in the second game of the season, and just one other tackle for loss.
Pro Football Focus graded him 97th of 219 interior defensive linemen, 64th in pass rushing and 104th against the run, writing he had a “somewhat frustrating season in which Murphy also fought through a hamstring issue and struggled to make a consistent impact.”
Murphy missed three games with the hamstring injury, suffered in Week 3 against Miami, and it seemed to take him a while to get back to full health.
Coach Mike Macdonald praised Murphy’s play throughout, and at the NFL combine told reporters the team needed to figure out how to get him more opportunities rushing the passer.
“He’s earned more pass-rush reps than he has (had),” Macdonald said. “It’s just how other guys have earned those reps, too.”
The Seahawks brought back the same interior DL group as last year, re-signing Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins to pair again with Leonard Williams and Murphy inside.
The team surely hopes that means Murphy feeling more comfortable in his surroundings from day one this season.
Guard Christian Haynes, third round (81st overall)
Haynes may already be facing a make-or-break season in Year 2, twice last season failing to secure a starting spot at right guard when given the opportunity.
The Seahawks had high hopes for Haynes on draft day, and he was thrown immediately into a competition with Anthony Bradford for the starting right guard spot. Bradford won the job out of training camp, but when he had some struggles, he and Haynes rotated snaps for five games before the team scrapped that plan and Bradford went back to playing full time.
When Bradford suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 11, the Seahawks promoted rookie Sataoa Laumea to the starting spot.
Haynes played only three snaps in the final six games and 167 for the season, ranked 117th of 136 guards by Pro Football Focus.
Grey Zabel was taken in the first round with the idea that he’ll take over left guard, leaving Haynes again competing with Bradford and Laumea – and maybe sixth-round pick Bryce Cabeldue – at right guard.
Cabeldue played right guard in rookie minicamp. At least one of those players figures to get time on the left side, as well.
Before the draft, Macdonald said he felt the team’s move to an outside zone scheme under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak may be a better fit for some of the returning linemen, including Haynes.
“I think it wouldn’t be wise to underestimate a Year 1 to Year 2 jump,” he said. “These are guys who are really excited about; they showed flashes last year.”
The Seahawks will be hoping for significantly more flashes from Haynes this year.
Inside linebacker Tyrice Knight, fourth round (118th)
The Seahawks showed a strong vote of confidence in Knight, who emerged as the starting weakside linebacker the last half of last season after the trade of Jerome Baker and release of Tyrel Dodson, by not making any significant additions to the inside linebacking corps in the offseason.
True, some have wondered if second-round pick Nick Emmanwori could play weakside linebacker. And it’s possible that in six-defensive back, or dime packages, Emmanwori might be playing a weakside linebacker role.
Some thought the Seahawks might draft a true inside linebacker to add to the mix of Ernest Jones IV in the middle and Knight on the weakside.
With Jones re-signed to a three-year deal and Knight still having three years left, they appear to have their base LB tandem set for a while.
Tight end AJ Barner, fourth round (121st)
Barner had a promising rookie season with 30 receptions for 245 yards and four touchdowns and again projects to be in the team’s three-man tight-end rotation with Noah Fant and third-round pick Elijah Arroyo.
How quickly Arroyo develops will play a role in determining how big Barner’s role will be this season.
As will how much Barner improves in run blocking, which will be an emphasis for the tight ends in the scheme of Kubiak.
The Seahawks didn’t bring back veteran Pharaoh Brown and moved Brady Russell to fullback, clearing the way for Barner to be assured a spot in the tight-end rotation.
Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, fifth round (126th)
The good news for Pritchett is the Seahawks did not draft a cornerback, despite many observers thinking they might want to do so to beef up the depth.
Still, Pritchett is going to be in a stiff battle for a 53-man roster spot this year.
He got one start last season in the win at Atlanta on Oct. 20 as an injury replacement. An ankle injury contributed to him not playing again until he got 43 snaps with Josh Jobe and Artie Burns out with injuries.
Re-signing Jobe to team with starters Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen appears to resign Pritchett to fighting for the fourth cornerback spot with the likes of veteran free agent signee Shemar Jean-Charles and other veteran signees over the past year in JT Woods, Damarion Williams and Tyler Hall as well as undrafted rookie free agent signees Zy Alexander and Isas Waxter.
They will likely keep no more than five cornerbacks on the initial 53-man roster.
Offensive lineman Sataoa Laumea, sixth round (179th)
As noted earlier, Laumea started the final six games last season at right guard.
Pro Football Focus didn’t grade him well as he finished 133rd of 136 guards overall, 125th in pass blocking and 119th in run blocking.
As with Haynes and other young linemen, the Seahawks are counting on the new scheme being a better fit for Laumea’s skill set and that he’ll also make the hoped-for second-year leap in production.
OTAs may make clearer who is where on the O-line. Laumea seems likely to enter among the mix at the top of the depth chart at right guard and with as good of a chance as any to win it.
Offensive tackle Michael Jerrell, seventh round (207th)
Jerrell became one of the feel-good stories of last season when he made his first two NFL starts in Weeks 7 and 8 against Atlanta and Buffalo as an injury replacement at right tackle.
That capped an unlikely journey from Division II Findlay (Ohio) University to not only making an NFL roster but playing.
He started the final game of the season when the Seahawks held out Abraham Lucas, getting 250 snaps as a rookie. Lucas is expected healthy from day one this season and if so, entrenched as the starter.
That will throw Jerrell into a heated competition for the backup spot. The Seahawks signed veteran free agent Josh Jones as depth at both tackle spots (he’s listed as a guard/tackle on the roster) and drafted tackle Mason Richman out of Iowa in the seventh round and used him at right tackle in rookie minicamp.