2024 Seahawks Draft preview: Top 5 storylines on offense

2024 Seahawks Draft preview: Top 5 storylines on offense

It’s NFL Draft week in Detroit! The Seattle Seahawks have a whole lot of question marks pertaining to both sides of the ball as we enter the first season of the Mike Macdonald era. In the lead-up to the draft, we’ll take a look at the top stories and questions we’ll presumably have answered next Thursday-Saturday. Today, we’ll focus in on the offense, with an obvious closer look at the offensive line.

5.) A running back/kick returner?

Seattle is seemingly open to a reunion with Rashaad Penny, so perhaps this minor storyline may be moot. Kenny McIntosh was injured and didn’t play any offensive snaps as a rookie, which indicates that he shouldn’t have a roster spot reservation this year.

The Seahawks need a new third-down back and return specialist following the departure of DeeJay Dallas. There is zero reason for Seattle to spend an early-round draft pick on a running back for the umpteenth time, but taking a Day 3 flyer on an RB3 who could provide a spark under the new kick return rules is more than justified.

Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy Jr switched from wide receiver to running back after transferring from Iowa, and possesses deep experience as a pass-catcher, rusher, and pass protector. On special teams, Tracy recorded a 98-yard kick return TD.

Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo has dealt with a litany of injuries over six collegiate seasons, but with a 4.39-yard 40-yard dash and two years of kick return experience (23 yards on average), he’s a possible pickup. The potential rejuvenation of the kick return game may place a different value on backs with return experience. This is also not a high priority by any means.

4.) Any more pass-catching threats?

It’s settled that DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett will be the top three targets. Noah Fant is the undisputed TE1, while Jake Bobo is (for now) WR4 ahead of Dee Eskridge, Laviska Shenault Jr, and Dareke Young. And yet, none of the receiving group other than JSN is under contract after 2025. The only Seahawks I’m reasonably confident will be long-term features in this offense are DK (on a new deal) and JSN. Everyone else is totally up in the air; some may not even make the 53-man roster this year.

This is a deep receiver class, and there are some talented tight ends to be had not named Brock Bowers. I’d be disappointed if the Seahawks didn’t at least try to kick the tires on unearthing another receiving target. The splashy draft pick could be Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley, who’s an excellent yards after catch threat with tremendous tackle-breaking ability (something Seahawks receivers continue to struggle with). With Rome Odunze likely off the board early, former Washington teammates Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan could both draw Seattle’s attention.

At tight end, Bowers is a first-round lock, then there’s a bit of a dropoff. Theo Johnson didn’t have consistently high-level play at Penn State but he tested extremely well at the NFL combine. I’m partial to Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott, a projected Day 3 pick with reliable hands, smooth route-running, and experience as a blocking fullback.

3.) The Abe Lucas contingency plan?

Right tackle Abe Lucas had an injury-shortened 2023 and there’s been a big mystery over what’s been ailing his knee. He had offseason surgery and while John Schneider indicated that he should be ready for the start of the season, I’m in full “believe it when I see it” mode.

Seattle was not well prepared to deal with even one tackle missing, let alone both, hence Jason Peters was called out of semi-retirement. The Seahawks are looking to avoid that predicament again by bringing back George Fant, who can play at either tackle spot. Stone Forsythe was a right tackle option but the Seahawks went out of their way to rotate him and Peters.

I’m pretty sure that Charles Cross is going to be the starting left tackle and even though he hasn’t been spectacular, he’s been solid enough to not have his job under threat. Right tackle is a question mark in the long-term entirely because of Lucas’ health. That doesn’t mean spend a first-round or (acquired) second-round pick on a tackle, but it may behoove Seattle to bolster their tackle depth. If the Seahawks go for a tackle early and intend to play them at tackle… Code Red on Abe.

Some Day 2-3 options include Washington’s Roger Rosengarten, Texas’ Christian Jones, Penn State’s Caedan Wallace, and Georgia State’s Travis Glover (who met with Seattle in an official 30 visit).

2.) What’s the plan at guard?

Let me preface this by saying that I truly doubt that kicking Lucas to right guard is going to be a thing. He has as many snaps at guard as I do dating back to college. There wasn’t even a whole lot of pre-draft talk about moving Lucas to guard, so this is purely speculative to think about a positional switch for Abe.

With all of that said, the Seahawks’ guard situation is not inspiring. Tremayne Anchrum Jr was a career backup with the Rams, McClendon Curtis will be competing for a roster spot come preseason, Laken Tomlinson has been durable but he was not good with the New York Jets, and Anthony Bradford was top-20 in pressure rate allowed among guards (min. 200 snaps played).

Troy Fautanu is the obvious answer for the Seahawks. Not only was he an outstanding left tackle at Washington, he projects to be a great left guard with superb athleticism and strength. Another top first-round prospect is Duke’s Graham Barton, who was recruited as a top high school guard, played at center as a freshman, then switched to tackle. He can play any position but most likely his future in the NFL is at guard. Barton is not the athlete that Fautanu is, but he plays with great (smart) aggression, particularly in the run game, and is too talented to completely dismiss as a possible Seahawk.

A little deeper in the draft, Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe, Boston College’s Christian Mahogany, Michigan’s Zak Zinter, South Dakota State’s Mason McCormack, and UConn’s Christian Haynes are possible later round targets for Seattle.

John Schneider believes guards are overpaid and overdrafted? Fine. History suggests he’s not bluffing given his past approach. I hope that Seattle doesn’t do the bare minimum and hope that Scott Huff and the rest of the coaching staff can elevate this group.

1.) The quarterback decision

Geno Smith’s deal was restructured and his salary for 2024 is guaranteed. There’s no reason to think he’s getting traded. His contract is up after 2025, at which point he’ll be 35. “Quarterbacks can play at a high level until they’re 40” is true in theory, but that’s generally reserved for upper-tier guys either in the Hall of Fame, will eventually be in the Hall of Fame, or a lock for the hypothetical Hall of Very Good. If I just used a simple example of quarterbacks who have thrown at least 20 touchdowns in their age 35 season, you will not find many Geno Smith equivalents on the list. Just because Geno hasn’t had a typical career for someone in his mid-30s doesn’t mean we should expect him to have the athleticism of a mid-20s player for much longer.

Meanwhile, Geno’s new backup is Sam Howell. The circumstances may not have been favorable in Washington, but the truth of the matter is that Howell was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL by PFF grade, DVOA, and EPA. For all of the sacks he took, he was one of the worst offenders at creating his own pressure, and the Commanders’ pass blocking rankings were a lot better than Howell’s sacks suggest. I feel like it’s fair to believe the Commanders are a clown show but it’s also dishonest to absolve Howell from his role in the offense’s ineffectiveness. I’m not expecting some career turnaround and I don’t see a ceiling of a high-end NFL starter.

The upside of Howell is that his cap hits are below $1 million apiece for his final two seasons of his deal, so that shouldn’t deter the Seahawks from taking a quarterback they like. Of course, for almost entirely local reasons, Michael Penix Jr to Seattle is the most common fantasy among those who want a QB. Penix’s college OC is the Seahawks’ OC, and his incredible arm and deep passing abilities are tantalizing. We’ll get to Penix more in-depth later in the week, but realistically him and Bo Nix will be the only big names available to Seattle at No. 16, and Nix probably isn’t worth a first-rounder.

I must admit that throughout my heavy skepticism and criticism throughout his college career, I’m warming up to South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler as a third-round choice. He’s not the same guy he was when Lincoln Riley benched him at Oklahoma, and he has as good a chance as anyone to succeed as a non-Round 1 prospect.

John Schneider’s lack of drafted quarterbacks post-Russell Wilson has been discussed to death. In fairness to him, I can only imagine the shitstorm that would’ve transpired prior to 2020 had Schneider and Pete Carroll taken any notable quarterback early, and it wasn’t like Russell Wilson was playing at a level where there was an inkling that he should be dealt. John has had two opportunities since the Wilson trade to draft a QB and didn’t do it.

How Schneider approaches quarterback in this draft will tell us everything about how he feels about the class, as well as Geno and Howell. Unlike previous years, there’s no Pete Carroll around to assume made the real final call on the draft decisions.