Seahawks Trade Back, Select UTEP LB Tyrice Knight in Fourth Round

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The Seahawks traded away their first of two fourth-round picks before drafting University of Texas El Paso linebacker Tyrice Knight.

Seattle sent its No. 102 overall pick, along with a seventh-round selection (No. 235 overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the No. 121 overall pick in the fourth-round, a fifth-round pick (No. 136 overall) and a sixth-rounder (No. 207).

Knight, a 6-foot, 233-pound thumper from Lakeland, Florida, gives first-year head coach Mike Macdonald additional depth with the ability to play both inside and outside linebacker.

“I feel I can do anything the coach asks me to do,” Knight told Seattle-area reporters after being selected.

The Seahawks brought Knight in for a pre-draft workout and felt that he was an ideal fit for Macdonald’s defensive scheme at either linebacker spot.

A former Juco product, Knight spent two seasons at Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas, before transferring to UTEP in 2020.

In three years for the Miners he racked up 391 total tackles (217 solo), 33.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 17 passes defended and 2 interceptions in 45 career games.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler pre-draft evaluation of Knight noted he “plays faster” than his 4.63 40-yard time and possesses a high football IQ to use his size to his advantage.

Knight addresses another position of need for the Seahawks.

Seattle signed a pair of linebackers — Tyrel Dodson from the Buffalo Bills, a 4-year vet, and Jerome Baker, who spend the past 6 seasons with the Miami Dolphins — to short-term deals in free agency in March.

While Knight won’t be expected to be a straight plug-and-play at inside linebacker, adding depth was essential for Seahawks general manager John Schneider.