Now that the majority of the free agent period is overwith, we have a much clearer picture of what the Seahawks will look like this year. General manager John Schneider went in with a plan to reshape the roster in a dramatic way, accelerating the rebuilding process that began with the Russell Wilson trade two years ago.
First, Schneider cut any contract that might have been deemed even remotely burdensome, cutting Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams and Will Dissly, to name a few. Then he moved to retain the team’s two premiere free agents, one on each side of the ball in Leonard Williams and Noah Fant. When that was done he focused on signing a flurry of players to one-year deals, setting up a dramatic turnaround for the salary cap picture in 2025.
Except for guard, Schneider also made sure to address all of the team’s immediate roster needs. This sets up Seattle to take the best player available approach in Round 1. With that in mind, in our latest seven-round 2024 mock draft we went in a bold new direction at No. 16 overall. Here’s how it went down.
2024 NFL draft: The last 25 prospects taken at No. 16 overall
Pick No. 16: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
As the Seahawks look to truly turn the corner in 2025, they might consider making cornerback the foundation on which they build their new empire. Last season this team had one of the deepest cornerback rooms in the NFL. Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Tre Brown are projected to start, but adding another first-rounder to the mix would indisputably give them the most-talented unit in football.
Alabama’s Terrion Arnold is either CB1 in this class or 1b depending on your opinion of Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, who was picked just before we were on the clock at 16. Arnold (6-foot-0, 196 pounds) graded out well in coverage (84.9) and run defense (90.6), which will be a pre-requisite for any defender coming in this year no matter the position.
In 25 games at Alabama, Arnold totaled six interceptions, 20 pass breakups and 108 tackles (7.5 for a loss). Like Witherspoon, he can play the boundary or the slot. Observe.
Pick No. 81: Michigan LB Junior Colson
Incoming veteran linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson are both only on one-year deals. That means they may or may not stick around depending on how they perform in 2024, but linebacker has to be on the menu either way so Seattle can start rebuilding this unit long-term. The most-popular prospect connected to the Seahawks here is of course Junior Colson (6-foot-2, 225 pounds), who played under head coach Mike Macdonald when he was Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
In the two years since, Colson has developed into one the nation’s top inside linebacker prospects. Pro Football Focus has him ranked third at his position in his class behind NC State’s Payton Wilson and Texas A&M’s Edgerrin James.
Pick No. 102: Trade down with Raiders
After securing two likely long-term starters for the back end of the defense, we decided to trade down and begin addressing Seattle’s serious needs in the trenches. Here we moved down 10 spots with the Raiders, sending Vegas pick Nos. 102 and 235 overall in exchange for No. 112 and No. 148 overall.
Pick No. 112: Maryland OT Delmar Glaze
Precarious as it might be, Charles Cross and Abe Lucas are both pretty much locked in at the offensive tackle positions due to a lack of options. Seattle needs more of them. Cross regressed badly in 2023 and Lucas missed most of the year with a knee injury that was scary enough for the Seahawks to give George Fant an expensive insurance policy of a two-year, eight-figure, C+ kind of deal.
Enter Maryland’s Delmar Glaze (6-foot-5, 328 pounds) who comes equipped with over 1,000 total snaps played at both spots. That makes him a great swing tackle option to start out and puts him in line to succeed either Lucas or Cross in the future, should the need arise. Last year Glaze graded out 83.6 in pass blocking, good for 15th in the nation among offensive tackles.
Pick No. 118: TCU G Brandon Coleman
This is the kind of place you draft a guard, and we landed a good one here in TCU’s Brandon Coleman (6-foot-6, 320 pounds). Coleman played a lot of left tackle in college, but also has plenty of experience at left guard. That’s where he’d project for the Seahawks, potentially replacing Damien Lewis in the starting lineup Week 1.
Pick No. 148: Illinois DT Keith Randolph Jr.
At this point interior defensive lineman should probably be on the list every year, given their relative value in the modern game. Mike Morris and Cameron Young provide some decent youth and depth, but adding another one to the rotation will help the inevitable transition away from starting veterans like Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones.
Illinois’ Johnny Newton is a popular mock pick for Seattle in Round 1, but it’s tough to see them taking one so early after just having paid Leonard Williams what they did. If they wait, they might target Newton’s teammate on Day 3 in Keith Randolph Jr. (6-foot-5, 305 pounds).
Randolph can line up all over inside and be disruptive. In 39 games at Illinois he totaled 10 sacks, 23 tackles for a loss and two interceptions.
Pick No. 179: Miami (FL) G Javion Cohen
The Seahawks add more depth at guard here, picking Miami’s Javion Cohen (6-foot-4, 305 pounds). Cohen was a three-year starter at left guard for the Hurricanes and earned high marks for pass blocking in 2023.
Pick No. 192: Washington State EDGE Brennan Jackson
With our last selection we went with Washington State’s Brennan Jackson (6-foot-4, 264 pounds). Last year he earned high grades in pass rushing (76.6) and run defense (78.2). All together, he totaled 20.5 sacks and 35 tackles for a loss in 43 college games.
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