The limit is reached by how great the need is.

Here's a look at the Seahawks' predicament heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, and draft analyst Rob Lunn's take on the top prospects at the position.Written by John Boyle & Rob Lang

The NFL Draft begins next week in Detroit, and will be general manager and director of football operations John Schneider's 15th draft in Seattle, but new head coach Mike McDonald's first.

But while there will be some adjustments to be made by Schneider and the player personnel department in terms of knowing what McDonald and his coaching staff are looking for in players, Schneider believes that this draft process is better than the previous 14 players. I don't think it would be much different than the case. He hired Pete Carroll as head coach.

“It's going to take a tremendous amount of preparation, but it's going to be the same,” Schneider said at the NFL's annual meeting last month. “You can really think of preparation like a game. You put together a game plan sheet, and that's basically what the board looks like. So you can say, 'Okay, this is what's going on, now this is what's next.' It's like, here we go. It happened. Now here we go.' That's just how you prepare.

“Pete, he was a pleasure to work with throughout the preparation. Same with Mike and his staff. It's going to be fun.”

Unlike the past two drafts, where Seattle had multiple first- and second-round picks thanks to the Russell Wilson trade, the Seahawks have slightly less draft capital in 2024, but overall The No. 16 pick remains a valuable asset, and whether it's used next season or not, it could be traded for an elite player, or perhaps a pick later in the first round along with additional picks. there is. The Seahawks have a total of seven picks heading into the draft, but they don't have a second-round pick because they sent it to the Giants in last year's trade for Leonard Williams.

So, with the draft just around the corner, Seahawks.com is taking a position-by-position look at the current state of the Seahawks and the top draft prospects at each position. We'll also take a look at each position's draft history over Seattle's last 14 drafts under Schneider.

So far we've covered quarterbacks, linebackers, offensive line, defensive line, outside linebackers, running backs, safeties, receivers, and cornerbacks, but today we'll wrap up with tight ends.

Seattle's 2024 draft picks: Round 1, 16th overall. Round 3, 81st overall (New Orleans via Denver). 4th round, 102nd overall (from Washington). 4th round, 118th overall. 6th round, 179th overall (from Washington). 6th round, 192nd overall. Round 7, 235th overall.

Tight end draft history under John Schneider: Anthony McCoy (2010, 185th overall). Luke Wilson (No. 158, 2013); Nick Bannett (No. 94, 2016); Will Disley (No. 120, 2018); Colby Parkinson (No. 133, 2020); Stephen Sullivan (2020) 251st, also plays as DE).

Seahawks' position

A key move for the Seahawks this offseason was signing Noah Fant to an extension in March, before he became an unrestricted free agent, making Fant a key part of Seattle's offense. Not only was it important for their other top tight ends. Starting last season, Colby Parkinson and Will Dissly were both signed elsewhere as free agents.

The Seahawks also added Pharoah Brown in free agency, but Schneider said, “In our opinion, he's one of the top two or three blocking tight ends in the National Football League, and he's going to be a pain for us.” He is a player who brings a great presence to the team.” Schneider added that Fant and Brown's “skill sets will be very impressive. They will be a great fit working together.”

So with those two in place and Tyler Mabry and special teams standout Brady Russell providing additional depth, the Seahawks are by no means a pain at tight end, but in today's NFL Given the importance of its position in , it will definitely consider continuing. They'll be added at some point this offseason, perhaps in next week's draft. The Seahawks haven't taken many tight ends in Schneider's past 14 drafts, but this could be the year they do so after two depart in free agency.

Rob Lang's Top 5 Tight Ends

overview: As the NFL shifts more and more to passing attacks, it's no surprise that quarterbacks and wide receivers benefit the most, but the use of tight ends has also exploded. International pop superstar Taylor Swift also got in on the fun, famously dating Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce. Recognizing the huge impact this positional group has on today's modern NFL offenses, the Seahawks acquired Noah Fant on a multi-year deal before he hit the open market, and also added veteran Pharoah Brown as a free agent. I welcomed you. Seattle also has Tyler Mabry and Brady Russell on the roster, even though Will Dissly (Chargers) and Colby Parkinson (Rams) took their talents to Los Angeles in the offseason. The club has enough talent in that position. Even though John Schneider has a solid core at the position, he may be tempted if this year's top prospect, Georgia's Brock Bowers, drops to No. 16 overall. Barring that, the Seahawks may look to acquire prospects in the mid-round and later rounds to strengthen their position. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb expects Jack Westover and Devin Culp to have breakout seasons and earn invites to the NFL Scouting Combine while the University of Washington is in the national championship game. helped. Familiar with Grubb (and offensive line coach Scott Huff), along with Michigan's AJ Varner and Illinois' Tip Lyman, the former Dawgs Day 3 will be a perfect fit for the Seahawks.

1. Brock Bowers, Georgia, 6-3, 243, Top 10

It's not often that a tight end ranks as one of the elite prospects in a given NFL Draft, but Bowers is an exceptional case. Simply put, he's the best tight end I've ever evaluated at the college level. The Napa, Calif., native traveled across the country to sign with Georgia State and has continued to dominate the SEC ever since, becoming a three-time All-American and the first consecutive John Mackey Award winner for the nation's top player. became. Tight end. He is very quick, difficult to tackle due to both his contact balance and desire, and has soft hands.

2. JaTavion Sanders, Texas, 6-4, 245, 2nd-3rd round

Sanders doesn't have the buzz that Bowers mentioned above, but he's a legitimate mismatch monster in his own right. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from both league coaches and media the past two seasons and is the program's all-time leading receiver at tight end with 99 grabs for 1,295 yards and seven scores over the past 27 years. left Texas. game. Even better, Sanders, who turned 21 in late March, appears to have just scratched the surface of his abilities, showing even more speed on the field than his 4.69-second time at the combine would suggest. , showing agility and soft hands.

3. Cade Stover, Ohio State, 6-4, 247, 2nd-3rd round.

The Seahawks have long valued versatility and leadership, and Stover certainly checked those boxes while bouncing between linebacker, defensive end, and tight end during his career at Ohio State. was. The switch kept Stover from achieving impressive results throughout his career, but given Columbus' talent, it shouldn't surprise anyone. He was named the Big Ten TE of the Year in 2023 after being allowed to focus on one position. His tape is full of impressive plays that suggest Stover, a two-time team captain, will very likely have more statistical success in the NFL than he did in college.

4. Ben Sinnott, Kansas State, 6-4, 250, 2nd-3rd round

In honor of Bowers, the undisputed lead “Dawg” among this year's tight ends, the Wildcats' All-American who caught more passes (49) in 2023 than any other college football player, Synnott. No other player has played in this position more. He recorded more yards (676) and touchdowns (6) than any tight end in KSU history. Synnott is featured in KSU's offense and is more of an H-back than a full-service tight end. His inability to hold his ground at the line of scrimmage limits his fit in some offenses, but he's an energizer bunny as a pass catcher, motivating his teammates with difficult grabs and post-catch rumblings.

5. Jared Wiley, TCU, 6-6, 249, 3-4 rounds

Of course, if all you're looking for is production, TCU's Wiley would have a word to say, as no tight end in the country had more than eight touchdown receptions a year ago. Wiley, originally at the University of Texas, helped the Horned Frogs reach the 2022 national title game and quickly added to the team's offensive versatility. He offers an exciting blend of size, speed and soft hands, reminding me a bit of former Seahawk Colby Parkinson.

Seahawks single game tickets

Seahawks field seats, suites, and premium seats

Seahawks Game Day Experience

seahawks schedule