Mike Macdonald shares 4 words to describe preparing for NFL Draft

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is very involved with the draft process this offseason.

November 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald talks to his staff during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald's first two offseasons in the Emerald City couldn't be much more different.

Last year, Macdonald, the last coach hired in the 2024 cycle, was hard at work assembling his staff on the fly. This year, he has far more time to work with, and is taking full advantage of it.

Weeks ago, Macdonald joined general manager John Schneider and co. at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. He wasn't just a passenger, though, he was a huge part of the scouting process.

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"I love this s***," Macdonald said, per the team's website. "This is an opportunity to become the team we want to be."

Macdonald, 37, is a strong talent evaluator, so much so that he apparently gave a position-by-position breakdown to members of Seattle's scouting department. He was brutally honest in that breakdown, and scouts loved it.

"That was awesome to hear him take us through the maturation of our team and our roster," assistant general manager Nolan Teasley said. "It just added some clarity. The foundation of everything that we do at different times of the year, whether it's in-season or offseason, is that you have to know your team first, you have to evaluate your team first.

"So that actually laid a really good foundation for us going into the offseason about where we need to get better, and about what we were able to do in-season and kind of point us in the right direction as we look to acquire and build for 2025."

Of course, Macdonald stressed accountability on his end as well. It wasn't a case of him asking the scouts to get him better players, but how they can all get the best out of the players they have.

The former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator laid a strong foundation by winning 10 games in his first season. Now entering his second season, Macdonald and the Seahawks will look to build on that foundation and make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

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