Best/Worst Case Scenarios For Every 2024 Seattle Seahawks Draft Pick

As Byron Murphy II and the rest of the Seahawks rookie class brace for their first OTAs alongside returning veterans, what are realistic expectations for all eight players heading into their first season?

Now officially embarking on their NFL careers, the Seattle Seahawks unveiled their latest draft class for the first time last week at rookie minicamp, providing an opportunity to begin evaluating Byron Murphy II and the rest of the team's draft picks before the start of OTAs this week.

While Murphy and company won't be playing in game action for several months, it's never too early to prognosticate how they may perform in their first season with the Seahawks. As they prepare to begin competing against veterans in the final phase of the offseason program, what can the franchise realistically expect from the first class of the Mike Macdonald era?

Looking into the crystal ball, here are best and worst case scenarios for all eight of Seattle's incoming draft picks:

Byron Murphy II

Best Case: Immediately pushing Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones for starting reps, Murphy plays substantial snaps early in the season and outperforms lofty expectations, starting more than 10 games a rookie while eclipsing 50 tackles with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Providing a spark plug for Seattle's defensive line with run stuffing and pass rushing contributions, he becomes the first player in franchise history to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, looking the part of a transformational future star for Mike Macdonald's unit.

Seahawks first-round pick Byron Murphy II poses with his parents, girlfriend, agent, general manager John Schneider, and coach Mike Macdonald at the VMAC on Thursday. /

Worst Case: While Murphy shines at times, joining a group featuring Williams, Reed, and Jones makes it difficult for him to carve out more than a situational rotational role as a 21-year old rookie with much to learn against NFL competition. With 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss, he doesn't have the production to jump into Rookie of the Year consideration, but there's enough flashes of strong play to suggest he can still be a difference making starter in the future.

Christian Haynes

Best Case: Proving to be a plug-and-play starter right out of the gate with a developed, well-rounded skill set, Haynes quickly leap frogs incumbent Anthony Bradford at the right guard spot for Seattle during training camp. Starting all 17 games, he serves as an instrumental part of a much-improved offensive line under new coach Scott Huff while giving up only two sacks in pass protection and being an impact blocker in the run game, earning PFWA All-Rookie team honors and Pro Bowl alternate distinction as a rookie.

Worst Case: Despite being an All-American in his final two seasons at UConn, Haynes faces more difficulty acclimating to the league than expected and Bradford takes a significant step forward after starting 10 games in 2023, fending off his new competition. While Haynes sees some snaps as the season progresses due to injuries ahead of him, he only starts a pair of games, creating questions about his long-term viability as an anchor for the line.

Tyrice Knight

Best Case: Taking to Macdonald's coaching quickly with a blue collar mentality, Knight shores up assignment-related challenges over the course of the offseason program into training camp to the point where he starts to turn up the heat on free agent signing Jerome Baker. While he doesn't open the season as a starter, with him excelling on special teams and improving by week on the practice field, he vaults into the lineup at the weakside linebacker spot by Week 10 and wraps up an encouraging rookie campaign with 74 tackles, two sacks, and five tackles for loss.

Worst Case: Over his head as a rookie coming from a non-Power 5 program, Knight has trouble handling NFL misdirection in the run game and remains a work in progress as a cover linebacker, leading to plenty of struggles during exhibition play. While he becomes a cog on special teams via kick and punt coverage as the season progresses, he doesn't see much action on defense as he endures an unofficial redshirt season learning from Macdonald and the Seahawks staff.

AJ Barner

Best Case: Pro ready coming from Michigan, Barner outplays free agent signing Pharaoh Brown and fills the void left behind by Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson's absence, starting a handful of games and playing more than 45 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps. Aside from playing over 300 special teams snaps, he demonstrates better receiving chops than shown at the college level, catching 22 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns while also being a catalyst for marked improvement in the run game as Seattle jumps into the top 12 in rushing yardage in Ryan Grubb's first year as play caller.

Worst Case: Far from a dynamic athlete with limitations in the passing game, Barner sees sparse action throughout the season in multi-tight end sets, catching six passes for 40 yards while mostly checking in as a blocker for short yardage and early down situations. Reunited with coach Jay Harbaugh, he does make significant contributions on special teams, earning his keep on coverage teams as a rookie.

Nehemiah Pritchett

Best Case: One of the fastest players on Seattle's roster, Pritchett instantly jumps into the mix as a kick return specialist and with new rules in play, he wins one of the two spots alongside receiver Laviska Shenault, wrapping up the year in the top-10 in yards per return and a touchdown. Though he doesn't play much on defense with a ton of depth ahead of him, he does see a handful of snaps in dime packages in the second half, setting the stage for a bigger role in the future.

Worst Case: A developmental prospect without a place in the lineup on defense at the moment, Pritchett earns one of Seattle's final roster spots as a return option, but he sits more than half of the team's regular season games as a healthy scratch, taking what functions as a redshirt year with under 100 total snaps as a rookie.

Sataoa Laumea

Best Case: Unfazed by the prospect of adapting to a new position after thriving in similar conditions at Utah, Laumea gives veteran free agent signing Laken Tomlinson a run for his money for early playing time. While he doesn't win a starting job out of camp, he takes advantage of Tomlinson struggling early in the season and continues to impress on the practice field, joining the lineup after Week 7 and starting the rest of the year, positioning himself for a long-term spot in the trenches for the Seahawks.

Seahawks rookie Sataoa Laumea listens to instructions from coach Scott Huff during individual drills at rookie minicamp. /

Worst Case: Though Laumea comes to the NFL offering ample experience at guard and tackle, there isn't a spot for him with Tomlinson entrenched at left guard and Haynes and Bradford being ahead of him at right guard. Aside from a spot start in the second half for a banged-up Tomlinson, he only plays a handful of offensive and special teams snaps with several healthy scratch deactivations.

D.J. James

Best Case: Showcasing his versatility playing outside and inside throughout the spring into training camp, James outperforms his teammate Pritchett and plays significant snaps in dime packages out of the slot, putting himself on the radar as a possible starter down the line. In addition, his feisty style of play shows up well on special teams as he finishes third on the team with seven tackles on kick and punt coverage.

Worst Case: Lost in the shuffle with so much depth ahead of him on defense and limited preseason reps, James gets waived during final roster cuts before returning as a member of the practice squad. Though he plays in two games as a practice squad elevation, he spends most of his rookie year on the sidelines with few opportunities to contribute.

Michael Jerrell

Best Case: Jerrell endures expected growing pains making the giant leap from Division II competition to the NFL, but his natural athleticism makes the adjustment period run more smoothly than most prospects in a similar situation and puts returning veteran Stone Forsythe on notice. Though he doesn't make the initial roster out of camp and starts out on the practice squad, he eventually earns a call up after the midway point of the season and plays a handful of snaps as a sixth lineman down the stretch, setting up a bright future as a swing reserve.

Worst Case: Overwhelmed by NFL pass rushers on the practice field and in exhibition games, Jerrell doesn't look ready for the enhanced competition at all. With George Fant and Forsythe light years ahead of him, after being let go in the final stage of roster cuts, he latches on with another practice squad elsewhere without playing in any regular season games for the Seahawks.