Comparing Seattle Seahawks Draftees to NFL Players With Past Ties to Mike Macdonald, Coaching Staff

While questions persist about how coach Mike Macdonald will deploy players with the Seahawks, looking at NFL players with ties to him and a new staff may provide answers.

Quickly progressing towards their first OTA practices and mandatory minicamp as NFL players, Mike Macdonald and a new-look coaching staff will be using the next several weeks to begin evaluating the Seattle Seahawks latest draft class.

With so many new faces on the staff following the departure of Pete Carroll, the Seahawks will be steering towards the unknown, as it remains to be seen how Macdonald will deploy personnel compared to his previous stop with the Ravens. And, more importantly, the next few months will paint a clearer picture for the types of players and skill sets he prefers at different positions compared to his predecessor.

Looking at each of Seattle's eight incoming draft picks, including first-round pick Byron Murphy II, which current and former NFL players with past connections to Macdonald and other members of the coaching staff can help answer those questions?

Using statistics, advanced charting from Pro Football Focus, and Relative Athletic Scores, here are eight player comps to match with Murphy and the rest of the Seahawks' 2024 draft class:

Byron Murphy II: Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

After the Seahawks announced Macdonald as Pete Carroll's successor, many fans hoped Madubuike would hit the market and come to the Pacific Northwest to reunite with his former defensive coordinator, but the Ravens prevented that from happening by re-signing the budding star to a multi-year extension before free agency started. After posting a career high in sacks and earning his first Pro Bowl selection, he earned every penny of his four-year, $98 million extension.

Luckily for the Seahawks, thanks to 14 consecutive offensive players - including six quarterbacks - coming off the board to open the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, a pretty good consolation prize fell into their laps with Murphy improbably still available. The All-American selection and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year matches Madubuike coming out of Texas A&M in 2020 in everything from size to college production to athletic testing, as the two players nearly mirrored each other in Relative Athletic Score down to the last decimal.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Justin Madubuike vs. Byron Murphy II / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

Aside from being the same body type with shorter, powerful frames under 300 pounds, both ran sub-4.90 40-yard dashes at the NFL combine and posted excellent 3-cone times along with at least 28 pounds on the bench press. On the field, Murphy capped off his college career with a five sack season, nearly matching Madubuike's pass rushing numbers in his final two years with the Aggies, while they had similar tackle for loss production as well.

Looking at how Macdonald deployed Madubuike in his two years as Baltimore's coordinator, he played 65 percent of his snaps in 3-tech/4i-tech alignment. As for Murphy, he played the same role for Texas at a 62 percent clip in three college seasons, with the only notable difference being that he played significantly more snaps at nose tackle. Given his size, that should change at the next level and his new coach likely will transform those nose reps into "big end" opportunities covering opposing tackles in a similar fashion to Madubuike to take advantage of his elite athleticism.

Christian Haynes: Andrew Wylie, Washington Commanders

Years before he transformed Washington into a college version of the greatest show on turf, new Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb enjoyed a highly successful three-year tenure as Eastern Michigan's offensive line coach. The Eagles finished in the top 10 for fewest sacks allowed in his final season on staff in 2016 and featured two future NFL players, including Wylie, who overcame a rough rookie season getting cut by three teams to eventually start at both guard and tackle for the Chiefs and win two Super Bowls.

Stature-wise, Wylie has three inches on Haynes with a taller, leaner build. But during his time at Eastern Michigan, he played over 400 snaps at left guard before sliding outside to tackle, and athletically, he and the two-time All-American from UConn share quite a few similarities. Both players ran respectable 40-yard dash times with borderline elite 10-yard splits and demonstrated great explosiveness with 33-plus inch vertical jumps.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Andrew Wylie vs. Christian Haynes / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

At the college level, Wylie didn't have near as decorated of a career as Haynes did with the Huskies, allowing 10 sacks in three seasons with the Eagles, per Pro Football Focus. He never earned All-American honors and despite testing well at the NFL combine, he went undrafted before signing with the Colts as a free agent. But playing both guard spots in his first three years with the Chiefs, he posted 97 percent or better pass blocking efficiency rates protecting Patrick Mahomes, playing a key role in the team's ascent to perennial powerhouse.

Offering many of the same athletic traits as Wylie with All-American pedigree and a more physical playing style in the trenches, the Seahawks will be hoping Haynes can have the same type of impact keeping Geno Smith upright and opening up run lanes for Ken Walker III and company as a day one starter.

Tyrice Knight: Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh Steelers

Along with Madubuike, Queen stood out as another desired prize for Seahawks fans hoping Macdonald would have an All-Pro caliber player tag-teaming with him coming to the Pacific Northwest. But no such deal came to fruition, as the ex-LSU star skipped town to join a division rival in Pittsburgh instead, leading Seattle to sign Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson to more team-friendly one-year deals as stop-gap replacements for Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks.

With Queen not in Seattle's plans, Macdonald became enamored by Knight in the pre-draft process, and looking at his athleticism, versatility, and immense production, it's not difficult to see parallels between him and Queen. Roughly the exact same size, Knight didn't run quite as fast at the combine, but he did post more reps on the bench press while nearly equaling Queen's 35-inch vertical jump, showing the type of speed and explosiveness Macdonald prefers at the position.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Patrick Queen vs. Tyrice Knight / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

Thriving for a struggling UTEP program, Knight eclipsed 300 combined tackles and 30 tackles for loss in four college seasons, including a whopping 140 tackles with 4.5 sacks in 2023. Aside from having superior tackle production to Queen, albeit against far inferior competition, he also played nearly 15 percent of his snaps either as an edge rusher or walked up to the line as a blitzer, showcasing similar positional flexibility that caters well to Macdonald's system.

As a fourth-round pick with plenty of flaws to work on in his game, it wouldn't be fair to expect Knight to immediately jump into the lineup as Queen did after the Ravens picked him in the first round in the 2020 draft, and he likely will need time to develop before he's ready to play on defense on Sundays. But from a potential standpoint, he has enough comparable attributes to suggest he can grow into a quality NFL linebacker at either the WILL or MIKE position with the Seahawks.

AJ Barner: Luke Schoonmaker, Dallas Cowboys

One of the more athletic all-around tight ends to come into the NFL draft in recent years, Schoonmaker only caught two passes in his first two years at Michigan working with coach Jay Harbaugh, but he emerged as a viable pro prospect with 52 receptions and six touchdowns in his last two years on campus. After an impressive combine workout, the Cowboys used a second-round pick on him in the 2023 draft and he appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, catching eight passes and two touchdowns.

Transferring from Indiana and succeeding Schoonmaker as Michigan's primary tight end, like his predecessor, Barner didn't get many chances to make an impact as a receiver with 22 catches for 249 yards and a score. But he played a vital role in the Wolverines top-ranked rushing attack, logging over 400 snaps as an inline tight end compared to 108 combined snaps either out wide or in the slot. Former coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff used Schoonmaker much the same with more than 85 percent of his snaps coming as an inline tight end and minimal opportunities out wide.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Luke Schoonmaker vs. AJ Barner / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

With both players being taller than 6-5 and weighing 251 pounds, Schoonmaker and Barner look like carbon copies, and Jay Harbaugh's previous experience coaching him last year in Ann Arbor obviously played a role in Seattle's decision to select him in the fourth round. After losing Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson in free agency, he should be poised to step into a significant role as the No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant and like his college days, the majority of those snaps likely will come inside flanking Charles Cross or Abraham Lucas.

Nehemiah Pritchett: Jalyn Armour-Davis, Baltimore Ravens

Having to wait his turn behind several other future NFL players, Armour-Davis didn't become a full-time starter at Alabama until his junior year at Alabama, but he took full advantage of his opportunity with three interceptions before declaring early for the 2022 NFL Draft. Exhibiting top-flight speed at the combine, the Ravens snagged him in the fourth round, and he's mostly played special teams in his first two NFL seasons, producing 12 tackles and a pass breakup in 12 games.

Unlike Armour-Davis, Pritchett started at Auburn for parts of four seasons, recording 115 tackles and three interceptions along with 313 kick return yards on special teams. As an NFL prospect, however, he measured in at near the same size as Armour-Davis, ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.3 range at the combine, and had near-identical testing in the vertical and broad jump. Possessing many of the same traits, the Seahawks selected him in the fifth round to give Macdonald an intriguing developmental cornerback at a deep position group.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Jalyn Armour-Davis vs. Nehemiah Pritchett / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

If that scenario sounds familiar, Armour-Davis hasn't been able to crack Baltimore's defensive lineup due to the presence of Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, and Daryl Worley in front of him on the depth chart. Pritchett will face the same type of log jam with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Mike Jackson, and Tre Brown all returning for Seattle, but his kick return and special teams coverage abilities should open the door to opportunities to contribute early while the staff develops him as a possible starter down the road.

Sataoa Laumea: Rees Odhiambo, Seattle Seahawks*

*Last played in NFL in 2017

While he didn't last long in the league after being selected as a third-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Odhiambo emerged as new line coach Scott Huff's first NFL-caliber player while serving on then-coach Chris Peterson's staff at Boise State. Despite battling through injuries his final two years with the Broncos, he posted excellent pass protection efficiency rates above 98 percent and allowed two combined sacks at left tackle, which ultimately led to the decision to draft him on day two.

Testing-wise, Odhiambo didn't have an overly impressive combine coming off injury, including a dreadful broad jump and 3-cone drill time. In comparison, Laumea didn't do enough events to earn a Relative Athletic Score in February due to a calf injury, as he opted against running the 40-yard dash, short shuttle, or 3-cone drill. But the two players entered the league with close metrics in height and weight and the testing that Laumea did do matchup up pretty well with Odhiambo's numbers from eight years earlier.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Rees Odhiambo vs. Sataoa Laumea / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

At the pro level, Odhiambo didn't play any snaps at guard in regular season games, but the Seahawks did work him at left guard in the preseason in each of his first three years with the team. Coming to the Pacific Northwest with a more decorated resume featuring four All-Pac 12 selections, including two at right tackle and two at right guard, Laumea looks to be heading down a similar path sliding back inside, and Huff will look to work magic transitioning him to the left side with hopes he can compete for a starting job at some point.

D.J. James: Damarion Williams, Baltimore Ravens

Another fourth-round pick by the Ravens to bolster cornerback depth, Williams followed up a standout college career at Houston by seeing action in 14 games as a rookie, including 226 snaps for Macdonald's defense. Unfortunately, he missed most of the 2023 season due to injury, appearing in just a single game with 19 special teams snaps, limiting his chance to take a significant step forward as Baltimore's primary slot defender.

Before breaking into the league, the 182-pound Williams had an average combine showing, running a pedestrian 40-yard dash time with poor results in vertical and broad jump testing. He did, however, post 17 bench press reps at 182 pounds and a solid short shuttle time. Though his testing didn't completely match up to Williams, including an ugly shuttle time, James weighed in at 175 pounds and ran a faster 4.42 40-yard dash, leading to the Seahawks drafting him in the sixth round and reuniting him with Pritchett in the secondary.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Damarion Williams vs. D.J. James / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

Unlike Williams, James' lackluster showing in agility testing would suggest he isn't a candidate to play the slot role, and he logged fewer than three percent of his snaps at Auburn and Oregon inside. But Seattle already has started working him at the position in rookie minicamp and his speed and physicality for his size could help offset perceived change of direction limitations, setting him up to potentially compete right away for reps in nickel and dime sets.

Michael Jerrell: Alex Akingbulu, Washington Commanders

Trying to find a comparable player to Jerrell, who played for an obscure Division II school in Ohio, wasn't an easy task. Grubb coached at an NAIA school at one point, but didn't have any of those players reach the NFL, and none of his tackles at Eastern Michigan made it to the league either. However, he did have a late bloomer in Akingbulu who didn't play much until his senior season, which happened to be the final year with Grubb on staff as offensive coordinator.

After waiting for his opportunity as a full-time starter, Akingbulu played north of 800 snaps at right tackle for the Bulldogs in 2021, earning First-Team All-Mountain West honors. But his late ascension wasn't enough for him to get drafted and after going unsigned, he played in five games for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL, turning that brief stint into a contract with the Commanders, where he "redshirted" in 2022 on the practice squad before playing in two games a year ago.

Relative Athletic Score comparison: Alex Akingbulu vs. Michael Jerrell / Relative Athletic Score/@MathBomb

Athleticism-wise, Jerrell has more tools at his disposal than Akingbulu with sub-5.00 40-yard dash burst and plenty of explosiveness stemming from his basketball background. But the jump from Division II to NFL competition will be a daunting one and just as Akingbulu did in his first year in Washington after playing limited snaps in college, it may be best for the sixth-round pick to learn for a year on the practice squad before he's truly ready to vie for a spot on the 53-man roster.