Ranking Seattle Seahawks Offensive Roster Needs Prior to 2024 NFL Draft

Though the Seattle Seahawks should be set for the most part at the skill positions, the trenches remain an area of significant concern with the NFL Draft just around the corner.

Oct 22, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; Washington Huskies offensive lineman Troy Fautanu (55) / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Only one week away from the 2024 NFL Draft kicking off in Detroit, the Seattle Seahawks will soon bring in a new draft class to help replenish their roster as they begin a new era under first-time head coach Mike Macdonald.

Following a busy free agency period that included re-signing tight end Noah Fant and trading for quarterback Sam Howell, which offensive positional groups stand out as Seattle's greatest areas of need heading towards the draft? Here's a ranking of all seven groups with new additions, losses, and an urgency index on a scale of 1 to 5:

1. Guard

New Additions: Laken Tomlinson, Tremayne Anchrum

Departures: Damien Lewis, Phil Haynes

Urgency Level: 4.5/5

Signing Laken Tomlinson should help the Seahawks in 2024, but the team still needs long-term answers at both guard spots. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

While signing Tomlinson, who has started 138 games in the NFL with three teams, softens the blow of Lewis bolting for the Panthers a little bit in the short term, the Seahawks still have major concerns at guard both in the present and future. Before signing Tomlinson, only Anthony Bradford had more than one regular season start under his belt at the position on the roster, and he only has 10 starts to his name. Anchrum offers some upside as a former two-time national champion at Clemson and flashed in limited action for the Rams last year, but he has been dogged by injuries and started just one game in four NFL seasons, making him far from a lock to make the team out of camp in August.

Schneider has stated publicly that he thinks guards are often "overpaid and overdrafted," which may decrease the odds of Seattle investing its first-round pick in the position. But if Washington tackle Troy Fautanu falls to No. 16 overall, he could be an intriguing candidate to slide inside and reunite with coaches Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff. Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke's Graham Barton, who met with the team at the combine, could also be first-round options. Regardless, the guard spots need reinforcements badly and the team would be wise to pursue those sooner rather than later to capitalize on an excellent draft class, including potentially targeting players such as Kansas State's Cooper Beebe on day two.

2. Tight End

New Additions: Pharaoh Brown

Departures: Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson

Urgency Level: 3/5

After enjoying great continuity at tight end over the past two seasons, the Seahawks will look far different at the position after releasing Dissly as a cap casualty and losing Parkinson to the Rams in free agency. The franchise will be banking on Fant, who re-signed on a two-year, $21 million deal, to re-emerge as a major factor in the passing game in Grubb's offense and make the investment pay off. A top-10 blocking tight end last year with the Patriots, Brown doesn't offer a flashy game and likely won't see a high volume of targets as a receiver, but he should be an adequate replacement in Dissly's role in 2024.

But aside from Fant, Seattle doesn't have any tight ends under contract past next season, and the duo of Tyler Mabry and Brady Russell has played a combined 43 offensive snaps in NFL regular season games, leaving the team with legitimate depth concerns. Most likely, Schneider won't target a tight end to add to the group until day three of the draft, where he could potentially land an intriguing prospect such as Penn State's Theo Johnson. However, if Georgia's Brock Bowers falls in the first round, he may not be able to resist the opportunity to add a blue chip talent at the position.

3. Center

New Additions: Nick Harris

Departures: Evan Brown, Joey Hunt

Urgency Level: 2.5/5

Like the guard spots in the interior, the Seahawks don't have much starting experience at the pivot position, where they will be breaking in a new starter for the fourth straight season in second-year blocker Olu Oluwatimi. The former Michigan standout logged more than 3,500 college snaps before being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and performed well in one spot start filling in for Brown last year, so there's reason for optimism that he can step into the lineup and develop into a quality starter.

As an insurance policy, Seattle did sign Harris, who earned All-Pac 12 recognition playing for Huff at Washington. On a one-year deal returning to the Pacific Northwest, he may be granted an opportunity to battle for the starting job against Oluwatimi and at just 25 years of age, if he did manage to earn a spot in the lineup, he could play his way into long-term plans. While it's not the team's most pressing need, it is possible Schneider could try to further solidify the competition by drafting a center on day three such as Wisconsin's Tanor Bortolini or Penn State's Hunter Nourzad.

4. Quarterback

New Additions: Sam Howell

Departures: Drew Lock

Urgency Level: 2/5

After orchestrating a league-high five game winning drives in 2023, Geno Smith will enter training camp as Seattle's undisputed starter, but that may not deter the franchise from drafting a quarterback. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

Back in February, quarterback may have much been higher on this list, as Geno Smith's future in Seattle had been speculated with an impending roster bonus due and questions about whether or not Macdonald preferred another signal caller. But the team paid his bonus early, quietly committing to him as the starter in 2024. Then, after losing Lock to the Giants in free agency, Schneider executed a pick swap with the Commanders for Howell, bringing the 23-year old gunslinger on board to compete against Smith as a potential successor after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and tossing 21 touchdowns in 2023.

By trading for Howell, the Seahawks afforded themselves much-needed flexibility, as Schneider indicated the lack of a second round pick would have made trading up to draft a quarterback quite difficult. Still, he has been adamant that the trade won't alter the team's draft plans and if the right quarterback falls to them in the first round or later, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see someone like Oregon's Bo Nix, South Carolina's Spencer Rattler, or Tulane's Michael Pratt brought in to compete with Smith and Howell with eyes on the future. A late round developmental flyer may be an even greater possibility.

5. Tackle

New Additions: George Fant, Max Pircher

Departures: Jake Curhan, Jason Peters

Urgency Level: 2/5

Injuries dogged the Seahawks at the tackle spots a year ago, as Abraham Lucas missed 11 out of 17 regular season games dealing with a troublesome knee that required offseason surgery and Charles Cross missed three games early in the year with a toe sprain. With both of those players expected to be 100 percent for the start of training camp and Huff joining the staff with a sterling reputation for coaching tackles, the organization should still have high hopes for 2024 and beyond with one of the better young bookend duos in the NFL.

But with Lucas' health in mind, Seattle wisely invested money in a quality backup, bringing back Fant on a two-year deal. No longer the raw ex-college basketball player he was when he first signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016, he has significant starting experience at both tackle positions and will be a great asset for both Cross and Lucas as a mentor. With Stone Forsythe returning after showing substantial improvements as a spot starter last year, depth looks much better than it did at this time last year, but a late-round tackle could still be on the menu heading into the draft.

6. Running Back

New Additions: None

Departures: DeeJay Dallas, Bryant Koback

Urgency Level: 1.5/5

Drafting a running back in the second round in consecutive years, the Seahawks should have one of the premier one-two backfield punches in the league with Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet toting the rock in Grubb's offense. Aside from Walker's explosiveness and Charbonnet's physical, downhill style complementing one another, the team will also be eager to see what soft-handed three-down back Kenny McIntosh can do after a knee injury held him out for most of his rookie season and limited him to special teams work in three games played. If those three players can stay healthy, few backfield stables offer more talent or versatility.

But while Schneider shouldn't need to draft a running back in the first two days this time around, Dallas' exit to join the Cardinals and Koback's recent retirement leaves the Seahawks with minimal depth at a position where insurance is crucial. Considering the team has drafted at least one running back in 10 of Schneider's 14 drafts at a helm, with at least four picks in the final four rounds, it would be unexpected if he doesn't take advantage of a class that offers quality depth and versatile playmakers out of the backfield, including Troy's Kimani Vidal and Oregon's Bucky Irving.

7. Receiver

New Additions: Laviska Shenault

Departures: None

Urgency Level: 1/5

After restructuring Tyler Lockett's contract, the Seahawks will have their entire big three back in action in 2024 with DK Metcalf leading the way and Jaxon Smith-Njigba looking to breakout in his sophomore season. Behind them, a new coaching staff hopes Dee Eskridge can buck the injury issues that derailed his first three seasons and emerge as a productive secondary target and special teams contributor, while Jake Bobo and Dareke Young could also be in the mix for significant snaps on offense and special teams.

As the wild card to watch for 2024, Shenault offers a bit different of a skill set with a bruising 6-2, 220-pound frame and aside from being a playmaker after the catch, he could see a few carries in the run game as well and will compete as a kick return specialist. If he ends up being a factor, an already talented group could be even better, leaving little room for an incoming rookie to be able to crash the party. Still, like running back, Schneider has drafted a receiver in all but two of his past drafts and a deep draft class could lead to a talented wideout such as USC's Tahj Washington or UTSA's Joshua Cephus dropping into their lap in the middle to late rounds, providing a developmental asset to groom for Lockett's eventual departure.