The Seahawks have finalized the signing of their rookie class, as confirmed by reports from Seahawks senior reporter John Boyle. Prior to this, the team had already secured contracts with six of their draft picks and 16 undrafted free agents. With the completion of these final two signings, Seattle can now shift its focus to other offseason endeavors.
This morning, third-round offensive guard Christian Haynes became the first to sign. Throughout his six-year tenure at UConn, Haynes served as a four-year starter for the Huskies. His collegiate career began with a redshirt season in 2018, and he faced the cancellation of his 2020 season due to Covid-19. Haynes exclusively played at right guard during his time at Connecticut, positioning him well for a rookie position battle.
The Seahawks have a recent trend of rookies starting on the offensive line, as seen with tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, both acquired in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Another example is last year’s rookie fourth-round pick, Anthony Bradford, who started 10 games at right guard in 2023. However, Haynes will now have the chance to compete with Bradford for the position during the upcoming summer.
It’s unlikely that sixth-round offensive tackle Michael Jerrell will receive the same opportunities as Cross and Lucas, who are firmly established as Seattle’s starters. However, Jerrell, with his attributes of quickness, length, and toughness, represents an intriguing developmental prospect in the NFL.
With the signing of Jerrell, the Seahawks have completed their eight-man draft class. The eight players are: [List the players here.]
The Seahawks’ eight-man draft class includes:
1. Round 1, No. 16: Byron Murphy (DT, Texas) – signed
2. Round 3, No. 81 (from Saints through Broncos): Christian Haynes (G, UConn)
3. Round 4, No. 118: Tyrice Knight (LB, UTEP) – signed
4. Round 4, No. 121 (from Dolphins through Broncos): AJ Barner (TE, Michigan) – signed
5. Round 5, No. 136 (from Panthers through Browns and Broncos): Nehemiah Pritchett (CB, Auburn) – signed
6. Round 6, No. 179 (from Commanders): Sataoa Laumea (G, Utah) – signed
7. Round 6, No. 192: DJ James (CB, Auburn) – signed
8. Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers through Broncos): Michael Jerrell (T, Findlay)