Not making a habit of devoting much money to its defensive tackle spot under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks deviated last year by giving Dre’Mont Jones a three-year, $51MM contract. In Mike Macdonald‘s first weeks as head coach, the team doubled down by re-signing Leonard Williams (three years, $64.5MM).
It would seem Seattle is covered here, as Jarran Reed and free agent signing Johnathan Hankins are on the roster as well. But the team is believed to be interested in Texas DT prospect Byron Murphy II. The Seahawks hosted the recent Longhorns D-line standout on a recent visit, which had been scheduled for several weeks. The team appears interested in further bolstering its DT spot, perhaps even in Round 1.
The Seahawks should be viewed as Murphy’s floor in this draft, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller writes. Murphy is not leaving Austin with eye-catching traditional numbers (five sacks last season), but the 297-pound inside rusher pressured QBs consistently. Murphy’s 33 pressures were 19 more than he posted in 2022. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board places Murphy 19th, while Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com offering slots him 24th. The Seahawks hold the No. 16 overall pick in this year’s draft.
More was expected from Carroll’s final Seattle team, which underachieved at 9-8. But the squad Macdonald inherits does not feature too many need areas. Guard represents the most glaring weakness, but ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes the Seahawks plan to address that spot in free agency and the draft. A guard does not appear realistic in Round 1, pointing to a best-player-available-type investment at 16. Murphy would qualify as an interesting choice.
While the Seahawks rostered Jones and Williams during the season’s second half, they still ranked 31st in run defense last season. Hankins stands to help in that department, but Murphy appeals largely as an inside disruptor. Ranking as the top DT in this class, Murphy would also represent an investment at the position a year after the team strongly considered Jalen Carter. The latter’s off-field issues dissuaded a few teams from choosing the high-end talent in last year’s top 10, and the Seahawks ultimately went with Devon Witherspoon over the Georgia DT talent.