The Seattle Seahawks made eight picks in their first draft under head coach Mike Macdonald, and a clear theme emerged.
They addressed needs, particularly boosting depth in the offensive line and secondary. Their first-round pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, is seen as one of the top defensive talents in the draft.
What’s important about this draft class is the extensive college experience they bring. Collectively, the eight picks had a whopping 285 starts during their college careers.
Five players had 40 or more starts, including guard Christian Haynes with 49 starts at UConn.
Even the player with the fewest starts, Murphy, played in 39 total games during his time at Texas.
General manager John Schneider explained that the abundance of college experience wasn’t a specific strategy but rather a result of factors like the COVID year and players choosing to stay in school for extra eligibility and financial incentives from NIL deals.
This wealth of college experience suggests that these players may be more ready to make an immediate impact rather than requiring extensive development time.
