The Seattle Seahawks are going to look vastly different in 2024 than they have in recent years. With the franchise moving on from head coach Pete Carroll, the aura on the field will be different. But, ownership and the front office have made it clear they want the same energy and attitude Carroll brought to the sidelines to carry over to the new staff.
The new staff will be headed by Mike Macdonald, the former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. He has some big shoes to fill as Carroll was the most successful head coach in Seahawks history.
Macdonald will have his work cut out for him turning around a defense that has fallen off in recent seasons. They have finished in the bottom half of the league in five straight seasons, something that needs to change for the team to find sustained success once again.
While the defense needs to improve as a whole, the biggest need on the roster is on the other side of the ball. According to PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator, the biggest need for the Seahawks this offseason is along the interior of the offensive line.
It would be hard to argue against that as the Seahawks finished the 2023 season with the No. 28-ranked offensive line per PFF. Injuries certainly played a part in the group’s lack of success, as did the regression of second-year tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
Looking to upgrade that unit, it is no surprise that the mock draft simulator has picked an offensive lineman as the pick for the team. The player Seattle could look to target is Graham Barton out of Duke.
“Barton plays left tackle for the Blue Devils but is on the shorter side in regard to length for an NFL offensive tackle. This might cause a shift to an interior position in the pros, but wherever he ends up, he has starting-caliber strength and skill,” as written by the PFF Big Board Analysis.
Targeting a player who has versatility such as Barton would be ideal for the Seahawks. If Cross and Lucas don’t figure things out on the perimeter, they could see if Barton is capable of handling tackle at the next level.
At the very least, Barton would provide the team with a projected much-needed upgrade on the interior. This will give Macdonald and his staff some flexibility with the unit, knowing Barton can be plugged in at several spots, allowing them to seek out the best upgrades possible knowing he can fill in the holes.
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