NFL Draft 2024 Results: Seahawks select Christian Haynes at No. 81

Seattle added beef to the defensive line on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and on Day 2 added beef to the interior offensive line.

Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books and the Seattle Seahawks addressed a major need on the interior of the defensive interior by adding Byron Murphy out of the University of Texas to the defensive line. That selection, combined with retaining Leonard Williams just as he was set to hit free agency in March, puts the team in position to improve its near bottom of the league run defense in 2024 under first year head coach Mike Macdonald.

Now, on Day 2, it’s time for John Schneider to address the other needs on the roster. There is no shortage of holes to fill, including on the interior of the offensive line and at linebacker, as well as at multiple position where depth is needed.

With all of that in mind, and the Seahawks holding just a single selection on Day 2 of the draft, the team has added Christian Haynes of UConn with their third round pick.

Here’s a snippet from the Big Blue View scouting report on Haynes:

Christian Haynes projects as a starting guard with scheme diversity at the NFL level. He could probably play both left and right guard, and could even transition to center with some development. However, teams might want to keep him at right guard, as his familiarity with the position could help him adjust more quickly to the speed of the NFL.

He’ll need to continue to work on his hand usage and placement as he transitions to the NFL. Technically sound defenders could exploit his hands when they drift wide, and potentially lead to issues early in his career. Once he finds his footing, however, Haynes has the potential to be a good starter for a variety of different teams and in a variety of different schemes.