The Open Field: Who are your ‘must avoid’ players for the Seahawks in the draft?

Name the players you’d rather not see in a Seahawks uniform come next week’s NFL Draft.

We’re less than a week out from the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Seattle Seahawks have a big decision to make about what they’ll do with their first-round pick. Will they trade down? Will they stay put and make a pick? If they somehow trade up, is it for a quarterback? Will they take a quarterback with their first pick regardless of where it is? Decisions, decisions.

Over the past couple of years we’ve done open threads asking Field Gulls readers about specific players they do NOT want to see drafted by the Seahawks. It’s a hell of a lot easier to fantasize about players you want in a Seahawks uniform, but it’s more revealing when we discuss prospects that are “must avoid.”

Unlike last year, when the Seahawks had two first-round picks and theoretically had all options open, it’s a little more restricted at No. 16 and without a second-rounder. We can probably ignore the absolute top prospects like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Malik Nabers, Joe Alt, etc. and focus on guys who could fall to No. 16 or even be a second-round option depending on how far Seattle trades down.

On offense, if the Seahawks are to draft a quarterback, I am not in favor of drafting Oregon’s Bo Nix. This isn’t an Oregon bias (otherwise they might kick me out of this state), it’s a bias against quarterbacks whose stats come from glorified hand-holding offenses. His college production is outstanding and he’s a threat on RPOs and scrambles, but I’m very skeptical that his passing game will translate into the pros. While Nix had few turnover-worthy throws, he was generally throwing to wide open receivers to begin with. A whopping 66 percent of his passes were no more than 9 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. He played in a system loaded with high-percentage throws, tons of yards after catch (he led all FBS QBs in screen yards), and not a lot of extra work for the QB to do post-snap. His arm strength is probably the weakest of all the Round 1-2 prospects, and much like the concern I have with Michael Penix Jr when he isn’t playing behind an elite offensive line, I can sense Nix going back to his Auburn bad habits without the perfect set-up for him in the NFL.

On defense, while I’d like another edge rusher (which isn’t nearly as set in stone as it may seem), Penn State’s Chop Robinson doesn’t do anything for me. He’s the classic “great athlete, raw skillset” prospect that will need his skills to catch up with his athleticism in the pros to ever become a quality starter. I’d rather have more polished athletes like Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse than hope Robinson can develop counter moves and not live and die off of his quickness.

There is no poll because it’s meant to be open-ended. It’s generally implied that this exercise is gear toward the first round, but if there are any second- or third-round prospects you find yourself uneasy about then you can voice your opinion. If you’re freaking out over a seventh-round pick… I mean I can’t help you on that front.

Your reasoning for not wanting the Seahawks to draft certain players is up to you (unless it’s a direct personal attack, which is a no-no).

Join the discussion in the comments below!