The Seattle Seahawks addressed a key need on Friday, taking Connecticut guard Christian Haynes with the 81st pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Haynes, who was 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds at the combine, started a whopping 49 games over six years with the Huskies, all at right guard. He redshirted in 2018, and he did not play in 2020 as the pandemic led to the cancellation of the Huskies’ season. He impressed at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., in January.
NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate Rounds 2-3
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections
“The Athletic Football Show”: Watch live reaction to the draft
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Haynes ranked No. 47 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Haynes doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, but his play strength, football IQ and finishing mentality make him equipped for battle against NFL fronts. He has the floor of a high-level backup but should compete for starting reps at guard during his rookie season (similar to Kevin Dotson).
Christian Haynes has good eyes and feet and wins with quickness and balance, with some pop as a puller. He could still look to add strength against the bull rush, but his athleticism and bend allows him to consistently recover.
Really like him. pic.twitter.com/utzkGEGuCm
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 6, 2024
Scott Dochterman grades the pick
This might wind up as a steal for the Seahawks, who are trying to fortify the interior of their offensive and defensive lines. One of the top offensive linemen for multiple years, Haynes opened 49 career games over four seasons as a right guard at UConn. Haynes (6-2 1/2, 317) was known for his physical play, power and leadership qualities. Grade: A-minus
How he fits
Haynes played right guard at Connecticut, and there’s room for him to compete at that spot on the Seahawks. Their current starter at that spot is Anthony Bradford, a 2023 fourth-round pick who appeared in 14 games with 10 starts last season. Haynes can also compete for a starting spot on the left side. The current starter there projects to be veteran Laken Tomlinson, who has been a starter for three different teams in nine years and made the Pro Bowl with the 49ers in 2021.
Rookie impact
Haynes is an experienced player who made 49 starts in college and turned 24 earlier this month. Because of all that experience, he is viewed as a player who is ready to start right away in the NFL. He’s strong and plays with good eyes, and he has the athleticism to get out in space in the run game. One of the knocks on him is size. At just under 6-2 and 317 pounds, he’s undersized, but his play strength and IQ have made up for that so far. Seattle is hoping the same holds true in the NFL.
Depth-chart impact
Seattle technically has starters in place up front with the veteran Tomlinson and Bradford, but Haynes will have every opportunity to try to crack the starting lineup as a rookie. And even if he doesn’t make that happen right away, depth on the offensive line is critical because of how often guys get hurt. So, even if Haynes is a backup to start the year, there’s a strong chance he sees the field at some point. Bradford wasn’t a Week 1 starter but ended up playing more than 600 offensive snaps last season.
They also could have picked …
Haynes was Brugler’s fourth-ranked guard behind three players whom had already been drafted, so if the Seahawks were set on selecting an interior offensive lineman, he was arguably the right guy to take. If they were looking for a safety, the Seahawks could have considered Jaden Hicks, Kamren Kinchens or Malik Mustapha. A handful of inside linebackers were drafted Friday, but the list of available players at 81 included Payton Wilson, Tommy Eichenberg and Cedric Gray.
Fast evaluation
The interior offensive line has been an issue in Seattle for years, so it makes sense to draft one in the third round. Tomlinson is a starting-caliber player, but he’s 32 years old and on a one-year deal. Bradford was a good run blocker in 2023, but he has a lot of room to grow in pass protection. Haynes’ size is a legitimate concern, but it’s not as if the Seahawks are flush with talent along the interior. Haynes is skilled enough to compete to be a Week 1 starter, which is exactly what Seattle should be looking for in this range of the draft.
(Photo: Bryan Lynn / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
