What Seahawks’ front office and scouting staff are saying about the NFL draft

The changes with the Seahawks continued all the way to the team’s annual pre-draft news conference Thursday.

For most of the past 14 years, coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider met with the media in the days leading up to the draft.

Thursday, with Carroll replaced by Mike Macdonald and Schneider assuming the title of president of football operations, the Seahawks presented four other members of their personnel staff to talk to reporters about the draft.

Those four were: assistant general manager Nolan Teasley, vice president of player personnel Trent Kirchner, senior director of player personnel Matt Berry and director of college scouting Aaron Hineline.

Topics discussed included changes in how the draft process has worked this year and whether the team is still interested in drafting a quarterback after trading for Sam Howell and more. 

Here are some highlights:

Good players, ultimately, are still good players

An obvious question is how different the Seahawks’ draft might look now that Macdonald is the head coach.

Teasley noted that the evaluation process has been ongoing for almost a year (the scouting staff has remained essentially the same), and that what the team looks for doesn’t necessarily change even if the coach does.

“I would say that there is only so much football,” Teasley said. “So despite [that] there are going to be some intricacies and changes to scheme and system on both sides of the ball, there is only so much football. So you are really looking for productive, smart, tough, reliable fast, physical football players regardless.’’

Teasley reiterated that Schneider always ran the draft, even if Carroll officially held a title that gave him final say in all personnel-related decisions. Meaning, the draft-day decision-making process won’t change, either.

“They worked so well together that there were very few times [there were any disagreements],’’ Teasley said of Carroll and Schneider. “John was really in control of drafting and will continue to be. Watching him live during draft day is really impressive in the way that he controls it and commands it and operates throughout the process. So again, the process stays consistent. So I don’t foresee there being a lot of change.’’

Of Macdonald’s influence on the draft with Schneider, Teasley said, “Obviously it’s a different relationship of the two of them. … Mike has a unique way of communicating and conveying his message directly but efficiently, but also being opinionated and that’s all you can really ask. … They work really well together, and I’m looking forward to seeing it as it grows.’’

Seahawks could draft a QB but don’t have to 

From a player standpoint, the biggest intrigue is if the Seahawks will break from precedent and dip into a deep class of quarterbacks. They have drafted just two QBs in the Schneider/Carroll era.

It seemed a given that would happen until the Seahawks traded for Washington’s Sam Howell last month. 

That gives the Seahawks an experienced but still young — just 23 — backup to Geno Smith, and makes it less urgent that the team has to draft a QB.

“The goal during free agency is really been tried and true year after year that that’s not how you build [a team], right? It’s an opportunity to supplement your roster,’’ Teasley said. “And that was the goal, including the Sam Howell trade, was to supplement our roster and get to a point where we don’t really feel like we need to force anything and [all] options are on the table, whether we are talking about a player at a position or our ability to move up and down the draft. So I think we achieved that.’’

But despite not needing to take a QB, the Seahawks have been avidly scouting those who could be available, including reportedly having Oregon’s Bo Nix in for a visit. The Seahawks obviously know all they need to about UW’s Michael Penix Jr.

“It’s a talented group,’’ Berry said. “It’s a really talented group. So we’ve spent time studying those guys, visiting with them. Without getting into specifics about players, it’s one of the stronger groups that there’s been in the last couple of years in terms of depth.’’

Seahawks have flexibility at guard spot 

There has been an almost overwhelming consensus in who mock drafters have pegged for the Seahawks with their first pick at No. 16 — UW offensive lineman Troy Fautanu. The thought is that while Fautanu played mostly tackle at UW, he could step immediately into a starting spot at guard with the Seahawks.

They filled out their guard spot last week with the signing of veteran Laken Tomlinson to a one-year contract.

And Teasley hinted that the Tomlinson signing means they don’t feel forced to take a guard in the draft, or at least early on.

Tomlinson could step right into the starting spot at left guard, where Damien Lewis played last year before signing with Carolina, while the Seahawks have Anthony Bradford in line to play right guard, depending on how things play out.

“We’re excited about Laken,’’ Teasley said of the 32-year-old Tomlinson, a first-round pick of the Lions in 2015 who made the Pro Bowl with the 49ers in 2021 and has started 114 consecutive games since Week 2 of the 2017 season.

“That was a really good acquisition for us because all that guy does is play football,’’ Teasley said. “We talk about the best ability in the NFL is availability, and you’re talking 130-plus [career] starts [138] and [114] in a row. He doesn’t miss time. So he’s been a key cog in some good offensive lines that we are familiar with down in San Francisco, and we’re happy he’s a Seahawk moving forward.’’

The details of Tomlinson’s contract also indicated the deal is favorable for the team.

Tomlinson signed a one-year deal with a base value of $1.2 million, or the veteran minimum. It includes another almost $2.8 million in incentives mostly tied to playing time, including $1.29 million if he plays 90% or more of the snaps, and another $750,000 if he plays 95% or more, as first reported by ESPN.

According to OvertheCap.com, adding Tomlinson’s contract leaves the Seahawks with just over $1.6 million in available cap space.

COVID-19, NIL mean draft may not be as deep 

One overriding theme throughout the league is that the draft may not be as deep as some other years because of the influence of COVID-19 giving players an extra year of college eligibility, as well as NIL money enticing some players to stay in college longer.

“I think you’ve seen it the last few years with all the kids going back to school using their COVID years, there are less players in the class,’’ Berry said. “I think we’ve got one more year of that next year and then it will be back to normal numbers. But there are always players. It’s about identifying the role fit and the culture fit, and those guys tend to be successful if you identify both of those things.’’