Three things to know about Seahawks third-round pick Christian Haynes

With their second pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected University of Connecticut guard Christian Hayes at No. 81 overall Friday night.

Here are three things to know about Haynes:

• The former two-star recruit had offers from Maryland and Virginia. Haynes, who redshirted as a freshman and received an extra year due to COVID, spent six years at UConn where he was a four-year starter at right guard. The two-year captain played in 51 games and started 50, including 49 in a row. Haynes said: “I’m a big loyalty guy and not leaving UConn that was one big thing. I wanted to show that you can make it anywhere you’ve been. UConn gave me an opportunity to play and I wanted to leave my legacy there.”

• Haynes was coached at UConn by Jim Mora, the former Seahawks head coach. Haynes on Mora: “He helped me become more of a pro. Jim Mora gave me different advice going into this draft process. How to look in interviews and how to carry myself as a person.”

• The 24-year-old Haynes received an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Sciences and a master’s degree in Sports Management. He’s the 44^th player from the University of Connecticut taken in the NFL draft.

Quote to note

“You’re getting a classy, highly intelligent and nasty football player. Great combination I guess if you like that sort of thing. Classy and nasty.” Mora’s scouting report on Haynes to Seahawks GM John Schneider.

What the scouts say

“He has the ideal build for an interior offensive lineman: shorter in height for leverage but higher in weight with long arms. His weight is also distributed well, especially in the lower half, which allows him to anchor bull rushes and throw down lighter defenders. He has a good first step off the line of scrimmage, and that makes for some impactful blocks as a puller and a zone blocker. His overall athleticism is good, but he can get off balance when in space. He isn’t as much of a people-mover in a man- or gap-blocking scheme. He also doesn’t sit as low as he should in pass protection.” — Pro Football Focus on Haynes.