2024 NFL Draft Tracker: Who Will Seattle Seahawks Select With 16th Pick?

With no shortage of possible outcomes, the Seahawks will have to wait a while before selecting 16th overall or trading down, creating a ton of intrigue heading into Thursday's first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Kicking off their first NFL Draft with new coach Mike Macdonald, the Seattle Seahawks are slated to pick 16th overall in Thursday's first round in Detroit.

Of course, Seahawks general manager John Schneider may have other plans, as the team currently doesn't have a second round pick courtesy of trading for Leonard Williams last October, leaving a huge gap between the first round and their next pick at No. 81 overall in the third round. Interestingly, he hasn't traded down in the first round since 2019, but much of that is circumstantial, as they had two first-round picks last year and didn't have any in 2021.

With 15 selections before Seattle goes on the clock, anything could happen in what should be an exciting opening round. Check back often as we track every single pick and trade on Thursday night with instant analysis.

Barring an unforeseen surprise, the Chicago Bears will tab Caleb Williams as their next franchise quarterback with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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1. Chicago Bears - Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Linked for months to the Bears, who dealt former starter Justin Fields to the Steelers in March, Williams will come to the Windy City with lofty expectations to lift a downtrodden franchise back into contention quickly. A dynamic dual-threat signal caller with elite physical tools and rare improvisation skills to create big yardage as a passer and runner when plays break down, he will be pegged as a day one starter with hopes of developing into a top-five quarterback.

2. Washington Commanders - Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Taking his Heisman Trophy-winning traits to the nation’s capital, Daniels brings an electric skill set to the Commanders offense, starting with a live arm to launch the ball downfield as well as fit passes into tight windows and explosive running ability that led to over 1,000 rushing yards as a senior. After Sam Howell was traded to the Seahawks in March, he should be in line to start right away with the franchise hoping to finally get out of quarterback purgatory.

3. New England Patriots - Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Continuing an expected early run on quarterbacks, the Patriots pass up on opportunities to trade down and tab Maye as their next franchise signal caller, bringing a big-armed, athletic gunslinger into the fold with eyes on finally finding a long-term successor for Tom Brady. Due to his youth and inconsistencies with decision making, he may be a candidate to wait a bit behind veteran Jacoby Brissett before eventually being thrust into the starting role.

4. Arizona Cardinals - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

One of the most polished receivers to enter the draft in years, the Cardinals provide Kyler Murray with an elite target in Harrison, whose savvy route running ability coupled with soft hands and speed to take the top of a defense will make him an immediate problem for NFC West cornerbacks to deal with. Right off the bat, he should be Arizona’s top receiver and has a chance to be an All-Pro sooner rather than later after scoring 28 touchdowns in his final two years at Ohio State.

5. Los Angeles Chargers - Joe Alt, T, Notre Dame

A former tight end with incredible movement skills for 6-8, 321 pounds, Alt anchored a stout Notre Dame offensive line as a blind side protector, demonstrating excellent mirroring and anchoring ability blocking against speed as well as power. His height could create some issues leverage-wise in the run game, but he offsets that with physicality and violent hands, which should make him a potential perennial All-Pro down the line playing for Harbaugh in Los Angeles.

6. New York Giants - Malik Nabors, WR, LSU

Offering a blend of explosiveness and craftiness, Nabors excels creating separation as a vertical threat as well as having the body control to contort his body along the sideline and jockey for position on contested catches. While he needs a bit more development on his releases compared to Harrison and doesn’t win as much as expected on jump balls, in time, he has the goods to be a top-10 receiver in the league, though the Giants quarterback situation bears watching.

7. Tennessee Titans - JC Latham, T, Alabama

Tennessee bulked up in the trenches by selecting 340-pound tackle JC Latham seventh overall.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Weighing in at 342 pounds, Latham carries tree stumps for legs and uses his raw power coupled with 35 1/8-inch arms and heavy, brick-like hands to consistently knock defenders off the ball in the run game as an elite drive blocker. He's surprising nimble at his size pass blocking as well and moves like he weighs 20 pounds less, which makes him a candidate to stay at tackle for the Titans and instantly get their run game rolling again without compensating Will Levis' protection.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

Few passers in the country diced up defenses more effectively than Penix did during his two seasons with the Huskies, as he thrived in Ryan Grubb's offense tossing 67 touchdowns and nearly hitting 10,000 passing yards in that span. Guiding Washington to a national championship berth last season, he averaged 9.2 yards per attempt while torching opponents with 36 passing touchdowns, and now he will have a chance to learn from Kirk Cousins before taking over as Atlanta's quarterback with the most shocking pick so far.

9. Chicago Bears - Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Coming off the board one pick after his quarterback went to Atlanta, Odunze immediately gives Williams a tall, powerful receiver with elite deep ball talents, after the catch ability, and outside/slot flexibility. Williams will be loving this selection, as it will allow him to frequently loft the ball downfield to a wideout with trusty hands who can make end zone house calls any time his number is dialed, and once those two develop chemistry, the NFC North better watch out.

10. Minnesota Vikings* - J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota

*Acquired From New York Jets

An outstanding leader who loves to play under the bright lights and excelled in a pro style offense, McCarthy elevated Michigan back to a national championship with excellent accuracy and mobility. While he doesn’t have the strongest arm and his throwing motion can be a bit off kilter at times, his intangibles and maturity should set him up to be ready to play early in Minnesota as a replacement for Cousins and he will benefit from throwing to a superstar in Justin Jefferson.

11. New York Jets* - Olu Fashanu, T, Penn State

*Acquired From Minnesota Vikings

A plus athlete at 6-6, 312 pounds, Fashanu developed into a well-rounded tackle for the Nittany Lions who wins consistently in both the zone and gap running game and has quality mirroring ability to take on speedy edge rushers with counters. His anchor can be vulnerable to bull rushes at times, but hitting the weight room and adding a bit more mass should help that issue, and his strengths will set him up for early success with the line-needy Jets.

12. Denver Broncos - Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Tying the record with six quarterbacks going in the first round, the Broncos tabbed Bo Nix as Russell Wilson's replacement.

Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

Taking his game to another level, Nix finished third in Heisman balloting after throwing 45 touchdowns and only three interceptions in 2023, leading the nation with a 77.3 completion rate. Playing in an RPO-heavy scheme created a lot of easy completions for him and while he has the prerequisite arm talent to do damage downfield, his team didn't rely on him to regularly complete such throws, so it may take time for him to adapt to a pro style offense in Denver.

13. Las Vegas Raiders - Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

The best tight end in this year's draft class by a mile, Bowers offers a rare set of skills for the position and though he’s only 6-3, 243 pounds, he held his own as a blocker against SEC competition. Where he really stands out from his peers, however, is his playmaking ability, as he’s able to win down the seam as well as pile yardage up in bunches after the catch. He accumulated 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns as a receiver while also adding five touchdowns on the ground as a runner, making him a fun weapon to add to Las Vegas' offense.

14. New Orleans Saints - Tali Fuega, T, Oregon State

Looking for physicality to add to the front line, the mauling Fuega should immediately re-shape the Saints identity with his ability to knock defenders off the ball in the run game and he's surprisingly nimble in pass protection, which should allow him to stay out wide in the league. Speed rushers may create a bit more problems for him at the next level and tight end help may occasionally be needed, but with his length and power, he should be a solid mid-first round addition at the point of attack.

15. Indianapolis Colts - Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Though he didn't test as well as expected in Indianapolis and may not have off-the-charts athleticism, Latu excels as a pass rushing technician with a refined tool box of counters and incredible hand usage to shed blockers and hunt down quarterbacks. Past neck injuries checked out in the pre-draft process and while his run defense may limit him some from the outset, the Colts will be ready to unleash him on C.J. Stroud and other quarterbacks in the division right away.

16. Seattle Seahawks - Byron Murphy, DT, Texas

Graded as the best defensive player in this year's draft by Seattle, Byron Murphy II will be thrown into the mix with a veteran-laden defensive line with expectations to make an immediate impact.

Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman

Picking instead of trading down, the Seahawks couldn't pass up on the uber-athletic, game-wrecking Murphy, whose dominated Big 12 offensive lines last year with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss while earning All-American distinction. Boasting a quick first step, elite lateral quickness, and a powerful lower body, he's equally effective against the run and the pass, and at just 21 years of age, he has one of the highest ceilings in this draft, making him a strong selection for Seattle in the middle of the first round.

17. Minnesota Vikings* - Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

*Acquired from Jacksonville Jaguars

18. Cincinnati Bengals - Amarius Mims, T, Georgia

19. Los Angeles Rams - Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State

20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Troy Fautanu, T, Washington

21. Miami Dolphins - Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

22. Philadelphia Eagles - Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

23. Jacksonville Jaguars* - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

*Acquired From Minnesota Vikings

24. Detroit Lions* - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

*Acquired From Dallas Cowboys

25. Green Bay Packers - Jordan Morgan, T, Arizona

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Graham Barton, OL, Duke

27. Arizona Cardinals - Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri

28. Kansas City Chiefs* - Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

*Acquired From Buffalo Bills

29. Dallas Cowboys* - Tyler Guyton, T, Oklahoma

*Acquired From Detroit Lions

30. Baltimore Ravens - Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

31. San Francisco 49ers - Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida

32. Carolina Panthers** - Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina

**Acquired From Buffalo Bills via Kansas City Chiefs