Seattle Seahawks Select G Christian Haynes With 81st Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Bolstering their interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate for a two-time All-American in Christian Haynes to remain available at pick No. 81.

After a long wait between picks, the Seattle Seahawks fortified their offensive line by selecting UConn guard Christian Haynes with the 81st overall selection in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

One of the top guards in the nation, Haynes earned Third-Team All-American distinction in each of his final two seasons with the Huskies despite the program struggling in the win/loss column. He participated in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed a strong week in Mobile against top competition.

A native of Bowie, Maryland, Haynes jumped into the lineup as a starter at right guard as a redshirt freshman and wound up starting 49 consecutive games to close out his illustrious career. Aside from loving to shoot out of his stance and fire heavy hands into opponents as a drive blocker, he's a technician in pass protection, using his hands and feet in sync as well as any lineman in his class and per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just 15 pressures in his last two seasons.

Feb 1, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; American offensive lineman Christian Haynes of UConn (63) takes on

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Most notably, Haynes was near perfect protecting the quarterback as a junior in 2022, allowing only three pressures and no sacks with a 99.5 percent pass blocking efficiency rate on 348 pass blocking rates. He finished with an 80.0 or better in the run blocking department in his final two seasons as well.

This offseason, the Seahawks lost four-year starter Damien Lewis in free agency to the Panthers and former reserve Phil Haynes remains unsigned, which has left guard as a glaring need. Even after signing veteran Laken Tomlinson earlier this month and bringing back Anthony Bradford after making 10 starts as a rookie last year, pursuing an upgrade stood out as a major area of need going into this week's draft.

Having played right guard exclusively at UConn, Haynes most likely will compete against Bradford for the starting role on the right side with Tomlinson locked in as the starter at left guard. With that said, if the incoming third-round pick has the ability to play on the left side or Bradford can play on the opposite side, the duo could provide long-term answers in the interior offensive line for Seattle moving forward with proper development.