Seattle Seahawks Select UTEP LB Tyrice Knight With 118th Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

An athletic linebacker with a knack for finding the football, the Seattle Seahawks hope to mold Tyrice Knight into a solid starter as an off-ball linebacker.

After trading down to open the fourth round, the Seattle Seahawks opened day three of the 2024 NFL Draft by addressing the middle of their defense by selecting UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight with the 118th pick.

One of the most prolific tacklers in college football, Knight racked up 390 combined stops in four years with the Miners, including a whopping 84 solo stops in 2023. Seeing action both as an off-ball linebacker and outside linebacker, he amassed 8.5 sacks and 32 tackles for loss in his college career, earning himself a Senior Bowl invite in January before eventually meeting with the Seahawks on one of his top-30 visits.

Knight's play can be a little sporadic, as he lacks refinement at either linebacker spot and at times found himself out of position in coverage and defending the run. However, he plays with a relentless motor and obviously has a nose for the football, whether rocketing into the backfield to blow up running backs or shooting through the A-gap as a blitzer to take a beeline to the quarterback.

Earning a late Senior Bowl invite, Tyrice Knight boosted his value enough for the Seahawks to snag him in the fourth round. / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

In addition, while his coverage drops will need work at the next level before he's ready to play significant snaps on defense in the NFL, Knight amassed 14 pass breakups at UTEP, putting himself in position to make plays in coverage along with swatting passes when playing off the edge.

At the combine, Knight weighed in at 233 pounds, a bit lighter than his listed playing weight. He posted solid athletic testing numbers, running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and posting a 34 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Out of the gate, after signing veterans Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson in free agency, Knight will have time to develop behind the scenes with the Seahawks while playing substantial snaps on special teams. In time, with coach Mike Macdonald's specialty being linebackers, he should have a chance to compete for snaps as an off-ball linebacker with the flexibility to occasionally rush off the edge if needed.