Seattle Seahawks 2024 Draft: Will Chasing EDGEs Be Top Priority?

With their entire cast of edge rushers set to return from last season, the Seattle Seahawks may have bigger immediate needs on defense, but that shouldn't dissuade them from drafting one in the first round.

During his introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks on February 7, Mike Macdonald dished out a few of his go-to philosophical phrases for the first time.

Among his most popular, while sharing his vision for the franchise as a first-time head coach, Macdonald referenced the Seahawks goal of "chasing edges," or aggressively pursuing advantages in a league that strives for the utmost parity year to year. He developed this growth mindset under the tutelage of Jon Harbaugh with the Ravens, where he climbed the ladder from defensive assistant to linebacker coach to eventually returning as a defensive coordinator in 2022.

In theory, this philosophy will encompass every decision Seattle makes with Macdonald at the helm. But as he prepares for his first draft with the team working in conjunction with long-time general manager John Schneider and looks to build a dominant defense like the one he had in Baltimore, it's possible the phrase could be taken literally by prioritizing the edge rush group early, potentially investing their first round pick at the position.

One of the premier pass rushers in all of college football, Laiatu Latu's polished approach could make him a first round target for the Seahawks.

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While the Seahawks have undergone dramatic personnel changes on defense this offseason, including bringing in two new starting linebackers in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson, the edge group has remained completely unchanged from a year ago to this point. Along with Uchenna Nwosu returning from a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2023 season after just six games, Boye Mafe will look to build off a breakout sophomore season, Darrell Taylor re-signed on a restructured one-year deal, and Derick Hall hopes to have a similar jump to Mafe in his second season.

Even from a depth standpoint, former undrafted free agent signings Levi Bell and Joshua Onujiogu were brought back this spring, providing each of them another crack at trying to make the roster as bubble players in training camp.

But during the pre-draft process, the Seahawks haven't concealed their desire to potentially reinforce the edge rushing group with one of their first picks this week. At the NFL combine, they had formal meetings with Alabama standout Dallas Turner as well as Washington standout Bralen Trice and Western Michigan star Marshawn Kneeland. Since then, projected first-round picks Jared Verse of Florida State and Chop Robinson of Penn State met with team brass at the VMAC on official top-30 visits.

Though such visits are far from definitive signals a team will draft a player, Seattle picked five players last season who either had combine formals or top-30 trips. Given how last season played out defensively, even after investing second round picks in Taylor, Mafe, and Hall over the past four years, it shouldn't come as a surprise Schneider and Macdonald would want to fortify their edge rushing group either.

Before Nwosu went down for the season making a tackle against the Cardinals in Week 7, the Seahawks boasted a top-five run defense in yards allowed and yards per carry. Without his presence, however, everything fell apart with Taylor and Hall not being able to pick up the slack setting the edge, as they ranked dead last in yards allowed, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns allowed in the final 11 weeks of the season, which played a key role in missing the postseason.

Away from Mafe, who racked up 9.5 sacks in his first full season as a starter, Seattle received pedestrian pass rushing production from the rest of its edge group as well. Coming off a career-high in sacks, Taylor produced 5.5 sacks and only eight quarterback hits, his lowest totals over a three-year period. Hall provided minimal contributions harassing quarterbacks in a rotational role, failing to notch a single sack with just five quarterback hits.

With Mafe, Taylor, and Hall all still being young players under 27 years of age, the Seahawks understandably have a sense of optimism that those three players could all take positive steps forward, especially in Macdonald's scheme. But if granted the opportunity to land a clear upgrade in the first round on Thursday night, it would be foolish not to strongly consider such an option.

Arguably the most well-rounded edge prospect in this year's class and a potential top-10 selection, the 254-pound Verse evolved from a lightly recruited high school tight end into a dynamic playmaking force at Florida State. In two seasons with the Seminoles after transferring from FCS program Albany, he tallied 89 tackles, 18 sacks, and 29.5 tackles for loss while earning First-Team All-American honors both seasons, excelling both as a rusher and against the run.

Built with a more lean 6-4, 245-pound frame, Turner offers the burst and quick twitch teams crave off the edge in today's pass-happy NFL. Anchoring the Crimson Tide's top-tier defensive front, he posted a career-high 10 sacks and 14.5 sacks in 2023 while also adding two forced fumbles, joining Verse as a First-Team All-American selection. He followed up with an electric combine performance, running a 4.46 40-yard dash and posting an astonishing 40 1/2-inch vertical jump.

Overcoming neck injuries early in his college career, UCLA pass rushing dynamo Laiatu Latu also will be in the mix to hear his name called in the first 15 picks on Thursday night. The most polished rusher in this class with a wide array of effective counter moves, he racked up 23.5 sacks in his two seasons with the Bruins after transferring from Washington, torturing quarterbacks in Pac-12 play while earning All-American honors in 2023.

Picking 16th overall, Seattle may or may not have a chance to draft Turner, Verse, or Latu, who all could go in the first 15 picks. There's a significant drop off at the position after those players without another consensus first round edge in this year's class, so if none of them remain available, the odds of the team moving down to recoup a day two pick will go up substantially, depending which other players fall to the middle of the first round.

Under those circumstances, by adding a second or third round pick in a trade down, Schneider could go after Trice, Kneeland, or another edge expected to be available on day two who could potentially contribute right away from Seattle's defense.

If Turner, Verse, and/or Latu remains on the board when Schneider and company are on the clock, however, the Seahawks may think twice about trading down while weighing the pros of staying put and taking a blue chip prospect instead. While it may not be the team's biggest need on defense, as last year demonstrated, chasing an edge would be a wise move as Macdonald aims to add as many talented, impactful players to his new defense as possible.