Seahawks 2024 Grade Card: How Did Byron Murphy II, Rookie Class Perform?

Though the Seattle Seahawks ultimately missed the playoffs in year one under coach Mike Macdonald, their rookie class took on a greater role as the 2024 season progressed, helping lead the team to a 10-win campaign for the first time since 2020.

How did Byron Murphy II and Seattle's latest crop of rookies perform in their first season in the league? Revisiting their respective performances, here are end of year grades for each of the team's eight draft picks:

Byron Murphy II

Grade: B-

Landing in Seattle's lap to select 16th overall in April's NFL draft, Murphy didn't live up to the hype statistically, at least in terms of sacks and splashy impact plays. Playing in 14 games while dealing with a few injuries along the way as a rookie, he only recorded half a sack and two tackles for loss, far from the type of numbers expected from a first round pick of his pedigree, but his stat line doesn't accurately portray his overall impact either.

As a pass rusher, Murphy finished third among rookie defensive tackles with 21 pressures and first in pass rush win rate (10 percent), proving to be more disruptive than his sack and quarterback hit totals would suggest. Eating up double teams while playing significant snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and nose tackle, he also ranked third among rookies at his position with 15 run stops and posted a respectable 2.3 yards for average depth of tackle, consistently making plays near the line of scrimmage even if he wasn't often in the backfield.

In summary, Murphy was far from dominant during his rookie campaign. But he played a key role in helping Seattle vault up to 16th in run defense after being one of the league's worst in that department one year prior and with a little better fortune, his pressure rate should yield far more production getting after quarterbacks moving forward.

Christian Haynes

Grade: D

After starring at the Senior Bowl and earning All-American honors at Connecticut, the Seahawks hoped Haynes would arrive as a game day ready starter following his third round selection in April's draft. But those hopes never were realized as he failed to beat out incumbent Anthony Bradford in a lackluster competition that ultimately wasn't decided until the midway point of the regular season, in part due to play strength issues pointed out multiple times by former coordinator Ryan Grubb.

As a result, Haynes only played 167 total snaps in nine games for Seattle, allowing six pressures and a sack while committing four penalties. On one hand, he posted a decent 96.6 percent pass blocking efficiency rate in limited action, which may be a positive sign for his future. However, his run blocking at the point of attack left much to be desired and ultimately led to fellow rookie Sataoa Laumea getting the nod at right guard instead after Bradford suffered an ankle injury late in the year.

Haynes may still be a big part of the Seahawks' offensive line plans in 2025 and beyond. But his inability to carve out a role on a struggling unit this year obviously is concerning and he will need to have an excellent offseason to get his career on the right track.

Tyrice Knight

Grade: A-

Coming from a non-traditional FBS program in UTEP, few knew what to expect from Knight as a rookie making the jump to the NFL ranks. But when Jerome Baker went down with an injury in Week 2, the Florida native wasn't fazed by the big stage, racking up 13 tackles in his first two games with extensive action in Macdonald's defense.

That early impression wound up paying dividends for Knight, as he earned the respect of the new coaching staff and eventually replaced veteran Tyrel Dodson in the starting lineup in Week 11. Racking up tackles in bunches in the same fashion he did at the college level, he finished with 88 combined stops while adding 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup, exhibiting a rock solid all-around skill set playing alongside Ernest Jones IV as the Seahawks went 5-2 with them in the lineup.

Missing few tackles and demonstrating proficiency in coverage with room to grow, Knight looks the part of a foundational piece for Seattle's defense and could be poised for a big jump in 2025, especially if Jones returns as his partner in crime in the middle.

AJ Barner

Grade: A-

Winning a national championship in his lone season at Michigan, Barner didn't come into the NFL with much of a reputation as a receiver, earning his marks for his toughness and physicality as a blocker instead. After all, he caught just one touchdown for the Wolverines in 2023 and most of his contributions came in the trenches opening up holes for Donovan Edwards and a top-ranked rushing attack.

But in terms of surprises, Barner's transformation into a viable receiving tight end has to top the list for Seattle's rookie class. Early on, quarterback Geno Smith seemed to develop trust in the young tight end, including connecting with him for their first touchdown hook up in a road loss to Detroit on Monday Night Football in Week 4. By the end of the season, he had hauled in four touchdowns, second-most by a rookie tight end, and also finished 11th among qualified tight ends with 5.8 yards after the catch per reception.

Ranking 37th out of 50 tight ends in run blocking grade, Barner has plenty of room to grow moving into his second season. But after exceeding all reasonable expectations as a receiver, he has a chance to be the Seahawks No. 1 tight end as early as next year with a bright, bright future.

Nehemiah Pritchett

Grade: D+

Joining a crowded defensive backfield headlined by Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Tre Brown, Pritchett wasn't expected to have to play much right away, affording the Seahawks time to develop him while he contributed on special teams. But by Week 6, injuries had hit hard enough at the position that he was thrust into action, and he played nearly 100 defensive snaps in a three-game stretch against the Giants, 49ers, and Falcons.

With those opportunities, while Pritchett only allowed one touchdown and did produce a pass breakup, opposing quarterbacks picked on him, completing 65 percent of their throws for 205 yards and nearly 16 yards per target against him. He also struggled mightily getting ball carriers to the ground, missing six tackles and posting a dreadful 33 percent missed tackle rate, tied for the highest percentage among rookie cornerbacks in the NFL.

Held out as a healthy scratch for most of the second half of the season, Pritchett remains very much a work in progress. But with 4.3 speed, he could be a breakthrough candidate to keep an eye on next year, especially with Brown and Artie Burns set to be free agents.

Sataoa Laumea

Grade: C+

For a large chunk of the 2024 season, Laumea looked to be heading towards a "redshirt" rookie year, as he didn't even dress for any of Seattle's first 11 games. But he quietly had impressed Macdonald and the coaching staff on the practice field and after Bradford suffered an ankle sprain in Week 12, the team opted to plug him into the lineup instead of Haynes and he started each of the final six contests.

After starting four seasons at Utah, Laumea's first NFL action could be characterized as a mixed bag at best. He often struggled in pass protection, overwhelmed by the quickness and athleticism of defensive tackles, which led to 23 pressures and two sacks allowed along with four penalties and an ugly 17.9 pass blocking grade. In the run game, however, he held his own in the trenches much of the time, including making a key pancake to spring Zach Charbonnet for a 51-yard touchdown against the Cardinals in Week 14.

Shoring up his technique in pass protection will be critical for Laumea to have a chance to start for the Seahawks next season. But he showed enough promise as a run blocker to suggest that he will be in the mix for playing time in 2025.

D.J. James

Grade: F

Enduring a brutal preseason seeing snaps both as a boundary corner and slot defender, James didn't last long in Seattle as the team waived him during final roster cuts and didn't bring him back on the practice squad. It's safe to say this sixth-round pick didn't pan out.

Michael Jerrell

Grade: C

Though he flashed enough traits during training camp to justify keeping him on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks didn't have any intentions for Jerrell to play during his rookie season considering the massive jump in competition coming from Division II Findlay University to the NFL. Like with Laumea, however, plans for an unofficial redshirt had to be put on hold when injuries ravaged the right tackle position in the first six weeks, thrusting the untested rookie into action.

Overwhelmed at times by the power and polish of NFL edge defenders, Jerrell yielded 15 pressures and three sacks on 153 pass blocking reps, producing a subpar 93.3 pass block efficiency rate. He also drew six penalties, including multiple holds that wiped out big pass plays. But his athleticism helped him in the run game, as he was able to dish out a key kickout block on a Ken Walker III touchdown run in his debut against the Falcons, and he finished on a strong note allowing just two pressures against the Rams in Week 18.

A top five percentile athlete for the tackle position, Jerrell did more than enough in his first taste of NFL action to create some cautious excitement about his potential within the organization. With Abraham Lucas back healthy, he will hopefully be afforded time to continue to develop behind the scenes this spring into the summer.