Seattle Seahawks add UTEP LB Tyrice Knight, Michigan TE AJ Barner in fourth round of NFL Draft
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks added UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight, and Michigan tight end AJ Barner with their two selections in the fourth round to kick off the final day of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Seahawks made a trade early in the round with the Denver Broncos to move back 16 spots in the round while adding a fifth-round pick to their allotment. That left Seattle with two picks just four selections apart in the middle of the fourth round.
Knight was a junior college transfer to UTEP from Independence Community College in Kansas. In three years for the Miners, Knight played two years as an outside linebacker before moving inside for his final season.
Knight's senior season at middle linebacker was highly productive as he racked up 140 tackles with 15.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 12 games played for UTEP. He earned first-team All-Conference USA honors as he led the conference in tackles and tackles for loss.
"It meant everything to me," Knight said of being selected. "I've been waiting for this call my whole life, so to finally get it, you know, you never thought this moment could have happened, but you know, I'm blessed it happened, I'm blessed to be here, I'm ready to be a Seahawk."
Knight is listed at 6-feet and 233 pounds with a wingspan of 6-foot-6. Per Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Knight "has some coverage limitations, but he is a rabid dog against the run, with the instincts and play personality that directly led to production."
"I just feel like I'm very versatile," Knight said. I feel like I can play good in the run game, good in the pass game. Just an all-around backer from sideline to sideline. I think I can do anything a coach asks me to do it without hesitation. … I feel like I'm a perfect linebacker for the Seahawks and I'm glad they made this decision."
The Seahawks had nice in for a visit prior to the draft as one of their "30" allotted visits in the pre-draft process.
Barner transferred to Michigan last year after spending his first three years playing at Indiana, where he was a team captain in his final season with the Hoosiers.
At 6-foot-6, 251 pounds, Barner is primarily a blocking tight end who had 22 catches for 249 yards with a touchdown last season in earning All-Big-Ten honorable mention. Because he spent just one season at Michigan, he didn't overlap with head coach Mike Macdonald, center Olu Oluwatimi, or defensive tackle Mike Morris during his time in Ann Arbor, but he did play under special teams coach Jay Harbaugh.
"I'm a football player," Barner said. "If you ask me to go out there and catch 10 passes a game, I'll go do that. If you go ask me to man-up the "C" gap and you know, be physical, I'll go do that. If you asked me to plan on every special team, I'll go do that. I love strapping up the helmet. I love playing physical football. And this has been my dream since I've been a kid. So it's what I love to do."
With the fifth-round pick they added in the trade with the Broncos, the Seahawks took Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett with the first pick of the round.
Pritchett is a 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back that has played multiple roles during his four-plus years with the Tigers. Pritchett has played both outside cornerback and in the slot while also having handled kick return duties in prior seasons.
"I think I’m a really smart corner," Prtichett said. "A really long, fast corner that can play in any type of scheme. I think I’m really good at press (coverage). I’m versatile. I can play inside and outside. I think that’s the best way I can describe it."
Pritchett started 40 of 54 games played at Auburn with 115 tackles, three interceptions, and 26 passes defended. He met with the Seahawks and defensive backs coach Karl Scott both on a Zoom call and during practices at the Senior Bowl.
Pritchett ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but added he had a 4.28 time during training. Seahawks general manager John Schneider happened to be in the media room while Pritchett relayed that answer and quipped "is that good?" to the reporters in the room.
"I think it helped a lot because there wasn’t that many corners that opted to run, to be honest," Pritchett said of his combine performance. "I knew that I could run. It’s been in my blood. I’ve been fast my whole life. I was ready for that moment. To be honest, I wanted to run lower, but it was cool to run a 4.36."
Nehemiah Pritchett: 12 catches allowed in 2023 (fewest among SEC CBs) 🔒 pic.twitter.com/dfId0o6r6w
— PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) April 27, 2024
The final three selections for the Seahawks all came in the sixth round.
Utah guard Sataoa Laumea was the first of the three selections as Seattle continued to add depth along the line of scrimmage.
Laumea was a four-year starter at Utah, starting 44 of 45 career games at both right guard and right tackle. Laumea earned both second-team All-Pac-12 and conference honorable mention for his two seasons at guard before moving out to tackle the last two years. On the edge, Laumea was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022, and a second-team selection last year. He made 26 career starts at tackle with 18 coming at guard.
Per Brugler, Laumea "delivers pop in the run game and controls his man at the point of attack. He has the tools for pass protection, but inconsistent weight transfer can diminish his reactions versus inside moves and ability to anchor on command (gave up multiple pressures on all 2023 tapes studied). Overall, Laumea is at his best leveraging gaps in the run game, although movement pattern flaws as a pass blocker requires NFL coaching before he sees the field at the next level. He has the versatile experience to play tackle in a pinch, but has a guard skill set with down-the-road starting potential."
Laumea further bolsters an offensive line that the Seahawks add UConn guard Christian Haynes in the third round on Friday night.
Seattle then circled back to get Pritchett's fellow cornerback from Auburn in D.J. James with the 192nd overall pick.
"It means a lot just knowing I'm going in there with somebody I've played college football with for years," James said of landing in Seattle with Pritchett. "… "Great guy. He's going to be a great locker room player. He going to bring the juice. He loves what he do. He loves playing cornerback. And he has fun doing it as well."
James spent three years at Oregon before transferring to Auburn for his final two seasons in college. James said he wanted to get to the SEC and had the chance when Mario Cristobal's coaching staff left Oregon after the 2021 season.
A Mobile, Ala. native, James was named a second-team All-SEC selection in 2022 while leading the team in passes defended. In fact, he led Auburn in passes defended in each of his final two seasons with the Tigers.
Prtichett and James frequently alternated sides of the field in Auburn's defense.
Last season, James had 38 tackles with two interceptions and 12 passes defended.
Per Brugler, James "has the twitchy feet and competitive demeanor to stay connected to the hips of receivers. Though he doesn’t lack confidence, his marginal play strength and uneven results as a run defender will follow him to the pro game. Overall, James won’t be a fit for every scheme, because of his undersized build, but his quick feet will help him maintain phase in coverage. If he can handle big slots and improve his consistency as a tackler, he will compete for a starting nickel role in the NFL."
With their final selection of the sixth round, Seattle selected Division II Findlay (Ohio) tackle Mike Jerrell with the 207th overall pick.
Jerrell said he had offers from several schools at the FBS level to transfer to Division-I throughout his college career, but he was steadfast in his choice to remain loyal to Findlay. Coming out of Pike High School in Indianapolis, Jerrell had only played one year of varsity football and was undersized at 245 pounds.
"Findlay came in, they had a vision, they told me I was going to play the NFL one day. I just needed to put on the weight," Jerrell said. "Decided to go there. They invested into me. I invested into them. And the rest is history."
Jerrell earned Division II All-American honors in 2022 and 2023, 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, 2023 first team all-region, and four all-conference awards including three first-team selections. He is just the fourth player to have played at Findlay to be selected in the NFL Draft, joining Andrew Ogletree (2022), Dana Wright (1987), and Allen Smith (1966).
Seahawks Draft Picks:
Rd. 1 (No. 16): Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Rd. 3 (No. 81): Christian Haynes, OG, Connecticut
Rd. 4 (No. 118): Tyrice Knight, LB, UTEP
Rd. 4 (No. 121): AJ Barner, TE, Michigan
Rd. 5 (No. 136): Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
Rd. 6 (No. 179): Sataoa Laumea, OG, Utah
Rd. 6 (No. 192): D.J. James, CB, Auburn
Rd. 6 (No. 207): Mike Jerrell, OT, Findlay (OH)
