Bumpus: 2 offensive players the Seahawks should target in 1st round

We’re just over two months away from the 2024 NFL Draft. Who will the Seattle Seahawks take with the first pick of the Mike Macdonald era?

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Former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus admits that he wants the Hawks to prioritize the defense this offseason, but things can happen in the draft that impacts which players are available.

“Things happen in the draft that changes your approach,” Bumpus said during Thursday’s Bump and Stacy on Seattle Sports.

The Seahawks have the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, and Bumpus has his eyes on two players on offense who he wouldn’t mind the Seahawks taking in the first round.

The first? A standout UW offensive lineman: Troy Fautanu, a two-time All-Pac-12 selection at left tackle.

“I watched film on him last night and he’s better than advertised,” he said. “The guy is 6 foot 4, he’s a bit undersized for that tackle spot, but he plays with a great base and technique. He has strong hands.”

Bumpus is also very impressed with how well Fautanu moves.

“They asked him to pull on these counters and whatnot, and I guarantee you he’s played a skill position at one point in his life. The way he moves his feet, how agile he looks, I see him at a left or right guard spot and causing havoc with these pulls and getting up to that second level. I like that,” he said.

The other player Bumpus really likes? Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, a three-time All-American who won two national championships with the Bulldogs. Bowers also won two Mackey Awards as the nation’s top tight end.

Tight end is a big position to watch with the Seahawks this offseason as both Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are pending free agents and Will Dissly is a potential salary cap casualty.

Bowers, Bumpus noted, has been all over the place in some mock drafts, going as high as top-five to the late-teens. ESPN’s Field Yates had the Seahawks drafting Bowers in his recent mock draft.

“It’s going to be a risk because he has a couple of injuries, right? But I look at what he does, he’s the type of tight end that everyone’s looking for now,” Bumpus said. “He’s the George Kittle-type, he’s the Travis Kelce-type, he’s the Sam LaPorta-type. He gets busy with the ball in his hand. … You insert him into a dynamic tight end room and I think he’s going to be good to go, man. I know it’s a risk, but I’m going with the O-line or the tight end room if you do get to that point … This dude special.”

Listen to the full second hour of Thursday’s Bump and Stacy at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

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