The Seahawks made eight picks in the 2024 NFL draft — four on offense, four on defense (including four linemen).

They also signed a couple of undrafted free agents from the Gem State in Idaho wide receiver Hayden Hatten and Boise State running back George Holani.

Their collective impact won’t be properly assessed for a few years. As the dust begins to settle on the draft, let’s look at three things we learned.

For now, Sam Howell is the quarterback of the future

Some criticized the Seahawks for not drafting a developmental quarterback. That seems to overlook the trade for Howell, who, as they have noted often, is just 23 and younger than Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. (Nix is already 24 and Penix turns 24 next month. Howell doesn’t turn 24 until September).

Indications are that the Seahawks might have been interested in a quarterback in the first round had one of the QBs who were taken in the top 12 fell to 16. It’s also known they explored options to trade up, possibly with a QB in mind, though it’s not thought they made any specific offers.

It’s apparent the Seahawks felt none of the remaining options were better than Howell — or at least not enough to pass on the players they drafted.

The Seahawks reportedly signed San Jose State’s Chevan Cordeiro — who is third in Mountain West Conference history in passing yards — as an undrafted free agent. According to the NFL Network, they have invited Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa — the younger brother of Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa — to rookie minicamp this weekend as a tryout player.

So, the Seahawks will have some intriguing options for a third-team/practice-squad QB.

How the Seahawks handled the QB spot in the draft might was likely influenced by what they have seen out of Howell since they began their offseason program on April 8.

“I’m impressed with Sam, how he operates,” new head coach Mike Macdonald said Saturday. “We’re building it slow offensively. The whole playbook is not in, but command of the huddle, impressed with. He can spin it out there, that’s easy to see. Just getting used to his personality, you know, I think he’s starting to blossom a little bit more, that personality’s starting to come out, but really excited about him.”

There will be competition at cornerback

Well, at least for the depth spots behind the top three of Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Tre Brown.

The Seahawks usually keep five corners on their 53-man roster and the two backup spots appear up for grabs between veterans Michael Jackson and Artie Burns and draft picks Nehemiah Pritchett (136 overall) and D.J. James (192).

Seahawks president of football operations John Schneider portrayed drafting two the corners from Auburn as just something that happened, and because they were surprised James was still available in the sixth round (maybe how they took Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell 19 picks apart in 2011 at 154 and 173? Seahawks fans can only hope).

Pritchett figures to get a shot as a kickoff returner, and if he shows much in that role he could be a lock to make the team given how the return game will be more important because of offseason rules changes.

The draft picks would be cheaper options to fill out the cornerback corps than Jackson and Burns.

That applies more specifically to Jackson, who signed a restricted free-agent tender that gives him a $3.116 million salary and cap hit if he makes the team — but with none of it guaranteed (Burns has a $1.152 million cap hit, still a little more than the draftees).

As potentially the fourth or fifth cornerback, Jackson seems unlikely to play the 2024 season on that contract.

The Seahawks could do something they have done often in the past with restricted free agents — sign them to a new deal that cuts the overall salary but includes some bonus money. Adding two cornerbacks would seem to increase the chances they might approach Jackson about such a move.

What’s certain is the Seahawks must do something to create some cap space. The Seahawks have just $1.6 million, according to OvertheCap.com, while they will need just over $3 million to fit in all of their draft picks (the draftees don’t count against the cap until they sign, giving some time).

Drafting two cornerbacks obviously could impact Coby Bryant’s spot on the team. There has been a thought that Bryant could be a safety. That could also hinge on whether they sign another safety — as the Seattle Times reported Monday, the team remains in contact with Jamal Adams.

As coaches always note legitimate competition is a good thing.

Seahawks left the door open for Rashaad Penny to return

This year’s draft was only the second time since 2015 the Seahawks didn’t take a running back. The other was 2021, when they had only three picks.

That leaves them with the returning 1-2 punch of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet but no experienced depth besides 2023 seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh.

They are reported to have signed two running backs as undrafted free agents — Holani and TaMerik Williams of North Dakota State.

Holani, listed at 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, participated at the combine after rushing for 3,596 yards in his BSU career, the fifth-most in school history. He was projected to go in the last two rounds.

The Seahawks could view adding him as essentially a draft pick. According to reports from the NFL Network, Holani got a $15,000 signing bonus and $100,000 of his 2024 salary guaranteed.

That indicates the Seahawks made it a priority to sign him and there’s a good chance they expect he will at least be kept on the practice squad if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster. (There were no reports on what bonus or guarantees Williams may have gotten).

This appears to allow McIntosh a bigger role after he played in only three games last season without a carry after suffering a knee injury in training camp.

They had 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny in for a workout last week. He’s a free agent after playing sparingly for the Eagles last season.

Schneider said Saturday he could be re-signed, with the lack of a draft pick potentially increasing the odds.

“We had him in, talked with him,” Schneider said. “Good to see him again. He’s such a great person, you know. Good to see him. Yeah, it’s a possibility.”