One week from today the Seattle Seahawks will report to training camp.
The theme of this offseason has been one of change. While the team might look much the same on paper compared to last year, Seattle went through a revolution in leadership. From sending their franchise quarterback away to totally upending their defensive coaching staff, there’s been a lot of shakeups around the VMAC. In theory, that should create opportunities for younger players and undrafted free agents to make their mark as this team begins a new chapter. Here are seven sleepers to keep an eye on during camp.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The strongest position group for Seattle this year is wide receiver and whichever is second is pretty distant. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will get most of the attention, but there are several intriguing young talents at this spot, all of whom might get a chance to be genuine contributors. Two of them came in the last round of the 2022 NFL draft. Dareke Young comes to the Seahawks from Lenoir-Rhyne, where he was their version of Deebo Samuel. During his time there he posted 16 touchdown catches plus eight more scores as a rusher. Young’s athleticim (his RAS was 9.96) might give him an edge over the other rookie receiers.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The other seventh-round pick the Seahawks used at this position was Bo Melton, who’s cut from a very different cloth compared to Young. While the latter wins with his size and athleticsm, Melton has to rely on his skill. Melton totaled 13 touchdowns from scrimmage over the last three seasons at Rutgers, where he was also a capable kick returner. Melton will have a lot of competition for the slot receiver role, but his versatility should guarantee his place on the roster.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
At tight end we know the athletic Noah Fant and the popular Will Dissly will be at the top of the depth chart. The rest of it should probably be considered an open competition, though. In order to mke the team, Brewer will have to beat out either Colby Parkinson or Tyler Mabry. Primarily a blocker, Brewer scored eight touchdowns during his time at Texas. If he shows promise as a receiver, things could get interesting for the vets at this position.
(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The trenches were where this team struggled most last season, and that was before they got rid of starting tackles Duane Brown and Brandon Shell. Looking ahead, this might be the weakest unit on the team and one of the worst in the league. Pro Football Focus has the Seahawks’ OL ranked No. 32 in the league right now. They’ll need guys like Gilmore to step up in order to improve this group’s interior depth. Gilmore was a five-year starter at left guard in college and it would be healthy for this team if he could give Damien Lewis some competition at that spot.
(AP Photo/Matt Patterson)
There are plenty of question marks on the other side of the line of scrimmage, as well. While their interior rotation is stacked with proven veterans, Seattle’s edge group is remarkably thin. Top free agent pickup Uchenna Nwosu is guaranteed to start, but the rest of the depth chart is far from set in stone. Several young outside linebackers should have a chance to make a real impact, including Robinson. So far Robinson has posted five sacks and 10 tackles for a loss in two seasons. The Seahawks need him to make that critical third-year leap to give their pass rush the boost it needs.
Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Even without Bobby Wagner, the Seahawks have a pretty decent group of linebackers heading into the 2022 season. Cody Barton and Jordyn Brooks should be serviceable starters and there are a few quality backups behind them. Iyiegbuniwe played for the Bears last season when associate head coach Sean Desai was their defensive coordinator and he figures to be a major part of Seattle’s special teams unit this year. For his career Iyiegbuniwe has only been on the field for 49 defensive snaps, but his special teams count is over 1,200.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Safety remains one of this team’s strongest positions – so long as starters Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs can stay healthy. Ryan Neal and Marquise Blair are likely the top backups, but they have some competition this year in the form of four undrafted free agents who play this spot. Bolden (6-foot-3, 204 pounds) has the build and the physicality this team likes plus the ability to fill up the box score.
Sign up for the Seahawks Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning
Tight ends are asked to do so much in today’s NFL.
Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox!
Please re-enter your email address.
You'll now receive the top Seahawks Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.
© Copyright Seahawks Wire 2022
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Please enter an email address.
Thanks for signing up.
Please check your email for a confirmation.
Something went wrong.
