Why the Buccaneers must watch these 3 Seahawks players

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a tough spot in Week 5. Not only will the Bucs be without seven of their regular starters for this game, but they'll be travelling across the country to take on a very formidable opponent in the Seattle Seahawks, who also sit at 3-1 and will be playing in front of their raucous home crowd at Lumen Field.

Although the Seahawks possess a number of weapons on both sides of the ball, we've identified three specific players the Buccaneers will need to really focus on in order to limit their impact on his game. If they can do that, the Buccaneers will be in a great position to secure a win against a quality NFC opponent while improving their record to 4-1 on the season.

Kenneth Walker III

Although Kenneth Walker isn’t viewed as a superstar at the running back position, he’s a player with the talent, explosiveness, and relentless style of play needed to eventually blossom into that category.

The former Michigan State product has relatively pedestrian numbers over the course of his three-year NFL career, but that doesn’t mean he’s someone that Todd Bowles’ defense can afford to overlook. Playing against a tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 2, Walker was likely the difference in the game for Seattle as he averaged over 8 yards per carry on his way to 100+ rushing yards on just 13 touches in the run game.

He’s also a capable receiver out of the backfield, as evidenced by the 29 receiving yards he put up in the team’s victory at Arizona last week.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has launched himself into the conversation of best receivers in the game with his performance so far in 2025. As the undisputed No. 1 target for the first time in his career, Smith-Njigba has proven to be one of the more versatile receiving threats in the league, averaging over 100 yards receiving per game to go along with nearly 7 receptions.

JSN is an extremely crafty route-runner with elite footwork and excellent hands, both of which have allowed him to excel both in the intermediate and vertical levels of the defense. Despite being listed at 6’0”, Smith-Njigba’s versatility is his greatest weapon. The savvy receiver can cause death by a thousand cuts or simply eviscerate a defense in the blink of an eye with an explosive play downfield.

Byron Murphy

The Seattle Seahawks drafted Byron Murphy 16th overall out of the University of Texas in 2024. Although it’s still very early in his career, Murphy is already paying dividends to the franchise for that investment.

Just four games into his sophomore season, the 6’0”, 300-pound defender has already surpassed his sack total from his rookie year with 2.5, and he looks like the real deal. The former Big 12 DPOY is extremely twitchy and operates with great quickness within the compact and powerful frame he possesses.

Murphy’s arsenal of moves and counters is quite advanced for such a young player, and that, combined with his relentless motor, is sure to make him a nightmare for opposing offenses for many years to come.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Buccaneers coach Skip Peete suffers medical episode during practice

• Buccaneers adding competition for struggling starter

• Eagles starter responds to fight with Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs

• Former Buccaneers coach calls out major problem after team’s first loss