3 Seahawks Poised to Earn First Pro Bowl in 2020
With the Pro Bowl slated to kickoff on Sunday in Orlando, the Seahawks will be represented by coach Pete Carroll and his staff along with quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Shaquill Griffin.
Wilson isn’t a stranger to playing in the NFL’s all-star event, as this will be his sixth time playing in the exhibition game and his seventh Pro Bowl selection overall. But the game holds far greater meaning for Griffin, who will playing in his first Pro Bowl back in Orlando, where he previously starred for UCF at the college level.
Originally named as one of seven Pro Bowl alternates for Seattle, Griffin was tabbed as a replacement for injured Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore on Tuesday. Bouncing back from a challenging 2018 season, per Pro Football Focus, he finished third among league leaders with 14 passes defensed and quarterbacks completed just 57 percent of passes when targeting the third-year defensive back.
“He's really improved in the three years he's been with us," Carroll said of Griffin. "He's a fantastic player for us now and it's great that he gets recognized to be part of this."
Looking towards the future, which Seahawks have the best chance to follow in Griffin’s footsteps and notch their first Pro Bowl selection in 2020?
DK Metcalf
If there’s an obvious choice for a breakout candidate in Seattle next season, it has to be Metcalf. Just turning 22 in December, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound target blew away all expectations as a rookie with 58 receptions, 900 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. He established a new NFL single-game rookie record with 160 receiving yards in a wild card win over the Eagles. And yet, it feels like he’s barely scratched the surface of his potential and he's determined to ascend to greater heights in 2020. With another offseason to continue enhancing his route running skills and further develop his chemistry with Wilson, he has a great chance to emerge as one of the NFL’s best receivers next season and beyond. If he surpasses the 1,000-yard mark and evolves into the red zone nightmare he’s built to become, look for him to earn the first of what could be many Pro Bowl nods.
Chris Carson
It’s crazy to consider that with nearly 2,500 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to his name bulldozing through defenders the past two seasons, Carson still hasn’t been able to make the Pro Bowl. But he’s had to compete against the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Ezekiel Elliott, which has limited him to being just an alternate each of the past two years. Returning to health remains key for Carson as he recovers from a fractured hip, but assuming he’s 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp, he’ll once again be one of the NFC’s best backs and the Seahawks will feed him the rock frequently. Another season with more than 1,000 rushing yards and improved production as a receiver could land him in Orlando for the first time as he approaches free agency in 2021.
Quandre Diggs
After arriving via trade in October, Diggs made his presence felt immediately, producing three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in five regular season games at free safety for the Seahawks. Injuries cost him six total regular season games, including the final two losses against the Cardinals and 49ers. But if he can produce similar production over an entire season and stay healthy, he has a chance to blossom as one of the NFC’s best safeties in a defensive scheme well-suited for his strengths. Much like Carson, after being named an alternate the past two seasons, he’ll have a great shot at breaking through and finally earning a Pro Bowl selection in his first full season in Seattle.
Wild Cards: Rasheem Green, Will Dissly, Bradley McDougald
While his statistics weren't overly impressive, Green led the Seahawks with 4.0 sacks last season and he'll turn 23 years old in May. Much as Griffin did in his third NFL season, the former USC standout could truly take off with a more extended role in 2020 and if he can find a way to approach double digit sacks, a Pro Bowl isn't out of the question. Dissly was producing at a Pro Bowl level during the first five games of the 2019 season before being lost to a ruptured Achilles tendon. If he can avoid the injury bug and replicate his receiving output over an entire season, he has the upside to be one of the best tight ends in the conference. McDougald will be a long shot given the safety talent in the NFC, but he did play at a much higher level with Diggs in the lineup and was named an alternate two years ago.
