Projecting Seahawks' Breakout Players at 2022 OTAs, Mandatory Minicamp

While NFL jobs aren't won in May or June, players can certainly help their cause with standout performances in OTAs and minicamp. Which returning Seahawks veterans could kick off a breakout campaign in the final phase of their offseason program?

After missing the postseason with a dismal 7-10 record, the Seahawks will enter a new era with low expectations after jettisoning star quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner back in March.

But as coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have reiterated numerous times since Wilson was dealt to Denver and Wagner was released as a cap casualty, Seattle's brain trust has steered clear of calling this a rebuild. Even with the departure of two future Hall of Fame talents, with a young core and a revamped defensive coaching staff in place, they expect the team to remain competitive in the NFC West in 2022.

Vying to replace Wilson under center, the Seahawks will get their first extended look at Geno Smith and Drew Lock competing for the starting quarterback job when OTAs open on May 23. Defensively, a group returning starters such as safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordyn Brooks will begin getting acclimated with a new 3-4 scheme under the direction of defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai.

While jobs won't be won or lost during non-contact practices in May and June, these sessions remain important and performing well will only help players heading into training camp. Over the next four weeks, with 10 OTAs and mandatory minicamp coming up, Seattle's coaching staff should get a decent idea which returning players could be on the verge of a breakout season.

Here's a look at four returning veterans with the skill set, scheme fit, and playing time opportunities to launch their breakout campaign in the final phase of the Seahawks' offseason program:

Dee Eskridge

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Selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Eskridge battled numerous injuries during his rookie season, starting with a toe issue that limited him during OTAs and minicamp a year ago. That same injury kept him out of action for the first couple weeks of training camp and only a few weeks after returning to the field, he suffered a devastating concussion in Seattle's regular season opener, causing him to miss each of the next seven games.

Once he returned from his lengthy absence, the speedy Eskridge had a difficult time carving out a meaningful role for himself on offense and never seemed to get up to speed with quarterback Russell Wilson. Over the final nine games, he caught only nine out of 19 targets for a 47.4 percent catch rate while averaging less than seven yards per reception and scoring a single touchdown.

Heading into his second season, Eskridge has become the forgotten man in the receiving corps after the Seahawks invested a pair of late-round draft picks in Bo Melton and Dareke Young and recently signed veteran Marquise Goodwin. But if the former Western Michigan standout stays healthy, none of those players should be a threat to his roster spot and given his explosive athletic traits and YAC-producing ability, the potential remains for him to emerge as a dynamic complementary weapon alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in Shane Waldron's offense.

With Wilson now in Denver, it will be interesting to see how Eskridge develops chemistry-wise with Geno Smith and Drew Lock over the next several weeks. If he builds a strong rapport with one of them in OTAs and minicamp, that could go a long way towards determining who wins the starting job in August and propel him to a big sophomore campaign.

Noah Fant

Though Fant just joined the Seahawks after being included as part of the Wilson trade in March, the former first-round pick out of Iowa screams breakout candidate rolling into his fourth season. In three seasons with the Broncos, his numbers were quite consistent, as he produced between 562 and 670 receiving yards while scoring 10 total touchdowns during that span.

But as Fant admitted to reporters in his introductory press conference, he wasn't pleased with his overall production in 2021 and didn't take the step forward he hoped to. In fact, while he set a new career-best in touchdowns, his overall yardage total and yards per reception took a slight dip compared to his 2020 numbers.

Taking his talents to Seattle, Fant will already have an established rapport with Lock after playing with him each of the past three seasons, which should prove advantageous for both players. He also will be playing in a scheme featuring extensive 12 personnel groupings that, if operating similar to the one coach Sean McVay runs in Los Angeles, should prioritize throwing to tight ends more frequently with a different quarterback under center.

Additionally, the presence of Metcalf, Lockett, and Eskridge should also benefit Fant, as opponents will be focusing on trying to slow down the Seahawks speedy trio of weapons on the outside. This should open up the middle of the field and the seam, allowing the 250-pound tight end to draw ideal one-on-one matchups against linebackers and safeties on a consistent basis and creating opportunities for him to do significant damage in the passing game.

Darrell Taylor

Rebounding nicely from a lost rookie season in which he didn't play a single snap recovering from leg surgery, Taylor jumped into a substantial role for the Seahawks as a strongside linebacker in 2021. He started off fast, recording 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the first five regular season games.

Unfortunately, Taylor suffered a scary neck injury in a Week 6 loss to the Steelers and while he returned to action two weeks later, he wasn't near as effective in the second half chasing after quarterbacks. Nonetheless, his first NFL season shouldn't be classified as anything but a success after finishing tied for second on the team with 6.5 sacks and posting a team-best 36 pressures on 326 pass rushing snaps according to Pro Football Focus.

Entering his third season healthy, Taylor has a prime opportunity to surface as one of the NFC's best young pass rushers in a 3-4 scheme that suits his skill set perfectly. Playing in a two-point stance out wide as a hybrid linebacker, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt will send him flying upfield regularly with sights set on hunting down opposing quarterbacks and speeding up their clock in the pocket.

If Taylor can improve upon flattening the top of his speed rushes and not getting too deep upfield, he could explode in the sack column in 2022. The scheme switch-up should also aid him as a run defender, as he won't be asked often to put his hand in the dirt and play in the trenches where he can be physically overmatched by opposing tackles. Either way, it will be exciting starting to see where he fits into the new defense during the tail-end of the offseason program.

Cody Barton

For the past three seasons, Barton has bided his time as a core special teams player waiting for his turn to become a defensive starter for the Seahawks. With Bobby Wagner now in Los Angeles, the time has finally come for the ex-Utah standout to show what he can do at his natural MIKE linebacker spot.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Barton has logged a grand total of 454 defensive snaps since arriving as a third round pick in 2019. The majority of those snaps came at the strongside linebacker spot during his rookie season replacing an injured Mychal Kendricks, but he did see action replacing Wagner in the final two games last season and performed well, producing 18 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup in victories over the Lions and Cardinals.

With Seattle transitioning into defense with more 3-4 looks, Barton's biggest challenge filling Wagner's shoes will be proving he can decipher run concepts swiftly and consistently disengage from blocks to make plays against the run. Where he could give the team an upgrade at the position, however, is in coverage, where his athletic ability and prior safety background could be a major asset defending the middle of the field where opponents have carved them up in recent seasons.

Stepping into Wagner's stead, the onus will fall on Barton to show he can play at a high level as an every down starter alongside budding star Jordyn Brooks. Clearly, the Seahawks believe he can since they did not invest any draft picks at linebacker and only added special teams standout Joel Iyiegbuniwe in free agency. With Ben Burr-Kirven and Jon Rhattigan both recovering from knee surgery, the job is his to lose and starting this week, he has a prime opportunity to etch himself into the franchise's future plans with a stellar season.