Seahawks Way-Too-Early 53-Man Roster Projection
As organized team activities commence at the VMAC in the final phase of offseason workouts and training camp draws closer, the Seattle Seahawks still have a ton of time until they will have to make decisions on who makes their 53-man roster.
But while Week 1 may seem far away, once camp opens in late July, Seattle's front office and coaching staff will have kick-started the process of assembling a final roster for the regular season, including looking at potential cuts from other teams to sign before the opener. Discussions are already taking place behind the scenes for various position groups with the goal of building the best roster possible.
Already deep in the process of evaluating players for the upcoming season, which players will be on the Seahawks' roster come September? With camp just around the corner, here's my first 53-man projection for the 2023 season.
QBs - Geno Smith, Drew Lock
After signing a three-year contract worth up to $105 million, Smith won't be battling for his starting job this time around and will aim to reward the Seahawks for their faith in him with even better production in his second year at the helm. After coming back on a one-year deal, Lock's past starting experience with the Broncos makes him one of the better insurance options in a backup role in the NFC and he will have a chance to continue to grow in Shane Waldron's system.
What could add intrigue to this position group over the next couple months, however, is the NFL's new rule allowing a third quarterback to dress for games and not count against the 46-man game day limit. In the past, Seattle has never carried more than two signal callers at a time, but the rule change opens the door for undrafted rookie lefty Holton Ahlers to potentially play onto the 53 from a strategy standpoint.
RBs - Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
Ready for his encore after surpassing 1,000 rushing yards and finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, Walker will remain Seattle's starter offering dynamic play-making ability as a runner and receiver. But his overall workload could see a bit of a hit with the arrival of Charbonnet, who brings a contrasting running style as a physical slasher who breaks a lot of tackles and pushes the pile regularly at contact while also possessing soft hands in the passing game. Those two runners should see the majority of the action as a tandem.
Behind them, Dallas and McIntosh, a seventh-round pick out of Georgia, will duke it out for third down duties in what should be an excellent competition between two versatile players with similar athletic traits and special teams ability. Pass protection may be the deciding factor on who winds up seeing offensive snaps once the regular season rolls around.
WRs - DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young
Coming off 1,000-yard seasons, Metcalf and Lockett will once again lead one of the NFC's premier receiving corps, providing immense star power for Smith on the outside. But to the chagrin of defensive coordinators trying to figure out how to slow them down, the group will be further bolstered by the arrival of Smith-Njigba, a savvy slot receiver with elite quickness and route running skills who should open up the field for the rest of Seattle's wideouts as a chain moving machine. Expect to see all three receivers on the field together quite a bit from the outset.
After missing 14 games due to injury in his first two NFL seasons and posting limited production, pressure will be on Eskridge to stay healthy and perform well in camp and the preseason to ensure he keeps a roster spot. Turning up the heat on the former second-round pick, Young will be looking to build off a strong finish to his rookie season and the Lenoir Rhyne alum has versatility working for him with the ability to play fullback in a pinch. Both of those players could be pushed by undrafted rookies Matt Landers and C.J. Johnson as well as returning slot receiver Cade Johnson.
TEs - Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson
While Seattle added talent at running back and receiver this offseason, the team stuck with status quo at tight end. Unless injuries strike, there shouldn't be much drama at the position with Fant and Dissly boasting extensive starting experience and differing skill sets and Parkinson looking to improve his stock heading towards free agency after a breakthrough third season as both a receiver and blocker. Tyler Mabry may be in the mix because of special teams value, but as they did most of last year, expect the Seahawks to roll with three tight ends on the roster.
O-Line - Charles Cross, Damien Lewis, Olu Oluwatimi, Phil Haynes, Abraham Lucas, Evan Brown, Stone Forsythe, Jake Curhan, Anthony Bradford
Ready to take a sophomore jump, the Seahawks will welcome back Cross and Lucas with aspirations of seeing the duo emerge as one of the best young tackle pairings in the sport. While they will have continuity at the bookend spots as well as left guard with Lewis back for his fourth season as a starter, Austin Blythe's retirement will guarantee a new starting center for a third straights season with Oluwatimi and Brown set to battle to fill the void. Haynes will have to fend off a rookie as well with Bradford ready to compete right away for playing time at right guard.
In the depth department, Forsythe can play both tackle spots and has developed into a reliable swing option, while Curhan has game experience at right tackle as well as guard, giving him the type of versatility needed to hang onto his roster spot. Depending on how things shake out in training camp, whoever loses the competitions at center and right guard should still be a lock to make the final roster with limited experience and talent further down the depth chart.
DTs - Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Cameron Young, Mario Edwards, Myles Adams, Mike Morris, Forrest Merrill, Jonah Tavai
Headlining a completely retooled defensive front, Jones and Reed should open the season as starters at the 3-tech defensive end. In reserve roles, Edwards brings a wealth of experience and versatility, while Adams showed signs of improvement in his second season with the team a year ago and Morris possesses intriguing size and athletic tools as a converted college EDGE defender entering his NFL career. Athleticism wise, this group should be better than last year's, but questions remain in regard to holding up against the run.
As for the nose tackle spot, with Bryan Mone poised to open the year on the PUP list recovering from knee surgery, Young will be thrust into the fire right away as a rookie starter. Though he's far from a seasoned veteran, Merrill has played in a four regular season games with the Chargers and in a group with few traditional big-bodied types, he should get the first crack to replace Mone as a 330-plus space eater. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 283-pound Tavai could be utilized as a situational interior pass rusher with good burst and lightning fast hands to help penetrate the pocket.
EDGE/Outside LBs - Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Tyreke Smith
Talent-wise, the Seahawks have used resources in free agency and the draft to build an intriguing collection of edge defenders with varying play styles. Following a strong first season with the team, Nwosu will push to take his game to another level with free agency on the horizon next spring. On the left side, Taylor and Mafe should engage in a spirited competition for a starting spot, while Hall, an incoming second-round pick from Auburn, likely will settle in behind him as a key rotational rusher.
Those four players shouldn't have anything to worry about being on the opening day roster, but Smith and Alton Robinson will likely be vying for a single spot. Each player missed the entire 2022 season due to injury and if all other things are equal, the fact Smith has four years of club control remaining compared to one for Robinson could give him an inside track to making the team.
Inside LBs - Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush, Jon Rhattigan, Nick Bellore
Even with recent reports suggesting Brooks could make it back onto the field at some point in training camp after tearing his ACL last December, the Seahawks afforded them flexibility not to rush the fourth-year defender back into the lineup by signing two capable starters in Wagner and Bush during free agency. With No. 54 back as the lead dog with the green dot on his helmet and Bush learning under his wing, the team should be in solid shape whether Brooks is ready in Week 1 or not.
More than a year removed from his own significant knee injury, Rhattigan will have to fend off Vi Jones in a fascinating battle between former undrafted signees that will boil down to special teams performance. Though he hasn't played linebacker in the regular season for several seasons, Bellore can jump into the lineup in a pinch while also playing fullback on offense and starring as a key cog on kick and punt coverage.
CBs - Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Mike Jackson, Tre Brown, Coby Bryant
Already a position of strength with Woolen earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie and tying for the league lead in interceptions, the Seahawks continued to stockpile talent at cornerback by investing a top-five pick in Witherspoon, who should start right away on the left side and bring extra juice to the secondary. With the All-American's arrival, Jackson will be relegated to backup status after putting together a solid season as a starter a year ago, giving the team a viable third option if injuries hit.
In the slot, Bryant grew leaps and bounds as a rookie after not playing the position in college at Cincinnati, including forcing four fumbles. But he will have to fight to keep his job with Julian Love coming to town and a healthy Brown potentially being in the mix for snaps inside as well. All three of those players should be on the roster, but it remains to be seen who will get the bulk of the defensive snaps in nickel and dime sets.
S - Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Julian Love, Jerrick Reed II
Similar to linebacker, how Seattle proceeds at safety will depend in part on the health of Adams, who continues to recover from a torn quad tendon that cost him 16 games last season. If he's forced to miss time to open the season, second-year special teams ace Joey Blount should have a spot on the team until he's ready to return to action.
But assuming Adams makes it back onto the field for training camp and is ready to play in the season opener with Diggs roaming center field as the free safety, Blount may have a difficult time sticking on the 53 this time around after the addition of Love in free agency and selection of Reed II in the draft. Both of those players offer more versatility to play both safety spots as well as nickel corner, putting the former undrafted free agent at a significant disadvantage competing for one roster spot that could go to another core special teams player such as Rhattigan.
K/P/LS - Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll
Breaking up the trifecta that worked together for the past several seasons, Seattle didn't re-sign long snapper Tyler Ott, instead signing Stoll as an undrafted free agent. The team could still look to sign a veteran for that important role in time, but for this projection, the dice will be rolled on the rookie to quickly develop timing and chemistry with Myers and Dickson, two of the best at their respective crafts.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.
Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook
Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.
Want even more Seattle Seahawks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
