Seahawks Reveal Updated Depth Chart vs. Rams; Tre Brown Starting?
While any depth chart released by an NFL team should always be taken with a grain of salt, the Seattle Seahawks may have made an unofficial announcement on who will start across from Riq Woolen at left cornerback in Sunday's opener.
Updated on their official team website one week after trimming the roster to 53 players, the Seahawks revealed a new depth chart with only a few notable changes from the one released prior to the preseason opener. On offense, all of the position groups look near identical with quarterback Geno Smith taking snaps from center Evan Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the third receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and Will Dissly and Noah Fant listed as co-starters at tight end.
But on the defensive side of the ball, third-year defender Tre Brown has apparently leap-frogged Mike Jackson at left cornerback for Seattle, which may be a confirmation he has successfully fought his way back into the starting lineup after injuries derailed his 2022 season.
With top-five draft pick Devon Witherspoon sidelined for most of August, including all three exhibition games, Brown and Jackson have battled in an intense competition since late July with both players enjoying strong training camps. But while Jackson got off to a dominant start building off an outstanding offseason program, Brown outperformed him during exhibition season both in coverage and as a run defender.
Statistically speaking, Brown did allow two touchdowns in coverage in the first two preseason games, so he wasn't flawless working against primarily second and third-stringers. But that number only paints part of the picture, as the former Oklahoma standout came through with several impactful plays, including his first interception in the NFL, a pass breakup, and two tackles for loss.
Though he wasn't perfect, Tre Brown outperformed Mike Jackson in exhibition games, including recording his first interception against the Cowboys.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Brown allowed just five receptions for 22 yards on eight targets in coverage and quarterbacks posted a mediocre 66.7 passer rating when testing him. Comparatively, Jackson allowed nine receptions on 14 targets for 108 yards, a touchdown, and a 111.6 passer rating and while he did have two pass breakups, one against the Packers in the preseason finale came on an underthrown deep ball where the veteran had been burned by receiver Christian Watson downfield.
Set to speak with reporters prior to Wednesday's practice, coach Pete Carroll will have the opportunity to confirm whether or not Brown will be the one starting against the Rams on Sunday. But it's also possible both veterans could see action, even rotating in with Woolen on the right side some after the second-year cornerback didn't play in the preseason coming off of knee surgery.
Up front, even with Darrell Taylor returning to practice on Monday after missing a month with a shoulder strain, second-year outside linebacker Boye Mafe is still listed as the starter opposite of Uchenna Nwosu. The 2022 second-round pick out of Minnesota was called the "most improved" player on Seattle's roster by Carroll early in training camp and he backed up those words with a dominant preseason, producing six quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss, and two pass deflections.
In the secondary, Carroll already ruled out safety Jamal Adams, who came off the PUP list on August 26, for the season opener. With him expected to miss at least Week 1 as he continues to work his way back from a torn quad tendon, free agent signing Julian Love will remain in the starting lineup with Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs, while Coby Bryant and Jerrick Reed II will serve as their backups.
On special teams, running back DeeJay Dallas will continue to be Seattle's primary kick and punt returner, while Smith-Njigba is listed as the backup punt returner and Brown is listed as the backup kick returner. The fourth-year back returned 14 punts for 102 yards and 12 kicks for 270 yards last season.
