Seahawks Rookie Duo Among Biggest Offseason Storylines to Watch
The Seattle Seahawks had two first-round picks in the NFL Draft, and early indicators are that they didn't waste them on potential busts.
Seattle took cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20, with many loving what the Seahawks front office managed to pull off.
As OTAs have passed and teams beginning mandatory minicamp with training camp to follow soon after, there are several storylines to keep an eye on this offseason. CBS Sports has listed how Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba acclimate to the offseason program as a storyline to watch.
"The Seahawks had two first-round picks this year and decided to take corner Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall and then wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20," CBS Sports writes. "Their progression at minicamp will be worth following as they both were reportedly limited during OTAs with hamstring injuries.
"It'd be smart for Seattle to ease these two players into minicamp workouts given those injuries, but they'll also need to balance giving them enough time to get acclimated before training camp. The Seahawks are a dark horse in the NFC, and if both of these first-rounders can contribute in Year 1, it'll go a long way in their playoff aspirations."
The Seahawks' defense ranked 25th for points allowed last season (23.6/g) and adding Witherspoon to pair with fellow young star Tariq Woolen gives Seattle a genuine duo with Pro Bowl potential.
Then we look to the offensive side of the ball.
It was D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as the go-to players for Geno Smith last season as the pair surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Adding Smith-Njigba gives Smith another bonafide weapon on offense that could make Seattle challenging to stop.
The consensus thus far is Seattle has "hit" on both draft selections. But as we know, everything is against air right now.
Once training camp begins, Seattle will need both Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba to show their talent and then translate that in the regular season, as the team's playoff hopes may just rest on it.
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