Seahawks Mid-Preseason Stock Watch: Who's Hot, Who's Not?
Less than three weeks away from the start of the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks have officially entered crunch time with a preseason finale in Green Bay looming on Saturday and both starting jobs as well as roster spots remaining in the balance.
With two preseason games in the books and one left to play at legendary Lambeau Field, which Seahawks have improved their stock the most thus far this preseason? And which players need to step up on Saturday?
Stock Up
QB Drew Lock
Preseason Stats: 22-30, 310 yards, 2 TD, INT
In full command of Shane Waldron's offense in his second season with the Seahawks, Lock's blooming confidence and improved decision making have allowed for him to fully take advantage of his natural talents as a passer through two preseason games. Not forcing the football into tight windows as he frequently has done in the past, he's been remarkably efficient completing 73 percent of his passes with just one pick while airing it out deep, averaging north of 10 yards per pass attempt.
During Seattle's 22-14 win over Dallas, three of Lock's five completions went for at least 20 yards, including a picturesque 48-yard connection with playmaking rookie dynamo Jaxon Smith-Njigba that was lofted perfectly over the receiver's shoulder. He also hooked up with veteran Cody Thompson on a 32-yard corner route, setting up a second touchdown to push the advantage to 10 points before halftime. Add in his movement skills from the pocket and he has played like a starter-caliber player throughout the preseason thus far.
Punctuating the drive with a one-yard touchdown, SaRodorick Thompson gave the Seahawks a 10-point lead before halftime and continues to capitalize on his chances.
RB SaRodorick Thompson
Preseason Stats: 14 rushes, 64 yards, TD
A late addition to Seattle's backfield in the early stages of training camp after Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet were shelved by injuries, Thompson has maximized his opportunities out of the backfield. Though misfortune has hurt his final stat line in both preseason games with long runs wiped out by holding penalties, he still has averaged north of four yards per carry while showing a knack for creating after contact and underrated burst in open field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Thompson has racked up 58 yards after contact through two games, averaging 4.14 yards after contact per carry. He's also forced a team-high four missed tackles and that didn't include two nifty moves that left defenders grasping for air on his penalty-negated runs. Called a "slasher" by Carroll after Saturday's win, his stellar play has positioned the undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech to be a practice squad candidate for the Seahawks.
C Evan Brown
Preseason Stats: One pressure allowed
When training camp opened on July 26, Brown looked to be entrenched in a tight competition against rookie Olu Oluwatimi, rotating between the first and second-team offense every other day for the first six practices. But since that point, the veteran has seized the job thanks to his experience, communication skills, and strong performance in Seattle's two preseason games, taking advantage of a prolonged absence for the fifth-round pick with an elbow injury.
Continuing where he left off in 13 starts at the pivot position for the Lions over the past two seasons, Brown has been near flawless in pass protection in the Seahawks two exhibition wins, yielding a pressure on 19 snaps. He also has impressed in the run game, including making a crucial block to help spring Charbonnet for a 29-yard run in the first quarter of Saturday's win against the Cowboys and winning multiple battles at the line of scrimmage against first-round pick Mazi Smith. It wouldn't be a surprise at all to see Carroll name him the starter officially before the preseason finale.
EDGE Levi Bell
Preseason Stats: Three tackles, eight pressures, one sack
While he wasn't able to register a sack for a second straight game, Bell turned in another outstanding effort against Dallas with three quarterback pressures and a trio of run stops netting two or fewer yards, stepping his game up in the run defense department. The undrafted rookie has been a revelation this month, turning heads with his blend of athleticism and power while producing the third-most pressures among edge defenders in the NFL during exhibition play.
At this point, despite his relentless motor and superb pass rushing production, Bell may still be on the wrong side of the bubble due to Seattle's impressive depth at outside linebacker. But his ability to play fullback in a pinch - he stepped into the lineup and served as a lead blocker on Thompson's second quarter touchdown on Saturday night - as well as contribute on special teams has squarely put him on the radar as a dark horse to sneak onto the 53-man roster.
LB Devin Bush
Preseason Stats: Seven tackles, one tackle for loss
Signed to a one-year deal in free agency, Bush doesn't have to worry about roster security and will dress for Seattle's season opener on September 10 regardless of what happens in the exhibition finale in Green Bay. But he has been a clear bright spot on defense in the first two preseason games, playing aggressive downhill football hunting down ball carriers with no missed tackles in the process, showing himself to be a starter-caliber linebacker.
What does that mean for the season opener against the Rams? Early returns suggest Bush will be more than equipped to start next to Bobby Wagner if Jordyn Brooks isn't all the way back from a torn ACL, giving the Seahawks a ton of flexibility to make sure they don't rush the former first-round pick back into action. Even if Brooks is ready, Bush has performed well enough to warrant snaps in sub-packages and there could be a platoon with the two players early in the season to keep them fresh.
CB Tre Brown
Preseason Stats: Six tackles, one interception, one pass breakup, one tackle for loss
As the defender would likely admit, Brown has been far from perfect this preseason, allowing two touchdowns in coverage, including being caught flat-footed on a dump off from Cooper Rush to Rico Dowdle in the flats that resulted in six points on Saturday night. This came after surrendering a touchdown to Vikings tight end Nick Muse and botching a key missed tackle on fourth down in the exhibition opener.
But while Brown has endured some lumps in the preseason, he also has been Seattle's most consistent playmaker at the cornerback position. After breaking up a pass against Minnesota, he picked off his first NFL pass in the third quarter versus Dallas by jumping a route from Will Grier to Simi Fehoko at the goal line and returning it 22 yards. Playing deep into the second half, he also produced a tackle for loss, making up for his missed opportunity on fourth down the week prior and bolstering his chances of winning the left cornerback starting job.
Stock Down
WR Dareke Young
Preseason Stats: No receptions on four targets
Playing in his first preseason game after missing a week with groin/hip injuries, Young's lack of production on Saturday night doesn't fall solely on his shoulders. Third-string quarterback Holton Ahlers missed a prime opportunity to hit the second-year wideout in the end zone in the fourth quarter on a deep ball and he appeared to get interfered with on another incompletion thrown his direction by the undrafted rookie, so some factors were out of his control.
Still, with rookie Jake Bobo continuing to reel in catches and other receivers such as Tyjon Lindsey making an impact on offense and special teams on Saturday night, Young needed to find a way to contribute and wound up getting shut out. Smith threw a slant to him on the money on the game's opening drive on third down, only for the receiver to have to the ball slip through his hands in tight coverage. He also had another pass from Ahlers hit him on the hands that could have been ruled a drop.
OT Stone Forsythe
Preseason Stats: Four pressures, one sack allowed
From a roster spot perspective, none of Seattle's other tackles on the roster have done enough in preseason games to put Forsythe's swing role in jeopardy and create a true competition of any sort. But after a solid spot start last year in place of Abraham Lucas, that doesn't erase the fact that the third-year blocker out of Florida has been a bit disappointing through two preseason games.
In pass protection, Forsythe has had a difficult time keeping rushers in front of him, allowing multiple quick pressures with Lock and Ahlers forced to vacate the pocket as a result. He has also continued to struggle setting an anchor against power rushers, an issue in his game dating back to college. As a run blocker, he has been hit and miss in the preseason, failing to demonstrate consistency snap to snap with leverage problems at 6-8 persisting. He should be on the opening week roster, but Seattle has to be hoping for a much better outing in Green Bay.
LB Jon Rhattigan
Preseason Stats: 13 tackles, one tackle for loss
Statistics wise, Rhattigan has been one of Seattle's most productive players in the first two preseason games, tying for the team lead with 13 combined tackles. But raw tackle numbers don't always tell an accurate story and while the third-year linebacker didn't leave near as many plays on the field on Saturday night as the preseason opener, his performance in coverage leaves much to be desired.
From a movement standpoint, Rhattigan struggles to cover running backs and tight ends and reserve quarterbacks have attacked him regularly over the past two weeks. According to PFF charting, he has yielded six receptions on eight targets for 52 yards. Considering his issues pursuing ball carriers in the exhibition opener coupled with concerns about his coverage capabilities, with Brooks close to returning to full action and Bush impressing, there may not be a spot on the roster for him even with his special teams prowess.
CB Mike Jackson
Preseason Stats: Three receptions, 58 receiving yards allowed
Dating back to the start of OTAs, Jackson has been one of Seattle's most consistent players on either side of the football, rightfully earning all of the praise heaped on him by winning numerous matchups against DK Metcalf. While one exhibition game shouldn't erase all of the positive plays from the practice field, however, the veteran cornerback didn't help his cause at all trying to lock down a starting job with a rough night against Jalen Tolbert and Dallas' backup receivers in coverage.
Struggling with Tolbert's speed and quickness, Jackson suffered from a bit of bad luck on an underthrown deep ball by Rush, which caused him to get tangled up with the receiver while giving up a 36-yard completion. But while he can be excused for that play to an extent because of the throw trajectory being off target, Seattle should be concerned by how easily Tolbert and Jalen Brooks were able to get open against him on third and fourth down conversions respectively. He may still be in the driver's seat to start, but Brown closed the gap on Saturday and Devon Witherspoon is waiting in the wings to potentially take the job from both of them.
Leaving way too many tackles on the field through two games, Jerrick Reed II may be playing himself out of a roster spot in a talented, crowded safety group.
S Jerrick Reed II
Preseason Stats: Five tackles, one pass breakup
Starting with the positives, Reed has looked fluid in coverage playing both safety positions as well as the slot for the Seahawks in his first NFL preseason. Targeted just one time so far, the sixth-round draft choice got his hands on the ball for a breakup, showing the instincts that helped him rack up double digit pass breakups in his senior season at New Mexico.
But unfortunately, Reed's stellar play in coverage has been overshadowed by abysmal tackling in Seattle's first two preseason games. Whether taking a poor angle or simply not getting a clean wrap at the point of contact, he has struggled mightily getting ball carriers to the ground, producing four missed tackles in the first two preseason games and a dreadful 44 percent miss rate. This included a bad miss on running back Deuce Vaughn on Saturday night that allowed the rookie to find the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. With undrafted rookie Jonathan Sutherland proving more reliable in the tackling department, a roster spot may slip away if he can't tackle better in Green Bay.
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