Analyzing Seahawks Offensive Positional Groups at Start of Offseason Program

At the skill positions, the Seahawks will have mostly the same cast of characters going into a new season, but questions remain in the trenches with three starters gone from 2023.

Oct 29, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) passes the ball / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Ushering in a new era under coach Mike Macdonald, who was tabbed as Pete Carroll's replacement on January 31, the Seattle Seahawks will return to work on Monday by initiating Phase One of their offseason program.

Under terms of the league's collective bargaining agreement, the first two weeks of Seattle's program will be limited to meetings, strength and conditioning, and rehabilitation only, so Macdonald and his staff will have to wait a while to begin evaluations on the practice field. Still, these first few weeks will be crucial as they begin to implement a new scheme on both sides of the football and develop rapport with their new players.

As the offseason officially gets underway and the 2024 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, how does Seattle's offense look from a positional standpoint? Here's a close look at each position group with projected starters, backups, and what moves may come next gearing up for a new season:

Quarterback

Projected Starter: Geno Smith

Backup: Sam Howell

Starting all 17 games for Washington last season, Howell may be the future under center for Seattle, but he won't compete against Geno Smith to start in 2024. /

Coming off his second straight Pro Bowl season, Smith will return under center as the undisputed starter ready to dive into offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme, which should still feature extensive downfield passing while mixing in more four wide receiver sets, a quality screen game, and a complementary ground attack featuring a blend of zone and gap concepts. Ranking in the top six in completion percentage, touchdown passes, and passer rating over the past two seasons combined, the Seahawks should be in good hands for at least the short term with him running the show.

Quickly replacing Drew Lock, who signed with the Giants in free agency, Seattle executed a pick swap with Washington last month to acquire third-year quarterback Sam Howell, sending 2024 third and fifth-round picks in exchange for fourth and sixth-round picks. The 23-year old threw for nearly 4,000 yards while starting all 17 games for the Commanders last season and the organization will now have two seasons to evaluate him as a potential long-term starter in a reserve role, but his arrival doesn't mean they won't consider drafting a signal caller later this month either.

Running Back

Projected Starter: Ken Walker III

Backups: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, Bryant Koback

Though he failed to reach 1,000 yards last season after a splendid rookie campaign, Walker still scored eight touchdowns on the ground and nearly doubled his reception and receiving yardage total, providing dynamic playmaking behind a suspect line. Entering year three, Grubb will be excited to feature him and the bruising Charbonnet, who rushed for 462 yards as a rookie, as a one-two thunder and lightning package in Seattle's run game, which should have more variance concept-wise and may benefit from the arrival of Scott Huff as the new line coach.

Despite losing DeeJay Dallas in free agency, the Seahawks should be in good shape depth-wise with McIntosh ready to step in as the third down back. An injury prevented him from playing any offensive snaps as a rookie, but he impressed in training camp before spraining his knee and the coaching staff should be intrigued by his versatile skill set with plus-receiving skills and pass protection prowess. Koback spent training camp with the team last year and will be vying for a fourth spot on the roster with special teams being crucial to his chances, while another back could be added in the draft at some point.

Receiver

Projected Starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Backups: Jake Bobo, Laviska Shenault, Dareke Young, Dee Eskridge, Easop Winston Jr., Cody White

There's not much drama at the top of the depth chart for the Seahawks, who will welcome back perennial 1,000-yard receivers in Metcalf and Lockett as well as a budding star in Smith-Njigba, who closed out his rookie season with 47 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns in his final 12 games. This could be the year where a passing off the torch begins, however, with Smith-Njigba starting to emerge as the primary second weapon behind Metcalf and Lockett settling into more of a complementary role in his 10th season in the league. Either way, those three players will receive the bulk of the targets from Smith in the passing game.

Laviska Shenault will add his bruising, physical style to an already deep Seahawks receiving corps after signing a one-year deal. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Where things should get interesting will be behind Seattle's three star wideouts, as the organization has assembled a deep receiving corps that rivals any other team in the NFL. Bobo impressed as an undrafted rookie with 19 catches and two touchdowns and his size and blocking ability will give him an edge over the competition, while former second-round picks in Eskridge and Shenault will enter camp far from locks to make the team and will have to prove their worth on offense as well as special teams with new kickoff rules in place. Young also will be squarely in the mix for snaps and special teams will be crucial to him sticking around for a third season with the Seahawks.

Tight End

Projected Starter: Noah Fant

Backups: Pharaoh Brown, Brady Russell, Tyler Mabry

Undergoing substantial changes at tight end with Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson headed to Los Angeles as members of the Chargers and Rams respectively, Fant will be the undisputed starter out of the gate for the Seahawks after re-signing on a two-year, $21 million deal. Some scoffed at the contract after the former first-round pick caught a career-low 32 passes and failed to score a touchdown last season, but the organization believes he will be a bigger focal point moving forward in Grubb's offense, where tight ends received a fair number of targets at Washington last season.

Filling the void left behind by Dissly's departure, Brown brings a blue collar, hard-nosed mentality to Seattle's tight end room and has been one of the best blockers at the position in the league for several years running. When the team does use two tight end sets, he'll spend extensive time as an inline blocker and has the ability to occasionally create big plays in the passing game as either a vertical threat down the seam or breaking tackles after the catch. Russell and Mabry will vie for the third tight end spot with special teams being a key component in the competition.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: Charles Cross, Tremayne Anchrum, Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas

Backups: George Fant, Nick Harris, Stone Forsythe, McClendon Curtis, Raiqwon O'Neal

On one hand, the Seahawks should feel pretty darn good about their situation at both tackle spots. Going into their third seasons respectively, Cross and Lucas will both be healthy when training camp opens in August and if Huff can push all the right buttons, both of them still have the upside to be top-tier starters at left and right tackle. Behind them, Fant has evolved from an undrafted project many years ago in Seattle to a capable starter at either position, giving the team invaluable experience and depth to go along with fourth-year tackle Stone Forsythe, who now has nine starts of his own under his belt.

But while Huff will be eager to get to work with an intriguing tackle group, questions remain aplenty in the interior after losing Damien Lewis and Evan Brown in free agency. Only one guard on the roster - Bradford- has more than one NFL regular season start on his resume and Anchrum, who spent the past four seasons with the Rams, would be a starter at the other guard spot by default as the only free agent addition at the position. Meanwhile, Oluwatimi will start out ahead of Harris, who previously played for Huff at Washington, but only has one start to this point and a competition likely will ensue. Expect Schneider to keep kicking the tires on veterans with both spots being top priorities in the draft.