Seahawks vs. Vikings Preseason: Smith-Njigba Among 3 to Watch
The Seattle Seahawks are set to open their 2023 preseason slate on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT from Lumen Field. The Seahawks will welcome the Minnesota Vikings for the first preseason contest to be held in the Emerald City this summer.
Boasting one of the most exciting rookie classes in the NFL, the Seahawks will continue to use each opportunity to learn, improve and prepare for the upcoming regular season.
Though many players are expected to garner some attention, here are three players that might raise an eyebrow … or perhaps, catch a "sharp eye" when Seattle takes the field against the Vikings.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Touted as one of the most complete receivers in this draft class, Smith-Njigba is expected to immediately bolster the Seahawks passing game. Seattle’s rookie phenom has already dazzled training camp on-lookers with a handful of aesthetically-pleasing classes. However, Smith-Njigba’s field vision and ability to run precision routes is what will separate him from his peers. As a result of his quickness, (having posted the best three-cone and short shuttle at the NFL scouting combine,) Smith-Njigba best projects as a possession, slot receiver — which is where he is expected to line up on Thursday depending on how much the coaching staff plans to play him.
TE Colby Parkinson
While incumbent starter Will Dissly continued to recover from a 2022 season-ending knee injury, Parkinson seized the opportunity to make his case for a notable spot on the depth chart. The Stanford product finished last season having set career-highs of 322 receiving yards on 25 catches and two touchdowns. Having put prior injury concerns behind him, Parkinson continued to prioritize getting “bigger, faster, and stronger” throughout the spring. The results have been positive in camp, to date. The 24-year should should see his share of looks at tight end against the Vikings secondary.
LB Derick Hall
Though some may consider his draft position (No. 37 overall in the second round) to be a bit of a reach, Hall is proving to be a potential first-year contributor to the Seahawks defense. Primarily a rotational player as a freshman and sophomore at Auburn, the 22-year-old recorded a total of 34 tackles and four sacks. He became a starter as a junior, where he recorded 52 total tackles and nine sacks. For his efforts, Hall was named second-team All-SEC in 2021 and first-team All-SEC in 2022. Despite a slow training camp start, Hall has recently shown some progress in situational pass-rush situations along the edge. He's expected to receive significant playing time against Minnesota.
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