Seahawks Remain Flush With Young Talent Despite the Inevitable Creep of Age

The Seahawks have collected an impressive array of young talent in recent years, so even a meager draft class in a lackluster draft can’t drag them down.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) reacts with teammates after catching a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

With the NFL season getting ever closer, ESPN is continuing to push out more fun content to hype everyone up for football. Yesterday, they published their annual evaluation of every team’s under-25 talent, ranking them in order from best collection of players to worst. The higher you are on the list, the better off you are for the long term, at least in theory.

Last year, the Seahawks were at the top of this list, coming in second behind only the Houston Texans. At that point in time, the Seahawks were steeped in good players under 25. Houston was in first place only by virtue of having a young franchise quarterback. Seattle had promise and intrigue at almost every position. It was a beautiful setup.

Time Remains Undefeated

Seattle Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Things have shifted in the last year, however. Zach Charbonnet has hit 25, and Ken Walker has as well on top of no longer being a Seahawk. Charles Cross hit the big 2-5 last season, and Anthony Bradford did during the offseason. Devon Witherspoon also aged out of this group, same with Derick Hall. A pretty big loss of eligible players.

Normally, you’d replace these players with new ones through the draft. However, the Seahawks were picking at the bottom of rounds in the 2026 draft thanks to their super bowl victory, and it was a lacking draft in the first place. Jadarian Price, Bud Clark, and Julian Neal are all noteworthy players under 25, but none are sure things or likely future stars.

Inertia Pushes Back

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Byron Murphy II gestures during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle. | AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Under normal circumstances, such a net loss would push Seattle towards the middle of the pack, if not below it. And yet, the ranking still placed the Seahawks in eighth place. In the top quarter of the league. Most teams would trade spots with them. It’s a testament to how good the team was at assembling a young roster in prior years. And also a good sign for the future.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains eligible, same for Grey Zabel. Byron Murphy and Nick Emmanwori provide superstar potential on the defensive side. Those are the ‘blue chip’ players the article gives the Seahawks the most credit for. AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, and Tory Horton get mentioned as well. It’s a really good crop, a mix of current great play with potential.

The Seahawks did so well at drafting from 2022 to 2025 that even a less-than-memorable class in 2026 hasn’t been able to really hurt them. Cross and Witherspoon aging out alone should have been a crippling blow, but here’s it’s largely a minor inconvenience. The Seahawks future remains bright, and it’s bright without sacrificing the present.

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) reacts after a fumble recovery against the San Francisco 49ers. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Pondering The Rank

I also can’t help but notice some of the teams ranked ahead. The New York Jets are at seventh on the back of rookie David Bailey and sophomore Armand Membou, with partial credit given to players like Cade Klubnik, Malachi Moore, Azareye’h Thomas, D’Angelo Ponds, Olu Fashanu, Omar Cooper Jr, Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, and Mason Taylor. Not sure that’s right.

The Tennessee Titans were fifth despite only two blue chippers, Carnell Tate and Cam Ward. I understand that Ward is a quarterback, and thus highly valuable, but the arrangement of fringe players like Keldric Faulk, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, JC Latham, Cedric Gray, Kevin Winston Jr, Anthony Hill, and Olu Oladejo doesn’t really move me.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) celebrates after a fumble recovery against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

So, I think there’s a case to be made that Seattle should move up. But either way, eighth will do just fine, especially given that eighth puts them at second place in the NFC (behind only the #3 Bears) and first by far in the NFC West. It’s just one more reason why this era of quality Seattle Seahawk seasons should reign on for many years beyond the here and now.

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