Week 3 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Seahawks Hold Strong With Drew Lock

The Seattle Seahawks could have had their start to the 2026 season fall off the rails after just one drive. On a failed third-down conversion to kick off their Week 1 meeting with the New England Patriots, quarterback Sam Darnold went down with a glute injury.

Seattle still isn’t sure when Darnold will return, but they’re not overly concerned thanks to the performance of Drew Lock. The veteran backup not only led them to a win over the Pats in Week 1, but he also helped them knock off the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, throwing three touchdown passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the process.

Now, they’re preparing to face the Washington Commanders, who are also without their starting quarterback after Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow. With Lock under center and their defense firing on all cylinders, Seattle enters that game as one of the more feared teams in the league. That’s evident by their spot atop many of the NFL power rankings, which we dive into in our weekly roundup.

Sports Illustrated: No. 2

Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrates a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Peter Dewey has Seattle at No. 2 and says they’re just fine without Darnold, thanks to the connection between Lock and JSN. As much praise as Lock has been getting, Smith-Njigba is reminding us all that he was the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year for a reason.

"No Sam Darnold? No problem. The defending champs rode the Drew Lock-Jaxon Smith-Njigba connection to a Week 2 win over Arizona, and they're right near the top of the odds to win the Super Bowl this season," Dewey wrote.

ESPN: No. 2

Seattle Seahawks QB Drew Lock avoids a tackle in the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN also has the Seahawks at No. 2 overall, and Lock is getting the praise for his work. What’s been key is that Lock is avoiding the negative plays. He has zero turnovers and has been sacked just twice in two games. That type of efficiency is what’s making this offense so difficult to deal with.

"Lock has gotten plenty of help from receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle's defense, but he has also played like a starter. Since stepping in for an injured Sam Darnold one series into the season opener, Lock has completed almost 73% of his passes with four touchdowns, zero turnovers and only two sacks. His Total QBR of 86.4 ranks fourth," Brady Henderson wrote.

Bleacher Report: No. 1

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams celebrates a stop against the Arizona Cardinals. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kristopher Knox says the Seattle defense is already playing at a championship level, which is why they’re 2-0.

"Seattle's defense again looks like a championship-caliber unit, and its offense has continued to be potent behind the guidance of backup quarterback Drew Lock,” Knox wrote.

Knox adds that there’s a belief that Darnold could be back at practice soon. However, he believes the performance of Lock will prevent them from trying to force the starting quarterback to return before he’s 100 percent healthy.

Fansided: No. 1

Seattle Seahawks Drew Lock hands off the ball during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jason La Canfora has Seattle at No. 1 in his latest piece, saying Lock looks like Darnold running the offense.

"Businesslike work handling the Cardinals and stifling them for much of the game and expert work putting backup QB Drew Lock in positions to succeed. He looked like Sam Darnold finding JSN wherever he seemingly wanted to find him.” La Canfora wrote.

The Athletic: No. 3

Seattle Seahawks RB Jadarian Price runs with the ball in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletic decided to do a rookie spotlight for each team in their rankings, and for the Seahawks, that naturally led to their top pick, Jadarian Price. Through two games, Price has had some impressive runs but he’s also had a few “rookie” moments and is dealing with a shoulder injury.

"The first-round running back has looked like a respectable replacement for Kenneth Walker, but he left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. The final pick in the first round out of Notre Dame has 23 carries for 104 yards and three catches for 14 yards through his two abbreviated weeks. Third-round cornerback Julian Neal is also contributing,"

Seattle was able to turn to Emanuel Wilson when Price was injured, and he had a breakout game against Arizona. That’s some impressive depth at a position that the Seahawks want to lean on heavily throughout the year.

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