Seahawks unoffical depth chart refresher ahead of training camp

Seahawks depth chart (unofficial) thoughts with training camp in less than 2 weeks: Seaside Joe 1960

Seahawks fans, let’s get refreshed on the roster and depth chart with training camp starting the week after next. The following list is not official, it is a combination of what’s on OurLads.com and my thoughts.

Let’s keep it casual.

If you pressed me for answers to questions like, “Well, why did you put this guy there instead of that guy? THAT GUY should be there, and this guy isn’t going to make the team!”, I’d probably say, “Oh yeah, for sure, you could very well be right.”

In fact, use the comments to press me for answers to questions like that anyway as your insights are always welcome. I know that the community here is just as qualified as I am to share their opinions on the depth chart, position battles, and 53-man roster. That’s why I rely so heavily on facts and if it’s not a fact, then I could definitely have my opinion swayed.

As always, your support of Seaside Joe is greatly appreciated. This post is FREE, as most are, but you are welcome to join the Regular Joes club for $5 per month. If the cost ever goes up, you will be locked in with the price you originally paid, so if you sign up for SJ premium today you will always pay $5 per month or $10 per month if you decide to go Super:

These players are on the Seahawks right now. This is an unofficial (and a little haphazed) Seahawks depth chart.

*Rookie

^Rookie UDFA

QB starter: Geno Smith

Backups: Sam Howell, PJ Walker

If I’m P.J. Walker’s shoes, I’m definitely not accepting the idea that I’m just a camp body. This guy is a young Josh Johnson, he won’t quit and he won’t be denied. Walker’s NFL career started in 2017! Sam Howell’s still going to be the backup, but Walker’s a much more dangerous quarterback in terms of making the team than Holton Ahlers was a year ago.

RB: Kenneth Walker III/Zach Charbonnet

Reserves: Kenny McIntosh, George Holani^, Kobe Lewis^, Ricky Person

I couldn’t bring myself to pick one, even though I would still favor Walker. It just seems like this position is for a tandem, not one person.

McIntosh has practically only practiced in his career thus far and it’s relatively common to have a standout undrafted free agent running back in training camp, so I think it’s worth monitoring to see if any of the other three can push him for a role behind Walker and Charbonnet.

WR starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Reserves: Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, Dee Eskridge, Cody White, Laviska Shenault, Easop Winston, Hayden Hatten^, Dee Williams^

If all goes to plan, these three receivers will soak up over 90% of the targets that go to wide receivers. Last season, JSN was third on the team with 93 targets, and Jake Bobo was fourth among receivers with 25 targets. That means that of all the balls that went to wide receivers in 2023, 334 of 361 targets (92.5%) went to DK, Lockett, and JSN.

The receiver position is definitely the most miraginistical of training camp and preseason: Every year, a mirage forms out of a receiver being able to get 5-7 targets in a preseason game against preseason competition and all of a sudden he becomes this “must keep” player who probably won’t make the team. Even the fact that Bobo emerged last season should only mean that it is less likely that a surprising receiver will make the team this season. But you never know.

TE starter: Noah Fant

Rotation: Pharaoh Brown/A.J. Barner*

Reserves: Brady Russell, Tyler Mabry, Jack Westover^

At tight end, the backups aren’t really backups. They have a bigger role on offense than a fourth receiver or a third running back and we will see plenty of Brown and Barner in 2024. Westover’s best bet will be versatility and special teams.

OL starters: Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Olu Oluwatimi, Curtis McClendon, Abe Lucas

Competition: C Nick Harris, RG Christian Haynes*, RG Anthony Bradford, RT George Fant (if Lucas is unable to go)

Reserves: Stone Forsythe, Raiqwon O’Neal, Michael Jerrell*, Sataoa Laumea*, Michael Novitsky^, Tremayne Anchrum, Garret Greenfield^, Max Pircher

It is without intention to start controversy by putting McClendon in the starting lineup. I’m just going off the team’s decision to play him with the starters in OTAs combined with the probability that Haynes and Bradford still need to prove themselves in the fall. That’s why I put these players under “competition” instead of reserves, this should be a genuine competition for who starts at right guard and center. I would be a little bit surprised if McClendon is starting over Haynes this season, but why not give him a lead and motivate Haynes to beat him out?

I do not care who starts on the offensive line. At all. Just five good players will do.

DL starters: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II*

Rotation: Dre’Mont Jones, Johnathan Hankins, Mike Morris

Reserves: Cameron Young, Myles Adams, Devere Levelston^, Matt Gotel, Nathan Pickering^

Talk about Haynes being on the bench and then cut to: Me starting a rookie on the defensive line.

I don’t know what we’re supposed to say about Dre’Mont Jones at this point. Murphy is going to play a lot this season and he might be Seattle’s second-best defensive lineman already although I don’t want to demean Reed’s skills either. I also don’t really know at all where Cameron Young stands.

EDGE starters: Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu

Rotation: Derick Hall, Darrell Taylor (Dre’Mont Jones?)

Reserves: Joshua Onujiogu, Nelson Ceaser^, Sunny Anderson^

This is a good time to buy the dip on Uchenna Nwosu. And perhaps the rise of Boye Mafe. Hopefully also Derick Hall.

ILB starters: Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson

Next up: Tyrice Knight*

Reserves: Drake Thomas, Jon Rhattigan, Patrick O’Connell, Devin Richardson^, Easton Gibbs^

It feels like Knight—or anyone, realistically—has a great opportunity to win a starting job out of camp. Baker and Dodson have been out with injuries/recovery this summer, will they be ready for camp? Give anybody a chance to get reps with starters and they might not give it back.

CB starters: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown

Rotation: Michael Jackson, Nehemiah Pritchett*, D.J. James*, Artie Burns

Reserves: Andrew Whitaker, Carlton Johnson

Seven cornerbacks starting and in the rotation is too many, eh? I have no idea what to do yet with Pritchett and James. Will one of them be so good that he has to play right away? Seattle’s day three picks giving them early returns happens pretty often at cornerback. Ultimately this group could have the biggest surprises as far as cuts/trades go because it seems a little bit overloaded right now.

Safeties: Rayshawn Jenkins, Julian Love

Next up: K’Von Wallace, Coby Bryant, Jerrick Reed

Reserves: Ty Okada, Jonathan Sutherland

I expect sort of big things from Jenkins this season. This season is an opportunity for any of those three “next up” players to have basically a full-time job as the third safety in Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Special teams: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll

KR: ?

PR: ?

Any report on who might be the kick returner is overshadowed by the NFL’s new kickoff rules. Even if you win the job out of camp and are returning kicks in Week 1, maybe the team realizes right away that they need to change strategy after a couple of games and now it’s somebody else returning kicks.