A nine-win season was not enough to get the Seattle Seahawks into the NFL postseason last year, marking the end of the tenures of both head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider. Heading into the 2024 season with a new brain trust, things are looking up in the state of Washington.
Geno Smith remains the team’s starter at quarterback, with the trio of Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba leading the way at wide receiver. An average defense (at best) will again be anchored by Leonard Williams, as the defensive tackle was brought back on a three-year deal.
While fighting an uphill battle in the NFC West, the Seahawks have a chance to improve on their nine-win season last year. While there will be plenty of household names doing their part, what are some hidden gems that could factor into Seattle’s success this season?
How deep is the RB room in Seattle?
Expecting the RB3/4 to be a contributor in an offense isn’t always an optimistic path, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Seahawks need their running back group to be deep. While incumbent starter Kenneth Walker III is back as the team’s starter and Zach Charbonnet is next up, could rookie George Holani factor in as well?
The undrafted free agent from Boise State signed with Seattle in May, looking to find a spot on the depth chart behind Charbonnet and Walker. With former Georgia Bulldog Kenny McIntosh as his closest competition, there exists a realistic path to making the 53-man roster for Holani.
Known for his receiving abilities, Holani racked up two 1,000-yard seasons with the Broncos, showing that he is capable of holding down a big role. While expecting a big contribution from Holani likely isn’t in the cards, his receiving abilities could be his ticket to potential third-down work.
Who will win the race for the WR4 spot?
Sticking on offense, the receiver room in Seattle is pretty solid through the first three options. But as you scroll further down the depth chart, a few question marks pop up.
Jake Bobo, D’Wayne Eskridge, and Laviska Shenault are fighting for the WR4 role on this team, something that will carry importance in a pass-heavy offense like offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will likely employ. Of these three options, Bobo looks to be the most well-rounded option for the Seahawks, and he has experience doing so.
Having stepped up in the past when members of the WR core missed time, Bobo looked good across his 17 games last year in his rookie season. While he did only play 28.7 percent of offensive snaps, two of his 19 receptions found the end zone.
Expect a lot of work for this wide receiver group this year, especially with how much talent they have. While Bobo will need to work hard to earn his playing time, it would not be surprising to see him exceed his career marks from last season.
The 2024 season will be the first under new head coach Mike Macdonald, who came over after leading Baltimore’s defense. Expecting an immediate turnaround from the Seahawks isn’t realistic, but there shouldn’t be much of a fall-off in Macdonald’s first season at the helm.
A tough division is a big reason why they may not make the playoffs again this season, but they have plenty of talent, especially on offense, to surprise.
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