Last week Seth Walder at ESPN ranked the roster core for all 32 teams in the NFL. By that he meant the top-five players on each team.
For the Seahawks, they picked the fivesome of quarterback Geno Smith, wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, cornerback Tariq Woolen and left tackle Charles Cross. They ranked this group No. 14 in the NFL.
“When Russell Wilson left Seattle, he struggled. When Smith stepped into the starting role in Seattle, he thrived. There were other factors, but I have to wonder if Metcalf and Lockett’s role in their quarterbacks’ success has been underrated. Plus, an A-plus draft in 2022 led by Woolen and Cross (but also including offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and running back Kenneth Walker III) means Seattle is well-stocked with young talent.”
As far as the players go, Smith, Lockett and Metcalf are an easy top three – but you could make other cases ahead of Woolen and Cross, most notably right tackle Abe Lucas – who played better than Cross last year – as well as Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs. Then again Woolen and Cross led Seattle in snap counts last season for their respective units and the future looks right for both.
In any case, it’s a good sign that Seattle has several quality candidates to make that top five – speaking to their overall depth at the top.
On paper this looks like a rising power in the NFC, but all of that depends almost entirely on how well their new-look defensive line plays. They’ll need Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed and whoever starts at nose tackle (likely rookie Cameron Young) to ball out compared to last year’s group, or else 10-7 and another embarrassing loss in the wild card round against a real contender will be their ceiling.
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