5 Seattle Seahawks position battles to watch vs Chiefs

The Seattle Seahawks host the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in the second of their three preseason games.

What Huard wants to see in Darnold’s Seahawks preseason debut

The expected Seahawks debuts of Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp figure to be the headline, but there also are a number of intriguing position battles as players vie for starting roles or roster spots.

Here are some to keep an eye on:

Center and right guard

The starting center and right guard competitions are still open, but decisions could be coming shortly. Head coach Mike Macdonald has repeatedly emphasized that he wants to solidify the five offensive line spots prior to Week 1, unlike last year when the team continued to rotate snaps at right guard well into the season. “We’re narrowing in on what we want to do,” Macdonald said earlier this week.

Center remains a two-man battle between Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell. Oluwatimi has a leg up in experience with nine NFL starts, but he’s been dealing with a back injury that’s sidelined him for the past week. With Oluwatimi out, Sundell started last week’s preseason opener and played 40 snaps at center. It’s unclear what Oluwatimi’s status is for Friday night, but if he’s unable to play, that probably doesn’t bode well for his chances of winning the job.

At right guard, Anthony Bradford appears to be closing in on beating out Christian Haynes and Sundell. Bradford got the start last week and played 20 snaps, while neither Haynes nor Sundell played a single snap at the position. Haynes exclusively played as the backup left guard and Sundell exclusively played at center. If Bradford plays well on Friday night, he probably locks up the job.

The No. 3 running back

After Kenny McIntosh suffered a torn ACL early in training camp, the initial thought was that rookie Damien Martinez would be the favorite over George Holani for the third running back role. After all, Martinez was coming off a highly productive college career and was one of the best tackle-breaking backs in college football last season, while Holani spent most of last year on Seattle’s practice squad.

But so far, Holani seems to have a clear edge. Holani worked with the first-string offense in the preseason opener and had a big night, rushing for 61 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, while also gaining 20 yards on a screen pass and making a tackle on special teams. Martinez, meanwhile, finished with just 10 yards on six carries and two catches for 15 yards. Martinez also misplayed a squib kick as a kick returner.

Holani takes it HOME!

📺: @King5Seattle or @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/qQImteTokr

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 8, 2025

The final WR spot(s)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, rookie Tory Horton and Marquez Valdes-Scantling seem pretty set as Seattle’s top four receivers. But after that, it could be a fierce battle for the fifth and possibly final receiver spot.

The Seahawks have typically kept six receivers in recent years, but with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system expected to feature a heavy dose of two-receiver sets, they could go with just five wideouts to free up a roster spot elsewhere – especially with the roster crunch of carrying both a third quarterback and a fullback.

Jake Bobo is probably the favorite for that fifth spot, given his experience and all he brings as a 6-foot-4 red-zone target, a strong run blocker and a special teams stalwart. At the moment, his top contender may be Dareke Young, who had a 31-yard reception in last week’s preseason opener and is another special teams regular. Cody White and rookie Ricky White III still have an opportunity too, but they may be more likely to end up on the practice squad.

If the Seahawks do keep six receivers, it might be to deploy Steven Sims as a kick/punt return specialist. Sims has extensive NFL experience as a returner, but has been dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the preseason opener.

The No. 3 cornerback

This is a particularly important role in Macdonald’s defense, given how often he utilizes three-cornerback sets that allow Devon Witherspoon to slide inside to the nickel spot. In those instances, the winner of this job would serve as the other boundary corner opposite of Riq Woolen.

Heading into camp, the third cornerback role figured to be a two-man battle between Josh Jobe and one-time Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin. Jobe manned the spot for the second half of last season, while the veteran Griffin returned to the Seahawks this summer after opening his career as a four-year starter in Seattle from 2017 to 2020.

However, second-year pro Nehemiah Pritchett seems to have pushed his way into contention too, especially with Griffin missing the first part of camp while tending to a personal matter. Pritchett had an interception and a pass breakup in the preseason opener, showing some savvy on his pick by breaking off the receiver he was covering to go jump the route. Jobe also had an interception, but it came on a badly underthrown pass.

Not in our house! 🚫

📺: @King5Seattle or @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/yoIkbX8reB

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 8, 2025

The final edge/D-line spots

Veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu remains on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from offseason knee surgery, while veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins continues to deal with a back injury that landed him on the non-football injury list. In both cases, it remains unclear if they’ll be ready by Week 1. And as a result, the door may be open for other players to nab a roster spot.

Huard: ‘Keep an eye on’ Seahawks undrafted rookie Connor O’Toole

At edge rusher, some of the top contenders to grab a back-end roster spot are Tyreke Smith and undrafted rookies Jared Ivey and Connor O’Toole. All three players had strong showings in the preseason opener. According to Pro Football Focus, O’Toole had a sack and a team-high six pressures, Smith had three pressures and Ivey had a team-high three run stops.

And along the defensive line, Mike Morris, Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohanna are among those in the mix for a rotational role. Morris had two pressures and two runs stops in the preseason opener and finished with the highest PFF grade of any Seahawks defensive player.

Connor O’Toole comes in for the sack 😤

LVvsSEA on @NFLNetwork
Watch live out-of-market preseason games on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/fR75wCw26h

— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025

5 Seattle Seahawks position battles to watch vs Chiefs

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