By next Tuesday’s cutdown deadline, the Seattle Seahawks have to pare down their roster from 91 to 53 players. Who will make the cut? With two of their three preseason games in the books, here’s a stab at what their initial 53-man roster could look like.

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But first, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• The roster math is especially tight this year with the Seahawks expected to keep both a third quarterback and a fullback. That essentially means Seattle has two fewer roster spots to work with than in recent years.

• Players with fewer than four years of NFL service time are subject to waivers, which make them available for other teams to claim if they don’t make the 53-man roster. So before a team can sign a player to its practice squad, that player first must clear waivers. That can impact strategy and decision-making as teams form their initial rosters.

With that in mind, let’s dive in.

Quarterback (3)

• Sam Darnold
• Drew Lock
• Jalen Milroe

This may be the most clear-cut position group. Darnold is the QB1, Lock is the backup and Milroe is a third-string developmental project who can be used as a change-of-pace weapon in specialty packages. The Seahawks typically don’t roster three quarterbacks, but Milroe’s long-term potential makes this a unique situation.

Running back (3)

• Kenneth Walker III
• Zach Charbonnet
• George Holani

After Kenny McIntosh went down with a torn ACL early in camp, the RB3 battle became a two-man race between Holani and rookie Damien Martinez. It’s possible the Seahawks could keep them both, but that may prove difficult due to the roster crunch of carrying both a third quarterback and a fullback.

At the moment, Holani seems to have the clear edge. He shined in the first two preseason games, rushing for 110 yards and 9.2 yards per carry. He also made a good tackle in kick coverage and is contending to be one of the team’s two primary kick returners. The 217-pound Martinez was one of the best tackle-breaking backs in college football last year, but Holani has the more well-rounded skill set and simply has shown more at this point.

Fullback (1)

• Robbie Ouzts

The 6-foot-3, 274-pound Ouzts is set to be the primary fullback in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme. Ouzts has already made a tone-setting impact in the preseason by delivering key blocks on a pair of long runs. He’s also showed his pass-catching ability by sneaking out of the backfield for a pair of receptions.

Wide receiver (6)

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• Cooper Kupp
• Tory Horton
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling
• Jake Bobo
• Dareke Young

Smith-Njigba, Kupp and Horton are all locks. After that, things get very interesting.

It’s possible that Horton’s emergence could put Valdes-Scantling’s roster spot in question, especially since the latter doesn’t play special teams. But keep in mind, Valdes-Scantling had success last year playing in the Kubiak-led New Orleans Saints offense. Also, his contract includes a guaranteed $3 million, which could dissuade Seattle from cutting him. So for now, we’ll assume he makes the team.

As for Bobo, it’s difficult to envision him being left off, especially after his two-touchdown performance last Friday night. He provides value in a variety of ways as a 6-foot-4 red-zone target, a key special teamer and a strong run blocker – the latter of which is a particularly important trait for receivers in Kubiak’s scheme. We’ll assume Bobo makes it.

So then, the question becomes whether to keep five or six receivers.

Kubiak’s system features a heavy dose of two-receiver sets, so in an ideal world, the Seahawks could go with five wideouts to free up a roster spot elsewhere. But at the same time, special teams often play a significant role in these back-end receiver battles. And Seattle could really use another returner.

If the Seahawks were to keep just five receivers, their top return options would probably be Horton and Holani as the two kick returners, and Horton as the punt returner. That’d be a lot to put on Horton’s plate as a rookie.

So instead, we’ll add a sixth receiver whose primary role would be to return kicks and/or punts. And in that case, it’d likely come down to Young and veteran return specialist Steven Sims.

If Sims can get healthy, he might get the nod. He’s a proven punt returner and kick returner, which would give the team much-needed stability in an area that was sorely lacking last year. However, Sims has been dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the first two preseason games.

Young, meanwhile, has had an excellent preseason. He had a 29-yard kick return and has shown improved route-routing while hauling in four catches for a team-high 83 yards. And like Bobo, he’s a strong run blocker. Taking all that into account, Young gets rewarded with a roster spot.

Tight end (4)

• AJ Barner
• Elijah Arroyo
• Eric Saubert
• Brady Russell

After Noah Fant’s release, this seems like a pretty straightforward position group. Barner and Arroyo are the two primary tight ends, Saubert is the blocking specialist and Russell is a core special teamer who can serve as both the backup fullback and fourth-string tight end.

Offensive line (10)

• LT Charles Cross
• LG Grey Zabel
• C Jalen Sundell
• RG Anthony Bradford
• RT Abraham Lucas
• OT Josh Jones
• C Olu Oluwatimi
• OG Christian Haynes
• OT Michael Jerrell
• veteran backup guard (via signing or trade)

Bradford appears to have run away with the right guard job, while Sundell seems to be closing in on the center job, due to both his strong preseason and Oluwatimi’s lingering back issue. That would make for a starting O-line of Cross, Zabel, Sundell, Bradford and Lucas.

After that, Oluwatimi would be the backup center and Jones would serve as a veteran swing tackle. Jerrell also is a good bet to make the team. He has the best Pro Football Focus grade among Seattle’s projected backup offensive linemen this preseason, and he’d give the team a second backup tackle option.

Haynes didn’t quite give Bradford the type of push at right guard that many expected, but he probably still makes it as a backup. That being said, the Seahawks’ reported interest in free agent veteran guard Dalton Risner could suggest the team still feels a need to improve its guard depth. So we’ll project Seattle to add either Risner or another veteran guard.

Late-round rookie draft picks Bryce Cabeldue and Mason Richman are also in the mix, but they might be players the Seahawks try to sneak through to the practice squad.

Defensive line (5)

• Leonard Williams
• Jarran Reed
• Byron Murphy II
• Brandon Pili
• Mike Morris

* NFI list: Rylie Mills
* NFI list: Johnathan Hankins

The rookie Mills and veteran Hankins both remain on the non-football injury list. Mills, who’s working back from a torn ACL he suffered last December, is expected to miss the first part of the season. Hankins’ timeline remains unclear as he continues to deal with a back issue.

Their injuries help open the door for Pili and Morris, who have capitalized with strong preseasons. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Pili burst through the line for a safety last week, while Morris has flashed with two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. Pili can fill Hankins’ role as a run-stopping nose tackle, while the 6-foot-6, 295-pound Morris has the versatility to play several spots along the D-line. Morris also adds value as a key special teamer.

Quinton Bohanna, a 6-foot-4, 355-pound nose tackle, is also in the mix. But through the first two preseason games, Pili and Morris have stood out a bit more.

Edge rushers (5)

• Boye Mafe
• DeMarcus Lawrence
• Derick Hall
• Uchenna Nwosu
• Jared Ivey

Nwosu passed his physical this past weekend, which clears the path for him to return from the PUP list as he works back from offseason knee surgery. That would give Seattle a strong and established four-man edge-rushing rotation of Mafe, Lawrence, Hall and Nwosu.

The Seahawks could still look to bolster this group with a veteran free agent addition like Jadeveon Clowney or Za’Darius Smith. But assuming Nwosu is good to go, that becomes a far less pressing need.

Ivey, a 6-foot-6, 274-pound undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss, could nab a roster spot as a high-upside developmental piece. Projected by multiple experts as a fifth-round pick, he was a disruptive force in the SEC last year and has continued to show promise with the Seahawks, recording the team’s highest PFF run defense grade this preseason.

It seems unlikely that Ivey would make it through waivers, so the Seahawks probably have to stash him on the roster if they want to keep him around.

Linebackers (4)

• Ernest Jones IV
• Tyrice Knight
• Patrick O’Connell
• Drake Thomas

Knight’s status plays a big role here. He’s been dealing with a knee injury and an undisclosed medical issue, but Macdonald said the team is optimistic he’ll be ready for Week 1.

Assuming that’s the case, O’Connell and Thomas appear on track to be the backups. O’Connell got the start in last week’s preseason game, while Thomas is the only backup candidate who has played a regular-season defensive snap in the NFL. Josh Ross also might still be in the mix, but he’s missed most of camp after undergoing hand surgery.

If Knight isn’t ready for Week 1, the backups’ lack of experience could compel the Seahawks to search for a veteran addition to this group.

Safeties (4)

• Julian Love
• Coby Bryant
• Nick Emmanwori
• D’Anthony Bell

The battle for the final safety spot or two likely comes down to Bell, Jerrick Reed II and Ty Okada. Bell ultimately gets the nod here as the most experienced option. He logged more than 1,000 special teams snaps for Cleveland over the past three seasons, while also recording a pair of interceptions.

Reed has had a strong preseason, but both he and Okada would seem like relatively safe bets to sneak through to the practice squad.

Cornerbacks (5)

• Devon Witherspoon
• Riq Woolen
• Josh Jobe
• Shaquill Griffin
• Nehemiah Pritchett

The battle for the third cornerback spot appears very much unsettled, with Jobe, Griffin and now Pritchett all seemingly still in the mix. But in terms of roster spots, all three appear to be pretty safe at this point.

Pritchett entered camp on the roster bubble, but he’s had a strong preseason with an impressive interception and two pass breakups. He’s also benefited from an injury to fellow cornerback roster candidate Shemar Jean-Charles, who has missed nearly all of camp with a lower-body injury.

Specialists (3)

• K Jason Myers
• P Michael Dickson
• LS Chris Stoll

Stoll has been working through a back injury, which prompted Seattle to sign veteran long snapper Zach Triner. But for the moment, we’ll assume Stoll returns to health and serves as the team’s long snapper for a third straight season.

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