With camp about to get underway, here\u2019s a position-by-position look at the Seahawks\u2019 offense and how the battles for starting roles and roster spots could shape up.<\/p>\n
This breakdown categorizes players into two groups \u2013 the virtual locks and the top contenders \u2013 based on their chances of making the 53-man roster. Players with an asterisk next to their name are included in multiple position groups.<\/p>\n
A position-by-position look at the defense will be published on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Quarterback<\/p>\n
\u2022 Locks: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe<\/p>\n
All eyes will be on Darnold and Milroe during camp, but the QB pecking order appears set heading into the season. Darnold is the presumptive starter and will look to build on last year\u2019s breakout campaign in Minnesota. Lock is a proven and reliable backup. And then there\u2019s the rookie Milroe, whose tantalizing speed and athleticism makes him perhaps the biggest long-term X-factor on Seattle\u2019s roster. Milroe is likely at least a year away from seriously challenging for the starting job, but he could make an immediate impact as a change-of-pace weapon in specialty packages.<\/p>\n
Running back<\/p>\n
\u2022 Locks: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet
\u2022 Other top contenders: Kenny McIntosh, Damien Martinez, George Holani<\/p>\n
While Kenneth Walker III took a step back during an injury-plagued 2024, Charbonnet made a late-season surge as the fill-in starter. That could make for a legitimate competition in training camp for the RB1 role \u2013 although the reality is both figure to get plenty of carries this fall. Ultimately, a lot of their success will depend on how well they acclimate to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak\u2019s wide-zone blocking scheme \u2013 and of course, how effectively Seattle\u2019s oft-criticized offensive line can clear running lanes in front of them.<\/p>\n
After that, there could be a fascinating battle between McIntosh and Martinez for the third running back role. McIntosh showed some flashes down the stretch last year as the backup to Charbonnet when Walker was sidelined. McIntosh also brings special teams value as a kick return candidate. But Martinez, a rookie seventh-round pick, is coming off an impressive college career, having totaled 3,169 rushing yards and 6.2 yards per carry over a combined three seasons at Oregon State and Miami. The 217-pound Martinez also was one of college football\u2019s best tackle-breaking backs last fall, according to Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget about Holani, who flirted with a roster spot last year after a strong preseason as an undrafted rookie out of Boise State.<\/p>\n Fullback<\/p>\n \u2022 Top contenders: *Robbie Ouzts, *Brady Russell<\/p>\n Under Kubiak, the fullback position will be a legitimate part of Seattle\u2019s offense for the first time since Will Tukuafu manned the position in 2016. It\u2019s expected to be a two-man battle between Ouzts and Russell, who are both in the process of converting to fullback from tight end. Ouzts, a rookie fifth-round pick, brings a major physical presence with his 6-foot-3, 274-pound frame. And Russell is a special teams stalwart, leading the Seahawks in total special teams snaps over the past two seasons. Whoever doesn\u2019t win this job could still have a path to a roster spot at tight end.<\/p>\n Wide receiver<\/p>\n \u2022 Locks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tory Horton Coming off a breakout 1,130-yard campaign last season, Smith-Njigba is the undisputed WR1 in Seattle\u2019s new-look wide receiver room. He\u2019s joined by the 32-year-old Kupp, who\u2019s looking to bounce back in Seattle after three straight injury-shortened seasons with the Rams.<\/p>\n The speedy 6-foot-4 Valdes-Scantling provides a much-needed downfield threat and has the inside track to the No. 3 role, especially after a strong finish to 2024 in Kubiak\u2019s Saints offense. But Horton could push Valdes-Scantling for targets<\/a>, assuming he\u2019s fully recovered from a knee injury that caused him to slide to the fifth round of April\u2019s draft. Horton posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons at Colorado State and was regarded by some as a top-100 draft prospect.<\/p>\n 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 Kubiak\u2019s 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 \u2013 especially with the roster crunch of carrying both a third quarterback and a fullback.<\/p>\n Bobo would probably have the edge for the fifth spot, given his experience and all he brings as a 6-foot-4 red-zone target, a strong blocker and a special teams stalwart. But there are compelling cases elsewhere too. Rookie seventh-round pick Ricky White III totaled a combined 2,524 receiving yards over the past two seasons at UNLV and had an astounding four blocked punts last year. Cody White made several big plays in last November\u2019s overtime loss to the Rams. Young is another special teams regular. And as a veteran kick\/punt return specialist, Sims would provide some much-needed stability in that phase.<\/p>\n Tight end<\/p>\n \u2022 Locks: Elijah Arroyo, AJ Barner In releasing veteran Noah Fant<\/a>, the Seahawks gave a major vote of confidence to Arroyo and Barner, who have the potential to grow into a formidable one-two punch. Arroyo, a rookie 6-foot-5, 249-pound second-round pick, is a field-stretching weapon who led all FBS tight ends in yards per reception last year at Miami. Barner, meanwhile, is coming off a promising four-touchdown rookie campaign that showed his well-roundedness both as a pass catcher and run blocker.<\/p>\n Given how vital the position is to Kubiak\u2019s scheme, it seems likely Seattle would keep four tight ends. So in that case, there essentially could be three leading contenders for the final two spots: Saubert, Kallerup and whoever doesn\u2019t win the fullback battle between Ouzts and Russell.<\/p>\n Saubert, an eight-year veteran, is a blocking specialist who ranked 19th out of 74 tight ends in PFF run block grading<\/a> last season with San Francisco. He also has familiarity with Kubiak, having spent the 2022 season in Denver when Kubiak was on the Broncos\u2019 coaching staff. Kallerup has a powerful 6-foot-5, 266-pound frame and was an elite blocker in college at Minnesota, where he posted the second-best run blocking grade among FBS tight ends last season. And Russell served as Seattle\u2019s fourth tight end each of the past two years, in addition to his major contributions on special teams.<\/p>\n Offensive tackles<\/p>\n \u2022 Locks: Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas Cross looks like a franchise cornerstone at left tackle after taking another step forward last season and posting the ninth-best PFF grade among tackles. Lucas has the potential to be a cornerstone at the other tackle spot, but will need to prove he can stay healthy after a knee injury limited him to just 13 games combined over the past two seasons. After that, Jones adds depth as a veteran swingman and Jerrell looks to continue growing after making three fill-in starts as a rookie last season.<\/p>\n Offensive guards<\/p>\n \u2022 Locks: Grey Zabel As a first-round pick, Zabel enters his rookie season as the presumptive starter at left guard. On the other side, right guard could provide the most competitive starting battle of any position on the team. Bradford and Haynes are the favorites after taking the bulk of the first-team reps during spring practices. Laumea spent the spring primarily serving as the backup left guard, but with six starts as a rookie last year, he could also make a push at right guard. And don\u2019t count out Cabeldue, a rookie sixth-round pick who could also factor into the mix.<\/p>\n Centers<\/p>\n \u2022 Top contenders: Olu Oluwatimi, Jalen Sundell, Federico Maranges<\/p>\n The starting center job figures to be a two-man battle between Oluwatimi and Sundell. Oluwatimi has experience on his side with nine career starts over his first two seasons \u2013 including eight starts last year after veteran Connor Williams\u2019 sudden midseason retirement. Oluwatimi played well during that stretch, finishing the season at 19th out of 40 centers in PFF grading. But Sundell has a bit more agility, which could serve him well in Kubiak\u2019s wide-zone blocking scheme. Similar to right guard, this could be a down-to-the-wire competition.<\/p>\n Maranges, an undrafted rookie out of Florida Atlantic, is more of a longshot. But keep in mind, Sundell made Seattle\u2019s 53-man roster last year as an undrafted rookie out of North Dakota State.<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks news and analysis<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0A closer look at what Noah Fant\u2019s release means for Seattle Seahawks<\/a>
\u2022 Other top contenders: Jake Bobo, Ricky White III, Cody White, Dareke Young, Steven Sims<\/p>\n
\u2022 Other top contenders: Eric Saubert, Nick Kallerup, *Brady Russell\/*Robbie Ouzts<\/p>\n
\u2022 Other top contenders: Josh Jones, Michael Jerrell, Mason Richman<\/p>\n
\u2022 Other top contenders: Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes, Sataoa Laumea, Bryce Cabeldue<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Huard: 3 reasons why Seattle Seahawks released TE Noah Fant<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Seattle Seahawks sign 2 players, waive another ahead of camp<\/a>
\u2022 Walters: Seattle Seahawks\u2019 new offense forces D to \u2018think twice\u2019<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Barnwell: Seattle Seahawks need to keep Sam Darnold \u2018consistent\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n
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