Final Projection: Who Will Make Seahawks’ 53-Man Roster?

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Will Ty Okada (39) and Dareke Young (83) be on the Seahawks' initial 53-man roster? And could Dalton Risner have a spot waiting for him? [/caption]

Though the Seattle Seahawks would have liked to finish the preseason on a better note than a 20-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, it’s onto the regular season for Mike Macdonald and company, which means trimming the roster from 90 to 53 players.

Leading up to Tuesday’s 1 PM PT deadline, more than 1,000 players will receive a pink slip from 32 NFL teams in the next 72 hours. In addition, plenty of trades will take place and waiver claims will further escalate the game of musical chairs every team plays this time of year trying to finalize their best rosters for the regular season.

In the past, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been active on all fronts, orchestrating several trades to either fill gaps on the roster or add draft capital for the future while also being active plucking talented players off the waiver wire. He also hasn’t been afraid to sign veterans who skipped out on training camp either.

Keeping that in mind, what moves does Schneider have up his sleeve with two weeks left until the 49ers come to Lumen Field? Following the conclusion of training camp and the preseason, with the cutdown day rapidly approaching, here’s my final stab at projecting the Seahawks 53-man roster and 17-man practice squad, including a pair of free agent signings and a trade:

Quarterback (3)

Starter: Sam Darnold

Backups: Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe

There never was a quarterback controversy this summer, as Darnold immediately stepped in as the undisputed starter and quickly built a rapport with his new stable of receivers while earning the trust of his teammates as a leader. In the event he gets banged up at any point in 2025, Lock has already proven he can win big games under center and his first exposure to Kubiak’s offense has been a success, including completing 10 out of 12 passes with two touchdowns in Seattle’s second preseason game.

As evidenced in exhibition season, Milroe isn’t anywhere close to being ready to play significant snaps under center on Sundays, but the Seahawks have an ideal situation with two established veterans ahead of him so that he can be properly developed behind the scenes while occasionally checking in as a sub-package weapon during his rookie season.

Running Back (5)

Starter: Ken Walker III

Backups: Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, Damien Martinez, Robbie Ouzts

Practice Squad: Jacardia Wright

Even after losing Kenny McIntosh to a torn ACL early in training camp, the Seahawks still have a wealth of riches in the backfield and a potential dilemma atop the depth chart. While Walker should be good to go for the start of the season, the coaching staff and medical staff have had to do a balancing act with his workload throughout the spring and summer, providing more opportunities for Charbonnet to impress in Kubiak’s system and potentially push to be the top back at some point this season. For now, Walker should be the starter with Charbonnet getting extensive run behind him as a 1-2 punch with Ouzts serving as the lead blocker for both of them from the fullback spot.

Given Walker’s injury history, Seattle likely will err on the side of caution depth-wise, with Holani being a clear lock after not suiting up for the preseason finale and Martinez showing enough in the last two preseason games to warrant keeping him on the roster rather than risk losing him on waivers. Wright could be plucked up by another team after a strong preseason, but he has a better shot at slipping through waivers and returning to the Seahawks as a quality backfield insurance policy on the practice squad.

Receiver (5)

Starters: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp

Backups: Tory Horton, Jake Bobo, Dareke Young

Practice Squad: Cody White, Ricky White III, Tyrone Broden

Traded: Marquez Valdes-Scantling for conditional 2026 sixth-round pick

Thanks to Horton’s emergence in training camp as a viable third option behind Smith-Njigba and Kupp, the Seahawks have an interesting decision to make regarding Valdes-Scantling, who has $3 million guaranteed on his one-year deal but saw extensive snaps in the preseason finale, suggesting he’s very much on the roster bubble. If the veteran offered special teams contributions, it’d be easier for Macdonald and the staff to justify keeping him, but he hasn’t played a single regular season special teams snap since 2021. Meanwhile, Bobo and Young have been more productive in preseason games and on the practice field while being outstanding special teams players. Under this projection, Valdes-Scantling gets traded to the receiver-needy Vikings for a conditional pick.

As has been the case for the past four years since the practice squad was expanded to 16 players, expect the Seahawks to keep at least three wideouts, starting with Cody White, who has been a quality special teams player since arriving in Seattle and seems to produce on offense with every chance he gets. Ricky White III still has potential to make an impact on offense and special teams down the road, while the speedy Broden became Milroe’s favorite target in training camp and the preseason and the franchise should continue to allow them to grow together.

Tight End (4)

Starters: AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo

Backups: Brady Russell, Eric Saubert

Practice Squad: Nick Kallerup

Tight ends will be a far more emphasized focal point in Kubiak’s offense, as the Seahawks will roll out far more two and three-tight end personnel groupings. Atop the depth chart, Barner and Arroyo both offer upside as receivers, with the latter being the field-stretching option and the former offering a more balanced skill set with physical blocking and chain-moving capabilities as a possession target. Those two youngsters should see a ton of action on the field together, giving the team an exciting young nucleus at the position that should be utilized quite a bit by Darnold in the passing game.

But the Seahawks don’t have only two rosterable tight ends on their roster, either. Russell’s ability to play snaps out of the backfield as a fullback and elite special teams talent justify his inclusion, while Saubert brings a nasty, physical run blocker to the equation while being a stellar special teams player in his own right. Kubiak will mix both of them into the lineup on offense on Sundays while they remain core specialists for Jay Harbaugh. Kallerup’s run blocking prowess and steadily improving hands in the pass game make him the ideal developmental candidate for the practice squad.

Offensive Line (9)

Starters: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas

Backups: Josh Jones, Dalton Risner, Olu Oluwatimi, Mike Jerrell

Practice Squad: Bryce Cabeldue, Mason Richman, Federico Maranges, Amari Kight

Injured Reserve: Christian Haynes

Last summer, the Seahawks went into the regular season with an ongoing competition at right guard, but that won’t be the case this year. Bradford stepped up to the plate and seized his latest opportunity, outright beating Haynes with a strong camp and preseason, re-securing the starting job. An injury to Oluwatimi opened the door for Sundell to steal the center job as well, leaving no drama in the trenches two weeks before the season opener with Zabel living up to the hype so far, Cross expected to be back at 100 percent health for Week 1, and Lucas looking spry throughout camp coming off knee injuries.

Though Seattle should feel quite good about the starting offensive line rolling into a new season, depth remains an area that could be improved, especially at the guard spots. There’s a reason the franchise has been linked to Risner, as Haynes has yet to meet expectations and now has a pectoral injury that may shelve him for a while, Sataoa Laumea’s play fell off a cliff after a promising six-start audition as a rookie, and Bryce Cabeldue doesn’t look quite ready to be an NFL backup, making signing the veteran a very real possibility. On the plus side, Jones and Jerrell will be quality swing tackle options behind Cross and Lucas, while Oluwatimi played fairly well as a nine-game starter last year and will be ready if Sundell falters.

Defensive Tackle (5)

Starters: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed

Backups: Byron Murphy II, Quinton Bohanna, Jared Ivey

Practice Squad: Brandon Pili, J.R. Singleton

PUP/NFI/Injured Reserve List: Jonathan Hankins, Rylie Mills, Mike Morris

In terms of the multitude of directions Seattle could go, no positional group may have more potential alternatives than defensive tackle. Williams, Reed, and Murphy form the big three atop the depth chart, so there’s no questions about who will get the bulk of the snaps when the season opens. Bohanna also has been a pleasant surprise coming into camp 15 pounds lighter and has earned a roster spot, while Ivey has been the most productive undrafted rookie on the roster in camp and the preseason and belongs on the roster with his ability to play up and down the line at 6-6, 275 pounds.

If anyone has doubts about whether Ivey will be on the 53 or not, Morris’ latest injury suffered in joint practice in Green Bay may make any of those questions a moot point. If he’s good to go, then that could possibly create a conundrum on what to do with Ivey, who would be incredibly risky to cut and send through waivers. But it remains to be seen how serious the injury is and if he has to miss time, an injured reserve stint seems like a given. He would join Hankins and Mills, who have been out all of camp, as inactive for the first four games minimum. Pili had a great preseason and could potentially crash the 53, but in reality, he should be easier to sneak back onto the practice squad, where he spent most of last season for the Seahawks.

EDGE/Outside Linebacker (5)

Starters: Demarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu

Backups: Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, Jadeveon Clowney

Practice Squad: Tyreke Smith, Connor O’Toole

The Seahawks understandably didn’t play Lawrence at all during the preseason, as the seasoned veteran doesn’t need those reps to be ready for Week 1. In an ideal scenario, Nwosu would be ready to suit up in the first couple of games and those two players would team up as the new starting pairing with Hall and Mafe receiving starter reps rotating in behind them, but it’s unclear how quickly he will be able to play with him recently being activated from the PUP list and still recovering from offseason knee surgery. In the meantime, expect to see a ton of Hall and Mafe alongside Lawrence while Nwosu gets his legs back underneath him.

In the past, Macdonald has preferred to keep five edge defenders on the roster, but Ivey’s ability to play outside as well as reduced inside as a defensive tackle may diminish the need to add to the group. Still, Clowney has yet to find a new home and he previously had great success in Macdonald’s scheme in Baltimore, so the fit seems perfect for both sides and reuniting the player with the coach remains on the table. Under this projection, Clowney comes back to Seattle for a second stint, while Smith and O’Toole re-sign to the practice squad as viable depth options who could contribute at some point in 2025.

Inside Linebacker (4)

Starters: Ernest Jones IV, Tyrice Knight

Backups: Drake Thomas, Patrick O’Connell

Practice Squad: Jamie Sheriff

Per Macdonald, the Seahawks received “great” news on Knight regarding a medical condition that has kept him out of practice for most of August, and he’s expected to start ramping up for practice this upcoming week with a good chance to be ready for the opener. Jones looked good in his brief action in the second preseason game after a challenging camp where he spent significant time away from the team due to the passing of his father, so there shouldn’t be any concerns on that front either.

Linebacker remains a spot where Schneider could be scanning the waiver wire or trade market looking for upgrades behind Jones and Knight, but Thomas had a rock solid preseason and the coaching staff trusts him, so he should begin the season as the clear No. 3 with the ability to play both the MIKE and WILL spots. O’Connell also had a good camp and preseason and his ability to contribute on numerous special teams gives him the nod over Sheriff and Josh Ross, with the former being a prime candidate to bring back on the practice squad as he continues to adjust to a new position as an off-ball defender.

Cornerback (5)

Starters: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen

Backups: Josh Jobe, Shaquill Griffin, Nehemiah Pritchett

Practice Squad: Damarion Williams, Isas Waxter

Seattle will roll into a new season boasting a talented cornerback group led by the duo of Witherspoon and Woolen, who once again will carry Pro Bowl and All-Pro expectations going into their third and fourth seasons respectively. Since Griffin missed a large chunk of camp, Jobe capitalized by enjoying a stellar camp and picking up where he left off as a revelation starting 10 games last year, locking up the third cornerback job in nickel and dime sets, at least for the start of the season. Griffin could have something to say about that once the season gets going if Jobe struggles, and the same could be said for Pritchett, who took positive steps forward in his second camp/preseason with an interception and two pass breakups.

Among the notable cuts for Seattle, Shemar Jean-Charles returned to practice last week and it’s difficult to find a spot for him after missing nearly all of training camp and the entire preseason. If he’s still not 100 percent, an injured reserve stint could be in the cards, but otherwise, he will be hitting the waiver wire after signing as a free agent in March. Williams flashed in camp enough to retain as a practice squad player, while Waxter’s size and athletic specs justify keeping him around to continue developing him as a potential rosterable player for the future.

Safety (5)

Starters: Julian Love, Coby Bryant, Nick Emmanwori

Backups: D’Anthony Bell, Ty Okada

Practice Squad: Jerrick Reed II

It remains to be seen how Macdonald will fully realize his vision with three safeties on the field, but the trio of Love, Bryant, and Emmanwori should help form Seattle’s new “base” defense with the interchangeable group creating an immense amount of schematic flexibility when on the field together. It’s also possible Bell could occasionally see the field as a fourth safety in dime or bandit sets, which feature six or seven defensive backs on the field at the same time, but even if he doesn’t play much or at all on defense, he will be a key cog on special teams and provides a highly valuable depth piece in the secondary.

The third and final preseason game typically doesn’t move the needle much for players vying for a roster spot in the NFL, but Okada may serve as a rare exception. The third-year safety reeled in a spectacular one-handed interception in Saturday’s loss to the Packers and also had a nice tackle on standout running back Josh Jacobs, making the type of plays that earn roster spots in exhibition games. Held in high regard by Macdonald and a more than capable special teams player, those outstanding plays may have very well sealed the 53rd and final roster spot for him with the Seahawks.

Specialists (3)

Starters: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll

Stoll has been sidelined for most of August by a tight back, so it’s not out of the question he could be an injured reserve candidate. But recent comments from Macdonald suggest he’s been making good progress and with two weeks until the opener, under this projection, the Seahawks will have their full battery on special teams ready to go for the 49ers. If not, Zach Triner could be brought back on the practice squad for a game day elevation or two until Stoll is ready.