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# Progress Report: How Have Seahawks’ Offensive Position Groups Fared Through 7 Games?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/progress-report-seattle-seahawks-offensive-position-groups-through-7-games/
- Published: 2025-10-24T19:26:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:57:32.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Sam Darnold, Ken Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Tory Horton, AJ Barner, Dareke Young, Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5633"\]

![  Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Lumen Field. Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_27377896-format-original.jpg)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Lumen Field. Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

Rolling into their bye week with quite a bit of momentum winning their previous two games and five of their past six contests, the Seattle Seahawks will enjoy some much-earned time off while sitting in a three-way tie atop the NFC West, positioning themselves to make a run at a division title in the second half.

Looking back at the first seven games in year two of the Mike Macdonald era, how have the Seahawks performed on the offensive side of the football thus far? Breaking down strengths and areas of concern, here are grades for all five positional groups heading into the bye:

*\*Statistics and advanced data courtesy of Pro Football Focus and TruMedia unless otherwise noted.*

### Quarterback

**Areas of Strength**: Across the board, Darnold has taken his game to another level after a breakout season in Minnesota a year ago, ranking in the top five in most major passing categories. Along with ranking seventh in passing yards and 10th in completion rate, he leads all NFL passers averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, ranks second in PFF’s Big Time Throws metric (18), and sits sixth in turnover-worthy play rate (1.8 percent). He has been especially prolific as a downfield passer, as he’s the only qualified quarterback who has completed above 50 percent of pass attempts traveling 20-plus yards at a sizzling 68 percent clip and he leads the NFL with 609 yards and 24.4 yards per attempt on such passes. His biggest improvement has revolved around handling pressure, as he ranks third with five touchdown passes and a low 1.3 percent turnover-worthy play rate while under duress. He also leads the league with 10.6 yards per attempt and seven Big Time Throws against the blitz this year, demonstrating marked growth even from last year.

**Areas of Concern**: While Darnold has a low turnover-worthy play rate, he has still been somewhat prone to coughing up the football, including a strip sack in the end zone that resulted in a Texans touchdown on Monday Night Football in Week 8\. Though it’s not fair to pin solely on the quarterback, he also had two of his turnovers come at the end of losses to the 49ers and Buccaneers, losing a fumble and throwing an interception in critical moments down the stretch.

**Grade**: A-

### Running Back

**Areas of Strength**: Despite having shaky blocking in front of them much of the time, the duo of Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have each produced at least 16 forced missed tackles, ranking in the top 21 among ball carriers so far this season. Still one of the most explosive threats in the sport, only three backs have more 10-plus yard runs than Walker (14) and only three backs have more designed rushes netting 15 or more yards (8). The speedy back also has a stellar 38.1 percent breakaway rate that sits in the top 10\. Both rushers have been effective inside the red zone with Charbonnet’s five touchdowns inside the opposing 20-yard line tied for third most and Walker’s three scores in the red area ranking in the top 20.

**Areas of Concern**: The impact of blocking up front cannot be understated, but at the same time, Walker and Charbonnet haven’t been completely exempt of blame for a high volume of carries stuffed at the goal line or stopped in the backfield. According to TruMedia, the two runners have combined for 44 rush attempts that netted zero or negative yards, each ranking in the top six in that category. Surprisingly, neither player has been much of a factor in the passing game, as Walker only has eight receptions in seven games for 61 yards and Charbonnet has been even less involved with six catches for just 36 yards.

**Grade**: C+

### Receiver

**Areas of Strength**: Making a strong case for his first All-Pro selection, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been torching opponents on a weekly basis, currently leading the NFL in receiving yards by nearly 200 yards through seven weeks while ranking in the top five in receptions (50) and yards per reception (16.4) to go with four touchdowns. Effective enough with limited opportunities, veteran Cooper Kupp has hauled in 24 of 30 targets for 293 yards as a quality No. 2 target, while rookie Tory Horton has made the most of his nine receptions by turning three of them into touchdowns while adding a punt return for six points on special teams. Dareke Young has been a revelation as a kick returner, leading the league with a 32.2 yards per return average, while Horton ranks fourth averaging 14.9 yards per return on punts. Collectively as a group, Seattle’s receivers have dropped three combined passes, while the trio of Horton, Kupp, and Smith-Njigba all rank in the top 10 for run blocking grades by PFF.

**Areas of Concern**: As phenomenal as Smith-Njigba has been so far, the Seahawks’ aerial attack has largely revolved around him with 56 percent of Darnold’s pass attempts to receivers going his direction. The team doesn’t have another wideout with more than 24 catches in Kupp, and the other three receivers who have had at least one target (Horton, Young, and Jake Bobo) have combined to make 12 receptions total in seven games, casting questions about how the group would hold up if their star receiver went down at any point.

**Grade**: B+

### Tight End

**Areas of Strength**: Proving his rookie season was anything but a fluke, AJ Barner has emerged as one of the NFL’s best young all-around tight ends, catching 18 out of 21 targets for 212 yards and four touchdowns, tied for the third most in the league at the position. He’s also been solid in the run blocking department with a 65.1 grade from PFF, including a stellar 75.5 zone blocking grade, while providing occasional contributions as a rusher on TE sneak plays in short yardage situations. Slowly becoming more integrated into Seattle’s passing game, rookie Elijah Arroyo has averaged 12.7 yards per reception, currently ranking eighth among qualified tight ends. Veteran Eric Saubert has been a reliable third option as a run blocker in heavy personnel groupings while tying for the team lead with eight tackles on kick and punt coverage units.

**Areas of Concern**: Along with blocking remaining a work in progress for Arroyo, he stumbled at the end of a couple of routes that may have cost him receptions earlier in the season and coughed up a fumble against the Texans. Barner, Saubert, and Arroyo also combined for four penalties as blockers in the first seven games, providing a spot that can be cleaned up technique-wise.

**Grade**: A-

### Offensive Line

**Areas of Strength**: Anchored by left tackle Charles Cross, the Seahawks have improved leaps and bounds as a unit protecting the quarterback compared to the past several seasons. The former top-10 pick has allowed 13 pressures and only one sack in seven starts, while right tackle Abraham Lucas has enjoyed a solid rebound season after battling injuries in 2023 and 2024 allowing 13 pressures and two sacks with a clean bill of health. Rookie left guard Grey Zabel has yet to give up a sack and ranks in the top 10 in Run Block Win Rate according to ESPN. Next to the rook, first-year starting center Jalen Sundell has been a top 15 pivot man by most metrics, including allowing just six pressures with a 98.5 Pass Block Efficiency Rate. The group as a whole has cut down tremendously on penalties, including right guard Anthony Bradford only having two in seven starts after hitting double digits last season. 

**Areas of Concern**: With the exception of Lucas, who has a stellar 82.5 zone blocking grade, the Seahawks have struggled collectively creating run lanes for Walker and Charbonnet. Per TruMedia, the team ranks 22nd in yards before contact per rush (1.11) and leads the NFL with 49 rushes netting zero or negative yards, a reflection of the issues the unit has endured preventing immediate penetration and consistently winning at the point of attack. Bradford has remained a major liability in pass protection with 17 pressures allowed and a sub-par 95.5 Pass Block Efficiency Rate that ranks 52nd out of 55 qualified guards.

**Grade**: B-