Roster Reset: Breaking Down Seahawks’ Offensive Depth Chart Prior to 2025 NFL Draft

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500"]

Seattle Seahawks Abraham Lucas (72) in action during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 in Chicago. Credit: Mike Wulf/CSM [/caption]

Now less than a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have undergone dramatic personnel changes on offense, including replacing long-time starting quarterback Geno Smith with Sam Darnold and moving on from two Ring of Honor caliber receivers in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Following a bevy of moves to reconstruct the offense made by general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald, how do the Seahawks look at each positional group heading towards the draft next month in Green Bay?

Here’s a revised roster breakdown with projected starters, backups, and draft urgency at each respective position based on a 1 to 5 scale with five being a critical need and one being inessential:

Quarterback

Starter: Sam Darnold

Backups: Sam Howell, Jaren Hall

Draft Urgency: 2.5/5

Wasting no time to assemble a contingency plan under center, the Seahawks navigated a potentially difficult situation as well as they could after contract negotiations with former starter Geno Smith apparently went nowhere, pivoting from trying to extend him to trading him to the Raiders and promptly replacing him with Darnold. The decision to change things up at quarterback doesn’t come without risks, as Smith had been a rock solid starter making two Pro Bowls in three seasons as the successor to Russell Wilson and Darnold had washed out as a starter with both the Jets and Panthers before finally breaking out with 35 touchdown passes running Kevin O’Connell’s offense with the Vikings last season.

But at 27 years of age, Darnold has room to continue developing coming off the best year of his career and there should be plenty of carryover in coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system in comparison to the one O’Connell runs in Minnesota to help him keep positive momentum in the Pacific Northwest. Behind him, Howell struggled mightily in his first year with the Seahawks, including stumbling in reserve duty when Smith got banged up in a loss to the Packers in December, but Schneider indicated during the combine that the team has optimism he can bounce back in an offense better suited for his strengths. Previously playing for O’Connell with the Vikings, Hall should also have some familiarity with Kubiak’s scheme, giving him a shot to push Howell.

While Darnold’s arrival may make it less likely Seattle drafts a quarterback early next month with the organization holding out hope he can be the long-term answer, the structure of his contract provides outs after 2025 and 2026, and if the right player such as Ole Miss standout Jaxson Dart or Texas’ Quinn Ewers falls into their laps, making a move to select one with one of their five selections in the first 92 picks can’t be ruled out.

Running Back

Starter: Ken Walker III

Backups: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, George Holani

Draft Urgency: 1.5/5

Injuries and poor blocking up front hindered Walker last season, leading to the worst stat line of his career with under 600 rushing yards and just 3.7 yards per carry. But looking beyond traditional stats, he remained dynamic creating his own yardage in spite of bad circumstances, producing a whopping 61 forced missed tackles, the eighth-most in the NFL. Stunningly, he hit that mark on just 153 carries, and none of the players ahead of him had fewer than 236 carries. With a cleaner bill of health, his quickness and ability to create on cutbacks should set him up for a strong rebound season in Kubiak’s zone-heavy system.

With Walker missing six games last season, Charbonnet emerged as a more than capable replacement, putting the run game on his powerful legs down the stretch by rushing for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the last five weeks. Shaking off a redshirt rookie year marred by a knee injury, McIntosh also proved his mettle in the final month averaging 5.8 yards per attempt and generating 10 missed tackles on just 31 carries. The rise of Holani during training camp added another capable back to the equation, giving the team as deep of a depth chart as any team in the NFC.

However, even considering the depth Seattle already has in the backfield, running back could be in the running for the deepest position group in the 2025 NFL Draft. With Walker scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next spring and coming off two straight years where he dealt with frequent injuries, there’s no such thing as too much depth and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Schneider can’t resist using one of his 10 picks to add to the stable.

Receiver

Starters: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp

Backups: Jake Bobo, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Dareke Young, Cody White, John Rhys-Plumlee, Steven Sims Jr., River Cracraft

Draft Urgency: 3.5/5

In addition to swapping out starting quarterbacks, the Seahawks orchestrated a full scale reload at receiver, trading DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh just days after releasing franchise icon Tyler Lockett, sending two of the most decorated wideouts in franchise history packing in the same week. Understanding that those two players couldn’t be simply replaced, Schneider worked quickly to court Kupp after the Rams released him as a cap casualty, bringing the Eastern Washington product back to his home state. Along with signing the former triple crown winner with hopes he can rediscover his All-Pro groove, the team added Valdes-Scantling to provide a specialty downfield threat to rotate into the lineup after he scored four touchdowns in just eight games playing for New Orleans and Kubiak last year.

Now stepping into the No. 1 receiver role, Smith-Njigba will aim to build off the first 1,000-yard season of his career in an offense that should accentuate his strengths as a high volume possession target who can annihilate opponents attacking the middle of the field while occasionally winning over the top. Going into his third season, Bobo could have a chance to see a significant jump in snaps on offense, where his size and blocking ability will be valuable assets following Metcalf’s departure, while Young and White will also be in the mix for playing time on offense and special teams.

Even with the signings of Kupp and Valdes-Scantling, both of those players are 29 years old or older, and Bobo and Young have not been more than special teams role players. For 2025 and beyond, the receiver position remains one of Seattle’s biggest needs on offense, and depending how the draft board falls, Schneider could select one as early as pick No. 18 in the first round to give Darnold another viable weapon in the passing game.

Tight End

Starters: Noah Fant, AJ Barner

Backups: Brady Russell, Eric Saubert

Draft Urgency: 3/5

Though the Seahawks jettisoned several high-priced veterans prior to the start of free agency through cuts and trades, after much speculation leading up to the start of the league year, the team opted to retain Fant despite having another statistically underwhelming season in 2024. His athleticism and pass catching ability potentially could have more value in Kubiak’s system, which leans heavily on 12, 22, and 13 personnel groupings with multiple tight ends on the field, further evidenced by Juwan Johnson surpassing 500 receiving yards for the Saints a year ago. The former first-round pick will be paired with Barner, who enjoyed a fine rookie season finishing second among first-year tight ends with four touchdown receptions while also providing strong blocking in the run game.

From a depth perspective, Seattle didn’t make any splashes during free agency, instead retaining Russell, a core special teams player who could see more action on offense in his third season, as an exclusive rights free agent before adding Saubert on a one-year deal as the natural replacement for Pharaoh Brown. Neither of those players offers much value as a receiver, at least in terms of prior production, but they have blocking ability as rotational reserves and can pitch in as significant contributors on every special teams unit.

The decision to retain Fant has made tight end a little less pressing of an immediate concern, but with him heading towards free agency next year and a strong draft class at the position to choose from, the Seahawks should be in the hunt for one with one of their five picks on the first two days. If Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Michigan’s Colston Loveland are on the board in the first round, going that route could be a very real possibility as well.

Tackle

Starters: Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas

Backups: Josh Jones, Mike Jerrell

Draft Urgency: 2.5/5

For the first time since they entered the NFL as rookies three years ago, Cross and Lucas will both roll into the offseason program at 100 percent health, a good omen both for the Seahawks in the present and potentially the future. With each still 26 years old or younger, there’s still room for them to be foundational pieces of the team’s offensive line moving forward, but they will have to make significant jumps forward on the field. Cross had his best season as a pro in 2024, making strides as a pass protector and run blocker, though he hasn’t ascended to top-10 tackle status as envisioned yet and still gave up nearly 50 pressures. As for Lucas, he has been a difference maker when on the field, but knee problems cost him 22 regular season games over the past two years, leaving much left for him to prove if he wants a second contract.

Since George Fant’s second stint in Seattle didn’t work out as planned, the team replaced him and Stone Forsythe with Jones as the new swing tackle behind Cross and Lucas, as he has started games at both tackle positions and seen snaps at both guard spots as well. He has only started three games since the start of the 2023 season, but his positional versatility and experience will be a boon for the team from a depth perspective. Coming from tiny Findlay University, Jerrell wound up starting four games as a rookie, enduring first-year bumps in the road as expected while showcasing reasons for optimism about his future with further development.

In the short term, the addition of Jones and a healthy Lucas to pair with Cross could make tackle a potential surprise area of strength in Kubiak’s offense. But with both starters entering the final year of their respective contracts, Schneider may be looking long and hard at tackles in this year’s draft crop such as Armand Membou of Missouri or Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas who have the flexibility to play guard, preparing for the present and future with a versatile blocker by investing a first-round pick or day two pick.

Guard

Starters: Christian Haynes, Sataoa Laumea

Backups: Anthony Bradford, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Draft Urgency: 4/5

Few teams have invested more draft capital on guards than the Seahawks have over the past two years, but those selections haven’t bore fruit in the trenches as hoped to this point. Starting 20 games in his first two seasons, Bradford has struggled to protect the quarterback and drew 10 penalties in just 10 games last year, while Haynes couldn’t secure a starting job even after Bradford went down with Laumea stepping into the lineup instead. Schneider tried to upgrade the position early in free agency pursuing Will Fries, only for him to spurn their offer in favor of signing with the Vikings, and no other notable additions have been made since that point despite bringing numerous veterans in for visits.

Seattle will be counting on a new coaching staff featuring long-time NFL assistants John Benton, Rick Dennison, and Justin Outten to ramp up development for Bradford, Haynes, and Laumea, with the latter two players appearing to be better scheme fits for Kubiak’s system with their athleticism as zone blockers. But it would be a big mistake if the front office doesn’t invest one of their first couple picks in another guard who can immediately step into the competition, while the possibility of trading for an established veteran should also be on the table to bring needed experience to a young line after the departure of Laken Tomlinson.

Center

Starter: Olu Oluwatimi

Backups: Jalen Sundell, Mike Novitsky

Draft Urgency: 3.5/5

Since being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Oluwatimi’s first two seasons would be best described as topsy turvy. He lost out on a starting job as a rookie to Evan Brown, starting a total of one game while seeing limited action, and then the Seahawks signed Connor Williams last August, once again pushing him to the bench. But following Williams’ abrupt retirement in Week 10, the former Rimington Award winner stepped up when called upon, yielding just eight pressures and no sacks on 260 pass blocking snaps and helping wake up a struggling run game in the final two months.

Even considering how well Oluwatimi played, however, he has been at his best as a gap blocker dating back to his college days at Virginia and Michigan, which has left some to wonder whether or not he will be a good fit for Kubiak’s system. On the flip side, Sundell has elite athletic traits for the position and both Schneider and Macdonald have spoken highly of his versatility with previous experience playing all five spots on the offensive line. His lack of NFL snaps stands out as a major red flag, but if the team covets athleticism for wide zone runs at the pivot position, he could push for a starting role in his second season.

During free agency, the Seahawks have been quiet on the center front, not being linked to any noteworthy veterans in the process. But that doesn’t mean that the franchise won’t be keeping close tabs on potential draft targets to jump into a competition with Oluwatimi and Sundell, and the position could be primed for a draft investment anywhere on day two or day three.