> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 53-Man Projection: Who Makes Cut After Seahawks Wrap Up Offseason Program? - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-post-minicamp-53-man-roster-projection-jerrick-reed/ - Published: 2025-06-13T23:42:43.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:19:57.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Jerrick Reed II, Nick Emmanwori, Jalen Milroe, Damien Martinez, Tory Horton, Jake Bobo, Ricky White III, Mike Jerrell, Christian Haynes, Olu Oluwatimi, Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick O'Connell, Nehemiah Pritchett, D'Anthony Bell \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2811"\] ![ Third-year safety Jerrick Reed listens to instructions from an assistant coach during a drill in the Seattle Seahawks second open OTA practice. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/jerrick-reed-jpg-format-original-1.jpg) Third-year safety Jerrick Reed listens to instructions from an assistant coach during a drill in the Seattle Seahawks second open OTA practice. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum \[/caption\] While six weeks may seem like an eternity for football fans who can’t wait for the start of the 2025 season, after concluding their offseason program on June 11, the Seattle Seahawks will be back in action at the VMAC in quick fashion with training camp right around the corner. In the aftermath of five open OTA and minicamp practices, if the season were to start tomorrow, who would make the cut and earn a spot on the Seahawks initial 53-man roster? Here’s my latest stab at picking the 53, including a predicted free agent signing of a familiar face to further bolster the defensive line: ### Quarterback **Starter**: Sam Darnold **Backups**: Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe **Last One Out**: N/A The Seahawks have rarely kept three signal callers on the active roster since John Schneider first arrived in 2010, but that trend will be cast aside this season due to Milroe’s athleticism and potential to be utilized in specific packages as a runner, making it more than justified to not only keep him on the 53, but dress him on game day. With that said, Lock will be the true backup if Darnold gets banged up during the course of the season after helping lead Seattle to a Monday night win over Philadelphia two years ago, giving the team as deep of a depth chart at the position as they have had in their 50 years of existence. ### Running Back/Fullback **Starter**: Ken Walker III **Backups**: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, Damien Martinez, Robbie Ouzts **Last One Out**: George Holani Assuming he will be fully recovered from a sore ankle for the start of camp, Walker will resume his role as Seattle’s featured back in Klint Kubiak’s offense, but the pecking order behind him may be subject to change in August and September. Charbonnet and McIntosh both ran effectively in the second half last season, finding success with their own signature running styles despite running behind a struggling offensive line. However, while those two players should be near-locks to be on the roster, Martinez’s arrival has the potential to throw a curveball into the equation, as he averaged six yards per carry in his college career and offers an exciting blend of power and vision that could be a better fit for the new offense. Keeping four running backs wouldn’t be a surprise with all indications from the Seahawks pointing to an increased emphasis on the ground game and in addition, Kubiak will have a true fullback on the roster with Ouzts’ size and physicality giving him a clear advantage over Brady Russell for that job. ### Receiver **Starters**: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp **Backups**: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Bobo, Tory Horton, Ricky White III **Last One Out**: Cody White The duo of Smith-Njigba and Kupp will open the season atop Seattle’s depth chart as the clear top two targets for Darnold, while Valdes-Scantling should be viewed as a lock as this point due to his familiarity with Kubiak’s offense from his time in New Orleans last year and his speed as a downfield threat who can spread the defense. Behind those three veterans, as many as seven or eight players could potentially make a run for two or three spots with special teams being the most important factor in those decisions. After impressing in a pair of games last season, White has seen first-team work during OTAs and minicamp, suggesting that this could be the year he finally breaks through as a full-time regular on the 53-man roster. But in reality, while his size, reliable hands, and catch radius give him an edge over the likes of Steven Sims Jr. or undrafted rookie Tyrone Broden in a wide open competition, he will be much easier to sneak to the practice squad than Horton or White would be as day three draft picks. It also will be tough for him to beat out Bobo, whose blocking prowess and possession receiver capabilities offer more value in Kubiak’s offense than it did for Ryan Grubb in 2024. ### Tight End **Starters**: Noah Fant, AJ Barner **Backup**: Elijah Arroyo **Last One Out**: Brady Russell Some have speculated Fant could be dangled as a preseason trade candidate with Arroyo coming on board and offering a similar skill set at a fraction of the cost, but the Seahawks aren’t in a position where they desperately need cap space, so it doesn’t make sense to jettison the former first-round pick unless they get blown away by an offer they can’t refuse. Kubiak’s offense has historically been a great one for tight ends to be utilized as pass catchers, creating another shot for Fant to enjoy a bit of a breakout, while Barner showed the tools as a rookie to be a long-time No. 1 for Seattle. Known for his special teams talent, Russell would normally be given an excellent chance to sneak on the roster for one of the final spots, while veteran Eric Saubert also has been a rock solid special teamer for a number of years. But the inclusion of a third quarterback and a converted tight end in Ouzts as the fullback likely means the Seahawks won’t carry more than three tight ends on the roster. ### Offensive Line **Starters**: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Olu Oluwatimi, Christian Haynes, Abraham Lucas **Backups**: Jalen Sundell, Josh Jones, Sataoa Laumea, Mike Jerrell **Last One Out**: Anthony Bradford Choosing to mostly run it back with a young offensive line group that struggled mightily last season, the Seahawks already appear to have three starting jobs spoken for, including Zabel immediately taking over at left guard as a Day 1 starter. As for the two positions still up for grabs, Olu Oluwatimi played steady football after replacing Connor Williams midway through the 2024 season and will be the favorite to maintain his job at center, while right guard should provide the most drama with Haynes, Bradford, and possibly Laumea all vying for the job in August. As coach Mike Macdonald noted following the conclusion of minicamp, Bradford arrived for the offseason program in better shape and he has received extensive reps rotating in with the first-team offense this spring. But his fit in Kubiak’s offense still remains questionable and he may be a player that the team can swap for a late draft pick before the season begins, leaving the backup guard role to Laumea with Sundell, Jones, and Jerrell also making the team with positional flexibility to play multiple spots as needed. ### Defensive Tackle **Starters**: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed **Backups**: Byron Murphy II, Johnathan Hankins, Mike Morris, Jared Ivey **Last One Out**: Brandon Pili Few teams in the NFL will have a more formidable starting lineup in the trenches defensively than the Seahawks, who will be able to roll out the trio of Williams, Reed, and Murphy on a weekly basis, providing ample pass rushing juice as well as run stuffing ability. The decision to bring back Hankins looms large as well with him being the best natural fit for nose tackle on early downs anchoring the middle, and those four players already are locks to be on the 53-man roster. Where Seattle may have some questions, however, sits behind those four veterans. After losing Roy Robertson-Harris and Cameron Young, Pili and Quinton Bohanna are the only other true nose tackles on the roster with previous regular season NFL experience, while Morris has yet to take the next step in his development as a hybrid 3 and 5-tech defensive end and rookie Rylie Mills seems guaranteed to begin the year on PUP recovering from a torn ACL suffered in January. With those potential concerns, Ivey has the best shot of any undrafted rookie to make the roster, giving defensive coordinator Aden Durde another physical, long 6-6, 275-pound defender to rotate into the lineup who had great numbers against SEC competition at Ole Miss. ### EDGE/Outside Linebacker **Starters**: Uchenna Nwosu, Demarcus Lawrence **Backups**: Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Jadeveon Clowney **Last One Out**: Jamie Sheriff There’s an outside chance that Nwosu may not be ready for the start of training camp after undergoing offseason knee surgery, but he shouldn’t be on the PUP list long into August before he’s ready to return to action. Assuming he’s back healthy in time for the start of the regular season in September, the Seahawks will be able to deploy a starter-by-committee approach depending on the opponent with Lawrence, Mafe, and Hall all possessing different strengths and skill sets. Dating back to his time in Baltimore, Macdonald has preferred to have five edge rushers on the roster, which would mean Sheriff and Tyreke Smith would be next in line to earn one of the final spots. But neither of those players have many snaps under their belt against NFL competition. While fans may want to see Schneider roll the dice by making a splashy move for someone such as disgruntled Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, Macdonald could be reunited with Clowney, who had one of his finest seasons with the Ravens in this defense just two years ago, without having to give up any draft capital to do so. The former No. 1 pick returning to the Pacific Northwest would be a win-win for both parties and could come to fruition before camp opens. ### Inside Linebacker **Starters**: Ernest Jones IV, Tyrice Knight **Backups**: Drake Thomas, Patrick O’Connell **Last One Out**: Josh Ross Closing in on full health after a spring knee cleanup, Jones will be ready to rock for the start of camp with a new three-year contract in hand, while Knight will be a year older and wiser coming off an offseason program where he spent the vast majority of OTAs and minicamp at the MIKE spot. Unlike a year ago where the franchise had both short and long-term questions in the middle, the Seahawks should be set for the next three years minimum with those two players working together in tandem. If there’s a possible area of concern at linebacker, Macdonald doesn’t have any other players on the roster who have started an NFL game on defense. Thomas has the most game experience, as he rotated in for Knight in a number of games last season on passing downs for coverage purposes, and the coaching staff has plenty of confidence in him if he has to play. O’Connell has yet to log a single regular season snap on defense, but he has a previous track record of playing off-ball and off the edge to go with his special teams play, giving him the nod over Ross with the team likely to keep just two backups at the position. ### Cornerback **Starters**: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe **Backups**: Shemar Jean-Charles, Nehemiah Pritchett **Last One Out**: Zy Alexander Chatter about adding another veteran cornerback to the mix hasn’t completely subsided, so it’s possible Schneider could make one more run at Shaquill Griffin, Rasul Douglas, or even a higher profile player the likes of Jalen Ramsey or Jaire Alexander at the right price. But at the same time, Witherspoon and Woolen already have at least one Pro Bowl on each of their respective resumes and have superstar upside while Jobe has picked up where he left off as a breakout player last year during the offseason program, giving the team a very strong trio for nickel and dime packages. Even after losing Tre Brown and Artie Burns in free agency, the Seahawks also may have better depth than initially thought going into the offseason program. Working on the boundary, Jean-Charles frequently got his hands on the football during OTAs and minicamp, including reeling in multiple interceptions, and Pritchett has been playing with more confidence than he did in a few crash course starts as a rookie. The need for another cornerback with slot capabilities may not be present either thanks to the impressive depth at safety that should help fill that gap. ### Safety **Starters**: Julian Love, Coby Bryant **Backups**: Nick Emmanwori, D’Anthony Bell, Jerrick Reed II **Last One Out**: Ty Okada Macdonald has been geeking it out over the past couple weeks mixing Emmanwori into the lineup alongside Love and Bryant, giving him three chess pieces at his disposal who can play numerous positions, make plays on the football, and pitch in as run defenders in the box. Those three players will be on the field a ton together from the outset with each of them capable of playing in the slot or as a deep safety, allowing for maximum schematic flexibility. What makes this group all the more intriguing is that the hard-hitting 6-2, 209-pound Bell has more than enough talent to carve out a situational role on defense of his own while also being a core special teams contributor. After playing well for the Browns over the past couple of years, he should have a great shot at securing a reserve spot on the 53, while Reed’s upside as a free safety coupled with already proven ability covering kicks and punts will give him the nod over a fifth linebacker or sixth cornerback at the end of the roster. Unfortunately, there won’t be room for Okada or AJ Finley, who each could win roster spots elsewhere on teams that don’t have the wealth of riches Seattle has at safety. ### Specialists **Starters**: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll Another year, another training camp that will be a yawner when it comes to any possible competitions at the specialist positions. Dickson just signed a four-year, record-setting contract to stay with the Seahawks through 2029 and Myers might not be far behind on that front, so expect this quality battery to stay together for at least a few more years.