The Seahawks head coach opening was easily the most alluring in this last hiring cycle. While Pete Carroll may be a tough act to follow, Seattle has a relatively young core and a strong roster that's just underperformed the last couple of years. Their outlook for the immediate future is pretty bright, made even more-so by the anticipated innovations under head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
The biggest reason to be bullish about these Seahawks is their youth movement, which began with the Russell Wilson trade two years ago. With the exception of quarterback Geno Smith, most of the foundational pieces on this roster are still on their rookie contracts. In fact, this is one of the most talented teams in the NFL right now when it comes to players who are 25 years or younger.
Writing for ESPN, NFL expert Aaron Schatz has ranked all 32 teams in that department. At the top there's the Texans, a fast-rising and incredibly young powerhouse in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Seahawks came in at No. 10 on the list.
"Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 22, is waiting for his breakout after catching 63 passes for 628 yards as a rookie. Running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are both 23. The Seahawks also get credit for this year's first-round pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who will turn 22 on the opening Sunday of the season. And the Seahawks have value in backup quarterback Sam Howell, who is still just 23. Howell joins the Seahawks after a two-year stint in Washington during which he threw for 4,115 yards, 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions."
The brightest gem in the bunch is of course 23-year old cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who should have won Defensive Rookie of the Year. In any case, Witherspoon's ceiling is about as high as any defender in the league going into the 2024 season. If Spoon and JSN can both reach an All-Pro level this year and the other key pieces don't get injured this team could be a dangerous wild card.
That's far from a guarantee though and the biggest x-factor just turned 25 years old himself. Third-year right tackle Abe Lucas missed 11 games last season with a knee injury after a promising rookie year. The Seahawks will need him on the field for at least most of the regular season if the passing offense is going to get off the ground and stay there.
