Quarterback

In 2024, the Seahawks finished at 10-7 and missed out of the playoffs entirely, while ranking 14th in schedule adjusted efficiency. In 2025, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl after being one of the best teams in the league all season, finishing 14-3 and ranking 2nd in schedule adjusted efficiency. The reasons why they improved are numerous and they improved more on defense (12th in schedule adjusted efficiency to 1st) than on offense (15th in schedule adjusted efficiency to 8th), but we need to start by talking about their decision at the quarterback position. 

Geno Smith had been the Seahawks’ starting quarterback from 2022-2024 and had been decent, but he was in his mid-30s and wanted an expensive extension, ahead of the final year of his contract in 2025. Rather than giving them that extension, the Seahawks sent him to the Raiders for a third round pick and used some of the money they saved by not extending him to sign free agent Sam Darnold to a 3-year, 100.5 million dollar deal.

It was a risky decision at the time, as they were going from a known commodity to a quarterback with a wide range of potential outcomes. Darnold had a season in 2024 that was better than any season Geno Smith had ever had, completing 66.2% of his passes for an average of 7.92 YPA, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, but Darnold had never been anywhere near that good in the past, completing 59.7% of his passes for an average of 6.66 YPA, 63 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions in 56 career starts in the first six seasons of his career prior to 2024. Darnold was the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and had always had talent, but it was unclear after the 2024 season if he was a true late bloomer or if 2024 would prove to be a flash in the pan.

Darnold wasn’t quite as good statistically in 2025 as he was in 2024, completing 67.7% of his passes for an average of 8.49 YPA, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions (99.1 passer rating, as opposed to 102.5 in 2024), but he was good enough to win the Super Bowl with a team that improved in many areas from the year before. Most importantly, he was significantly younger and also a little cheaper than Geno Smith, who showed his age and dropped off in a big way in his first season with the Raiders. Essentially, the Seahawks swapped an older, declining, more expensive quarterback for a cheaper, younger quarterback and got a third round pick in the process.

Darnold and this whole offense also benefited from the Seahawks’ decision to change offensive coordinators from Ryan Grubb to Klint Kubiak, whose scheme helped the Seahawks get the most out of their offense. Kubiak parlayed last season’s success into a head coaching job with the Raiders this off-season, which is a blow to this offense. His departure is one of several reasons why the Seahawks might not be quite as good in 2026 as they were in 2025, but they still have one of the best rosters in the league and should be among the best teams in the league again.

If Darnold gets hurt, the Seahawks would be in some trouble, not just because Darnold is an important part of this team, but because Drew Lock is an underwhelming backup option. Lock was a second round pick in 2019, but never really developed, completing 59.6% of his passes for an average of 6.57 YPA, 34 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions across 28 career starts. He could be pushed for the backup job by 2025 3rd round pick Jalen Milroe, but Milroe was a boom or bust prospect who did not play a meaningful snap as a rookie, so it seems unlikely he will overtake Lock this season.

Grade: B+

Receiving Corps

While Sam Darnold played well enough for this team to win the Super Bowl, this was much more of a complete team than it was a quarterback led one. Another big reason for the Seahawks’ improvement from 2024 to 2025 was the improvement of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a 2023 1st round pick who was in his third season in the league in 2025. Wide receiver was a bit of a position of concern going into the 2025 season because the Seahawks traded away DK Metcalf for a second round pick and he had been a consistently solid receiver for them for years, including a 66/992/5 slash line and 1.81 yards per route run on 108 targets. 

However, trading Metcalf away, as well as the switch to Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator, allowed the Seahawks to become a more run heavy team and to focus their passing game around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who went from 137 targets in 2024 to 163 targets in 2025, despite the Seahawks going from 593 pass attempts to 481 pass attempts. In terms of target share, Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league last season with 33.9% and, breaking out in his third season in the league, Smith-Njigba turned those targets into a 119/1793/10 slash line and 3.62 yards per route run, up from 100/1130/6 and 1.81 yards per route run in 2024.

With Kubiak gone, there is some concern that Smith-Njigba won’t be as effective or won’t get as high of a target share in 2026, especially since his production declined down the stretch last season, as teams focused more on taking him away. He went from an average of 119 yards per game on 9.7 targets per game in the first 11 games of the season to 80 yards per game on 9.3 targets per game in the final 6 games of the season. To counter that, the Seahawks could easily spread the ball around more in 2026.

Rashid Shaheed was acquired at the trade deadline last season to give the Seahawks another weapon at wide receiver and, while he struggled to get acclimated to the offense mid-season, only managing a 15/188/0 slash line on 26 targets in 9 games, the Seahawks still kept him on a 3-year, 51 million dollar deal as a free agent this off-season, suggesting they have bigger plans for him after a full off-season with the team. Shaheed has always shown potential in his career, averaging a 56/832/5 slash line per 17 games and 1.89 yards per route run prior to being traded last season, with his biggest concern being injuries, as he has played just 51 games in four seasons in the league. However, as long as he is healthy, he could easily be a capable #2 option opposite Smith-Njigba in his first full season with the team. 

The Seahawks could also get second year tight end Elijah Arroyo more involved in the offense. Arroyo only had a 15/179/1 slash line with a 1.13 yards per route run average on 26 targets as a rookie, but he could take a step forward in year two. The Seahawks still have AJ Barner, who was decent as the starting tight end last season, with a 52/519/6 slash line and 1.44 yards per route run on 68 targets, after a 30/245/4 slash line and 1.13 yards per route run on 38 targets as a rookie in 4th round rookie in 2024. Also an above average blocker, Barner is likely to remain the starting tight end this season, but the Seahawks could use more two tight end sets in passing situations this season to get Arroyo more involved in the offense.

Cooper Kupp also remains on the roster, although he is mostly a run blocker and veteran leader at this stage of his career. He managed just a 47/593/2 slash line with 1.40 yards per route run on 70 targets last season, far below peak for a receiver with a career 2.15 yards per route run average and a receiving triple crown under his belt. Going into his age 33 season in 2026, Kupp is unlikely to improve and could decline further. Even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s usage goes down in 2026 compared to 2025, I don’t expect it to translate to more targets for Kupp.

Second year wide receiver Tory Horton could also be more involved in the offense, after missing 9 games with injury last season. He had a 13/161/5 slash line with 1.17 yards per route run on 22 targets in 8 games last season, although that was before the addition of Rashid Shaheed. With Shaheed still on the roster, Horton is the clear 4th receiver, but could still take on a situational role and see more targets than he did in 2025 if he stays healthy. Durability is a question for him going back to his collegiate days though, a big part of why he fell to the 5th round, so he could end up missing more time in 2026. 

The Seahawks also have Jake Bobo, who has a career 0.96 yards per route run average in limited action, and 6th round rookie Emmanuel Henderson as depth options. This group is significantly elevated by the presence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and with Rashid Shaheed and Elijah Arroyo going into their second year with the team, the Seahawks could have more complementary receiving options than they did a year ago, when Cooper Kupp and AJ Barner were second and third on the team in targets.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

Another reason why the Seahawks were better in 2025 than 2024 was their improved offensive line. The Seahawks used their first round pick on Grey Zabel, who was immediately an above average starter as a rookie, while right tackle Abraham Lucas stayed healthy after missing 21 total games in 2023 and 2024 combined and was also an above average starter. Zabel could be even better in year two in 2025, while Lucas remains an injury risk, but has been an above average starter in both healthy seasons in the league, since going in the 3rd round in 2022. Lucas will likely continue playing at that level unless he gets hurt.

Left tackle Charles Cross was their best offensive lineman in 2025, as he had been in recent years. The 9th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cross has been an above average starter across 62 starts in four seasons in the league and, only going into his age 26 season, he should continue playing at a similar level in 2026. The rest of this offensive line is still a liability though. Jalen Sundell took over as the starting center in 2025, after playing just 57 snaps as an undrafted rookie in 2024, and he was marginal at best. Right guard Anthony Bradford was a liability, as he has been throughout his career, starting 38 games since going in the 4th round in 2023, including all 17 last season.

Both Sundell and Bradford are likely to remain the starters though, due to a lack of other good options. At guard, their alternatives are Christian Haynes, a 2024 3rd round pick who has struggled mightily across 199 career snaps, and Beau Stephens, a 5th round rookie who is unlikely to be a starting caliber player in year one. At center, their alternative is Olusegun Oluwatimi, a 2023 5th round pick who has been mediocre across 875 career snaps (13 starts). The Seahawks do have at least one good reserve, swing tackle Josh Jones, who has 27 career starts in 6 seasons in the league and has mostly held his own when forced into action. This offensive line still has concerns, but they should play at a similar level to 2025, when they were an overall solid unit.

Grade: B

Running Backs

The Seahawks’ running backs in 2025 stayed the same as they were in 2023 and 2024, with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet as their top-2 backs, but the Seahawks ran the ball more in 2025 than they did in previous years and they had more talent around them, especially on the offensive line, which allowed both to have productive seasons. Unfortunately, Walker left as a free agent this off-season, while Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs, which will keep him out for much of the 2026 season, leaving this backfield very much in flux, which will likely hurt this offense.

The Seahawks did use their first round pick on a running back, Jadarian Price, but even the Seahawks didn’t seem to feel he was worth a first round pick, desperately trying to trade back into the second round and taking him there. Price has a high upside, but it is tough to know what to expect from him, given that he backed up fellow first round pick Jeremiyah Love in college, leading to Price only seeing 395 total touches in three collegiate seasons. Price will almost definitely see an expanded role in his first year in the NFL compared to how much he played at Notre Dame and it is fair to wonder how he will perform in that role.

The first running back the Seahawks signed after losing Walker is former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson and he could be involved more than people expect. The Seahawks like to split carries pretty evenly between multiple running backs and may not be ready to fully hand over the backfield to a rookie. Wilson only has 242 career carries, but he has shown promise averaging 4.48 YPC, 2.94 yards per carry after contact, a 18.1% missed tackle rate, and a 59.1% carry success rate. 

Charbonnet is likely to be back down the stretch, but it is unclear how good he can be coming off the injury. Charbonnet was not that explosive of a player even before the injury, averaging just 4.12 YPC with 19 carries of 15+ yards across 427 career carries, but he is a good short yardage back who keeps the offense on schedule, with a 48.2% career carry success rate and 21 career rushing touchdowns, and the Seahawks trust him in obvious passing situations as a blocker. He will at least have a role as a short yardage back and a pass protector upon his return.

The Seahawks also have George Holani, a 2024 undrafted free agent who was the #2 back after Charbonnet got hurt last season, and Kenny McIntosh, a 2023 7th round pick who missed all of 2025 with injury, but showed promise in limited action in 2023 and 2024. They only have 28 career touches and 34 career touches respectively in their careers though, so they probably won’t be heavily involved unless one of Wilson or Price misses time when Charbonnet remains out, and they are not locks for the final roster. Between a downgraded running back room and the loss of Klint Kubiak, there is at least some concern that this offense won’t be as good in 2026 as they were in 2025. 

Grade: B-

Edge Defenders

As I mentioned, the Seahawks’ biggest improvement between 2024 and 2025 was on defense, where they went from 12th in schedule adjusted efficiency in 2024 to 1st last season. Part of the reason for their improvement was the addition of DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency. Lawrence was a risky signing because he was on the wrong side of 30 and coming off of an injury that limited him to just 167 snaps in 4 games in 2024, but Lawrence turned back the clock in 2025, playing at an above average level as a run defender and a pass rusher, totaling 6 sacks, 14 hits, and a 13.2% pressure rate. 

That is the kind of player Lawrence has been throughout his career, consistently playing at a high level against the run and totaling 49.5 sacks, 61 hits, and a 13.6% pressure rate across 105 games from 2017 to 2023. The age and injury concerns still remain for him though, as he is now going into his age 34 season and has missed 24 games over the past five seasons combined, so there is a good chance Lawrence doesn’t play as well or as much as he did a year ago. However, even if he doesn’t, he would have to decline significantly or miss significant time to not be an asset for this defense.

The Seahawks also lost Boye Mafe, who played 559 snaps last season, and, while Mafe was only decent across those snaps, his replacement Dante Fowler is likely to be a downgrade. Fowler’s biggest issue is his age, going into his age 32 season and, while he has remained a solid pass rusher, with his 12.1% pressure rate in 2025 actually being higher than his career rate of 11.6%, his run defense has fallen off since his prime and, between his age and his lack of ability to stop the run, he has been limited to just 384 snaps per season over the past four seasons. It is also possible that his pass rush ability also falls off this season, though there is a good chance he remains at least a decent situational pass rusher.

Uchenna Nwosu (581 snaps) and Derick Hall (419 snaps) remain on the roster and, with Lawrence getting older and Mafe gone, one or both of them would have to play a bigger role. The problem is Nwosu is also on the wrong side of 30, going into his age 30 season. Nwosu has been a solid player throughout his career, holding up against the run and adding 34.5 sacks, 64 hits, and a 12.2% pressure rate in 107 career games, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him decline somewhat in 2025. 

Injuries have also been an issue for Nwosu in the past, particularly in 2023 and 2024, when he was limited to 473 snaps in 12 total games. He seemed to be his old self in 2025 when he returned from those injuries, totaling 7 sacks, 7 hits, and a 12.7% pressure rate, while providing decent run defense, but between his age and his somewhat recent injury history, there are reasons why he might not be a strong candidate for an expanded role.

Hall is a better candidate for an expanded role, only going into his age 25 season. He also has experience playing a bigger role, playing 673 snaps in 2024. However, the reason his snaps were cut in 2025 were that he struggled mightily as a run defender. A 2023 2nd round pick, Hall is a great pass rusher, with 10 sacks, 25 hits, and a 13.7% pressure rate in 31 games over the past two seasons, and he was better against the run in a much smaller role in 2025. 

Given his age, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he continued his solid run defense into a bigger role against the run in 2026, but that is not a guarantee. With three of their top-4 edge defenders on the wrong side of 30 and Derick Hall potentially being a liability against the run, there are reasons for concern with this edge defender group, but, even if they aren’t as good as they were a year ago, it is unlikely this would be a bad position group and there is definitely upside here if enough things go right.

Grade: B+

Interior Defenders

Another reason why the Seahawks’ defense was significantly better in 2025 than 2024 was the emergence of 2024 1st round pick Byron Murphy at the interior defender position. Murphy was decent across 457 snaps as a rookie, but he took it to another level in 2025, seeing his snap count jump to 783 and playing at an above average level both against the run and as a pass rusher, where he totaled 7 sacks, 5 hits, and a 10.1% pressure rate. Murphy is technically a one-year wonder in terms of playing at the level he played at last season, but he has always had the upside to be an above average all-around player, so he likely has permanently turned a corner and could even get better going forward, still only going into his age 24 season. 

The Seahawks also bring back the other interior defenders who played significant snaps last season. The concern is that Leonard Williams (810 snaps) and Jarran Reed (397 snaps) are both on the wrong side of 30, going into their age 32 and age 34 season respectively. Williams hasn’t shown any signs of decline yet, continuing to play at an above average level against the run and as a pass rusher. Last season, he had 7 sacks, 15 hits, and a 10.8% pressure rate and, in his career, he has 61.5 sacks, 170 hits, and a 10.3% pressure rate in 175 career games. 

Williams has also been very durable in his career, only missing 6 games due to injury in 11 seasons in the league, while playing 51.0 snaps per game, which should be a sign that he will age better than most. That being said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he declined at least somewhat this season. Reed, meanwhile, is still a solid pass rusher, as his 8.2% pressure rate in 2025 is in line with his career 8.0% pressure rate, but his run defense has dipped to below average and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if he declined as a pass rusher and/or further declined as a run defender this season, given his age.

The Seahawks’ deep reserve options behind their top-3 are pretty uninspiring. Rylie Mills, a 5th round pick in 2025, probably has the most upside by default of their options, but he struggled on 48 snaps as a rookie. Other options include Brandon Pili, a 2023 undrafted free agent who has shown very little across 248 career snaps, and Mike Morris, a 2023 5th round pick who has shown very little across 260 career snaps. One of those three could end up playing a bigger role this season if one of their top-3 interior defenders misses significant time with injury or, in the case of Williams or Reed, if they decline significantly. This should still be an above average group, but they might not be quite as good as a year ago.

Grade: A-

Linebackers

Another big reason for the Seahawks’ defensive improvement from 2024 to 2025 was the addition of linebacker Ernest Jones. Jones was actually acquired midway through the 2024 season, but he immediately made their defense better and that continued in 2025. Jones has been an above average every down linebacker in each of the last three seasons (943 snaps per season), but 2025 was his best season, as he played at an All-Pro level. It is possible he isn’t quite as good again in 2026, but he should at least remain an above average every down player for several more seasons, as he is very much in his prime, going into his age 27 season.

The Seahawks also got mini breakout years from a pair of young linebackers, Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight, who were both above average. Knight’s breakout year wasn’t a huge surprise, as he was decent across 550 snaps as a rookie and the 2024 4th round pick has always had upside, but Knight was noticeably better in 2025 than 2024, albeit across a smaller snap count (307) as the third linebacker. Thomas’ breakout, on the other hand, came out of nowhere, as the 2023 undrafted free agent played just 42 total snaps in the first two seasons of his career, before playing at an above average level across 761 snaps last season. 

Because Knight’s breakout was less surprising, it is also more likely to continue, while Thomas is a potential regression candidate. Perhaps Knight can play a larger role in 2026 to offset any potential regression from Thomas, though it is possible that Knight would not be as good in a larger role. Even if both regress somewhat, this still looks like one of the best linebacking corps in the league, headlined by the All-Pro caliber Ernest Jones.

Grade: A

Secondary

The addition of Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Emmanwori in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft was also a huge reason why this defense was so much better in 2025 than 2024. Emmanwori immediately played at a borderline All-Pro level and looks likely to be one of the best safeties in the league for years to come, even if his development is not linear and he regresses somewhat in 2026. The Seahawks did lose a pair of free agent defensive backs who played significant snaps last season, Coby Bryant (974 snaps) and Tariq Woolen (817 snaps), but both were middling players and shouldn’t be that hard to replace. The Seahawks used second and third round picks on Bud Clark and Julian Neal, who both could play roles as rookies in place of Bryant and Woolen.

Emmanwori, Julian Love, and Devon Witherspoon remain as the Seahawks top-3 defensive backs. Love, a solid starter since joining the Seahawks before the 2023 season, missed 9 games due to injury last season and should be healthier this season, having only missed two total games in the first six seasons of his career prior to last season. Love and Emmanwori will start together at safety in base packages. Witherspoon, meanwhile, is their top cornerback. Last season, when he played at an All-Pro level, was a breakout year for the 2023 5th overall pick, who was solid, but unspectacular in his first two seasons in the league. It is possible he regresses somewhat, but he has always had a huge ceiling and is still only going into his age 26 season, so he could easily remain one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years to come.

The rookie Bud Clark will compete with Ty Okada for the third safety spot behind Love and Emmanwori, a role that is close to a full-time role in this defense, given how often this defense uses sub packages and how often they use three safeties together in sub packages. The Seahawks also frequently use four safeties together in some sub packages, so whoever doesn’t win 3rd safety job could still see significant snaps. Okada went undrafted in 2023 and only played 33 snaps total in his first two seasons in the league combined, but he played 739 snaps last season, mostly as an injury replacement for Love and he was decent. He will probably remain decent in whatever role he ends up in for the 2026 season, while Clark could have some growing pains as a rookie, but ultimately has a much higher upside than Okada.

The one weakness in this secondary is the other outside cornerback spot opposite Devon Witherspoon, which will likely be occupied full-time by Josh Jobe, with Tariq Woolen gone. Jobe played 817 snaps last season, but he was a liability and he figures to see that snap count increase in 2026. A 2022 undrafted free agent, Jobe also struggled across snap counts of 240 and 443 in 2023 and 2024 respectively. He could be pushed for his job by the rookie Julian Neal later in the season, but it is unlikely that Neal would be a significant upgrade in year one. It’s a lone weak spot in a secondary that is otherwise one of the best in the league.

Grade: A-

Kickers

Jason Myers was the Seahawks’ kicker last season and had an above average season for the fourth time in six seasons, accounting for 4.97 points above an average kicker, giving him a total of 21.69 points added above average over the past six seasons combined. Myers is going into his age 35 season and has a bit of an inconsistent history, both of which are minor concerns, but there is a good chance he is at least an average kicker again, even if he isn’t quite as good as he was in 2025 again in 2026.

Grade: B+

Conclusion

There are some reasons to think that the Seahawks might not be quite as good in 2026 as they were in 2024. They lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Their running back room isn’t as good as it was a year ago. Their defense lost a few players who played significant snaps for them last season, while other key players are on the wrong side of 30. However, they are starting from such a high base point that, even if they aren’t quite as good as they were a year ago, there is still a strong chance they are among the best teams in the league and that they once again compete for a Super Bowl.

Prediction: 12-5, 2nd in NFC West