The Seattle Seahawks were one of the preseason favourites to be in contention for the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A camp battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock for the starting quarterback position didn’t elicit much hope and the Seahawks roster looked like it was positioned to think more about the future as opposed to the 2022 season. But then something happened: the Seahawks were good. Really good.
Geno Smith eventually won the starting job and played far above anyone’s realistic expectations, completing a league-leading 69.8 percent of his passes for 4282 yards and 30 touchdowns – all career highs. His play elevated the offense and gave them an efficient element they lacked in 2021 under Russell Wilson. Smith’s play wasn’t manufactured by training wheels like play-action or easy concepts, he was making big boy play after big boy play – a sign that this version of Smith is for real.
The Seahawks won 9 games before they were bounced out of the playoffs by the 49ers, and the hope this year is that they can take another step forward with a talented roster and win a playoff game while challenging the 49ers in the NFC West. There’s no reason they can’t either. The roster has improved with some savvy offseason moves, and the core that was in place has already shown they can win games.
Offense
The Seahawks offense was already constructed as one of the better units after the 2022 season. Smith’s play was the X-factor that the team needed, while the wide receiver duo of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett consistently found ways to win. On top of that, the foundation of a good offensive line – highlighted by the excellent tackle play of rookies Charles Cross and Abe Lucas – was set. The rushing game wasn’t as efficient as it could be, with Kenneth Walker proving to be a super-talented, but extremely boom-or-bust runner. But the addition of Zach Charbonnet in the draft gives Seattle a different dynamic. Charbonnet has the power to be the between-the-tackles runner, while also offering pass-catching and pass-blocking ability.
The significant addition, and something the Seahawks sorely needed, was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The former Buckeye is going to give the Seahawks an explosive element as a primary slot receiver which will allow them to retain more flexibility with personnel groupings. Last season, the Seahawks ran 11 personnel on just 53 percent of their offensive snaps, per PFF. That number will dramatically increase in 2023 – and Geno Smith will likely target the middle of the field more often. Per Reception Perception, just 2.8 percent of Smith’s targeted routes were dig routes, but with Smith-Njigba working in the middle of the field that number could increase.
Paired with Metcalf and Lockett, two receivers who can work all over the field, and you’ve potentially got a top-10 offense in the NFL. To believe it can be true though, we need to see Smith flash the form that we saw in the first half of the 2022 season. His performances, and the Seahawks’ offensive performances, trailed off a touch in the latter half of the year, but this team looks better than that.
One to watch: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Defense
This isn’t the Legion of Boom, and the Seahawks defense has struggled to maintain an above-average level of play over the last five years. But the front office has committed to upgrading a unit that finished 26th in EPA and 21st in DVOA. Finding the issue isn’t particularly difficult either. The Seahawks’ front gets pressure and sacks, and the secondary has playmakers like Tariq Woolen and Quandre Diggs, but this was a unit that just couldn’t stop the run.
The defense allowed the seventh-most EPA per rush, according to PFF, and the third-most rushing yards per game. A soft and squishy interior let down the Seahawks, but the front office has invested in the position this season, adding Dre’Mont Jones from the Broncos and bringing back Jarran Reed after two years away. Jones proved to be one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL last season and Reed has familiarity with the system after spending the first five years of his career in Seattle.
Similar to the Legion of Boom, this Seahawks defense still runs a lot of Cover 3 as their primary coverage. But now, they’re one of the most hybrid defenses in terms of what coverages they deploy. Here are their most used coverages per PFF Ultimate:
- Cover-3: 31.2%
- Cover-6: 24.0%
- Cover-1: 12.0%
- 3 Seam: 10.6%
That’s a lot of variation. Which is a testament to the flexibility of the players at Pete Carroll’s disposal. The secondary got even better as well. The Seahawks used the first of their two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Devon Witherspoon. The former Illinois cornerback might have been the most talented cornerback in the draft and is expected to start outside from day one, making a significant impact. There’s a chance he could be better than Woolen, such is the nature of the cornerback position and how tough it is to maintain year-to-year consistency.
Overall, consistency will be key for this defense. The areas of improvement are obvious. This team has to be better at defending the run while hoping the secondary, with Witherspoon and a returning Jamal Adams, can be as good as last year. There’s still room for another pass-rusher on the roster. The defense did well to generate pressures through simulated pressures, but this wasn’t a blitz-heavy defense. Having a pass-rusher who can win straight up could help the Seahawks’ defense. Being a better unit is the clear goal, but this team will still rely on the strength of the offense.
One to watch: Derick Hall
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.