The Seattle Seahawks will kick off training camp Wednesday with big-name veterans, some exciting rookies, a new plan of attack on offense, and a new face under center.
Seattle Seahawks wrap up draft class by signing TE Elijah Arroyo
As the weeks draw on we’ll take a closer look at each position group and have weekly interviews with players to find out where they are and get a better understanding of this team’s goals. For now, here’s a big picture look.
Seattle Seahawks training camp
Toughest room: Wide receiver
It’s ironic, considering the talent Seattle lost at receiver (particularly moving on from DK Metcalf) is exactly what’s gotten them knocks as a group this offseason. But there’s a lot of talent, whether it’s a veteran like Cooper Kupp or a fresh face like Tory Horton. It also means we could see a few veterans edged out (more on that in the next section).
I’ll add one thing about Kupp: I’d hesitate to pencil him in as an aging veteran. Yes, his history of injury is part of what led to the end of his career in LA, but the Rams didn’t move on from a player incapable of being an explosive talent, only a pricey contract they felt they didn’t need anymore in their own, stacked receiver group. I think the high-end potential of this group from Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is there, and in addition to watching the bottom of the wide receiver corps round out, you’re watching to see which version of Kupp that Klint Kubiak’s offense will get.
Make or break: Dareke Young and Kenny McIntosh
A few former draft picks are under pressure this summer (what’s new?). Can veteran wideout Dareke Young edge out younger competition? Can Kenny McIntosh make noise in a competitive running back room?
Young is one of many in a crowded wide receiver group. The good news for him is little is settled beyond the top three spots; the bad news is he’s in a group with intriguing rookies and a veteran special teams contributor. His own special teams experience gives him an edge here but he has yet to transition to a reliable weapon on offense, and now he’s got a pair of drafted wideouts (Horton and Ricky White III) to compete with. Seattle needs an established returner and someone whose speed could make for a downfield threat.
McIntosh, meanwhile, is one of the more intriguing bubble players this year. Full disclosure: being a physical runner and a big personality with a popular draft call has meant he is, by far, one of the top non-regular starters listeners ask about the most. His diminished role on the offense has never quite made sense, especially with injuries to Kenneth Walker III. He appeared in just three games in 2023 and had 31 carries over 17 games for 172 yards in 2024.
The good news for McIntosh is — unlike a few peers — there’s no day one or day two running backs coming here with the edge of an already sunk-cost (not that it kept Chris Carson from taking a job from Rashaad Penny). Another benefit? Mike Macdonald, Kubiak and the entire coaching staff want to see a reinvigorated run game and these guys will get their shots in preseason games.
Don’t expect: a Russell Wilson-esque push from Jalen Milroe
Do expect: Fun plays from two other rookies
Milroe is a great value pick whose athleticism gives him high upside at quarterback, but he isn’t the more polished product Wilson was coming out of the draft, nor was Matt Flynn coming off the kind of season Sam Darnold just had for Minnesota. Milroe will probably have some splashy plays, but this is Darnold’s job to lose, and he’d have to fail miserably to do it.
A bit more fun? Seeing what fellow rookies Nick Emmanwori and Elijah Arroyo can do at their respective positions. Emmanwori signed a fully-guaranteed deal with the Seahawks, getting him back on the field. The Seahawks then signed Arroyo to a four-year, $8.81 million deal with $6.87 million guaranteed Friday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both second-rounders are set to go, which is all the better for a team that has a pair of new dynamic weapons.
Arroyo is an interesting one here on position alone. Seattle has struggled to get more out of its tight ends. Jimmy Graham is far and away the most productive player they’ve had there as a pass catcher, and his last season in Seattle was 2017. Arroyo, ironically, enters from the same alma mater with a few of the same questions: a matchup nightmare who can stretch the field but who wasn’t profiled as an elite blocker. But in a draft class where John Schneider was clearly prioritizing freaky athleticism, that works just fine. It helps that Schneider didn’t have to give up a starting center and first-round pick for him, too.
More Seattle Seahawks news and analysis
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