Considering how effective AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo have looked so far this season, I think OLB Dennis Gardeck could be an X-factor in this game. He rotates into the game when opposing offenses are in heavy personnels. Gardeck is the kind of versatile, high-energy role player that every team likes to have, and he’s especially effective against the run, but the Seahawks may find success throwing the football his way. He’s a dependable tackler in space but doesn’t have great lateral ability.
I’m also interested to see what Jacksonville’s cornerback rotation looks like this week. Jourdan Lewis can be expected to play nearly every down, but Travis Hunter’s defensive usage fluctuates every week, and newcomer Newsome is unlikely to see a full workload in his first game as a Jaguar. Montaric Brown is a name to watch for -- he has a lot of fans inside the building and had a sweet PBU against Patrick Mahomes last week.
On the other side of the ball, tight ends Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt will see more snaps with schematic chess piece Brenton Strange (hip) placed on injured reserve. And seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen is like the offense’s version of Gardeck as a gritty competitor who makes the most of every opportunity. His pass-blocking prowess and special teams chops should lead to a long career à la Dare Ogunbowale.