Seattle Seahawks
Projected Cap Space: -$9.7 million
Draft Picks: 8
- 1st (No. 18)
- 2nd (No. 50)
- 3rd (No. 82)
- 4th (No. 137, comp)
- 5th (No. 173, comp)
- 6th (No. 186, CHI)
- 6th (No. 212, comp)
- 7th (No. 236)
Notable Free Agents:
- LB Ernest Jones
- DT Jarran Reed
- G Laken Tomlinson
- CB Josh Jobe (RFA)
- CB Tre Brown
- DT Johnathan Hankins
- S K’Von Wallace
- OT Stone Forsythe
- CB Artie Burns
Top Three Needs
1 – Interior Offensive Line
Take a moment and think about this question. When was the last time the Seattle Seahawks had a good offensive line?
Perhaps you settled on the early 2010s when the Seahawks were competing for Super Bowls with LT Russell Okung and C Max Unger as big names. Or if you’re a certain age, the early to mid-2000s with two Hall of Famers, LT Walter Jones and LG Steve Hutchinson, paving the way for RB Shaun Alexander. Maybe even 2020 or 2021 in the final years of the Russell Wilson era with Pro Bowl LT Duane Brown anchoring the starting five.
But the point is the Seahawks have needed to fortify the offensive line for a long time. They have just six career offensive linemen in team history who have been named to the Pro Bowl. For context, that’s the same as the Carolina Panthers and just two more than the Houston Texans and the Seahawks have been around since 1976 compared to 1995 for Carolina and 2002 for Houston. Once again in 2025, the offensive line is a significant need and a big factor in why Seattle has stalled out as a slightly above-average team the past three years.
The good news is the Seahawks have a left tackle in Charles Cross who could add himself to their list of Pro Bowl linemen. On the right side, Abraham Lucas has battled injuries the past two years after a promising rookie season but he should go into 2025 healthy. That will allow the Seahawks to focus their efforts on the interior, where Seattle could stand to upgrade at both guard spots and center.
However, Seahawks GM John Schneider is going to have to do a better job of picking players. It’s not that he hasn’t been aware the offensive line has been an issue. Last year, he signed Tomlinson to a one-year deal and added C Connor Williams during camp. In the past two years, the Seahawks have drafted Anthony Bradford (fourth round), Olu Oluwatimi (fifth), Michael Jerrell (sixth), Sataoa Laumea (sixth) and Christian Haynes (third).
Yet the group remains a problem. Schneider might either need to tweak his evaluation process or be willing to make more significant investments in the interior offensive line, a position he’s historically treated as replaceable.
2 – Cornerback
This position includes Seattle’s best defensive player in CB Devon Witherspoon but outside of him, the group is surprisingly shaky. Starting outside CB Riq Woolen has plateaued since his impressive rookie season, where he tied for the league lead with six interceptions, was named to the Pro Bowl and finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Woolen was actually benched for a stint last year. At 6-4 and 210 pounds with 4.3 speed, Woolen remains an athletic marvel but channeling his focus to be more consistent down-to-down remains an issue. He’ll be in the last year of his contract in 2025.
Across from Woolen, the Seahawks cycled between Brown and Jobe, both of who are set to be free agents. Seattle drafted two cornerbacks on Day 3 last year, one of whom didn’t make the team, and a more significant investment could be necessary this year.
3 – Linebacker
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald arrived in Seattle from Baltimore where a major emphasis was put on the linebacker position. The Ravens’ midseason trade for LB Roquan Smith in 2022 marked a turning point for Macdonald’s defense and he put a lot of effort into finding the right fit last year. Seattle spent decent money on Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson in free agency, but jettisoned both midseason. Baker was traded along with a 2025 fourth-round pick for Jones, while Dodson was just cut with 2024 fourth-round LB Tyrice Knight taking over.
Seattle likes the duo of Jones and Knight but Jones is a pending free agent and it remains to be seen if the mutual optimism between both camps at this point leads to a deal. Regardless, even if Macdonald likes that duo, what happens if he has a chance to add a player he loves in the mold of Smith? I wouldn’t rule out the Seahawks from making some sort of splash here.
One Big Question
Can the Seahawks break through or is a deeper reset needed?
When former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll made the decision to move on from Wilson in 2022, the expectation was Seattle would take a major step back. Instead, longtime backup QB Geno Smith proved to be a capable starter, the Seahawks hit a home run in the 2022 draft with several rookie starters aided by the extra picks from the Wilson trade and made the playoffs with a 9-8 record.
Big things were expected from Seattle in 2023 but the team stalled out for a variety of reasons, finishing 9-8 for the second straight year yet missing the playoffs. It led to ownership losing patience with Carroll and pushing him out to hire Macdonald, with the idea being he could help the team tap into the ceiling that it looked like they had on paper.
Instead, the Seahawks finished 10-7 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Over the past four years, the Seahawks are 35-33 with one playoff appearance and no postseason wins. It’s not bad, it’s just average, and it’s clearly below the standard the team has set for itself in the last decade and a half.
There were some promising signs from Macdonald, including a defense that improved over the course of the season and a core of talent that still looks promising. But if 2025 is more of the same for the Seahawks, it would not be surprising to see another major shakeup, whether it’s a new GM to replace Schneider, a new quarterback or even more drastic changes.
The post 2025 NFL Offseason Primer: Seattle Seahawks appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.