Seahawks: 8 important x-factor players to watch during the 2022 season
The Seahawks made some radical changes to the top of their roster this offseason. The departures of Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Duane Brown account for a serious reset in leadership – if not a total rebuild. New captains will have to be chosen on both offense and defense this year, but it will take more than just a couple of guys stepping up in the intangibles department. Replacing the experience that this team lost will require a group effort by several key personnel pieces in Seattle.
Here are eight of the most important x-factor players on the roster to watch.
QB Drew Lock
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When the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson they guaranteed they’d be taking an enormous step back at QB this year. Just how wide the gap will be depends a great deal on how much Drew Lock improves compared to his time in Denver. We’re projecting that Geno Smith will begin the regular season as Seattle’s starter, but it’s unlikely at this point in his career that he’ll suddenly became capable of carrying an offense. Whenever Lock finally gets his chance we’ll get a more solid idea of just where this 2022 team’s ceiling and basement are. Lock has a strong arm and thrives in play action. However, he needs to limit his turnover-worthy throws.
TE Noah Fant
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
This team has one of the league’s greatest wide receiver combintions in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. However, it’s been several years since Seattle had a legitimate No. 3 target in the passing game. The best candidate to shine in that role this year is probably tight end Noah Fant, who came over from the Broncos in the Wilson deal. Fant has the athleticism to be a legit pass-catching threat like Zach Ertz and the Seahawks will need him to realize his full potential in order to field a dynamic passing offense.
LT Charles Cross
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One carry-over from the Russell Wilson era will be a below-average offensive line. For the last few years the team’s top lineman was left tackle Duane Brown, but he has been replaced by rookie Charles Cross – who has a similar physical frame but some very large metaphorical shoes to fill. At right tackle the team has multiple options, including Abe Lucas and Jake Curhan. Cross is basically the only game in town on the blindside, though – so he’ll need to hit the ground running or this may indeed be the worst offensive line in the NFL, as PFF is projecting.
C Austin Blythe
(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Truth is, Seattle has too many question marks in the trenches – including one in the middle of the offensive line. Center has been a sore point for this roster ever since the ill-conceived Max Unger and Jimmy Graham trade. Right now it appears that Austin Blythe is in the lead to start and with Ethan Pocic out of the picture there’s no real competition. Blythe knows Shane Waldron’s scheme from his time with the Rams. However, his pass protection has been an issue for most of his career. The Seahawks need Blythe performing at or near his 2018 level this year.
OLB Darrell Taylor
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The single most-important player on defense this season could very well be third-year outside linebacker Darrell Taylor. Pete Carroll and John Schneider shook up the team’s pass rush rotation this offseason in a big way, dumping Carlos Dunlap and a few other veteran edge defenders as part of their shift to more of a 3-4 base defense. Now, Taylor should be in line to start opposite Uchenna Nwosu – and how much pressure those two can get on opposing quarterbacks will be critical for Clint Hurtt’s defense.
CB Justin Coleman
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Seattle brought back a couple of famliar faces on defense this offseason, including interior lineman Quinton Jefferson and cornerback Justin Coleman, who is one of the NFL’s best slot defenders. Coleman played this spot extremely well for the Seahawks during the 2017-2018 seasons. Since his exit the nickel spot has generally been the team’s greatest weakness in coverage. If Coleman can seamlessly plug back in it should make it much easier for this defense to get off the field.
LB Cody Barton
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It’ll be pretty close to impossible for any one player to fill the Bobby-Wagner shaped hole in the middle of Seattle’s defense this year. With the possible exception of the now-retired Luke Kuechly, no other off-ball linebacker played at a higher level over the last 10 years. First up to try will be Cody Barton, who showed promise in the final two games of the 2021 campaign. Hurtt desperately needs Barton to pick up where he left off because we can guarantee that opponents will be keyed in on him.
K Jason Myers
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
One of the strongest parts of this 2022 roster is the special teams unit, where Seattle is spending more than any other team in the NFL. To justify that investment, they’ll need a bounce-back year from placekicker Jason Myers. He didn’t miss a field goal the entire 2020 season but had issues last year, hitting less than 75% of his attempts. The Seahawks don’t have enough talent to blow opponents out, so odds are they’ll be playing a lot of one-score games. With the margins that thin, Myers has to be more accurate to give his team a better chance at upsets.
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