6 Players to Watch in Seattle Seahawks Preseason Tilt at Tennessee Titans

In a battle of the backups in Nashville, competitions at the bottom of the depth chart at running back, receiver, and other positions will take center stage for the Seahawks.

Aug 10, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) runs the ball against Los Angeles Chargers safety AJ Finley (24) during the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Looking to finish off a productive week of joint practices in Nashville with second straight exhibition road victory, the Seattle Seahawks will continue their preseason slate by dueling with the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.

Unlike a week ago where Seattle played quite a few starters on both sides of the football, after two grueling padded practices testing their wits against Tennessee earlier this week, coach Mike Macdonald made it clear few starters were expected to suit up this week. While fans in attendance won't get to see Geno Smith, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and other notable starters play, however, their absence presents yet another prime opportunity for players on the bubble to stake a claim to a roster spot with cut down day less than two weeks away.

Which players should fans be watching closely in Saturday's contest at Nissan Stadium? Six players to watch in Week 2 of the preseason:

In the heat of a tight battle for the third down role against undrafted rookie George Holani, McIntosh stepped up to the plate as a runner in Seattle's preseason opener with a team-high 40 rushing yards. Showing more punch than expected in the physicality department, per Pro Football Focus, he forced five missed tackles and averaged north of four yards per carry after contact. Replicating that production in Tennessee would certainly help his chances of making the 53-man roster, but he's going to have to be much more effective in the passing game in general. He only caught two passes for two yards last week and on his lone pass blocking rep, he got blown up by a blitzer and allowed a sack, not demonstrating any progress in that department. If he can't perform at a much higher level in those two aspects of his game, Holani will have this competition close to wrapped up.

Easop Winston Jr.

As he did last preseason, Winston rose to the occasion for the Seahawks with limited chances last week and made the most of his targets, catching a pair of passes from PJ Walker for 31 yards on only seven pass play snaps. He also pitched in a 10-yard punt return on special teams, which remains his potential ticket to a roster spot. With Smith-Njigba and possibly Laviska Shenault not playing on Saturday night and Dee Eskridge battling another injury that puts his spot on the team even more in peril, the former Washington State standout should see extensive work on offense out of the slot against the Titans and likely will be the primary return option on kickoff and punt teams as well. With another strong outing, he could push himself onto the right side of the roster bubble due to his special teams upside.

AJ Barner

Being a fourth-round pick with expectations to at least contribute on special teams immediately, Barner would have been a player worth monitoring closely in Saturday's preseason game before teammate Pharaoh Brown went down with a foot injury in Thursday's joint practice. Now, depending on the severity of Brown's injury, the rookie from Michigan could be positioned to play a far more impactful role on offense as the primary Y-tight end, but he will have to earn those snaps. He didn't record a single catch in his NFL debut last week, with his lone target being negated by a penalty, while Brady Russell scored a touchdown with three receptions. The second preseason game will give him another crack at showing he can be more than an inline blocker and improve his standing within the tight end room heading towards the regular season.

Mike Morris

With Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed checking out of action quickly, Morris played as much as any Seahawk defender in the preseason opener, tallying 34 snaps with one tackle, one run stop, one quarterback pressure, and yes, a beautiful pass breakup in coverage, not something expected from a 6-5, 300-pound defensive lineman. Fully healthy after missing most of his rookie year with a shoulder injury, his roster spot likely isn't in jeopardy regardless of what happens on Saturday night, but if the ex-Michigan standout wants to earn a substantial rotational role on a deep, crowded defensive line, he will have to demonstrate a bit more consistency at the line of scrimmage while logging snaps as a 3-tech, big defensive end, and off tackle two-point rusher.

Patrick O'Connell

Squarely on the bubble after a solid offseason program and training camp, O'Connell helped his cause vying for a roster spot with a stellar exhibition debut last weekend, registering four tackles, a run stop, and a pass breakup while receiving an elite 88.2 grade from PFF on 22 defensive snaps. In a similar situation to Winston, the ex-Montana star should be in line for even more playing time on Saturday night with both Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker not expected to play and Jon Rhattigan sidelined by a heel issue. It's possible he could start alongside Tyrice Knight with a chance to show off his versatility playing some snaps at middle linebacker, which would put another feather in his cap as he tries to snag one of the final roster spots as a reserve defender and core special teamer.

D.J. James

Battling in the deepest position group on Seattle's roster, James had an up-and-down NFL debut against the Chargers, only allowing one catch for five yards on two targets in coverage but also missing his only tackle attempt. Seeing close to a 50/50 split between boundary corner and slot corner last weekend, he could get the start inside on Saturday night alongside fellow rookie and ex-Auburn teammate Nehemiah Pritchett, providing a quality audition opportunity for both players as they try to prove themselves against stiff competition. The sixth-round pick will have to be more willing to come up and make plays against the run and after struggling a bit in joint practices this week, he'll be in need of a rebound in coverage as well to put him back on the right side of the bubble.