Seattle Seahawks 53-Man Roster Projection: Who Makes Cut After Preseason Win in L.A.?

Winning their first dress rehearsal in Los Angeles, the Seahawks took a positive step towards the regular season with several players locking up a roster spot in the process.

Aug 10, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani (36) makes a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Opening the preseason with a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Seattle Seahawks have two exhibition games left for Mike Macdonald and his coaching staff to continue evaluating their 90-man roster before executing final cut downs on August 27.

Considering performance in training camp and Saturday's dominant road win at SoFi Stadium, which players will be on Seattle's roster when the regular season opens against Denver on September 8? With less than three weeks until cut down day, here's my latest stab at projecting the 53-man roster as well as the 16-player practice squad:

Quarterback (2)

Starter: Geno Smith

Backup: Sam Howell

Practice Squad: PJ Walker

The gap between Smith and Howell has only widened during training camp, though the latter did have a solid performance in his first start as a Seahawk on Saturday night by completing 16 out of 27 passes with a touchdown and no turnovers. At minimum, he looks to be on par with Drew Lock as a capable backup who could win a few games if thrust into the lineup at some point and it's still possible he could be a starter down the line. Walker's accuracy issues have put a cap on his ceiling, but he's still a quality insurance policy on the practice squad with NFL starting experience.

Running Back (4)

Starter: Ken Walker III

Backups: Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, Kenny McIntosh

Practice Squad: Kobe Lewis

Deadlocked in a tight battle for the third down running back role, McIntosh and Holani didn't hurt themselves in the preseason finale as they made positive contributions for Seattle's offense and special teams in a victorious effort. In fact, since they each offer value in the third phase of the game and have contrasting running styles coupled with soft hands out of the backfield, given the attrition that takes place at the position, it would be wise for the Seahawks to keep both on the active roster as insurance policies behind Walker and Charbonnet.

Receiver (6)

Starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Backups: Jake Bobo, Laviska Shenault, Dareke Young

Practice Squad: Cody White, Easop Winston

Oddly enough, it feels like the Seahawks don't have many questions left to answer at receiver after the first preseason game. With Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, and Bobo all being locks already, Shenault turned in a fantastic performance to likely secure his roster spot with 31 yards on two catches, a five-yard run, and a 44-yard kick return, flashing his unique skill set on offense racking up yards after contact in bunches and ripping off an exciting return with the new kickoff rules. Meanwhile, Young led the team with three catches for 44 yards, including a 26-yard reception from Howell, to go with a special teams tackle, further bolstering his chances of sticking on the roster ahead of Dee Eskridge, White, and Winston.

Tight End (4)

Starter: Noah Fant

Backups: Pharaoh Brown, Brady Russell, AJ Barner

Practice Squad: Jack Westover

With Fant and Brown already locks, Barner didn't necessarily do much in his first game action. Nonetheless, he's a fourth-round pick who the organization has high hopes for and brings a traditional Y-tight end skill set with him, so he should be on the roster. With that said, snaps on offense may be tough to come by for the rookie due to the emergence of Russell, who caught a 13-yard touchdown on Saturday night and has been playing great football on the practice field in camp. The second-year player out of Colorado also stands out as one of the team's best special teamers, so his spot on the roster now feels secured.

Offensive Line (9)

Starters: Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Connor Williams, Anthony Bradford, Abraham Lucas

Backups: George Fant, Christian Haynes, Olu Oluwatimi, McClendon Curtis

Practice Squad: Mike Jerrell, Sataoa Laumea, Nick Harris, Max Pircher*

*Doesn't count against 16-man limit on practice squad as International Pathway Player

The Seahawks didn't play very many of their starters along the offensive line on Saturday night, which shouldn't come as a surprise since most of the unit already looks to be set for Week 1. Of course, Lucas' health remains the biggest question mark as he comes back from knee surgery, but Fant gives the team an excellent backup plan and Curtis has also played right tackle in camp after starting at guard in OTAs, giving him a spot over Stone Forsythe thanks to his versatility. The expected arrival of Williams will likely put Harris on the chopping block with Oluwatimi serving as the backup at the pivot position. Jerrell and Laumea, who were drafted in the sixth round in April, will have to be snuck onto the practice squad for further development.

Defensive Line (6)

Starters: Leonard Williams, Johnathan Hankins, Jarran Reed

Backups: Byron Murphy II, Mike Morris, Myles Adams

Practice Squad: Devere Levelston

If Matt Gotel wouldn't have landed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, he may have finally cracked the roster this time around. But with him now out for the season, Morris and Adams should be viewed as locks at this point, giving the Seahawks a stellar six-man attack in the trenches with at least five players who can play numerous positions. Murphy could be a starter eventually, but for now, he will be a rotational backup behind Williams and Reed with Hankins handling the traditional nose tackle duties in the middle. Needing to keep some depth, Levelston has shown enough to warrant a practice squad spot, though a player from another team could eventually fill that role.

Outside Linebacker/EDGE (5)

Starters: Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe

Backups: Dre'Mont Jones, Derick Hall, Darrell Taylor

Practice Squad: Nelson Ceaser

Set to return to practice this week, the Seahawks should have a healthy Jones ready to go for the season opener and he will play most of his snaps outside in Macdonald's defense. It's possible he could be a starter who lines up in multiple spots with Mafe also receiving starter reps across from Nwosu, but those three players and a surging Hall, who had a sack and two pressures on Saturday night, will give the team an intriguing quartet atop the depth chart. Taylor has been sidelined by an injury for the past few weeks and though he remains on the bubble, no other players have emerged as a threat to take his roster spot and he still offers value as a situational rusher in passing situations.

Inside Linebacker (4)

Starters: Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson

Backups: Jon Rhattigan, Tyrice Knight

Practice Squad: Patrick O'Connell

Health permitting, since Baker has been out for the past week with a hamstring strain, the Seahawks already have their two starting off-ball linebackers determined with Baker and Dodson in the weakside and middle roles. But with Baker sidelined for the time being, Knight has taken advantage of his opportunities, including stuffing a screen on third down on Saturday night to force a punt, and the fourth-round pick could be on a fast track to pushing for playing time in the regular season. Leading the team in tackles and recording a sack, Rhattigan also played well in the preseason opener and his talents on special teams will lock up a roster spot for him as a reserve, while O'Connell has made significant strides this summer and could be back on the 53 at some point.

Cornerback (6)

Starters: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen

Backups: Mike Jackson, Tre Brown, Artie Burns, Nehemiah Pritchett

Practice Squad: D.J. James, Carlton Johnson, Dee Williams

At the deepest position group on the team, the Seahawks will have some difficult decisions to make behind Witherspoon, Woolen, and Brown, who has had a standout training camp. Burns has been seeing significant snaps with the first-team defense at nickel when Witherspoon lines up outside, so at this stage, it seems unlikely he will be let go. Jackson has been banged up and missed significant practice time, but he's an experienced veteran with 21 starts under his belt and his spot should be safe as long as he gets healthy. Ultimately, Macdonald may have to choose between the two Auburn rookies in Pritchett and James, which could come down to a coin flip with the loser hopefully being available to sign to the practice squad. Johnson and Williams have also played well enough to warrant a longer look on the practice squad.

Safety (4)

Starters: Julian Love, Rayshawn Jenkins

Backups: K'Von Wallace, Coby Bryant

PUP List: Jerrick Reed II

Practice Squad: Ty Okada, Marquise Blair

Still working back from an ACL, Reed doesn't look like he will be back until at least four weeks into the regular season, if not longer. But the good news is that the Seahawks don't have to rush him back with Wallace meshing seamlessly into Macdonald's defense and Bryant getting off to a fast start with an interception in the preseason opener, giving the team plenty of capable depth behind Love and Jenkins. The even better news? Okada dished out some punishment on Saturday night and Blair looks great despite all of the injuries he has endured in his career, so both players could play on Sundays in a pinch if needed as practice squad elevations.

Specialists (3)

Starters: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Chris Stoll

As evidenced by his missed extra point on Saturday, Myers hasn't been great so far in training camp, but the Seahawks have confidence he will right the ship before the regular season. Dickson continues to be one of the best in the business with his punting wizardry and Stoll has been a quality long snapper since coming on board last season, so there's no drama here.