Core Debate: Seahawks' Top 5 Players Disrespected in ESPN Ranking?

The Seattle Seahawks' building-block nucleus is ranked only 14th in the NFL.

Who are the Seattle Seahawks' best five players? And, more importantly, how does that "core" stack up against the rest of the NFL?

As minicamps ramp up around the league ESPN dove into the task of ranking each team's core, defined as the top five players the franchise is building around. For the Seahawks, it went with the talented quintet of quarterback Geno Smith, receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, cornerback Tariq Woolen and left tackle Charles Cross.

ESPN ranked atop its list at No. 1 - no surprise - the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive lineman Chris Jones, center Creed Humphrey and guard Joe Thuney. But what about Seattle?

The Seahawks' "core" falls in the middle of the pack at No. 14.

Explains ESPN:

When Russell Wilson left Seattle, he struggled. When Smith stepped into the starting role in Seattle, he thrived. There were other factors, but I have to wonder if Metcalf and Lockett’s role in their quarterbacks’ success has been underrated. Plus, an A-plus draft in 2022 led by Woolen and Cross (but also including offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and running back Kenneth Walker III) means Seattle is well-stocked with young talent.

Coming off a surprising playoff season and in 2023 further buoyed by a strong offseason highlighted by the return of Bobby Wagner, improving health of Jamal Adams and a draft that produced projected stars at cornerback (Devon Witherspoon) and receiver (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), Seattle surely expects to be better than the NFL's 14th-best team this season. Some experts, in fact, are tabbing the Seahawks as a "surprise" Super Bowl pick.

We can quibble with that prediction, but ESPN's core identity is pretty much spot on.

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