Seahawks Mock Game: Storylines to Watch at Lumen Field

From a tight competition at center to a prime opportunity for young pass rushers to shine, the Seattle Seahawks have no shortage of positional battles to watch in Friday's annual mock game at Lumen Field.

Taking their next step towards the home opener on September 10, the Seattle Seahawks will conduct their annual mock scrimmage on Friday, presenting the first opportunity for fans to see the team in game action this season.

With seven training camp practices in the books, including a pair of physical padded sessions on Monday and Tuesday, coach Pete Carroll believes the Seahawks are ahead of schedule at this point. Pleased with the progress made through the first week and change, he's eager to see how players respond in a game environment, particularly when it comes to executing in specific situations.

"Do they take to the coaching and learning and all? Do they make good choices when they get their opportunities?" Carroll said of expectations for the mock game. "I’m trying to make a big deal about it to them. It’s a big test and all that. I want them to feel some anxiety about it and to know there is a test and it’s involved in this day.”

Set to compete in their home preseason opener against Minnesota next week, what should fans be paying close attention to in Seattle's first dress rehearsal of the new season? Here are six storylines to watch on offense and defense at Lumen Field:

1. Who will make a statement behind the big three in Seattle's talented, deep receiving corps?

Prior to Friday, the Seahawks appeared to have one or two receiver spots at most up for grabs behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with a resurgent Dee Eskridge off to a sizzling start after two injury-marred seasons. But as part of a Friday news dump, the team learned the former second-round pick will not be available for the first six games after being suspended by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

That's bad news for Eskridge, who only had 17 catches and a single touchdown in his first two years and now won't be available until at least Week 8. But his suspension creates a prime opportunity for other roster hopefuls in a crowded receiving group, starting with Dareke Young and Cade Johnson, who both came through with key receptions in a playoff-clinching Week 18 win over the Rams in January and have had stellar camps so far. Assuming Eskridge won't get much action in the scrimmage, both young wideouts stand to be the greatest benefactors of his six-game ban.

But Young and Johnson aren't the only receivers who will have a chance to improve their roster odds on Friday night. In the aftermath of Eskridge's suspension, undrafted rookies Matt Landers and Jake Bobo should see increased snaps and after impressing in their brief time with the team with vastly different skill sets, coming through with a few big catches in the mock game could be a difference maker in their quest for a spot. Veterans Cody Thompson and Easop Winston are also worth keeping tabs on after seeing some snaps with the first-team offense earlier this week.

2. Which players will create separation in an intense cornerback competition featuring several starter-caliber talents?

On the opposite side of the football, even with Riq Woolen still on the PUP list recovering from knee surgery earlier in the offseason, cornerback has arguably been the most impressive position group at Seahawks training camp thus far. Not giving up his starting role from a year ago without a valiant fight, Mike Jackson has been dominant at times on the practice field, breaking up multiple passes covering Metcalf and other receivers. Tre Brown has also returned to rookie form after missing most of last season recovering from knee surgery and thrown his helmet into the ring as a possible starter.

With Jackson and Brown battling to potentially start opposite of Woolen upon his return, fifth overall pick Devon Witherspoon has spent the majority of his time inside playing the slot with the first-team defense. A hard hitter with a nose for the football and the change of direction skills to cover quick slot receivers, the position seems like a natural fit for his immense talents, which has left second-year cornerback Coby Bryant without a place in the lineup and even playing some safety in practice.

Whether inside or back at his natural spot on the boundary, Witherspoon will start somewhere for Seattle, and the real competition lies between Jackson, Brown, and Bryant likely battling for one spot in the starting lineup. With little margin for error, shining in Friday's scrimmage could play a key role in the team's evaluation process figuring out what lineup will be rolled out in the opener next month.

3. Will a clear front-runner emerge in a tight, neck-and-neck center competition between Evan Brown and Olu Oluwatimi?

Through the first seven practices, Brown and Oluwatimi have taken part in a true 50/50 split as Seattle's starting center, alternating practices with the first-team offense to snap to Geno Smith. Friday will mark the first time since reporting in late July that one of those players will take snaps with the starters two days in a row, as Carroll confirmed Brown would get the first crack in the mock game.

With that said, while both Brown and Oluwatimi have had plenty of positive moments so far in camp, including surprising with quality second level blocks and better than advertised athleticism in padded practices, neither has risen up to win the job through the first week. Since Friday presents the first simulated game scenario, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see both players log snaps with Smith and the first offensive line to better compare their performances.

As for what the Seahawks will be looking for, they will want to see how Brown and Oluwatimi command the huddle and manage line calls. From there, protecting Smith and Drew Lock and creating consistent push off the line of scrimmage in the run game will be key metrics for evaluation as the coaching staff tries to figure out which player has the edge heading into preseason play next week.

4. Can Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, and a retooled line continue to impress after dominant padded practices earlier this week?

Before the start of training camp, after finishing 30th in rushing yards a year ago and conducting a full-scale overhaul in the trenches defensively, questions persisted about whether the Seahawks did enough to address the front line. But early signs have been encouraging, starting with Jones living up to the hype of a $51 million contract by constantly finding his way into the backfield as a rusher and run stopper. He's been borderline unblockable in the first week, making the investment in him look like a wise one by the franchise.

Away from Jones, Reed has looked rejuvenated in his return to Seattle after two seasons in Kansas City and Green Bay. Playing a different role as the starting nose tackle, he has been the tone setter with physical play and energy that the rest of the line has fed off of. Fellow veteran Mario Edwards, who signed on May 15, has also impressed in his first year as a Seahawk while seeing action both at nose tackle and 3-tech alignment.

Getting the pads back on Friday night, Jones, Reed, and Edwards should receive the bulk of snaps with the first-team defense. But behind them, Myles Adams will look to build of a strong start to camp of his own, while rookies Cameron Young and Mike Morris have started to build some momentum after somewhat slow starts to their first training camp. A quality night from the group as a whole would go a long ways towards easing lingering concerns about the defensive line.

5. Which rookie running back will make the biggest splash in their first NFL game action?

No position may be tougher to evaluate early in training camp than running backs, who often run to daylight because defenders can't tackle them and aren't able to work on pass protection against live rushers. But now that the pads have come out, Carroll and his staff will get a good long look at Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh in a game setting, especially with Ken Walker III still nursing a groin injury.

Charbonnet, who returned from a shoulder injury to practice on Thursday, is expected to get his first padded work of the summer in the mock game, presenting a chance for him to showcase his downhill, physical style in the ground game for the first time. Known for his soft hands out of the backfield, he should also get a few reps as a receiver and working in pass protection, which may be his biggest question mark coming into the pros as he views for a complementary role alongside Walker.

As for McIntosh, he has been one of Seattle's best rookies to this point, making the most of extended opportunities with Walker and Charbonnet missing at least four practices apiece. Far more explosive than his underwhelming combine testing numbers suggest, he has regularly been ripping off big runs in team drills and stood out in pass protection drills earlier this week. If those skills translate to a real game situation, he may be able to get a leg up on DeeJay Dallas for the third down gig.

6. Who will reap the benefit and rewards of Darrell Taylor's absence due to injury with extra snaps playing off the edge?

While Charbonnet and guard Anthony Bradford returned to practice on Thursday, not all of the news was positive for the Seahawks on the injury front. Seen with his left arm in a sling on the practice field, Darrell Taylor sat out with a shoulder sprain and won't play in Friday's scrimmage with a timetable for his return uncertain at this time, creating more opportunities for Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, and other young edge defenders in his absence.

Called the "most improved" player at Seattle's camp so far by Carroll on Thursday, Mafe stands to gain the most from Taylor's departure, as he received most of the first-team reps opposite of Uchenna Nwosu on Thursday. After being a surprising bright spot defending the run as a rookie, he has made major strides as a pass rusher on the practice field and if he finds his way to the quarterback a few times on Friday, he could put pressure on Taylor to be a starter in Week 1.

Away from Mafe, Hall has had an up and down first camp with the Seahawks. On one hand, he has flashed his excellent power as a bull rusher on a few occasions and made a few solid plays against the run. But he hasn't been able to finish his rushes and his counter moves remain a work in progress, so Friday's scrimmage will be a good litmus test to see where he sits development-wise. Tyreke Smith and Josh Onujiogu, who have each turned in a few splashy plays through camp so far, also will be in the mix for more snaps as they aim to secure roster spots as rotational rushers.

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