Seahawks Rookies Praised by Coach Pete Carroll: 'No Question!'

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says the team's rookie class is making a strong first impression throughout minicamp

The Seattle Seahawks brought home quite the haul during the 2023 NFL Draft. With the selections of cornerback Devon Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round, plus eight other picks later on, the Seahawks made out pretty well during the draft. 

For that to matter though, those players must translate that talent to the NFL level. Fortunately for Seattle, that seems to be going quite well so far. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said on Thursday that his rookie class has hit the ground running throughout minicamp.

“These guys have made nothing but a really good first impression," Carroll said. "I said this before and it's really the truth. We can feel the carryover from the way the last group came in, and these guys have done the same thing. 

"They've been on it, they've been working hard, they've been studying. They look like the guys we drafted and we're hoping to see. It's been across the board, so it's been really positive."

The two first-round picks earned especially high praise from their head coach. Both were dealing with nagging injuries throughout minicamp, but they excelled when they were able to suit up.

"So there's no question that they're on it with their learning," Carroll said. "They'll be challenged to perform well but they've been able to get enough work to show us who they are and they also get a chance to learn stuff. So they did really well."

The Seahawks surpassed all projections when they made the playoffs in 2022, and now expectations are higher in 2023. To reach those expectations, the rookies must carry this strong first impression into the regular season.

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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