Six Seattle Seahawks With Most to Gain Under New Coaching Staff

While Pete Carroll's presence will be missed by many in the Seattle Seahawks organization, change can be a good thing and players such as Noah Fant stand to benefit the most from a new coaching staff coming to town.

Oct 15, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87) completes a catch in / Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

Launching a new era for the franchise, the Seattle Seahawks opened their offseason program earlier this month under the direction of coach Mike Macdonald, who took the reins as Pete Carroll's successor in January.

While newcomers could be seen working out at the VMAC in Seahawks gear for the first time, including linebacker Jerome Baker and safety Rayshawn Jenkins, several returning veterans have started the process adjusting to a new staff and life without Carroll. Receivers such as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have began learning a new playbook from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb in earnest and defenders such as Leonard Williams and Julian Love have taken the onus as veteran leaders to ease the transition for the rest of the team to Macdonald's complex system.

Looking towards a 2024 season that will be defined by change, which veterans have the most to gain with Macdonald, Grubb, and a new-look coaching staff now in charge? Here are six players returning from last year's squad who should welcome the change of guard on the sidelines.

Oct 29, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87) / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Noah Fant

Despite playing in all 17 games last season, Fant endured his worst statistical season as a pro in 2023, posting career lows in receptions (32) and yardage (414) while failing to catch a single touchdown. Given that diminished production with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba receiving the majority of the targets, some were surprised by Seattle's decision to not only re-sign him, but hand him a two-year contract worth more than $10 million per year. But there are several reasons why the move could end up being a shrewd one by Schneider and the front office.

Turning just 27 in November, Fant remains a young player whose best football may still be in front of him, especially linking up with Grubb, who had input on the decision to re-sign him. Even with three future NFL receivers, the former Huskies offensive coordinator schemed 62 receptions for his top two tight ends last season and the combination of Jack Westover and Devin Culp scored five touchdowns. Considering Fant's ability to stretch the field (12.9 yards per catch in 2023) and create with the ball in his hands (5.7 yards after the catch per reception), Grubb may be the perfect fit to maximize his playmaking talents and take the passing arsenal to a whole other level.

Charles Cross

Since being selected ninth overall out of Mississippi State in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cross has been a serviceable starter protecting Geno Smith's blind side. But after an encouraging rookie campaign, in part due to a toe injury that cost him three games and nagged him for most of 2023, his play stagnated last season giving up six sacks and he has yet to take the big step forward towards becoming a top-10 tackle as the organization envisioned when they drafted him.

Back healthy and only 23 years old, Cross could be the biggest beneficiary of the arrival of new line coach Scott Huff, who earned his stripes at Montlake grooming future NFL talent in the trenches, including two potential high picks this year at tackle in Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten. As a top athlete at the position, Cross possesses ideal physical tools and traits for the new coach to mold at a position where he has found the most success to this point. With shoring up technique at the forefront, helping his new pupil achieve improved consistency both as a pass protector and run blocker will be the most important goal and if he can coax that out of Cross, the sky remains the limit.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

At his introductory press conference in February, Grubb raved about Seattle's outstanding receiving corps as one of the primary reasons he decided to jump ship at Alabama before coaching a single game in Tuscaloosa. While Metcalf and Lockett already have established themselves as stars, following a strong finish to his rookie year in which he caught the majority of his 63 receptions after Week 6, Smith-Njigba could be ready for his own breakout season in an offensive scheme that should better accentuate his strengths as a dynamite possession target.

Though he won't be described as a burner and offers more quickness than speed, Smith-Njigba's route running savvy from the slot and outside coupled with his ability to rack up yardage after the catch compares favorably to ex-Washington receiver Jalen McMillan, who carved up opponents in the Pac-12 attacking the middle of the field. After showcasing his coaching chops creating easier release opportunities for McMillan at the college level, Grubb will look to do the same with Smith-Njigba, whose unique set of skills paired with Metcalf and Lockett could give opposing coordinators unbearable migraines when tasked with trying to slow down all three on the outside.

Dre'Mont Jones

In the aftermath of signing a three-year deal worth north of $50 million with the Seahawks, Jones didn't live up to his new contract in terms of impact plays in 2023. Though he suited up for all 17 games and did produce 44 pressures, which ranked 24th among defensive linemen according to Pro Football Focus, he only registered 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss, his lowest totals in those two categories since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2019. That's far from what many expected when the team made a rare early free agent splash to sign him.

Dre'Mont Jones wasn't able to rack up many sacks in his first season with the Seahawks, but a new scheme may be the key to unlocking his full potential. / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

While those numbers may have soured fans on Jones due to the massive contract he signed, however, public opinion could sway back in the other direction if Macdonald can work magic as he did with the Ravens working with Justin Madubuike. Though he's not quite as big as Madubuike and may wind up seeing more action outside as a big end as a result, Jones possesses similar burst and pass rushing acumen at 280-plus pounds to create problems as a 3-tech defensive tackle, which should present a prime bounce back opportunity if the new coaching staff puts him in better position to maximize his skill set alongside fellow veterans Jarran Reed and Leonard Williams.

Darrell Taylor

Since returning to health after missing his entire rookie season recovering from a broken leg, Taylor has been the textbook definition of an enigma for the Seahawks. On one hand, he has been one of the most efficient pass rushers on the team, tallying 21.5 sacks over the past three seasons, and he has demonstrated a penchant for creating turnovers as well with five forced fumbles. On the other hand, he has lost his starting job in each of the past two seasons due to chronically poor run defense and missed tackles, preventing him from taking a step forward as a starter-worthy defender.

Now in the final year of his contract, which the two sides overhauled with extra incentives as well as minimum guaranteed money, Taylor will be under the microscope throughout the offseason program and could be a potential cut candidate in August if he doesn't embrace playing better run defense. But if he's finally able to piece together a more well-rounded game, Macdonald's scheme has an excellent track record of boosting sack and quarterback hits numbers for edge defenders, setting the stage for him to dramatically increase his value heading towards free agency and earn the aforementioned incentives for a bigger pay day as a cherry on top.

Devon Witherspoon

Thrust into a starting role from day one, Witherspoon wasn't fazed by the lofty expectations that came with being a top-five draft pick, posting remarkable numbers that hadn't been seen from a rookie in this century. Along with registering three sacks and a pick six in 14 games, he also broke up 15 passes and recorded eight tackles for loss, becoming only the fifth player to post such a stat line since 1999. As a result, he finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year balloting and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

But for as well as Witherspoon played in his first NFL season, opponents may not be ready for what he can accomplish when unleashed in Macdonald's defense. Though he isn't the same player as Ravens star Kyle Hamilton, he offers similar positional multiplicity to dominate as a shutdown corner on the outside as well as wreak havoc blitzing and defending the run from the slot and in the box, making him the ultimate chess piece for coordinators to have to worry about. After already causing problems last year in spite of playing for a bad defense, he could be in for a superstar turn as the focal point of Seattle's unit in 2024, which is scary news for the rest of the NFL.