Five sleeping talents with Seattle Seahawks that could break out this 2023 NFL season

The Seattle Seahawks want to take another step toward being a top contender in 2023. They plan to do this with some potential rookies who will push the older players. After looking at the Seahawks’ game-by-game predictions, let’s look at the top five underrated sleepers who could shine for the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL season.

#1 – OT Charles Cross

This season, Seattle’s offense will have some new, powerful pieces, but the success of the Seahawks will also depend on how well the young, up-and-coming offensive line stays together. Three of the Seahawks’ starts from last year are back at the top of the depth chart, and two of them should be called out as potential stars for the team.

PFF said that Charles Cross was the 54th-best tackle in the league in his first season. He did a good job protecting the quarterback and blocking for the running game. Cross gave up 7 sacks and 48 hits, but most of his problems happened in three games against the 49ers, Broncos, and Jets, who all had great pass rush units.

The No. 9 overall pick from last year’s draft has the size, length, footwork, body control, and hand placement to become a great left tackle.

It didn’t hurt that he played next to one of the Seahawks’ rising stars, left guard Damien Lewis. PFF said that Lewis was the league’s eleventh-best guard.

#2 – EDGE Boye Mafe

Boye Mafe didn’t quite live up to expectations as the No. 40 overall pick in the second round last year. According to PFF, he had three sacks and 10 total hits in 378 snaps. But he was a better-run defender, which was different from what people said about him before the draft when they said he was a dangerous pass rusher who wasn’t very good at running support. Because he was the Seahawks’ No. 3 edge defender, Mafe didn’t get to be as good as he could have been. Last year, Uchenna Nwosu was one of the Seahawks’ stars who really stood out. Over 813 snaps, he led the team with 66 stops, 61 pressures, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble returns.

In 459 snaps, Darrell Taylor also had 9.5 sacks, 27 total pressures, and four forced fumbles. However, Seattle’s defense in 2022 was summed up by his success as a pass rusher and his problems as a run defender.

Even though star safety Jamal Adams missed all but one game, the Seahawks tied for seventh in the league with 45 sacks and ended in the middle of the pack against the pass. But the Seahawks’ biggest weakness last season was their rush defense. They gave up the third-most rushing yards and the fifth-most rushing scores on the ground. The Seahawks also lost eight games and gave up 28.6 points per game, feet they would be keen on improving in the new season with many fans taking to bet on nfl games online for a successful 2023 NFL season run.

If Seattle doesn’t want to keep getting run over on the ground, Boye Mafe’s many skills could lead to more playing time in his second season. The Seahawks will play 10 of the 13 teams that ran the ball the most last season. But Mafe will have even more trouble getting snaps now that second-round pick Derrick Hall is on the team.

#3 – WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

During the draft, the Seahawks threw a few curve balls. That includes getting Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the No. 20 overall pick. He is the best player available and gives Seattle a lot of options at receiver.

Even though the offensive line is getting better and Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, rookie running back, look like they could be good, the Seahawks’ deadly WR trio might be their best player.

When quarterback Geno Smith tries to build on last year, when he was one of the Seahawks’ breakout stars, he will try to pair Jaxon Smith-Njigba with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. This will make it hard for defenders to figure out who to cover.

Even though he doesn’t have great top-end speed, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a good chance of being the rookie with the most receiving yards. This is because of his short-area quickness, great ball skills, great body control, and great route-running, which will let him feast from the slot.

#4 – CB Devon Witherspoon

The Seahawks’ biggest weakness will still be their defense against the run. But Seattle’s offense is strong and can score points against almost anyone. This means that teams might have to stop running the ball more often than they’d like to try to keep up with the offense in a track meet. If that happens, the Seahawks will be a real contender as they try to bring back the Legion of Boom with a defense full of stars.

Devon Witherspoon is a top, instinctive, and tenacious cornerback with great ball skills. He has what it takes to be a dominant player at the next level. Even though Seattle’s secondary was good, it was hurt badly last year by nine receiving touchdowns of 20 yards or more, which ties for the fourth-most in the NFL.

Witherspoon is one of the top prospects for Defensive Rookie of the Year. With Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams at safety, he has everything he needs to do well opposite second-year star Tariq Woolen. If this team’s talented defense can keep making progress, they could become very scary down the stretch.

#5 – OT Abraham Lucas

As the 39th-best tackle in the league, the other half of Seattle’s second-year tackle duo also deserves to be called out as a potential surprise player for the Seahawks.

The Seahawks’ high-flying offense had to go through some growing pains, which was to be expected. They gave up 46 sacks, which was tied for ninth most in the league. But they still had the 10th most yards and tied for the 4th most scores through the air. On the ground, though, they were slightly below average.

Abraham Lucas had a really good first season as a third-round pick out of Washington State. He had trouble with the best edge rushers from the 49ers and Raiders, but for the most part, he played well.

Lucas gave up nine sacks and only 28 hits in 975 snaps, which is 20 less than Charles Cross. He did a good job of blocking for the run and protecting the pass. Lucas’s participation in OTAs was limited because he was still healing from shoulder surgery, but he should be ready for the start of the season. He is one of the most important and underrated Seahawks players because of his big body, quick feet, length, power, and good hand placement.

Along with good coaching and a relatively healthy team, Seattle’s biggest keys to success last year were how well the rookies from the 2022 class did and how well Geno Smith broke out.

lead photo Seattle Seahawks circa 2013 By Mike Morris, wikicommons CC BY-SA 2.0

Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca