Roster projection: Starters all seem set.
Quarterback
Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe.
Comment: Darnold has had a solid camp, and Lock also has turned in some good days to solidify his hold on the backup spot. Milroe will get a lot of work in the preseason games with a chance to prove he’s making progress in Year 2.
Running back
Jadarian Price, Emanuel Wilson, George Holani; fullback Brady Russell.
Comment: One change here is going with just one fullback with the situation with Robbie Ouzts remaining unclear. If he’s healthy and back with the team, then he’ll be on the roster. But for now that remains uncertain. If Zach Charbonnet returns during camp, then the Seahawks will have some decisions to make here. But if he remains on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the regular season and must miss at least four games, then Seattle has a set situation heading into the season with Price, Wilson and Holani.
Tight end
AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Eric Saubert, Nick Kallerup.
Comment: One change here is keeping Kallerup along with the other three, who appear set as the top three in the TE room. Kallerup can handle some fullback-type roles and help make up for having only one at that spot.
Receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, Tory Horton, Jake Bobo.
Comment: There are some players other than those five having good camps, specifically Cody White and Montorie Foster Jr., a rookie free agent a year ago who didn’t arrive until Dec. 30 but has maybe been the surprise player of camp.
But the Seahawks could gamble that each would pass through waivers — a process in which players with fewer than four accrued seasons are available to all other teams for 24 hours under the terms of their current contract but then become free agents if they are not claimed. Players who clear waivers then can be re-signed to the practice squad. Much of determining the final spots at roster positions is trying to calculate which players might be most at risk of being claimed.
There are always a lot of receivers who suddenly hit the market at cutdown time so the Seahawks could try to get White and Foster through and re-sign them to the PS later.
Second-year player Ricky White III has also shown some flashes, and Seattle likes the special-teams ability of Irvin Charles, who was acquired in a trade with the Jets for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2028. But Charles has also missed some time with injuries — he didn’t suit up Saturday — and Seattle likewise could gamble they would clear waivers.
Offensive line
LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abraham Lucas, T/G Josh Jones, C Olu Oluwatimi, G Beau Stephens, G Christian Haynes, G/T Mason Richman.
Comment: I’m keeping the same 10 here as I have earlier. The top-five starters are set, and for now I’m keeping the same five backups as before. But I’m also thinking that some things might change between now and Aug. 30 and the Seahawks could go with a slightly different set of backups — and maybe one or two fewer if needed due to roster crunches elsewhere, gambling they’d be able to re-sign a few of them to the practice squad.
You imagine the Seahawks would continue to explore potential trades for center Oluwatimi and maybe right guard Haynes, which would open spots for one or both of the second-year players. But it’s worth noting that both Oluwatimi and Haynes for now appear the clear backup at their spot.
Interior defensive line
Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Brandon Pili, Rylie Mills, Mike Morris.
Comment: This is the same as our pre-camp projection. But it’s hardly set in stone. Morris hasn’t practiced for about a week and has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal. But he might be tough to get through waivers. Pili appears to still be the backup nose tackle.
Edge rushers
Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler Jr., Jalan Gaines.
Comment: The top four are set. The question becomes which of the younger players working behind them makes the roster. Seattle kept both Connor O’Toole and Jared Ivey on the 53 last season, but Gaines has maybe had the best camp of the group of young edge players. Seattle probably hopes to keep all three but could play the waiver-gambling game and hope to get all back on the PS.
Inside linebacker
MLB Ernest Jones IV, WLB Drake Thomas, Tyrice Knight, Chazz Surratt.
Comment: I’m keeping the same four at this spot as I have in previous projections. Surratt was a key special-teams player last year and can play both ILB spots, as can Knight.
Safety
Julian Love, Ty Okada, Nick Emmanwori, D’Anthony Bell, Bud Clark.
Comment: The guess here is Emmanwori is off the PUP list by the time camp ends even if he’s not ready to play Week 1. Bell has been the primary fill-in at his role so far, and Clark has also gotten work at that spot as well as deep safety.
I’d previously had free-agent signee Rodney Thomas II making it. But Bell’s ascension to potentially starting in Emmanwori’s role Week 1 has me switching those two. Thomas is a vested vet so he can be cut and not have to go through waivers and re-sign. His deal also includes just $187,500 in guaranteed money.
A.J. Finley is also making a strong case for a roster spot, as evidenced by his interception of Darnold in Saturday’s practice, but it seems unlikely Seattle would keep more than five safeties.
Cornerback
Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Neal.
Comment: Pritchett appears solidly ahead in the battle for the third cornerback spot, answering what was the biggest question at this position heading into camp.
The spots after that are harder to read. Neal hasn’t practiced for a 1 1/2 weeks, making it hard to tell what role he’ll have to start the season, but he’s obviously on the roster if healthy. If he’s not healthy or hasn’t had enough practice time for the team to think he’s ready to play if needed, then the Seahawks will have to explore other options.
Noah Igbinoghene appears to be next up at corner right now. But as a vested vet, he can be released and not have to go through waivers and then re-sign with the Seahawks practice squad and elevated when needed. Igbinoghene’s one-year contract included $750,000 guaranteed and, one assumes, an agreement to be cut and re-sign if needed for roster management purposes.
Special teams
Kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson, snapper Chris Stoll.
Comment: Nothing to see here as the Seahawks are set with their specialists.
)