The Seattle Seahawks’ starting defensive backfield looks largely mapped out, but the same can’t be said for the layers underneath it.
That’s where the uncertainty seems to live for John Schneider and Mike Macdonald. After losing key defensive pieces this offseason, especially in the secondary, the Seahawks have kept adding bodies to the mix - and that alone says plenty about how they feel about their depth.
Before training camp, Seattle worked out Brandon Johnson, A’Marion McCoy, and De’Antre Prince. Johnson ended up signing with the team. He’s a former undrafted free agent who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, and while that move doesn’t exactly change the outlook, it does underline the team’s concern.
The Seahawks also used the draft to stock up, adding eight rookies after trading for more draft capital. Five of those rookies came on defense, including four defensive backs - three cornerbacks and one safety. That kind of volume, paired with the pre-camp workouts, makes it hard to ignore the message.
Nick Emmanwori is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list with an undisclosed injury, though he can be activated at any point during training camp. Johnson may simply be extra insurance while Emmanwori works his way back, but Seattle’s actions suggest the team wants more than just warm bodies in the room.
At the top of the depth chart, things are much clearer. Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe are set to start outside, while Ty Okada, Julian Love, and Emmanwori are handling safety and nickel responsibilities.
Behind them, Bud Clark and Julian Neal - Seattle’s second-round and third-round rookies - are the first names up. Michael Dansby and Andre Fuller will need strong camps to force their way onto the 53-man roster.
Anyone brought in now is looking at a tough path. At best, these additions project as depth or rotational options, and even that feels like a stretch. The more realistic route may be the practice squad, where a player can hang around and work his way up the same way Josh Jobe once did.
For now, it’s a position battle worth watching closely as the season approaches.
In Other News...
Jake Bobo Could Force An Uncomfortable Seahawks Veteran Decision
The Seahawks have spent the summer sorting through a receiver room that suddenly feels deeper and more complicated than it did a year ago. Jake Bobo is part of that conversation again, with the young wideout still trying to carve out a bigger role behind established names while Seattle weighs how the group should look going forward.
Bobos path matters because his camp and preseason work could help determine how much room there is for him in the rotation, especially with Rashid Shaheed expected to handle a larger share of the passing game. Cooper Kupp still brings value and experience, but the emergence of younger options has made every snap at receiver feel a little more consequential for the Seahawks. [Read more 🡒]
Several Seahawks Veterans Enter Camp With No Real Job Security
Training camp always has a way of turning the depth chart into a live document, and this one looks especially unsettled for a handful of Seattle veterans. Uchenna Nwosu, Ty Okada and Christian Haynes are all heading into a stretch where younger players are pushing hard behind them, while the Seahawks are also sorting out the backup quarterback picture as the roster starts to take shape.
For Nwosu, the question is less about what he has done than what the team wants to learn about Derik Hall. Okada has a rookie challenger in Bud Clark as the secondary continues to sort itself out, and Haynes is trying to hold off a wave of younger competition at guard. It is the kind of camp pressure that can sharpen a roster, but it also means a few familiar names are going to spend the next few weeks fighting for the same jobs they thought they had secured. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Open Camp With A Surprise Mike Macdonald Hadn't Seen Yet
The Seahawks opened training camp with a cleaner bill of health than theyve had in a while, and that matters as much for the mood in the building as it does for the roster. Every veteran passed physicals and conditioning tests, leaving Seattle without any players on the nonfootball injury or physically unable to perform lists when camp began, a welcome change for a team trying to build momentum under Mike Macdonald.
It also marked the first time in Macdonalds tenure that the Seahawks got through the opening stretch of camp without anyone failing the conditioning test. Rookie Deven Eastern did land on the PUP list, but with no rookies on NFI and the veterans all cleared, Seattle at least starts camp with a healthier-looking depth chart than it has had at this stage before. [Read more 🡒]