Well, here we have it. The 2022 NFL preseason is officially over for our Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith won a quarterback competition that was never really a true QB battle, Miles Adams and some dude by the name of Michael Jackson flashed on defense all the way through, and Seattle has some nice looking running backs.

A lot is going to shake out with this roster before they play that first come Monday Night Football on September 12th. I think it’s pretty safe to say that Seattle is going to add some veteran faces cut by other clubs, and yes, I do believe that Jimmy G is a strong possibility up here, but that’s for then, and this is now.

Right now, these are the 53 players on this club who I believe have earned the right to be on the active roster for the 2022 Seattle Seahawks. Let’s break it down.

Quarterback: Geno Smith, Drew Lock, Jacob Eason (3)

Geno is the clear starter. He’s the guy that Pete Carroll has the most faith in to do the right things behind center. Say what you will about how uninspiring that sounds, but Pro Football Focus has graded him favorably all preseason, and obviously, the Seattle coaches agree.

Initially during the Cowboys’ game, I thought Seattle was likely going to cut Drew Lock after his outing, but after listening to Carroll post game, it sounds like he hasn’t given up on him. He’s young, with starting experience, and as all the physical tools needed to play the position as a starter. The question remains whether he has it within himself to limit mistakes and play the conservative style that Carroll prefers.

Jacob Eason has an elite arm that intrigues and I think is worth stashing on the roster for another season with club control next year. Personally, I think it’s kinda stupid to cut him right now.

If Jimmy Garoppolo ends up in Seattle, I believe Drew Lock is probably on his way out, for what it’s worth. Just my hunch on that.

Running Back: Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, DJ Dallas, Darwin Thompson (4)

Ken Walker will probably start the season on the Physically Unable To Perform list, and miss the first month of football. That’s okay because Seattle likes all their running backs and feel comfortable with these four. It’s a shame that Walker won’t likely start the season as a main contributor, but I think it’s wise for Seattle to get him fully healthy for a potentially exciting second half of their football season with him. Homer, Dallas, and Thompson shined all preseason long.

Tight End: Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson (3)

Nothing shocking here. I don’t think the recent addition of JJ Arcega-Whiteside moved the needle. Fant is someone they want to showcase in this offense, and Dissly and Parkinson know what the coaches want. This is the three.

Wide Receiver: DK Mecalf, Tyler Lockett, Marquise Goodwin, Dee Eskridge, Bo Melton, Dareke Young (6)

The big surpriser here is my projected release of Freddie Swain. Dareke Young and Bo Melton have been interesting, and the club will have longer club control on them than they will Swain at this point. There’s a rawness here beyond DK, Tyler and Goodwin, but I think the truth is that we are going to see a lot of two tight end looks on the field. Look for the team to use Eskridge and Melton as potential runners as well as catchers.

Offensive Line: Charles Cross, Damien Lewis, Austin Blythe, Gabe Jackson, Abe Lucas, Stone Forsythe, Phil Haynes, Kyle Fuller, Jake Curhan (9)

I was tempted to have Gabe Jackson as a surprise cut, but I think durability concerns remain with Phil Haynes. Forsythe has the makings of a decent swig tackle, and Kyle Fuller and Jake Curhan can each play multiple positions. Cross and Lucas are two super promising rookie tackles, and fingers crossed the Austin Blythe stays healthy at center.

Interior Defensive Line: Al Woods, Poona Ford, Shelby Harris, Myles Adams, Brian Mone, Quinton Jefferson (6)

For my money, Myles Adams has been the biggest star for Seattle in all three preseason games. He has consistently been disruptive inside as a pass rusher, and I think it’s all but certain he has made former first round pick LJ Collier expendable. I’m really excited about the potential of this guy.

Woods, Harris and Ford should be quality starters, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Seattle add another veteran to the mix down the road.

Edge Rush: Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Alton Robinson, Josua Onujiogu (5)

It’s a shame that rookie Tyreke Smith hadn’t stayed healthy in camp, but I think he’s safely heading to the IR as a guy that they want to keep around long term. Onujiogu flashed positively against the Cowboys enough to initially make my final 53, but honestly, I suspect this is another area that Seattle will look to add with a vet once teams make their cuts. Pete Carroll loves a deep pass rush rotation, and I don’t know if this is nearly deep enough.

Inside Linebacker: Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, Vi Jones, Nick Bellore (4)

I will be honest. I’m super nervous about depth here. I think, outside of Jordyn Brooks, this is whole group has me wanting (although Vi Jones has had a really nice preseason and deserves an active roster spot).

Bellore is a lock because he doubles as the starting fullback, but how do we all feel about Barton? My feelings are mixed. 3-4 middle linebackers genuinely have to be bad asses. Can we call Barton that?

This is the biggest area where I want Seattle to explore outside veteran options, and yeah, I’m not opposed to going after Roquan Smith, to be honest.

Cornerback: Sidney Jones, Artie Burns, Justin Coleman, Coby Bryant, Tariq Woolen, Michael Jackson (5)

Tre Brown is a promising talent who will likely start the season either on the IR or the PUP. This probably saves Justin Coleman a spot as initially the starting nickel corner, but watch out for Coby Bryant there down the road. Michael Jackson was a preseason star and earned his place. Tariq Woolen has crazy upside an eventual long term starter, and I think Carroll is going to trust Jones and Burns to be his initial starters on the outside. This is potentially a very interesting group.

Safety: Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Josh Jones, Marquise Blair, Joey Blount (5)

Ryan Neal is likely to start the season the on the PUP or IR, but never fear, Josh Jones has been really good all throughout camp. I think this team wants to carry 5 safeties because we are going to see a lot of Jamal Adams as a nickel linebacker, and because of Neal’s injury situation, I pick undrafted rookie Joey Blount as my fifth safety.

Special Teams: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Tyler Ott (3)

No surprises here with the kicker, punter, and long snapper.

Final Thoughts.

I have much love for the potential I see with the running backs, the corners, and possibly the offensive line. I like the look of the interior pass rush of this team with how Myles Adams has come along. I think if Darrell Taylor can stay healthy as an edge rusher, this defense could be surprising there.

I have concerns about the depth of the edge rush group, and I have HUGE concerns about what the inside backers will be like (although, I’ve been a fan of Vi Jones through these preseason games). I also think that it could be worth it for the club to continue to look for veteran help at the interiors of the offensive and defensive lines, if there is a surprise cut off of another team.

As for the quarterback situation, I’ve submitted to this being the Geno Smith show until it isn’t. Geno is the veteran that Pete Carroll trusts. I think he’s likely still just a quality NFL backup, and I am willing to call a bluff here, but we will see. If I am wrong and Pete Carroll has proven the entire league’s perception about Geno incorrect, I will be the first to congratulate Pete Carroll for proving everyone stupid on Geno Smith, including myself.

As always, I remain fascinated about how everything will shake out, as I remain a determined diehard. I just want to see good defense, and a decent ball control offense this year. If I get that, I will be a happy Twelve no matter who is under center.

Go Hawks!