The Seattle Seahawks were the surprise team of the 2022 season. No one expected the Seahawks to finish 9-8 and make the playoffs after trading Russell Wilson to Denver. Now, entering 2023, the Seahawks have a promising up-and-coming roster and an elite coaching staff to develop them.

We have an all-encompassing Seahawks season preview now that most of the major offseason events are over. Below are the Seahawks’ projected depth chart, roster changes, and season predictions.

Everything You Need Ahead of the Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Season

The Seahawks were able to bring quarterback Geno Smith back after a shocking Pro Bowl season from the 32-year-old. They also brought franchise icon Bobby Wagner back to man their middle linebacker spot. Along with two first-round picks in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks loaded up.

Seahawks Roster Changes

• Players Acquired
  • LB Bobby Wagner
  • DL Dre’Mont Jones
  • LB Devin Bush
  • C Evan Brown
  • DL Mario Edwards Jr.
  • S Julian Love
• Players Drafted
  • CB  Devon Witherspoon
  • WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
  • EDGE Derick Hall
  • RB Zach Charbonnet
  • OL Anthony Bradford
  • DL Cameron Young
  • EDGE Mike Morris
  • C Olusegun Oluwatimi
  • S Jerrick Reed II
  • RB Kenny McIntosh

• Players Lost
  • RB Rashaad Penny
  • DL Quinton Jefferson
  • DL Al Woods
  • OG Gabe Jackson
  • DL Shelby Harris
  • WR Marquise Goodwin
  • DL Poona Ford
  • S Ryan Neal

Seahawks Coaching Staff in 2023

• Head Coach: Pete Carroll
  • Associate head coach: Carl Smith
• Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron
  • QBs coach: Greg Olson
  • RBs coach: Chad Morton
  • OL coach: Andy Dickerson
  • WRs coach: Sanjay Lal
  • TEs coach: Pat McPherson
  • Assistant QBs coach: Kerry Joseph
  • Assistant OL coach: Keli’i Kekuewa
  • Offensive assistant: Donovan Jackson
  • Offensive assistant: Nate Carroll
  • Offensive assistant: Robbie Picazo
• Defensive Coordinator: Clint Hurtt
  • DL coach: Terrell Williams
  • LBs coach: John Glenn
  • DBs coach: Karl Scott
  • Secondary coach: Roy Anderson
  • Pass-rush specialist: BT Jordan
  • Assistant DL/DT coach: Damione Lewis
  • Assistant DBs coach: Deshawn Shead
  • Defensive assistant: Neiko Thorpe
  • Defensive quality control: Will Tukuafu
• Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
  • Assistant special teams coach: Tracy Smith

Predicting the Seahawks Depth Chart

• QB: Geno Smith, Drew Lock, Holton Ahlers
• FB: Nick Bellore
• RB: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
• WR: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dee Eskridge, Cody Thompson
• TE: Noah Fant, Will Dissley, Colby Parkinson, Tyler Mabry
• LT: Charles Cross, Stone Forsythe
• LG: Damien Lewis, Kendall Randolph
• C: Evan Brown, Olu Oluwatimi, Joey Hunt
• RG: Anthony Brown, Phil Haynes
• RT: Abraham Lucas, Jake Curhan
• DE: Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Mario Edwards Jr., Mike Morris, Myles Adams
• DT: Cameron Young, Bryan Mone, Jonah Tavai
• EDGE: Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Tyreke Smith
• ILB: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush, Patrick O’Connell
• CB: Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, Michael Jackson, Tre Brown
• S: Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Julian Love, Christian Young
• K: Jason Myers
• P: Michael Dickson

2022 Results and Standings

The 2022 season was supposed to be a recovery year where the Seahawks sought out which players they could keep if they had to rebuild. After trading Wilson, no one thought either Smith or Drew Lock would be anything more than a stopgap quarterback. Instead, the best-case scenario happened for the Seahawks on several levels.

Seattle’s rookie class was one of the best in recent NFL history. They landed franchise bookend tackles in Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, a star rusher in Kenneth Walker III, a playmaking cornerback in Tariq Woolen, and a solid role player in Coby Bryant. It’s possible Boye Mafe still contributes as well, but it’s really gravy if he does or not.

Their explosive offense, with Smith pulling the strings, made for an entertaining season until it bogged down in the final month of action. Against better competition, the Seahawks struggled to maintain their explosive output. However, the Seahawks’ defense was overwhelmed for the majority of the year.

The mixture of mediocre veterans and young contributors led to a long season where the unit struggled to get stops. They ranked 30th in rush defense and 13th in passing yards allowed. Turnovers were the unit’s saving grace, as Woolen notched six interceptions, and Quandre Diggs recorded four.

Finishing second in the NFC West with a 9-8 record, the Seahawks set a high floor for 2023.

2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook

PFN Analyst Dalton Miller has the Seahawks ranked 12th in his post-draft 2023 NFL Draft Power Rankings. With Smith looking like a legitimate franchise quarterback, the Seahawks might be the best early under-the-radar team in the NFL.

It’s possible Smith regresses, but it seems unlikely given that Seattle beefed up their offense around him. Instead of tearing down the unit, Walker is back as the starting RB and now has a more talented backup in Zach Charbonnet.

Wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will benefit from Smith-Njigba, and Seattle signed Evan Brown to play center and beef up their depth along the line in the draft.

The NFL’s ninth-best offense became more talented. If Walker can stay healthy, the Seahawks can ascend even more to become a top-five offense in the league. Smith’s sudden development is a big part of that, but he has an excellent line in front of him and one of the best-supporting casts of playmakers in the league.

The value of Seattle’s playmaking is immense as well. While NFC favorites like the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have question marks at quarterback, the Seahawks have more clarity and have given Smith an incredible amount of help. Even the Philadelphia Eagles have to figure out their new offense without Shane Steichen pulling the strings.

Last year, Walker averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and both Metcalf and Lockett eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. With Marquise Goodwin in Cleveland now and Smith-Njigba’s hamstring feeling “great” at the team’s rookie minicamp, Seattle will terrorize teams with their impressive depth and ability to create explosive plays alike.

The offense will be just fine in Seattle, but it’s the defense that holds the key to the kingdom. Head coach Pete Carroll was unable to create an especially good unit in 2022, as he embraced several young, new starters and role players. They produced only the 25th-ranked scoring defense and 26th unit in defensive EPA.

After losing Cody Barton, Seattle brought Wagner back, then replaced a slew of veterans with younger, more effective individuals. Safety Julian Love and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones headlined the rest of the class.

Witherspoon joins Woolen in a talented and highly athletic secondary that is also “optimistic” about getting Jamal Adams back. With the combination of adding star power and a higher floor of competence in Woolen, Witherspoon, and potentially Adams, the Seahawks’ secondary can become more of an asset outside of producing an occasional interception.

Despite adding five draft picks to the defensive side of the ball, the unit certainly isn’t perfect. Still, there are reasons to believe that the defense will take a step forward, and young players will benefit from getting experience and a full offseason of training.

A whopping seven players who should make the final roster are entering their fourth season or are even younger. Alongside Adams, linebacker Jordyn Brooks may be the wild card. Coming back from a torn ACL, Carroll was encouraged that Brooks is ahead of the recovery curve. What that means for his return is unknown, considering he suffered the injury in December, but getting Brooks back even late in the season can be a needed boost.

The Seahawks have the 11th-hardest strengths of schedule this year, and the 49ers loom in the NFC West. However, the Seahawks have powerhouse potential with their youth coming of age.