Are the Seahawks genuine Super Bowl contenders in 2023?

The Seattle Seahawks might be the most surprising team of 2022. After sending off their franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the state of the team was bleak to say the least. With the Legion of Boom gone and no proven quarterback at the helm, the Seahawks had no semblance of an identity and were projected to win 5.5 games this season.

But, with major steps taken by key players on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks persevered and secured the last wildcard spot in this year’s playoffs. While one wouldn’t expect them to do much, this was a big jump for a roster supposedly in disarray. They have had a surprisingly prolific offense, and a young defense that has shown a lot of promise.

Despite losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wildcard Round of the 2022 playoffs, the future looks bright for the Seahawks all of a sudden. Now, with more than enough capital to spend this offseason, they’ll be able to add the talent and experience needed to become Super Bowl contenders next year.

Geno leading the charge

Many questioned a Russell-less Seattle offense but they haven’t missed a beat. This is due in large part to the elite play of journeymen quarterback Geno Smith. The 2013 second round pick is one of the many quarterbacks who have fallen victim to the Jets organizational woes.

But, in year ten, he finally made his breakthrough season in Seattle. He posted the highest completion percentage of any NFL starter at 69.8%, along with passing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning himself his first Pro Bowl. He was undoubtedly a top-10 quarterback in the league this year and made the Seahawks one of the more potent offenses in the league.

The group as a whole ranked 9th in total points scored, and came in at 15th in Pro Football Focus’s ranked offenses. Geno is a big reason for this success, but he didn’t do it alone. The Seahawks have the most underrated group of skill position players in the league.

At wide receiver, they have one of the best tandems in the league with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Both had +1,000 yard seasons and combined for 2,081 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Seahawks were also able to draft one of the NFL’s brightest up-and-comers in running back Kenneth Walker. In his rookie year, he came out red hot, rushing for 1,050 yards and 9 touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry, putting himself right into the conversation for offensive rookie of the year.

On top of this, probably the most under the radar aspect of this offense is Seattle’s tight end trio. Noah Fant, Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are potentially the best tight end group of any in the entire NFL. They are all ranked as top-25 tight ends in the league by Pro Football Focus, and have combined for 1,157 yards, with all three above 300 yards on the season. Seattle is at no shortage of talent when it comes to skill players, and they all came up big in 2022. 

Bolstering protection up front a priority

Despite Seattle’s elite collection of skill players, their offensive line is what’s holding them back from being one of the best offenses in the league. As a collective, they actually had a better year than expected considering the fact they started rookie tackles on both ends.

They came into the year ranked as the 32nd line in the league, but were actually able to climb to 15th prior to week 16. Despite this progression, the line remained inconsistent week to week and struggled mightily against premier defensive fronts.

Much of this inconsistency is due to the youth of the group, and with another offseason under their belt, we should see more stability from the group. But, the line could surely use some reinforcement in the form of proven players with a veteran presence.

Bringing in a guy who’s a reliable starter and has experience could help bring some more leadership to a group that’s fairly young. With improved protection for Geno and Walker in the backfield, this offense could take it to a whole new level. 

Can Seattle build the next Legion of Boom?

Seattle’s defense is a bit further behind the offense but has shown a lot of promise, especially in the secondary. Safety Pro Bowlers Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs makeup the heart of their defense, and are one of the best tandems in the league when fit.

At cornerback, Seattle did a wonderful job in last year’s draft by bringing in rookies Tariq Woolen and Cobie Bryant. Both have come in and played significant roles for this defense and have grown throughout the year. Especially Woolen, who earned himself a Pro Bowl this year with a league-high six interceptions. Another bright spot on this defense is their pair of edge rushers, Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu. Both have come out of nowhere and had career years combining for 19 sacks this season.

But, despite their impressive play, Seattle’s front seven is without question their biggest weakness. They lack elite interior lineman or rushers, and are missing a reliable middle linebacker to help lead the defense. These deficiencies have shown through as they are currently ranked as the 22nd overall defense, while allowing a whopping 24.1 points per game.

Championship teams are built in the trenches and while the Seahawks have done a good job building up their secondary, they seem to lack the explosion needed upfront to make them a complete defense. Fortunately for them, they have more than enough resources to work with this offseason to focus on this dilemma.

How can they improve this offseason

Seattle is at no shortage of money or draft capital this coming offseason. The Seahawks will have ten picks in this year’s draft including two first round picks and two second rounders. Not to mention, one of their firsts is the fifth overall pick, giving them a chance to get a premier talent upfront.

In free agency, they have about $52.9 million in cap space to spend with only two priority free agents to take care of in Geno Smith and standout safety Ryan Neal. With all this capital, they’ll have the ability to pick up and draft explosive players on both fronts to fill in these deficiencies. 

When starting a team, it is best to build inside out, but Seattle is a unique case. They’ve had a hard time building out their offensive and defensive lines through failing to replace aging players and whiffing on draft picks. But, where they’ve been able to succeed is adding talent at the flashy positions.

Through this, they’ve created an elite nucleus of skill players that are young and worth building around. The Seahawks road to building a Super Bowl caliber roster is simple, but quite difficult. If they can successfully build out their lines and Geno can stay healthy, they will be legitimate contenders next year based on what he’s shown he can do.

This is much easier said than done, but considering the jump they just had after last offseason, there’s reason to believe they can bring in the right guys this offseason to push them over the hump.

The 2022 season may have ended in disappointment, yet there is plenty of reasons to be positive in Seattle.