Thursday's preseason opener against the Raiders featured plenty of reminders of the Seahawks' proud history.

There was, of course, Pete Carroll, the Super-Bowl-winning coach of the Seahawks for 14 seasons, back in town in his new role as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and trying to establish a new unofficial record for pregame hugs. Joining Carroll on the trip was Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, who spent the past three years as Seattle's starting quarterback. There was Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril on the sideline and Michael Robinson in the booth, all on hand as part of the preseason broadcast team. And then there was Marshawn Lynch, being his always-unpredictable self, working the sidelines as a photographer during the first half.

But for all of those memories of the Seahawks' past, Thursday's game also served as a reminder that the present, not to mention the future, look pretty darn promising as well.

While most of Seahawks' starters didn't play, their young depth, and their rookie class in particular, shined as they raced to a 16-3 halftime lead on their way to a 23-23 tie. And yes, the second half got a little sloppy, as preseason games often do when teams get further down the depth chart, but overall there was a ton to like from a team that didn't play most of its top players.

With that in mind, here are five rapid reactions to Thursday night's tie with the Raiders:

1. There's a lot to like about this rookie class.

While the plan all along was for most of Seattle's top players to sit out this game, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said earlier in the week that some rookies in prominent roles would see playing time, and just about every one of those players stepped up in their debut.

First-round pick Grey Zabel started at left guard with what was mostly the starting line, though left tackle Charles Cross and center Olu Oluwatimi, who is in a competition for that job, were out due to injuries. The rookie out of North Dakota State more than held his own against the Raiders starters, who played the first couple of series. Zabel was impressive in the run game and pass protection, including a couple of physical finishes on run blocks that saw him drive an opposing lineman into the ground.

Receiver Tory Horton, meanwhile, came into the game with a lot of hype after several strong practices in the past week of camp, and backed it up with three catches for 31 yards, all in the first half, including a 10-yard touchdown reception on which he slipped multiple tackle attempts on his way to the end zone. Horton also was first up on punt return duty, and used some nifty moves to get a 5-yard return on his second return after fair catching his first.

Fullback Robbie Ouzts, meanwhile, had one catch for 17 yards while also helping spring several runs, including a key block on George Holani's 24-yard touchdown run.

Second-round picks Elijah Arroyo and Nick Emmanwori didn't play a ton, but both contributed, with Arroyo catching two passes for 14 yards, and with Emmanwori making a nice tackle of Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty for no gain in run defense, and also getting a pressure on a blitz on Las Vegas' first drive.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe, meanwhile, took over in the second half, and he looked more than comfortable completing 6 of 10 attempts for 61 yards, including an impressive throw on the run to receiver Tyrone Broden for a 15-yard gain. Milroe also finally got a chance to show off his speed in the fourth quarter, running 27 yards to get the Seahawks out of trouble when they were pinned deep by multiple penalties. He finished with 38 rushing yards on three carries.

Undrafted rookie running backs Jacardia Wright and Anthony Tyus II also chipped in in the second half, combining for 57 yards on 13 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown by Wright.

2. George Holani, was the Boise State running back having a standout performance.

The Raiders drafted Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall in this year's draft, but it was his former teammate, George Holani, who went undrafted last year, enjoying a standout performance on Thursday. While the Seahawks held Jeanty to minus-1 yard on three carries, Holani, who is competing with rookie Damien Martinez for the No. 3 running back spot, had a big game to lead the Seahawks offense in the first half. Holani rushed for 61 yards on just seven carries, including runs of 20 and 24 yards, the latter of which was a touchdown, and he also picked up 20 yards on one reception, turning a third-down screen into a big gain.

3. The offense, and yes, the run game, showed a lot of promise.

Thursday's game was just an early and partial glimpse at Klint Kubiak's offense, but the early signs were promising. Even without most of the starters participating, the Seahawks move the ball well, and most promising after so much talk about the running game is how good the Seahawks looked in that phase of the game despite resting both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

In the first half with most of the No. 2 offense playing and some O-line starters, the Seahawks gained 222 yards, averaged 5.8 yards per play, and averaged 4.7 yards per rush while running for 75 yards. Perhaps most impressively, the Seahawks were 7-of-10 on third down in the half.

4. Two picks highlighted a strong defensive showing, though the Seahawks celebrated them a bit too much for the officials' liking.

While the Raiders were able to get back into the game in the second half, the Seahawks defense, which like the offense rested most of its starters, had a great first half, limiting the Raiders to a single field goal while twice picking off quarterback Aidan O'Connell. Josh Jobe came away with the first pick, then Nehemiah Pritchett got the second, part of a strong showing that also included a nice pass breakup on a deep ball down the right sideline. If Macdonald was going to have a complaint about that first-half defense, it would probably be about the two 15-yard penalties the Seahawks received for the celebrations after the interceptions, which included several players not suited up for the game running onto the field to celebrate with their teammates.

5. Mike Morris and Tyreke Smith helped themselves out with strong first-half performances.

With the Seahawks top edge players getting the day off, there was an opportunity for others to shine at a position that has room for another player or two to take on a significant role, at least until Uchenna Nwosu makes it back from injury. And two players who have been with the team, but not yet risen to bigger roles, both helped themselves out, with Mike Morris and Tyreke Smith both flashing playmaking ability while they were on the field.

Morris had a nice tackle for loss to stuff a Jeanty run in the backfield, and also had a good pass rush that resulted in an intentional grounding call. Smith, meanwhile, had three tackles, a quarterback hit, a pass defensed, one special teams tackle, and a pass rush that drew a holding call.