Skip to main content
Advertising

Top Stories

Presented by

Kenneth Walker III's 'Great First Day' & Other Observations From Day 1 Of Seahawks Training Camp

News, notes and observations from the first day of 2025 Seahawks training camp.

16x9-training camp

The Seahawks took the field Wednesday to kick off their second training camp under head coach Mike Macdonald and the 50th in franchise history.

The practice wasn't as physical and intense as what will take place next week when the pads go on, but it was still a productive first day, Macdonald said, noting players were "in great spirits, locked in. It's the first day back, so there's some things we're working through, but we're really optimistic, guys are in a great spot.

"It's fun to see the progress coming from the spring. The guys are on it, the intent is there… It's just great to have the guys back, we missed them."

Here are five observations from Day 1 of Seahawks camp:

1. Kenneth Walker III looked healthy and as explosive as ever.

While he was in attendance for voluntary offseason workouts and minicamp, running back Kenneth Walker III didn't do a ton of on-field work due to what Macdonald said at the time was a minor ankle injury.

A month later, Walker was back on the field and, from the moment the tempo of practice picked up to full speed, it was evident he is healthy and back to being one of the most explosive players on the field. The real test for the running game will come when pads go on, but the way Walker was hitting the hole and accelerating into the open field, it's clear he is all the way back.

"He looks great," Macdonald said. "He's in a great spot, mentally. Just awesome to see him do all the things that we want him to do from the get-go. I know he's really excited about what's going on. Great first day with Ken."

2. The interior line battles will be an intriguing part of camp, especially early on.

Asked about his interior line during last month's minicamp, Macdonald noted that, ideally, the competitions at center and right guard wouldn't take too long to sort out so that the line could become a cohesive unit. But the Seahawks also want to make sure they get it right, which is why on day one of camp, there were multiple combinations of centers and guards working with the first and second units.

"It'll probably go into next week when we put pads on for sure," Macdonald said when asked about mixing and matching at those two spots.

One of the more intriguing names in those battles is second-year lineman Jalen Sundell, who got work at both positions, indicating he could be battling not only with Olu Oluwatimi at center, but also with Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea at guard.

"Jalen's right there," Macdonald said of the guard competition, noting Sundell won the Top Hawk award for his work in the weightroom this offseason. "He just keeps having great days, so I'm excited to see how it shakes out. It's going to take time, but it's going to declare itself. I don't want to just put a number on the guys right now."

3. DeMarcus Lawrence still grinds in practice in Year 12.

Some established veterans, especially those with three Pro Bowls and 123 career starts on their resumes, might be tempted to take it easy at times in practice, especially in the drills that take place early in practice.

DeMarcus Lawrence, however, is not that type of veteran. After 11 seasons in Dallas, Lawrence joined the Seahawks this offseason, and Macdonald has been really impressed with the practice habits of the veteran defensive end.

"He's like the best drill player I've ever seen in my life," Macdonald said. "You could ask him to do any drill known to mankind, and just the trust he has in why you're doing it, he's 1,000 percent every rep, the intent in what he's trying to create, and that's the standard that he's setting for our front, so the guys don't have a choice but to fall in line. It's just exciting to see him out there working. You know what he can do on the field, the tape speaks for itself, but you understand how it comes to life based on how he works."

4. Noah Fant's release means competition for the rest of the tight ends.

The Seahawks released Noah Fant, their starting tight end the past three seasons, ahead of training camp, which means more opportunities for the likes of AJ Barner, rookie Elijah Arroyo, and veteran Eric Saubert. While Macdonald didn't want to get into the specifics of the decision to release Fant, he did say, "We love Noah, we wish him the best, but we also love the guys who are here. They know what's at stake, and it's going to be a lot of fun watching the competition in the tight end room."

Another player who could factor in at tight end is Brady Russell, who after spending the past two seasons with Seattle as a tight end, made the switch to fullback this offseason. Russell, along with fellow fullback Robbie Ouzts, has a tight end background, giving the Seahawks extra flexibility at those spots.

"What Brady brings to the table is he can do fullback stuff and he can do tight end stuff, so that makes you just more multiple on offense and how you can formation stuff," Macdonald said. "Whether or not Noah was here, that's what Brady brings to the table."

5. Injury updates.

The Seahawks opened camp with veteran outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on the physically unable to perform list, the result of offseason knee surgery. While there's no specific timeline on Nwosu's return, Macdonald said it could be a little bit before he's back.

"We'll see," he said. "We'll go into the preseason probably, throughout the rest of camp, and then we'll go from there. We'll just hold onto the timeline right now, but we're not necessarily close right now."

In a more positive development, rookie receiver Tory Horton was back on the field after being held out for most of the offseason program due to a knee injury during his final year at Colorado State.

"We have plan to bring him back full speed, but when he's out there, he's full go, we're just kind of managing his reps right now," Macdonald said. "But he's doing a great job, he's right in the mix."

Veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins opened camp on the non-football injury list, Macdonald said, but as more of a precaution than a serious injury concern.

"Right now he's on NFI," he said. "He's working through a back right now. Long term I think he's going to be fine, but working through it. Hank's a vet, he's a 12-year guy. We're taking our time with it, so we're not in a hurry."

Also sidelined Tuesday was cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who is dealing with an illness.

"Shaq just had a little bit of an illness last night, so we're just being precautious," Macdonald said.

Seahawks players hit the field for a practice on day one of training camp on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Check out the best photos from the first practice of camp.

Related Content

Advertising