The Seahawks held a light walkthrough speed practice Monday morning, a change from their original schedule of a full afternoon practice.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald explained the change to what they refer to as an ACT (alignment, communication and technique) practice, noting the long gap between preseason games provided a chance to give players a lighter day.

"The way the preseason is set up and camp, there's eight days between each game," Macdonald said. "Trying to get as much work in while being as smart as possible. We'll ramp into the KC game so we're in pads again tomorrow, shells Wednesday, and then into our pregame routine starting on Thursday. The guys were locked in, a lot of great work today, very pleased, take the rest of the day, got some meetings throughout the afternoon and then go recover and get ready to put the pedal down for the rest of the week."

Here are five things we learned from Macdonald's press conference following practice:

1. The plan for Kenneth Walker III and other injury updates.

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been held out of practices at different times throughout camp, in part due to what Macdonald said was a sore foot. Walker has looked explosive and run without any limits on the days he does practice, but the Seahawks are making an effort not to overload him heading into the season.

"We have a plan for Ken, and we're sticking to the plan," Macdonald said.

In other injury news, Macdonald said he doesn't not yet know if Olu Oluwatimi, who is competing for the starting center job with Jalen Sundell, will play in Friday's game. Oluwatimi has been dealing with a back injury over the past couple of weeks.

Veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins remains out due to a back injury that has kept him out of training camp. Macdonald said he does not yet have a timeline on Hankins.

"I wouldn't say I was or wasn't expecting him," Macdonald said. With what he's dealing with with his back, you can't have a timetable, because you're either going to be wrong or be disappointed, or if he's back earlier, then great, then we're rocking and rolling. It's really just a matter of how quickly the back calms down.

"Let's face it, Hank doesn't need a lot of reps to get ready to play. He knows what to do, he's in the meetings, doing his rehab, doing a great job."

2. The Seahawks don't plan to take offensive line competitions into the regular season.

Last year, Anthony Bradford opened the year as Seattle's starting right guard, and while he hung onto that role for 11 games until being sidelined by an injury, Bradford faced some competition into the regular season, with Christian Haynes splitting reps with him in some games. Those two are again competing at right guard in camp, though Bradford got the start in the preseason opener, while Oluwatimi and Sundell are still competing at center, though that competition has been delayed by Oluwatimi's recent back injury.

Asked on Monday if an in-season rotation could be an option for the Seahawks, who are still undecided at center and right guard, Macdonald said he doesn't intend to do that this year.

"Right now, the plan is not to rotate," Macdonald said. "I think we're narrowing in on what we want to do. We have a process, right now we want to just stick to it. We'll name a starting five at some point."

3. Macdonald likes his team's linebacker depth despite a lack of starting experience.

The Seahawks came into camp feeling good about their starting linebacker duo of Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight, but with Jones missing time this camp following the death of his father, and with Knight currently dealing with a knee injury and another undisclosed health issue, the Seahawks have had to lean on their depth at that spot.

And while Patrick O'Connell and Drake Thomas, who have filled in for the starters when Jones and Knight are out, lack starting experience, their production in practice has the Seahawks feeling good about the depth at that spot, which also includes Josh Ross, Jamie Sheriff, D'Eryk Jackson and Alphonzo Tuputala, who signed on Monday.

"Those next two guys, Paddy-O and Drake have had great camps," Macdonald said. "We have this 'in the defense' competition of stats and hustle plays and tackles, basically tracking production and Paddy-O leads that over camp. Drake's right there. They haven't started yet in their career, but we believe in the development guys, guys are allowed to get better. You see the improvement of those guys. Josh Ross, I thought he got started with a good camp, but it's unfortunate with his hand. We saw Jamie back today in a walk through capacity and you know how we feel about Jamie. Great opportunity in front of him, but just like T-Knight (Tyrice Knight), he didn't start until he did, and then he's a starter. These guys, they haven't started yet until they get a chance to start and hopefully they keep taking advantage of those opportunities."

4. Aden Durde calling the defense in last week's game was "a really fun process" for Macdonald and his defensive coordinator.

While Mike Macdonald is the defensive play caller on gamedays, he works very closely with defensive coordinator Aden Durde throughout the week and on gameday, and both last year and this year, Macdonald also has his defensive coordinator call the game during a preseason game. Durde did so in last year's game against the Titans, and again last week against the Raiders. That provides valuable experience for Durde, but it also beneficial for Macdonald to get another perspective on his defense as a game plays out.

"I thought he did a great job," Macdonald said. "That's an extension of what we talked about last week on how we split some calling duties during practice. It's a great opportunity for him, obviously, and thinking on the fly in new situations, solving problems in real time, any time you have to call plays, those are things that you have to be able to do. I thought he did a great job of it during the game. From my perspective, I like hearing what he's thinking, because inevitably, it's not going to be the same thing I am all the time. It's an opportunity to bridge the gap one way or the other. We're always working off each other and we'll go back, debrief, and go through what we were thinking those times. It's good stuff, it's a really fun process."

5. Nehemiah Pritchett's confidence is growing.

A fifth-round pick in last year's draft, cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett started one game last season, getting the call in a Week 7 win over Atlanta after several injuries hit the Seahawks at that position. Aside from that game, however, Pritchett was on the field for just 82 total defensive snaps over the course of the other nine games he played. Coming into his second season, Pritchett is competing for a role on the defense, and as was evident in his preseason performance that included an interception and two passes defensed, he is making strides in Year 2.

"A guy that's asserted himself over the season," Macdonald said. "It took him a bit to get comfortable and gain confidence, but the room really respects him too. He works extremely hard. Is always available and he's really competing for those reps right now in our third corner spot. Exciting to see him go attack the ball. It's not easy to make that play. Play with the anticipation, go attack the football. If you play timid, if you're not decisive in that moment, he probably doesn't make that play. It tells you where he's at mentally at this point."