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Wednesday Roundup: Sports Illustrated Looks At The Young Roster The Seahawks Built

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and Sports Illustrated writer Corbin K. Smith takes a look at what that means for the team heading into the season.

Sep 06, 2023 at 11:30 AM

Ari Horton

Seahawks.com Writer

Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today – Wednesday, September 6– about your Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle's current roster features 22 rookies and second-year players which makes up 41.5 percent of the roster.

Corbin K. Smith of Sports Illustrated examined how the young players made an impact on last season and how that momentum will continue into this season. Tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are going into their sophomore seasons, but last year Seattle was the only team in the NFL to start six rookies in a game. Cross and Lucas are the first rookie duo to start a team's first 15 games at tackle since the 1970 merger. Last season running back Kenneth Walker III became the second Seahawks rookie to notch 1,000 rushing yards and cornerback Riq Woolen also had a successful rookie year. Woolen tied for first in the NFL with six interceptions and the most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history.

This season, there's a lot of hope for how the rookies like Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Mike Morris will perform and live up to the expectations. Smith breaks down what Seahawks fans could possibly see from the rookies this season.

While a hamstring injury has sidelined fifth overall pick Devon Witherspoon since August 7, the franchise has lofty expectations for the former All-American cornerback opposite of Woolen. Fellow first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba did nothing to slow down the hype train in his first training camp until fracturing his left wrist, but he has a shot to be ready for the season opener and Seattle can't wait to unleash him alongside established stars DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

As for the rest of the 2023 draft crop, running back Zach Charbonnet should receive extensive snaps behind Walker in the backfield, edge rusher Derick Hall will factor into a deep, talented rotation right out of the gate, and assuming a clean bill of health, day three selections Cameron Young and Mike Morris will log significant snaps on a new-look defensive line.

Through training camp, preseason and heading into week one coach Pete Carroll has expressed the excitement he feels for this team.

"There is a newness about us. You can feel it and it's been maybe part of the excitement all along," Carroll said. "The guys are really jacked about being a part of the program and being here. It makes me think of leadership that the other guys have been around and how they've given those guys a chance by having really good direction and security that we can play with younger guys. We had pretty good success when we we're a young team, so I'm okay with all that."

Social Post Of The Day

With the 10-year anniversary of the Seahawks Super Bowl year coming up, the Seahawks released a trailer for an upcoming series called "Season of Boom."

Season of Boom. September 19th. pic.twitter.com/Xr9K6bmKxO
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 5, 2023

More From Around The Web

Gregg Bell of Tacoma News Tribune on what’s next for Seattle’s possible roster moves.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times on the Seahawks betting on themselves this season.

Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic on the lack of depth at safety heading into week one.

Seahawks.com with a Seahawks mailbag answering questions about uniforms and the defensive line.