Dee Eskridge, Seattle Seahawks.
It’s the NFL. In every year, and on every team, there are players who not only step up but break out to become top performers. The Seattle Seahawks are a team in transition. That means they have plenty of young players who will get an opportunity to shine.
As a rule, someone with extensive starting experience or a recent first round pick have mostly made a name for themselves already. These are players with high expectations,.so they aren’t necessarily breakout candidates. This list is made up of players with doubts about them and something to prove.
Last year it was Jordyn Brooks who broke the Seattle Seahawks record for tackles in a season. Let’s take a look at who could be the Seahawks’ 2022 version of Brooks.
Big Abe Lucas looked good during the Seattle Seahawks preseason games. There was some question about the 2022 third rounder’s ability to run block. As of now, he’s handled it well and is answering his critics.
The regular season is completely different than the preseason. Lucas may struggle early in the season against teams like San Francisco and New Orleans. By the end of it, Seahawks fans will notice that Lucas is a huge upgrade over what the team had with Brandon Shell over the last two seasons.
The Seattle Seahawks don’t have many options at quarterback for a breakout candidate. Geno Smith opens the season as Pete Carroll’s starter. Everyone in the NFL knows what kind of QB is by now.
Sometime during the season, the Seattle Seahawks will need to know what they have in Drew Lock and whether or not he should be part of the team’s future. No one would be surprised if he fizzled out like he did in Denver over the last few years.
Lock has a huge arm and a big upside. He could find magic with receivers D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Noah Fant, and find his groove as an NFL quarterback.
Over the last six games of 2022, Rashaad Penny was a superstar, living up to the Seattle Seahawks’ expectations when they drafted him with their first round pick in 2018. While his performance turned head, six games isn’t a season.
In 2022, Penny starts the year as Seattle’s “Bell-Cow Back.” Eventually, second round pick Kenneth Walker III will gain carries. That will keep Penny fresh and hopefully healthy for an entire season. One thousand rushing yards this year isn’t out of the question.
The Seattle Seahawks’ first draft selection in 2022, they picked Dee Eskridge from Western Michigan in the second round (56th overall). Maybe expectations for him were a little high, but Eskridge failed to meet them whatever they were.
It wasn’t necessarily all his fault. In Week 1, Eskridge suffered a concussion which kept him out through mid-November. Even then, it didn’t seem like he was 100%.
Eskridge is a breakout candidate because he’s a bolt of lightning looking for a spark. At any time or any place on the field, he can catch a pass, turn on the afterburners, and take it to the hose.
Talk about coming out of nowhere. Myles Adams spent last season on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. He only cracked the main roster twice, playing a total of 33 snaps.
Adams found a new gear in training camp this year. He parlayed his fantastic camp and preseason to make the team. As one of only four interior defensive linemen on the roster, Adams will get plenty of playing time this year.
The pressure is on. After three NFL seasons, Cody Barton is finally a starter. Jordyn Brooks might be the new signal caller, but it’s Barton who is physically replacing Bobby Wagner on the field.
In a 3-4 defense, the inside linebackers are quite busy. When he’s had the chance, Barton has shown a willingness to get into the muck and make solid hits. With defenses keying on Brooks, Barton will rack up the tackles.
Tariq Woolen is rapidly making up for lost time. The Seattle Seahawks 2022 fifth round pick has only been playing cornerback for two years after switching from wide receiver before his junior year at Texas-San Antonio.
He didn’t look overmatched during the preseason. Why should he? At 6’4” with a 4.28, 40-yard dash, Woolen is big and fast enough to hang with any receiver in the league.
Additionally, Woolen goes up against some of the best and fastest receivers there are:: Tyler Locket, D.K. Metcalf, Dee Eskridge, and Marquis Goodwin. That’s like getting a “Master Class” in the art of defending the pass on a daily basis.
Who are your Seattle Seahawks breakout candidates this year? Let us know in the comments section below.