3 under-the-radar Seahawks ready for a breakout season

The Seahawks are blessed with the sort of high-end talent required to compete with any Super Bowl contender they encounter. What new head coach Mike Macdonald needs is to develop the roster depth required to position his team for a lengthy playoff fun. That's why developing some under-the-radar stars is crucial to the team's success heading into the 2024 campaign.

It's a position plenty of teams would like to find themselves in. The Seahawks have a very of dynamic weapons on offense that can terrorize opponents. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are bona fide stars at the wide receiver position. Kenneth Walker gives the Seahawks a big-play threat every time he touches the ball at running back.

The defense doesn't possess quite the same level of star power but it deploys some headliners as well. Devon Witherspoon is one of the best young cornerbacks in the league. Leonard Williams gives them a nose tackle who can disrupt opposing offenses.

The Seahawks need those stars to play well but the next tier of talent on the roster must step up. Fans in Seattle should keep a close eye on the following three under-the-radar players.

3. Dre'Mont Jones

The Seahawks are paying Dre'Mont Jones like a star but his production hasn't lived up to his price tag yet. Any defensive lineman making over $17 million per season needs to be flirting with Pro Bowl appearances. Jones needs to do give his defense more than the five sacks he notched last year if he's going to emerge as a difference-maker.

The good news is that Jones should be poised for a breakout campaign. He's entering his athletic prime and the change of defensive scheme in Seattle should fit his skills perfectly. He's just the sort of big, powerful pass rusher that the Ravens have maximized in recent seasons. Jones has the size required to set the edge against the run and the burst needed to get into the opposing backfield.

The burden on Jones could really be lessened on obvious passing downs by the presence of rookie Byron Murphy. The former Texas standout can occupy opposing blockers and free Jones up to work against tackles in one-on-one matchups. Jones isn't the sort of exceptional talent to beat double teams consistently. He can, however, feast on tackles that are forced to work against him on an island.

The Seahawks don't need Jones to suddenly become an All-Pro. They do need him to become a double-digit sack guy for a team that's able to play with a lead on a regular basis. Jones is going to get plenty of opportunities to rush the passer but he needs to cash them in efficiently if Seattle's defense is going to become a top-10 unit. He didn't exactly impress in Week 1, recording a single tackle, but there is still time for him to reach his potential.

2. Tariq Woolen

Devon Witherspoon deserves all of the headlines he garners for the Seahawks' secondary but that doesn't mean Tariq Woolen can't be a difference-maker as well. The 6-foot-4 cornerback was a decent starter on the outside last year for Seattle but he has the physical tools required to be much more than that.

Woolen's size and length on the outside are outstanding for his position. It also means that Woolen can afford to make a misstep or two in coverage. He can close any gap in coverage with his long arms which makes him very difficult to play against — which we saw with his interception in Week 1 against the Broncos.

The challenge for Woolen in 2024 is that he needs to improve his ability to maintain contact with opposing wideouts. The presence of Witherspoon in the slot means he gets more targets than the average outside corner. If he can improve his ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage it should really boost his productivity.

The expectations placed in fifth-round draft picks generally aren't too high, but Woolen has the talent to become a high-level starter. If he reaches that status this season it will make Seattle's defense impossible to throw against. Opposing quarterbacks should be very concerned about the possibility of Woolen taking a big step forward.

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Some may consider it a stretch to call Jaxon Smith-Njigba an underrated player since he was a first-round draft pick just one year ago. That doesn't alter the reality that he's Seattle's third-best wideout behind Metcalf and the ageless wonder that is Tyler Lockett.

Smith-Njigba reeled in 63 passes for 628 yards as a rookie but there's a lot of upside left in his game. His elite route-running and body control make him the perfect player to thrive in the slot for Seattle. The attention that Metcalf and Lockett generate on the outside should leave Smith-Njigba free to work against nickel corner in single coverage on the majority of his snaps.

He had just two receptions for 19 years in Week 1 but big things could still be on the way.

One major area where Smith-Njigba can improve is in his ability to find the end zone. He scored four times last year but there's no reason he can't double that total in his sophomore campaign. He may lack the big-play explosiveness that Metcalf possesses but he should be more adept that creating space on intermediate throws in the red zone.

Like Woolen, the Seahawks don't need Smith-Njigba to fully maximize his potential in 2024. A solid step forward would do wonders to make this offense more dynamic. Balance is key for Seattle's pass game if they are going to really threaten the 49ers for a division title. Smith-Njigba has the most unrealized potential among the team's pass-catchers. His production will be a key barometer for the Seahawks this season.