Seattle Seahawks Team Preview 25-26

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  • By Jon Mosales

    Last Updated on June 16, 2025 4:37 pm by Jon Mosales | Published: June 16, 2025

    The Seattle Seahawks were an incredibly average team last season in almost every way.  The only thing they were great at was eating yards, but they often failed to finish drives and potentially as a result of all those lost points, have done a tear-down of a team that finished the season winning six of their last eight.  Gone is Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and inbound is Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp.  Is it upgrade, a downgrade or just moving the chairs around on the Titanic.  The Seahawks weren’t a top-10 offensive team in any one metric except pass attempts and passing yards (7th and 8th), which isn’t nothing, but finishing 8th in passing yards, but 20th in passing TDs leaves quite the gap in efficiency.  That might be part of the reason they decided to move on from Smith after resurrecting his career, but Darnold is also a journeyman QB who for the first time in his career, showed signs of life as the QB9, but the only dramatic difference between Smith and Darnold last season was the TDs (21 to 35).  Neither are likely the long term answer and Darnold will now go from having Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a washed up Cooper Kupp.  While JJ is headed to WR Mouth Rushmore, JSN is no slouch, finishing as the WR10 and racking up at least 69 rec yards in every game from Week 8 to Week 16.  With Metcalf and Lockett leaving, JSN is going to be a target machine and while he was 12th in targets last season (137), there is a good chance he could lead the league this season.  While this offense will be JSN-centric, it’s not the only note they can hit.

    While the rushing game was anemic last season, finishing 29th in attempts and 28th in yards, the duo Kenneth Walker (RB28) and Zach Charbonnet (RB25) is among the most potent combo in the league.  Walker never saw his season take off as he battled with injuries all season after getting in hurt in Week 1.  While Walker disappointed his fantasy GMs, his development as a pass-catcher is massive going forward.  He had 46 receptions in only 11 games compared to 29 in 15 games two seasons ago.  I will dive into Charbonnet later, but this rushing duo has the potential to carry the team if only the offensive line could step up.  On the season, Seattle allowed a 39.4% pressure rate (30th) and an 8.3% sack rate (24th). They struggled whether teams blitzed or not, and their numbers all around leave plenty to be desired following a hefty  investment in the line in recent drafts.  They drafted North Dakota State star Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick which will help, but they are a long ways from being even a competent unit.

     

    Anyone who has followed me or listened to my podcast last season knows I was on the JSN bandwagon from the jump.  I was actually on heavy two seasons ago when he failed to launch, so I decided to double up and at least get my money back because he was inevitable.  The question is how great is he? We can all agree he is elite and still getting better and now is in a perfect situation to test his limits.  If Justin Jefferson is the model all WRs are compared to and with the same QB now throwing him the ball, it’s a good bar to measure by.  No one is Jefferson and no one will be him, but what are the chances JSN has a better fantasy season?  If we are comparing last season, they weren’t that far apart.  JSN had four broken tackles and 128 YAC while JJ had five broken tackles only 199 YAC.  The real separation between the two was their ability to get downfield.  JSN had a YPR 11.3 to JJ 14.9 and JJ had nine plays of 30+ yards compared to JSN’s three.  With DK Metcalf gone and Kupp in, it makes sense that JSN will expand his route tree and become more of a downfield threat while Kupp handles the underneath routes.  With an ADP of 37, WR17, I fail to see how there are 16 WRs in a better situation or with more upside.  If it was between Mike, Evans, Tyreek Hill or Davante Adams, it’s a no-brainer for me, JSN all day.  How far can we go? AJ Brown or JSN? I still think I take JSN. JSN is younger, on a worse team (4th quarter passing) and has a QB who isn’t better, but more likely to need to get him the ball.  Darnold might be a Cinderella QB who turns to a pumpkin in big games, but the man threw for 35 TDs last season, if he comes close to that this season, I don’t see how half don’t go to JSN.  Even you think Darnold is a downgrade on Geno Smith, Smith was great at moving the chains, but he didn’t throw JSN a TD until Week 9.  How much do you want to bet JSN gets one in Week 1.

    Seattle Seahawks: Win Prediction 7-10


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    June 16, 2025, 4:34 pm