Seahawks Preseason Prediction: Top 5 Rookies

NFL training camp looms but a couple weeks away and we are getting amped up for the start of it. Your Seattle Seahawks are defending world champs, but as is the case every year in this league, losses have to be dealt with and replacements must come in and man the fort or in this case, man the castle.

There are 19 rookies vying for spots on this team as of today. Let’s quickly take a look at five (actually six) of them that I think will come in and make the most immediate impact on the team this preseason.

1: Justin Britt

The second round Missouri product is battling with second year big man Michael Bowie for the position of starting right tackle. He will get plenty of time with both the first and second units, making his impact as immediate and full as any rookie in training camp. He has to be ready to start this season and I think he will be the day one starting RT.

2: Paul Richardson

He’ll be in the second-team lineup at receiver, but Richardson will get plenty of opportunities as a punt returner this offseason too.  The coaching staff still has no idea what they are going to do at the position and are hoping Richardson turns into the explosive weapon you would expect from a guy that can run in the low 4.3 range consistently. Many folks, including myself, have pegged P-Rich as the second coming of Desean Jackson and if Richardson is half of that for Seattle he will make both Russell Wilson and the Hawks’ return game infinitely better.

3: Kevin Pierre-Louis

The Boston College product is going to get lots of snaps this preseason, both in the defensive lineup and on special teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually ends up leading the Seahawks in preseason tackles because he’s on the field so much. Louis is still a raw LB, but his speed and athleticism make up for most deficiencies and he’ll get the hang of things as the season goes along. Think Malcolm Smith with even more upside.

4: Cassius Marsh

Marsh is a prototype Pete Carroll Guy and one that can line up on either side of the field as either a stand-up or 3-tech. But this isn’t the time for experimenting, it’s the time for fixing technique. Expect him to get plenty of snaps but stay pretty vanilla in his usage, in an effort to really hone in on doing it right. Pre-snap positioning, get-off, use of hands and containment will all be things of interest in film study. The tinkering will begin later.

5: Jackson Jeffcoat/Dion Bailey

I just could not decide which of these UFA’s I like more to come into camp and make some noise, but both are in the perfect position to do just that and for the same reason. The Seahawks are only carrying six DE and five S on the current roster, which gives both these kids a great shot based on numbers alone. I’ve been high on Jeffcoat since he was signed in UFA (I had thought the Hawks would draft him actually), but Bailey is a bit of a sleeper pick for me. In the end I think realistically only one of them makes the roster, but both will make some big plays over the preseason period and Bailey will be a difficult cut.