Seahawks: Is wide receiver the team’s deepest position?

The Seattle Seahawks’ roster is loaded at wide receiver. There is far more talent than roster spots available.

The Seattle Seahawks have a problem. They have far more talent at wide receiver than they can possibly keep on the roster. At least in this case, it is a good problem to have.

All three of the primary receivers from last season are back. Doug Baldwin still needs a contract extension, but he’ll be on the roster for 2016 no matter what. Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse round out a very solid trio of top receivers for the Seahawks.

Fans seem to be ready to write off Paul Richardson after he missed all of last season (except 6 snaps) while recovering from an ACL tear and then a subsequent hamstring injury. That’s too bad, because he is still the guy who passed Kearse on the depth chart as a rookie. There’s no doubt that Richardson has the talent to be a major contributor to Seattle’s offense.

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Behind those four us a sea of talented young players that have what it takes to make the roster. Some of these names you likely know, others will become well-known once training camp begins.

Kasen Williams is a guy who was a training camp standout last year. He landed on the practice squad before ultimately being added to the 53 man roster late in the season. He’s stood out again in OTAs, and looks like he’s gunning for a larger role this season. Williams continues to get stronger and more confident as he battles back from the injuries that scuttled his college career.

While Kasen has the makings of a top receiver, Kevin Smith is one of those guys that’ll typically get overlooked but finds a way to regularly be productive. He is very similar to Doug Baldwin athletically. He just needs to get more experience.

Another OTA standout was Douglas McNeil. He look great early in training camp a year ago before the Seahawks suddenly switched him to cornerback.

While he showed great potential there, he didn’t make the roster and the team eventually moved him back to WR mid-season when he was on the practice squad. He’s lost a year, but if he looks as good this year as he did last year in training camp, he’s challenge for a roster spot.

Let us not forget draft pick Kenny Lawler. Lawyer doesn’t have elite speed, but his college tape shows great quickness for his height and a massive catch radius. There’s a bit of Sydney Rice in Lawler’s game, and that is definitely a good thing.

Those four are possibly competing for one roster spot. With tight end Jimmy Graham and a pair of new running backs that will all take receiving snaps away from the WRs, the team will have a tough time justifying more than keeping five on the roster.

Next: Will the Seahawks ever get Baldwin's new deal done?

The Seahawks are currently eight deep at wide receiver. There might not be a a better position group top to bottom on the entire roster. That’s a big change from just a couple of seasons ago when that unit was a major liability.