The Seattle Seahawks have a handful of players entering their second or third NFL season later this fall on both sides of the ball, and each of them has already shown flashes of potential, which further proves why John Schneider is so good at drafting and signing young talent.
This past season, Seahawks fans were privileged to see the likes of Drake Thomas, Ty Okada, and Byron Murphy II truly make a name for themselves on defense in their second or third years, and they have even another level they can reach. Of course, no Seahawks player exploded into a breakout season more than Jaxon Smith-Njigba did.Â
The Seahawks seem to have the right guys and right talent at virtually every position, and next season could see the rise of more Seahawks players. In that light, one Seahawks tight end who showed his own flashes of potential in his rookie season is Elijah Arroyo, and he is in line to be one of the Seahawks players ready to make a big jump.
Elijah Arroyo is a prime candidate to earn a larger role with the Seattle Seahawks next season
The Seahawks offense is short of a premier running back now that Kenneth Walker III has moved on, but they're also short of a premier tight end, unlike the case at wide receiver, where Smith-Njigba is their premier option.
AJ Barner will be the Seahawks No. 1 tight end, as he was this past season, and while he himself made a significant jump in his second year in Seattle, he's yet to establish himself as their premier tight end, despite being their first option for now. Barner excelled last year, and his production increased in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
Going into year three, Barner should be expected to solidify his status as Seattle's first and foremost option at tight end, but what about their second? Eric Saubert is listed at the No. 2 tight end behind Barner, but the eight-year veteran has never played a significant role with any team he's played for, and caught just four passes for 31 yards for the Seahawks last year.Â
This opens the door for Arroyo to step in and step up, but he'll first have to show that the knee injury that knocked him out of last season hasn't slowed him down. Arroyo played in 13 games in this rookie campaign, hauling in 15 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown.
Considering the Seahawks' passing attack focused mainly on their wide receivers, these aren't bad numbers for a tight end listed as the third option.
Arroyo has an opportunity in front of him this offseason and in training camp to position himself right behind Barner. He showed last season that his speed and athleticism are his strengths, not to mention his size (6-foot-5, 254 lbs). Arroyo isn't the easiest tight end to get around when he's blocking opposing rushers, but he can also stretch the field in the passing attack.Â
Last season, Arroyo caught four passes of 20 or more yards, which, while shown in a small sample size, shows he can move downfield and get to the right spots. With Saubert unlikely to be a factor next season, Arroyo will have the chance to beat the veteran out in training camp for the No. 2 spot behind Barner.Â
Of the handful of Seahawks players who can take a big jump next season, Arroyo is at the top of the list; his skill set is of great quality and quantity, and there shouldn't be a reason, other than another injury, that Seahawks fans don't get a chance to see him rise to another level.Â
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