The Seattle Seahawks will return over 90 percent of their starters from their Super Bowl-winning season. That's a luxury teams can rarely afford, and as such, cracking the rotation is also significantly more challenging.
Mike Macdonald's team seems particularly unsettled at cornerback. They added three rookies, worked out multiple veterans, agreed to sign Terrion Arnold, and even signed Trevon Diggs late in the offseason.
That might spell trouble for Noah Igbinohene, their first offseason addition at the position. While he drew strong reviews earlier in training camp and has played well in limited preseason action, Nehemiah Pritchett's recent surge might cost him a roster spot.
The Seattle Seahawks might choose Nehemiah Pritchett over Noah Igbinoghene
While the Seahawks didn't give Diggs a big-money contract, it's hard to believe they don't intend him to make the 53-man roster after signing him at this point in training camp. Of course, he won't be the starter, but that's one fewer spot up for grabs.
The Seahawks will roll with Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe as the starters. They also make the most of Witherspoon's power and acceleration in nickel packages, whether it's to blitz the quarterback or stop the run.
That leaves two roster spots, with rookie third-round pick Julian Neal likely taking one despite missing time with an injury and Nehemiah Pritchett holding onto the other.
He's made big strides this offseason, working on his often erratic tackle angles, looking much more efficient in coverage, and even contributing to the running game.
Pritchett entered the offseason as an afterthought and a roster bubble guy after not being much of a factor earlier in his career. Now, his familiarity with the system and Aden Durde's complex schemes might give him the upper hand over the recently signed Igbinoghene.
Igbinoghene entered the league with star potential as a former first-round pick, but he's failed to live up to those expectations. Even last season, he gave up a 62.1 percent completion percentage for 253 yards, 14.1 yards per completion, and a 90.2 passer rating.
He's a vested veteran, so the team can still keep him on the practice squad without having to go through waivers. That would give him more opportunities to keep showing that he's the right guy for the job, especially if Pritchett fails to keep the strong momentum going.
On paper, the Seahawks need a slot specialist, but that might not necessarily be the case. They love to shake things up in the secondary, with Nick Emmanwori also playing all over the defensive backfield, and Witherspoon's versatility giving them a Swiss Army knife-type tandem.
There's still one preseason game left to make a strong impression, but Pritchett has been in the system for longer. It looks like a toss-up at this point, but his strong outing in Week 2 of the preseason might have him slightly ahead in this race.
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