3 under-the-radar Seattle Seahawks staking strong claims at 2024 camp

The Seattle Seahawks are done with their mock game and have their first preseason game next weekend. The team will face the Los Angeles Chargers at 4:05 pm PT. The new coaching staff, though, might have learned more about their new players in training camp than they would against LA.

The good part for the players that follow, though, is that they might get a lot more playing time in the preseason games than the starters. This gives them more chances to prove they should make the roster and where they should fit on the depth chart. Two of the players are coming off 2023 injuries. One is a rookie.

One player not listed here who doesn't get talked about a lot unless they are doing something very wrong is kicker Jason Myers. Myers is having a terrific camp, though, and even made a 61-yard kick to finish up one practice last week. The kicker had a bit of a down year for him in 2023, and the Seahawks need a great year from him in 2024.

Three under-the-radar Seahawks that have been terrific at training camp so far

Wide receiver Dareke Young

Seattle has a lot of receivers currently and the team might only keep six at more. 12s clearly know that DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are going to make the team. Jake Bobo is a near lock as well at WR4. That leaves two slots for players such as Young, Laviska Shenault, and Dee Eskridge, among others.

Shenault and Eskridge are potential kickoff returners and with the NFL's new kickoff rule that could make the return game more explosive, having a good returner is a must. Young is likely not going to return kicks (though he did get a chance at the annual mock game), but he can be an important player on special teams as he has proven he doesn't mind hitting opponents in the third phase of the game.

Young also looks fairly sure-handed, though he hasn't had many chances in real games. In training camp he has and he has the most of his opportunities. He isn't only making the easy catches, but he is showing he can catch and run well. He is 6'2" and 225 pounds with 4.44 speed so he can potentially make a nice impact.

Tight end AJ Barner

The Seahawks' tight end room appears to be full of players who can do one thing better than the other. For instance, veteran backup Pharaoh Brown is a fantastic blocker but he isn't much of a receiver. Starter Noah Fant is capable of greatness when catching passes, but he isn't as good as Brown in terms of blocking.

Barner might be the one player who can do both equally well. He might not be the receiver that Fant is and he might not yet be the blocker than Brown is, but his versatility should be a good fit in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's scheme. At Michigan, Barner did not have a chance to catch many passes, but when he has gotten the opportunity in camp, he's been more than solid.

This includes a couple of tip-toe catches where he has to use his athleticism to haul in the throw. Barner might end up proving to be a steal of a 2024 fourth-round draft pick.

Running back Kenny McIntosh

Last year was pretty much a wash for McIntosh. He was having an excellent camp as a rookie in 2023 and then he was injured in the mock game and his season changed. He missed most of the early part of the year with a leg injury and only appeared in three games. He has the ability to catch well, block well in pass protection, and show bursts when he gets into the open field when getting handoffs.

Seattle is set at the first two spots at running back in the persons of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, but Seattle has learned as well as any team how valuable having depth at running back can be. Should Walker and Charbonnet be hurt, McIntosh, should he earn the RB3 spot, but be able to carry a load.

Thankfully, in camp, he seems to have rounded back into the form he showed in the 2023 training camp. He didn't have a perfect mock game on Saturday, but none of the running backs did. Let's just hope he can stay healthy for this season.

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