5 Seahawks who are certified building blocks for the future
- Kenneth Walker is going to shine for years to come
- Tariq Woolen is all about production
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a game-altering talent
By Matt Conner
Some teams might have a hard time coming up with a list of true building blocks for the future when looking at their roster. Some teams skew older with veterans as it is, having pushed all of their chips to the proverbial middle in hopes of current contention. Others just haven’t drafted all that well and are in the midst of rebuilding their core.
That’s definitely not the case for the Seattle Seahawks in either direction.
With back-to-back draft classes that deserve plenty of applause, the Seahawks are looking solid as a franchise with plenty of promise for the years ahead. The good news is that they have playmakers on both sides of the ball who will grow with greater experience and opportunity.
So who are the certified building blocks forming the foundation for the Seattle Seahawks? We’ve got our top five here.
Charles Cross, OL
For all of the success enjoyed by the Seahawks franchise over the years, it’s a rare season in which the team could refer to the offensive line as an asset. For the most part, from Russ Wilson’s stretch of success to Geno Smith’s comeback last year, any sort of offensive achievement is typically made to look all the more impressive by the saying “in spite of the offensive line.”
Last year, the Seahawks endured another frustrating season in the trenches but at least there were seeds planted for future hope. Other than guard Damien Lewis, who really came into his own last year, the interior was downright pitiful. Outside at tackle, the league’s best pass rushers typically enjoyed a nice day against the Seahawks, but it’s also true that rookies Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas held their own on most plays and should learn plenty from their mistakes.
Cross in particular, who was the 9th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, has a Pro Bowler’s ceiling and, when paired with Lewis on the left side, could form one of the league’s best blindside pairs. Cross earned 1,088 snaps last year in a learning season, and it feels safe to say he should be considerably better in 2023 in an offense that should rank among the league’s top 10.
The Seahawks still have some work to do along the line in terms of personnel, but one side holds great promise and the interior is the cheapest and easiest parts of all to solve.