These three underrated Seahawks rookies will be starting by week six
Mike Morris will eventually dominate for the Seahawks
The Hawks have an entirely new three in their 3-4 defense for 2023. Shelby Harris, Al Woods, Poona Ford, Quinton Jefferson; all gone. Yes, even L.J. Collier has moved on, not that you'd notice. That's okay, though, as Seattle made one very big upgrade by bringing in Dre'Mont Jones. As Kevin Patra wrote for nfl.com, "Jones fits what Pete Carroll wants from his defensive linemen, a penetrating force who can discombobulate the backfield and shoot the gap, making a quarterback's life miserable." Jones will be a force and is already proving that in camp.
Seattle also brought back their prodigal son, Jarran Reed. In a move few outside of the coaches' offices expected, Reed has been installed as the Seahawks new nose tackle. As I wrote the other day, this is a brilliant solution for the Hawks. Reed always played the run well and has bulked up to be even more of an immovable object in the middle. Plus, he can still fill the role of the unstoppable force on occasion, and get to the quarterback.
This brings us to the third newcomer, Mario Edwards. I have to say, I don't have nearly the level of confidence in Edwards as I do in Reed, and certainly not Jones. Until last year, Edwards had only started one game since 2017. I know the Hawks believe in comeback players, but there's only one Geno Smith. Edwards is a decent player, but he has zero chance to develop into an outstanding player. As for the other contender to start, Myles Adams has yet to show he's a force in his two seasons in Seattle. Last year he got 190 snaps with two pressures, one QB hit, and one tackle for a loss to show for it. That's not getting it done.
That's where fifth-round pick Mike Morris comes into the picture. He played defensive end at Michigan, but the Hawks saw him moving inside when they drafted him. In fact, they asked him to get up to 295 pounds before they called him on draft day. He did, they did, and he's been lighting up the field at VMAC ever since.
Picture a bigger, slightly faster version of Michael Bennett, and you can see why I have Morris taking over no later than week six. As quoted by Brent Stecker for seattlesports.com, Pete Carroll said of Morris, "He looks different, plays different, his range – he’s 6-6 and 297. You know, he’s gonna be a real factor." Yes, he is Coach; yes he is.