Seattle Seahawks get top-10 nod in one potentially important ranking

Back-to-back 9-8 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks do not seem overly fun, but they could be far worse. In fact, Seattle was 7-10 in 2021 and that felt a bit like 2-15. But brighter days are ahead for the team and 12s if one recent ESPN ranking is correct.

Because everyone likes teams to be young and talented (though older and talented is good as well), this is a good time for sites to rank the teams that have the best talent of those players who are 25 years old and younger. Seattle let itself get old because the team was so successful in the mid-2010s. Once the older players diminish, though, the team normally enters a downward spiral.

This did not happen with the Seahawks getting terrible, but once players such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor started slowing a bit, there was little hope the team would rebound to its 2013 and 2014 levels. Winning was good, but a Super Bowl run in the late 2010s seemed far out of reach.

Seahawks have a bunch of young talent, says ESPN

In the last couple of seasons, Seattle has changed its roster quite a bit and made an intentional effort to get younger overall. The gamble is that the young guys might not pan out, or at least never reach a level of quality that sustains long-term success. Devon Witherspoon seems great, but Abe Lucas might be too frail to help the team for a number of seasons to come.

ESPN has high hopes, though. In their ranking of each NFL team's talent under 25 years old, Seattle is tenth. The Seahawks' NFC West top rival ranks much lower which might imply that in a few years, Seattle could be battling for the division crown every season. The San Francisco 49ers are 23 with only a couple of players mentioned as being top-end producers under 25.

The Los Angeles Rams are ranked at number eight, but they also have an aging quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals are number six, but two of their listed players are wide receivers and that means one position on the team might be a lot better than other spots long term.

Seattle is in better shape even though they rank lower. ESPN gives a mention to Witherspoon and Lucas, but also Charles Cross, Riq Woolen, and Boye Mafe. That implies Seattle's offensive line might be better in the future, the cornerback group is excellent, and the Seahawks can get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

ESPN even talks about backup quarterback Sam Howell who is only 23. Should Howell somehow become QB1 and do well and the rest of the team around him is young and good, the Seahawks could be chasing championships for many seasons to come. That is the hope anyway.

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