The Seattle Seahawks still have an NFL draft to go before the offseason truly gets to a dead period. Hopefully, the roster will be remade more, and the offensive line issue will be addressed. No matter what happens in the 2025 NFL draft, the players below might play significant roles next season.
Expecting most rookies to come in and do exceedingly well is often expecting too much. In the 2024 draft, general manager John Schneider's first without former head coach Pete Carroll, no rookie made an immediate positive impact.
Two of the players who follow will be second-year guys and could leap forward in efficiency in 2025. If so, they will augment a roster that has top-heavy talent but needs unsung heroes, too.
These three Seahawks may need to take on bigger roles in 2025
Center Jalen Sundell
Sundell is 6'5" and 300 pounds, but likely weighs more now than he did as a rookie. He also has sneaky good athleticism. Some think the 2024 undrafted free agent will be a good player, and he was a star at North Dakota State. He did not get much chance to show the Seahawks what he could do last season, except for one game.
Due to injuries to other players, Sundell got 48 snaps against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15, and he was pretty good in pass protection. Sundell allowed zero quarterback pressures against Green Bay. He struggled at blocking in the run game, though.
With an offseason of adding strength and getting better offensive line coaching from new O-line coach John Benton, Sundell can challenge Olu Oluwatimi for the starting center spot this coming season.
Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett
Last year, as a rookie, Prtichett was pretty terrible when he had a chance to play. He whiffed on 33 percent of his tackle attempts and allowed 13 of his 20 targets to be completed for 205 yards. Unfortunately, one of Pritchett's worst games came in the final game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams mainly were playing backup receivers, too.
In that game, Pritchett allowed receptions on five of his seven targets for 100 yards. That is no way to tell your team that you deserve more of a chance to play in year two.
But Pritchett may have to. Josh Jobe, who was quite good in 2024 after being elevated from the practice squad, is penciled in as a starter in 2025. His backup is Pritchett. There is no guarantee that Jobe is going to be good again. Unless Seattle takes a cornerback early in the draft, Pritchett might get a bunch of playing time if Jobe falters.
Kick and punt returner Steven Sims
Sims is new to the Seahawks, having been signed as a free agent this offseason. He has bounced around the NFL since 2019 and has not accomplished much as a receiver. He has, though, returned quite a few punts throughout his career. Earlier in his career, he also returned kickoffs. This is likely to be where he makes his mark in Seattle.
Besides Sims, the team doesn't have a player on the roster who has consistently been a returner. Last year, Seattle experimented with Laviska Shenault, Jr., and Dee Williams. Neither player lasted the entire season.
The NFL adjusted its kickoff rule slightly this offseason so that kicks that land in the end zone and are downed there or roll out the back, the ball will be brought out to the 35-yard line. Last year, it was the 30-year line. This probably means more kickoff returns, and Sims could be a surprise star for Seattle in that facet.